Task Analysis Essay Example

Task Analysis Essay Law and Management in Occupational Health and Safety Patients in the Perioperative environment are often required to be repositioned on the operating table and most of these patients have had a regional or general anaesthetic, making it impossible for them (the patient) to assist staff in that repositioning. The added risk in any repositioning is loss or damage to the patients’ airway, and maintaining the patients’ musculoskeletal alignment, so as to not cause any damage to nerves, muscles, limbs, spine and or neck etc. The repositioning should be assessed to determine if it can be done manually or by some assistive devices. During the surgery it may be necessary to lift the patients’ legs, arms or head to prepare the area for sterile field draping, which may result in nursing or theatre support staff at risk of musculoskeletal injuries, and in situations where bariatric patients (over 100kgs) the manual handling staff may need limb holding devices. Prior to surgery, the anaesthetic nurse, anaesthetist, surgeon, theatre support technician or orderly should plan and collaborate regarding positioning, support and moving devices as well as the technique which will be utilised in the moving and repositioning of the patient – during and after the procedure when the patient will be transferred on to another bed for the post-operative recovery period. When transferring a patient from patient bed to operating table, it is important to have enough staff to assist with the transfer and to use the correctly placed support devices as well as using good body mechanics (ergonomic techniques). We will write a custom essay sample on Task Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Task Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Task Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When patients are obese it may be necessary to use soft gel straps to support the patients legs so that they do not move off the operating table and cause debilitating and painful nerve damage. This project is to develop a Safety Management Plan to implement a safe practical way to identify, assess and control risks in the Perioperative environment (Operating Theatre) specifically relating to the lateral transfer and or movement of patients requiring surgery at this hospital facility. Perioperative Manual Handling Safety Management Plan Perioperative Manual Handling Safety Management Plan Using the 5 step process in the Queensland Government risk assessment plan the following matrix is how the Perioperative unit could benefit from experienced, safety motivated and interested staff could act as agents for change and safety in a more deliberate and focussed way to reduce the hazard of musculoskeletal injuries to staff especially in the task of laterally transferring patients from the operating table to the postoperative bed. These patients are usually unconscious and unable to assist or communicate their needs and concerns at this time. Perioperative Safety Management – Risk Identification and Controls| Step 1| Look at the Hazard * Musculoskeletal disorders in nursing staff and orderlies when undertaking a lateral or horizontal transfer of unconscious patient from operating table to post-operative bed| How to look for HazardsKnowledge and Understanding Manual Handling Policies * Manual Tasks Involving the Handling of People Code of Practice 2001 * Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 * Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 2008 * Manual Handling Training especially regarding unconscious patients| What to look for * Practices that are causing discomfort either for the member of staff or patient * Practices that are likely to cause nerve or musculoskeletal injuries – shoulder, fingers, wrist, forearm, back, neck, sciatic nerve, knees, ankles| Step 2| Decide who might be harmed and how * Nursing Staff * Orderlies * Anaesthetists * Surgeons/Assistants * Recovery Staff | Assess the riskHow might someone b e harmed * Injury to patient when moving the unconscious patient from operating bed to recovery bed with a supported airway * Lateral or sideways movement requiring pushing, pulling and lifting of limbs by team members * The staff member who controls move not always in ‘sync’ with rest of team – uncoordinated transfer * Existing musculoskeletal disorders experienced by staff and patients| What is this harm? * Airway becoming dislodged * Back, Neck, arm, shoulder injury to staff using Manual Handling techniques and devices * Uncoordinated transfer * Sideways twisting for person holding feet during transferHow likely is this harm? According to the consequences/ likelihood matrix below * Injury to patient – likely/major consequences * Unplanned airway removal – likely/major to catastrophic * Musculoskeletal injury – likely/moderate to major * Exacerbating and worsening musculoskeletal disorders– likely/major to catastrophic (permanent loss of employment) * Team unpreparedness – likely/minor major| Step 3| Decide the control measures| Regulations ? * Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 * Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 2008Codes of Practice? * Manual Tasks Involving the Handling of People Code of Practice 2001What are existing controls? * Mater Operating Theatres Manual Handling Policies and Clinical Practices Manual * Manual Handling Training – Generic – needs to be targeted especially movement and care regarding unconscious patientsAre controls as high as possible? Current Manual Handling training stands at a compulsory slide sheet in-service lasting approximately 5 minutes every six months * In-service is generic and not specifically targeted to moving unconscious patients who are not able to follow instructions or cooperate with staff requests in this lateral move post operatively * Training needs to be comprehensive and developed with ergonomic and physical therapist input so that staff movement and body positioning minimises potential and foreseeable damage to limbs, nerves, shoulders and lower backs * Equipment needs be demonstrated in a non-clinical simulation before using on any patients to maximise the potential for team confidence and competence in the use of equipment – minimising harm in actual situations| Do controls protect everyone? * Controls at present minimise the importance of Manual handling techniques * Manual handling needs to have a higher profile in the unit so that it is possible to protect patients, staff and visiting surgeons and anaesthetists * Controls in place are in policy manuals, and highlighted at orientation (can be months after starting employment). * New staff are on the job immediately and therefore don’t have ‘training’ at the best and high est level of competency and developmentWhat additional controls are required? Higher profile on training by manual handling experts * Regular manual handling workshops and training groups in simulated situations = staff practice on other staff. * In-service and practical demonstrations to highlight the importance of correct posture for staff, correct lateral moving techniques and equipment for staff * Correct and helpful exercises that staff can do ‘on the run’ so that the manual handling tasks are done after staff are ‘warmed up’ * Weekly highlights on noticeboard on an important point regarding safe lifting, moving and back care for staff = many hospitals and aged care centres have excellent back injury prevention programs and are readily available at websites and search engine destinations. Step 4| Put Control measures in placeOHamp;S representative to Train and utilise staff who are Interested and experienced in Manual Handling of people| Developing a p lan for improving controlsTrain the Trainer programs for interested personnel not necessarily Registered Nurses (Enrolled Nurses with experience and interest)Train staff in the Incident Reporting Program and to build Staff confidence in using the software – when a hazard is reported or an injury – Staff need to be confident that it will be followed up and that negative consequences of hazard identification and reporting are not safe practices in the workplace | Improving controls * Making the Incident reporting program more user friendly and encourage staff to use the program and give timely feedback on statistics * Encourage staff to report all injuries and near misses so that the unit builds a culture of ‘safety is every ones business and responsibility’ * Make safety a priority and that means staff safety as well as patient safety – reward safety issues and hazard reporting * Encourage staff to come up with solutions to risks and hazard identifi cation – involve everyone| Step 5| Review the Controls * 3 monthly reviews of competencies and updating of training for any new staff * Staff surveys to indicate self- satisfaction of training and competencies| Are the controls working? * Feedback from Staff self-satisfaction surveys * Anecdotal feedback from workshops and training sessions * Improvement or decline – what would staff change or improve? | Are there any new Problems? * New staff training before actually moving a patient * Generic manual handling policies * Minimum lateral transfer equipment – slide sheet and patslide? Hovermat beds possible? * People not lifting feet when patslide positioned – heel damage or pain if patslide strikes patients heel or ankle? * Apathy, lack of interest and poor technique? | PURPOSE AND SCOPE of Safety Management Plan Mercy Health and Aged Care Central Queensland Limited (MHAACCQ, 2010) is committed to the provision of a place of work that is safe and without r isk to the health, safety and welfare of its employees, or any other person of our workplace We believe that * All injuries can be prevented * Working safely is a condition of employment * Employee involvement is essential * Management are ultimately accountable for safety Munn (2011) suggests that tasks performed in the perioperative environment may present a high risk to staff for musculoskeletal injuries relating to patient handling include * Transferring patients on and off operating tables ( in this case Lateral pushing and pulling of up to 180 kgs) * Repositioning patients on operating table ( this unit has weight limits on operating table 300 kgs) * Lifting and holding patients extremities – orthopaedic, cosmetic and general surgery * Standing for prolonged periods of time – scrub nurse has limited movement whilst scrubbed * Holding retractors for long periods of time – self retaining retractors not always suitable * Lifting and carrying equipment and supplies Pushing, pulling and moving equipment on wheels – endoscopic and microscopes Manual Handling is a major cause of injury in health care facilities. Manual handling regulations require a hazard identification, risk assessment and control approach. Obligations and the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 The Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 imposes obligations on people at workplaces to ensure workplace health and safety. This is done when persons are free from the risk of death, injury or illness created by workplaces, relevant workplace areas, work activities or plant and substances for use at a workplace. Ensuring workplace health and safety involves identifying and managing exposure to the risks at your workplace. RESPONSIBILITIES Part 3, Division 2, Section 28 Obligations of persons conducting business or undertaking (1) A person (the relevant person) who conducts a business or undertaking has an obligation to ensure the workplace health and safety of the person, each of the person’s workers and any other persons is not affected by the conduct of the relevant person’s business or undertaking. (2) The obligation is discharged if the person, each of the person’s workers and any other persons are not exposed to ri sks to their health and safety arising out of the conduct of the relevant person’s business or undertaking. (3) The obligation applies— (a) whether or not the relevant person conducts the business or undertaking as an employer, self-employed person or otherwise; and (b) whether or not the business or undertaking is conducted for gain or reward†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Work Health and Safety Act 1995 (Qld) Part 3, Div 1, Section 26 (3) If a code of practice states a way of managing exposure to a risk, a person discharges the person’s workplace health and safety obligation for exposure to the risk only by— (a) adopting and following a stated way that manages exposure to the risk; or (b) doing all of the following— (i) adopting and following another way that gives the same level of protection against the risk; (ii) taking reasonable precautions; (iii) exercising proper diligence. † People handling activities and injury The most frequently injured body part s from people handling activities undertaken without assistance are the back, shoulders and wrist. People handling activities can contribute to a number of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMDs) including: a) Low Back Disorders (injuries to muscles, ligaments, inter-vertebral discs and other structures in the back). b) Tendon Disorders (injuries affecting the tendons in the wrist, and elbows particularly). c) Nerve Disorders (injuries affecting the wrist, neck and shoulder). d) Upper limb muscle strains (injuries affecting the rotator cuff* and forearm particularly). â€Å"WRMDs occur in two ways: gradual wear and tear (cumulative trauma) caused by frequent periods of muscular effort involving the same body parts, and sudden damage caused by nexpected movements, intense or strenuous activity, for example, when people being handled move suddenly or when the worker is handling a load beyond their capacity. Gradual wear and tear is the most common way WRMDs occur. Even when an injury seems to be caused by overload, the triggering event might just be the final trauma to tissu es already damaged by previous exposures to people handling and other manual activities. It is recommended that when a healthcare worker needs to lift more than 15. 3 kilos of patient weight, lifting aids should be used. The lateral transfer of a patient from one surface to another, such as from operating table to patients bed, poses a risk to staff for developing musculoskeletal disorders. Some general guiding principles pertaining to the transfer of a patient to an operating table are: * The number of staff involved in a transfer is needed to be sufficient based on the patients weight, and to ensure that ALL extremities are supported and the patients alignment and airway are maintained * The lateral transfer device needs to support the whole length of the patients body * The are where the patient is being transferred to needs to be slightly lower * When a patient is being transferred from supine (on back) to prone (on front) the support equipment (such as pillows or spine table need to be utilised in the transfer * Mechanical devices such as Hover Mat air assisted mattress transfer devices have been devised to assist in the safe transfer of Perioperative patients† Manual Tasks Involving the Handling of People Code of Practice 2001, Qld. â€Å" Section 27A Managing exposure to risks (1) To properly manage exposure to risks, a person must— (a) identify ha zards; and (b) assess risks that may result because of the hazards; and (c) decide on appropriate control measures to prevent, or minimise the level of, the risks; and (d) implement control measures; and e) monitor and review the effectiveness of the measures. (2) To properly manage exposure to risks, a person should consider the appropriateness of control measures in the following order— (a) eliminating the hazard or preventing the risk; (b) if eliminating the hazard or preventing the risk is not possible, minimising the risk by measures that must be considered in the following order— (i) substituting the hazard giving rise to the risk with a hazard giving rise to a lesser risk; (ii) isolating the hazard giving rise to the risk from anyone who may be at risk; (iii) minimising the risk by engineering means; (iv) applying administrative measures; (v) using personal protective equipment. 9 Without limiting section 28, discharging an obligation under the section includes, having regard to the circumstances of any particular case, doing all of the following— (a) providing and maintaining a safe and healthy work environment; (b) providing and maintaining safe plant; (c) ensuring the safe use, handling, storage and transport of substances; (d) ensuring safe systems of work; (e) providing information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure health and safety. † Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995, Qld Manual Tasks Involving the Handling of People Code of Practice 2001 The People Handling Code of Practice states ways to prevent or minimise exposure to risk due to the handling of people that can cause or aggravate work related musculoskeletal disorders. It applies to any workplace activity requiring the use of force by a person to hold, support, transfer (lift, lower, carry, push, pull, slide), or restrain another person at a workplace. This code outlines practical ways in which a person to whom this code applies can meet the requirements of the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995. Guidance on the broad area of manual tasks in all its forms, including the moving of equipment used for handling people, is provided in the Manual Tasks Code of Practice. What is â€Å"people handling†? People handling refers to any workplace activity where a person is physically moved, supported or restrained at a workplace. Specifically, people handling refers to workplace activities requiring the use of force exerted by a worker* to hold, support, transfer* (lift, lower, carry, push, pull, slide), or restrain* a person* at a workplace. * Exacerbating and worsening musculoskeletal disorders– likely/major to catastrophic (permanent loss of employment) * Team unpreparedness – likely/minor major * http://www. noweco. com/risk/risk04e. gif All people handling activities are a potential source of injury and therefore, a hazard. If you undertake people handling at your workplace, you should use a process to manage the risks associated with this hazard People handling is often only one part of a theatre nurses job. If other parts of the nurses job also involve manual handling of other loads, it is necessary to assess the whole job and manage the risks associated with undertaking those activities which add to the accumulative stress on the worker’s body. 1. People handling activities is a collective term for a group of related people handling tasks. 2. People handling tasks are the specific ‘pieces’ of work undertaken at the workplace, which involve the physical movement of a person. 