Learning and Supporting Teaching in Schools

Certificate Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools (501/0418/4) Unit 1: Schools as Organisations (T/601/3325) 1. 1 Identify the main types of state and independent schools. The main types of state and independent schools are as follows: * Specialist schools * Academies * City technology colleges * Community and foundation special schools * Faith schools * Maintained boarding schools * Free schools 1. 2 Describe the different characteristics of the different types of schools in relation to educational stages and school governanceThe Key stages are as follows in comprehensive and free schools: * Foundation stage – Normally this is for pupils in reception year, nursery or play group * KS1 – Years 1 to 3 * KS2 – Years 4 to 6 * KS3 – Years 7 to 9 * KS4 – Years 10 to 11 (GCSE’s and/or other equivalent Qualifications are taken in this Key Stage) * KS5 – Year 12 to 13 (A Levels and/or other equivalent Qualifications are taken in this Key Stage) Although standards schools follow this key stage structure, Special schools will run these key stages adapted to the pupils needs i. . a school for learning and physical disabilities may need extra support and resources to ensure that their pupils are achieving the national curriculum standards set for students with learning and/or physical disabilities. The role of the Board of Governors is to run the school. This would include the following: * School Finances and Budgets* Staffing * The School’s Curriculum * Managing School Inspections * To uphold national standards in education Depending on the type of school, depends on the way in which the board of governors operate i. e. or learning and physical disability schools, the board of governors may invest in certain resources to maximise the pupil’s educational potential. Most state schools are funded by the government where as private and independent schools are funded by parents, local funding or charitable inc ome. If the school is a managed school then the local authority employs the schools staff but for private schools and academies it is the school that employs their staff. Managed schools get their pupils from their local catchment areas, the community or school open days.Private or specialised schools may get their students from the local community but may also have an open day or referrals from other educational establishments. Below I have chosen three different types of schools and I will also explain their admissions policy and the age of the children. Grammar Schools Admissions policies – Grammar school admissions policies are normally set by the local council. All applications initially must go through the local council. Also with grammar schools, there is often a test in which a child has to take and pass in order to be accepted into the school.This is due to the fact that grammar school children are highly educated. Age of pupils/students – pupils are normally enter into grammar school at the age of 10/11. They will be working on key stage 4 when entering the school. On the fourth year of school, pupils go on to key stage 5 working on GCSE’s and NVQ’s. In some cases, pupils in grammar schools may take their A Levels early or higher qualification. Pupils in grammar school now leave at the age of 17. Montessori schools Admissions Policy – in Montessori schools the children are interviewed by a teacher to make sure that they fit in with the ethos of the school.A payment is needed from parents in order for children to attend the school. An educational or psychological assessment is needed by the school in order for the child to be admitted. Montessori schools do not admit children midterm unless they are transferring from another Montessori school. Age of pupils/students – In Montessori schools, they admit children from 18 months up to 18 years old. Montessori schools have a holistic method of educating children so that they express freedom and self discipline. Steiner schools Admissions policy – The admissions policy is pretty much the same as a Montessori School.Age of pupils/students – In Steiner Schools, the age of children is from 3 years old to 16. Like a Montessori school, a Steiner schools tackle educating in a holistic manner in order to develop the whole child. Not just educational. 2. 1 Describe roles and responsibilities of staff related to the school Below are 4 Roles within a school and their responsibilities: * Teacher – To plan, deliver and evaluate lessons, to encourage pupils with their learning development, Make learning as fun as possible, create reports on pupils learning to parents and be a role model for pupils. Lunchtime Supervisor – Help set up dining areas, Supervise pupils with toileting and hand washing, resolve and report conflict and encourage independence at mealtimes. * Clerical Staff – To keep the school running smoothly by d irection of the Head Teacher, maintain and report attendance records, Perform administrative duties which may include writing letters to parents by direction of teachers and head teacher. * School Librarian – Plan and oversee the management of the library, Ensure an equality of opportunity for all staff and pupils, Complete reports to/ and inform the governing body of stock and library resources.Also another role within a school is a Teacher’s Assistant. To reflect his or her role within the school I have written a day in the life of a Teacher’s Assistant. 8. 15am  My day starts as soon as I get to school, when the class teacher, who I work alongside, outlines the plan for the day ahead and I help to set up the activities. 8. 55am  The day begins for the children. As they wait with their parents and carers in the playground, I approach the gate and greet the children as the bell rings. I briefly chat with a few parents as they pass on messages, help children take their coats off in the cloakroom and follow them into the classroom.As the teacher takes the register I check the ‘Home-school communication books’ for any other messages. 9. 05am  The first activity for today is PE and today will be the first time that the children have taken part in PE in our main hall! Surprisingly the children are quite quick at getting changed into their gym kits. Today we practise moving in and out of spaces in different ways – jogging, marching, large strides and small footsteps. 10. 25am  It’s playtime and time to get coats on and join the rest of the infants in the playground.While the children are out at play I prepare their morning snack. 