High income improves evaluation of life Essay Example for Free

High income improves evaluation of life Essay The premise that â€Å"Money buys happiness† is a one that is misconstrued by many in the pursuit of happiness. The perspective that having money creates happiness has been assessed by many from timely memorial but alas studies have shown that it is relative to the status and class of the individual and also the amount of money which one earns or possesses. Happiness can be defined as the state of mind or emotions based on a particular circumstance and feeling at a particular time. There are different interpretations of happiness. Contentment is a state of happiness and satisfaction or ease of mind. The well-being of an individual is a reflection of happiness and can be assessed by the subjective and emotional well-being of that individual. Money can be classified as an asset, property or resources owned by an individual or just currency which can be used to purchase goods and services. Subjective well-being is defined as a person’s cognitive and affective evaluations of his or her life. Subjective well-being (SWB) is defined as \a person\s cognitive and affective evaluations of his or her life\ (Diener, Lucas, Oshi, 2002). To truly evaluate whether money buys happiness or if there is a correlation between having money and being happy an in-depth study would need to be conducted. Studies have therefore been conducted by researchers who have done surveys to assess the socio-economic standard of living of various persons in society and also evaluating the third world versus a first world living improvement after acquiring a degree of wealth or additional income. The empirical data from the Gallup research organization using the Gallup- Healthways Well-Being index have shown that an increase in emotional well-being is exponentially related to an increase in income. However, that correlation is directly proportional to the degree of increase and size of the income. Surveys have been conducted in third world countries like Jamaica where per capita income is much lower than a first world country like the United Kingdom or Britain or the United States of America. The skilled labor force in third world countries with the requisite professional qualifications has a level of income acquisition and potential to earn and live a comfortable life which contributes to the lifestyle which has been sought after in the betterment of the professional individual’s status and quality of life. However social class and inequalities exist and the potential earning power decreases with the individual’s lack of skill and qualifications. A contradiction, however, exists where an individual from the Rural Area is compared with one from the urban townships. Many persons who have not been exposed to the urban cultures and opulent surroundings of the major cities have expressed happiness and contentment with their station and status in life as they enjoy their routines of farming lifestyles on rural plantations with their â€Å"low level† of income. One can, therefore, surmise that not experiencing another level or change in status can contribute to ones perceived the degree of subjective well-being and happiness. If one is not aware of riches he or she will not be able to recognize poverty. However, with the technological advancements and the Westernization of most countries, the United States of American and the country’s high standard of living has been portrayed as the pivotal ambivalent expression of what wealth and happiness should be. Therefore many continue to strive to achieve this pinnacle of success in the acquisition of more money to generate the peak of happiness. The resulting dilemma without insightful perspective is the unavailability of first world opportunities to achieve and acquire significantly more income to obtain the type of wealth and lifestyle portrayed by the Western Media. Research by the Gallup Healthways well-being index indicates that emotional well-being is directly proportional to the level of income one earns. The researchers theorize that beyond an annual income of $75000 there is no change in emotional well-being and therefore no increase in happiness as a result of any upward movement in income. There is, therefore, a level of satisfaction with the high degree of income but not overwhelming happiness. On the other hand, low-income earners have an exponentially low level of life satisfaction and love emotional well-being. Having a large income provides the means to afford greater luxuries in life, desired comfort, and fulfillment. It provides status in life, access to greater health care and References Kahneman, D, and A Deaton. (2010). High income improves evaluation of life but not emotional well-being. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107 (38): 16489-16493. Diener, E. Biswas-Diener, R. Social Indicators Research (2002)

Drama activities: teaching english in the esl classroom

Drama activities: teaching english in the esl classroom If even the greatest dramatist that has ever lived in this world believes that all humans are actors, who are we to disagree? I for one completely do not. As a language practitioner, I for one strongly believe that drama has the potential of making the learning experience fun for the students and even memorable because it is â€Å"real†. Let me tell you why. Students in schools today seem to have very little exposure to the English language. The only contact with the language comes from being taught using the traditional ‘chalk and talk method in the English language classroom. They have very little experience with real-life situations where the English language is used as a communication tool. It is not surprising then that the Communicative Approach has been introduced in the new ‘Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah (KBSM) English Language program. The communicative syllabus will focus not only on the linguistic competence but also on the development of the communicative ability of the learner. Instead of being a passive participant, the learner is now encouraged to take a more active role in their own language learning process in the classroom. In line with the National Education Philosophy, classroom strategies devised by the English teacher should cater not only for efficient language but also provide opportunities for students personal development to produce students who are competent and confident language users (Compedium, 1989). Teachers who advocate the Communicative Approach are expected to develop strategies that would promote self-learning, group interactions in authentic situations and peer- teaching, instead of the traditionally teacher-dominated and teacher-directed classes. The activities would also require the learner to do things with the language such as making choices, evaluating, and bridging the information gap. Examples of such activities are drama, role-play, simulation games, improvisation and miming. For the purpose of this project paper, we shall look at drama activities as a communicative tool in the teaching and learning of English in the ESL classroom. Drama has always had a close relationship with the teaching of the English language. With its link to literature, drama is a powerful tool in developing the students communicative ability. Generally speaking, drama is student-centered because it puts the students in a position to do most of the communicating and interacting instead of the teacher. Therefore, the onus is now on the students to take control of their own learning. Psychologically, it is also very motivating for there are no wrong answers in drama, allowing success for each student. The flexibility and openness of drama also provides the students a greater degree of freedom as compared to when they are required to find a single acceptable answer in the conventional English language lesson. Students acquire fluency skills at a much faster rate as a result of promoting student student talk and reducing the teachers role to a necessary low level or almost non-existent in some cases. Looking at it from the teachers