Parental Involvement in Childs Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Parental Involvement in Childs Education - Essay Example The key findings on the effects of parental involvement are likewise summarized based on a compilation of recent research findings. The quality of education is one of the major social issues all over the world, from developing countries in Africa to highly developed ones like America and Europe. The reason is rather easy to see in a world where natural resources are dwindling and the competition for economic power and a high quality of life is intensifying. Ultimately, the continued economic progress of nations would be determined by the quality of their human resources, which in turn depends on the quality of a nation's educational system (Glatthorn, 1999). In America, for example, a government-led initiative that came to be known as the "No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001" was meant "to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic assessment" (NCLB, 2002, Section 1001). As the law's main aim was to improve the quality of education, educators have been asking uncomfortable but important questions as to how such a goal could be attained. Among the many proposed measures that could have a lasting and positive effect on improving education quality is one that is based on the hypothesis that a lack of parental involvement is detrimental to a child's education. This paper aims to prove the above hypothesis by using research findings to show that the following proposition is true: that increased parental involvement provides beneficial effects on the child's education. Also discussed would be several findings on the ways parents get involved in the education of their children; which type of involvement works best; the effects of parental involvement on student attitudes, self-concept, classroom behavior, and attendance; and at what levels of the child's education would parental involvement be useful. These findings are then summarized into seven major insights on the effects of parental involvement on their children's learning process and ways to encourage and sustain these based on experiences in the U.S. Parental involvement can be characterized in many ways, but all the literature on the topic agree that it includes various forms by which parents participate in their children's education and with the way education is carried out in schools. The range of parental involvement activities is wide: active tutoring of children at home, helping them with homework, becoming role models of positive behavior by showing eagerness to learn and study, or encouraging their children to learn, providing an appropriate place and time for serious study, and supporting their children's schooling by attending school functions and participating in school obligations (PTA, student plays, parent-child excursions, etc.). Parents can also extend their involvement outside the home-school environment by political lobbying, volunteering for community-based school projects, or getting public or corporate

An audit looking at how many patients are with thyroid dysfunction

An audit looking at how many patients are with thyroid dysfunction What is the function of thyroid gland and thyroid hormones The thyroid gland is located in the anterior part of the neck, attached to the thyroid cartilage. It consists of two lobes, approximately 5 cm each, that lie either side of the trachea joined in the middle by an isthmus. The thyroid gland is responsible for the production of three thyroid hormones: Calcitonin (involved with calcium homeostasis), Thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3). Everyday, approximately 100  ¿Ã‚ ½g of T3 and T4 are secreted 90% of which are in the form T4. Most of T4 is later converted to T3 in the liver and Kidneys. T3 is 10 times more active than T4. [1] The thyroid hormones are responsible for the control of basal metabolic rate. Expand? How is Thyroid hormone regulated The functional unit of the thyroid is the follicle. A spherical arrangement of secretory epithelial cells around a protein rich colloid. It is at this cell-colloid boundary that thyroid hormones are formed by iodination of thyroglobulin formed from tyrosine.[1] The follicular cells are involved in active absorption of iodine from the plasma which is required for thyroglobulin synthesis. The formed thyroid hormone is stored in the colloid until its secretion is triggered by thyroid stimulating hormone from the anterior pituitary which triggers the degradation of thyroglobulin in the follicular cells to release thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone secretion is under the control of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. The hypothalamus releases Thyrotrophin Releasing Hormone (TRH) which stimulates the anterior pituitary to secrete Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). The TSH reaches the thyroid where it binds to the TSH receptors on the surface of the follicular cell, stimulating it to produce and release thyroid hormones. The homeostasis of thyroid hormone concentration is maintained by a negative feedback loop whereby increased concentration of thyroid hormone inhibits Thyroid Stimulating Hormone release from the anterior pituitary by decreasing the affinity for TRH. This leads to a decrease in TSH causing reduced amount of thyroid hormone to be released by the thyroid gland. This feedback loop enables us to monitor patients on thyroid hormone replacement therapy (such as Levothyroxine) by measuring TSH levels. If for instance the prescribed dose is insufficient, it would lead to inadequate inhibition of the pituitar y gland and a raised serum TSH level. The reverse would occur with levothyroxine excess. () This cannot be done in patients with secondary hypothyroidism. So what do we do then? Common pathologies Thyroid disease is the second most common endocrine disorder after diabetes.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Hypothyroidism Hypothyroidism is defined as an underactive thyroid gland leading to decreased levels of T3 and T4. The annual incidence of hypothyroidism in the UK is 4 per 1000 in women and 0.6 per 1000 in men.