10. 40am  In from play and it’s time for hand washing, then fruit and milk. After this it’s activity time and the children choose from a range of activities both inside and outside. Today I’m inside making teddy bear puppets, encouraging the children to stick a corresponding number of buttons onto their bear. Midday  It’s lunchtime and we take the children into the dinner hall to be greeted by their lunchtime supervisors. I pop back to the staffroom and have my lunch and chat with other members of staff.Then it’s time to set up for the afternoon activities. 1pm  The children come in from lunch. Time for a quick register and this afternoon I support children building train tracks, investigating in the sand and experimenting with drawing and writing – a busy hive of activity, and lots of observational assessment! 2pm  Playtime again and this time I’m on duty supervising the children with another member of staff. 2. 20pm  Time for a few more bears and buttons with those who are keen and once these are done I join in with some children who are doing some jigsaw puzzles.Today, I have a breakthrough – a child who has been reluctant to talk and has been communicating through gestures, actually initiates a conversation with me! 3. 20pm  Home time for the children as we look out for the children’s parents and carers, and send them off happily! Once the children have all been collected it’s time for a final tidy up and discussion with the class teacher about the day’s events. 3. 45pm  Time for me to go off home, too! 2. 2 Describe the roles of external professionals who may work with the school For this section I have created two â€Å"A day in the life of†¦.. journals to describe what the role is of an external professional within the school The first role I have chosen to talk about is a Peripatetic Music Teacher. 09:30 am I arrive at the school and sign in at the school reception desk. I am then shown by the music head of department to the room in which I will be teaching. Whilst walking to my designated room, myself and the department head discuss what the needs and aims are of the pupils that I will be teaching today. 10am My first pupil arrives. At first the pupil and I discuss what we are going to be teaching her over the next 45 minutes.Also we talk about if there are any issues or questions she may have with learning the flute. There are no issues so we continue on with the lesson. 10:15am I start to teach my pupil on how to play the flute and to work through some theory activities as my pupil is going for her grade 3 flute exams next week. 10:45am After a great lesson with my first pupil, she leaves to go back to her academic class. I write up an evaluation of what my pupil has learnt and things for improvement. This evaluation will be spoken about at the end of the day with the department head. 1am My second pupil arrives and we do exactly what we did for my first pupil between 10 am and 11 am. My second student is also going for his grade 3 exams in playing the flute as well. I also write an evaluation on the lesson which will also be discussed with the head of department. 12am I break for lunch for an hour. I photocopy the two evaluations that I have written up this morning and left them on the department head’s desk. From 1pm to 2pm and 2pm to 3pm, I teach one pupil at a time and discuss their flute exams. 3pm I meet with the department head to discuss the 4 pupils’ progress and needs.Today was very good as they are all making brilliant progress and are all ready for their exams. 3. 30pm It is now home time for me so I go to the room I was assigned and clear up. Off I go and I felt today was a really productive day. The next professional I will write about is a Road Crossing Patrol. 7. 45am I arrive at the crossing area where I am assigned. I walk down the road and turn on the school crossing warning lights. Whilst I am turning on the crossing patrol lights, I check to see if there are any dangers when helping to cross the road with children and parents.There are no dangers so I return to the crossing place. 8am I put on my uniform overcoat and hat and help parents and children cro ss the road with my stop sign remaining friendly at all times. 9. 30am All the school children are in school now so I turn off the crossing patrol lights and head off home. 2. 45pm I arrive back at my crossing patrol and switch on the crossing patrol lights. Again I check for dangers in the area. There are no dangers so I return to my post. I wait for the school children and parents to help them cross the road with my stop sign remaining friendly at all times. . 30pm It is my home time now so I turn off the school crossing patrol lights and head off home. 3. 1, 3. 2 and 3. 3 Aim and Objectives How are aims and values decided? Aims and values are decided through consultation to the stakeholders for the school. Stake holders can include the following: * Governors * Head teacher * Parents * School staff * Children * The local community How are aims and values communicated? Aims and values can be communicated to anyone involved in the school by using the following: * Letters to parents *Displays within the school On the schools website or the internet * Presented within meetings An aim is the context within which schools must develop their own education. A value is a common set of values underpinning the curriculum and the work of schools. E. g. Caring, Confidence building, creative, Contribution and community. The School can do lots of things to show/demonstrate its values or aims: Some examples of which are shown below. Values * Value everyone as an individual – We listen to everyone and let them have their say through circle time activities, show and sell and through the schools council.Understanding of staying safe and being healthy – Get speakers from outside agencies (Such as the police), Visits to Streetwise, Life Education Bus, through circle time activities and PSHE (SEAL) lessons, Training for staff, have a healthy eating policy and healthy snack times. * Provide a learning environment appropriate to the individual – Differentiation in planning and activities, Different learning styles or catered for (e. g. Visual, Auditory or Kinaesthetic), SEN pupils are identified and supported and support staff used and brought in if required. To value every child’s contribution – Recognising pupils input on activities, rewarding pupils for their contributions, award evenings for pupils who have made significant contributions, * To develop a caring attitude towards others – Pupils and school staff alike to respect each other, teachers to identify pupils with SEN and to give them extra time to complete an activity where needed, school staff to be a good role model for pupils. * For pupils and staff to have a positive approach to leaning – eachers to make an activity as fun as possible, the school will be attractive to the outside and to promote fun creativity within the classroom, promote educational independence to pupils. 