perspective, engaging in group activities, as in drama, allows students to feel more relaxed and in turn feel comfortable to express their feelings better; compared to when they are required to come up with individual responses. Used properly, drama allows both the teacher and learner to gauge how far the learners ability to communicate has developed and this in time can develop confidence and better social skills in the learner. Furthermore, it is emphasized that English should be taught to not only develop the basic means of communication, but to further encourage fluent and accurate expression, both oral and written. Once the students begin to master the language they should be able to overcome their self-consciousness and develop their confidence to express views openly and articulately. These students would then make English meaningful and relevant in the sense that now they can take it out of the classroom and use it in their everyday lives. It i s rather obvious to realize the common ground English and drama share. Drama should contribute significantly to the realization of all these aims. Statement of the Problem Students in schools today seem to find the learning of English irrelevant and to a certain extent, confusing. They do not need to use the English they have learnt in the classroom in their daily lives. English language moreover, is often described as â€Å"a strong second language† but is, in reality only treated as a foreign language in all primary and secondary schools (Compendium, 1989). This change in the status of English in the system has brought with it a lot of problems for both teachers and students. Students who are hesitant to communicate in English may view the use of the language orally as trivial and insignificant to language learning. To them, to be merely ‘competent in the language is sufficient, rather than to ‘perform them (Chomsky, 1965). In actual fact, students especially the shy and silent ones, are afraid of making bizarre mistakes or errors. Thus, many resort to the use of their mother tongues or their L1 in their daily discussions or daily convers ations. The launching of the Language Policy in 1971 adds to this restriction. Bahasa Melayu was made the sole medium of instruction in schools and other formal events. At the same time, students of all races and background seemed to be more comfortable communicating in Bahasa Melayu, and so the importance of English language has been gradually declining. One possible way of overcoming this problem is to supplement the conventional English teaching methods with suitable teaching techniques such as drama, which offer the students the chance to actually use the English they have learnt. Even though the students English may not be perfect, the activities would help them to improve verbal communication. Objective of the Study The main aim of this study is to give a broad introduction to drama and to show how such techniques can be useful in the teaching and learning of the English language, particularly in Malaysian schools. This exploratory study plans to achieve the following objectives: To determine the students extent of exposure to drama activities. To ascertain students motivation towards learning English. To assess students attitudes towards learning English. Research Questions Specifically, this study seeks answers for the following research questions: Have the students been exposed to drama activities in their language classroom? What are the students motivations in learning the English language? What are the students attitudes towards English? Significance of the Study There is fundamental need for learners to bring what they have learned in the four walls of the classroom out into the open and apply it in ‘real-life situations; and drama activities meet this need. This study therefore hopes to make teachers of English language aware and to have the conviction that drama activities can be an effective tool in language teaching. It is hoped that this study will be an ‘eye opener for teachers and students of ESL. It provides the necessary information for language teachers to make students inevitably participate in the English lesson and thereby gain self-confidence in using the language. Thus, the significance of this study is to make ESL teachers aware that rather than acting in plays or studying them, students are taught English using a technique derived from drama as a social process of development. This will obviously promote the use of drama in the teaching and learning of ESL and in its widest sense, is best seen as an alternative methodology to one based on the traditional ‘chalk and talk. As far as students are concerned, they will soon see the purpose of drama activities in their learning and how realistic and relevant they are when applied in their everyday lives. Since drama activities often portray the society from which the students come from, it can give the students an opportunity to feel what life is all about. Drama activities encourage the students to make practical and rational judgments when confronted by complex situations, which they may encounter later in life. This valuable experience would certainly hold them in good stead in their future. Thus, the significance of the study advocates the usage of drama activities in the ESL classroom. It is aspired that teachers would adopt this technique and adapt the activities to the relevance and needs of their students. Limitations of the Study On the basis of discussion on this project paper, the drama activities presented is targeted towards Form four students of intermediate proficiency level. The drama activities are some of the possibilities for social interactions that lie within classroom situations. However, some of its limitations were recognized, in particular: In situations outside the classroom, learners will need to satisfy a much wider variety of communicative needs arising from the events of everyday life. They will need to cope with greater variety of patterns of interactions. These may vary from the formal interview, with its tightly controlled structure, to the informal gathering where everybody competes on an equal basis for turns to speak. They will need to become involved in different kinds of social relationship, for which different forms of language will be needed. In order to prepare learners to cope with these wider functional and social needs, we must look for ways extending the possibilities for communicative interactions in the classroom (Littlewood, 1984). It is hoped that by using the drama activities, the apparent gaps can be bridged and in return the students language competency and performance can be enhanced. Definition of Terms Drama How do we, as teachers of English as a Second Language bring drama into todays classroom? Though some teachers have tried using drama in their classroom, they are still in a state of confusion. This is not because they do not know how to teach it, but simply because they are not sure of its purpose in education. The use of communicative activities is a technique to achieve one of the aims of the communicative approach, which is to obtain communicative competence. The important aspect of this approach is to communicate with another person in the classroom and in the long term, the society (Wan, 1990). Drama used in the classroom can be considered a communicative activity since it fosters communication between learners and provides opportunities to use the target language in various ‘make believe situations. Thus, drama is any activity, which asks the participant to portray himself in an imaginary situation; or to portray another person in an imaginary situation. Drama is concerned with the world of ‘pretense. It provides an opportunity for a person to express himself through verbal expressions and gestures using his imagination and memory. According to Wan (1990), drama takes what it shares with English, an emphasis on developing the means of communication and extends this means to include all the paralinguistic aids to meaning which takes communication beyond just writing to gestures and physical interaction. Drama activities