The Need For Data, Collaboration, Trust And Successful...

The Challenge The need for data, collaboration, trust and successful peer training are the most important aspects of developing the program I am going to design. As a first year Department Head of the Fine Arts Department within a large public school, I have been assigned the task of leading this department from a regular grading system to a Standards-Based Grading system. This type of change is what Schlecty (2007) describes as a systematic change. According to Zepeda (2012), this type of change â€Å"is the least understood and the most difficult to achieve (pg. 26). This is especially true for educators such as those on my team, whose teaching techniques have been the same for many years. The implementation of standards-based grading uproots almost every aspect of classroom teaching. Grade-scales are different, assessments are greatly different and the idea of remediation is paramount to SBG. While this conversion may not seem like a difficult task for a teacher, there are several factors that make it extremely challenging for myself to convince others to support. For one, all other 7 faculty members in the department have been teaching at the school for a few years longer than myself. This is why trust is one of my main key elements on which to focus. Having taught in another part of the state for many years, I must find a way to prove to them that I am on their team and will do everything in my power to keep their interests and concern on the top of the list.Show MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Security1580 Words   |  7 Pageseffectively use and manage large volumes of data, rather than suffer from data overload. Such an approach will also make it easier to integrate intelligence-led cybersecurity with new and emerging technologies such as cloud, mobile and social media  while protecting confidential data (Daley, 2016). Increase Stakeholder Collaboration The role of the individual in cybersecurity has become more important. This is especially true considering the volume of data generated on a daily basis on tablets, smartphonesRead MoreNapavine s Key Strategic Objectives Essay1444 Words   |  6 Pagesas a guide to student learning and professional growth, increase the number of staff who successfully obtain the National Board Certified Teacher status, and that all staff will engage with parent, family, and community partners to strengthen collaboration and communication. 1. Key milestones in Napavine’s timeline for accomplishing strategic objectives are: i. In regards to the Marzano Instructional Frameworks as a guide, building administrators and teachers will meet monthly to guide professionalRead MoreHorizon Report: Higher Education Editions Essay1613 Words   |  7 Pagescollaborative learning. With online learning students are offered different opportunities compared with physical campuses. This method of learning opens up the opportunities for increased collaboration while giving students an avenue to develop stronger digital skills. Online learning has increased the potential for collaboration because it integrates various means by which students can access outside of the classroom to meet and exchange ideas about a subject or project. This trend also identifies the qualityRead MoreCollaboration and Team Dynamics: Analysis of Learning Essay example1611 Words   |  7 Pages Collaboration and Team Dynamics: Analysis of Learning Teams Team C February 22, 2014 COM/600 - information SKILLS FOR GRADUATE STUDY Learning teams consist of a small number of students grouped together, and working together on assignments during the duration of the course. According to University of Phoenix, Inc. (2006-2013), â€Å"By relying on others and having others rely on you, you will grow your collaborative skills†. This team encourages successful performanceRead MoreInformation And Communications Technologies : Ict1354 Words   |  6 Pagessoftware that operates them, applications that run on them and systems that are built with them.   Dimensions of ICT: - There are many important dimensions to ICT education, including: Analyze and apply appropriate academic standards required for successful industry sector pathway completion leading to postsecondary education and employment. Refer to the Information and Communication Technologies academic alignment matrix for identification of 2.0 Communications Acquire and accurately use InformationRead MoreI Have An Insatiable Appetite For Learning1578 Words   |  7 Pagesbe a successful global citizen. Even implicit scaffolding can provide students a model for success. From my experience as a block student teacher last semester, I also was shown that learning is a give and take relationship. That is to say students are experts in their own rite and have as much to teach as they do to learn. To my high school classroom, each student brought valuable knowledge and curiosity that they had created based on their unique epistemologies that led me – and their peers – toRead MoreThe No Child Left Behind Act7956 Words   |  32 Pagesnational and/or state standards that often mandated significant gains in student academic achievement, particularly for low-performing student populations, and that is measured by student performance on high-stakes tests. The test results created the data analyzed to design instructional services in order to â€Å"promote high-quality instruction and improve student achievement† (Kerr, Marsh, Ikemoto, Darilek, Barney 2006, p.497). NCLB’s accountability standards challenged public schools to arti culateRead MoreChild Adolescent Population And Developmentally Impaired Persons Essay1747 Words   |  7 PagesRS within the developmental disabled. According to Gaskin, Mcvilly McGillivray (2013) there is insufficient evidence that explores these practices among this population. There is also not enough evidence for aggression management measures and training in de-escalation procedures. The review assesses studies that introduce interventions and the effects of RS initiatives due to challenging behaviors displayed by theses persons, which makes education difficult to execute. In doing so effectiveRead MoreGood And Bad With Respect2979 Words   |  12 Pagesproduce a strong drive and commitment that can be invaluable to an organization. A resilient concrete team however takes time and requires a great deal of commitment to successfully develop. The saying, you put into it what you get out holds true in a training development program. If a company does not spend the time on cul tivating a team, it may end up with a group of people that are not only negative but also wasteful in their company resources. The whole point of team development is to nurture andRead MoreAnthony Bugg Levine : A Global Leader World Economic Forum1741 Words   |  7 Pagesoutreach to name the few. He is also a member of ESG investing, Stanford social innovation review, SROI Canada, the Syneidesis group, SROI Network, Maxipact, Social Capital Markets, Impact investing forum, Youth and Elders project, Mission Markets, Trust Across America and Responsible investors. The main focus of this book is about impact investing through private equity and venture capital investments. But it is about more of social enterprise and venture capital. It also cover the two government

Smoke Free Society Essay - 743 Words

Smoke Free Society Imagine yourself having dinner with your significant other in a fancy Italian restaurant. A huge lamp is hanging on the sky-high-ceiling, brightening the 200-people-capacity-room. The sound of a soft and gentle music creates a romantic atmosphere. It is the most wonderful evening that you ever had in your life; until a skinny, bald-headed-man who is sitting behind you lights a fire and starts smoking. You cant breathe comfortably anymore because of the smell, and the smoke makes your eyes smart. The perfect evening you are having is turning into a living hell. The above example describes how a non-smoker could suffer from smoking. There are many other disadvantages that a†¦show more content†¦The nicotine in the toxins causes the fetus to grow inconsistently, and often brings death to it. If it is lucky enough, the child will survive, but he or she will be born with a handicap. Another disease that these toxins can cause is asthma. It might not be as deadly as the ones ab ove, but it is bad enough to disable somebody to do something which he or she is capable of doing. For example, a child who is capable to become a good swimmer might not be able to swim because his lungs have been intoxicated by nicotine that he or she gets from passive-smoking. These intoxicated lungs create asthma, and disable the child to breathe properly. If the child cant even breathe properly, how do you expect him or her to become a good swimmer? In America, the habit of smoking has spread throughout the society. Whose rights are really being violated? When smokers light up among us nonsmokers (including infants and children), we have no choice but to breathe in their toxic residue. Simply having smoking sections in restaurants does not solve the problem. This is the same as requesting to swim in the non-chlorinated end of the swimming pool. Besides killing, we also find smoking to be irritating for a number of reasons. For instance, the smell of smoke is awful, it clings to your clothing, and itShow MoreRelatedSmoking Bans On New Jersey924 Words   |  4 Pagesbars, parks, and clubs. Nonsmokers can consume second hand smoke which is dangerous. The risk of smoking in a building can result in a fire and lead to traumatic events. The smell of smoke can deter people from coming in. Smoking bans are very important to preserve intact, so we don’t have these risks to society and businesses. For a long time people have had different views about smoking in public places. Smokers feel it is their right to smoke where and when they want, and nonsmokers feel like theirRead MoreEssay on Smoking; Who Does it Really Affect?1128 Words   |  5 PagesSecondhand smoke is extremely hazardous. It can cause death and dangerous health defects. Therefore, smoking is not only bad for the smoker, but for people around him or her to o. However, there are only few laws that restrict public smoking. More legislation on smoking restrictions is needed because secondhand smoke causes asthma attacks in children, heart disease in adults, and sudden infant death syndrome in babies. These health problems are a result of the harmful chemicals in cigarettes. AccordingRead MoreEffects Of Smoking On Public Places996 Words   |  4 PagesShe walked by me and a trail of smoke followed her like a burning building. While many in society were irritated about the NO SMOKING policies in public places, it was and is morally justified. Smoking is not only a health hazard to the individual puffing on the cigarette, but also every person around that area health is at risk. Society has been thoroughly informed of the hazards from smoking cigarettes; yet people still choose smoking as a form of stress relief or enjoyment. The exposer to theRead MoreTobacco Free Campus For A Better Future948 Words   |  4 PagesTobacco-free campus for a better future Tobacco ad smoke are not a strange issue in school but Tobacco-free in campus is new and creates a lot of controversial opinion among student and society. Sam Nadler, an engineering student at CSUS said that â€Å"banning Tobacco at college is ineffective. The United States is a place where value the freedom of individual, the different was respect, so that choosing uses tobacco is personal right and should not be forbidden†. Everyone have their own perception andRead MoreSmoking in Public: Banned or Allowed885 Words   |  4 PagesThe question is why the freedom to smoke in a designated area in public places a problem. If you are outside are in close area people are still exposed to the fumes of second hand smoke. Can the option of smoking be left up to the public rather or not an individual should smoke in public. Where does the line end in the rights of a person the right to inhale clean air, the right to excise your right to smoke in public? Non-Smokers have the right to smoke free clean air environment, and smokersRead MoreThe Dangers Of Smoking Tobacco1121 Words   |  5 PagesSecondhand Smoke (SHS) is a dangerous byproduct of smoking that affects anyone who comes into contact with the smoke. Educating the community about the dangers and unintended consequences of being around cigarettes is a focus of this paper, as well as looking into the effectiveness of current smoke-free policies. There are businesses and cities that are becoming smoke-free, and they are putting policies into place that legally protect the non-smokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke via involuntaryRead More Speech on Smoking Essay665 Words   |  3 Pagesimpact on our health 2. The Economic factor 3. The unenforceability of the act 4. How this proposition will affect society Turning to the first issue: its impact on our health. The strongest argument in favour of banning smoking in public places is that it is harmful to people who work in that environment and those who dont smoke however the reality is that we still have no conclusive evidence to suggest that passive smoking is as harmful as to healthRead MoreThe Dangers Of Tobacco And Smoking1584 Words   |  7 PagesEveryday occurrences in our life become normal we don’t take a second glance. We are surrounded by smoking day to day everywhere we go even if we don’t smoke it affects us. It has been in our society for generations. Families have grown up with family members that smoke or even smoking themselves. Smoking is a large part of our society spending billions while boosting the economy with sales and ads; in the midst of so much negativity surrounding smoking which is it good or bad? We hear the negativesRead MoreSmoking Cessation in New Zealand1626 Words   |  6 Pagesbe to those individuals who need to stop smoking such as teenagers and pregnant ladies who have a higher risk from health related issues, moreover passive smokers will additionally get benefit from these methods and can enable themselves to keep smoke free. BENEFITS: The main benefit is to the public, such as pregnant women and teenagers, and future generations. It will help people to improve their financial situation if they quit smoking. Additionally, it will helpful to pregnant mothers who areRead MoreSecondhand Smoking Should Be Illegal1276 Words   |  6 Pagessome still smoke in ages, however the only problem in our society, people who smoke around youngsters called as well as secondhand smoking is a detective around children and adults. It is important that secondhand smoke shouldn’t be smoking around their own children or underage due to health. Secondhand smoking, tobacco smoke is exhaled by a second smoker or is given off by burning tobacco and also is inhaled by someone nearby which it’s called passive Smoke. It occurs when tobacco smoke spread throughout