4.1 Identify the laws and codes of practice affecting work in schools Belo w are some of the laws and codes of practice that are affected by schools: * Disability Discrimination Act 1995 * The National Curriculum (a statutory document, published in 1999) * The Children Act 1989/2004/2006 * Every Child Matters * Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 * Education Act 1996 4. Describe how laws and codes of practice promote pupil wellbeing and achievement Data Protection Act 1998 The Data Protection Act 1998 promotes pupil wellbeing. This is because all information about a pupil is on a need to know basis. Therefore this ensures that no information about a child that is given out unnecessarily. This law can also protect the child from harm and/or abuse. Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 This law states that a child with special educational needs or who has a disability is entitles to a fair education. This can include tailoring learning to the child’s abilities.It is the schools responsibility to have specific resources for a child to excel in their education. Schools should allow extra time with special educational needs or children with disabilities in order for the children to understand what is asked of them. Equalities Act 2010 This act states that no one should be discriminated in any way and also to be included. For children in schools, staff and pupils should not discriminate and also to tackle discrimination. This can be any form. This will excel pupils’ wellbeing and achievement because children will not be in fear of being left out or discriminated. . 1 Describe why schools have policies and procedures Please see worksheet A5 Policies and Procedures 5. 2 Identify policies and procedures in schools Below is an exhausted list of policies and procedures that can be placed within schools: * Safeguarding * Attendance * Uniform * Fire Safety * Admissions * Behaviour * Accidents * First aid/ Medical * Health and Safety * Anti-bullying * Achievement * Child Protection * Homework* SEN * Teaching and Learning * Equalities * ICT * Subject Specific Policies * Complaints * Equal Opportunities * Confidentiality * Performance Management Disciplinary * Marketing * Finance * Grievance Unit 2: Child and young person development 1. 1 Child and young person physical development from birth to 19 years old Age| Physical development| Birth to 1 month| A newborn child will gain 1 ounce a day after initial weight loss in the first week. Also a child will discover his or her reflexes like grasping, sucking and clenched fists. A child’s vision will be at 8 to 12 inches and can lift head slightly. | 1 to 2 months|A child will be able to lift head to a 45 degree angle. And be able to gurgle and vocalize. 2 to 3 months | A child will be aware of other people by staring. | 3 to 4 months| A child will not be able to chuckle, smile and make use of more vocal techniques. A child will be able to kick legs | 4 to 5 months| A child will gain approximately 5 to 6 ounces per week. He or she will improve gripping techniques. Also he or she may be able to pull him/her self to sit up and roll on each side of their body. A child may also be able to bare weight on his or her legs. He or she may be able to laugh and giggle. | 5 to 6 months| A child will be able to sit up without support.He or she may be able to feed themselves with a cracker or biscuit. | 6 to 7 months| A child will be able to sit up. He or she will reach for desired toy(s). Also a child will be able to pass toys from one hand to another. | 7 to 9 months| A child will be able to shout for attention and also be able to say the odd word i. e. â€Å"mama† or â€Å"dada†. | 9 months to 1 year| May start to crawl or shuffle. Child may start to use the pincer grip to hold on to items or food. Also he/she may be able to pick up objects but will only be able to release by dropping or throwing. 1 year to 18 months| May be able to use a spoon and self feed. During this period a child will start to walk and p ull themselves up in order to start walking. They may also use furniture or toys to aid them to walk. | 18 months to 2 years| Able to use preferred hand for drawing, playing and drawing. A child is able to self feed fully at this stage. Also able to walk up and down stair but with 1 step at a time. | 2 to 3 years| A child will be able to walk independently and start to walk on his/her tiptoes. Also he/she will be able to undo buttons and kick shoes off.Also aid in undressing. | 3 to 4 years| A child will be able to brush his/her own teeth. He/she will start to run and hop. Child will also be able to walk on a line and start to walk backwards. | 4 to 5 years| Will be able to dress and undress unaided. Use scissors accurately, start to write own name and starts to run quickly. | 5 to 7 years| Uses pens and pencils for detailed drawings. Also builds intricate models. | 8 to 12 years| A child will be able to improve on physical skills that they already have developed. For girls puberty starts within this phase of development.Gils will start to develop more as a woman. | 13 to 16 years| A boy’s puberty will start in this time frame but will tend to be stronger than a girl. A boy will start to develop as a young man. This would include the appearance of facial hair and voice breaking. | 16 to 19 years| Most of the child’s physical development has now been completed. | Percentiles Percentiles are a method in which you can measure the progress of a child’s development. A measuring tool that is often used is a percentile chart. Percentile charts normally measure height and weight.Normally if a child’s weight is at a percentile of 75% then the height is normally 75% as well. If these percentiles are very different from each other then this shows that the child is not developing correctly. The higher the percentile the more a child is developing in a certain area. Also if a percentile is lower, then the child is not developing as quickly compa red to the average child. Milestones Milestones are often stages in a child’s life at which a child has reached an achievement in their development. As mentioned in physical development, a child can start crawling or shuffling at about 9 months.Also a child may start to walk independently or start to talk. These are also milestones. 