Consequences of Exploration for Europeans and the Indigenous Peoples Essay Example for Free

Consequences of Exploration for Europeans and the Indigenous Peoples EssayIn 1492, Christopher Columbus landed in the Caribbean bearing the name of the Spanish steer in hopes that he had landed in the Indies of Asia using a direct sea route. Though that is not where he landed, his new World was a purpose of great wealth, new materials and crops, new source of labor, and new land for the European nations. The consequences for the native nation of the Americas were much worse with devastating death tolls, enslavement, new diseases and racialist attitudes towards them. Though it would not be fair to say that the Europeans did not share in negative consequences or that the indigenous people did not gain both advantages.The greatest negative consequences for the Europeans due to the European expansion are a devastating economic revolution, and the introduction of the venereal disease lues. Once the Spanish began to mine the precious ores of America the wealth of Spain underwent a major transformation. Demanding one-fifth of all profit, the Crown became immensely rich and this showed in their influence on the rest of Europe, perceive that other countries now lacked the material wealth of Spain. Throughout this time of great wealth the population rose steadily in Spain. With population increase, came an increased contract for food and merchandise.Spain had expelled a large amount of their skilled farmers, workers, merchants and businessmen during the Inquisition when they cleansed their country of the Jewish and Muslim people. Along with the demand in Spain, the demand for Spanish and European products in the Americas also became hard to keep up with. With the ever-increasing influx of silver bullion the prices in Spain began to rise and the ostentatiousness quadrupled the prices of everything within thirty years. In 1556, Martin de Azpilcueta Navarro, a Spanish canon lawyer, writes about the influx of American silver as the cause of the inflation.We see by experience that in France, where money is scarcer than in Spain, bread, wine, cloth, and labour are worth much little. And even in Spain, in times when money was scarcer, saleable goods and labour were given for very much less than after the discovery of the Indies, which flooded the country with gold and silver. The reason for this is that money is worth more where and when it is scarce than where and when it is abundant. Along with this, the Spanish king Philip II spent more money on outside enterprises to worsen his countries debt.When needing to pay his debt to other countries, he also paid in silver bullion spreading the inflation to the rest of Europe. The discovery of the Americas led Europe to inflation and increased prices and Spain to almost complete debt by the seventeenth century. Besides silver and gold, the native people of the Americas passed Syphilis on to the Spanish who came to settle there. In five year time, Syphilis had spread to Russia from the European A tlantic coast. Though it could not be proven, Syphilis is concept to have originated in Espaniola because no evidence of Syphilis exists in Europe before 1493.These open sores, boils, and aches in the joints caused excruciating pains to many Europeans due to this speedily widespread venereal disease. The only proven effective way to treat Syphilis was from drinking the boiled bark of the guaiacum tree which only grew in Espaniola. Though no exact numbers were calculated for Syphilis it could not be compared to the death tolls that the European diseases left on the Indian populations. In a period of 130 years, something like 95 percent of all Native Americans died of disease. That number is far greater than experts (until recently) had ever suspected.The Native Americans who survived the plagues were, of course, completely demoralized and grim by this tremendous loss of their loved ones, of their lifestyle, and of their ancient culture. (Bib 2. ) The 95 percent population loss of the Natives was staggering compared to probably one percent death caused by Syphilis. Thus though Syphilis was a negative consequence of European expansion it proved minor compare to the Indigenous peoples loss due to European disease. Besides new crops and animals the indigenous people were introduced to new religions, medicines and ways of life that helped better themselves.Christianity was introduced to the indigenous people thanks to very ardent Catholicism from the Spanish and Portuguese. These Christians taught of love, equality and a heaven after death for those who acted well on earth. For many indigenous people this religion called to them and they were converted. Those who did not convert voluntarily were either forced to convert or killed. The native people real became very passionate about this religion and even followed religious doctrines more closely than the Spanish conquistadors.The natives began to spread peace and love as a bigger doctrine than territory fightin g which shows how religion was a positive outcome from European expansion. New technology and medicine helped more effectively cure the local people and brought new light to the topic. In Pre-Colombian times the Indian populations would come to the ailing and stupefy by their side through illness thusly probably catching the illness themselves, the Europeans taught to isolate the sick and better medicines to treat them.The lives that new medicines saved in the Americas is immeasurable but probably still do not compare to the lives lost from European diseases. New technologies such as guns, steel and sailing equipment helped reach stronger weapons than the ones previously possessed by Indians, and a new material from which objects could be made. Very strong steel could be used to make protection from swords and swords themselves thus fortifying indigenous peoples ability to make weapons, protect themselves, and hunt.Many thousands of things brought from Europe helped make indigeno us life better such as candles to light the night and write up so writing and language could be better developed. Though much understated there were many positive outcomes from European expansion to the indigenous people of the Americas and even a few negative outcomes for the Europeans themselves. More often than not, when talking about the European expansion into America, the Europeans seem to get much better rewards from their expansion. And they actually did.They reaped much higher rewards from their conquest of the Americas than the indigenous people, yet it cannot be forgotten that both peoples had multiple sides to their gains and losses due to European expansion. Bibliography Quotes drawframe 1. why were Native Americans so vulnerable to European diseases? (article). Articles on how to feel good more often and get more done. Web. 10 Oct. 2009. http//www. youmeworks. com/why_native_americans. html. Galloway, J. H. The Sugar Cane sedulousness An Historical Geography from it s Origins to 1914 (Cambridge Studies in Historical Geography).New York Cambridge UP, 2005. Print. American Indian past and present. Norman University of Oklahoma, 2008. Print. Other Info Spanish colonization of the Americas -. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 11 Oct. 2009. http//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Spanish_colonization_of_the_Americas. Native Americans in the United States European colonization. Spiritus-Temporis. com Historical Events, Latest News, News Archives. Web. 11 Oct. 2009. http//www. spiritus-temporis. com/native-americans-in-the-united-states/european-colonization. html.

