Is Use Of Corporal Punishment Nessecary - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1228 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/07/30 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Corporal Punishment Essay Did you like this example? Is the use of corporal punishment against 3-year old children associated with future aggressiveness among them? This question brings about a controversial topic on whether it is ok to spank children because of the underlining negative effects it could have on childs behavior in the future. Many parents when disciplining their children use corporal punishment (CP), which includes spanking or slapping, to teach their children lessons, imprint values, and improve current or future behavior. Whether this form of discipline creates future aggressive behavior is the question The American Academy of Pediatrics asks as they conduct a study to see the effects CP has on 3-year olds future development of aggressive behavior. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Is Use Of Corporal Punishment Nessecary?" essay for you Create order During this experiment, the American Academy of Pediatrics states that their goal is to be able to answer whether there is a link between a mothers use of corporal punishment on a 3 year old and the risk for that child to become more aggressive at age 5, even with the control of the childs initial level of aggression at age 3 and other important maternal parenting risk factors and demographic features (Taylor, Manganello, Lee, Rice, 2010). Before the study is conducted, The American Association of Pediatrics creates a single hypothesis that states that dozens of studies have shown a significant statistical link between the use of CP with children and child aggression (Taylor, Manganello, Lee, Rice, 2010). This includes studies that also controlled the childs initial aggression level. This proposed explanation creates the basis of what they already know on this subject and helps to build on this idea by adding other important maternal parenting risk factors and demographic features. To conduct this study, they choose a sample from the Fragile Families and Wellbeing study (FFCWS). They then ran 2 interviews, one at the childs age of 3 and the other when the child reached age 5. The mothers were questioned from the 19 items from the Child Behavior Checklist version for age 3. This asked certain questions such as if their children at age 3 were defiant, disobedient, easily frustrated, screams a lot, hits others or gets in reoccurring fights, or had irritable tempers. This was measured to determine whether if the aggressive behavior stemmed directly from CP or other factors. At age 5 the children were assessed from the 12 items from the Child Behavior Checklist that included behaviors such as bulling or meanness to others, destructiveness of things belonging to family members or others, arguing a lot, and threats to others. This type of study incorporated more than one study design. The first study design that it incorporates is observational study this study is whe re conclusions, are drawn from a sample, in this case the Fragile Families and Wellbeing study, to a population where the independent variable is not under the control of the researcher because of ethical concerns or logistical constraints. This is used to keep the study ethical by observing rather than assigning manipulation. Another study design that was used was survey study. This design is used to gather information from large groups in order to have more accurate results. The manipulation of this study design is used in the way the study is conducted through questionnaires of the parents of the children at ages 3 and 5. The next study design that was implemented was longitudinal study. This type of study is conducted over a long period of time to see the development of an issue over a timespan.   This design had to be used to measure the behavior between the ages from 3 to 5. The last study design that was used was retrospective study. This is where past behavior/data is view ed to study past vs. present. This is implemented by comparing the childs past behavior at age 3 with their future behavior at age 5. In order to conduct this study 2 groups must be involved, the experimental group and the control group. The experimental group is these studies were the children who did not receive corporal punishment and the control group were the children who received corporal punishment. It also must also include a independent or predictor variable and a dependent or outcome variable. The independent or predictor variable is the variable that is being manipulated to see its effect on the dependent variable or outcome variable. So therefore in this study corporal punishment is the independent variable and subsequent aggressive behavior in 3-year olds is the dependent or outcome variable. All 3 of these design studies contribute to the accuracy and correlation between variables. Through this study we see that even with the control of the childs initial level of aggression at age 3 and the preceding potential confounding factors and key demographic features, Frequent use of corporal punishment, where the mothers use of spanking was more than twice in the previous month, is directly associated with increased subsequent aggressive behavior when the child reaches age 5(Taylor, Manganello, Lee, Rice, 2010). From the results of this study we can also see the findings support a social learning approach to understanding the cycle of violence. This is where the child learns to be aggressive by being treated undeviatingly with aggression. From this study and its results, we can conclude that regardless of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation to not use corporal punishment, many parents will continue to use this form of discipline contrary to the behavioral effects children may face. It is even shown that minor forms of CP can increase risk of subsequent aggressive behavior. By using this modern information, we can single handedly stop the increase of violence in our future generation. Also, Mothers and future mothers can take this information in to account for when they raise their children and the methods of discipline they will choose in order to correctly imprint lessons and values without the risks of potentially negatively effecting the behavior of their child to be aggressive. The American Academy of pediatrics recommends the use of other effective and less risky discipline strategies instead of the use of CP. While conducting this study the researchers did however encounter confounds and limitations to their data. These include the studies focus only on the mothers use of CP and not fathers or other caregivers and the design type that was choose for this study that relies on the honesty of the mothers self-report. Although this design type creates limitations to the study, it is what makes this study ethical. By using observational studies instead of experimental studies is what makes this study ethical and able to be performed and approved by the IRB. This is because unlike in experimental studies where you would have to manipulate and spank the child that could potentially harm the child and create long term effects to receive data, observational studies are used to observe behavior without manipulation. This study is also ethical because it follows the IRB regulation and laws by having the approval of the parents since children are considered to be in the sensitive group where extra pr otection is needed since the children are cognitively unable to give consent. Also, the information received from the mothers are self-reports, so they are voluntary and free from coercion. The American Academy of Pediatrics precisely conducts this study which is why so many people have cited this article and journal publisher the past couple of years with an impact factor of 5.515, which is the highest impact factor of the other 124 pediatric journals in the 2018 Citation Report.

Quine Writes s Two Dogmas Of Empiricism - 1691 Words

Elisabeth Daigle Massey Contemporary Philosophy 8 December 2015 Contemp. PHL Paper Draft Quine writes â€Å"Two Dogmas of Empiricism† critiquing two parts of empiricism separate from the rest of what empiricism entails. These two dogmas are: a) there is a principled distinction between analytic and synthetic propositions, and b) reductionism is true. Quine also explains undetermination and its uses. His application is that anyone can believe anything if they are willing to let go of some background knowledge which could refute it. Commonly said as, believe x, come what may. Laudan has set out to demystify underdetermination because Quine’s use has been oversimplified and misused by many. It will be helpful to first define dogmas, reductionism†¦show more content†¦One of the dogmas that Quine addresses is â€Å"reductionism.† Reductionism refers to the empiricist claim that the meaning of a proposition is its verification conditions. The belief that each statement is equivalent to some logical construct upon terms which refer to immediate exp erience, observations. Underdetermination is the thesis explaining that for any scientifically based theory there will always be at least one rival theory that is also supported by the evidence given, and that that theory can also be logically maintained in the face of any new evidence. This theory allows for conflicting things to coexist, they might be consistent by they are not necessarily rational. The Quine-Duhem thesis involves the idea that a â€Å"physicist can never subject an isolated hypothesis to experimental tests, but only a whole group of hypotheses.† This is to say that when an experiment is conducted and fails, the conductor cannot say I will test â€Å"x† and prove that â€Å"it was x that was in disagreement† because all he knows is that at least one variable, one hypotheses, in the group is unacceptable and therefore must be changed. The experiment does not flag the culprit, the reason the whole failed. Instead the entire hypothesis is put int o question and can, in it’s entirety be tried again. This would seem to be analogous, though on its face it is not clearly analogous, to all theories and hypotheses, not just

Notes on Bilingualism and Second Language Acquisition free essay sample

All of these are false – and true, or at least a nugget of truth is in them. In order for us to understand their factual basis, we must first make some distinctions, because not all bilinguals are the same! Factors or dimensions in bilingualism and SLA: * Sequential vs. Simultaneous Acquisition * Compound vs. Coordinate Input * Dominant vs. Balanced Bilingualism * Contextualized vs. Decontextualized language use for L1 and L2 Truth behind the myths Linguistic Confusion – this occurs only for simultaneous acquisition, and only for a few months early in the life of a child. It is not a large degree of confusion, and it quickly is overcome (and some researchers propose that it is never really confusing at any stage of acquisition). L1 takes away L2 – this is only true in the sense that INPUT MATTERS, and the amount of input of L2 is important – how much L1 is not important. However, the better foundation of L1, the easier time people have getting into L2, at least in the early stages of L2 acquisition in terms of oral language. We will write a custom essay sample on Notes on Bilingualism and Second Language Acquisition or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page And literacy skills transfer even more easily, so literacy acquisition in L1 clearly benefits literacy acquisition in L2. Younger is better – the truth is that older is faster, but younger goes further in acquisition; in other words, younger is slower but farther, older is faster but not as far, in terms of fully acquiring a language in a â€Å"native-like† productive way. Levels of Second Language Proficiency BICS and CALP ( http://www. iteachilearn. com/cummins/bicscalp. html ) Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) is a level of second language proficiency that can be acquired within 1-2 years of immersion or exposure. â€Å"It is the day-to-day language needed to interact socially with other people. English language learners (ELLs) employ BIC skills when they are on the playground, in the lunch room, on the school bus, at parties, playing sports and talking on the telephone. Social interactions are usually context embedded. They occur in a meaningful social context. They are not very demanding cognitively. The language required is not specialized. These language skills usually develop within six months to two years after arrival in the U. S. † Judy Haynes, retrieved May 4, 2010, www. everythingESL. net Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP), on the other hand, is a level of second language proficiency that requires more specialized grammar, vocabulary, and language use – for literacy, reasoning, school work and academic conversations. It can take up to 5-7 years of immersion and exposure – 7-10 years if the child does not have previous experience in school or using their first language in academic/cognitive contexts and activities. - Cognitive Balanced bilinguals, especially those using both languages for decontextualized language uses, have cognitive benefits: Earlier metalinguistic awareness * Earlier executive functions * Earlier creativity – divergent thinking Otherwise, Dominant bilinguals appear to have no advantage or disadvantage over monolinguals. Personality Different aspects of personality and worldview are clearly related to which language a bilingual is using at the time of testing or thinking Social The largest factors in successful SLA or bilingual acquisition include two dimensions: * Integrative vs. instrumental motivation on the part of the person * Stigmatized vs. preferential treatment on the part of the group/society Brain Aphasia studies show us that Comprehension is separate from production Translation is separate from speaking/listening to spontaneous messages Recovery patterns in aphasia 50% parallel recovery (both languages return in a similar pattern) 25% selective recovery (only one-language returns) 25% â€Å"weird† recovery * differential (one language is impaired more than the other to begin with) * successive (one language returns completely before the other starts to return) * antagonistic (one language recovers, but at the expense of the other; alternation occurs from day to day or week to week)