3. People handling actions are the individual elements of the task and refer to movements which are undertaken. † Manual Tasks Involving the Handling of People Code of Practice 2001, Qld. Common work-related actions within people handling tasks which contribute to WRMDs include: * frequent and repetitive lifting with a bent and/or twisted back regardless of weight * static working positions with the back bent, for example, holding a limb during a surgical procedure or providing stability while a person stands â€Å" Manual Tasks Involving the Handling of People Code of Practice 2001, Qld. Risk factors To gain a greater understanding of the relationship between people handling activities and injury, it is useful to consider the ‘risk factors’ which influence the level of risk associated with undertaking people handling tasks. These risk factors can be grouped into two distinct categories: * direct risk factors – which directly stress/injure the worker’s body * contributing risk factors and modifying risk factors which affect how the task or action is done. There are three direct risk factors: * forceful exertion * working postures (awkward, static) * repetition and duration. The risk management process Under the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 (the Act), exposure to health and safety risks that arise from workplace hazards (such as people handling) must be managed. The Act places this responsibility for workplace health and safety upon certain people (such as relevant persons and persons in control of workplaces) Risk management is an ongoing process. It should be undertaken: * now, if it has not been undertaken before * when changes occur at, or are planned for, the workplace * when there are indications for potential injury * after an incident (or ‘near miss’) occurs * at regularly scheduled times appropriate to the workplace. The steps below illustrate the application of the risk management process to managing exposure to the risks associated with people handling. Identification The first step in the process of managing exposure to people handling risks is identification. This step involves identifying people handling tasks, actions within each task, direct risk factors, and, contributing and modifying risk factors The first part of identification is to make a list of those tasks undertaken at the workplace that involve handling people. 1. Consult with workers and observe the tasks. 2. Make a list of all the people handling tasks. 3. Make a list of the actions within each of these tasks 4. For each action, determine which of the direct risk factors are present. 5. For each action, identify the contributing and modifying factors Assessment Assessment involves determining the level of risk associated with each of the people handling actions identified. The desired outcome of the assessment step is a prioritised list of people handling actions requiring control. Further, when more than one people handling task is assessed, then the overall risk estimate for the task can be used to develop a prioritised list of tasks requiring control. Consult with workers throughout this process to assist with determining the level of risk associated with each of the people handling actions and the priority of each task. 1. Consult with the workers. 2. Determine the level of risk associated with each action 3. Prioritise actions for control. In order to prioritise the people handling actions, the risk associated with performing each action should be assessed. It is up to the assessor how this assessment is done. The assessor can choose any method of risk assessment as long as a prioritised list of actions is achieved. A way of assessing risk is to consider the likelihood and consequences of an incident occurring at the workplace. Likelihood – of an incident occurring at the workplace * To estimate the likelihood of an incident occurring at the workplace, the following aspects can be considered: * how often the action is undertaken the number of workers performing the same or a similar action * the duration of time that the action is performed * distractions * the effectiveness of existing control measures * capacity and characteristics of the workers * environment * availability and use of equipment * condition of equipment * injury data/history6. Consequences – of an incident occurring at the workplace To estimate consequences, the severity of a potential injury or illness that could result from performing a people handling action can be considered. Reference can also be made to injury records and statistics, and information on injuries from people handling in related industries for an indication of the potential severity of injury. Use this likelihood and consequence estimate to rank and then, list the people handling actions requiring control. The decision is then made that for some actions, for example, those for which it is very unlikely that an incident would occur and for which the consequences are minor, may not require control. A summary of the assessment process Consult with workers: * Estimate the likelihood of an incident occurring at the workplace. * Estimate the consequences of an incident occurring at the workplace * List the people handling actions in the order of they require control. Questions to ask: * What do the workers think? * What is the likelihood and potential severity of injury associated with each action? * What should be fixed? What should be fixed first? Control Risk control strategies involve: * making decisions about the best measure(s) to control exposure to the contributing and modifying risks identified * implementing the chosen controls. Consultation with workers is an importan t part of this process. Design controls involve the arrangement, or alteration of: * physical aspects of the work area such as equipment or furniture/fittings, or * the work procedure. * Design controls are preferred because they * can eliminate or at least minimise exposure to risk factors * have the advantage of being relatively permanent (compared with administrative controls). For these reasons, implement design controls wherever possible. Administrative controls are achieved primarily by modifying existing personnel arrangements. Administrative controls do not remove the root cause of potential problems. These controls can only reduce exposure to the risk of injury. They might also be forgotten or not followed under stressful or other conditions as they are behaviour based, for example coping with staff reduction It includes consideration of factors such as – * the work postures required to carry out the action, how often it is repeated and for how long. Provide mechani cal aids where appropriate given the sterile environment in the perioperative unit – Hovermats are elpful in reducing the load of manual handling – but these are prohibitively expensive and require as many people to move patient safely as any other method Task-specific training Training in work methods for specific tasks or actions helps workers to carry out these tasks/actions in a safe and effective way. * Controls should not create other risks – the solutions should not result in a transfer of risk, for example, incorrect use of a handling aid, such as a transfer sheet can create forceful exertions on the workers forearm Although all the manual handling issues in the Perioperative are beyond this papers’ parameters, at least this area of patient care should be lifted to a much higher profile from a management, safety and a professional longevity perspective. Low back pain has been described as one of the main occupational problems among healthcare workers and nurses frequently have the highest incidence (Karahan, Kav, Abbasoglu amp; Dogan,2008) What is needed is a consistent, determined and educated effort on the part of the unit manager, nurse educator and occupational health and safety team to implement a program that will drive the manual handling of people to the forefront of safety practices in the unit – where bariatric patients (more than 100kgs) are becoming the norm rather than the exception, across all age groups and gender. Hospital and other care facilities have not generally been designed with the movement of bariatric patients in mind. ( Safework Australia, 2009). It is assumed largely by practicing nurses in the perioperative unit that new staff that join the team have some background in manual handling. Many students report that they have little to no manual handling training, other than hands on with another marginally more experienced nurse directing their work task, this is not a satisfactory or safe method of training – either for the nurse or the patient. Much more emphasis must be directed at the pre-employment and career development process in the safe development and competent use of manual handling techniques of vulnerable, often otherwise well patients who have mostly elective surgery for non- life threatening procedures. As the patient advocate, it is the nurses responsibility to ensure a safe passage through the perioperative journey.

Remoción de condiciones de la residencia por matrimonio

Remocià ³n de condiciones de la residencia por matrimonio Los extranjeros que obtienen la tarjeta de residencia por matrimonio  con un ciudadano antes de cumplir los dos aà ±os de casados  deben solicitar la remocià ³n de las condiciones si quieren conservar su estatus de residentes. Hay que hacer la remocià ³n de la condicionalidad 90 dà ­as (3 meses) antes de que expire la tarjeta de residencia condicional. A partir de ahà ­ todas las green card que tenga sern definitivas, pero habr que renovarlas antes de que expiren. Quà © hacer para la remocià ³n de las condiciones de la tarjeta de residencia Rellenar conjuntamente ambos cà ³nyuges la planilla I-751 y enviarla al centro del USCIS que corresponda junto con el pago de la tarifa y la documentacià ³n necesaria. La planilla debe rellenarse utilizando sà ³lo un bolà ­grafo de tinta negra. Escribir N/A para dejar sin contestar las preguntas que no le afectan a su situacià ³n personal y escribir NONE cuando la respuesta deba ser ninguno. Si para contestar a alguna pregunta no llega el espacio proporcionado en el formulario, entonces tomar una hoja en blanco, escribir en la parte superior de la misma el nombre del residente permanente, su Alien Registration Number y la seccià ³n y nà ºmero de pregunta que se va a contestar en esta hoja adicional. Cundo no estn obligados los cà ³nyuges a rellenar conjuntamente la planilla I-751 Cuando el matrimonio haya sido de buena fe pero haya finalizado por viudedad, nulidad