1. 2 Describe with examples how different aspects of development can affect one another Different aspects of development affect one another. 2. 1 Describe with examples the kinds of influences that affect children and young people’s development a) Background Parental expectations – If a parent has high expectations of a child then the child is able to develop at a faster pace and in turn a child will then be able to do a lot more at a young age.This works in the opposite way if a parent has low expectations. An example of this would be if a mother sits with a child and reads with him/her. The child is then able to build up his/her ab ility to read quicker and learn new words quicker. This also makes them have a higher academic level to a child whose mother who does not have high expectations. If a child’s mother has high expectations, then the child will develop academic skills faster. Conflict between parents – If there is conflict between a child’s parents then a child will pick up on this and will learn the actions from their parents.An example of this is when parents are constantly arguing in front of a child, the child then learns that is it ok to shout at other people. A child may develop low self esteem because there is constant conflict in the home. The child may not feel safe within the home as they may be frightened that the parents may shout at them as well. In turn the child may not develop good social/emotional skills. b) Health Asthma – If a child has asthma, this may affect their physical and social development. An example of this is that a child may not be able to do c ertain activities that his/her peers take part in.Also certain asthma drugs can stunt growth there for a child will not grow as quickly or as high as their peers. General poor health – If a child has generic poor health they will not be able to develop socially, emotionally and physically. This is because a child may not be well enough to interact with his/her peers therefore restricting social development. If a child is to be constantly unwell, this can then lead to other illnesses which in turn will restrict physical development and cause future health issues.When a child is constantly unwell, the child will feel upset and may fall into depression. This will then restrict emotional development as a child will not have the chance to feel happy. c) Environment Housing (Living in crowded accommodation) – A child will not be able to develop emotionally or socially when living in confined or cramped living circumstances. The reason for this is because a child needs a plac e in a home to call their own so that they can discover themselves without constant influence from household members.Availability of jobs – If there is a high availability of jobs; a child’s family will then be able to work. This in turn develops a child socially and emotionally. Also a child will be better cared for enabling the child to develop in all areas correctly. This is because a child will be cared for correctly. This will then make the child develop physically and socially. 2. 2 Describe with examples the importance of recognising and responding to concerns about children and young people’s development

Ten Alpina Tools

Giulia seems to be excited about the opportunity to own her own business doing something that she loves. There is a high level of uncertainty here in whether or not Giulia would make a profitable business. It seems that there is room for improvement in the current operations since all 6 workers were cross trained and they were currently only busy for about one weeks worth of labor time per month. Giulia does have an MBA and may be able to recognize ways to use the resources more efficiently and keep production costs down. Giulia will need to practice her strategic thinking to determine how to balance the resources on hand to make this situation work. If she can offer the units for $11.70 or higher, she may be able to maintain the business but she will need to drive down the production costs to sustain profits. If any equipment needs repairs or the building needs renovations, those costs are not going to be covered under her current pricing plan. Also, if production increases, variabl e costs may also increase so it will be important for Giulia to pay close attention to this.After reading the case we identified the following risks;1) Graduate School/ MBA: The case takes place as Giulia is returning from summer break after her first year. Given the intense work load of an MBA program and the workload requirements of a startup/expansion, we have to question if she can do both effectively. Quantitative Analysis: LOW†¦. This is more of a time and lifestyle concern.2) Loss of the single customer contract: Anytime a business is relying on a single customer it’s a risk. Giulia is using the cash flow from this customer to support the new venture. There is not a strong history here for her to count on and lack of data increases risk. In addition she also is highly at risk should her customer go out of business or find another supplier; she would be hard pressed to meet her monthly burn rate.In fact there is no evidence in the case that her business could survi ve without that contract. Quantitative Analysis: HIGH†¦.. The key issue here is that the business is running on very thin margins and the cash flow from this customer is critical for Giulia to cover her fixed and variable costs. There is no evidence that she has cash reserves or any access to investors.3) Employee/Operations issues: Giulia has no experience in this industry and we have no evidence that she has ever managed people or managed a manufacturing process. Due to her thin margins any interruption in production would be devastating. Quality is a huge concern here and although her team is â€Å"cross trained† on all the equipment it’s reasonable to assume that there will be employee turnover.She will need to replace them and we don’t know what they training cycle is and how it will impact  production and quality. Qualitative