Internet1 Essay Example For Students

Internet1 Essay Beam me up, Scottie. This popular line from Star Trek was a demonstration of the advanced technology of the future. Though it was a fictional story, Star Trek became the universal vision of the future. As always reality tends to mimic fiction. Though our society has not quite resulted to living in space, we have made life easier with technology. Economic survival has become more dependent upon information and communications bringing forth new technology of which was never thought possible. Just a mere thirty years ago a computer occupied a whole room compared todays palm sized computers, which are faster and perform more functions. Cellular phones, now light and compact, were bulky just ten years ago. The most incredible invention, the Internet, is bringing infinite amount of information to your desktop. In the world of the of the Internet there exist a world blind to skin color and other physical appearances. The Internet while still young in age has grown rapidly, spreading to coun tries world wide and connecting 50 million users. With its popularity, it is incumbent upon our society to recognize how the Internet works and to be aware of its advantages as well as disadvantages. While seemingly high tech the Internet concept is rather simple. Computers speak to one another and send information. This is accomplished by sending and receiving electronic impulse, and then decoding them into a message. In order to communicate with one another they are linked up in a network. They are then able to access information from thousands of other computers. The network acts like one large computer storing information in various places, rather than in one physical structure. Users tap into the Internet to access or provide information. Internet technology allows one to surf the World Wide Web or send e-mail. The vision of the Internet that would revolutionize the computer and communications belonged to JCR Licklider of MIT (Leiner n. page). In August of 1962 he envisioned a globally interconnected set of computers which would allow everyone to quickly access data and programs (Leiner n. page). A government sponsored project at Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DA RPA) started in October (Leiner n. page). The race for discovery of such technology raged between the Soviet Union and The United States of America. Both countries wanted control of the possibly powerful tool. Then in 1968, The National Physical Laboratory in Great Britain set up the first test network, which prompted the Pentagons ARPA to fund a larger project in the USA. (Sterling n. page)However the race was not limited to just nations but also companies. In 1965, working with Thomas Merrill, Lawrence G. Roberts created the first wide-area computer ever built. These experiments proved that computers could work together running programs and retrieving data as necessary on remote machines. Roberts put together his plan for ARPANET, published in 1966. At that time he learned of Donald Davies and Roger Scantlebury of NPL and Paul Baron and others at RAND. Research at MIT (1961-1967), RAND (1962-1965) and NPL (1964-1967) while parallel had no knowledge of one another. In August of 196 8 an RFQ, a refined model of ARPANET was released for the development of one of the key components, the packet switches Interface Message Processors (IMP). Bolt Beranek and Newman (BBN) installed the first IMP at UCLA and the first host computer was connected. By the end of 1969 four host computers were connected together into the initial ARPANET and the Internet was off the ground. In 1977, electronic mail was introduced. (Leiner n. page)As the Internet quickly grew, changes were necessary. The Internets decentralized structure made it easy to expand but its NCP did not have the ability to address networks further down stream than the destination IMP. Bob Kahn decided to develop a new version of the protocol which eventually became known as the Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Compared to the NCP which acted as a device driver, the new protocol was more like a communication protocol. In order to make it easier to use, Host were then assigned names, replac ing numbers. A group of scientist then set out to show that a compact and simple implementation of TCP was possible. They succeeded, allowing it to run on desktop computers. (Leiner n. page). Original uses of the Internet included government communications and a forum for scientist to share ideas and help one another in research. In the 1980s the Internet grew beyond its primarily research roots to include a broad user community and increased commercial activity. In present day it has become a tool for conducting research and finding information, as well as communications with others. Electronic mail, amazingly popular, with chat rooms and discussion groups makes the Internet a popular place for meeting new people. (Leiner n. page). Macbeth: Describe Macbeth As A Tragic Hero EssayHowever, the Internet being so free and uncensored presents many problems. Acknowledgment of children using the Internet has fueled a fight for regulation. Parents can not always monitor their children, therefore the Internet needs to be a safe place for the children. Children have access to the Internet in schools, libraries, and just about everywhere. In schools it is nearly impossible for a teacher to watch all the children, and in libraries it is not the librarians job to monitor them. Computers and the Internet are for everyone, including children, thus it has become an immense problem. Access to pornography has been one of the greatest concerns among parents. Surprisingly, pornography is easy to access and children will. Children are naturally curious and love to explore. Minors are also targeted by advertisers. Just like on television advertisers try to lure children in with pictures and web sites which include games and chat rooms. However the biggest danger is not what they find on the Internet but who they find. The information they access is not as dangerous as the people they meet. There have been many cases of molesters and kidnappers searching for pray on-line. Nicknames are used to protect the identity of the children but can also be used to mask adults. They enter childrens chat rooms and coax the children to trust them. Nonetheless, denying the children access to the Internet is not the solution, perhaps software is. However software limiting childrens access to web pages have not been successful. In some case the software does not filter out all inappro priate pages but filters out non-objectionable pages. (Should children be kept off-line? n.page)Molesters and kidnappers are not the only people with access to the Internet we should fear. Those mischievous thinkers also pose a threat. Known as hackers or crackers, they search for vulnerable computer systems then strike. Businesses can lose trade secrets, and the damages can be a disaster. In 1996 Dan Framer, a security consultant, tested 2,000 computers networks, and of those 65% had security holes large enough for an intruder to enter (Freedman 280). Government computers are just a vulnerable as teenagers have recently demonstrated. Teenagers working out of their home with guidance from a 18 year old broke into government classified information. Though they were caught, it bought alarm to the possible dangers of information leaks. The United States enemies could have access to military codes and top secret files. Although the average person is not targeted by hackers they are in danger of fraud and con-artists. Stolen credit card numbers have been rumored to be a major problem. The chances of it happening are not as great as the media makes it to be, but nevertheless it is a problem. The criminals easily get away with such a crime. They get the number of a credit card and charge ridiculous bills, but by the time the bill comes they have moved on to the next victim. Many schemes come in the form of junk mail. They offer deals that sound too good to be true and chances are they fake. They only ask for a small sum of money up front, next they cash the check and move on. ( Anarchy Online 98)Secure passwords can prevent hackers from accessing computers. Passwords should consist of numbers, letters and symbols: an example P11++69. No matter how secure and high tech the computer security system, all it takes is a simple , stupid password like hello to render the whole system worthless. (Freedman 279 )Though the Internet has its advantages it also has disadvantages, therefore users should educate oneself on the revolutionary tool. With over 50 million users the Internet is rapidly growing and is to the 90s what the personal computer was to the 70s. New usages are springing up everyday, making it impossible to predict the future of the Internet. One thing certain is that the Internet has revolutionized the computer and communications. The Internet is a world wide broadcasting capability, a mechanism for collaboration and interaction between individuals without regard to geographic location. (Leiner n.page)Bibliography:

How Might Prejudice Develop and How Might It Be Reduced free essay sample

A judgment or opinion made without adequate knowledge; to Prejudge, to pass judgement or form premature opinion. We can break the word prejudice down into two parts to give clearer understanding of its meaning, Pre is before and judice is to make judgement, so it is a negative preconceived judgement on an individual or group prior to seeking full knowledge or understanding about them. Prejudice effects many aspects of today’s society. Racism, sexism and homophobia are all examples of discrimination against a group that they may feel does not fit in to their norms in society. This can stretch further to prejudice against single parents, students, the elderly, the disabled, Goths, Emo’s, basically any group can be subjected to a form of prejudice. These negative preconceived ideas affect the way we treat people on a day to day basis. It is fair to say that most people would like to think they are tolerant of others and are not prejudice but it is unlikely that these people have no prejudice at all, it is inevitable that certain groups would not personally appeal to everyone and we may be drawn to other groups for company. We will write a custom essay sample on How Might Prejudice Develop and How Might It Be Reduced? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There are three elements of prejudice. The cognitive element which are ideas about a particular group which form stereotypes. The affective element involves feelings in relation to a certain group, these feelings could include anger, disgust, intimidation or even hate. The behavioural element involves actions taken to express these feelings, for instance an individual may avoid a certain group or individual belonging to a group, they may become abusive either verbally or physically, in extreme circumstances this discrimination can lead to such atrocities as the Holocaust where millions of Jews were exterminated. The media has a massive impact on our opinions of others. It may not be that someone expressing prejudice has had direct contact or experience of a group or individual from a group but they may have formed opinions based on propaganda, parental influences, authoritative figures, peer pressure or ignorance. The social learning theory suggests that negative thoughts or prejudices are learnt from society, for example parents, friends or colleagues. We are not born with negative thoughts/ preconceived ideas for others therefore it must be a learnt ideation. Psychology gives two main approaches to describe the ‘prejudice’ phenomenon, with many psychologist contributing with studies regarding prejudice for example; The Robber’s cave, Sherif (1956). This looked at whether prejudice could be created within a group. Social Factors of prejudice suggests that prejudice is a result of group interaction. Sherif conducted an experiment in 1956 to promote the theory suggesting that â€Å"when groups interact with one another they will inevitably generate attitudes towards each other†. The Robbers Cave experiment took a group of carefully selected boys, with no known hostile attitudes towards each other, they split the group and introduced competition between the groups to observe the ‘natural and spontaneous development of group organisation and attitudes. ’ This is known as minimal group theory. Individual factors involved in prejudice theories suggests a â€Å"sick person model†, suggesting that prejudice is an individual occurrence relating back to unresolved childhood memories or trauma. Freud’s work with psycho-analysis on this was a major influence, that conflicts in ones childhood creates a damaged adult personality. Also theories of the authoritarian figure by Adorno et al (1950) brought the suggestion of projection of unresolved past (childhood) experiences onto minority group. The down side to this theory is that it does not explain group prejudice, it implies that prejudice is an individual process and isolated to having a sick personality. Reduction of prejudice is vital for social integration and acceptance. Prejudice has reduced over the years in many aspects, as we as a society become more acceptant of others prejudice should reduce, but there will always be a victimised group within society which is outcast. Homosexuals could not be openly gay twenty years ago but now it is seen as an acceptable part of society, although there is still animosity towards minority groups such as homosexuals they are not so widespread and outwardly visible. There are several ways of reducing prejudice within society on both an individual and social level. Ignorance has a massive impact on peoples thoughts and opinions of others as many of their opinions of others are uninformed and uneducated. Education is a vital part of reducing any kind of animosity. Schools, parents and other authoritarian figures can take an active role in educating young people about minority groups to encourage acceptance, cultural awareness within schools can be very beneficial in the acceptance process. Opinions of parents are a major influence on a children’s attitudes towards those who appear to be different to themselves, so education is not only appropriate for young people but re-education of old-school thoughts is a necessary action. Integration with other groups is very important to build understanding and empathy between cultures. Also communication is vital to encourage understanding and time to allow these things to take place, attitudes cannot change overnight. Encouraging the pursuit of common (superordinate) goals, can reduce divisions between groups, if mixed groups have a common goal to work towards they are more likely to pull together and put differences aside for the greater gain of the group. All these are options for aiding the reduction of prejudice but time, effort and desire on the part of everyone is required to achieve this reduction, but it is reasonable to say that even though prejudice can be reduced it will never be extinct; there will always be an element of prejudice within society.

Social Profile Reports Highlight Metrics That Matter - CoSchedule

Social Profile Reports Highlight Metrics That Matter Knowledge is power. And without data, there’s no way to make critical updates to your overall marketing strategy. especially when it comes to social media strategy. And with random GIFs from friends†¦ Awkward baby photos from your mom†¦ And cat memes filling up your feeds†¦ It’s tougher than ever for marketers to stand out! Let alone know if those messages are reaching the right audience!? Which is why we’re excited to announce ’s newest addition to analytics Social Profile Reports! Highlight metrics that matter with Social Profile Reports in @:With Social Profile Reports, you can Access top social profile reports from one dashboard. Stop downloading reports from individual platforms (or multiple third-party tools). Quickly view important social KPIs for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest right inside . Refine your social strategy with actionable insight. Track your social performance so you know what’s working (and what isn’t). Use real-time data to make updates to your social strategy, so you can continue to drive results. Connect with your audience + create posts that stand out. Track engagement stats and stop guessing at what will (or will not) resonate with your followers. Utilize your social profile reports to identify top content AND start creating posts you know your audience will love. Get social profile reports delivered right to your inbox with scheduled reports. Create and schedule easy-to-understand reports to your team + stakeholders on a weekly or monthly basis. Giving everyone a pulse on your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest performance. Understand and take control of the metrics that matter with Social Profile Reports. What are you waiting for? Understand and take control of the metrics that matter with Social Profile ReportsAccess Top Social Profile Reports From One Dashboard Stop downloading reports from individual platforms (or multiple third-party tools). Quickly view important social KPIs for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest right inside . Select which profile report you want to view from the dashboard and Ta-da! You’ve got instant access to performance data for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn or Pinterest in just one click. Have multiple Twitter accounts? Or Facebook pages? You can quickly pull account specific data by selecting a profile from the dropdown menu at the top of each profile report. Set your desired date range to track page analytics on a weekly, monthly, quarterly or annual basis. With Social Profile Reports, you now have an active pulse on how your social media channels are performing. Access reports anytime to help identify trends, dips, or peaks in channel performance. So you can continually focus on improving your social strategy Like the productive genius you are. Automate #social #media #analytics like the productive genius you are.Refine Your Social Strategy With Actionable Insight With Social Profile Reports, you can track your social marketing efforts so you know what’s working (and what isn’t). And use real-time data to make updates to your strategy, so you can continue to drive results. Because when it comes to social media strategy†¦. It gets overwhelming to think through all the important details. Are you posting enough on each network? Are you sharing at the right time of the day? Are you posting important messages on the right day of the week? Social Profile Reports can empower you with actionable insight AND equip you with the right stats to make critical decisions. Get an accurate gauge on your posting frequency and view†¦ How many posts you’ve published during the set time period. The average # of posts you send per day. Which day of the week you send the majority of your messages. Get access to a more in-depth breakdown of which days and times you’re publishing (including which messages were sent from ReQueue vs. scheduled). Use this info to determine if you have any imbalances in posting frequency and reveal any opportunities to post more often or rearrange your scheduled content to fill in open days and times on your calendar. Then take it one step further And uncover the Best Day To Post  and Best Time To Post  based on your individual social profile reports. When you have important social content to share, you can confidently publish on the ideal day and time to connect with your most engaged followers. Scheduling a bunch of posts for a campaign? Identify trends in high engagement across time of day AND day of the week. Scheduling a bunch of posts for a campaign? Identify trends in high engagement across time of dayAnd post when your most engaged followers are active online. But still†¦ You may find yourself wondering if you’re posting enough†¦ Fill in the gaps on your calendar and intelligently automate your social strategy with ReQueue. Check out your ReQueue Summary to see how many gaps are in your calendar for your current social network. Add more evergreen content to your ReQueue groups and update your ReQueue settings to automatically post when you have lulls in your calendar. Giving you more opportunities to reach your audience.

Confusing Harder with Better by Alfie Kohn Essay

Confusing Harder with Better by Alfie Kohn - Essay Example The paper throws light on the essay â€Å"Confusing Harder with Better† which expresses that the more schools commit themselves to improving performance on these tests, the more that meaningful opportunities to learn are sacrificed. He also said that there is an inverse relationship with high scores and the quality of the standards that the schools want to achieve. Though schools are aiming to be competitive with other schools, they are also aiming for their students to be competitive not just on the scholastic world but also when they step out of the academe and into the real world. Most of the students are now being educated through the book and by the book. There is a certain scare that one’s talent and creativity will be shadowed by the books. As the educational standards are being raised, there are points that are being shadowed and overlooked upon. There is nothing wrong with raising the standard of education especially when there are a lot of things the country i s facing now which the students of today may answer in the future. All things should be done in moderation. Raise the standard of education moderately that the students still have the freedom to choose other activities where they can excel. It is not all about the books. A well-educated person knows how to apply what he have learned in the academe to his daily life. There are a lot of things beyond what are written in the books. Tests are not just in the school but also in real life. There are things in life that are not taught in schools.

Term Paper, Project Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Term Paper, Project Management - Assignment Example 2. Usage - Mostly done as a preliminary method of finding out information with regards to the interaction between the environmental stressors or risk agents and the target population, communities, or sites (US EPA, 2012a). 3. How it is conducted - The EPA uses a four-step method which consists of the following: data collection and evaluation; exposure assessment; toxicity assessment; and risk characterization (US EPA, 2012a). Data collection and evaluation aims to gather as much information from the site as possible, such as collecting samples and identifying the presence of stressors such as chemicals in the surroundings. After sufficient data has been gathered and analyzed, exposure and toxicity assessments are done next. Exposure assessment is done in order to analyze the contaminants released, to identify the populations exposed and how these stressors reached them, as well as estimating both the concentrations and intakes using various pathways by which the stressors were able t o reach the studied target areas or populations. The toxicity assessment deals with further quantitative and qualitative studies on the stressors such as performing tests that determine the toxicity levels of contaminants. Lastly, risk characterizations list the sum total possible effects of these contaminants to both the environment and the people such as the potentiality to cause chronic or acute diseases. Also, the probabilities and uncertainties of how these contaminants can reach people are summarized in order to aid future risk assessments to be done in later areas (US EPA, 2012a). 4. Comparison to other kinds of assessments – Baseline risk assessment is the most basic but generalized method of analyzing the current condition of target locations and populations. While it shares many characteristics such as the use of scientific methods in the conduct of other kinds of assessments, it is also the foundation for other kinds of analyses to be conducted in the future, espec ially with the larger areas of study and necessary information. There is also a greater need to incorporate as much information from the areas or sites as possible since these are the levels by which future prediction models will be based on, and will be constantly relied on in succeeding area or population analyses. Thus, in order to create accurate models and risk assessments for each site, the baseline risk assessment must be carefully and thoroughly conducted to prevent future miscalculations and assure that there is appropriate risk-management in these areas (US EPA, 2012a). Comparative Risk Assessment 1. Definition – It is a kind of assessment method wherein the ranking of various effects in importance or relevance are established into a scale which, while not exactly designed to work on a single measuring unit or scale, is quite functional in approximating the effects or consequences of such stressors based on location and population (US EPA, 2006). 2. Usage - The EPA use comparative risk assessments in a way that various risks or important points are referred to and then compared to the approximated scale so as to assist risk assessors in weighing the appropriate measures in accordance to the presence or identity of the risks involved (US EPA, 2006). Such