[3] Symptomatic hypothyroidism is known as myxodema. Hypothyroidism is categorised into primary and secondary. Primary hypothyroidism results from disease processes affecting the thyroid gland itself, slowly decreasing thyroid function and thyroid hormone production. Onset of symptoms is therefore gradual, developing over months or even years. Secondary hypothyroidism is relatively uncommon. Secondary hypothyroidism develops when the pituitary is unable to produce enough TSH to induce enough T3 and T4 production from the thyroid gland. The causes of secondary hypothyroidism can include a pituitary tumour. Patients with hypothyroidism could present with a number of signs and symptoms including:  ¿Ã‚ ½ Tiredness  ¿Ã‚ ½ Somnolence  ¿Ã‚ ½ Slow cognition  ¿Ã‚ ½ Cold Intolerance  ¿Ã‚ ½ Depression  ¿Ã‚ ½ Bradycardia  ¿Ã‚ ½ Weight gain  ¿Ã‚ ½ Calf stiffness  ¿Ã‚ ½ Menstrual disturbance  ¿Ã‚ ½ Carpal tunnel syndrome  ¿Ã‚ ½ Hearing impairment  ¿Ã‚ ½ Dry, thin and pale skin  ¿Ã‚ ½ Puffiness below the eyes  ¿Ã‚ ½ Bradycardia The most common cause of primary hypothyroidism in the UK is autoimmune thyroiditis. In Hashimoto ¿Ã‚ ½s thyroiditis autoantibodies are produced against thyroglobulin. This leads to inflammation of the thyroid gland as it is infiltrated by lymphocytes causing goitre formation. Hashimoto ¿Ã‚ ½s thyroiditis is remarkable in this respect that it initially causes hyperthyroidism as inflammation of the thyroid gland releases stored thyroxine. Once this released thyroid hormone is metabolised the patient progresses to normal and then a hypothyroid state. [1] Other notable causes of hypothyroidism include:[4]  ¿Ã‚ ½ Iatrogenic: Radioiodine ablation or thyroidectomy as a treatment for hyperthyroidism  ¿Ã‚ ½ Thyroiditis: Subacute (de Quervain ¿Ã‚ ½s) thyroiditis  ¿Ã‚ ½ Drugs: Lithium, Amiodarone, thalidomide, rifampicin and sutinib as well as drugs used in the treatment of hyperthyroidism  ¿Ã‚ ½ Iodine deficiency: common in some developing countries but very rare in the western world At the opposite end of the spectrum lies Hyperthyroidism where there is increased Free T4 and a reduced level of TSH and has the opposite effect on the body than the one noticed in hypothyroidism e.g. tachycardia, heat intolerance etc. Hyperthyroidism is not covered further as this audit focuses on hypothyroidism. Diagnosis and treatment Symptoms of hypothyroidism are quite non-specific and can commonly occur with other medical conditions not related to the thyroid. Diagnosis of hypothyroidism therefore should not be made on clinical symptoms alone and it is essential to test thyroid function biochemically. This is done by measuring Thyroid Stimulating Hormone and Free Thyroxine (T4) in blood. The normal reference range for TSH is 0.4  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre.[4] A TSH level within the normal reference range has over a 99% predicted value to rule out primary hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.[5] In hypothyroidism the patient would have a high Thyroid Stimulating Hormone level, with or without a low Thyroxine level. Depending on thyroid function tests hypothyroidism is further divided into: a) Overt hypothyroidism: patients with a high Thyroid Stimulating hormone level and a Low serum free Thyroxine (T4) b) Subclinical hypothyroidism: Patients with a high Thyroid Stimulating Hormone but a normal Thyroxine (T4) level Treatment depends on whether the patient has overt or subclinical hypothyroidism. Patients with overt hypothyroidism should be treated with Levothyroxine to render them  ¿Ã‚ ½euthyroid ¿Ã‚ ½.[5] According to NHS statistics 12 million Levothyroxine prescriptions were issued during 2006.[6] The goal of the treatment is to reduce the TSH back to within the reference range. The dose of Levothyroxine is usually titrated up from 25-50  ¿Ã‚ ½g daily however a recent trial has shown that this is unnecessary for most patients.[7] The study recommended that patients with no cardiac symptoms should be started on the full dose of 1.6  ¿Ã‚ ½g/kg. The following figure illustrates the algorithm for treatment of -pregnant adults with primary hypothyroidism:[4] Algorithm for management of non-pregnant adults with primary hypothyroidism [4] It is very important to monitor levothyroxine therapy as over or under prescription can be dangerous. Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is the key method of monitoring levothyroxine therapy in patients with primary hypothyroidism. Unlike the thyroid function tests used to diagnose thyroid disease, free T3 and T4 levels are not very useful in monitoring treatment as their levels are influenced by the prescribed dosage of thyroid replacement hormone and are not accurate indicators of the individual ¿Ã‚ ½s requirement. TSH without T3 and T4 is also a cheaper test to carry out in General Practice. Current guidelines state that patients should have their Thyroid Stimulating Hormone level tested eight to twelve weeks after starting levothyroxine.[4] The dose can later be fine tuned accordingly to get the TSH level in the lower half of the reference range.[5] Besides monitoring TSH levels, an assessment of the patient ¿Ã‚ ½s symptoms should also be made as some younger patients may need higher doses to relieve their symptoms in which case it is acceptable to have the TSH between 0.1-0.4 mU/Litre. The Quality and Outomes Framework (QOF) guidance suggests that all Patients on long term thyroid hormone replacement therapy should have their TSH levels tested yearly to make sure their replacement dose remains optimal.[8] Audit 1. Reason for audit move it to the top to include the rest of the study Despite the yearly TSH tests, studies have shown that a considerable number of hypothyroid patients managed in primary care have TSH levels outside of the reference range. Okosieme et al reported that in 2009 data collected from 11 GP practices showed that 37.2% of the 1037 patients on the hypothyroidism register were inadequately managed.[9] When we take into account the high prevalence of hypothyroidism (9.3% in women and 1.3% in men)[3] the results of the Okosieme et al study suggests that the total number of patients with suboptimal thyroid hormone replacement is significantly large. Imperfect thyroid hormone replacement could have damaging repercussions for health. It may adversely affect blood pressure, body weight and lipid profile. Since the basal metabolic rate of the body is controlled by thyroid hormones it is perhaps not surprising that a decrease in thyroid hormone levels leads to a decrease in metabolic rate and thus can cause weight gain. Even in euthyroid subjects there is a negative correlation between free T4 and Body Mass Index (BMI).[10] This suggests that even a small under-prescription of thyroid hormones could, over a period of time, lead to obesity. Reduced Thyroxine levels also cause a dyslipidemia characterised by increased Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) and a decrease in High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) with normal or slightly raised cholesterol levels.[11] Such a lipid profile is associated with a higher risk of atherosclerosis. The thyroid hormones also seem to have a role in blood pressure homeostasis as hypothyroid patients recorded a higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure after stopping thyroid replacement therapy.[12] Thus inadequate replacement may cause hypertension which, together with the dyslipidemia described above adds to the risk of atherosclerosis and its subsequent cardiovascular complications. Conversely, excessive thyroid hormone replacement has its own perils, having enhanced risk of atrial fibrillation, osteoporosis and fractures linked to it. Excessive thyroid hormone increases the risk of developing atrial fibrillation especially in older patients. Studies have shown that a low TSH level in patients over 60 years old have a threefold higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation.[13] Patients over treated with levothyroxine also show increased loss of bone mineral putting them at increased risk of osteoporosis.[14] Subsequent studies have shown that patients with a suppressed TSH i.e. = 0.03 mU/Litre also had an increased risk of fractures however this was not observed in patients with low but unsuppressed TSH (0.04  ¿Ã‚ ½ 0.4 mU/Litre).