E Fraud free essay sample

An e- fraud is considered to be an electronic crime that affects not only individuals businesses and governments but also allows for very negatively intelligent people and hackers to use their intelligence to log into other’s accounts use their credit card numbers and banking password and transact huge amounts of trade and money . it has been seen that e fraud is on the increase and this is because of the low levels of awareness, the inappropriate counter measures that are ineffective to handle this kind of fraud has led to e frauds being on the increase . The only area that has been actively involved in reducing the impact of fraud is the technical side leaving the other so many variables out of the purview of the e fraud scenario. This has made e fraud even more easier because there have been no mechanisms to reduce these occurrences and even if there are there has been limited penalties issued to the frauds that happen on the cyber space. Introduction: The complexity of modern enterprises, their reliance on technology, and the heightened Interconnectivity among organizations that is both a result and a driver of e-business these are rapidly evolving developments that create widespread opportunities for theft, fraud, and other forms of exploitation by offenders both outside and inside an organization â€Å" (KPMG 2000) The paper tries to assimilate and analyze the strategies that can be adopted by everyone who deals on the cyber space to protect their information and finances securely. This paper also tries to analyze why such frauds occurs and what can be done by stakeholders to minimize the occurrences and is it worthwhile an attempt to bring in a global governance ordinance which could help businesses and agencies nab the criminals . It is recorded that global e commerce sales are steadily growing and with this the e commerce fraud too. The eco system which has promoted the concept of ecommerce streams from the millions of shoppers and customers who use their debit and credit cards . Though online shopping is projected to be a very safe way of shopping and bank transactions through secured payment modes, frauds have been continually on the increase . It has been objectively researched that e commerce transactions have to be highly secured . Every transaction has to be screened for the following inputs . 1. Risk based authentication should be enabled for every transaction and to prove the integrity of the user. 2. Card holders‘s data has to be tokenized so that consumers identity can be authorized and protected. . Reputed brands should shut down phishing and Trojan attacks that make easy e commerce frauds. Some practical applications for reducing e commerce brands: Fraud detection and prevention by addressing the critical needs of the entire credit card eco system. Evaluating transactions for the risk and balancing risk activities in cards . High transaction abandonment rates that results from poor user experience . Reducing the compliance costs so that we e commerce frauds commitment costs become high . The following diagrammatic representation shows how the personal data ecosystem is subject to hacking by very professional hackers. (source:Google. com) Credit card fraud The credit card industry reports huge frauds conducted over the internet in the US alone, in the year 2010, $8. 6 billion card frauds occurred (Aite Group study). With worldwide electronic information sourcing and data storage and the thousands on online purchasing that is going on, the frequency of card usage has increased and this has resulted in financial institutions and cardholders becoming victims of e fraud . Countries worldwide have set up agencies to monitor e fraud and have their own agencies to take care of such crimes especially those related to the cyber space and those which happen on cyberspace and in ecommerce space . E commerce sales is expected to total almost $1 trillion by 2013. Ecommerce fraud is also growing along with this. Fraudulent transactions rose from 2. 7 billion in 2010 to $3. 4 billion in 2011 and are expected to grow exponentially. The use of internet has made these frauds possible. There are many reasons why these frauds occur. . The increasing complex software that is now being used to relay ecommerce has made the systems vulnerable to attacks . 2. There are thousands of malicious codes and other tools that help hackers and attackers . 3. The increasing use of high speed internet at homes with very little security makes attack much easy . 4. The rate at which technology is changing and the ease of adaptation to the new technology and the users rather slow pace in adopting to good computer security practices is another compelling reason for fraud . . the hidden costs that are involved in an ecommerce portal goes unnoticed because the security systems that have to take care of this and when systems are set up, there is always the likelihood that ambitious technology experts give least preference to securing the information site and privacy conditions People and business which conduct business online do not inform people of the expected frauds that could occur due to ecommerce transactions, because of this frauds happen . The lack of proper governance and regulation regarding type of penalties and punishments that would be given to fraud committers is rather slack . There are no world wide global laws to tackle such frauds and hence frauds that are committed online find no jurisdictional limits and so governments do not know how to pin point the responsibility . This loop hole has been used by fraudsters . The online world is full of pseudonyms and pseudo identities . Hence tracking such frauds also becomes very difficult. There are no experts who could be given the responsibility of tracking and strategizing how such frauds occur . Though technology now is slowly trying to understand the macro environment of the fraud related scenarios, the risk and costs associated with bringing in security is very high and hence the adaptability of such scenarios cannot be done by all firms who have e commerce portals . Stakeholders involvement in the vulnerability that exists across the value chain is seen as the most critical issue in a fraud . Crime congress global: This is an imitative taken by the agency to help stakeholders and victims of e commerce fraud to find effective solutions. This proves information security in all countries of the world to meet the challenges arising from e commerce. This agency prominently uses technology and provides technology solutions in partnership with the business community to prevent frauds through information security technology and information risk management, forensics, investigations, audit, risk, compliance and fraud. This agency has been conducting global awareness programs for reaching out to institutes, businesses and government to partner in helping reduce ccurrences of e fraud to strategic and technological challenges. This is a strategic initiative involving al stakeholders to proactively reduce the risks of ecommerce frauds and to defend IT systems from those threats which are emerging and to comply with relevant legal and regulatory laws . this initiative is a step towards combating the threat of the increasing cases of fraud. This partnership brings out very important initiatives to protect not only customers but a lso business houses from succumbing to the increasing menace of hackers. Technology solutions and other security solutions are placed in a consultative approach towards tackling this . If an international business committed copyright infringements then legal action under Criminal Jurisprudence legal action can be resorted to under Article 61 Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) where the loser has got legal recourse to his stolen property by means of criminal sanctions and which will thereby allow for legal and criminal punishment of the infringement and the infringer . t has been felt that all types of infringement should be punished with criminal sanctions. People can appeal under this act for legal action or they can hotlist an organization under cyber space if there are cases of patent stealing and web site hacking. The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 also known as the CDPA can be used in cases where infringement has taken place. If an international business committed copyright infringements or steals a pa tent then as a victims we can take recourse under the above mentioned acts which give protection to IRP which are stolen and pirated and copied.. Early referral is said to be the best away to ensure that the evidence is properly secured and that all the investigative revenues are fully explored with the possible undercover law enforcement activities. Perhaps, communication with the law enforcement activities allows the victim to coordinate civil proceedings with the possible criminal enforcement. Though legally recourse is available it is easy to settle out of court because protection of copyright is a prelude to production of the material or product. People who invent need to protect their patents. Once the patent is protected then it cannot be copied or pirated as punishments are very severe in such cases. With so many innovations taking place in the US especially with cyber technology there has been very serious issue of pirating software and the Beijing convention has called for all member countries to come out with anti pirating laws which could effectively punish those who are caught. USA will have to worry about the number of infringements that are taking place. It has admitted legal course in serious cases but USA is neither able to gun down the culprit nor is it able to find means of putting an end to it because of the geographical distance which makes it impossible to monitor the use of technology. USA is very careful in dealing with countries where incidences of Infringement are very high and tries to bring in severe legal clauses to protect their interests. Computer forensics investigator and other laws A computer forensics investigator works with a pre determined notion of computer crimes. But that is not a sufficient coverage that should be catered. A computer forensics investigator looks upon other law system too such as data protection, data integrity, data control, audit of data components, investigation around the computer and etc. A forensics investigator moves with an initial priority of computer crime. But he should be well governed with other laws. This helps him to establish himself more concretely on the crime scene. He is prepared with the notion of covering up the areas totally in order to fully satisfy himself on the grounds that nothing is left behind. He checks into the data system, recovers the data, checks the integrity of the data, protects the data, looks for evidences around the computer, checks the network system of the accused person, goes more deeply with the computing system to enable him searching beyond the computers to narrow down his investigation procedure. Some other laws such as, human rights, digital rights, information system laws, computer laws are of special interest to him. This gives him the power to deal with any case that involves ethical computer crime. He is much more developed investigator if he is well adverse with the above law system. E Discovery E Discovery or Electronic Discovery refers to discovery in civil litigation. This discovery process deals with the exchange of information in the electronic format. Electronic Discovery is pretty useful for the forensics analysis. We know that Forensics analysis deals with the investigation of crime scene involving computer and cyber crimes and evidence is the prime source of investigation that leads to a successful procedure. Hence the investigator is pretty much confident about the E Discovery System. The investigator with the help of E Discovery processes such as Electronic messages, voicemail; smart phones etc recover every bit of information that is required in the gathering of evidence required for the forensics investigation. The whole process of collection data through E discovery and jotting it down to the report makes it much easier for the investigator. The E discovery has led to new developments and changes in the investigation system of the cyber crimes. With latest e discovery modes as mentioned above, an investigator is much more confident about its movement into the IT system of the accused criminal, and supporting the cause with rather strong and reliable evidences gathered. E discovery