A Review Of Related Literature On A Time On Task Rewards System And A Research Paper

A Review Of Related Literature On A Time On Task Rewards System And A Summary Of The Methodology Used In Experimentation - Research Paper Example According to cdc.gov, as much as 8% of children between the ages of 3-17 are suffering from Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. This makes this disorder a very real occurrence in our communities, and specially our schools. This makes almost one out of every 12 children affected by this issue. Although this is normally not life threatening, it does have serious effects on a child’s life. Some people also think that this disorder does not exist and that it is just some simple thing such as the child's will to do a task, but according to nytimes.com, as well as the individual they interviewed, Dr. Barkley, the disorder is quite real. According to nih.gov, symptoms of this disorder include irritability, forgetfulness, easily distracted from a task, difficulty with focusing on a certain tasks, hyperactivity, restlessness and others. These are the kinds of symptoms that are often mistaken for other issues such as the child's lack of discipline, lack of will to concentr ate, dislike of the task at hand and others. These symptoms also have a huge effect on a child's education. Due to these symptoms, at least 1 out of every 12 children have a problem concentrating while in school, or while doing their home works or seat works. Due to these issues, these children will have a hard time keeping up with lessons and have a hard time learning new topics. Because of these effects on the child's learning, we can now consider this disorder as a learning disability. Our subject, who we will name â€Å"Angelina† is affected by this disorder and is historically known to have difficulty in concentrating, and focusing on certain tasks, especially when it comes to reading comprehension. This paper's goal is to look at related literature regarding her disorder, define certain aspects of the disorder, and attempt a simple experiment with a discipline style known as the rewards system, to try and see if this style of discipline will have any effect or will show any improvement in Angelina's lack of focus and concentration. This paper will attempt to discuss these topics in sections, namely: Review of related literature Definition of â€Å"learning disorder† Learning characteristics associated with learning disorder Reading challenges of learning disorder, & its effects Strategies to use when dealing with children with learning disabilities Conclusion Methodology Intro paragraph Participant Setting Design Inter-rater reliability Description of the procedure – chronological summary of the major events in your study Baseline Intervention Return to baseline Data collection procedures Social validation Concluding paragraph Results Discussion Definition of â€Å"learning disorder† As previously mentioned, ADHD can have a considerable effect on a child’s learning because it affects the persons ability to learn and review things, but can we consider ADHD as a learning disorder? We must define exactly what a learning di sorder is. According to brighthub.com, ADHD and a learning disorder are 2 different kinds of disorders. It goes on to explain that â€Å"ADHD effects learning in almost thirty per cent of the cases.† The different of the 2 disorders is explained in a very simple yet effective way in the article. It describes that although ADHD is able to have an effect on learning, it is a medical condition. It affects â€Å"all cognitive functions.† While a learning disability only affects the child or person while learning or trying to understand new information. A simple analogy that was also used in the article is that while a learning disorder will prevent the proper functioning of a few brain functions related to learning, ADHD softens functionality of all brain functions. Also, learning disorders only take effect while trying to do certain cognitive functions. According to Sheila L. Videbeck in her book â€Å"Psychiatric mental health nursing, Third edition†

Management Essays McDonalds Restaurants and Management Strategic Management and Operations