[15] This highlights the need for maintaining optimal thyroid hormone replacement in primary hypothyroid patients in the General Practice setting to reduce the above mentioned risk factors. The 11 GP practices used by Okosieme et al showed that there is significant room for improvement as one third of the patient population on levothyroxine had TSH levels outside the reference range.[0.11] Thus this is a worthwhile area for audit to establish current standards of care in our practice, Dr Dean Partners, Heald Green Health Centre. Since this audit has not been carried out before in the practice it would give an idea of how well the practice manages patients on thyroid hormone replacement therapy. The suggestions for improvement would be beneficial to the patients of the practice and might also help with obtaining QOF points. This audit would also be beneficial to me personally introducing me to the concept of audit cycles and giving me the opportunity to conduct my very first audit. It would also help me get a better understanding of management of hypothyroid patients which is the second most common endocrine disease in the UK after diabetes mellitus. 2. Criteria to be measured Serum Thyroid Stimulating Hormone is used as the gold standard for biochemically diagnosing hypothyroidism and monitoring thyroid hormone replacement therapy.[4] The reference range indicating adequate replacement is usually around 0.4  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre.[4, 9] However this figure slightly varies according to local guidelines. For this I have chosen to use TSH between 0.1  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre as a reference range for adequate thyroid hormone replacement as this is the reference range used by the local Primary Care Trust (Stepping Hill Hospital) and the practice. Patients with primary hypothyroidism on thyroid hormone replacement therapy should have a TSH level between 0.1  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre. 3. Setting standards For setting the standard I have found that there are no specific guidelines stating what proportion of patients should be achieving the above mentioned criteria. There are no NICE guidelines for the treatment of hypothyroidism. The QOF guidance states that patients should have their TSH levels tested yearly but it does not state the standard of care required. Having discussed this with GP at the practice I have decided that a theoretically ideal standard i.e. 100% of patients meeting the above criteria would be very impractical in theory from a resources perspective. Given the fact that suboptimal thyroid hormone replacement could be harmful, it is nonetheless important to achieve a high standard of care. Therefore I have decided on an optimum standard: 90% of patients with primary hypothyroidism on thyroid hormone replacement therapy should have a TSH level between 0.1  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre. 4. Preparation planning Before starting the audit I had a discussion with the GP tutor about worthwhile areas for audit. As I had never conducted an audit before he explained the audit cycle. As thyroid dysfunction was an area of interest for me I suggested undertaking this audit. The GP tutor agreed that this would be a useful area for audit and advised to me to review the literature to find out if it would be an appropriate audit from a clinical point of view and was an area where practice could be improved. After preliminary reading clinical reviews I formulated a step by step template of the things I felt should be covered and got the GP tutor ¿Ã‚ ½s approval to go ahead. The data was collected with the help of the GP tutor. As the practice keeps electronic records of all patients, EMIS Population manger search function. Using the search function we identified all patients who had been prescribed thyroid hormone replacement medication for the past 12 months. We then identified patients who in the past 12 months had had their TSH levels tested. We then selected patients who had a TSH =0.1 mU/Litre and TSH =4. Subtracting the number of patients which meet the TSH search parameters from the total number of patients on thyroid hormone replacement would give us the number of patients who were outside the reference range of TSH. 5. Initial data collection Criterion Number of Patients taking thyroid hormone replacement medication (n) Number of Patients with TSH levels within reference range Standard (%) Patients with primary hypothyroidism on thyroid replacement therapy should have a TSH level between 0.1  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre. 206 167/206 (81%) 90% Discussion Results: what they are. How close to the standard. Are they good enough? (no, didn ¿Ã‚ ½t meet the standards). Why didn ¿Ã‚ ½t they meet the standard? Merge results discussion with limitations discussion The data collected shows that the current practice is 9% below the standard set. The standard required i.e. 90% of patients with primary hypothyroidism on thyroid hormone replacement therapy should have a TSH level between 0.1  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre. However this was the case with only 167 patients (81%). This means that 39 patients (19%) did not meet the standard set. There could be several reasons why the results did not meet the standards set. One factor influencing TSH levels is the use of medicines which interact with thyroid function. Due to the limitations of the software used in data collection (as discussed below) we were unable to exclude patients who were on medication known to interact with thyroid function such as Amiodarone, Lithium, etc. Amiodarone, a fairly commonly prescribed drug to prevent arrhythmias, can cause deranged thyroid function as it contains iodine (37mg of iodine in 100mg of Amiodarone). This can cause a severe iodine overload and can lead to hypothyroidism as well as thyrotoxicosis.[0.16] Inclusion of such patients would bring the percentage down unfairly because management of such patients is a lot more complex and the TSH levels are not always a good indication of the adequacy of their thyroid hormone dosage. Patients with hypothyroidism due to Amiodarone are monitored by their Free T4 levels instead of TSH. [0.16] Another factor which could have contributed to the high number of patients with TSH levels outside those defined in the criteria is the possibility that patients with abnormal TSH levels often don ¿Ã‚ ½t get their levothyroxine dose optimised. A study published in 1995 reported that at one GP practice in Suffolk 71% of patients with abnormal TSH levels did not have their medication dosage change as a result.