is a radical change in the process of investigation and has led to much more focused and integrated system of computer investigation. Conclusion The whole conclusion is based on the cyber crimes and the enacting system of law prevailing. The cyber crimes have increased in geometric progression over the years which have led to many disasters and crimes. With the increased number of crimes taking place day in day out, the laws have been made much stricter in order to ensure that the numbers of crime taking place gets minimized and there is a fear of messing up the computer system. The laws have addressed the message of intent of distorting computer systems which will constitute a crime. Many forensics investigators have been seen in the picture off late which governs the system of computer crime. These investigators are well adverse with the system laws and crime scenes. They effectively handle the situation and get to the desired results enabling quick and accurate reply to crime involved. Thus the laws have been successful over the years in minimizing computer threats and crimes. Ecommerce has revolutionized trade in many ways and consumers have also been cheated in ways that were unknown in traditional sales. In order to protect the consumers, traders on the internet and operators in the cyber space have got together to form associations and laws that would protect the consumers in the text of ecommerce. Though every country has passed consumer protection acts which are rules and regulations to protect the consumers from fraudulent trade practices in the market. There laws were enacted to protect the consumers and give them rights to ensure that they obtain truthful information and right products as so designed by the seller. The laws have been designed to protect consumers from businesses indulging in unlawful and unfair practices . The governments of all countries have passed regulations to protect the rights of consumers especially in those products where health and safety are chief ingredients. Consumer protection is also in the form of consumer rights which consumers can exercise through redressal grievance and consumer courts. This is the history behind the concept of consumer protection. In direct contrast to the traditional business where the buyer and seller are in direct contact with each other and the buyer can inspect the goods before buying, in ecommerce the communication is only through an electronic form and business is conducted in a paperless environment. More importantly the internet or e transactions play a very important role in helping buyers and in assisting in choice comparisons and locating a product on the internet. (http://www. apec. rg/apec/apec_groups/som_special_task_groups/electroniccommerce. html. Accessed on 13/2/04) Consumer concerns in e commerce starts form the point of instance as the buyer is not known to the seller and vice versa and hence the privacy and confidentiality aspect of a trade which has to be concluded needs authenticity. Consumers are worried about 1. The unfair marketing practices that sellers resort to on the web. 2. The terms of sale, refunds, cancellation of orders, warranty conditions 3. Enforceability of the contract, performance and non performance. . Delivery time, late deliveries and no delivery verification. 5. The most illegal use of information available on credit cards payment made for online purchases. 6. Fraud and cheating because transactions are not authenticated by any physical source. 7. unsafe products not confirming to safety standards. 8. Misuse of personal information for other purposes. Since majority of e commerce transactions lead to the buyer being put to a disadvantage the Issues relating to consumer disputed have to be minimized and arbitrated. t is all the more difficult because the sellers are beyond national jurisdiction as it happens on cyberspace and SO the risks that arise out of such trade has to be taken care of and the consumers have to be suitably protected. a landmark development n the form of the E -Commerce group otherwise known as The Electronic Commerce and Consumer Protection Group is constitute d by leading companies on the net like America Online, ATamp;T, Dell, IBM, Microsoft, Network Solutions and Time Warner. These companies predominately deal in online sales of their products and so recognize the growing need of consumer protection and have addressed issues regarding consumer protection as best practices of industry and have created an environment which would allow consumers to resolve disputes arising on cyber space. The American Bar Association Task Force on E-commerce and Alternative Dispute Resolution is one of the best reference guide to consumer protection on the cyber space. This organization was asked to suggest workable guidelines that parties dealing in online transactions can use for ODR’s (online dispute redressal) . the complexity further arose from the fact that there was multijurisdictional disputes arising from B2B and B2c businesses. (THIS IS THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND IS REFREED TO IN EXACT TEXT) To quote the words of the task force of the Ecommerce group â€Å"that there are many ways to help prevent as well as to help resolve disputes or complaints that arise from e-commerce transactions, the Task Force makes the following recommendations and observations: 1. E-commerce businesses should place an enhanced emphasis on all stages of dispute prevention, complaints handling, and effective methods of redress through ADR and ODR. 2. Internet merchants, governmental and nonprofit entities should place a greater emphasis on consumer education and the prevention of e-commerce disputes. 3. Protecting consumers requires adequate standards and codes of conduct for ecommerce businesses. 4. Internet merchants should be encouraged to participate in and subscribe to relevant e-commerce codes of conduct and trust mark programs. 5. Internet merchants should develop or continue to improve on their in-house complaints handling mechanisms, and educate consumers as to how to use these in-house procedures effectively. 6. For consumers, recourse to in-house complaints mechanisms is normally the first and best means to obtain redress from reputable merchants. Accordingly, consumers should be encouraged to utilize the in-house complaints handling mechanisms offered by reputable Internet merchants before resorting to third party dispute resolution mechanisms. 7. at present, the lack of ODR does not appear to be a material impediment to the growth of B2C e-commerce. . At present, ODR is subsidiary to other higher priority consumer protection activities, including consumer education and use of measures that help prevent or decrease the incidence of fraud in Internet transactions. 9. Recognizing that enforcement of outcomes and decisions reached through ODR may be difficult, consumers should be encouraged to consider using other dispute prevention mechanisms such as escrow services and credit card charge back mechanisms when transacting online. 10. Rather than create a code of conduct for ODR Service Providers, the Task Force has drafted Recommended Best Practices by ODR Service Providers. 1. The Task Force recommends the creation of a new informational entity (referred to as the ADRCenter) that would provide information about ODR in an effort to educate and familiarize consumers, businesses, lawyers and other professionals with this new type of service. 12. For the advancement of ODR as an effective and efficient means of cross-border dispute resolution for both B2B and B2C transactions, there needs to be an appropriate emphasis on the development of interoperable communication and data-sharing platforms. 3. The Task Force believes that much of the education that will be useful for consumers will also be useful for businesses especially small to medium sized enterprises and those who are new to the Internet marketplace and to cross-border transactions. ( Task force quoted verbatim) among all of ecommerce frauds the greatest of consumer complaints arose from identity thefts. The Federal trade commission has released statistics stating that out of 2004,000 complaints received from consumers 42% elated to fraud and identity of the seller, followed by internet auctions which constituted 10%,followed by other non performances like non delivery of goods, inferior quality goods, trial offers from the net, shop at home offers and so on. This only reiterates that consumers have to be protected and laws of cyber space have to be strictly regulated to afford consumer protection. Consumer protection measures were seen very importantly in the light of an interactive poll which shows the increased awareness of consumers against online frauds . They were dissuaded by online shopping and cited some of the reasons why they had not shopped recently. 57% said that they were worried about their credit card number being stolen,57% were worried about confidentiality measures being violated,38% doubted the integrity on the seleers,26% wanted some personal attention to be given while they shopped,37% doubted the reliability of the sellers,47% said that wanted to physically inspect the product and 25% cited many unknown reasons. source: Harris interactive)It was increasingly felt that consumer education will be able to help protect consumers better. It also shows increased concerns about consumers not knowing how to transact online. It is suggested that traders using the electronic media need to given all information that is required for consumers to feel safe about shopping online . Quoting Internet merchants association ,† Merchants need to have greater and enhanced disclosure on their websites as well as heightened compliance with relevant consumer protection law. † Another pertinent consumer protection data and study conducted by a New Zealand organization on 700 web sites explicitly brought out the consumers heightened awareness of ecommerce frauds and consumers came out with their reasons of the need for protecting their rights against fraudulent organizations. They said that 50% of the vendors had not installed security measures on the payment options, 62% did not speak of refund policies, 78% said that the vendors did not advice customers of how to lodge complaints,90% said that they did not know about laws pertaining to consumer redresses and 25% said that the vendors did not show physical address. Despite all this majority of consumers preferred to shop online so laws pertaining to consumer protection need to be implemented in its fullest sense. Consumers International released its [emailprotected] net study in which it concluded: that though almost all the traders online collected data regarding the personal information of the buyers very few of them institutionalized a privacy policy regarding the use of the information that the buyer gave. Though these were correct measures to provide security, majority of these proved meaningless to the buyers. it was very common in the US and Europe to find traders giving scant respect to global standards on data privacy. Even the basic principles of informing the customers of how the data will be used, how the firm will access the data , how the consumer can use the data and how the security of the data is sought and maintained is not disclosed. A comparative study of the sites of USA and UK are no different with regard to privacy policy as both played on the information made available to them. The US online trading sites set decent privacy policies which looked good enough to follow. In The European trading sites the consumers had the law backing them up and the presence of an ombudsman and a government representative in the form of a data protection officer took care of the consumer rights and protection if breached. He also intervened to speak on behalf of the consumers if the law was tampered with . in fact it is sad to know that both the countries have left little choice to consumers in terms of data protection.. † This was a comparative study of the European merchants and the USA merchants. But both of them accepted the fact that consumer protection was a must if their sales and revenues had to increase. As a step towards greater protection measures to consumers the task force on ecommerce and protection said that various disputes redressal mechanisms have to be introduced in the form of dispute prevention like education of consumers, feedback collection from consumers, ombudsman appointments, negotiations, mediation, arbitrators, and assessment of valid consumer grievances.