Analysis: HIGH†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Production ties directly to the ability to fulfill the contract. This contract is key to her cas h flow and the margins are small. Giulia needs to determine the new employee training cycle and factor that into production and cash flow projections.4) Increased Costs: If Giulia experiences an increase in production or fixed costs she is in a very risky situation. Her margins are thin and we have no evidence of cash reserves. Qualitative Analysis: HIGH†¦.. Any increase to costs cuts into margins. Giulia is not in a position to handle such increases.5) Re negotiation or delays on the single contract: The single customer could ask for a lower price point, lower volume or attempt to renegotiate payment terms. Qualitative Analysis: HIGH†¦.. As we have seen a key concern in this case are the margins. Any decrease in price or payment schedule will have a direct impact on Giulias ability to cover her costs

The Relationships Between Human Health and Agriculture

Spedding (1988) defines agriculture as â€Å"an activity (of Man), carried out primarily to produce food and fibre (and fuel, as well as many other materials) by the deliberate and controlled use of (mainly terrestrial) plants and animals†1. Inherent in this definition is the importance of agriculture and its impact on the lives of virtually all human beings around the world. Through their ability to control and cultivate whole biological systems for their own purposes and survival, agriculture can be regarded as one of the most revolutionary and distinguishing aspects of mankind. Read also Six Dimensions of Health Worksheet In this way, it is also directly linked to human welfare, and one can explore the way advances in the two domains affect one another, building up to an almost symbiotic relationship between human health and agriculture. Even with a cursory thought, there is a significant link between agriculture and human health. Raeburn insists that the main contribution to human welfare is food, and that mankind depends on almost all supplies on agriculture2. Indeed, humans as heterotrophic organisms are dependent on the intake and digestion of organic substances as a source of energy, required for maintaining basic metabolic activities as well as providing chemical energy. These organic substances are what we normally refer to as food, but also essential are the various by-products of agriculture, the main ones being â€Å"food, fibre, and raw materials for industrial use†3 used in our everyday lives to increase our comfort (e. g. otton and wool used for the production of warm clothes). The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as â€Å"a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity†4. This definition allows us to tackle the impact of agriculture on human health from a number of different perspectives. Undoubtedly, the most significant agricultural products contributing to the ‘absence of infirmity or illness' in human beings are alimentary produc ts. Read this Ch. 22 Respiratory System The fruits, vegetables, cereals, nuts, meat, milk, produced by cultivation, contain vitamins and minerals as well as proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids, which are indispensable to maintain a healthy, functioning organism. For example, Vitamin C and E (mainly found in fruits and vegetables) act as powerful antioxidants, protecting cells from foreign toxins and pollutants, as well as cancer-causing agents. Calcium, abundant in dairy products and some green leafy vegetables, is responsible for strong bones and teeth, as well as helping nerve conduction and muscle contraction. They provide a source of fibre as well, which lowers blood cholesterol levels and is believed to prevent certain forms of colon cancer. Of these micronutrients, a majority are not normally produced by our bodies, hence they must be acquired through diet. According to a recent report from the FAO/WHO Expert Report on Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases, most populations are still falling short of the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables. An estimated 2. 7 million people die each year from the risks related to low fruit and vegetable intake5. Low fruit and vegetable intake also affects one's risks of being affected by Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs), such as weakened immune systems, type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and various cancers. The total world population has grown from just under 2 billion to about 6. 2 billion in a mere century6. Read also Intro to Public Relations Notes This is attributed in part to certain technological innovations in the agricultural domain during the 1950s, collectively referred to as â€Å"The Green Revolution†, Through utilization of high-yield crops, irrigation and controlled water supply, and fertilizers and pesticides, the world is producing more food than ever before, mainly by maximizing the output from every hectare of soil. Major arable crops such as rice, wheat, and corn have been experimented on, for they germinate earlier and grow quicker, allowing the harvest of two or three crops a year. New varieties are constantly being developed, which have led up to a 30% increase in maximum yield, as well as more resistant varieties of crops (e. g. wheat which has become resistant to rust and mildew). Chickens and pigs yield twice as much meat and dairy cows twice as much milk as they did 60 years ago, argues Lomborg. An increased interest in irrigation and water control has allowed drier areas to cultivate their fair share of crops, as well as increasing soil fertility in some areas of the world and increase the harvesting opportunities. Indeed, irrigated land makes up only 18% of the world's total agricultural landmass, but contributes to 40% of the Earth's food7. Fertilizers and pesticides have also proved indispensable for plant growth and warding off disease-causing insects. The Green Revolution is provides evidence of the positive contribution of agriculture to human health and welfare: food quantity and quality produced have increased, making it feasible for the agricultural domain to keep up with the nutritional needs of a rapidly increasing population. A more tragic example of human dependency on proper agricultural methods is the Irish Potato Blight of 1845 to1847. Whitlock (1965) describes how the popularity of potatoes as