[17] If patients do not have their thyroid hormone replacement optimised as a result of abnormal TSH not only does it defeat the purpose of carrying out yearly TSH tests, it also means that these patients would continue to have an abnormal TSH when tested again. Currently we do not have the data to find out how many of the patients in our practice with abnormal TSH had not had their dose changed after a previous abnormal TSH in an attempt to bring it within the reference range specified in the criteria. Ranging from poor patient compliance to the way the data has been collected Lack of dose adjustment after abnormal TSH The way results were collected. Limitations of software used. Limitations of the results collected ie things missed: how many patients actually had test done in the last 12 months (QOF points). How many were over and how many were under prescribed. This audit has limitations. The data was collected from electronic records using the EMIS Population Manager. The limited search algorithms of the software meant that we couldn ¿Ã‚ ½t distinguish patients with a TSH below the reference range from those above it. All we were able to obtain was a single figure of how many people were within the reference range. Due to the limitations of the EMIS Population Manager software we were also unable to test how many patients with hypothyroidism had actually had their TSH levels tested in the past 12 months as stated in the QOF guidance  ¿Ã‚ ½ 2004.[8] Thyroid Function Tests are done for a large number of patients whose symptoms are actually caused by a non-thyroid illness. Due to this reason we could not search for people who had their thyroid function tested in the past 12 months as that data would have included a lot of non-hypothyroid patients. Instead we had to search for patients who had been prescribed levothyroxine therapy in the past 12 months. And then further narrow the search parameters TSH levels in the past 12 months to obtain the data. This meant that the people who have not had their thyroid functions tested in the past 12 months were excluded from our data. The positive aspect of only testing people within the last 12 months is that the data reflects current level of care. The data collection software shows patients as being within the normal TSH range if they have had at least one TSH test within the normal range during the last 12 months. If the patient has been started on levothyroxine therapy recently their TSH levels wouldn ¿Ã‚ ½t have had enough time to return to normal. However this is likely to be statistically insignificant. The way to get round these limitations of the EMIS Population Manager would have been to study the clinical notes of all patients who were prescribed levothyroxine in the past year. By looking at the notes we would be able to exclude patients who are unsuitable for the purpose of this audit i.e. those patients in whom the TSH level is not a valid indicator of thyroid hormone requirement e.g. those on Amiodarone or lithium or patients with secondary hypothyroidism. Looking at the notes would also allow us to check the number of patients who had not had their TSH levels tested in the past year. Reading through the notes would also allow us to obtain more information such as age gender etc which might be helpful in indentifying some of the factors responsible for suboptimal thyroid hormone replacement. However reading the notes of over 206 patients would have taken a considerable amount of time. Since this was my first audit I decided to avoid gathering qualitative data and decided that the using electronic records would be sufficient for the purposes of this audit. Changes to practice to hit the target. Tietable to implement that change and when to re-audit? Practicality, why change? Positives and negatives of changing. There are a few approaches which could potentially be taken to improve the standard of care. In order to improve the standard of care to meet the goal of 90% all patients on the hypothyroidism register should have yearly or six monthly blood tests to measure their TSH levels. all patients with abnormal TSH levels should be invited for an appointment with the GP and should be considered for a change in their current dosage. This would be a good opportunity to assess why their TSH levels are abnormal and check that the patient is adhering to the prescribed treatment regimen. If the dose remains unchanged the reason should be recorded in the notes so that the information is available for the second cycle of the audit. Doing this will allow us to make sure that patients are kept at the optimum dose of levothyroxine to reduce the risks associated with under or over prescription. Seeing patients like this would however increase the workload placed on the surgery and its resources. However by talking the patients as and when they have their TSH levels tested the strain on the resources would be spread out over a year. Since the current audit identified 39 patients with abnormal TSH levels, this would mean an extra 3-4 patient appointments per month over the period of a 12 months. This should be discussed at the doctors ¿Ã‚ ½ meeting. Twelve months after the implementation of the change of practice a second data collection should be done to complete the audit cycle and evaluate the impact, if any, the change in practice has had on the management of hypothyroid patients. Write to the patients to invite them to come in for a dose adjustment? Consider collecting better data by reading the notes. That would take too long. Consider specialist referral if symptoms persist. What have I learned: 1 about the condition, 2 about auditing. Conducting this audit has given me the chance to take an in-depth look at all aspects of hypothyroidism which has been an area of interest for me for some time. In the course of researching for the audit I have been able to review various guidelines, clinical reviews and other journal articles. Not only has that improved my understanding of the management of thyroid disease in primary care immensely. It has given me a sense of how a condition is followed through in general practice from first presentation to treatment to long term management. I have also realised that management of chronic conditions such as hypothyroidism is an ongoing process as the patients ¿Ã‚ ½ condition and requirements change continuously for instance if their body mass index changes significantly their thyroid hormone requirements would also change and the dose would have to be altered. Also if a patient is planning on or has become pregnant they would need to be referred to specialist endocrinologists. I have been able to review the evidence which forms the basis of current practice. Researching this topic by reading clinical reviews has made me realise the advantages of using original literature and how much beneficial it can be in achieving a comprehensive understanding of a topic. Being involved in a general practice standard-based audit has enabled me to learn about the role and significance of audits in healthcare. I have become familiar with the audit cycle and its different steps. Having conducted an audit myself, I can see the important role audits have in measuring and improving practice. It is a systematic way of monitoring standards of care and is very useful in facilitating change of practice through an evidence based approach. It has also allowed me to learn how to quickly and efficiently find relevant papers using such resources as ISI Web of science and medline. Conclusion and summary Timetable change re-audit 6. Description of change 7. Data collection (2) 8. conclusions be almost impossible to achieve due to variables like poor patient compliance or use of interactive medications e.g. Amiodarone and Lithium. It would also be vastly impractical from a reasources point of view to aim for a 100% standard.