Management Essays McDonalds Restaurants and Management Strategic Management and Operations McDonalds Restaurants Management Introduction Strategies are important for all businesses, irregardless of the products or services that they offer. Through strategic management and operations, companies are able to integrate new and effective means of running their respective businesses. In turn, these strategies results to increased profit or sales, stable market position and greater levels of customer loyalty. In the fast food industry, certain business strategies are also being developed and applied so as to achieve similar effects. In this report, the impact of some business strategies in actual businesses will be analyzed. The case study provided was about McDonalds and how the company has evolved to be successful in the British market. In addition, the case discussed the problems that McDonalds have been encountered throughout the years, specifically in terms of being considered as a company which offers unhealthy foods. Primarily, the main goal of this paper is to determine the business strategy of McDonald to sustain their competitive advantage in the global market. Overview of the Company McDonald’s has a rich history that started out in 1954. The company was put to the spotlight by Ray Kroc. Throughout the years, marketing ideas have poured through and helped the company become one of the most renowned fast food brands globally. The trademark design for the fast food was carefully studied and it came with a happy clown character known as Ronald MacDonald (McDonald, 2008). The Big Mac and the Egg Muffin have been some of McDonald’s most innovative products. In terms of marketing, the happy meal approach was also a creative as it entices children to eat at MacDonald’s because of the toys they can get. Today, McDonald’s is also on the Internet bandwagon, providing information to people all over the world with a click of a mouse (McDonald’s Corporation, 2008). McDonalds restaurants offer a substantially uniform menu, common in the usual fast foods. This includes hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries, salads, milk shakes, desserts, and ice cream sundaes. The company’s top sellers, and can also be considered as innovative ones, include the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, the Filet-O-Fish and Chicken McNuggets. Recently, the company has added a number of new nutritional products. This includes the Salads Plus products i.e. Garden Side Salad and the Grilled Chicken Flatbreads (McDonald’s Corp. UK, 2008). Uniformity continues in McDonalds restaurants operating in the US, UK and certain international markets that are open during breakfast hours and offer a full or limited breakfast menu. Breakfast offerings include the Egg McMuffin and Sausage McMuffin with Egg sandwiches, hotcakes, biscuit and bagel sandwiches and muffins. Also, McDonalds tests new products on an ongoing basis and sell a variety of other products during limited-time promotions. In the fiscal 2003, McDonalds generated revenues of $17.1 billion, an increase of 11% on the previous year. Operated Restaurant business unit posted revenues of $12.8 billion in fiscal 2003, compared with $11.5 billion in 2002 and $11 billion in 2000 and represents approximately 75% of the companys net sales. On the other hand, the Franchised and Affiliated Restaurants business unit posted revenues of $4.3 billion in fiscal 2003, compared with $3.9 billion in 2002 and represents approximately 25% of the companys net sales. The geographic are of Europe accounts for 37%, second to the 39% total revenue in the US. The customer target of McDonald’s is usually children or young people. In fact, McDonald’s already entered the children’s wear market. The new McKids products include footwear, videos, toys and casual clothes. Soon to be released worldwide, it is an attempt to redefine McDonald’s image partly due to heightened concerns about the rising levels of obesity amongst consumers, particularly in the US and the UK. Strategies of McDonald McDonalds is one of the famous food chain all throughout the world known by both the child and adult alike. It has increased it sales despite some issues being raised against the company. To further increase sales on the business and improve its performance, business strategies are done by person in-charge. It is in this stage wherein the company would improve what they lack thus making prospective customers to keep on coming back and ask for more. It is said that McDonald has been able to use various strategies to uplift and sustain their competitive advantage in the market. Part of its business strategy is its plan to phase out its Super Size French fries and soft drinks as it tries to create a healthier image for itself. The Super Size option is to be phased out in an attempt to slim down its menu amid increasing concerns and issues being raised about obesity (Crouch, 2004). The company is also planning other menu changes, such as switching to a cinnamon roll and a sausage burrito as its core breakfast offering, while bagels would become an optional item. The company also has to stop selling its 14 ounce McDonald’s Fruit n Yogurt Parfait and replaced it with a smaller-sized version of the product (Crouch, 2004). All these changes in the menu are part of its strategy to provide a range of choices that support a balanced lifestyle. The company has also added that the simplified core menu would be rolled out to its entire restaurant. Furthermore, using the national rollout of its â€Å"made for you† platform as the opportunity to re-evaluate its core brand attributes, the company has quietly formed a global brand strategy task force that is looking for â€Å"long and hard† at the essence of the Golden Arches (Howard, 1999). The group which will be led by new vp-brand strategy has been meeting for several months and is anticipated to put forward its findings in fresh consumer messages by mid-2000. The slow-build will allow stores to work through an expected learning curve for the new cooking system and avert major miscues as it attempts to deliver on the promise of hotter, fresher foods made to order (Howard, 1999). The group also is evaluating all elements of the brand from menu, service, and restaurant dà ©cor to brand icons Ronald McDonald. Even though domestic sales have turned to healthy 5% level, the said company is rethinking how to sustain growth in the face of both national and regional rivals.In the past, the company’s marketing strategy has been criticized for being short-term focused and there has been no over-arching umbrella strategy. With that, the charge is to bring continuity and consistency to the brand strategy piece. Strategies in other areas of the organization is also made like the three-wheeled vehicle that is used to collect discarded cups and burger wrappings from the neighbourhood around the restaurant and the provision of good services to customer which naturally begins and commences with hiring the right kind of people (Livesey, 1999). Staffs are encouraged to smile, be optimistic and treat customers particularly with respect, tell them what a person wants and follow up on the performance and reward their behavior. The restaurant’s bathroom is not spared. Issues are raised on the concerns about the said restaurant to be dirty and unhygienic. Customers want a clean area especially the bathroom to make they feel comfortable. Strategies like this should also be applied (Livesey, 1999). McDonald’s has developed three strategies for sustaining the competitive advantage. These are customer convenience, customer value, and optimal operations. Together with the digital strategies, it will help create new and bold ideas for the company. The stores are characterized by the operations team as miniature manufacturing facilities. With its goal in improving the suite of its manufacturing systems (inventory control, production planning, financial control, and point-of-sale order entry) that supports the store, the team has developed ways of improving its overall operations. Aside from offering hamburgers and French fries, the current trend in McDonald’s extends in serving as a family retreat, and as a community center for senior citizens. The means for the former one are its extensive indoor playgrounds and promotional toys, while the invitational plays of bingo are for the latter one. As this trend continues, an extension of more service-oriented technologies is needed. They can conduct studies and surveys to better know which among the different alternatives serves the company’s objectives the best. These might include robots taking orders instead of humans, automated processes of food production, and the like. To achieve customer convenience, one of their key initiatives is on the improvement in the speed of new stores’ opening. To answer this, the â€Å"day in the life† scenario was developed for site developers that described the optimal toolset and the collaborative environment they would have with them as they scouted for locations. Rather than choosing individual tools, they should think about the tools on the horizon-geographical information systems, global positioning satellites, new media such as teleconferencing, and the expanding flow of information through public networks like the Internet. The adherence of the company to put WIFI technology in their stores for instance has also become one of the attractive forces for customers. For the achievement of customer value, focus should remain on real-time information flow that allows instant corrections of the menu and prices in response to customers’ preferences, competitive environment, and even the ingredients’ global commodities market. Specific Situation Strategy McDonald’s has been recognized as a highly flexible corporation. This company feature has been evidenced by its vast product differentiation. This is one of the company’s major strategies in entering foreign markets. Teriyaki burgers in Japan, McPork Burgers and McTempeh in Indonesia, McSpaghetti in the Philippines and McLox Salmon sandwiches in Norway are some of the concrete examples of McDonald’s ability to modify its products based on international tastes and preferences which they also done with their British market. While minor product changes are required for these countries, vast changes would have to be done for Britain’s case. Modifying the product or service is one example on how foreign firms are able to distribute their goods effectively in diverse markets. Another is by modifying the businesses’ marketing mix in order to fit global resources to local market conditions. In order to do this, multinational companies can transfer their developed global brands into a new market by means of changing their products’ formulation, prices or packaging. This in turn will increase the products’ appeal to both consumers and retailers. Doing this globalization strategy however, naturally requires considerable investment. Still, this will make multinational companies at par with the local companies. Another possible localization strategy is by developing new resources that are market-specific. This strategy is done when the multinational company acquired some local brands, marketing them along with their global product brands (Arnold, 2003). As McDonald’s typically serve beef burgers and non-spicy food items, the company would have to drastically change its menu for the Britain market to provide healthier menus for British people. For instance vegetable salads and chicken kebabs were also served to cater to the health conscious population. These are some of the many changes that McDonald’s did in order to gain entry to the Britain market. In addition to product differentiation, regulation of the products’ prices is also a top priority. Effective promotions and advertising were also integrated into the company’s international strategy. One of these tactics include the company’s promotional offers of various items like Internet cards, concert tickets, CDs, T-shirts, caps and international trips . This promo had been done as the company collaborated with other organizations including Coca-cola, Sony, MTV, and General Motors. Painting contests for children were also conducted by McDonald’s. Furthermore, the advertising strategies of McDonald’s had been focused on building an image of family comfort. Rather than just being an ordinary fast food that serves quality meals, McDonald’s intends to appeal to the market by building a fast food image where families can get together, enjoy and relax. Overall, the international strategy of McDonald’s for Britain has been effective. In general, the focus of these strategies was the customers. Customers play a significant role to a business’ success or failure. Being an important business element, meeting the needs and preferences of the consumers is the utmost priority of almost all businesses. McDonald’s has clearly shown the importance of this concept by adapting to the Britain culture, its people and their tastes. By reaching out to the British market, McDonald’s was able to successfully establish itself in Britain. Despite the success of McDonald’s in Britain, it is important to consider that the cultural background and preferences of its market continues to change. New markets in the country will eventually emerge. Considering the strict competition within the food service industry, McDonald’s should then implement new strategies so as to reach out to the new markets. Perhaps, one of the most significant initial steps for the company is constant conduction of consumer studies.Strategic recommendation Through this strategy, McDonald’s can be updated with the latest market trends and identify new market segments. Changes in food preferences can be obtained through consumer research. Furthermore, this strategy can significantly help in increasing the company’s market scope in the country. Another important strategy that McDonald’s should do so as to address emerging markets in Britain is through enhanced advertising and promotions. This can be done through the implementation of the integrated marketing (IMC) approach. McDonald’s employs a number of ways on how to promote its products in Britain. Aside from television commercials and printed advertisements, the company also uses the Internet and various promotional offers for advertising purposes. In order to optimize the functions of each promotional media, McDonald’s can use the IMC Strategy. IMC enables interactivity, which in turn allows the counter flow of information. Through IMC, companies in the food service industry, such as McDonald’s, will be able to combine core strategies with other forms of communication to gain more marketing advantages and generate better business effects. IMC is the strategic coordination of multiple communication voices. Its aim is to optimize the impact of persuasive communication on both consumer and non-consumer such as trade and professional audiences by coordinating such elements of the marketing mix as advertising, public relations, promotions, direct marketing, and package design (Moore and Thorson, 1996). While traditional means of marketing like advertising is one way in nature, the integrated marketing communication approach permits users to do several functions, including receiving and altering information or images, forward inquiries, respond to these questions, and the most important of all, make purchases (Moore and Thorson, 1996; Moore, 1993). One important aspect of this integrated approach is the resulting effect of a more enhanced means of brand building. In the case of internet marketing, integrated marketing communication will allow food service companies to maximize the use of the internet in building bands by incorporating other marketing means. The effect of which will lead to enhance product promotions and better net sales. The IMC approach has been beneficial to several companies as it helps in identifying the most useful and appropriate methods in communicating and establishing good customer relations, including good relationships with stakeholders like the employees, investors, suppliers interest groups and the public in general. During the 1990s, the introduction of the integrated marketing communications has been one of the most important developments in marketing, which continued on up to the present. From here on, the IMC approach is being applied by large and small companies alike, and has been well-known among companies marketing consumer goods and services, including business to business marketers. Using this strategy, McDonald’s may maximize the use of mass media, direct and online marketing. In order to maximize the purpose of the IMC strategy, the official website of McDonald’s may be enhanced and integrated as well. The internet have changed the ways companies create, design and implement their whole business and marketing plans as well as their programs for marketing communications. In order to promote their product lines, companies, from large multinational enterprises to small local companies, are developing certain web sites, complete with vital information that will help enhance customer relations or attract potential consumers. In terms of the promotional mix, the internet is a capable medium of doing more than just advertise. Through this medium, McDonald’s may offer other means of sales promotion through coupon, sweepstakes or contests online. Moreover, the internet may be used to perform, personal selling, public relations as direct marketing more efficiently and effectively. The official website of McDonald’s Britain is actually well-made and attractive. It offers complete product details along with product pictures, which serves as an effective marketing tool. As Britain’s are very particular about the ingredients used for their food, the website also discusses the different ingredients included for the products it produces. Other services offered by the food company like parties are also included. In this website, the food items offered by the company are described as delicious, healthy, hygienic and refreshing. In addition, these food items are always served with a â€Å"smile†, implying the company’s quality service (McDonalds Britain Official Website, 2005). With these major advertising elements, McDonald’s could use the same elements for its commercials, print ads and other promotion channels. By doing so, the company can create a more distinct and definite brand that the Britain market can easily remember. In this case, this is where the IMC approach comes in. The coordination of different media channels can then help in making a more established McDonald brand in Britain, resulting to higher market support, market growth and sales. In addition, McDonald also considered the use of cost leadership and product differentiation strategy which also allows the companies to enhance their products as well as develop new ones based on market demands and needs. By means of new product development, generation of ideas that are different and unique among competitors becomes possible. Thus, by means of new product development, industries are able to overcome cutthroat competition. Increasing the companies’ market coverage is yet another effect of developing new products for the customers like what McDonald’s have done with their British branches. Creating something that is unique to the market place increases the possibility of catching the interest of other potential consumers. This in turn increases the market coverage or diversifies the target market of the company. For McDonalds, people are its most important asset (McDonald, 2008). This is because customer satisfaction begins with the attitudes and abilities of employees and committed, effective workers are the best route to success. For these reasons, McDonalds strives to attract and hire the best, and to provide the best place to work. In fact, McDonalds is so active and successful in newly emerging markets that other companies will sometimes use the golden arches as a valuable indicator of future growth markets. Conclusion McDonald’s has been successful in operating within the food service industry through efficient strategies and quality standards which enables them to gain competitive advantage. As evidenced by its international market growth, McDonald’s has already been efficient in gaining entry even in the most challenging markets like Britain. Through its strong sense of quality service and customer satisfaction, McDonald’s was able to offer its products to the Britain market. Products were modified to suit the British taste and preferences; affordable prices were implemented; effective promotions and offers were done. These are some of the strategies involved in the company’s business strategy which allowed McDonald’s to gain the Britain support. Despite these successes, the company should take into consideration the growing level of competitiveness in the food service industry. In Britain, several foreign fast food chains offering similar products are also being supported by the Britain consumers. Constant strategic change is then necessary to ensure that the company would sustain their competitive advantage. In conclusion, McDonald’s has been successful because of the value the company gives for its customers. Hence, despite the controversial beginning of McDonald’s in Britain, the company managed to adapt to its people’s cultural needs. Indeed, McDonald’s is a learning organization, one that is willing to learn and open to change. Reference Arnold, David (2003). Strategies for Entering and Developing International Markets. In Mirage of Global Markets, The: How Globalizing Companies Can Succeed as Markets Localize. Financial Time Prentice Hall, 2003. Crouch, A. (2004). Fast-Food Business Strategy. The Raw Prawn Blog Howard, T. (1999). The Over-Arching Strategy-McDonald’s Global Brand Strategy Task Force. Brandweek, November 8, 1999 Livesey, S. (1999). McDonald’s and the Environmental Defense Fund: A Case Study of a Green Alliance. The Journal of Business Communication, Vol. 36 McDonald’s Corporation (2008). About McDonald’s/McDonald’s History (online). Available at: http://www.mcdonalds.com/corp/about.html. Retrieve April 28, 2008 McDonald’s Corporation UK (2008). Eat Smart/What’s On/Good News (online). Available at: http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ Retrieve April 28, 2008 Moore, Jeri Esther Thorson (1996). Integrated Communication: Synergy of Persuasive. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Moore, Jeri (1993).. Building brands across markets: Cultural differences in brand relationships within the European Community. In D. Aaker A. Biel (Eds.), Brand equity and advertising. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Food Fight Essay -- Health Culture Nutrition Essays