o divorcio. En este caso, adjuntar documento que acredite el fin del matrimonio. En los casos de divorcio à ©ste se ha tenido que producir por un caso de violencia o crueldad extrema hacia el cà ³nyuge extranjero. Incluso en los casos en los que el matrimonio no se ha disuelto pero el cà ³nyuge extranjero ha sufrido violencia domà ©stica à ©ste puede presentar en solitario la solicitud de remocià ³n de las condiciones de la tarjeta de residencia. Pero deber adjuntar documentacià ³n que pruebe esta situacià ³n, como son rà ©cords mà ©dicos, policiales, de asistentes sociales o de una corte. Incluso fotografà ­as de lesiones producidas por el abuso o declaraciones de un centro de acogida a và ­ctimas de la violencia domà ©stica. Documentos que se deben adjuntar con la peticià ³n Una fotocopia legible de la tarjeta de residencia por ambos lados. Documentos que sirvan de evidencia de que el matrimonio no es fraudulento y se ha celebrado con el à ºnico propà ³sito de conseguir los papeles. Entre los ejemplos de documentacià ³n que sirve para este propà ³sito destacan: Certificado de nacimiento de hijos en comà ºn.Hipotecas en comà ºn, contrato de arrendamiento, cuentas de banco de ambos cà ³nyuges, prà ©stamos, facturas a nombre de los dos, seguros de vida a favor del otro.Declaraciones juradas de al menos dos personas que conozcan la naturaleza del matrimonio y està ©n dispuestas a testificar que se trata de una relacià ³n de buena fe. En su declaracià ³n deben indicar su nombre completo, fecha de nacimiento, lugar de residencia y cà ³mo es que conocen al matrimonio.Adems, si se ha sido arrestado, demandado, o condenado en corte debe enviarse la documentacià ³n original que debe suministrar la agencia policial que realizà ³ el arresto, o la corte que sentencià ³ condenando o absolviendo. Y si se ha cumplido la condena, documentacià ³n original de ello. En los casos de multas de trfico no hay que notificarlas si no ha habido arresto y sà ³lo se ha impuesto pà ©rdida de puntos de la licencia de manejar y/o una multa inferior a los $500. Pero sà ­ deber hacerse cuando estn relacionadas con haber tomado alcohol o drogas. Si se adjunta algà ºn documento en un idioma distinto del inglà ©s, deber ser traducido por una persona que certifique que tiene un adecuado conocimiento de ambos idiomas. Costo de remover las condiciones de la tarjeta de residencia Este trmite tiene un costo de $590. En realidad hay que pagar $505 por el acto de la remocià ³n las condiciones y $85 por la gestià ³n de los datos biomà ©tricos (toma de huellas digitales, etc.). Adems, si un ciudadano americano hubiese pedido la tarjeta de residencia condicional para sus hijastros, adems de para su cà ³nyuge, deber abonarse $85 por cada nià ±o o muchacho para el que se realice el trmite de quitar las condiciones. Esto aplica sà ³lo en los casos en los que los chicos adquirieron la residencia al mismo tiempo que su padre o su madre o en los 90 dà ­as siguientes. Si tomà ³ ms tiempo, debe entonces rellenarse un I-751 por cada muchacho en esa situacià ³n. A dà ³nde enviar la documentacià ³n Depende del lugar de residencia habitual. Las personas que viven en los estados de Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Dakota del Norte, Dakota del Sur, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin y Wyoming o en los territorios de Guam o la Samoa Americana deben enviar la peticià ³n a: USCIS California Service CenterP.O. Box 10751Laguna Niguel, CA 92607-1075 Pero si se vive en: Alabama, Arkansas, Carolina del Norte, Carolina del Sur, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nuevo Hampshire, Nueva Jersey, Nuevo Mexico, Nueva York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, y Virginia Occidental o en las Islas Và ­rgenes Americanas o Puerto Rico, entonces se enviar la documentacià ³n a: USCIS Vermont Service Center75 Lower Welden StreetP.O. Box 200St. Albans, VT 05479-0001 Entrevista Estas 65 preguntas dan una idea de quà © esperar en la entrevista a esposos. La finalidad es intentar diferenciar entre un matrimonio real y otro de mera conveniencia. El caso especial de cà ³nyuge de militares Las personas que desean remover las condiciones de su green card cuando estn en el extranjero acompaà ±ando a su cà ³nyuge que es militar o trabaja para el gobierno de los EEUU debern adjuntar dos fotos tipo pasaporte y una tarjeta con sus huellas digitales tomada en una oficina consular americana. Consejo y advertencia Se recomienda tomar este test sobre  cà ³mo obtener y conservar la tarjeta de residencia.  Sirve para asegurarse conocer informacià ³n esencial. Finalmente, los extranjeros que adquieren la green card por  ser inversionista  tambià ©n obtienen una tarjeta de residencia temporal. Pero para remover las condiciones deben seguir un trmite distinto. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

President Obama says he'd talk on GOP's terms if they raise debt Essay

President Obama says he'd talk on GOP's terms if they raise debt ceiling, fund government - Essay Example However, the Republicans, led by the speaker of the congress are against this position held by Obama’s administration. To him, what Obama is trying to do, is to force his point of view to the republicans, as a condition of engaging into talks with them (Acosta, Tom and Deirdre, 4). Mitt Romney disagrees with this method that Republican congress men are employing for purposes of preventing the implementation of Obama care (Pham, 2). Romney denotes that there are other methods of getting rid of the Obama care health plan, and this includes delaying its implementation for almost over one year (Pham, 1). According to Mitt Romney, this health care policy will ruin the American economy, and therefore it is necessary to prevent it. Romney further denotes that methods such as educating the population against this policy are also an effective method of preventing the implementation of President Obama policies on health. He gave an example of the 21 hour speech of Senator Cruz, in which he strongly criticized the Obama health care plan. To him, this plan would ruin the American economy, and state. Other methods that Romney proposes include working hard in the campaigns for purposes of ensuring that the republicans gain the control of the congress and the senate. By doing this, they will be able to prevent bills that would work against their interests. The reasons as to why the republicans are not right in forcing a government shutdown, is that the economy of the nation might go into a recession. There is a possibility that the country’s stock market might fail, and over 800,000 federal employees might lose their work (Pham, 3). Romney therefore urges his fellow Republicans to desist from using such draconian measures in forcing the government of president Obama from implementing his health care reforms. This is because such measures are not patriotic, and there effect will be felt through the collapse of the country’s economy. Lately, for purposes of ending the stalemate, the republicans agreed for a temporary measure of funding the federal government initiatives. This measure is attached with a condition that the government won’t attempt to fund any additional policies, other than what was in the budget. The temporary offer would last for six weeks, when both the government and the republicans negotiate on the way forward in regard to implementing Obama care, and reducing the country’s debts. President Clinton also opposes this move by the Republican congress men. According to Clinton, the Republican wants the government of America to fail by denying it money to fund its activities. This is not what the founders of nation advocated for, during the creation of the federation. He further denotes that the proposals by the Republican congress is draconian, and is meant to erase the gains made by President Obama in taking the country out of recession. This move by the Republican congress men will lead to an increase i n unemployment, and to higher standards of living, therefore President Obama is right to refuse negotiating with these congress men based on their demands. According to Clinton, the rate of unemployment has decreased, and the country is nearly reducing its deficit. On this basis, the action by the Republican to cause the shutdown of the government is unwise, and therefore uncalled for. One of the methods that I would suggest in ending this stalemate is for the President and the Republicans to

Independent Creative Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Independent Creative Writing - Essay Example I have created my time capsule keeping this fact in mind. It would be difficult to write about the culturally diverse American society and for this reason, a DVD should be made that would record the different aspects of the American society. These different aspects would be personal, business and recreational society. For this purpose, the video recorder will have to visit different homes, business centers including the White House and popular recreational spots including fast food joints such as McDonald’s. This DVD would be the main object of the time capsule. To ensure that the DVD is playable, a DVD player would also be included in the time capsule. Along with the DVD, an album of pictures will also be put in the time capsule. This album will have pictures of popular spots that are idolized by the society including Hollywood, fast food joints, stadiums, and theaters etc. The composition of the pictures would be such that the essence of the place is captured, that is, stadium during a football match. I would also include a recent newspaper. This newspaper will cover most aspects of the contemporary American society including the most recent headlines and the opinions of leading journalists on the pressing problems of today’s society.