a farm crop, after having found their way to Ireland originally from South America through Spain, started to increase, for it was a cheap crop perfectly suited to the needs of a newly urbanized population. Consequently, the Irish population rose from 1 500 000 to 4 000 000 habitants in the course of the eighteenth century. However, the working class' over-dependency on a potato-based diet resulted in the severe famine that followed the widespread infection of the potato crops by the fungi Phytophthera infestans. The severe famine over the following years and caused a decline of about 1 622 739 Irish citizens between 1841 and 1851 due to the destruction of the staple food supply of the Irish. The physical and social well being of humans is affected by agriculture both at the consumer level, as well as that of the farmers themselves. Farmers and their families face numerous risks working at the farm, such as zoonoses, overexposure to chemical substances, hearing loss, as well as dangers on the farm. Consumers on the other hand, face more indirect risks of chemical residues and quality of food produced. Farmers may be exposed to zoonoses, diseases transferable from animals to humans. These diseases have captured society's attention often over the course of the past few years, mostly due to notorious examples such as the human variant of BSE (bovine spongioform encephalopathy), the Creutzfield-Jacob disease, even though in the period of 1981-85 they contributed to only 4% of all fatal accidents in agriculture8. Examples also include Farmer's Lung, a respiratory condition caused by inhalation of fungal spores from mouldy feed or litter, responsible for an allergic reaction in the alveoli and breathing difficulties. Other dangers of normal farm labour include risks of physical injury when working with complicated equipment, like tractors. In 1981-85, about 30% of fatal accidents in agriculture were caused by self-propelled machines, and a further 13% by other field machines9. In addition, hearing loss or permanent ‘ringing' may occur if working in a tractor for long periods of time without ear protection, for the normal noise level is about 95-105 dB. Possibly, labouring in the agricultural sector is much tougher than most careers in the service sector, contributing to a higher risk of physical exhaustion and stress, as well as technical risks from different machines. Farmers also risk suffering from depression and marginalization, as well as large differences in income. The number of farmers has decreased dramatically over the last century, and it in this way that social exclusion and depression may threaten farmers, especially in the developed countries where the proportion of working population employed in agriculture makes up only around 3%10, and decreasing constantly. Risks for the potential consumer include exposure to chemical residues, mostly from herbicides and pesticides used in the production. After the initial enthusiasm following the success of increased use of fertilizers and pesticides during the Green Revolution, internationally accepted quality standards have been set up in attempt to minimize health hazards of pesticide use, such as the WHO Pesticide Evaluation Scheme (WHOPES). Some famous examples of potentially toxic chemicals are DDT and paraquat. DDT, a neurotoxic, has been associated with serious damage to the CNS, as well as reproductive abnormalities, in both humans and other organisms. An investigation carried out on a group of men in close contact with DDT at work showed that they appeared to have a decreased fertility rate; in addition, a higher rate of stillbirths, neonatal deaths, and congenital effects were prevalent amongst their offspring11. Indeed, the use of DDT was banned in 1972 in the USA, due to excessive use and its persistence in the environment and fatty tissues in humans and other animals. Paraquat, an organochlorine herbicide, is admitted to be generally safe provided certain precautions are taken, but at the same time it is considered to be highly toxic. Its effects can be quite hazardous, from lung scarring, kidney and heart failure, and carcinogenic risks in the long run, as well as skin irritation, nosebleeds, and eye injury resulting from non-lethal long term exposure. As is the case with many pesticide residues, when consumers are exposed to minute amounts of the substance over a long time period, the chronic effects may have quite a devastating impact on not only human health, but that of other organisms and the environment too. However, it seems reasonable to say that their use in the recent decades has greatly increased yields of the major crops like corn, wheat, and rice, contributing to an increase in the average daily calorie intake of populations, especially in developing countries12. It may be that usage of pesticides and herbicides proves to be more beneficial than harmful to the human population in the long run, for an increase in yield contributes to a decrease in price of fruit and vegetable produce, essential to our health as we have seen in the previous paragraphs. Lomborg (2001) points out that carsinogenic properties of various pesticides and chemicals have been greatly exaggerated by the press, given that in reality, deaths from pesticide-originating cancers have been found to be less than 1% of all cancer-derived deaths. The last century has seen mankind blessed with many inventions and technological advances which have allowed him to even further manipulate and control the world and mechanisms surrounding him. The agricultural domain has also had its fair share of innovations, which have allowed it to become more efficient, more intensive, and more productive. These advances, such as the development of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and machinery to improve crop yields, appear beneficial to agricultural production, promoting both quality and quantity of food produced. Worries over human health have also reached the point where agriculture is constantly being driven to more intense measures and inventions to increase yield and quality to the products. However, new as these techniques are, their thorough impacts on human health cannot yet be fully assessed. Most techniques affect us strictly through the food we choose to eat, but some may also involve by-products which are harmful to the environment, thus indirectly affecting our health, as well as that of other organisms and the