Food Fight In America, one would be hard pressed to find a town which did not support at least one McDonald’s, Burger King or Wendy’s. Pizza parlors are a necessity in college towns. Ice cream shops are abuzz with customers of all ages after dark. And hey, who ever heard of a movie without popcorn? The increasing visibility and importance of food in our culture has been a phenomenon. Food began as a necessity of life. It was the source of energy, which allowed the body to grow and prosper, and for hunters and gatheerrs to survive. In modern times, the role of food in everyday life has taken on a life of its own, from the blue-ribbon palate pleasers tickling taste buds to political statements drawn in chocolate to social drinking. The resulting uses of food are as diverse as the different foods it encompasses and as inseparable from a person’s daily life as breathing. How can something so simple as energy-intake convey have become such a large and varied part of everyday life? Food as a family affair is largely determined by the family’s lifestyle; conversely, knowing a family’s eating patterns says a lot about their lifestyle. Sitcoms portray meals as a leisurely occasion for the family to sit down together to enjoy savory foods fresh from the oven, which the loving wife has been tending for the past two hours. Then reality sinks in. The increasing popularity of TV dinners, microwave gourmet, and prepackaged snacks caters to a family without the time for such luxury. Why cook when you can heat up a frozen entrà ©e of teriyaki beef or homestyle apple pie in just four minutes? As the tendency for both spouses to be employed full-time has increased from 33% of families in 1972 to 67% in 1998, according to the National Data... ...heir lives before they can begin to conquer the problems which have arisen from it. As food has become increasingly available, society has found new ways of playing with it, spinning out brand loyalty, hobbies, programming and cults dedicated to food. Before people embrace these new food novelties, however, they must first as a culture establish the terms of their new relationships with food. Only then can we both enjoy the delights of the kitchens without destroying our health and self-image in the process. Sources Cited foodies.com forfoodies.com Eric Schossler's Fast Food Nation (2001) â€Å"Body Image Statistics† womensissues.about.com/cs/bodyimage/a/bodyimagestats.htm â€Å"Overweight and Obesity Fact Sheet† www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/fact_adolescents.htm â€Å"The Emerging 21st entury† cloud9.norc.uchicago.edu/dlib/sc-42.htm.