Everyday Learning vs. Scientific Learning Essay Example for Free

Everyday Learning vs. Scientific Learning Essay there are many tasks that a child learns in their early life. Some of which include learning how to crawl, then walk and learning how to talk. I think a child learning how to talk and communicate is very important. That alone will shape them and how well they will communicate later in their life.Our system of style and the process of communication are closely linked. talk can be described as any act by which one person gives to or receives from another person information about that persons needs, desires, perceptions, knowledge or affective states. Communication may be intentional or unintentional, may involve formulaic or unconventional signals, may take linguistic or non-linguistic forms and may occur through spoken or other modes.Children learn communication from their parents. Communication is not something that can be studied it is something that people have to learn by doing. As a parent, good communication needs to be st ress as they are talking and listening to the child. A child can tell when a parent is not really listening to them, and this can crap a big problem in the relationship. Children who feel misunderstood or feel like they arent being listened to will start to hold their feelings inside. This is the exact contrary of what good communication should be.Communication is necessary for everything we do in life and we learn it while we are children. The communication skills learned by children from their families will ticktack with them throughout their lives. In order to have a society of good communicators, it needs to start in the home. Parents need to start communicating with their children and need to show them how to communicate with others. This is a skill that will be cute all throughout life and is something that shouldnt be ignored. The skill of communication will be valued in every relationship throughout life. It is a necessity.