environment. Thus, we can say that the impact of agriculture on human health is significant. The varied, and often direct relationships that exist between agriculture and our welfare demonstrate to what extent it is present in different areas our everyday lives. Each and every human being on the planet is somehow affected by agriculture, for its main contribution is food, indispensable for our health and survival (not to forget other important raw materials). Through the evolution of cultivating land into a wholly organized form of profit-making business, the 20th century has seen the development of agribusiness. We can even consider the relationship between human health and agriculture as being a symbiotic one, where human health works as a guiding force of agricultural innovations, while problems encountered with certain agricultural techniques, methods, and products result in a continuous quest for new solutions to improve the state of human health and agriculture overall. Albeit much progress into human welfare and how to further increase it through output of improved food materials, numerous controversies still exist as to whether too much importance is being attributed to purely human interests, in the place of more global and environmental ones. Humans must find a compromise between their own welfare interests and those of animal welfare and environmental problems if the expansion and popularity of agricultural innovations is to continue in the future.

Financial planning and wealth management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial planning and wealth management - Essay Example The World Wealth Report 2013 has been prepared by Capgemini and Royal Bank of Canada jointly. This report shows that 2012 was started with a sluggish beginning with low levels of GDP of most of the economies around the world. However, with efforts from the national governments, economic activities in the world have increased considerably (The wealth report, 2012). Eventually, HNWIs (individuals possessing US$1 million or more investable assets) have ultimately benefitted, as the international market has strongly turned around towards the end of 2012. The report presents the analysis of data collected through survey of more than 4,400 HNWIs belonging to twenty one countries. This makes the study one of the most data rich and highly relevant studies for present economic times. Background The report sheds light on three distinct peripheries; levels of confidence held by HNWIs in the international market, their long term investment objectives, their investment pattern and plans and most importantly, the types of relationships maintained by them with advisors and wealth management firms. The investment pattern of these individuals determines the flow of investment around the world and affects the services offered by the advisors. The type of service demanded by the firms, casts significant influence on the actual investments that would be made throughout the year (Kennedy, 2011). Secondly, the nuances involved in wealth advisor-HNWI relationships have been studied in detail. Emerging opportunities for investment of wealth have been identified and recommendations have been made for improving the relationships between wealth managing firms and all segments of HNWIs. The impact of changes in the national regulations as well as the regulations of the international bodies, such as the Euro zone, during and after the financial crisis, is expected to cast major impacts on the investment climate around the globe. Impact of such changes on individuals and firms has been expl ored to assess the effect it casts on world wealth. Growth of HNWI Market Analysis of HNWI population and investible wealth shows that the HNWI Market has taken a grand leap forward since 2012. Total HNWI population in the world has increased by 9.2% in between 2011 and 2012 and reached the figure of 12 million. Financial market performance also shows impressive improvements, which has been the cause of substantial growth HNWI wealth. Although, there was a fall in aggregate investable wealth in 2011, it again increased by 10.0% and reached a record level of US $46.2 trillion. Market observers have forecasted that the HNWI wealth is expected to grow at the rate of 6.5% annually in the coming two years consecutively. It would touch the US $55.8 trillion orbit by 2015 (Capgemini, 2013). This growth would mainly be driven by expansion of HNWI wealth in the countries in Asia-Pacific region (Durgy, 2013). It is evident from the data that the developing countries are showing greater growth rates than the developed countries. Although, developing economies have been hit hard by the breakdown of the global financial system, these countries offer greater opportunities for growth. Population growth rates in these countries are high and economic activities are increasing at an increasing rate. Therefore, the process of capital accumulation occurs more spontaneously in these economies than the develo

Adult Learning and Presentation Reflection Essay

Adult Learning and Presentation Reflection - Essay Example Adults have a tendency of resisting learning when feel the trainer is imposing ideas or information on them. They have to be aware of the benefits they achieve by learning something and the cost of not learning (Cooper and McIntyre, 1996; Hinchliff, 2009). In this case, the presentation was based on the valid needs of the audience. The audience was composed of nursing students who would gain from learning about the BiPAP and Non-Invasive Ventilation. The learning activities were based around real work experiences and the lesson plan contained details of the learning objectives, content, resources, and outcomes. An adult is someone who has a self-concept of his or her own life and is responsible for making life decisions and coping with the consequences (O'neil and Marsick, 2007). Adults develop the need to be seen as being capable of taking responsibility (Rogers, 2002; Hinchcliff, 2004). The trainer should design a self-directed learning situation where the learner is in charge of most of the learning activities. The learning process should incorporate several options for learning such as reading texts and internet resources (Quinn, 2000; Quinn and Hughes, 2007). The presentation had a video that would provide more information on the ventilation mechanisms. Adult learners also apply their experience into the current learning activity.