draw on the natural ability of every person to imitate, mimic and express himself. The students are encouraged to draw on their natural capacity to live parts of his past experience that might otherwise never emerge. When students are brought together they bring along with them different life and different background into the classroom. According to the Oxford Dictionary (1995), drama is defined as a literary composition to be performed by actors; play or the art of acting, writing or producing plays. But for the purpose of this paper, drama refers more to informal (creative drama) as it is used in the language classroom and not on stage. Drama is doing. Drama is being. Drama is such a normal thing. It is something that we all engage in daily when faced with difficult situation. This is clearly illustrated by Tricia (1984) when she quotes, â€Å"Getting on with our day-to-day live requires a series of masks†. Generally, drama is considered as a type of activity in which the learners are given fairly controlled scenarios to interpret. But the term drama is often viewed with confusion because different people use it in different ways to suit different contexts. As such, it seems necessary to define the terms from the perspective of teaching and learning English as a Second Language (ESL). Drama takes into account the socio-psychological aspects of learning as it involves the whole person and his total response. For some students drama techniques can be an alternative means of learning the language and may produce far more positive results than normal classroom teaching (Mordecai, 1985). CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Introduction Drama is used in ESL classrooms to promote communication in its authentic form. The Communicative Approach advocates that learners need to learn how to use the target language in ‘real life situations and drama activities meet this need, for it allows natural learning. If examined carefully, we would find that, English teachers define English as one that encourages and develops communication skills, self-expression, imagination and creativity. These are the key terms, which would surface as aims of teaching in a language classroom. When similarly confronted, teachers of drama say the same thing. Thus, drama invariably and significantly contributes to the realization of all the aims in an ESL classroom. The Communicative Approach The term ‘approach refers to the theories about the nature of how language is learnt (Richards, 1986). It takes into account the basic units of language structure and the nature of language proficiency. It also considers the psycholinguistic and cognitive processes involved in language learning and the conditions that allow for effective learning to take place. The Communicative Approach thus refers to the belief that language learning is communicative competence (Richards, 1986). Communicative competence here refers not only to the knowledge of the grammatical rules of a language and how to form grammatical sentences but also to know when, where and to whom to use these sentences in a speech community (Richards, 1985 and Hymes, 1972). Communicative ‘Methodology on the other hand, refers to the different ways of teaching language using the communicative approach. Therefore, the term ‘techniques refers to different classroom activities (Wan, 1990). In this study they will be called communicative activities. In the Communicative Approach, language teaching and learning emphasized the use of language for the communication of meaning than learning the language structures, forms and vocabulary (Wilkins, 1976 and Widdowson, 1978). However, this does not imply that the grammatical and lexical aspects are neglected. In fact, they do have a place in the Communicative Method of language teaching. Therefore, the ‘how of language teaching and learning refers to the specific techniques and procedures used to unconsciously acquire and consciously learn a language through communication (Brumfit, 1984). The Nature of Communicative Activities Communicative activities refer to the techniques, which are employed in the communicative method in language teaching. Examples of such activities are games, simulation, miming, drama and role-play, which make use of the target language. The activities involve doing things with language and these language activities for communication is not restricted to conversation and may involve listening, speaking, reading and writing or an integration of two or more skills. Communicative activities have the following characteristics (Wan, 1990): They are purposeful. They are beyond strictly practicing particular structures. They are interactive. The activities are often conducted with others and often involve some form of discussion. Authentic materials are used. The situations in which the learners have to use language should be as realistic as possible. The language models given should be authentic. They are based on the information gap principle. Five guiding principles have been vividly outlined behind the use of communicative activities as language teaching and learning techniques (Morrow, 1981). They are as follows: 1. Know what you are doing. This principle gives relevance to the lesson, which the students would want to use in order to perform in the target language. For example in teaching speaking, the task could be asking for directions to a certain place.. The students here communicate with each other and there is no control over the exact language used but the situation is controlled. 2. The whole is more important than the sum of the parts. In the communicative method, the natural language is dealt in real situations where it is necessary to work in the context of the whole. Communication is not learnt inductively as it cannot easily be analyzed into its various components without its nature being destroyed in the process. For example you may teach the component of various forms of greeting but it is no guarantee that the student will be able to choose the appropriate form when required in a real-life situation. 3. The processes are as important as the forms. The processes of communication such as information gap, choice and feedback, should be as much as possible replicated in trying to develop the ability of the students to communicate in the target language. The teacher must try to devise exercises where there is an information gap so that real meaningful communication can take place. The participants in a conversation also have a choice in what they say and how they say it. When undergoing these processes, there should be ample feedback during interaction between two speakers in order to gauge if the message has been successfully sent across. 4. To learn it, do it. Only by practicing communicative activities would students learn to communicate. Students must become responsible for their own learning. This is what student-centeredness entails and thus the role of the teacher consequently changes. He / she must learn to take a backseat and should no longer dominate the learning situation. The teacher is now a facilitator and should strive to provide all the help the student needs to play an active role in his own learning. 