Mans Attitude Towards Nature As Being Superior Essays -

Man's Attitude Towards Nature as Being Superior As mans attitude towards nature evolved, western culture perceived man as the central and most important part of nature. This egocentric attitude has acted to the extreme detriment of nature. Yes, I believe this to be true and I will prove it by looking at resourcism and speciesism. Resourcism is the exploitation of the worlds resources. Our consumption rate, especially in the western world, is overwhelming. In the beginning, we were a hunter and gatherer society, perceiving man and animals as equals. Everything was shared, there was no claims of ownership, especially land. The two most significant events in our conquest of the planet was the creation of agriculture and the industrial revolution. The development of agriculture gave us control over what we grew and ate. Mass amounts of land were cleared in order to make room for new crop fields. Science is considered to be knowledge, knowledge is power and therefore science is mastery. The continued advancement of science created what is known as the industrial revolution. This is where our over consumption began. We were now able to drill into the earth and extract unrenewable resources and make them into many new products. This attitude of power and control over the resources of the earth has lead us to think of ourselves as the most important part of nature. We took what the earth had to offer, and there was no one to stop us. Speciesism is the exploitation of plants and animals. At first, we feared animals but once we domesticated animals we gained a sense of power and dominance. We now view animals as commodities, curiosities, and even as our selves. As commodities, we sell, buy and hunt animals. Fish are considered to be a commodity, so are domesticated animals as well as some wild animals. As curiosities, we have animals for entertainment. Zoos, circuses, bullfights, marine land, etc. . The problem with this is the animals are kept in cages and often have poor living conditions, they are to some, being held captive. Many people would prefer watching them in their natural habitats doing natural things. Bears do not normally roll on balls in bright coloured skirts just so people can laugh. This is degrading to the animals but once again it reminds us that we are the top species, the one who controls all the others. We even view animals as our selves, this is true when it comes to children's enjoyment. Stuffed animals, cartoons and especially Walt Disney depict animals as humans. In cartoons we see animals talking like us, walking like us, doing all the things we normally do. Children are exposed to this egocentric attitude at a very early age, almost every child will want to visit disney world. With plants, it is in our gardening that we exemplify control. We all know of those large gardens with mazes that are geometrically correct, notice how every hedge is trimmed perfectly. In the hunter and gather society, their hierarchy had animals and humans as equals, but today we have god at the top, humans in the middle and nature at the bottom. Some believe that animals were created for our benefit this belief which I hold myself comes from Genesis, the first book in the bible. Chapter 1, verse 26 says "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth". In conclusion, we now view our selves as the central and most important part of nature. It is this new attitude that has acted to the excessive degradation of nature. Things are still in the process of changing, with the environment high on our list of priorities, we are beginning to view nature in a different light, as something to be protected and preserved for future generations.

Advantages of Peer Editing Essay Example

Advantages of Peer Editing Essay Example Advantages of Peer Editing Paper Advantages of Peer Editing Paper Peer editing is very essential for student to be a good writer since It provides 3 benefits. Firstly, it helps the writer to edit the language. The language edit ensures clear and correct language, Including grammar and word usage. Moreover, It helps to avoid creating mistake and to make sure whether the reader can understand our writings or not. Secondly, It also Improves the content In our writing. We can focus on the structural integrity and usefulness of topics as well as the relationship between topics. Last but not least, It provides the opportunity to check In with each others work. It can anchor the good practice to learn to listen to other correctly our works since we are not able to find our own mistakes. Furthermore, we also can gain more idea about how to make our writing perfect after letting and consulting our works with the other. In conclusion, it is very important for every writer to do the peer editing because it can help not only to correct our language. But also to make our writing become more interesting.

Xiaotingia - Facts and Figures

Xiaotingia - Facts and Figures Name: Xiaotingia; pronounced zhow-TIN-gee-ah Habitat: Woodlands of Asia Historical Period: Late Jurassic (155 million years ago) Size and Weight: About two feet long and five pounds Diet: Insects Distinguishing Characteristics: Small size; long tail; primitive feathers About Xiaotingia In order to understand the importance of Xiaotingia, you need a short lesson about a much more famous animal, Archaeopteryx. When the exquisitely preserved fossils of Archaeopteryx were discovered in Germanys Solnhofen fossil beds in the mid-19th century, naturalists identified this flying, feathered creature as the first true bird, the key missing link in avian evolution. Thats the image that has persisted ever since in the popular imagination, even though better-informed paleontologists now know that Archaeopteryx possessed a weird mix of bird-like and dinosaur-like characteristics, and probably should have been classified as a feathered dinosaur (rather than a primitive bird) all along. So what does all of this have to do with Xiaotingia? Well, this very Archaeopteryx-like critter, discovered in Chinas Liaoning fossil beds, predated its more prominent cousin by five million years, living about 155 rather than 150 million years ago. More important, the research team that examined Xiaotingia identified it right off the bat as a small maniraptoran theropod that shared important features in common with raptor dinosaurs like Microraptor and Velociraptor, rather than a prehistoric birdthe implication being that if Xiaotingia wasnt a true bird, then neither was Archaeopteryx, which was only recently descended from it. This has caused a large amount of consternation in the Archaeopteryx was a bird camp, but hasnt impressed those more dubious paleontologists who doubted Archaeopteryxs credentials in the first place!

Changing Women Body Standards According to Culture Research Paper

Changing Women Body Standards According to Culture - Research Paper Example The 1910s saw the ideal woman’s body depicted from the creation of Charles Gibson with the body type being referred to as â€Å"Gibson girl.† The ideal body, in this case, was tall and slender with a thin waist (London, 2015). The girl had to have a large bust and wide hips. They had to fit perfectly in a super cinched corset, which brought the big bust and narrow waist effect upon the women at this era. â€Å"Her physique was tall and slender but with a buxom bosom and large hips; essentially an 'S' shaped body achieved by wearing a super-cinched corset† (London, 2015). The women at this point were in physically good shape as they were physically active. The 1920s saw the ideal woman’s body referred to as â€Å"flapper.† With the rejection of the Victorian style, the women had minimal breasts (those with large breasts wore tight bras to flatten them some more), appeared more boyish and revealed uncovered arms (Eco, 2010). Their behavior of rebellio n saw them become scandalous, irresponsible and even undisciplined. The 1930s saw the return of the â€Å"curves† and the femininity figure and behavior. The women became more voluptuous with bare shoulders (Bahadur, 2014). The women during this era were much more nourished and this contributed largely to their increase in size. The celebrities were also not slender and they, in turn, embraced the curves giving the regular women reasons to maintain their increasingly curvy figures.

Corrections Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Corrections - Research Paper Example 17 states are in the spotlight where the population of prisoners is higher than the capacity of the prison cells to hold them, which not only causes problems for the prison policies but also shows that the facilities designed for the captives are lacking. It was observed that at the end of 2013, Illinois alone housed 48,653 prisoners while, the prisons are modeled only to hold 32,075 prisoners. This meant that the prison system is operating at 151 percent of its actual capacity. North Dakota accordingly has been housing 150 percent of its prison capacity capacity(Wilson). Prisons in all the states in America are facing the issue of overcrowding and inmates tend to take advantage of it. If prison budgets are not increased, then there will be no facilities for inmates to get back on track which means the cycle of crime is to continue without an out. As the prisoner influx increases, the number of prison guards is seen to be decreasing. In 2005, the government reduced the number of guards which means that the imbalance of ratio not only proves hazardous to life inside the prison but might impact the life outside the prison walls as well (McLaughlin). There are many ways by which the problem of overcrowding can be overcome which includes updating laws and reviewing the prison state conditions. Tackling prison overcrowding is an important issue that needs to be dealt with. If the budget of the prisons is not increased to sustain prisoner influx, then it is deemed that it might promote the states to have an early release option for prisoners. California is one such example where the overcrowding situation led the Supreme Court to order to reduce the population of its prisoners by 30,000 on the base facts that it was against the constitution (McLaughlin). In conclusion, serious efforts need to be made to reduce the inmate population and control the influx while sustaining a population that is not