Physical Restraints on Dementia Patients Essay

Introduction A patient’s safety is one of a nurse’s primary concerns. It has become a big issue focused on by the general public and policy-makers after medical errors have been increasingly publicized and more hospital-related injuries are reported (Stanford University, 2001). The International Council of Nurses define a nurse’s role as someone who can work on his own and/or in a team to care for people of all age groups, their families, social groups, and communities, whether well or unwell, and in different settings. Nurses promote health, prevent illness, and look after the sick, disabled and the dying. Furthermore, they advocate for a safe environment, participate in research and moulding new policies to better the health care system. (International Council of Nurses, 2010). But what happens if a nurse has to decide between a patient’s safety and upholding that patient’s right to freedom, dignity, and respect? For this assignment, the researcher wishes to take a closer look on physical restraint use in the elderly, specifically on dementia patients and why nurses find the need to use restraints important despite the drive of facilities and hospitals to eradicate or lessen their use. With the decrease in cognitive capability in some of the elderly patients, how comfortable are nurses in putting them on restraints? Do they find these patients are ripped off of their independence? If restraints are not to be used, then what alternatives are nurses left with? These are some of the questions the researcher aims to answer through a review of current literature on the topic. Background Old age brings about numerous problems including physical, emotional, and functional disorders. (Butler & Lewis, 2003). Storrs (2008) describes old age as a biological change which causes diminishing powers of adjustment. This is evident when we see patients unable to cope with their surroundings. Some common physical changes in old age include decrease in cardiac output, increase in blood pressure, impairment of gas exchange, elevation of blood glucose, decline in lean body mass, and loss of muscle mass which makes an elderly person’s locomotion difficult (Boss &  Seegmiller, 2001). Not only do changes occur physically, but the elderly also experience various mental alterations. Mental changes may occur following normal aging, medication side effects, and natural functional loss. (Woodward, 2004). Common mental impairments associated with old age include decline in memory retention, depression, and increased anxiety. (Woodward, 2004). Physical and mental changes in older adults make them vulnerable to accidents, often ending with them hurting themselves. This is more so if the patients suffer from Dementia. Although not a normal part of ageing, Dementia is a common disease in people over 65 years of age. (Ministry of Health, 2013). Dementia is a term used to describe decrease of brain function resulting in memory loss, poor communication skills, absence of reasoning, and inability to perform activities of daily living. (Bupa, 2010). It causes patients to be forgetful and confused, with little or no regard to hazards around them. Confusion, lack of insight, and impulsiveness can result to a display of behavioural problems, thereby making patients with Dementia prone to accidents and injuries (Ministry of Health, 2013). A study by Cunningham (2006) investigates why institutionalised Dementia patients tend to be more â€Å"disruptive†. He states that an unfamiliar setting combined with memory problems can be a scary situation for Dementia patients and they react to how they see fit. Adding to this, hospital routines may be misinterpreted which can lead to behaviours that are challenging. (Cunningham, 2006) However, there is a strong suggestion that nurses must try to understand the meaning behind challenging behaviours, and seek ways to inculcate familiarity and lessen distress amongst Dementia patients. (Cunningham, 2006). The numerous mental, physical, and emotional problems of patients with Dementia leave nursing staff to assist and supervise these patients in most of their activities (Weiner, Tabak, & Bergman, 2003). It is therefore vital that nurses take extra precautions when looking after patients with Dementia to prevent them from doing things that may hurt them or the people around them. Because of the continuous demands to keep patients safe while allowing time to perform daily tasks, some nurses are forced to involve coercion in the form of physical restraints. (Weiner, Tabak, & Bergman, 2003). A physical restraint is any mechanical or physical means or equipment attached to a person, which restricts movement, mobility, or access to a one’s body. (Health Care Financing Administration,  2000). It may include, but is not limited to, anklets, vest, straight jacket, and lap belts. A device may be considered as a restraint depending on its effect on a person. For example, a sheet may not be a restraint when used as a blanket; however, tucking the sides under the mattress and restricting the person from getting out of bed makes it a restraint. A geri-chair or a tray table are ordinarily not restraints but if they are used to stop a person from getting up, then it becomes one. (Health Care Financing Administration, 2000) Physical restraints are not medical interventions, and its application can be based upon a caregiver’s decision. The Nursing Interventions Classification define physically restraining a patient as putting on, taking off, or causing a device to limit his mobility (Sullivan-Marx, 1996). Account of current practice Dementia is the progressive decline in cognitive function which is more than what is expected to occur as a person advances in age. It is a non-specific disease which affects brain function, memory, communication skills, problem solving, and attention. (Nordqvist, 2009). In New Zealand, it is estimated that 60% of residents in care homes are diagnosed with moderate to severe Dementia, and every year an additional 250 beds are allocated for new admissions with the same diagnosis. (Bupa, 2010). An article in The New Zealand Herald reveals that 50,000 people in New Zealand are now living with Dementia, and the number could triple by 2050 (The New Zealand Herald, 2013). However, with the increase in dependency in aged care, there is an alarming decrease in the number of qualified staff willing and able to care for these patients (New Zealand Labour, 2010). Because Dementia patients are unable to reason and decide for themselves, their welfare is almost always left in the hands of the nurses looking after them. But with the complex patients that are handled by nurses daily, it is common for staff to use physical restraints on patients to get them to do what the nurses expect them to do, within the time frame they are expected to be done. (Weiner, Tabak, & Bergman, 2003). But nurses are not just to restrain patients. As professionals governed by a specific body, nurses’ use of restraints is to be limited. In 18 July 2005,  a policy was released by the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) Restraint Approval and Monitoring Group stating that all care facilities and acute hospitals in the region are to limit restraint use on patients. (Restraint Approval & Monitoring Group) In the United States, 7%-10% of Dementia patients are at one point restrained during hospitalisation, with 8% actually being tied down (McHutchion & Morse, 1998). These numbers were gathered 11 years after strengthening of the Residents’ Bill of Rights in the USA which included the patients’ Right to freedom from physical restraints. (Klauber & Wright, 2001) In New Zealand, 3.4%-21% of acutely ill patients were restrained during hospitalisation, with the restraint duration of 2.7 -4.5 days. It is quite different from the number of cases of restraint use in residential care. It was reported that 12%- 47% of patients were restrained in care facilities, with 32% of them restrained no less than 20 days a month. There is a wide range of duration of restraint use from a day to 350 days in a year. (JBI, 2002) These numbers paved way for more researchers to look into the finding ways to effectively lessen restraint use. However, most studies still show that nurses are resistant to the idea of totally removing restraints as an option. Review Aim The rate of prevalence of Dementia cases, the decline in the number of qualified staff to look after them, and the rampant use of physical restraints on these patients are all very alarming. Even with policies in place to limit restraint use, nurses seem to still use physical restraints on patients. Basically, this review will circle around how much knowledge nurses have about physically restraining dementia patients. This review aims to discover nurses’ understanding of restraint use and unmask the reasons behind their choice to use physical restraint on Dementia patients. It aims to discover any restraint policy on restraint use in Dementia patients. It will compare data amongst available literature on nurses’ perception of physical restraints and their take on the drive for minimisation of its use. The effects of physical restraint on patients will also be uncovered as articles are subjected to analysis. Literature will also be analysed for any suggestions on how to totally eradicate or avoid restraint use. A study by the Centre for Medicare and Medicaid Services reveal that within the last decade, there has been a constant decrease in the number of physical  restraint use in care homes. From 1999, 21.1% of care facilities would physically restrain elderly patients. However, in 2007, the report states that less than 5% support restraints use. (Center for Medicaid and State Operations/Survey and Certification Group, 2008) The researcher aims to draw out a conclusion on the reason behind this change and discover why despite the constant drive of administrative bodies to minimise restraint use, nurses still apply physical restraints on the elderly patients. Search Strategy Search engines like the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, and Medline were utilised to find significant articles in relation to the review aim. Key words ‘physical restraint’, ‘dementia’, ‘long term care’, ‘nurse’ ‘attitude’ and ‘behaviour’ were used. Google and Yahoo search engines, and the New Zealand Nursing magazine Kai Tiaki, were also used to find related studies. After reading the found articles, the researcher finalised the most relative articles based on search criteria set out. The search criteria included full reports, quantitative or qualitative studies, and literature reviews. The articles have to be in English, published from 2000 to present, can be accessed fully, participated on by nurses, and limited on physical restraints used on Dementia patients. Because of the limitation in results, the researcher broadened the search and included studies done in acute settings, as long as the patient in restraint has a diagnosis of dementia. After further deliberation, 7 journal articles were chosen for the review. Critical analysis of the literature Three themes were drawn from the literatures chosen. These themes are a) factors that affect a nurse’s decision to use restraints b) why restraints are used and c) effects of restraints on dementia patients. a. Nurse Education influences decision-making The studies revealed that the nurse’s level of knowledge about restraints dictates their decision on whether to use restraints or not. According to the study by Yamamoto et al (2009), a nurse must have either a positive cognition or a negative cognition about restraints to consider its use or  choose not to act on a situation. Nurses also have to analyse the situation and decide on how to cope. Their coping dictates their decision-making. (Yamamoto & Aso, 2009) For this study, the authors surveyed 272 nurses in general wards in Japan using a questionnaire involving the ethical dilemma of using restraints. This study wanted to elaborate on how nurses make up a decision of restraining a patient based on how well they cope with difficult or challenging patients. Another study by Weiner et al (2003), states that a nurse has to have knowledge on patient’s rights, code of ethics, and restraint guidelines for them to decide on restraint use. The study further shows that restraint application can be viewed beneficial either to the patient, the nurse, or the institution. Comparing nurses in acute settings to those in care homes, it was found that the latter are less likely to agree to the use of restraints. This may be because most nurses working in care facilities have more knowledge about their facilities’ restraint guidelines. (Weiner, Tabak, & Bergman, 2003) Unlike other researchers, this study involves the institution and gives light to how big a role it plays in how a nurse decides about restraints. Testad et al (2005) performed a randomised single-blind controlled trial in four nursing homes in Norway. In their study, they conducted seminars and guidance sessions over six months for nurses working in care facilities. There was a documented decline of 54% inrestraint use after the educational programmes were concluded. (Testad, Aarsland,, & Aarsland, 2005) b. Reasons for Restraint Use Though nurses are trying to keep patients safe by applying physical restraints, these restraints are more harmful. Scherder et al (2010) view restraint use as detrimental to a dementia patient’s cognition and physical activity. They emphasize that using physical restraints on dementia patients causes more harm than good. Keeping dementia patients on restraints reduce physical mobility, increase patient’s stress, and even accelerate incontinence. (Scherder, Bogen, Eggermont, Hamers, & Swaab, 2010) A study in Israel by Natan et al (2010) 120 nurses were used as samples. 67.2% of these nurses admitted to having had restrained a patient over the past year. Some decision-making factors that nurses point at are subjective norms, the resident’s physical state, and the nurse’s own stress level. Nurses turn to restraints when a patient becomes increasingly difficult to manage and starts to prevent treatments such as intravenous infusions, catheter or tube insertions. (Natan, Akrish, Zaltkina, & Noy, 2010) Cotter states there is a greater likelihood for restraints to be put on dementia patients because they pose the most threat to fall, hurt themselves or hurt others. (Cotter, 2005) â€Å"In moderate to severe dementia, the risk for falls is greater because of gait apraxia and unsteadiness. Agitation, disorientation, and pacing behaviours from delirium and dementia can precipitate staff to use restraints.† (Cotter, 2005) c. Effects of Restraints on Patients One common denominator amongst the literatures in the review is the concern for the dementia patients on restraints. Some of the listed effects of physical restraints mentioned in these articles include function decline, pressure sores, incontinence, and increased agitation. Cotter referred to dementia patients as most prone for restraint application because of their increased confusion, wandering, poor memory, poor judgement and distraught perception. (Cotter, 2005) Wang (2005) states that there is no scientific evidence that states physical restraints protect patients. Though nurses believe that restraints can keep patients safe, it may be contrary to the fact. (Wang & Moyle, 2005). Accidents like asphyxiation when patients are caught between their restraints, and falls from when they try to climb out of bed rails have been documented. Another reason that restraints are not so good to use is because patients get fatigued from struggling when in restraints and then become unsteady once they get off the restraint. (Cotter, 2005) Restraints also leave a very negative experience on the patient. Dementia patients respond with anger, resistance, fear, and humiliation. The following is statement made by a patient after being restrained: (Strumpf & Evans, 1998) â€Å"I felt like a dog and cried all night. It hurt me to have to be tied up†¦the hospital is worse than a jail† Discussion Recently not a lot of studies have been made on the use of restraint on dementia patients. Most articles are outdated and not applicable anymore. With the mushrooming of nursing care homes and the booming industry of  nursing facilities, researches should be made on how nurses feel about eradicating or lessening restraint use. The locale of these studies is also not very diverse. More studies should be conducted in various settings and environments. A patient in acute care may have a different set of concerns compared to patients in long term care facilities. A thorough analysis of why patients would need restraints in respect with the different settings they are in would have been beneficial. Like knowledge, cultural beliefs may impact on a person’s decision. A study by Hamers et al (2009) used cross-sectional method to find out about reasons, consequences, and appropriateness of restraint use as seen by nurses from different parts of the world. They discovered that some degree of cultural differences determine these nurses’ ideas towards restraint use. (Hamers, Meyer, Kopke, Lindenmann, & Groven, 2009). Conducting studies in a more global approach can draw out an idea of why some nurses prefer physically restraining patients while others don’t. The studies show a decline in restraint use after education sessions were presented to nurses. They occur at short term, all within a 6-month period which may influence the outcome of the study. The lectures may have influenced the participants’ attitude towards restraint use because they were recent, and not because they were meaningful to their practice. The studies in the review indicate that nursing education plays a very important role in influencing nurses’ decision on using restraints. A nurse has to be presented the rationale, risks, and alternatives to restraint use for them to be able to make a decision. The Hawthorne Effect may play a part in the studies conducted. The term Hawthorne Effect was coined Henry Landsberger in 1953 to refer to participants altering their answers because of the knowledge that they are being observed. (Sonnenfeld, 1985). The nurse-participants may have opted not to restrain patients at the time the research was being conducted because of fear of being judged for their decisions. Another grey area not thoroughly discussed in the literatures reviewed is the influence of policies set out by governing bodies or administration on nurses’ decision making. It was briefly mentioned in the study by Weiner (2003) but never really elaborated on. The study stated that the institution is taken into consideration when nurses decide on restraint use. Nurses view the institution as one that benefits if restraints are used. (Weiner, Tabak,  & Bergman, 2003) A comparison of institution policies should have been made. These institution policies on restraint use differ in most care facilities and comparisons of how well nurses are in following them can draw a different angle on the situation of physically restraining patients. Also, the effectiveness of these policies should be evaluated to allow for their improvement. The studies also focused on reasons why patients are put on restraint. Not very well discussed was what happens with the nurse before he/she decides to use the restraint. The studies in the review failed to look at the situation from a nurse’s perspective. The clear message of the literatures reviewed is that restraints can and must be avoided in patients with Dementia. No scientific evidence shows that restraints promote safety for these patients. On the contrary, more studies show detrimental effects of restraint application. Personal review and implications for nursing practice The results of the studies reviewed all indicate that there is a need to highlight lack of education amongst nurses regarding restraint use. Because knowledge and sense of accountability play major roles in restraint application, keeping nurses updated with trends and new policies should be prioritised. Even with reports of decrease in restraint use, a number of incidents involving misuse of restraints are still rising. One in particular is the incident last September 2010 involving a known nursing care facility wherein it was proven that an 85-year old patient has been wrongly restrained on numerous occasions. The patient’s wife has been repeatedly objecting restraint use but the hospital did not oblige. The staff reasoned that the patient had a high falls risk, and high levels of agitation, aggressiveness and restlessness. The cause of the breach was said to be due to systemic failure (Otago Daily Times, 2013). This shows that though policies may be put in place, it is not an assurance that they are being followed. A closer look at the effectiveness of these policies and their appropriateness to the setting has to be taken into consideration. Currently the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) has a restraint minimisation and safe practice guideline in place. This supports their aim to reduce restraint use and treat restraints as a last resort to protect patients from harm. Nurses can be directed with the guidelines to ensure  safe practice. (Canterbury District Health Board, 2012) As mentioned earlier, a nurse’s perspective is often looked past. A study by Lai (2007) indicate that at times nurses feel that when it comes to issues on restraints, their â€Å"inadequacy and inaccurate knowledge† have always been magnified but rarely is the pressure to â€Å"do what is right† in d ifficult situations brought up. According to the study, nurses still use restraints despite ambivalence because of fear of responsibility. A patient may fall and break his hip because he was not restrained despite poor mobility. Another reason nurses tend to use restraints is because of lack of support from management. As the nurses reported, even if they do their best, issues on short-staffing can still push them to use restraints as an aide to keep patients safe. (Lai, 2007) Another reason mentioned by Lai (2007) in her study is the constant pressure that nurses feel from management. Often it is the culture of the unit that dictates a nurse’s willingness to restrain a patient. A ward that strives to keep fall incidents at a low would be happy to apply physical restraints on patients to achieve that goal. Conclusion The researcher observes a strong connection between how a nurse views a situation and the options he has on how to act upon that situation. These nurses must be given the opportunity to learn and relearn restraints to help them make valid and safe decisions for their patients. Without available options in place of restraint use, nurses will continue to utilise physical restraints because of the pressures they have to face with regards to the patients’ needs. A discussion of available options in place of restraint application is needed to allow for a more acceptable choice. Accountability of outcomes because of failed actions, like not applying a restraint, appears to be greater than putting a restraint on a patient. A dementia patient is still a human being entitled to his rights of freedom and dignity, and nurses have to weigh this with the notion that these patients may also be challenging. It is therefore necessary to refer to available guidelines to assist nurses in making a decision with regards to patients care. Also, keeping updated with trends in patient care may help nurses make informed decisions. Restraint use can easily become a norm when nurses feel it has been a common occurrence in a unit. All decisions have to be weighed in and thought of properly, exerting all other possible  interventions before restraints are utilised. A restraint-free environment is far from being realised when nurses, families and administration still regard it as a solution and not a problem. With that said, nurses should not be viewed as the culprits in restrai nt application. Instead, nurses should be part of the solution.