5. Mistakes are not always mistakes. As language practitioners we must able to make the distinction between ‘mistakes and ‘errors. There is the need for flexibility in deciding to treat ‘mistakes at different stages of the learning process towards communicative competence. We must not be hasty in wielding the axe on the students as ‘mistakes are evidence of learning taking place after all. The use of communicative activities is to achieve one of the aims of the communicative approach, which is communicative competence. The essence of this approach is to communicate with another person in the classroom and in long term the society. Hence, drama can be used in the classroom since it fosters communication between learners and provides opportunities to use the target language in various ‘make believe situations. Drama also allows participants the opportunity to act out roles and to use all the media of communication, the voice, gesture and movement. It thus takes what it shares with English, an emphasis on developing the means of communication, and extending these means to include all the paralinguistic aids to form meaning. This takes communication beyond the two dimensions, writing and talking, to involve the third dimension of gesture and physical interaction, thus encouraging active and discriminating observation and listening, which true communication always dem ands (Tricia, 1984). Drama Versus Theater Susan Holden (1981) defines drama as any activity which asks the participant to portray himself in an imaginary situation; or to portray another person in an imaginary situation. Drama is thus concerned with the world of lets pretend. It provides an opportunity for a person to express himself through verbal expressions and gestures using his imagination and memory. In this paper, drama refers more to dramatic activities as the setting is the language classroom rather than the stage. The participants in the drama activities are thus learners and not actors. To have a further understanding between Drama and Theater, a clear distinction has to be made between the two concepts. One way of accomplishing this is to look at Drama as process oriented and Theater as being product oriented. Through the examination of the fundamental features that lay behind both these concepts, ONeill (1995) came up with the following characteristics for each of them: 1. Drama as a Process The emphasis is placed on participants experiencing personal growth through an exploration of their understanding of the issues within dramatic experience. Student and teacher share equal places in the development, analysis and the carrying out of the drama activities. The drama is normally not performed for an audience. 2. Theater as a Product The students personal growth is measured through the learning of skills. The study is facilitated through a scripted work not of the students making. The teacher transfers her or his interpretation and analysis of the drama. The primary objective is formal play production. For the purpose of this paper, we will focus on Drama as a Process rather than Theater as a Product. As opposed to the traditional idea of theater, which results in an end performance, drama as a process is performed for the sake of the act of doing it, not for an audience, not for a production, and it doesnt need to be rehearsed. The audience can simply be the performers themselves. Drama as a process refers to a teaching method that involves children in imaginary, unscripted, and spontaneous scenes, in which the meaning is made from the engagement and transactions between the teacher and students (Schneider Jackson, 2000). The students and teachers work together to create an imaginary dramatic world within which issues are considered and problems can be solved. In this world they work together to explore problems and issues such as betrayal, truth and other ethical and moral issues. ONeill (1995) mentions that sometimes the work may begin as light-hearted, but the teacher always layers more dramatic tension and complexity into the work because the teacher may aim for a pedagogical outcome. In Drama as a Process, students learn to think beyond their own points of view and consider multiple perspectives on a topic through playing different roles. Playing a range of positions encourages them to be able to empathize with others and to consider life from their viewpoint. It allows them to walk on other peoples shoes, to walk the paths they tread and to see how the world looks from their eyes. Since the end product is not the focus, students work at every moment to produce to the best of their ability. In this way, drama can be seen as more meaningful, productive, and well-rounded. Drama thus, not only teaches students to be better communicators in a variety of authentic situations, but also compels them to use English in ways that differ from everyday classroom interactions, mimicking more authentic language use. Drama in the ESL Classroom Generally, drama involves being an imaginary person usually in an imaginary situation and sometimes a real one (Venugopal, 1986). The learners are given fairly controlled scenarios to interpret. Drama is defined by the scope of the task of problem-solving in order to achieve their goals. Students need to know of their ability to learn from each other as well as to learn independently. They should be aware that they are working towards a goal within a given time limit. This will sharpen their concentration and at the end of the lesson they should have satisfaction of having achieved that goal (Venugopal, 1986). Drama in education is a mode of learning. Through the pupils active identification with the imagined role and situations in drama, they can learn to explore issues, events and relationships (ONeil, 1994). In drama, students draw on their knowledge and experience of the real world in order to create their own experience they have as well as their knowledge, which they have gained from books, films or television. Although, these imaginary situations may at first seem superficial and only action oriented, through the teachers guidance and careful intervention it should be possible for the work to grow in depth. In creating a make believe world students can come to understand themselves and their real world in which they live. In order to engage in drama activities students do not need sophisticated theatre skills. However, they must be willing to (ONeil, 1997): Make believe with regard to objects, for example, a table-top can become a wagon or raft; a circle of chairs may represent a starship; cupped hands may contain a precious object. Make believe with regards to actions and situations, for example, creeping across the school hall may be means of escaping from the jail; a group sitting huddled on the floor may be passengers on an emigrant ship; stealing a bunch of keys may represent a test of stealth and cunning for the warriors. Adopt a role, for example, settlers who seek a new life in a foreign country; poor children living on the streets; teenagers who have left home. Maintain the make believe verbally, for example, describing the doorway in which they spent the night; presenting the facts about child labour to the committee for reform; discussing the problems to be faced on a voyage. Interact with the rest of the group, for example, agreeing to join the crew of the starship; choosing a leader for the community; teaching a skill to a friend; In drama activities, students are given the opportunities to draw together all the bits of language they have learnt and practice it in situations they are likely to encounter outside the classroom. In any drama activity, learners must create the interactions themselves on the basis of their roles rather than perform in ways that have been predetermined by the teacher (Littlewood, 1981). This freedom of choice offers the students the chance to use their English learnt to develop the character, therefore promoting spontaneity in activities similar to â€Å"real-communication†. Drama in a way helps students to improve oral and verbal communication despite gaps in their knowledge. However, the use of picture cards and other visual cues will narrow these gaps. Drama activities are essentially social activities and involve contact, communication and the negotiation of meaning. The nature of the work will impose certain pressures on the students but will also bring considerable rewards. Co-operative activities are very rare in the Malaysian schools. Too often students are trained to work as individuals and to be both competitive and possessive about their achievements. Drama on the other hand, works from the strength of the groups. Drama is an individuals spontaneous behavior reacting to others in a hypothetical situation. The essential core of the activity is understanding the situation of another person, and to do this well the ‘player needs to come to grip with the other participants roles, not just his own. In practice, this works when a ‘player is given the basic information about who he is, what