The Independent Review Essay Example for Free

The Independent Review Essay E. M. Forster (1879-1790) was the author of many well-known novels, and also several volumes of short-stories, essays and criticism. He is best-known for his 1924 novel A Passage to India, which has enjoyed a world-wide audience ever since its publication. Today he is considered as one of the prominent figures of British literature of the first half of the twentieth century. Forster once wrote, â€Å"Life is easy to chronicle, but bewildering to practice. † Edward Morgan Forster himself began his ‘bewildering practice’ on 1 January 1879, in London. When he was eight-years old, he inherited an amount ? 8000 from his great-aunt, Marianne Thornton, of whom he would later write a biography. This inheritance was sufficient to let Forster pursue his education and literary career in relative freedom from financial constraints and worries. Upon his graduation from Tonbridge School, Forster secured admission into Kings College, Cambridge where he studied classics and history, and was partly under the tutelage of Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson, of whom he would later write a biography. At Cambridge, he was exposed to the values of liberal humanism and cultivated a respect for the freedom of individuality of human beings. Under the influence of the philosopher G. E. Moore, Forster developed an aesthetic belief that contemplating beauty of art constituted a nobler purpose in life. He also became a strong believer in the value of friendships, and struck lasting friendships which meant a great deal to him throughout his life. He would later travel to India with a group of university friends. â€Å"If I had to choose between betraying my country and betraying my friend, I hope I should have the guts to betray my country,† he would later say. During these years of higher education, Forster was a member of an intellectual clique at Cambridge called the Apostles, and through them came into contact with the members of the Bloomsbury Group, with which he would associate more closely in the subsequent years (Childs 6). Completing his education at Cambridge, he left England on a long trip to Italy and Austria, which would last for one year. Forster would spend a significant period of his life traveling. It was around this time, in 1901, that he began exercising his writing skills. He then started working at Working Mens College and subsequently taught at the extra-mural department of the Cambridge Local Lectures Board. Forsters literary career began in 1903, when he began writing for The Independent Review, a liberal publication that he co-founded with Lowes Dickinson and used as a platform for advocating anti-imperialism. Soon, Forster became a published author with the appearance of his first novel Where Angels Fear to Tread (1905). Forster used his knowledge of Italy to create a story that juxtaposed and contrasted the passionate world of Italy with the constricting values of suburban England. The result is a social comedy, which rather interestingly ends up as a tragedy dealing with rather unsavory aspects of death and frustrated love. It is the story of a young English widow, Lilia, who falls in love with an Italian, but the members of her family cannot accept this and try to wrest her back. This work was not well received by the public. By 1910, Forster would have written three more novels. The Longest Journey (1907) and A Room with a View (1908) exhibit a growing maturity in literary skills and artistic scope, and Howards End (1910) saw his rise to fame. Forster wrote most of his short stories and four novels before 1910. In the sixty years he lived after that, he would write only two novels, Maurice, in 1914, and A Passage to India, in 1924 (Tambling 2). After publishing his first novel, Forster left for Germany and worked for several months as tutor to the Countess von Arnim, in a place called Nassenheide. This experience would serve him in the characterization of Schlegel sisters in Howards End. Back in England, in 1907, he took on the role of a private tutor for an Indian Muslim, with whom he developed a close relationship that could be seen as homosexual love. Forsters famous work A Passage to India would be dedicated to this person. Forster was a covert homosexual all through his life. The posthumous publishing of his homosexual novel Maurice (1971) offers strong testimony to his sexual orientation, although it is difficult to ascertain how far his homosexual orientation may have influenced his work in general. However, he certainly felt frustrated for not being able to write about homosexual themes openly and it is possible that he stopped writing novels half-way through his life out of such frustration. In 1907, Forster wrote and published a novel about his Cambridge days, The Longest Journey. It tells the story of an undergraduate and a struggling writer, Rickie Elliot, who abandons friendship for the sake marriage, but is enlightened by his pagan half-brother. The Longest Journey was also Forsters favorite novel, despite the poor response it got from the critics and the public. Around this time, Forster was closely associated with the Bloomsbury Group, and was interacting with people such as Lytton Strachey and Rogery Fry. In his third novel, A Room with a View, which is also his second Anglo-Italian novel partly set in Florence and partly in English suburbia, Forster displays his contempt for English snobbery. It is a light and optimistic tale, a story of misunderstandings which however ends on a happy note as Lucy Honeychurch, the protagonist, acknowledges her love for the impulsive George Emerson over her feelings for the intellectual Cecil Vyse. Forster’s novels have already begun to display a common theme of sensitive characters struggling with the inflexibility of social codes that they are encumbered with as well the relative insensitivity of those around them. It can be conjectured that Forster’s frustration at the opposition of the conservative values of his time to his homosexuality may have taken a general form portraying the oppression of social rigidness in his novels. In 1910 came Howards End which is a social novel about sections of the middle classes, focusing on the question of who will inherit â€Å"Howards End,† which is Forsters metonym for England. The story centers on the relationship between the intellectual German Schelgel sisters and the practical, male-dominated, business-oriented Wilcox family. In the novel, Forster attempted to find a way for Wilcox money to become the support for Schlegel culture, and also for the future of rural England to be taken away from the influence of urban, commercial interests and placed once more in the hands of the farmers. The novel presents an ambitious social message, though not wholly practical or convincing. Howards End finally secured Forsters reputation and established him as a novelist. However, he would only publish one novel in the rest of his long life, besides sporadic publication of short stories, essays and so on. In 1911, Forster brought out a collection of short stories entitled The Celestial Omnibus. In 1912-13 he made his first visit to India, with R. C. Trevelyan, Dickinson and G. H. Luce. Here, he had the chance to observe the British colonial administration first-hand. After this trip, he wrote most of the first section of A Passage to India, but it was not until after a second visit, in 1921, when he spent six months as private secretary to a Hindu Maharajah, that he completed it. His masterpiece was published in 1924 and was unanimously praised by literary critics. Around this time he also worked on the homosexual novel Maurice: A Romance. Though it would not be published until after his death, it was circulated privately at the time, and is a story of cross-class homosexual love the kind of which Forster himself yearned for. During World War I, he worked with the International Red Cross and was stationed in Alexandria, Egypt. He also became a strong supporter of the Alexandrian poet C. P. Cavfy. During his stay in Alexandria, he struck an acquaintance with a teenaged tram conductor, Mohammed el-Adl, with whom he fell in deep love. Mohammed would die of tuberculosis in Alexandria in spring of 1922, and this loss weighed heavily on Forster for the rest of his life. Forster returned to England in 1919, after the war, but set off traveling again in 1921. On this trip to India he worked as the private secretary to the Maharajah of Dewas Senior, and his letters home from the two Indian trips were later published as The Hill of Devi (1953). In 1922 he published Alexandria: A History and a Guide, but could get it into circulation only in 1938. Pharos and Pharillon, which is a collection of Forsters essays on Alexandria together with some translations of Cavafys poems, was published in 1923. All through this time, Forster had been reworking on A Passage to India, which was published in 1924, almost a decade and a half after his previous novel Howards End. It is a novel about the clash between Eastern and Western cultures during British rule in India, and is generally considered among major literary works of the twentieth century. It is the story of Adela Quested and Mrs. Moores journey to India to visit Adelas fiance, and Mrs Moores son, Ronny Heaslop. There they meet a college teacher, Cyril Fielding, who is an avatar of Forster himself, the Hindu Brahmin Dr Godbole and the Muslim Dr Aziz. The novel revolves around Dr Azizs alleged assault Adela. Ms. Quested reports of an attempted assault by the Dr. Aziz and subsequently retracts her complaint. Once again, misunderstanding features prominently in Forster’s narrative. A Passage to India was widely acclaimed. For example, a critic at New York Times wrote: â€Å"The crystal-clear portraiture, the delicate conveying of nuances of thought and life, and the astonishing command of his medium show Mr. Forster at the height of his powers† (Forster, front flap). But mysteriously, at the height of his powers, Forster would choose to renounce novel writing. Some have speculated this could be because he felt he could not write openly and honestly about homosexual relations which he longed to write about. In 1927 he gave the Clark lectures at Cambridge University, which were published as Aspects of the Novel the same year. He was also offered a fellowship at Kings College, Cambridge. In 1928, his second collection of short stories, The Eternal Moment, was published. It is a collection of six stories predominated by fantasy and romance. For a while during the 30’s and 40’s, Forster became popular as a broadcaster on BBC radio. In 1934, he published his first biography Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson. By this time he had been an active member of PEN, which was an association of writers founded in 1921 to promote the interests of literature. His opposition against the suppression of Radclyffe Halls lesbian novel The Well of Romance in 1928 helped him to become the first president of the National Council for Civil Liberties, in 1934. He was also seen as a noteworthy personage associated with the British Humanist Association. Around this time, Forster enjoyed a fulfilling personal life. He was involved in a happy relationship with a constable in the London Metropolitan Police, and was on friendly terms with his wife. He was part of social circle, which included the writer and editor of The Listener J. R. Ackerley, the psychologist W. J. H. Sprott, the composer Benjamin Britten, and such noted figures of the society. Forster also associated with many writers such as the poet Siegfried Sassoon and the Belfast-based novelist Forrest Reid. In 1936, Forster published his first collection of essays and occasional pieces, Abinger Harvest. At this point, he was elected Honorary Fellow of Kings, which entitled him to live at the college, as he did for the rest of his life. In 1947, he set out on lecture tours in the United States, and two years later he was offered and refused knighthood from the King. The same year he wrote the libretto for Benjamin Brittens opera Billy Budd, based on Herman Melvilles novella. The year 1951 saw the publication of Forsters second collection of essays and articles, Two Cheers for Democracy. In the immediately following years there was the publication of The Hill of Devi and two short-story volumes, under the generic name Collected Short Stories. The last published work of his life was Marianne Thornton, the biography of his great-aunt whose gift allowed him to go to Cambridge. In 1969 Forster was awarded the Order of Merit. He died shortly thereafter. E. M. Forster has never lacked for readers, is widely studied, has had his novels turned into highly marketable films, and has encouraged criticism usually of a strongly liberal-humanist kind, notes Tambling in his introduction to a book of critical essays on E. M. Forster. Forster explored the shortcomings of the English middle class and their emotional deficiencies, employing irony and wit. Today he is remembered for the impeccable style of writing that is evident in all of his novels and short stories. References: Childs, Peter. 2002. â€Å"A Routledge Literary Sourcebook on E. M. Forsters A Passage to India† (Routledge Literary Sourcebooks). London : Routledge. Forster, E. M. â€Å"A Passage to India. † 1989. Orlando, FL : Harcourt Brace Tambling, Jeremy. â€Å"E. M. Forster: Contemporary Critical Essays† (New Casebooks). 1995. New York : St. Martins Press.