An Investigation of the Gender Gap of Boys Underachieving in Literacy Essay Example for Free

An Investigation of the Gender Gap of Boys Underachieving in Literacy Essay The purpose of this study was to investigate the gender gap, especially of boys’ underachievement in literacy, and discover if there are particular strategies that schools can implement in order to raise the attainment levels of boys. As the issue of the gender gap is so wide I selected literature to review which covered a wide range of theorists and existing studies. Specifically I wanted to identify some of the suggested causes for the underachievement of boys and any already proposed effective strategies which I could execute in my own study. The data I collected from the study was both qualitative and quantitative in order to give a more valid outcome; these included an open-ended, semi-structured interview, which I felt would enable the respondent to provide a wider range of ideas; questionnaires, observation and existing data. The results showed that there is in fact a close correlation between boys who do not read for pleasure/enjoyment and boys who underachieve. However it also showed that there are specific strategies that can be applied to meet the learning needs of boys in order to raise their achievements. However due to the scale of the topic this small study cannot provide a definitive outcome for the causes and solutions of boys literacy, it has merely suggested some probable reasons for and some possible remedies. HYPOTHESIS During the past twenty years there have been rising concerns over the achievement gap between boys and girls, particularly with boys underachieving in literacy. The aim of this investigation is to identify if reading is the main factor for the achievements of boys in literacy, or if there are other strategies that can be implemented to raise the attainment levels of boys and therefore close the gap. To complete this study, I will undertake the investigation at an all boys’ school (for ethical reasons of anonymity, the school will be known as School A) located in a leafy suburban area in the North West of England. School A is a high achieving school compared to other mixed and same sex schools in the Local Area. The current Head of English (HoD) is driven, ambitious and highly motivated towards pupils’ achieving the best results possible. During the research I expect outcomes to show that there is a correlation between high achieving boys and enjoyment of reading for pleasure. I also expect to find that particular classroom strategies can effectively impact the attainment levels of boys, particularly in those who do not read for pleasure. LITERATURE REVIEW In 1993 Ofsted reported that boys do not perform as well in English as girls (cited in Bearne, 2004), and more recently the National Assessment of Education Progress (2009) has found that ‘female students consistently score higher than boys on average in both reading and writing’ (Watson et al., 2010: 356). However this concept is not a new one; researchers for the Gender and Education Association noted that in the 1950s and 1960s the pass rate for the eleven plus examinations, taken by almost all eleven year olds at this time, were different for boys and girls; Epstein et al. (1998 cited in Watson et al., 2010) claims that the pass rate for boys was lower than girls because girls supposedly matured earlier than boys. Gareth Malone, writing for the Telegraph in September 2010 stated that nationally ‘boys lag behind girls in reading by 6 percentage points and in writing by 15 percentage points’ (Malone, 2010). Despite this, Gorard (2001, cited in Malacova, 20 07) believes that, the panic about the gender achievement gap is exaggerated; he blames the concept on lack of sufficient data, which until recently had not been available, and believes that a lot of the assumptions regarding boys underachievement is based on statistical misinterpretation. Gorard (2001, cited in Malacova, 2007) conducted the first UK analysis of national data set over a six year period; he found that the gap only appeared amongst high-ability pupils and that the number of boys and girls failing exams was similar. His conclusions found that the gender gap was, if anything, decreasing. Regardless of Gorard’s (2001) analysis, there are many who still feel that the performance gap is a concern. In 1993 the Ofsted report offered some insight into differing perspectives and explanations for boys’ underachievement, including the lack of male literacy role models, classroom strategies, curriculum literacy content, perceptions of behaviour, social class and ethnicity (cited in Bearne, 2004). Solsken (1995, cited in Bearne, 2004) added to this list claiming that literacy is associated more with females and femininity and believes that this possibly has a negative effect on boys and their attitudes towards reading. Solken’s (1995) argument links very closely with Watson et al.(2007) who proposed that popular explanations often focus on boys’ ‘biological make-up’. They claim that evidence shows that ‘hegemonic masculinity is central to the struggles boys face as literacy learners’ (Watson et al. 2010: 357). Rowan et al (2002) also believes that ‘boys are biologically different to girls and that this biologically difference is the cause of behavioural differences’ (Rowan et al. 2002, cited in Watson et al. 2010:357). He believes that due to these biological differences, boys and girls are defined by inherent masculinity and femininity characteristics and in order for educational success this must be acknowledged and accommodated for. This is an important assertion to consider for this particular case study; due to the domination of boys in School A it is important to understand how masculine characteristics are catered for in an all boysâ€⠄¢ school. One of the suggestions to improve literacy for boys is to make education more ‘boy friendly’ by including more reading materials that boys enjoy, such as action and graphic novels, which will motivate boys to read. Hornton (2005) believes that adolescent boys could rediscover the magic of books by using texts that appeal to their interests. Young and Brozo (2000, cited in Brozo, 2010) deem that encouraging boys and actively helping them to find access points into literacy and reading should be made priority by teachers. During this particular study the idea and notion of actively promoting literacy through any route possible is addressed by School A’s English department head in the interview, and shows that it is essential for boys be aware that reading does not have to be confined to specific genres and authors. Furthermore Cole Hall (2001, cited in Taylor, 2004) claim that boys read less fiction than girls, preferring to opt for texts that contain more facts and less narrative, such as magazines or texts that are analytical. Similarly Millard (1997) claims that boys tend to opt for genres such as action and science fiction whilst reading as little as possible in school that they think they can get away with. Due to these preferences, boys’ are at a disadvantage in academic literacy as their motivation towards school texts and curriculum texts is affected. Probst (2003, cited in Taylor, 2004) believes that if boys are to engage with reading, the texts that they are asked to study need to be significant to them. In other words it seems that in current literacy education, there is not enough stimulating material which addresses the needs or interests of boys. Millard (1997) relates the findings of boys’ apparent lack of interest in reading as significant to low achievement in English, while Holland (1998) attributes lesson style and strategies as some of the other causes for underachievement. Both of these arguments are valid for this particular study and will be investigated further by studying the reading habits and the predicted GCSE grades of boys in a high set and a low set, and by exploring particular teaching styles implemented in School A. Holland’s study (1998) showed that boys can spend any amount of the day, stemming from 25 percent up to 75 percent, passively listening to the teacher rather than actively engaging. When trying to reason why boys had a tendency for this she found that the boys preferred lessons which were practical, had a range of different activities (such as personal research, groups work or discussions), or involved competition. If boys are passive during English lessons they are not learning the essential literacy skills required to help them achieve results. Taking this into consideration it seems then that pedagogical practice needs to be addressed. Taylor (2004) suggests that teachers contemplating their own practice could reflect on whether they are meeting the individual learning needs for each boy through learning pace and style, and innovative strategies which build on boys’ existing interests to maximise their potential, development and emotional needs. Pollack (1998, cited in Taylor, 2004) agrees with this theory suggesting that numerous opportunities should be presented to boys for hands on, interactive learning. METHODOLOGY My approach to research was identified by the nature and context of the question. After considering the purpose and desired outcomes for the investigation I decided that the research would take the form of a case study, incorporating a combination of both qualitative and quantitative data to ensure validity and reliability; ‘qualitative methods may supplement the findings by identifying gaps from the quantitative study’ (Bryman Bell 2007:650). The decision was made to collect evidence using a multi-method approach including interviews, questionnaires and analysis of existing recorded data. According to Gillham (2000) ‘different methods have different strengths and different weaknesses’ (Gillham 2002:13), and so ‘triangulation to strengthen your findings’ (Greetham 2009:184) was implemented to strengthen the validity of the study. To form part of the qualitative data I arranged an interview with the head of the English department. The purpose of the interview was to gain a deeper understanding of the context of the department and of the strategies which have raised attainment and achievement within the subject. Jones (1985) claims that ‘In order to understand other persons’ constructions of reality, we would do well to ask them and to ask them in such a way that they can tell us in their terms (rather than those imposed rigidly and a priori by ourselves)’ (Jones cited in Punch 2009:144). Taking this into consideration I decided that the interview should be open-ended and semi-structured for flexibility; Cohen et al. (2007) claim that semi-structured interviews gather ‘more intangible aspects of the school’s culture, e.g. values, assumptions, beliefs, wishes, problems.’ (Cohen et al., 2007:97). A semi-structured interview then would enable me to gather more in-depth information regarding the Head of Department’s ideas and beliefs surrounding School A’s succe sses. To understand boys and literacy, and whether reading habits have an impact on GCSE results, a questionnaire was compiled to collect primary data and distributed to a top set and a bottom set year 11 English class. According to Gillham (2002), questionnaires are not typical of case study research; however they can be used to obtain simple, factual information. For the purpose of this part of the study I felt that a questionnaire was a practicable way to acquire important facts regarding the reading habits of a group of high ability boys and a group of low ability boys. These would then be compared to analyse and identify any correlation between reading habits and English predicted exam results using samples from the furthest range on the ability spectrum. During the research I also decided to collect additional data through participant observation. The aim of this was to gain an ontological perspective of the pupils enabling me to observe interaction, relationship and actions performe d by pupils. I felt that this would help me to make sense of the data collected in both the interview and the questionnaire. In regards to validity and obtaining accurate results from my observations, I first needed to develop a relationship with the classes I intended to observe to ensure that my presence was unobtrusive and did not affect their normal behaviours and create a bias observation. To achieve this I regularly participated in classroom observation at the back of the room in attempt to become a participant in the classroom context. Trochim (2001) claims that ‘the researcher needs to become accepted as a natural part of the culture to ensure that the observations are of the natural phenomenon’ (Trochim, 2001: 161), therefore I attended certain classes as an observer over a series of months to ensure that the pupils were comfortable with my presence and so acted within normal behaviours. The final set of data collected was secondary data compiled of the school’s GCSE results since the Head of English was appointed, including results form 2008, 2009 and 2010. The data also provided average GCSE results for the rest of the Local Authority enabling me to compare the school’s results against average achievements in the LA. The purpose of this data was to compare the information obtained from the interview with the head of department, about strategies implemented to raise attainment, against the GCSE results. ANALYSIS The Interview: The aim of the interview with the English Head of Department (HoD) was to discover if GCSE results had improved since being appointed Head of English at School A, and if so to discuss the strategies and provisions which had been implemented to raise the achievement levels in literacy at School A. The current HoD had taken over the English department in April 2008; the English GCSE in the Local Authority that year was 64.5 percent of students achieving A*- C; School A achieved 58 percent, more than 6 percent less than the LA average and 2.1 percent less than the national average. However in 2009 the following year, after just one year as the department head, School A had improved their results by 20.7 percent. The LA’s average results in English in 2009 was 66.7 percent achieving A*-C, the national average was 62.7 percent, while School A’s results were up to 78.7 percent. In 2010 the GCSE results at school A dipped slightly to 76.8 percent due to the school’s wea ker cohort for that particular year; however the results were still higher than the Local Authority’s average of 70.4 percent and the national average of 64.8 percent. Due to the weaker cohort that year the HoD considered this result to be an excellent achievement. Strategies implemented in the department were a crucial factor for the improved attainment levels across the Key Stages at School A. In September 2009 a centralised, uniformed English curriculum was introduced to Key Stage 3 aiming to â€Å"drip-feed† appropriate skills and assessments to pupils that prepares them with relevant GCSE experience before they enter Key Stage 4. Pupils in Key Stage 3 are assessed each half term (part of Assessing Pupils’ Progress) and are assessed in relatively the same way as the new Specification GCSE, ensuring the identification of weakness areas for improvement. Despite the success of raised attainment across the Key Stages, these strategies cannot be considered as part of School A’s GCSE progression; the first year group from Key Stage 3 in September 2009 are due to sit their GCSE exams in the summer of 2011, only then will it be pos sible to determine if this strategy attributes to the departments achievements. There are, however, specific strategies in place which can be measured against the department’s raised achievement results. These are those that have already been applied at Key Stage 4, including a uniformed teaching curriculum incorporating, for example, all of the same poets and clusters in the GCSE specification; personalised revision packages which identify individual’s weakest areas combined with personalised intervention to improve these weaker areas and ensure pupils’ achieve highest marks possible; ceased timetables for year 11 pupils close to exams and new timetables put in place to prioritise learning for the nearest exam. The Head of Department believes that all of these are essential contributing factors for the departments improved results. Other elements, which the Head of English believes help pupils at School A to maximise their achievements, are more innovative and practical activities for example the employment of production companies to perfor m GCSE texts such as Of Mice and Men; and school trips to events such as Poetry Live, an event hosted by poets from the GCSE anthology. Pollack (1998) argues that ‘we need to develop and implement innovative teaching approaches this may mean providing numerous opportunities for hands-on as well as interactive teaching’ (cited in Taylor, 2004:294). The English Head felt that these opportunities expanded the boys learning and understanding by developing them outside of the classroom context. Bearne (2003) claims that ‘There is a tendency for boys to draw on visual sources for their writing’ (Bearne, 2003:3) and so visual performances such as Of Mice and Men help the pupils to draw on their experiences through vision and memory. In addition to those already mentioned, the Head of Department also felt that the ethos created in the department combined with class room methods were an essential factor in the development and attainment of the pupils at School A. The department has a strong focus on literacy which is promoted broadly amongst all pupils, including reading groups and book clubs, as wel l as spelling and reading lessons delivered to pupils on a weekly basis. Pupils are encouraged to read regularly, regardless of material, to ensure positive enjoyment of reading. In contrast, Brozo (2002, cited in Taylor, 2004) felt that teachers were more likely to choose texts with narratives that did not appeal to boys. The HoD however regularly promoted the reading of any materials, whether it was comics, newspapers, information books or autobiographies; she felt that if pupils were to enjoy reading and increase their confidence with literacy, they should feel that any text that they enjoy to be suitably considered. In terms of classroom strategies the department endorses well paced positive learning in an environment of mutual respect between pupil and teacher; clear personal targets which are monitored explicitly; strong Assessment for Learning to test and extend pupils’ understanding and learning through challenge, feedback and routes to improve; short, sharp activities; a strong focus on reading; regular homework; and clear learning objectives which are reviewed during the plenary to ensure all pupils know the direction of learning. These techniques are consistent to that of a survey which was conducted of fourteen schools in 1997. The survey was performed by former HMI Graham Frater; he concluded that the most successful schools in regards to boys and literacy were the ones that paid a lot of focus towards teaching methods. Particular methods that he felt where important for success included: prompt starts to lessons with clear learning objectives shared; a challenging pace sustained throughout the lesson; lesson endings which reflected on the learning objectives and achievements within the lesson; a variety of activities; high expectations of the pupils combined with a non-confrontational attitude towards discipline; and effective modelling. It seems quite clear then that pupils’ achievements at School A can be attributed to the methods and strategies implemented consistently across the department. The pupils are suitably challenged with pace and activities, they know what the aims of their lessons are and how they have achieved these aims, they regularly assess their strengths and weaknesses and so understand what they need to do in order to raise their achievement levels. On the contrary, however, it is difficult to determine whether classroom and reading strategies are the most influential factor for raising attainment in boys and literacy. From observation of quiet reading lessons I discovered that many of the high ability pupils in the top set classes within Key Stage 3 welcomed the lesson as a chance to read an engaging book; however the lower ability groups were often much more difficult to set on task. Indecision over which books to read, reluctance to read quietly, and regular disruption amongst the pupils seemed a frequent occurrence in the low ability classes. When addressing reading, the HoD spoke about the issues regarding boys and reading, specifically in respect of boys’ loss of motivation of reading in their teenage years. She believed that possible causes in lack of motivation in boys and reading was due to their increased socialisation as they grew older, the introduction of more complex reading materials in preparation for GCSE, peer pressure from others that could overshadow pupils’ personal preferences, and she also felt that a lot of teenage boys only read to obtain information and not for pleasure. Taking these factors in to consideration she claimed that it is important to understand the reasons why boys do not enjoy reading but it is more productive to motivate and encourage them to read. The HoD considers the best way to encourage reluctant readers is by getting to know individual pupils and then gauge their interest levels and preferences as a starting point. Some of the suggested strategies, she felt were particularly useful, are to provide a variety of books, both fiction and non-fiction with appropriate reading levels; to keep in touch with boys current interests and provide books that reflect them; respect reading interests of young people and don’t expect