Database Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Database Management - Assignment Example The wild wood company offers fair rates to employees who live and maintain the apartments. It is the tradition of the wild wood apartments to ensure that they meet to discuss on how to improve the standards of their apartments and plan to expand their business in real estate. Tenants fill questionnaires every end month to air out complaints or suggest on new ways to maintain the apartments. The introduction of a database will be to meet the daily needs of the employees and the tenants who live within the Wild Wood apartments. It will also help in keeping of records of the apartments such as expenditure and the rents paid by the tenants. The database may also have records on the margin of profits and losses of the apartments. 4. Building the physical database: The data model will be translated to the Relational Database Management system. Tables, Columns with specific data types and Relational and other constraints created. Time allotted 2 days. 5. Testing and security: Sample data will be entered and each of the business rules and requirements will be tested. General database security and security related to business rules will also be tested. Time allotted 3 weeks. 6. Database completion and installation: Final changes and corrections are made. Sample data will be removed and the database installed on a server. Final testing for server access and connections. Time allotted 2

The Masterpiece in Public Enemys Hip Hop Track Essay

The Masterpiece in Public Enemys Hip Hop Track - Essay Example The essay "The Masterpiece in Public Enemy’s Hip Hop Track" discusses the Public Enemy’s Hip Hop Track â€Å"Fight the Power†, one of the greatest musical works in history. The track features a hard, intense sound – one that is clearly different from the other hip-hop songs produced earlier. Produced in June 1989 as a single, at the request of Spike Lee, the track was to be used as the theme song to the movie ‘Do The Right Thing’. The movie focused on the racial tension that was then being experienced in Brooklyn, New York and in the rest of the United States of America. Contrary to what the title of the song literally suggests, â€Å"Fight the Power† was not about fighting the authorities that reigned at the time but rather it had all to do with fighting the abuse of powers by them. The abuse of power by white authorities led to oppression and violation of human rights. This song came at a very significant point in the history of the black people in America. Because after the Civil War of the 1960s that were believed to have ended racism, the song revealed the situation on the ground. It was believed that racism did not exist in the 1980s - a notion that is very far from the truth as racism had only taken another form. During the 80s, racism hurt mor e because most of the black people knew their rights and still experienced its harsh effects. According to the song, being black made one an enemy of the public. If a crime was committed in the U.S. during the 80s, the first suspects were the African Americans. Accusations against people were simply based on their race. The blacks were effectively considered to be guilty until proven innocent in spite of the fact that the law stated that one is innocent until proven guilty. The song urged people to talk against racism and make use of their right to freedom of speech (Lyrics Depot par. 1). The song noted that it was time to do the right thing; talk against all forms of racism. The right to freedom of speech for the black community had long been a foreign concept. The song urged the blacks to fight for their constitutional right to be respected unto death. The lyrics of the song state that â€Å"Our freedom of speech is freedom or death† (Lyrics Depot par. 1). The song also vie wed everybody as equal regardless of race, age and neighbourhood. The song â€Å"Fight the Power† addresses the issue of Blacks’ history. For a long time, it had been assumed in the U.S. that Blacks did not have a history, this in spite of the fact that they had been in existence for a long time. The heroes that were being recognized in one way or another and their pictures featuring on the stamps are the very ones that the Blacks could not relate with. In the song, one example of such heroes is Elvis who was considered to be the king of rock and roll (Lyrics