he is like, and what he wants to do. He must interact with others and relate his situation to theirs and gain a greater understanding of the roles, the relationship and the language involved (Revell, 1979). Movements and Mime Mime involves the expressive use of the body. It is a non-verbal representation of an idea or story through gestures, bodily movements and expressions. It may seem strange that mime should be encouraged in language teaching, as it does not involve language. It must be borne in mind that though no language is used during the mime, it will act as a catalyst to generate language during the discussions before the mime is presented and also elicit language when there is need for explanations (Edwin, 1992). Mime is thus used to enrich verbal features rather than replace them. After a mime session, parallel exercises are carried out where appropriate words are added to the mime activities. In the English language classroom, unlike in theatres mime activities are not demanding and this makes mime activities suitable for poor and shy students who lack the necessary level of language proficiency. Mime activities can be incorporated into scenes from texts or improvisation of scenes from texts. Role Play Simulation and role play provide the opportunity to move away from the traditional role of teachers and also the classroom setting arrangements where the class is rearranged to reflect the situation that is being dramatized (Edwin, 1992). Role play can be used for students of different proficiency levels. However, the teacher will have to decide the degree of control over the scenario for the role play. For the very shy and low proficiency students, teachers could ask students to dramatize conversations and dialogues directly from the texts. For students with some English proficiency, teachers could provide a situation, which is relatively structured so that these students would feel confident and be more willing to participate. The more proficient students could be given less structured scenario and they should be encouraged to attempt to improvise the same text. In role play, a student is required to imagine that he is either himself or another person in a particular situation. He would be asked to behave exactly as he feels the person would. His portrayal of the character will help him understand the character and also provide an intimate experience with the literary text. There are many types of role play, for example, dramatic plays, story dramatization and socio-drama, seminar style presentation, debates and interviews. Simulations Simulations are drama activities that often mirror real life. They can however be imaginary. They are often problem solving activities and students bring their personality, knowledge and experience into these activities. Among the common forms of simulation is the mock trial. It is popular with students and court cases are quite easy to be developed from literary texts, often based on the conflicts faced by the characters in the story. Other forms of simulation can also be encouraged. For example, group work in the fo

Organizational Structure And The Relationship To The Mission

Organizational Structure And The Relationship To The Mission Nowadays, with the increase of living quality, more high standard health organizations or facilities are required to meet the population demand of health care. According to the change of the plan of New South Wales Health, the Childrens hospital at Westmead (CHW) determines future developmental direction and formulates its own strategies, vision and mission (The Childrens Hospital at Westmead 2007). In a word, the CHW sticks to respect both children and their families in spite of the change of hospital strategies, mission and vision (The Childrens Hospital at Westmead 2008). Actually, the organizational structure of hospital has relevant relationship that can not be neglected and obliterated with mission and vision. Thus, it is considered that the establishment of hospital structure can help to complete the mission and vision that are designed by organization (University of Western Sydney 2009); meanwhile, mission and vision can impact the hospital structure that is set up (Madden et al. 2006). The purpose of this article is to critically analyse the structure, mission, vision and goals of the CWH, and analyse interaction between organizational structure and mission or vision. Initially, according to the Childrens Hospital at Westmead (2008), the CHW adopts line structure to administer the whole operation of hospital. The mission, vision and goals impacts organizational structure of CHW designed; meanwhile, the aim of the structure is to complete the mission, vision and goals (University of Western Sydney 2010). For instance, workforce development which is involved in organizational structure is designed to offer high skill practitioners of tertiary and quaternary care (CHW annual report 2008), so that it can meet the demand of mission to complete the promise of hospital. The relationship between clinical operations and department of nursing shows the influence of mission statement which mentions to set up good consociation. In addition, it can be seen from the organizational chart (The Childrens Hospital at Westmead 2008) that there are many departments found for economics, treatment, health care and training and education. All of them established a susta inable foundation for the achievement of hospital vision, which shows that healthy children for healthy future (The Childrens Hospital at Westmead 2008). At last, the CHW goals direct the development of finance, emergency, health care and other services; it also requires the high quality of staffs. Secondly, line structure has both negative and positive impacts on the development of hospital. Admittedly, the line structure of CHW is clear and simple. It shows the clear relationship between each department. Moreover, the organizational chart shows distinct superior-subordinate relationship. For example, according to the organizational chart, clinical operation directly administers allied health, diagnostics, medical, critical care and emergency services; at the same time, clinical operation hands in summary of annual work and feedback from lower levels to the highest level named chief executive(The Childrens Health at Westmead 2008). Another advantage of CHW structure is that not only one authority to judge all things. It is shown by the Childrens Hospital at Westmead (2008) that internal audit has right to supervise the action of chief executive. Even so, there are also some disadvantages of this line structure. Less communication of parallel departments which may decrease the quality of health service is demonstrated obviously. For instance, it is hypothesised that one child is sent immediately into critical care because of emergency situation, but he has renal disease that has not been checked out. If there is no contact with medical and critical care, this child would have life risk. What is worse, sometimes, highest authority can not receive the feedback immediately or receive untruthful information due to the incautiously negligence or deliberately concealing of middle or lower departments (Marquis Huston 2009). Therefore, the problems of line structure will result in medical issues and descend the health care level of children. Thirdly, according to the CHW goals (The Childrens Hospital at Westmead 2008), one main line of authority and responsibility is combined by finance and corporate services, community relations and marketing and information services and planning. It is believed that excellent staffs are an important foundation of the high quality health care. It is considered that appropriate incentives can retain the health professionals in different environment, especially in rural and remote areas (Dassault and Franceschini 2006). In addition, high standard of meals and accommodation promote the health care condition. Internet service can help families to solve problems at home; as well as, it can help to book the services, which saves time if it is not emergency problem but some small