The Lizard King Essay -- Jim Morrison Music Essays

The Lizard King Some may see The Doors front man and offbeat poet extraordinaire Jim Morrison as the epitome of American culture, while countless others may see him as the complete antithesis. Rising to fame as American involvement in the Vietnam War reached a pinnacle, Morrison’s acclaim grew in a time of great American turmoil. The war in Vietnam was held as an issue of high controversy amongst many Americans. Many saw our involvement as utter ludicrousness and did not comprehend the need to send U.S. troops overseas to fight a war they had nothing to do with. As a result, certain Americans began both directly and indirectly rebelling against the beliefs and norms of the time, and thus, the counterculture movement was born. Jim Morrison became an icon of this rebellious revolution against a confused American government. James Douglas Morrison was born on December 8, 1943 in Melbourne, on Florida’s east coast. He was the eldest child of George Stephen and Clara Clark Morrison whose latter two children were Anne and Andrew respectively. By order of his father, a career Navy man, Jim attended naval academy for his elementary and high school years. He later attended St. Petersburg Junior College and Florida State University before finally graduating from UCLA in 1965 as a film major with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. The symbol that was Jim Morrison had been bred completely by the society that he grew up in. Fueled by an era of governmental protest and an emerging counterculture movement, Jim Morrison lashed out in his own way against the injustice he saw in America. The entire concept of being able to speak one’s own mind is a thoroughly American ideal in itself, obviously dating all the way back to the Bill of Rights. H... ...see as wrong. Jim Morrison personifies this ideal. Over the years since his tragic death, Morrison has become somewhat of an American Legend, a myth. His tale seems to exist amongst those of other American legends like Davy Crockett, Johnny Appleseed, and Paul Bunyan. The Jim Morrison story, however, is as real as they come. Many Americans of today look to him as a symbol of rebellion and as a constant reminder that we as a nation and as individuals are free to follow and shape our own destiny. Molded by a culture that often questions authority, Morrison left behind him a legacy of maintaining that ideal. Jim Morrison was and always will be a true American. WORKS CITED Lang, Joe (2001). JimMorrisonBiography. "http://www.hotshotdigital.com/ WellAlwaysRemember/JimMorrisonBio.html" Mr. Mojo Risin’ – Jim Morrison. (2000) "http://www.mojorisin.net/jima1.html"

Economic development programs Essay

One area where African-American churches have largely been on their own is in the area of economic development programs. Reiland relates the tale of a successful grassroots economic development program initiated by the Greater Christ Temple in Meridian, Mississippi. The church started the REACH Program in 1977 in response to high unemployment in the congregation. The program, beginning with sales of peanuts in the church basement, has expanded greatly since these humble beginnings. As Reiland notes, the church’s economic enterprises today include a Christian boarding school, a gas station, motels, restaurants, meat processing plants and several other ventures. The REACH Program hasn’t had the easiest time; differences of opinion within the African-American community, particularly a split with the NAACP, is noted; troubles with formal systems such as the welfare department and the health department are also noted. The REACH Program does not receive any assistance from the government or from philanthropic foundations, and is entirely self-funded, which has occasionally caused problems with the viability of the program. Overall, though, the program has been a success, and the economic health and wellbeing of the congregation has grown tremendously. As Reiland states: A Black bishop who doesn’t look beyond the poor community itself for salvation, who sees potential business success in the faces of his flock, may seem naively out-of-step. To those watching from the ground, a bird that is out of formation risks being seen as misguided. But maybe It is the rest of the flock that is out of step. (Reiland, 7). YOUTH ADVOCACY PROGRAMS Youth advocacy programs and youth ministries have long been a cornerstone of Black church ministry, and have been recognized to decrease youth problems such as crime, premarital sex and pregnancy and truancy and drop out rates in areas with strong church programs. Youth advocacy programs are also one of the main areas where Black churches perform community outreach; many church programs are extended to non-congregation members. Rubin (1994) studied the role of youth advocacy programs within Black churches and their effects on adolescents who participated. Youth advocacy programs are particularly important because, as Rubin states, adolescence is a peculiarly vulnerable time – adolescents are often no longer under the full control of their parents and have adult bodies, but are still lacking in adult psychological qualities like judgment capability, impulse control and the ability to predict the consequences of their actions. Although adolescents are typically physically healthy, they suffer myriad social and psychological ills they are ill-equipped to deal with (Rubin, 252). Rubin notes that the social problems of adolescents range from pregnancy and out-of-wedlock births to emotional and sexual abuse to crime and delinquency. The picture the authors paint is depressing; they note that the highest rate of adolescent pregnancy and out of wedlock birth occurs among poor Black teenagers; that sexually transmitted diseases and premature sexuality are also a concern; that emotional and physical abuse, dysfunctional families, the lack of male role models in the home, and substance abuse are all on the rise; that physical and mental problems like psychosis, accidental injuries, obesity and thyroid problems disproportionately affect Black children and that depression and suicide are common among Black teens (Rubin, 252). Other social problems like crime, delinquency, illiteracy or non-completion of high school, limited career aspirations and lack of opportunity, and behavioral and learning difficulties combine with the above factors to paint a very negative picture of the African-American adolescent (Rubin, 252). Rubin’s study examined the role of the Black church in affecting the lives of Black adolescents to determine how responsive the church is to the needs of its youth. The study, called the Black Church Family Project, examined 635 churches in total across the North Central and Northeastern United States, conducting phone interviews with church leaders in order to determine the degree