them to only enjoy books suggested by the teacher; allow pupils to self-select their own books; encourage an interest in short stories, graphic novels and magazines, working up to full-length books; and to give academic recognition and credit for books read. These ideas meet the suggestions put forth by Hornton (2005), who stated that boys’ motivation should be encouraged with texts that appeal to their interests, and Young and Brozo (2000, cited in Brozo, 2010) who find it important to aid boys to seek access points into literacy and reading. The Questionnaire: The questionnaire was distributed to a high ability top-set year 11class and a low ability bottom set year 11 class. There were 32 pupils in the high set and 13 in the low set. The aim of the questionnaire was to compare the reading habits and attitude towards reading from a range of pupils of different abilities. According to Hornton (2005) there is a correlation between individuals with low level literacy skills and those who dislike reading for pleasure, and so I predicted that an individual’s attitude toward reading would correlate with their predicted GCSE grade; the more pupils enjoy reading and feel that it is important, the higher I expected their grade to be. The predicted GCSE grades in the set one class ranged from A* C while the set five classes’ grades ranged from B – G. The questionnaires revealed that in the top set group 84.38 percent of pupils enjoyed reading and 90.63 percent felt that reading was important for reasons such as expanding vocabul ary, increasing knowledge and learning new things. There was a vast difference in comparison with the lower set where only 23.8 percent of pupils enjoyed reading and just 53.85 percent felt that reading was important. It appears then that there is indeed a correlation between literacy skills with enjoyment of reading, however other elements surveyed in the questionnaire aimed to establish whether boys and literacy could have a direct link to their parents’ relationship with reading. The survey asked pupils if their parents enjoyed reading and if they had been encouraged to read as a child. Sadowski (2010) analysed the literacy gap between working and upper class boys, he found that the gap for more affluent boys was not as large as those from working class backgrounds and attributed this to richer boys growing up with father’s who were readers. This suggests that pupils whose parents enjoy reading and encouraged them to read from a young age would achieve higher results than those whose parents either did not enjoy reading or did not encourage them. Surprisingly the results did not reflect this to an extent that one would have expected. In regards to pupils’ parents who enjoy reading, 76.92 percent of pupils in the lower ability set agreed that their parents enjoyed to read while 81.25 percent of pupils’ in the high ability group confirmed the same. Of parents who encouraged their sons to read as a child, 61.54 percent from the low ability agreed and 78.31 from the higher ability group. Despite a difference between the percentages for both groups’ parents who read and encouraged them to read when they were younger, the gap is not a remarkable one and does not qualify a distinct correlation between pupils’ ability in literacy and the relationship their own parents have with reading. The questionnaires revealed that in spite of 76.92 percent of their parents having an enjoyment of reading, only 23.08 percent of pupils in that class enjoy reading, which suggests that perhaps even if a higher percentage of parents had encouraged their son to read this would not necessarily have affected their attitude towards reading for pleasure and therefore would not affect their achievements in literacy. EVALUATION The outcomes and findings from this case study have, to some extent, complemented a lot of the existing research addressed in the literature review. For example Holland (1998) discovered that boys tend to spend a lot of time listening passively to teachers because they prefer lessons that are practical and involve a range of activities. From my observations in the classroom and confirmation from the Head of English in the interview, the boys at School A also learned best when lessons involved a series of different activities such as discussions, group work or practical tasks such as drama-based role plays. This outcome also corresponded with Malone (2010) who, in a venture to discover why boys where underperforming in literature, stated that he aimed to perform short, achievable tasks with the boys, he also suggested that giving explicit time frames focused the boys into completing their work. During the interview the HoD explained that by giving the boys at School A short time frame s to complete specific task, it kept the pace of the lessons challenging and rigorous and therefore engaged them in learning more effectively. However the problematic outcome for this particular study is that only one school has been investigated and so it is difficult to determine whether the observations, questionnaires and interview conclusions, pertaining to strategies and the improved GCSE literacy results for School A, are a true reflection of causes and solutions of underachievement. The English GCSE results were really poor at School A in 2008, just as the current Head of Department took over, and from the interview questions and answers it would seem that the department and classroom strategies implemented since then have helped to improve the pupils’ achievements. Nevertheless it is certainly impossible to verify whether these are the sole reason for improvement; one particular reason is that it was never established what mode of departmental and classroom strategies were in place before the current HoD took over from the previous. Another reason is that School A’s GCSE results prior to 2008 were not obtained for this study and so results before this year have simply been generalised based on the last available statistics. It could be assumed that the 2008 result may have been an isolated case and so accessing results prior to 2008 would have endorsed whether or not the results had improved substantially. Gorard et al (2001, cited in Malacova, 2007) believes that the gender gap is exaggerated and to some extent it is possible from this research to argue in favour of this. Over the past three years School A has achieved excellent GCSE results, especially in English and particularly in comparison to local and national results. School A is an all boys’ school and so advocates that boys in this particular context are not underachieving as are others in other contexts. This suggests that if School A can produce results above the average mark, particularly in a year when the cohort was extremely weak, i t should be possible for other schools to raise the achievement levels of literacy in boys just the same. However it would be possible to prove or disprove Gorard’s theory of the gender gap, if the strategies implemented at School A could be put into action in a school of a different context. If successful this would validate the outcomes from this case study, it would also give rise to further research based on boys and literacy and whether these strategies could be used in a co-educational school or if they are too specific to the needs of boys’ learning and therefore not beneficial to girls’ learning. I felt that the findings made regarding boys reading habits and their attainment levels were significant. From the sample of questionnaires taken there seemed to be a direct correlation between predicted grades A*-C and boys who enjoyed reading or felt that it was important; 100 percent of the boys in the high ability group were predicted a grade A*-C (although three pupils were unaware what their predicted grade is, the school setting procedures ensured that only bo ys predicted A*-C would be allocated to set one). Of this a high 90.63 percent felt that reading was important and 84.38 percent enjoyed reading for pleasure. There were however exceptions to this; one pupil in the higher ability group stated that he did not think reading was important because ‘I do not read and I am predicted A’s at GCSE’. Another boy from the high ability group, who has been predicted a C grade, also felt that reading was not important because it ‘doesn’t do anything’, however this boy also claimed that he enjoyed reading and so regardless of whether he felt that it was important or not, reading is part of his literacy development. Despite the boys who did not feel that reading was important, the majority of the boys in the class felt that reading was important; this suggests that the highest achieving literacy pupils in School A were ones that enjoyed reading and so this would also be an essential contributing factor to the success of their achievements. It is difficult here to state whether the reasons for the boys’ enjoyment of reading is owing to the strategies for motivating reading encouraged by the HoD and so part of the questions on the questionnaire should have been more open ended to allow pupils to explain perhaps what motivates their enjoyment of reading. The lower ability results from the questionnaire were also significant for showing a correlation between literacy achievements and reading habits. Only 23.08 percent read for pleasure and only half the class felt that reading was important, this suggests that the reason for low ability achievers is possibly due to the lack of enjoyment in reading. Once again the problematic issue with these results is that the number of pupils in the low ability class was considerably less than the number of pupils in the high ability class. To gain a perhaps more informed result from the questionnaires a larger sample from low ability classes should have been obtained to match the number of pupils in the high ability class. This may or may not have produced different results, but, whatever the outcome, they certainly would have been more valid. One final evaluation to consider, in regards to the low ability group, is how effective the suggested motivation strategies have been in engaging boys in reading. With only 23.08 percent of pupils in this class finding an enjoyment in reading it would seem that the strategies have been ineffective in increasing motivation and achievement in these particular pupils. What would have been an interesting study if had been possible, would be to assess pupils attitude towards reading and predicted grades before the HoD had taken over and implemented strategies, and then to compare them to the results that have been found during in this study. CONCLUSION Returning to the hypothesis, my aim was to find out if reading for pleasure impacted on boys’ attainment levels; whether the achievement of boys who did not enjoy reading was affected. I also wanted to identify successful teaching strategies and whether these would raise the levels of those