health issue. Furthermore, fundraising from companies or individuals creates equal chance for every child to accept treatment. It is shown by The Childrens Hospital at Westmead (2008), clinical operation and its subor dinate departments combined into another main line push hospital to realize the goals. For example, hospital strengthens the infrastructures (such as advanced equipments) of emergency services, so that patients can accept efficient cure in time. The increase of whole level of clinical services improves the clinical safety and helps to practice good quality health care. Moreover, some parts of the CHW structure can help to achieve the hospital mission to a certain extent. For example, Allied health in the structure provides the service to meet the requirement of chronic and complex care which is mentioned in hospital mission (The Childrens Hospital at Westmead 2008). There is a relationship between clinical operation and nursing. Nurses and clinical staffs keep in touch and share working experience with each other to establish good partnership described in mission (The Childrens Hospital at Westmead 2008). Nurses also can express the requirement or complain of patients to clinical practitioners, so that hospital could ensure the profits of children. Whats more, training and education bring up professionals to keep the high quality services. Admittedly, the organizational structure helps to reach the goals. For instance, internet service provides a link to save time of patients or their families to book services. Allied health service offer various h ealth services to detective health issues in the early stage of children. Finally, some aspects of the CHW structure could assist the development of hospital and solve some problems. It has been mentioned that there is an internal audit existing with chief executive, so it enhances hospitals monitoring, which may avoid the appearance of bureaucracy to a certain degree (Withey Gellatly 2007). The good cohesion and cooperation between different services can make sure the high quality health service and medical safety of patient. One exact situation is that nurses and clinical operations have built a good relationship, which could be useful to operate clinically and solve problems such as conflict between patients and doctors (The Childrens Hospital at Westmead 2008). However, some aspects of this structure also can have negative impacts on the development of hospital and the solution of problems. In spite of the relationship between nursing and clinical operations, it is not enough partnerships for the hospital to promote its health care quality. For exampl e, the lack of linkage between the department of workforce development and clinical operations is one important issue. It is stressed that the method of training workforce is changing with the change of clinical demand (Withey Gellatly 2007). As a result, the lacking communication between these two departments may lead to the waste of resources including human resources and material resources. Thus, to sum up, the line structure of the CHW is designed to reach the hospital mission, vision and goals; meanwhile, organizational structure is impacted by mission, vision and goals. Moreover, line structure has both merits and demerits in supply of health care services. In addition, there are two main lines of authority and responsibility which boost the completeness of hospital goals. Furthermore, some functions of hospital structure are useful for hospital to achieve its mission and goals. At last, the aspects of line structure both assist and descend the development of the CHW. Consequently, mission, vision and goals impact the establishment of organizational structure; and organizational structure can help to achieve them. It is recommended that the hospital should change the settled mode of line structure into the informal mode that is more flexible; and hospital might increase the chances of lateral communication as vertical communication (University of Western Sydney 2010) .

How Concentration and Temperature Affects the Rate of Reaction Essays

How Concentration and Temperature Affects the Rate of Reaction between Magnesium Ribbon and Hydrochloric Acid. WHAT I AM INVESTIGATING I am going to investigate how concentration and temperature affects the rate of reaction between magnesium ribbon and hydrochloric acid. MY PREDICTION The thing which I expect to happen is the more acid added to water the faster the reaction will happen. Also the hotter the solution the quicker the reaction will happen. THEORY TO BACK UP PREDICTION This will happen because when the temperature increases it will give the particles energy which will make the particles move quicker causing more particles to â€Å"collide† this will make the reaction quicker. I predict that these factors might have an effect on the results 1. Temperature- how hot or cold 2. Concentration- how much acid, how little 3. surface area- how big or small 4. Time- how fast, how slow 5. Catalyst- will speed up the reaction but won’t get used up. 6. mass of magnesium- how much magnesium The idea that I am going to investigate is how the increase of temperature will affect the speed of reaction. Planning The equipment I will need is:  · Goggles for eye protection  · Beaker to put acid and water in  · Stop clock for measuring the time  · Magnesium strips to put in the solution the magnesium strip will be 3cm  · Acid to mix with the water  · Water to mix with the acid  · Measuring cylinder to make the experim...

napoleon and frederick the great :: essays research papers

Napoleon versus Frederick the Great   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have chosen to compare Napoleon to Frederick the Great. I will compare these two extremely influential leaders through numerous techniques; including their military history, the administration of their territories, the legacy they left upon their countries, among others. Napoleon was a great soldier that graduated from military school at the age of sixteen and quickly worked his way through the ranks. Napoleon was a brilliant leader in battle and consistently defeated armies larger than his own; including when he forced the Austrians to make peace after defeating four of their generals. In 1799 Napoleon and his colleagues overtook the French government and established power. He revised the constitution in 1802 to make himself consul for life, and then again in 1804 to make himself Emperor of France. Soon after Napoleon came to power he restructured the administration, simplified the court system, and began monitoring the schooling system; French law was also put in the Napoleon Code which guaranteed the rights and liberties that were gained through the revolution. Napoleons violent behavior caused war with Britain to break out, who allied with Russia and Austria. Prussia later allied themselves with Russia; creating a huge alliances against France an d Napoleon. Napoleon successfully extended his reign over large parts of Europe and put each state under the Napoleon Code, which gave citizens new rights and privileges. In 1812 all of Europe turned against Napoleon, which lead to his exile in 1814. He regained power in 1815 just to loose it later that year. He died in exile in Saint Helena in 1821.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Frederick the Great was son of King Frederick William I and was born into prince hood. Frederick was raised to become a strong soldier and thrifty administrator. Frederick did not like the life his father planned for him and choose the more artsy aspects of life. His crown as prince was taken from him until he reapplied himself as a loyal member under his father’s reign. Frederick took over power after his father’s death in 1840; almost immediately he began attempting to improve Prussian policy. By 1745 Frederick was seen as a more than able military leader after winning a second war with Austria. Frederick played a huge role in destroying Austrians dominance. Frederick was a good leader, keeping himself in touch with the work of his officials and kept an eye on his troops and officers.