of youth ministry provided. Out of these churches, 176 reported the existence of at least one program which was open to nonmembers of the church. Most of the programs were targeted at youth from low-income homes (Rubin, 253). The churches who responded to Rubin’s study reported many different types of programs. The most common programs were teen support programs such as counseling, fellowships or ministry, group discussions, seminar and workshops (39%). Sports activities such as athletic camps or martial arts classes were second most popular, at 30% of the responding churches offering. AIDS support and health-related services were offered least commonly, at only 2-3% of responding churches; however, many churches offered general programs for substance abuse counseling. College financial support (16% of the responding churches), parenting and sexuality counseling including pregnancy prevention and teen parenting support programs were offered by 15% of the churches, and 14% of the responding churches offered intervention programs for at-risk youth such as delinquency prevention (Rubin, 254). Other programs included adult role model or mentoring programs, employment training and job readiness, and a category of â€Å"other youth support programs†. The study found a number of different which influenced the potential for a church to host or facilitate a youth outreach ministry: denomination was one such factor, with Methodists being far more likely than other denominations to host such groups, and Baptists least likely; older churches were more likely to host programs, as were churches which were economically more stable. Other factors cited were ownership of church premises and the presence of paid clergy and lay helpers (Rubin, 256). The character and training of the church’s pastor was also seen to be of critical importance when determining the likelihood of a church having youth outreach programs – clergy who were younger, those who were formally trained at a seminar or bible college or those who had advanced degrees were seen as more likely to sponsor youth ministries (Rubin, 257). Rubin’s study highlights some deficiencies in the coverage of youth outreach programs as compared to the problems of modern adolescents. The authors note that health related services and AIDS testing and support programs are very rare; that substance abuse, parenting and sexuality programs are not as prominent as they should be when compared to the size of the problems in the African-American communities overall; and that the bulk of support is aimed at sports and fellowship activities, which can be easily obtained outside the church setting (Rubin, 258). However, Rubin also notes some positive advantages to the involvement of the Black church in adolescent’s lives. The church’s role in family life is one such advantage; the church offers support to parents which reduces their stress and eases the task of socializing their children. Adolescent parents in particular are supported by the Black church, with education of teenage fathers and stress reduction of teenage mothers being primary benefits (Rubin, 260). Black churches have also taken on an increasing burden for sexual education in the wake of federal limits which require abstinence-only programs; life skills, economics and basic prenatal care are also seen as benefits to the church ministry (Rubin, 261). Areas Rubin marks out as having great potential for improvement are in college support (scholarships and tutoring), job training and employment readiness and acknowledging and supporting the difference in adolescent psychology and social support structures between boys and girls (Rubin, 262).

Lesson Plan for Student Centered Learning Strategies

Learning Strategies Lesson Learning Strategies Lesson According to Dr. Deshler, most students begin to experience a performance gap in the fifth grade (Laureate Education, Inc. , 2012a). The bridge to close this gap is built by changing the pedagogy of the teacher and the learning strategies of the students. The learning strategies taught to the students enable them to develop into independent thinkers and learners (Friend & Bursuck, 2009). Student-centered learning incorporates effective learning strategies with the mathematics curriculum and provides students with the means to meet their potential.Every sixth grade student learns to transition from multiplication with numbers to variables. This transition also includes a development from the distributive property of a monomial times a binomial to the product of two binomials. Finding the product of two binomials can be a daunting task, unless students are presented the material in connection with a learning strategy that they are a ble to master. The lesson, found in the appendix, is designed to facilitate the evolution of multiplication of monomials and binomials.It was taught to one struggling seventh grade student who is the product of social passing throughout her mathematical career. The mathematics was written to help the young lady succeed, despite other mathematical shortcoming that could stand in her way. The lesson was designed to begin with a review of mathematical vocabulary and the distributive property. Students learn better when new concepts are anchored to known or familiar ideas. The young lady has a solid understanding of the distributive property, but struggles with vocabulary.The warm-up program and Activity 1 provide the opportunity to align the vocabulary with the process that she has already mastered. This prior knowledge was then completed under a guided practice, with the student summarizing the process in her own words giving her ownership of the concept. The next step in the lesson w as to connect the distributive property to multiplying binomials. Although this is an effective method for simplifying these products, it requires more writing and can be time consuming. With these hindrances in mind, the lesson moved into teaching the multiplication of binomials using the FOIL strategy.FOIL stands for the product of the First terms plus the product of the Outer terms plus the product of the Inner terms plus the product of the Last terms. The lesson connected these products to the corresponding letters of the word. Another method was taught during the FOIL process and this method was the quickest for her to acquire. It entailed drawing the lines to connect the First terms, the Outer terms, the Inner terms and the Last terms. When drawn above and below the binomials, the lemonhead face is formed.After numerous examples of these methods were practiced, the student completed some on her own. At the end of our time together, she went home with 10 problems assigned throu gh our online mathematics program, Digits. Her score showed that she correctly worked 8 out of 10 problems correctly. Upon looking at her mistakes, both were errors in multiplying positive and negative numbers. According to Benson (2012), student-centered learning promotes authentic learning, helps students develop critical thinking skills and increases metacognitive awareness.By working through a well-developed lesson, teachers have the opportunity to teach, model and cue the use of various student-centered learning strategies (Laureate Education, Inc. , 2012 b). Students, with and without special needs, struggle to attain the skills learned throughout their educational careers. By becoming strategic learners, students are able to move past their difficulties through the incorporation of effective learning strategies. References Benson, S. (2012). The Relative Merits of PBL (Problem-Based Learning) in University Education. Online Submission. Retrieved April 2, 2013.Friend, M. , & B ursuck, W. D. (2009). Including students with special needs: A practical guide for classroom teachers (5th Ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill. Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012a). Content Enhancements. [Webcast]. Baltimore: Author. Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012b). Learning Strategies. [Webcast]. Baltimore: Author. Appendix Lesson Plan- Multiplication of binomials Standard: 6. EE. A. 3 Apply the properties of operations to generate equivalent expressions Warm-Up Problem (WUP) What do the following words mean?Product, sum, difference, binomial, increased by, decreased by Rewrite as 3(1+-2x) Rewrite as 3(1+-2x) Activity 1: Review the Distributive Property Directions: Multiply Ex. 1 4(5x + 7)Ex. 2 3(1 – 2x) 4(5x) + 4(7) 3(1) + 3(-2x) Rewrite as -8(-1+-9x) Rewrite as -8(-1+-9x) 20x + 28 3 + -6x = 3 – 6x Ex. 3 -2(6x + 11)Ex. 4 -8(-1 – 9x) -2(6x) + -2(11) -8(-1) + -8(-9x) -12x + -22 = -12x – 22 8 + 72x Activity 2: Tr y these on your own (OYO)! OYO 1 -5(x – 10)OYO 2 Write a brief summary of -5 (1x + -10)how to use the distributive property. 5(1x) + -5 (-10) -5x + 50 Activity 3: Multiply two binomials using the distributive property Ex. 5 (3x + 4)(x + 5)Ex. 6 (x + 3)(x – 12) 3x(x + 5) + 4(x + 5) x(x – 12) + 3(x – 12) 3Ãâ€"2 + 15x + 4x + 20 x2 – 12x + 3x -36 3Ãâ€"2 + 19x + 20 x2 – 9x – 36 (Continued on next page) Ex. 7 (3 – 2x)(2 – 3x)Ex. 8 (x + 2)(5x – 6) 3(2 + -3x) + -2x(2 + -3x) x(5x + – 6) + 2(5x + -6) 6 + -9x + -4x + 6Ãâ€"2 5Ãâ€"2 +-6x + 10x + -12 6Ãâ€"2 + -13x + 6 5 x2 + 4x – 12Activity 4: Try these on your own (OYO)! OYO 3 (3x -1)(2x + 5)OYO 4 (x + 4)(x – 12) 3x(2x + 5) + -1(2x + 5) x(x + -12) + 4(x + -12) 6Ãâ€"2 + 15x + -2x + -5 x2 + -12x + 4x + -48 6Ãâ€"2 + 13x + -5 x2 + -8x + – 48 Activity 5: Multiply two binomials using FOIL (x + a)(x+b) F multiply the FIRST terms in the parentheses + O multiply the OUTSIDE terms in the parentheses + I multiply the INSIDE terms in the parentheses + L multiply the LAST terms in the parentheses Ex. 9 (3x + 4)(x + 5)Ex. 0 (x + 3)(x – 12) = (x + 3) (x + -12) F + O + I + LF + O + I + L (3x)(x) + (3x)(5) + (4)(x) + (4)(5) (x)(x) + (x)(-12) + (3)(x) + (3)(-12) 3Ãâ€"2 + 15x + 4x + 20 x2 + -12x + 3x + -36 3Ãâ€"2 + 19x + 20 x2 + -9x + -36 Ex. 11 (3 – 2x)(2 – 3x)Ex. 12 (x + 2)(5x – 6) (3 + -2x) (2 + -3x) (x+2)(5x+ -6) F + O + I + LF + O + I + L (3)(2) + (3)(-3x) + (-2x)(2) + (-2x)(-3x) x)(5x) + (x)(-6) + (2)(5x) + (2)(-6) 6 + -9x + -4x + 6Ãâ€"2 5Ãâ€"2 +-6x + 10x + -12 6Ãâ€"2 + -13x + 6 5 x2 + 4x + -12 Activity 6: Try these on your own (OYO)! OYO 5 (3x -1)(2x + 5)OYO 6 (x + 4)(x – 12) (3x + -1)(2x + 5) (x + 4) (x + -12) F + O + I + LF + O + I + L (3x)(2x) + (3x)(5) + (-1)(2x) + (-1)(5) (x)(x) + (x)(-12) + (4)(x) + (4)(-12) 6Ãâ€"2 + 15x + -2x + -5 x2 + -12x + 4x + -48 6Ãâ€"2 + 13x + -5 x2 + -8x + â⠂¬â€œ 48Activity 7: Applications Christina has a square garden. When she increases her garden’s width by 3 meters and decreases its length by 4 meters, the garden’s area is 60 m2. What are the dimensions of the garden before she changed everything? Step 1: Draw a picture and label X+3 X+3 X X X-4 X-4 X X Step 2: Write an equation A = L * W 60 = (x+3)(x-4) Step 3: Guess and Check (answer is 9 m)

Psychological egoism Essay Example

Psychological egoism Essay Example Psychological egoism Paper Psychological egoism Paper Psychological egoism claims that human nature is such that we cannot help but pursue our self-interest, we are biologically and psychologically disposed to behave in this way. It is a fact that we automatically act to promote our own interest and we cannot do otherwise. This theory highlights a strength of egoism as a whole, and it also explains ethical motivation. I act morally because it benefits me, and furthers my own life. It places human actions firmly and consistently within the natural world: like all plants and creatures, we seek or own good. This is a convincing answer to the question why be moral? , and this theory also agreements with the statement expressed in the question. Psychological egoism claims that even if something is morally right, we have no motive to perform it unless it benefits us and furthers our own life. However, it could be argued that being moral simply requires us to conform with moral rules or be a virtuous character and there is nothing to specifically say that following moral rules or being virtuous will not be of benefit for us. An example could be used is the moral rule that it is wrong for us to steal a psychological egoist may claim that it is in our best interest to steal as it enables us to have anything whenever we want, but then it could be said that it is in our interest not to steal (therefore conforming with moral rules) so we do not go to prison if we are caught. As an illustration in relation to being virtuous, imagine a soldier on the front line who gives his life in order to save others although this would be seen by the majority of people as a good or virtuous action, it does not help him to be happy or flourish. In order for psychological egoism to maintain its theory regarding an incident like the soldier, the situation and circumstances would have to be stretched so far as to say in the spur of the moment, the soldier was in fact not thinking about the welfare of others, but instead something along the lines of if I give my life, then I might be in the newspaper tomorrow this is undeniably absurd, why would the soldier even consider what the newspapers might say about him if he would be dead anyway? This is where virtue ethics comes into play, however opponents of virtue ethics may argue that the soldier could have already flourished or reached eudaimonia (a theory made famous by Aristotle, which I will mention later) when he made the decision, although this may also be countered by saying that there is no way of knowing when you have become virtuous, and that all of your choices are moral. On the other hand, it could be said that virtue ethics provides a better and more true-to-life way of looking at the situation of the