boys who again did not enjoy reading. The study has shown that there is a correlation between boys reading habits and their achievement levels’; it has also identified some strategies that can be used to raise their attainment levels. However from this study alone it is difficult to say if those strategies implemented in an all boys’ classroom would be equally effective in a mixed sex classroom. Due to this it would be interesting to expand the research on a larger scale to investigate the impact of those strategies, which are effective for boys learning, on a) girls learning in a mixed classroom and b) boys learning in a mixed classroom. The gender gap issue is such a broad topic that research can be extended to a greater degree of investigation. For example I have covered some possible causes of boys’ underachievement in this study; however on a wider scale other possible causes could be explored such as masculinity and identity, class or ethnicity. I feel that the most important route to take continuing from this particular investigation would be a focus on masculinity stereotypes in the single sex classroom and the mixed classroom. Holland (1998) states that: Boys do appear to be locked inside a stereotype which appears to make them succumb to peer pressure and which inevitably impacts on their attitude to work’ (Holland, 1998: 177). Therefore researching ways that can reduce or even prevent these macho stereotypes in the classroom would be an important factor for understanding boys and underachievement. Despite that there is no definitive outcome from this study; I feel that it is something that I will take forward into my professional development; whether it is through consideration of differentiation in boys learning style in a mixed classroom, or through a focus of raising attainment levels in my classes. Whichever way I incorporate consideration of gender into my teaching, it is certainly something that needs to be addressed. Gorard (2001) believes that concern over the gender gap is exaggerated; however it is clear through GCSE tables that boys tend to achieve lower than girls. In relation to this then, it is important for both newly qualified teachers and established teachers to consistently strive to meet the learning needs of their pupils. It seems the most important way is by adapting their style and approach to learning styles to ensure that both girls and boys have equal opportunities to work and achieve their highest potential. BIBLIOGRAPHY BOOKS Bleach, K. (1998). Raising Boys Achievement in Schools. Staffordshire: Trentham Books Ltd. Brozo, W. G. (2002). To Be A Boy, To Be A Reader: Engaging Teen and Preteen Boys In Active Literacy. US: International Reading Association. Bryman, A. and Bell, E. (2007) Business Research Methods 2nd Ed. Oxford University Press Cohen, L. , Manion, L. Morrison, K (2007). Research Methods In Education. London and New York: Routledge. Cox, T. (2000). Combating Educational Disadvantage: Meeting the Needs of Vulnerable Children. London and New York: Falmer Press. Frances, B. (2000). Boys, Girls and Achievement: Addressing the Classroom Issues. London and New York: Routledge. Frater, G. (1997). Improving Boys Literacy. London: The Basic Skills Agency. Gillham, B. (2000). Case Study Research Methods. London and New York: Continuum. Greetham, B. (2009) How to Write Your Undergraduate Dissertation. Palgrave Macmillan. Mason, J. (1996). Qualitative Researching. London, Thousand Oaks, New Delhi: Sage. M illard, E. (1997). Differently Literate. London, Washington DC: The Falmer press. Punch, K. F. (2009). Introduction to Research Methods in Education. Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington DC: Sage. Rae, T., Pederson, L. (2007). Developing Emotional Literacy With Teenage Boys. London, California and New Delhi: Paul Chapman Publishing. Trochim, W. M. (2001). The Research Mothods Knowledge Base. Cincinnati, OH: Atomic Dog Publishing. Weeks, A. (1999). The Underachievement of Boys. Northants: First and Best Education. JOURNALS Holland, V. (1998). Underachieving Boys: Problems and Solutions. Support for Learning , 13(04), pp.174-178. Hornton, R. (2005). ‘Boys Are People Too: Boys and Reading, Truth and Misconceptions’. Teacher Librarian ,.33(2), pp 30-32. Malacova, E. (2004). ‘Effects of Single-sex Education on Progress in GCSE’. Cambridge Assessments UK , 33, pp233-259. Mills M. Keddie, A. (2007). ‘Teaching Boys and Gender Justice’. International Journal of Inclusive Education ,11 (03), pp.335-354. Myhill, D. (2002). ‘Bad Boys and Good Girls? Patterns of Interaction and Response in Whole School Teaching’. British Education Research Journal , 28 (03), pp.339-352. Reichert, M. Hawley, R.(2010). ‘Reaching Boys An International Study of Effective Teaching Practices’. Phi Delta Kappan ,91 (04), pp35-40. Sadowski, M. (2010, August). ‘Putting The Boy Crisis in Context’. Education Digest , pp 4-6. Taylor, D. L. (2004, December). Ã¢â‚¬Ë œNot Just Boring Stories: Reconsidering the Gender Gap for Boys’. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy , pp290-298. Watson, A., Kehler, M. Martino, W. (2010, February). ‘The Problem of Boys Literacy Underachievement: Raising Some Questions’. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 53(5) , pp356-361. WEBSITES Bearne, E. (2004, September). Raising Boys Achievement in Literacy. Retrieved March 2011, from RBA: www-rba.educ.com.ac.uk/PaperEB.Paf Boys Underachievement. (2005, November). Retrieved December 2010, from Teaching Expertise: www.teachingexpertise.com/articles/boys-underachievements-101 Gender and Achievement. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2010, from National Strategies: http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/46121?uc%20=%20force_uj Malone, G. (2010, September 2nd). Extraordinary School For Boys: helping boys love literacy. Retrieved April 11th, 2011, from Telegraph: www.telegraph.co.uk/education/7976044/Extraordinary-School-for-Boys-helping-boys-love-literacy.html Mendick, H. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2011, from Gender and Education:

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Finance Paper :: essays research papers

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Company Overview Formed in 1975, Microsoft started by selling a BASIC interpreter which quickly established a reputation for excellence. As the popularity of Microsoft BASIC grew, other manufacturers adopted Microsoft BASIC's syntax to maintain compatibility with existing Microsoft BASIC implementations. Because of this feedback loop, Microsoft BASIC became a de facto standard, and the company cornered the market. Later, it tried (unsuccessfully) to extend their grip on the home computer market by designing the MSX home computer standard. In late 1980, International Business Machines needed an operating system for its new home computer, the IBM PC. Microsoft subsequently purchased all rights to QDOS for $10,000, and renamed it MS-DOS (for Microsoft Disk Operating System). It was released as IBM PC-DOS 1.0 with the introduction of the PC in 1981. In contracting with IBM, however, Microsoft had retained the rights to license the software to other computer vendors as MS-DOS. The now highly profitable and cash rich Microsoft diversified into a wide variety of software products including: compilers and interpreters for programming languages and word processors, spreadsheets and other office software some of these products were successful, and some were not. By the turn of the millennium, many of Microsoft's software products dominated the market in their respective categories. Microsoft has devoted huge amounts of effort to marketing in developing their products and services, as well as to the integration of their software products with one another in an attempt to create a seamless and consistent computing environment for the user. Analysis I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trend Analysis Liquidity Ratios: Current Ratio – For the last three years was growing from 3.56 in 2001 to 3.81 in 2002 to 4.22 in 2003. The reason of grow is increased in Assets. Even though Liability was growing, Asset grow was more significant. Quick Ratio – Constant grow for the last three years. From 3.56 in 2001 to 3.76 in 2002 to 4.17 in 2003. The reason of grow is constant increase in Current Assets. Cash ratio – Big drop (from .35 to .087) in year 2002. In 2003 the rate grew from .087 to .460. The reason of drop in 2002 is decreased in Cash and big increase in Liabilities. The increase in 2003 occurs because of big increase in Cash and slight increase in Liabilities. Asset Management Ratios Total Asset Turnover – Dropped from .64 in 2001 to .58 in 2002 to .55 in 2003. The reason is big increase in Total Assets.

Splitting a message, and processing and gathering

This recipe will show you how you how to split a message into individual fragments, process each fragment individually, and re-aggregate the processed exchanges back Into a single exchange. In EIP terms, this is known as a Composed Message Processor, and Is made up of a combination of a Splitter and an Aggregated. How to do It†¦ In order to split and aggregate (Join) a message, combine a split DSL statement with an associated Congo as follows: 1. Define an Segregationist's Instance as described In the Aggregating related messages recipe.For this example, we will reuse theSetAggregationStrategy Implementation from that recipe: 2. Define a regular split block as per the Splitting a message into fragments recipe, breaking up the payload as you see fit through the use of an expression. Reference the Segregationist's instance through the strategy attribute in the split element: ${body) In the Java DSL, refer to the Segregationist's instance as the second parameter to the split() stat ement: from(â€Å"direct:in†) . Split(body(), new Straightforwardness()) . End() . To(â€Å"mock:out†); How it works†¦When an exchange reaches the split statement, It Is broken up Into Individual fragments as expected, each of which Is processed through the steps defined within the block. When each split fragment's exchange reaches the end of the split block, It Is passed Into theAggregationStrategy for aggregation. When all of the fragments have been processed, the final aggregated message proceeds down the route from the split block. This Is different from the normal Splitter behavior, which forwards the original message to that statement after the split statement.TIP By default, all processing Is performed by a single thread. You can parallelize the processing of each message fragment by using theparallelprocesslng option as described in the Processing split messages in parallel recipe. There's more†¦ An Segregationist's. When an exception is thrown during the processing of the fragment, the exchange will be immediately passed to Segregationist's. It is then up to the strategy to decide what to do with this information.