Primary Education in Uganda - A Policy Analysis Essay -- A Level Essays

Primary Education in Uganda - A Policy Analysis Over the past five years, Uganda’s education system has proved both effective and successful. Although in the process of further development, it has nonetheless served as a model for many developing African countries. The Ugandan government, with President Yoweri Museveni at its forefront, has determined primary education to be one of the major channels toward poverty eradication and as a vital resource for economic and social development. The Ugandan government has made a national commitment to eradicate illiteracy and educate its citizens through the 1997 initiative, Universal Primary Education (UPE). All levels of government, the private sector, grass-root organizations, local and international non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), community and church leaders, international aid agencies, and international governments have been major players in Uganda’s universal primary education policy and continue to structure the policy in ways to benefit Ugandans, whi le simultaneously protecting their own interests. Unfortunately with such an enormous national commitment and the underlying interests of the many contributors, there were many shortages in the realistic policy as experienced by Ugandans. I argue that these shortages, which ultimately affect the quality of primary education, can be linked to inadequacies in the deliberations, monitoring, evaluation, and feedback of Ugandan education policy; once these areas are reformed, a more comprehensive education system can be re-established. Rapid educational expansion has taken place in Uganda since its independence in 1962. Following independence, education was regarded as a means through which individuals could advance in society... ...ducation Network Newsletter No.4: United Kingdom www.eenet.org.uk/newsletters/new4/p7.shtml 11. Robert, Kakooza. â€Å"Education in Uganda.† 21st Century Schoolhouse Online. www.21cs.org/magazine/uganeduc.htm 12. Short, Claire. â€Å"Claire Short Announces  £67 Million for Education in Uganda.† UK Department of International Development Press Release 54/98 – 10/1998 www.dfid.gov.uk/PressRelease/files/pr1oct.htm 13. Teskey, Graham and Richard Hooper. â€Å"Uganda Education Strategies Investment Programme: Case Study,† Department for International Development: Nairobi, 8/1999 14. Three Years After Jomtien: EFA in the Eastern and Southern Africa Region. Ed. Wright, C. and Rangacher Govinda. UNESCO: International Institute for Educational Planning: Paris, 1994 15. â€Å"Uganda – Education.† http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/NEH/u-edu.htmlAppendix Primary Education in Uganda - A Policy Analysis Essay -- A Level Essays Primary Education in Uganda - A Policy Analysis Over the past five years, Uganda’s education system has proved both effective and successful. Although in the process of further development, it has nonetheless served as a model for many developing African countries. The Ugandan government, with President Yoweri Museveni at its forefront, has determined primary education to be one of the major channels toward poverty eradication and as a vital resource for economic and social development. The Ugandan government has made a national commitment to eradicate illiteracy and educate its citizens through the 1997 initiative, Universal Primary Education (UPE). All levels of government, the private sector, grass-root organizations, local and international non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), community and church leaders, international aid agencies, and international governments have been major players in Uganda’s universal primary education policy and continue to structure the policy in ways to benefit Ugandans, whi le simultaneously protecting their own interests. Unfortunately with such an enormous national commitment and the underlying interests of the many contributors, there were many shortages in the realistic policy as experienced by Ugandans. I argue that these shortages, which ultimately affect the quality of primary education, can be linked to inadequacies in the deliberations, monitoring, evaluation, and feedback of Ugandan education policy; once these areas are reformed, a more comprehensive education system can be re-established. Rapid educational expansion has taken place in Uganda since its independence in 1962. Following independence, education was regarded as a means through which individuals could advance in society... ...ducation Network Newsletter No.4: United Kingdom www.eenet.org.uk/newsletters/new4/p7.shtml 11. Robert, Kakooza. â€Å"Education in Uganda.† 21st Century Schoolhouse Online. www.21cs.org/magazine/uganeduc.htm 12. Short, Claire. â€Å"Claire Short Announces  £67 Million for Education in Uganda.† UK Department of International Development Press Release 54/98 – 10/1998 www.dfid.gov.uk/PressRelease/files/pr1oct.htm 13. Teskey, Graham and Richard Hooper. â€Å"Uganda Education Strategies Investment Programme: Case Study,† Department for International Development: Nairobi, 8/1999 14. Three Years After Jomtien: EFA in the Eastern and Southern Africa Region. Ed. Wright, C. and Rangacher Govinda. UNESCO: International Institute for Educational Planning: Paris, 1994 15. â€Å"Uganda – Education.† http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/NEH/u-edu.htmlAppendix

Environmental Impacts & Consumption Essay

In an article examining resource consumption in the Welsh capital of Cardiff, Collins, et al. (2006) provide a critique of the tool known as the Ecological Footprint that has, in recent years, gained increasing currency in the assessment of anthropogenic environmental impact, as well as a brief history of its development and its implementation. By thoroughly scrutinizing the limitations and implications of Footprint methodology, Collins, et al. concluded which critical areas of consumption need to be addressed in Cardiff. Ultimately, the researchers’ goal is to provide a comprehensive value assessment of the Ecological Footprint methodology in relation to its utility in the development of sustainability policies. The article in question is entitled, â€Å"The Environmental Impacts of Consumption at a Subnational Level: The Ecological Footprint of Cardiff,† by John Barrett, Andrea Collins, Andrew Flynn, and Thomas Wiedmann. It was published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology in 2006. In it, Collins, et al, discussed the history of the Ecological Footprinting methodology, noting that it is premised on the idea that the planet has a limited ability to provide for all human resource demands. Therefore, any policy decisions regarding resource use must take this into account by balancing planetary limits against economic growth. Collins, et al, posited that humanity is currently in a state of overshoot, in which natural capital is being used faster than the planet can replenish it. Despite the strong interest which governments have taken to the use of Ecological Footprint as a sustainability indicator, it faces some criticism: Some have argued that it does not accurately reflect the impact of human consumption. Others maintain that it does not apportion the responsibility for impact in any useful manner. Regardless, Collins et al asserted that the Ecological Footprint is at the very least, useful to policy makers due to its power to communicate the link between consumption and impact. One of the key themes of the article was the need for measurements of sustainability and resource use to be fair and legitimate ones. In effect, the concern was that for any meaningful changes to be made regarding improving matters of sustainability in the city of Cardiff (or any other city for that matter) it would be necessary that data obtained is actually useful to the formulation of sustainability policy any resource use. To do otherwise, would only stymie progress in these areas or result in what other pundits have called, â€Å"greenwashing† which is the illusory notion of sustainability. As such, footprinting is designed to use standardized official and annual statistics and expenditure data to establish substantial links between personal consumption and environmental impacts, with resource use being the chain between them. As a city that has become driven primarily by finance, retail and tourism as its chief economic sectors, Cardiff’s participation in manufacturing has declined significantly over the years and developed a moderately prosperous lifestyle. However, its residents live an unsustainable lifestyle, using three times the average â€Å"earthshare,† and placing them well into overshoot. Furthermore, a majority of the resource consumption residents engage in is derived from food, travel, energy and consumables. The result is that dramatic changes will be necessary to address this. Ultimately, it is personal consumption rather than local industry that puts Cardiff residents in the position of being unequitable in their use of resources, and requires reframing social practices and institutional structures to undo these habits. These consumption domains include food and drink, with the primary area of concern being energy-intense preparation methods; transport, with concern directed towards private transportation; and tourism, with their intense reliance on catered food being of concern. In conclusion, Collins, et al, argued that Footprinting is of great utility in measuring impacts, but it must also be balanced against recognition of contexts which consumption should be set against: In the case of Cardiff, it should not be used to flatten the individual experiences of consumption, nor should its organizational nuances be neglected in assessing impacts. Simply put, the Footprint methodology is only as useful as the context it is set against, and the extent to which it is refined for socio-economic groups or geographic/subnational ones.

Langston Hughes Essay

Langston Hughes is considered to be one of the most influential writer and poets of his time. His works and masterpieces greatly contributed to the advancement of the Black literature. His journey from a small-time boy into a knowledgeable man is very inspiring. He wrote poems and stories that apparently depict the culture and status of his race. Langston Hughes is a native of Missouri and had a humble beginning. From the start, his writing skills were already very visible but his father wanted him to become an engineer. He soon dropped out and decided to continue his love affair with poetry. Instead, his travels abroad served a great deal of inspiration for his work. When he came back, he moved to New York and became one of the movers in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920’s. His travels opened his eyes for different culture in the world and at the same time, encompassing his roots. Harlem made a very deep impact on his writing style. Most of his poems are inspired by the blues and jazz era in Harlem that is why many of which is written in rhythmical language and is almost set into music. Furthermore, he also wrote plays and dramas that were staged in New York. His plays touched some taboo topics. But then again, he also founded the first ever Black theater groups in New York. Aside from being a playwright, he was also a contributor for Baltimore Afro-American. In 1929, he received his bachelor’s degree and continued to be a great writer and poet all throughout his generation (â€Å"Langston Hughes (1902-1967)†). Hughes is very influential not just in the African-American literature realm but also to the whole world. During the Harlem Renaissance, he was considered as one of its leading voices. Most of his works revolve around the great deal of discrimination and oppression that many African-American endured during the 1920’s. His poems and short stories mostly reflect the actual state of the society in their time. Through his poems, he was able to express his zealous viewpoints and sociopolitical protests. Most of the characters in his stories are based from a real person that he met while passing time in the many bars in Harlem. Through these characters, he was able to portray people who experiences racism and sexual conflicts. His environment was also a very gigantic influence on his stories, novels and poems. In his stories and essays, one will notice that he tell stories of violence in the south, the street life in Harlem, poverty, injustice, hopelessness and famine. Because of his poems, many politicians regarded him as a Communist but in 1953, he attested to the Senate that he was and never is a Communist. But, as the conscientious artist that he is, he kept his ordinary position and worked very hard to chronicle the experiences of an American black which normally is contrasting the splendor of the soul with the repressive conditions(â€Å"Langston Hughes (1902-1967)†). Hughes was not contented with just being regarded as a good writer. Besides that, what he really wanted was to capture the spirit of the ordinary man. With so much love and regard for his fellowmen and their culture, his specialty revolved around the daily way of life and situations of African Americans. All throughout his life, he exhausted every imaginable form of media just to convey his observations and interpretations into a fine piece of literature. In his lifetime, Langston Hughes was able to achieve no other Black literary figure of his time was able to do. He not only wrote stories and poems but for every literary piece that he finishes, it embodies the dreams, bliss, laughter, rage, sadness and pride that any human feels (Sylvester). One of his earliest essays was entitled â€Å"The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain†. In this essay, he tells about Black artists and poets â€Å"who would surrender racial pride in the name of a false integration. †(Jackson) He reiterated that Black poets and writers preferred to be called poets rather than putting a color adjective before the word. For almost forty years, Langston Hughes became a very prolific writer with over a hundred essays, poems, plays and books under his belt. Even after his last days, Hughes did not give up writing. Instead, he became a professor and lecturer. When he died of cancer in 1967, many people mourned. Even after his death, countless praises were bestowed upon his works and until now, it is considered to be one of the greatest forms of African-American literature in history. Even in another lifetime, Langston Hughes’ life and works is worth looking back. His life inspired countless people to fight for their rights and assert their places in the society. His essays, poems and stories became a medium in which many African-American were able to relate to because they were actually the subject. They saw themselves sin the characters that Hughes created. But more important than the technical contributions that he gave, he is praise-worthy for his courage to step up against the oppressor of their times. His works, particularly his poems depicts the struggles and emotions of the ordinary African-American in1920’s. Furthermore, he is instrumental in the Harlem Renaissance in New York. He became one of the leading purveyors of Harlem art in New York. And through the different forms of media, he was able to convey the message of his fellow African-Americans to the world. Because of his poems, the world became aware of the resistance of the Blacks in America. Additionally, his poems are very straight to the point and simple; but no matter how simple his poems may seem, it does not fall short on its messages. Truly, Langston Hughes deserves to be a part of the African-American culture not just in New York but all over the world not only for his great literary contributions but also as one of the voices in uplifting the image of African-Americans to the world. Reference http://www.redhotjazz.com/hughes.html