soldier giving his life for others, and virtue ethics as opposed to egoism disagrees with the statement that is put forward in the question, and famous philosophers like Plato and Aristotle believe that something being morally right does give us motive to perform it. They believe this because virtue ethics claims that our main aim in life is to be truly happy, but we will only be able to do this if we are completely balanced. Our true happiness comes with the conviction that by being moral we will achieve a flouring and fulfilling life, as well as the knowledge that we are contributing to a flourishing community. They believe we are happier around positive and supportive people but an egoist would not be able to do this. For Aristotle, there is an aim (or telos in Greek) for everything that we do. Like by me writing this essay, my telos is that you will gain a clear understanding of whether something being moral gives you a motive to perform it. According to Aristotle, we have two types of aims: superior aims and subordinate aims. An illustration that could be used is that attending my lessons at college (which is my subordinate aim) will get me good A-level results and those results will help me to get into the university of my choice which will help me to be happy, and for Aristotle everyones final, superior aim is happiness. However the word we should use for happiness in Aristotles theory is eudaimonia, which could be described as living well or flourishing, not just for yourself but for society. He also believed in moral virtues such as courage, temperance, ambition, truthfulness and modesty. He believed that for all of these virtues, that if you had too much or too little of them then you had a problem. For example, having too much courage could be linked back to the soldier situation from earlier on although it could be said the soldier had too much courage anyway to join the army, he also had too much courage (therefore being rash) in the situation and did not think before he decided to give his life for others and did not think about what impact it may have on himself or e. . his family. Aristotle uses the term The Golden Mean to suggest the idea we should follow some kind of middle way between too much and too little of the virtues. Aristotle also believes in intellectual virtues, which are: technical skill, scientific knowledge, practical wisdom (how we actually do things), intelligence and wisdom (which is like the finished intellectual virtue where great experience combines with understanding). What he is saying is, if we try to practise the moral virtues and we learn the intellectual virtues, we will become virtuous (good) people who make the right decisions for ourselves and the community that we live in, and we will achieve eudaimonia for ourselves and others in our community, which is why virtue ethics may give a better explanation as to why the soldier may give his life for others, he may truly believe he has become virtuous although again, it could be argued there is no way of truly knowing when you have reached eudaimonia, there is nothing such as a criteria to determine whether you have reached it or not, which is a critique of virtue ethics. Virtue ethics states that we should act morally to balance out or harmonize our inner self, however if you dont have the correct balance of character (such as honesty), arent you just doing things to benefit yourself regardless of any possible benefit to your balance? It could be argued that nothing within virtue ethics can be truly altruistic although it is said being altruistic helps you to balance, surely balancing yourself is benefiting yourself as well? Egoism provides a better theory as to explaining why we are motivated to do things. Although virtue ethics provides a better explanation as to why the soldier may give up his life for others, it seems more plausible that we do things to benefit ourselves as opposed to others in most other situations. It cannot be denied that at that specific moment, the soldier was put in to a position where he could not think properly about the situation and the implications it may have although technically he could have been being virtuous or altruistic, in another way you could say he was not being altruistic at all as his family and friends back home would be affected negatively by the decision he made. It appears that a large majority of people would not act morally just because it is the right thing to do, when put in the situation that the soldier was put in it is most likely that a majority of people who still had something to live for (e. g. family, wealth etc. ) would allow somebody else to give up their life rather than them giving up theirs. As stated earlier, egoism provides a better theory as to explaining why we are motivated to do things) it is human nature that we will do things to benefit ourselves and allow ourselves to carry on living.

Video Games and Violence in Ch essays

Video Games and Violence in Ch essays In todays world childrens choice of entertainment are video games, most of which are violent and involve killing. This raises a big question as to whether or not violent video games cause violence in children. First things first; video games are fantasy and people should be able to tell right from wrong. Video games also have some benefits like stress relief. People should not be blaming violence in children on video games. Violence has been around forever. Video games should not be considered as a major contribution to violence in children. Playing video games are not going to inspire someone to kill; there must be an ambition to kill. Kids cant simply walk down the street find an AK-47 and begin to shoot people. People just dont go up to a random person and try to fight them for no reason. Video games are fantasy; any mentally stable person knows that. People have gotten the wrong impression that video games turn people into violent killing machines. Video games may improve accuracy but they do not give the urge to kill. The reason the army uses the video game Doom II as a training tool is that it improves accuracy, mental alertness and somewhat desensitizes them, but the games however are unrealistic enough for that much of an impact. Video games can also have some beneficial aspects about them. A lot of people find video games as an excellent source of stress relief. Why go out and try to fight someone that has made you really mad, when you could just pick up a controller and take your anger out on some person in a video game. There are also a lot of video games that have a certain educational value to them, even the violent ones. Most games require you to read a lot in some of their manuals, which also adds to the benefits of playing video games. One other benefit of playing video games is that it improves your hand eye coordination and attention to detail. ...