Love and Lust: Two Different Concept Essay

Love has a different meaning for many. For some, it may be an act of loyalty, and for others, it could be a comforting relationship. It is also an act in which everyone is happy. However, few differentiate love from lust like the character of Tomas from the book â€Å"The Unbearable Lightness of Being† by Milan Kundera does. In fact, the function of the fifth part is to prove that even though Tomas has sexual relationships with other women, he still loves Tereza. Sex and love are two distinct concepts for Tomas who loves Tereza but then sleeps with other women. He justifies this distinction by referring to his colleague’s research that â€Å"claimed that during any kind of dream men have erections, which means that the link between erections and naked women is only one of thousands way the Creator set the clockwork moving in a man’s head.† (236). Indeed, it is with the imagery of a mechanism that allows the function of a device that permits the imagination to link the distinction of love and lust to something quite technical. Therefore, man can be sexually excited by anything symbolizing that Tomas has no real control over the attraction he feels towards other naked women. However, Tomas can choose the one he loves and he chose Tereza. Moreover, he also believes that â€Å"Attaching love to sex is one of the most bizarre ideas the Creator ever had† (237) meaning that love and lust are truly two different concepts f or Tomas who would rather not be disturbed â€Å"by the aggressive stupidity of sex† (237) while loving Tereza. In other words, Tomas does not believe that lust should be a medium that will allow him to prove his love for Tereza. Tomas is characterized as always wanting to fight for the greater good but for Tereza, he stopped, proving that he loves her. Indeed, Tomas linked the tale of Oedipus with the situation in which the world was currently in because of Communists. He then developed an â€Å"analogy [that] so pleased him that he often used it in conversations with friends, and his formulation grew increasingly precise and elegant† (177) and from there, wrote an article about it. When the article was printed, his job as a surgeon was at stake because the authorities were not happy with his perspective on events. Therefore, Tomas only had two options: whether to retract his article and keep his profession or to not retract his article and keep his honor. It became apparent that when â€Å"the thing that struck [Tomas the most]: although he had never given people cause to doubt his integrity, [was that] they were ready to bet on his dishonesty rather than on his virtue† (181). Tomas’ decision was being foreshadowed meaning that his honor was more important than his â€Å"meaning of life† (179). However, Tomas did refuse to sign a petition that would liberate political prisoners because by signing it â€Å"he could be fairly certain that [Tereza] would have more frequent visits from undercover agents, and that her hands would tremble more and more.† (219) and he did not want to hurt his wife anymore. In other words, he wanted her to be happy because he loved her. Tomas will, in the end, always choose Tereza over any other woman, which demonstrates his love for her. He realizes in the fifth part of the book that he will choose Tereza over the women of his life. The realization that Tomas had in which â€Å"he will abandon the house of his happiness, time and again abandon his paradise and the woman from his dream and betray â€Å"Es muss sein!† of his love to go off with Tereza, the woman born of six laughable fortuities.† (239) can only mean that he loves Tereza in his own definition of love as bizarre as that may sound. Moreover, Tomas does not believe in the idealistic world where everyone has a better half. The narrator promptly explained that â€Å"According to â€Å"Plato’s Symposium: People were hermaphrodites until God split them in two, and now all the halves wander the world over seeking one another. Love is the longing for the half of ourselves we have lost† (238-239). However, Tomas admits that Tereza is most likely not the part of him he lost thus not his soul mate. Therefore, juxtaposing Plato’s Symposium’s definition of love and Tomas’ actions result in a clearer perspective of Tomas’ love for Tereza. In other words, Tomas loves Tereza in his own way. Furthermore, the personification of when â€Å"he feels her pain in his own heart.† (239) allows the readers to comprehend Tomas’ way of loving Tereza. If hurting her was not an option then love can be the only explanation. These reflexions made from the fifth part of the book â€Å"The Unbearable Lightness of Being† by Milan Kundera prove that Tomas truly loves Tereza. One might even argue that Tomas loves Tereza more than Tereza loves him even though he physically cheats on her. Work Cited Kundera, Milan. The Unbearable Lightness of Being. New York: HarperPerennial, 1999. Print. .

Public Handwash, Why Should They And Why They Don’t

Public Handwash, Why Should They And Why They Don’tFunny how little attention is paid to the importance of washing hands? After all, who does not know about it? Isnt it something we all learnt at a very tender age? It may appear to be a common sense thing. It is known that the hands are so much active in ones everyday life. It is the hands that touch everything and do all the work whether clean or dirty. Hands are therefore the routes through which germs and bacteria get their way into the body and eventually causing infections. According to Larson, et al, (2003), there is the need to always keep the hands clean and at all times. Keeping the hands clean prevents transmission of germs and prevents sickness and illnesses to oneself as well as to others. Others tend to trivialize the whole idea and overlook it. It is hard to believe the number of people who get their hands contaminated but will not wash them. Is washing of hands for some people?After all, some get dirtier than ot hers, don’t they? What with the gardener, the mechanic and all those known to indulge in jobs known to be dirty? Is it only the young children who need to be reminded to wash their hands because they have been out playing? Is it only the women or those preparing food that should continuously wash their hands? Washing of hands is not for a particular kind of people but for everybody. This is so by the fact that everyone’s hands are contaminated from time to time. It is surprising though to realize that even such people as doctors and nurses go without washing hands, considering that they sing the monotonous song to everybody of washing hands. Are they not the role models? Don’t they understand the reason behind it more than any one else?Some people who are adversely affected by this are school children. They are known to be very playful and they tend to use their hands. This exposes them to the hazard of getting infected because they are likely to forget to wash their hands and come lunchtime, they will use the same hands to eat without even hint of what they might be taking in.The fact that there is public handwash indicates the essence of the washing of hands. It is not necessary that your hands be soiled so that you can be convinced to wash them. You will be surprised to know how much dirty your hands are, much as they may appear clean. Whether in the hospitals, schools or restaurants, washing of hands is mandatory. It is shocking to come to the realization that only few people wash their hands after visiting the toilet.Is it because of the notions that the people have about these public places? Most people are known to view these public toilets and washrooms