Student Servival Guide

Student Servival Guide Free Online Research Papers INTRODUCTION With the help of Axia College, I have gained an exceptional amount of knowledge and several new tools that will help me throughout my academic career. This is my survival guide, designed to help me achieve success while attending Axia College and covers six main areas of information covered in this class. This student survival guide will help me get the most out of my distance learning education. USING AXIA’S EDUCATION RESOURCES Axia College provides wonderful resources to help students keep up with the continuous advancements in distance learning. The University Library is one of the most important resources that are available to the students. This library has numerous search engines, databases, and multiple help features that make researching easy. In The Center for Writing Excellence, there are two vital tools, Plagiarism Checker and Writepoint, which are very valuable and help students in every aspect of their college career. In addition to these exceptional tools are the online books that accompany each class. These items can be easily downloaded to any home computer, laptop, or even a Blackberry. This allows students to access their course documents virtually anywhere, giving them the ability to study whenever and wherever they feel the most productive. Even though Axia College is an online learning environment, and all items are readily available, sometimes students like to have a printed copy of certain information like the course calendars and the course syllabus. UPHOLDING ACADEMIC HONESTY Upholding academic honesty is not difficult at all to understand and do here at Axia College. Simply put, do not submit work written by anyone else as your own, including web-based information. If you need to use someone else’s words within the text of any of your assignments you must properly cite the work that you are directly quoting or even paraphrasing. The Center for Writing Excellence offers the ability to check writing assignments for plagiarism, helping you to avoid turning in assignments that may contain unintentional plagiarism. If you do not properly cite the information, you run the risk of having part or all of that assignment thrown out and receiving a zero. Consequences for plagiarism are severe and can lead to expulsion from Axia College. Therefore, it is extremely important that you cite all your references and any text or thoughts that are not your own. SETTING AND ACHIEVING GOALS Setting and achieving goals will be important throughout any students’ online learning experience. You should try to make sure your goals are attainable and realistic. It is easy to set them according to hopes, but if they are not met, they can cause feelings of depression or loss of your self-esteem or both. It is important to set short-term goals that contribute to the success of your long-term goals. Long-term goals are goals that will take some time and perseverance to accomplish. This may include anything from graduating, to obtaining the position you want at work, or buying a home and starting a family. If you are able to, write down each long-term goal, and then break them into smaller short-term goals so that you can easily track your progress and to help keep you focused on the goal. This will also help you to maintain your path to your ultimate long-term goal, even if a problem should arise. It is also helpful to have some one around who supports and encourages you to keep going, and even occasionally reminds you of your goal to help keep you focused. I personally try to keep in mind the reason I set my goals in the first place. Whatever the reason, you can use as a motivator to help you achieve your goals. One of my long-term educational goals is get my associates in Psychology and Axia College helps break that down into classes and weeks which can be viewed as short-term goals. MANAGING TIME WISELY It is important to learn the skill of time management so that there can be an equal balance of school, work, and personal life. Managing time wisely is important to all students, but especially to a student in an online learning environment. There is no one to remind you of an assignment or to make sure you complete your schoolwork. In addition to attending online classes, some students are also full-time parents and full-time workers. This means that it is imperative for us to plan time in our day to ensure our schoolwork will be completed on time. As an online student, I find that managing my time can be difficult at times. I try to map out my days or weeks in order to cover all of the posts, reading materials, participation and attendance posting requirements. However, this is something that I struggled with in my first two classes, missing a few posts for discussion questions and turning in a few assignments late. Now I know that I will have a better understanding of how to manag e my time more wisely than before. One of the biggest lessons I had to learn is to enjoy a reward after completing a task instead of rewarding myself before a task is completed. FOSTERING READING COMPREHENSION AND RETENTION When it comes to reading, you can look for key words, take notes, or scan depending on how you interpret the information. The point of reading is to understand what you have read when you are finished. One way of doing this is the SQ3R method, which stands for survey, question, read, recite, review. This can help save time for some people by not having to reread information they do not understand, and help them to have better understanding of the information they have just read. Personally, I do not use the exact technique while reading but a variation on it. I do not survey the text because I find that I would rather read some parts of the text and not others, so I read, sometimes recite and then ask myself questions about what I just read to have an understanding of it. I also only really become emotionally involved with the reading if it pertains to something in my life that I can relate to personally. APPLYING PERSONALITY AND LEARNING STYLES Knowing your personality type and learning style is necessary in any learning environment. Because my main intelligence is Visual Spatial, I can more easily remember information if I relate it to a picture instead of words and color helps me remember information as well. I try to keep this in mind when I approach new information, projects, and homework. In my personality assessments, I fit in to the Giver category, which means I am a people-focused individual and I deal with things according to how I feel about them. When relating to others who have different personality or learning styles being able to stay open minded in very important. You never know when you can learn something new or have someone teach you a different perspective on how to learn something. Taking part in Discussion Questions and communicating helps each student determine which learning style is best for them. Knowing my personality and learning styles will allow me to take everything I need to learn and mold it into ways that will be most effective for me. This was and will be helpful in my exchanges with fellow students and in the workplace. CONCLUSION Looking back on all the information that I have learned over this first block of classes I can see a difference in my study habits, time management and goal setting. In addition, in taking the first two classes here at Axia College, I have a better understanding of the importance of taking input from other classmates and instructors. In developing this guide, I have outlined things that will help me throughout my academic career, from being able to manage my time effectively, taking time to developing goals, upholding academic honesty, and fostering reading comprehension and retention these new and improved skills will help me in getting through school and life successfully. 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