Configuration of Ob-Scertainer Essays

Configuration of Ob-Scertainer Essays Configuration of Ob-Scertainer Paper Configuration of Ob-Scertainer Paper There were many me thuds used to achieve this goal, At first, just moved the ball around the outer edges tooth Abstainer. This proved to be successful for my initial hypotheses is, hut as did my retests, I tried a different method that got me a new picture. Instead adjust rolling the ball around the outer path, moved the ball north and south or east or west. This revealed new findings. There may have been walls o r partitions in the middle, and not just jutting out from the sides. A prime exam pile of this would be Abstainer In my initial hypothesis, you can see I h apotheosized that there were no obstacles inside of the Abstainer. When I performed a retest, I used my new method of moving the ball across, and not just around. I discovered a partition right in the middle of the Obstetrician re. Had not explored this new way of doing this, this piece of information IV loud not have been recorded. I spent the most time on Abstainer #12. The is is because I found that it was empty. Had to be sure no Obstacles were m issued, like my hypothesis for #3. Abstainers 43 and 12 were difficult and t k longer time because Of the partitions located in the middle Of #3 and the emptiness of #12. Another important method that was used to get a picture would be deter mining whether a wall in the Abstainer was curved or straight, I ran the ball along a us specter wall and a straight wall gave off a rigid noise while a curved line, o r the edge of the Abstainer, made a smoother sound. This also holds true e for the way it felt in my hand. My determination of Abstainer #1 went t two different ways until I came to the actual model. Gore my hypothesis, I thought it was just one straight line. For my retest, I heard a smooth sound. TO come to an actual model, tested again and found the ball hit a stop at the middle. Instead of a single straight line or single curved, came to NON straight lines. For Abstainer #10 1 heard all rigid sounds that had greatly suggested a square. A first test did with all Abstainers was attempt to roll the ball fast oar undo the edge, to check for walls or partitions. For #12, I immediately knew there were no outer walls or partitions because was able to roll the ball around thee utter path at a fast pace. This method will immediately tell you if an Abstainer has a distinct wall or p irritation. Abstainer #9 couldnt have the ball roll smooth y because it had small walls jutting out from the walls of the Abstainer. I also spent much time on Abstainer It got difficult when you had a shape, not just a wall, coming out from the side. I had to be precise to get a n accurate reading, In my hypothesis, knew there was a shape in the Obscener inner, but it was a general reading, which only got me a standard shape. When tested again, I was very careful to get a more precise reading. Covered the Geiger was rigid but also found a little partition across from it. For Bobs certain #8, knew there was a definite partition. For my initial hypothesis, suspected it consisted of a single curved line and a single straight one. For m retests, studied it longer to find it consisted Of three straight lines. In my r tests of all the Abstainers, was able to study it longer, leading to more accurate readings. So unds and feelings were more distinct after first predict ions. After developing new methods after series of hypotheses, the insides of Abstainers became clearer.

Origin of the Name Newfoundland and Labrador

Origin of the Name Newfoundland and Labrador The province of Newfoundland and Labrador is one of the ten provinces and three territories that make up Canada. Newfoundland is one of four Atlantic provinces in Canada. Origin of the Names Newfoundland and Labrador King Henry VII of England referred to the land discovered by John Cabot in 1497 as the â€Å"New Found Launde, thus helping to coin the name of Newfoundland.   It is thought that the name Labrador came from Joo Fernandes, a Portuguese explorer. He was a llavrador, or landowner, who explored the coast of Greenland. References to the labradors land evolved into the areas new name: Labrador. The term was first applied to a section of the coast of Greenland, but the area of Labrador now includes all the northern islands in the region. Previously called only Newfoundland, the province officially became Newfoundland and Labrador in December 2001, when an amendment was made to the Constitution of Canada.

Final project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Final project - Essay Example Some may notice and make unending controversies, others might ignore but at the end of the day, we can’t deny the fact that we are at the face of an impending threat, one that we can do very little in changing the kind of threat the same has come to pose on us. Climatic changes have been at our exposure for long, human kind have had the opportunity to prevent any catastrophes from the same but the ignorant aspect of ignorance has always taken effect altogether. This project is set in a geographical aspect that seeks to explain the general ignored aspect on the threats that we face from climatic changes. The same project comes in, in a manner that seeks to create awareness on the remedies that man may possibly use to prevent a future disaster. Climatic changes may be as a result of a lot of factors, but the fact will always remain that our actions as human beings will always remain the core reason for the problems we face. It has a endeavor of our own undertaking, one that has rendered all human being victim of climatic change threats. This is in the sense of population health, in manner that shows no sign of giving up but promises to keep on increasing in future at levels that might even go critical. Since the effect come in the context of health, this project is one oriented at saving the human fraternity in future. This is the context of creating awareness, give a clear description of the dangers and giving the possibilities of saving th e situation before it totally gets out of handle. Climate change has a lot of implications, but global warming is the most threatening of all. It causes direct effects like heat waves that might affect man. This is not only in the context of air pollution but also in the impacting phenomenon of ecological relationships and systems that involve marine productivity, mosquito ecology and crop yields. The same may also extend to indirect impacts that come in the context of displacement, impoverishment, and resultant conflicts

CH 11 - ISMG 3000 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CH 11 - ISMG 3000 - Essay Example But at least, it would not jeopardize the whole credibility and viability of the business on a longer term framework. Besides, by shutting down the system, and trying to rush things into putting back normal operations within 3 or 4 days, the more that IT personnel might increase tendencies to commit mistakes and gravely endanger rushing the system back into full operations within a short time frame. One strongly believes that there is no need to disclose anything in the outside world given that IT personnel has not proven any form of intrusion, in the first place. The implications for making such a pre-emptive public announcement could cause chaos and undue stress to their customers which could actually compromise their corporate image. If eventually proven that no intrusion of any kind was actually encountered, it would be difficult to negate the previous public disclosure or announcement that was made. Barton still has a job since his overall performance as head of the IT department was in fact exemplary and extraordinary. It was really not his fault that there were chaos and security issues that emerged during his helm. His other undertakings as CIO have been commended considerably by Williams and by other members of his IT team which is indicative of his competence and extraordinary qualities and skills as a manager. As such, his strengths could be used favorably to contribute to the growth of IVK in the long run. One honestly shares the same contention that one’s immediate supervisor or boss needs to know the bad news first, even if it is just initially a hunch. Just like the strategy that was applied by Barton, he perfectly justified using this strategy to immediately relay the least palatable option in situations of problems or concerns so that the boss is evidently prepared and apprised of the worst scenario and would not be surprised that it could come to facing that particular course of action. This is consistent

Ways of quitting smoking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ways of quitting smoking - Essay Example year because of smoking related illnesses and cigarettes contain at least 43 cancer-causing chemicals in addition to the poisonous carbon monoxide that’s also inhaled. Every year approximately 46% of regular smokers attempt to quit, with only about 10% being successful in the short term1Research has shown that only 3-5% of smokers are successful using will power alone (Hughes et al, 2004) Smokers have an extremely difficult time to quit cigarettes because of the nicotine contained in the tobacco cigarettes. Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known to man, and it acts directly on the pleasure centers of the brain by releasing dopamine which causes the individual to feel good, while also reducing anxiety, tension and appetite5.Regular use affects the brains reward system, so that when there is no nicotine, the dopamine levels will fall and withdrawal starts. The main withdrawal symptoms associated with smoking cessation are: These nicotine withdrawal symptoms and not will power are the main reason smokers find it so difficult to quit. Although most symptoms subside within a few days to two weeks, the most troublesome one, the Cravings sometimes can last for years, and that’s is the biggest hurdle. There are many alternatives available to help the smoker quit. The alternatives range from prescription drugs like Zyban (also an antidepressant) and Chantix which is supposed to target the nerve receptors from the effects of nicotine, to â€Å"nicotine replacement therapy† products such as gum, patches or inhalers. Unfortunately these products have had little success in achieving permanent smoking cessation from its users. The other main reason for its lack of success lies directly in the fact that these products provide a very low dose of nicotine administered over a longer period of time ,which is totally opposite to the instant rush of nicotine a smoker feels within 7-10 seconds after inhaling a puff from a tobacco cigarette. So in simple terms,