as dirty places. Does this excuse them from washing their hands? There are numerous reasons that call for one to see to it that their hands are washed regardless of whether they appear dirty or not. Just like I have said above, one has no option but to ensure that his hands are wash ed immediately after visiting the toilet. This is because there are so many germs that are got here and failure to wash hands dictates spread of germs and bacteria known to cause sickness and illnesses.The human body is one source of harmful germs and so one should ensure that he has washed hands after touching bare human body. One should also make it a duty to wash hands after handling animals. This much affects people who have pets like cats and dogs. These animals are known to be the carry a lot of germs and bacteria harmful to ones health as they cause illnesses.Before handling any food, one must wash hands to avoid contaminating it. This prevents harmful germs from being transferred from the  Hands to the food and consequently into the body through the mouth, (Roberts, 2001). Again, it is essential that one wash the hands after coughing, sneezing or even scratching. It is unbelievable the germs that are transmitted through sneezing or coughing. There is the need to wash hands frequently because every one is likely to touch the eyes or nose or any other sensitive body part that is likely to cause transmission of the germs from the hands and causing diseases. Last but not least, one should ensure that hands have been washed after handling soiled equipment. The fact that the equipment is already soiled is a clear indication of the need to wash the hands.This brings us to the key reason of discussing public handwash: its importance! To begin with, handwashing is essential to stop the spread of germs and bacteria that cause infections. Preventing sicknesses and illnesses subsequently prevents you from missing classes, job or social activities. This is so in that you do not go down with any infection that may have been caused by the germs. Washing of hands is particularly mandatory for the hospital workers. As the truth is, they are constantly in contact with sick people who may be secreting body fluids. This increases the chances of the doctor or nurse to ha ve hospital-acquired infections. It is therefore only wise for these health workers to wash their hands after every short while.Washing of hands not only keeps an individual safe from infections but it also keeps everyone else healthy. In The Journal, December 16,2006, it is promised that one cannot transmit germs from themselves to the next person as they have their hands washed and free from any germs. This applies largely in the context that one is preparing food for others. The chance of having germs transmitted from the hands to the food is drastically reduced owing to the fact that hands have been washed. People should always see to it that they have washed their hands before getting into the house. More applicable is the duty to wash hands before handling anything in the house. This ensures that no germs from outside have been brought into the house.I have always wondered why someone would think it ok to use the bathroom and comfortably check out without washing his or her ha nds. Don’t they know the kind of germs they can spread? I can bet women do it so acceptably; walking right out of the stall and out the exit door without so much as a care. Men on the other hand are not any better. In fact they are on the worse side. Now, someone has their hands on the same surfaces that you will be using soon after and still you don’t bother to wash your own hands after you are through? Something is just so wrong, or what shall I say about it?There are still people known not to wash their hands at all. Do these people have a valid reason why they should not? Aren’t they at the same risk with everyone else of contracting infections? One of the biggest reasons why some people don’t wash hands is if one is a man. Fewer men are known to wash their hands after visiting the public restroom than women. The crucial fact is that both men and women are at the same risk of getting infected with diseases if the hands are not washed. It is not so muc h that the men are incapable of contracting diseases but rather it is the issue about gender. The men see it as though it is only the women and childern who should have their hands washed while they overlook it altogether. It is disheartening when such simple task is not carried out as expected. Doesn’t it only require soap and water to have the whole thing done? Its not even like it takes long, yet it is a task not done by many.So much about people not feeling like washing their hands. It is very well known that some public restrooms and washrooms are not anything to write home about. In fact if the truth is to be told, they are so disgusting such that no one would wish to use them. This therefore becomes a reason why one would not use the public handwash facilities.Having talked about washing hands as a way of preventing spread of germs, it does not necessarily follow. By saying this, I want to bring into the limelight the fact that public handwashing may be a source of inf ections and affects the health of the community. Considering that there is universal use of soap and water, chances of spreading germs from one person to another are high. Thus handwashing becomes a problem in itself other than a problem solver. This therefore explains why many people would rather remain with dirty hands than expose them to greater danger. Everyone’s health is at this time put in danger as the rate at which the germs are to spread is quite high and the facilitators as well a in large numbers.It becomes apparent therefore that the best thing that one can do is to avoid it at all costs. There is the cost of medication to be looked into. This is the aftermath of handwashing and being infected with the germs that eventually cause diseases. The thought of visiting the hospital about a case of diarrhea is not at all pleasant. For it being a preventable illness indicates uncleanliness and poor hygiene. It would therefore be acceptable to deduce that while it is very much recommendable for one to wash their hands, there is also the need for great caution. In thinking that one is preventing germs and their spread, he may actually be getting more than he already has in his hands and thus exposing himself to danger of getting sick.Washing hands is therefore a very careful task that should not be overlooked or assumed (Curtis, 2002). Much as one might wash hands, it does not necessarily mean that they are really clean. One should then use the appropriate materials, which are clean water and soap. In doing so, one will be doing himself a lot of good and not just to himself but the other people as well. Just like we have seen, the other people’s health is very much affected by the individual’s hygiene. Public handwash is therefore both good and bad, as we have seen in the discussion above. This however does not mean that the public handwash should be done away with.References:Roberts, C. (2001). The food safety information handbook. Ory x Press.Larson, E., et al (2003). Short-and long-term effects of handwashing with antimicrobial or plain soap in the community. Journal of community health, Vol.28The journal (Newcastle, England,) (2006,December 16). How to avoid flu and colds this Christmas.Curtis, V. (2002,Oct): Health in your hands Lessons from building public-private partnerships for washing hands with soap, Retrieved September 29, 2007 from: http://www.globalhandwashing.org/Publications/Lessons_learntPart1.htm