Evidence Based Healthcare Research Social Work Essay

Evidence Based Healthcare Research Social Work Essay Evidenced Based Healthcare and Research: Appraisal. In the United Kingdom the concept of Independent Living and Self-directed Support has become an established approach for the delivery of health and social care services, that it is currently the preferred residential alternative for people with learning disabilities (Binnie Titchen 1999). Independent living can be defined as enabling independence by receiving the right support how and when it is required (Morris 2004). It has now become a key principle in various government policy documents such as the Valuing People Now Strategy (UK Department of Health, 2009) and the Personalisation through Person-Centred Planning initiative (UK Department of Health, 2010). This assignment aims to present a detailed critique of a qualitative study entitled How adults with learning disabilities view independent living (Bond Hurst 2010). A critique can defined as a balanced evaluation of the strengths and limitations of a research article, in order to determine its credibility and/or applicability to practice (Gamgee 2006). This study is a welcome contribution to the current health and social care research domain because whilst independent living is the preferred residential option, it is not at all clear whether it is suitable for all people with learning disabilities, moreover if there is in fact sufficient empirical evidence to support this notion. It is therefore imperative to establish a sound evidence base that draws upon the lived personal experiences of those with learning disabilities. Using an acknowledged framework A Step by Step guide to critiquing a quantitative study (Coughan et al., 2007) the relative worth of the evidence in support of i ndependent living will be judged systematically. As well as exploring the significance of independent living as an essential nursing intervention and its application to modern clinical practice. Ryan-Wenger (2003) suggests that in analysing published articles it is important to ascertain two fundamental aspects of a critique which can be subdivided into elements that influence the robustness of the research methodology also known as integrity variables and elements which influence the believability of the research such as writing style, author(s), report title and abstract otherwise known as credibility variables. The latter seems to be the most logical place to commence. Evaluation of the Journal Article Polit and Beck (2006) state that writing style should be such that it attracts the reader to read on; this paper is well written, comprehensive and concise. The structure and layout of the paper is well organised with a logical consistency and free from jargon in comparison to some papers where the author(s) can be opaque in their approach. However slight reservation is reserved concerning the level of proof reading as there seems to be some grammatical and typographical errors which can be found on pages 288 and 289. Both authors appear to have a sound background in learning disability from both a social context and educational settings. As indicated in the acknowledgements the authors qualifications indicate that they have a degree of knowledge in this field and this piece of research seems to be a part of a taught component of their masters programme. The report tile seems to be descriptive and succinct, although it lacks specificity of the research methodology used in the study. This can be very useful for others who are searching for this type of paper. Although the term qualitative research is mentioned under keywords the title itself could be more specific. As a result the report title is ambiguous and merely eight words in length. Meehan (1999) states that a title should be between ten to fifteen words long in order to clearly identify the purpose of the study for the reader. This paper presents both an accessible and detailed version of the abstract, but are both helpful? The accessible form includes information on the subject and the number of participants, whereas the detailed form provides an outline of the methodology used, ethical framework, findings and recommendations. On balance the summaries present a clear overview of the study, however it does beg the question in what sense is the accessible form accessible? and to whom? It seems that the authors are trying to be politically correct rather than logical because how many service users actually read the British Journal of Learning Disabilities?. It seems that this is a knee jerk reaction which has been applied incorrectly; it would be more suitable if the document was aimed at informing an audience with learning disabilities such as Valuing People (UK Department of Health, 2001) which caters to a wide range of readers. The easy -read version is aimed at service users whilst the denser version is aimed at professionals and service providers. Having identified and analysed variables that affect the credibility of the research presented, how believable the work appears, the authors qualifications and their ability to undertake and accurately present the study. The robustness of the research methodology and the integrity of the findings will be appraised in order to determine the trustworthiness of the study and its applicability to nursing practice. The authors state the aim of the study is to explore the views of nine people with learning disabilities who have already achieved independence and wish to contribute to the debate of independent living. The authors suggest that this style of living is now viewed as desirable, but what is the reality for people who live with learning disabilities? This concept of desirability is held as problematic by the authors who choose to study and present the reality of living independently as opposed to the notion of general and conventional wisdom. A study conducted by Barlow Kirby (1991) concluded that people in receipt of self-directed support had more life satisfaction than those in residential care. This finding is further supported by the publication of Independent Living (HM Office for Disability Issues, 2007). The decision to suspend judgement about independent living is justifiable and is supported by other researchers in the field of learning disabilities; as there are several impli cations for service users, professionals and service providers. This is for a number of reasons for instance promoting choice and control (OBrien, 2002), health issues (Priest Gibbs, 2004), vulnerability (Cooper, 2002) and the ability for those with learning disabilities to access services (Jansen et al., 2006). The literature review conducted by the authors demonstrates an appropriate depth and breadth of reading around independent living. The majority of studies included are of recent origin being less than five years old; the few historical studies included put the concept of living independently into context. The authors successfully identified conflicts between the literature by comparing and contrasting findings (Burns and Grove., 1997), because although evidence exists to show people who have moved from larger institutions prefer smaller group homes (Forrester-Jones et al., 2002) there is still no accurate data detailing the number of people with learning disabilities living independently (Beadle Brown et al., 2004). However the authors failed to mention how they conducted their search and information on the databases used to gather papers in their review. The authors did however, use primary sources of information as opposed to secondary sources and anecdotal information, which attes ts to the integrity and value of the study presented. Bond Hurst (2010) ascertained the narratives of nine people with learning disabilities via the use of semi-constructed interviews within their methodology. The authors are to be commended for their attention to detail in terms of their ability to design and structure interviews so as to accommodate the needs of the participants. As well as conducting interviews at times and venues convenient to them. The interview structure included open-ended questions to assist understanding as communication emerged to be a key barrier for some people with learning disabilities. The authors report on a number of theoretical issues that have been adapted for the participants in order that they might fully participate in the research process. The structure of the interviews was devised using the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance (Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, 1997), but is this model applicable to the United Kingdom population and to which care setting? Bond Hurst (2010) adopted thematic analysis within their methodology in assessing the narratives. The data collected was audio taped and later transcribed into coded themes, which is acknowledged in general research literature to be good practice. On balance, the authors adhered to the steps in the research process and it is conveyed between the fluidity of phases. The critique subsequently moves onto considering the ethical framework. This research paper was supported by the local ethics committee and all participants in the study gave informed consent. Although it is not clear whether or not it was an National Health Service (NHS) ethics committee. However, the authors sought to ensure their working methods complied with the Data Protection Act (1998) but not with all government legislation applicable to the study such as the Mental Health Act (1983). Although there is mention about accessibility, the authors failed to ensure the participants had the capacity to make informed decisions as defined in the Mental Health Act (1983). In relation to the number of participants, the sample size is small and therefore may not be reflective or wholly representative for all people with learning difficulties. Small samples are more likely to be at risk of being overly representative of small subgroups within a target population (Coughan et al., 2007). Th erefore slight reservation is held as the authors did not mention whether they sought to remove overall bias by generating a sample that is likely to be representative and generalisable to the target population. Parahoo (2006) states that for a sample to truly reflect of the population it represents the authors must generate a probability sample. The participants in this study were recruited via convenience sampling using a third party (Melton 1998); however several variables could have an affect on the sample which can lead to it being distorted such as the vast age range. The authors are to be commended however, in their efforts to maintain the confidentiality of their participants by offering them the choice to provide their own pseudonyms. In the discussion the authors identified seven themes from their data analysis which reflected the views of all the participants and in turn addressed the aims of the study. Their findings supported the four key principles as stated in the Valuing People policy document, and ways in which people can be supported to achieve this includes increasing social inclusion, increasing autonomy and choice for people and raising awareness of the vulnerability of those with learning disabilities. However the study also highlighted that the majority of participants struggled with the more complex aspect of living independently, such as money management and budgeting. The government has recently introduced Direct Payments as part of a nationwide transformation in social care services, which involves paying money directly to an individual in need to take control of their own support and care services. This initiative will aid finance management as it enables service users to have control over the c are they receive and how they receive it. The majority of participants maintained that when comparing their current lifestyle of independent living to that of their previous lifestyle it was clear that they wanted to remain living independently. Application to Clinical Practice This section will explore the significance of independent living as an essential nursing intervention and its application to modern clinical practice. Gates Atherton (2001) state that there is a need for evidence of effectiveness in health and social care. The most important aspect of being a practitioner regardless of ones vocation, is that collectively we as professionals seek the best evidence available on which to base our practice (Coughan et al., 2007). The evidence in support of independent living is limited and not entirely accurate, therefore when evidence is presented it should not be taken on face value. As Cullum Droogan (1999) put it not all research is of the same quality or high standard therefore as a learning disability nurse and social worker it is important being a care provider that although a paper has been published it can be critically appraised. This paper is of central relevance to our practice in ensuring that the lifestyles of people with learning disabil ities are informed by valid and reliable evidence. This research paper adds value to the current literature available in support of independent living however caution must be expressed as it is not solely about living independently. The concept of independently living cannot be advocated for everyone; each person is different and therefore require different levels of support which will meet their needs. The publication of Valuing People (UK Department of Health, 2001) the key document that prompted a change in the way health and social care services operate. The paper made Person-Centred Planning a central component of service reform, and outlined four key principles namely: Human Rights, Independence, Choice and Social Inclusion (Mansell and Beadle-Brown, 2004). This means that people with learning disabilities should be valued members of society, treated with dignity and respect whilst having the same rights and choices as everybody else (OBrien, 2002). Furthermore, people with le arning disabilities should feel empowered to take control over the care that they receive in order to plan and live their lives independently. Previously, people with learning disabilities were shunned away from the community and susceptible to abuse. The Community Care Act (1990) was introduced as a result of both political and social changes in attitudes towards the treatment of people with mental illnesses. In line with Mental Health Act (1983) the aim was to remove the stigma associated with mentally ill people away from isolation towards social inclusion (Social Role Valorisation, Wolfensberger, 1983). But does independently living mean that you get social inclusion? Currently we are seeing a culture of people who require support being effectively excluded from society, waiting for the next support worker to cook their meals, help with personal hygiene and general cleaning. This is a downward spiral in our society which is putting a demand on our system. As a care provider in line with the General Social Care Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Codes of Conduct (2008), it is our duty to advocate in the best interest of the client at all times but who is actually making the decisions? Bond Hurst (2010) highlighted how closely health was linked to independent living and that many of the participants suffered from chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes and arthritis. Is it a case of compromising funding for services at the expense of overlooking health issues? It seems that the authors make a plausible case that people with learning disabilities are being seen as not a priority as they carry a disproportionate burden of health inequalities among our population. The reality for people with learning disabilities is far from the projected lifestyle of independence (Emerson UK Literature). It is a challenge to support people with learning disabilities, several factors need to be considered to prevent potential disregard. Jansen et al., (2006) points out the need to adopt integrated care approaches in treating those with learning disabilities. This will involve working with different agencies (interagency team working) and different types of professionals (multidis ciplinary team working) in order to provide an holistic service to meet their needs. Current research shows that a disabled person is likely to be in contact with at least ten different care professionals in their lifetime (UK Department of Education, 2003). Issues can arise through out this time which may lead to lack of continuity and communication. Therefore, a sufficient amount of training and awareness is needed to ensure that all staff are qualified and skilled to ensure equity of service provision. When caring for patients it is essential as a practitioner to adopt the current best practice. To determine what this is one must be able to critically appraise evidence that is presented to them (Basset and Basset., 2003). This paper focused on the lived experiences of nine people with learning disabilities about the reality of living independently. In critiquing this paper, the authors successfully highlighted the importance of independent living as an essential nursing intervention however there were also some limitations, the most important being limited verification of the data. Furthermore the narratives of the participants were highly subjective and findings non-generalisable, thus the notion of independent living is not to be applied to all that have a learning disability, or vulnerable adults with complex needs. As recommended by the authors, further accurate, reliable and valid research is needed that will add value to the evidence-base domain. Total Word Count: 2,452 Excluding Headings and References