Amazons Strategic Positioning

amazons Strategic PositioningExecutive SummaryThis report reviews viragos strategic positioning in the E-commerce segment in the late period and how it (the keep company) has been able-bodied to main(prenominal)tain agonistic receipts by constantly evolving itself in the dynamic mart. It also reflects how amazon goat continue to grow in constant endeavour to achieve its mission and vision of being earths most customer centric company ( summary of this statement would help the board understand how virago measures up and h they as a board see the progress of the company. The recent financial crisis has weakened the retail orbit notwithstanding Amazon has succeeded in maintaining reaping in its 3rd absorb of 2009. The result of the financial analysis indicates that Amazon is in a good financial position, though these strong figures argon partly based on the good credit terms obtained from Amazons suppliers (so a risk? How great etc).We further suggest strategies for the short, medium and long term which foc drops on consolidating opeproportionns, market research analysis (for what?) and foray (drive/push/entre/test) into the acclivitous markets to evolve as worldwide leader in its recession moving in area individually (explain more emailprotected niche).The report concludes by exploring Amazons future plans in terms of products, markets and strategy.Directors ReportsFinanceAmazon has recorded total value income enhancement of $15billion in first three billet of 2009, which is 20% utmoster than total revenue during the same period in 2008. In 2009 (why, with consumer demand down has the company opened up new markets, interpreted market treat from enemys, convert magnitude its penetration of the existing markets etc?, the gross profit has increased from 22.6% in 2008 to 23.7%. Our increased arts and operational efficiency work helped us to maintain the profit margin (so savings of sale or margin contribution?) although there is an i ncrease in operational make ups (margins indeed were higher, thin by increased operating costs.? Our operating margin has been stable at 4.4% over the past years showing a consistency in operations. (So the increased gross revenue did not lead to improved operating income?) ground on our previous years feat and experience, we project total revenue of $8.5billion in the goal quarter of 2009. This pull up stakes lead to total revenue of $23.5 billion for 2009, which will be an increase of 22.6% from year 2008. The steady increase in yearly revenue primarily reflects our market competitiveness. Our projection in the increase of sales by 22.6% in 2009 is based on the global economic slowdown and changes in customer purchasing preferences. Meanwhile, the basis of our estimate for the current quarter is based on our previous trend wherein sales increased during the Christmas season and low determine offering. found on our previous sales records, our last quarter sales were 35% to 37% of total revenue.The inventory turnover has improved (explain 11.5 from 13 is a minify?) by 12% in trailing twelve months of folk 2009 to 11.5 from 13.0 in 2006 and 2007. The as station turnover has increased slightly in trailing twelve months of September 2009 to 2.79 from 2.31 and 2.29 in 2008 and 2007. This reflects our improved efficiency in inventory and asset management.Our current ratio and acid test ratio have improved marginally to 1.40 and 1.05 from 1.30 and 1.00 separately in 2008.These ratios augment confidence of our investors and suppliers on us in this global credit crunch where cash or liquidity is considered vital for continuing operation. We have been able to lower our debts through regular repayments. As at 30th September 2009, our debt to equity ratio is 0.03. This is a considerable improvement from debt to equity ratio of 0.18 and 1.09 in 2008 and 2007 respectively.Our account payable days were 62 and 57 for 2008 and 2007 respectively. Our account receiva bles day of 17 days is low beca consumption quick settlement of customer payments make through credit/debit cards.Our principal source of fund is generated from operations and cash/cash equivalent received from customers, suppliers and sellers. The cash/cash equivalent and vendable securities were $3.7billion and $3.1billion in 2008 and 2007.In terms of market performance, our share price drop to $43.20 in October 2009 and subsequently went up steadily to $134.03 as at 25th November 2009. The share value has increased by more than $90 after the announcement of our 3rd quarter results. The appreciation of share prices reflects share holders trust on Amazon, and it will further help us in Zappos.com acquisition.Sales and MarketingSalesAmazons sales are generated from media, electronics, new(prenominal) general merchandise and non-retail activities such as other seller sites, co- stained credit card agreements and miscellaneous marketing and promotional activities.MarketingWe direct customers to our websites through a number of targeted online marketing channels such as our Associates program, sponsored search, portal advertising, e-mail campaigns and other initiatives. The marketing expenses are largely variable based on ingathering and changes in ex. range.Our marketing expenses increased from $344 million to $482million in 2007 and 2008 respectively due to increased spending in variable online marketing channels, such as our Associates program and sponsored search programs. By September 2009, we had incurred $406million on marketing, a 30% increase from $313million in September 2008. (Is the 40% year of year run rate slowing?)The recent launch of Amazon Mobile pay in October 2009 has increased the pickings of mode of payment for the customers and it will be the stepping stone for the company to enter markets where runny penetration is high but banking infrastructure is developing. (How real is the method?)In order to boost sales, the company strategy needs to be aligned with the growth prospects in E Commerce in emerging markets. Tapping booming market segments in on line gaming and Travel sector in India and on line gaming in chinaware seems a viable option in this direction. (What research statistics/data do we have to support this market entre?)We will continue to rely on customer committal and innovative advertising as well as other platforms available to us. (To do what?)OperationsWe create value for our customers by offering satisfactory (or superior) operates. This is do by managing retail operations with efficient use of technology. Operational efficiency is a basis of strength for Amazon and supports the management to maintain our competitive advantage and enhance corporate performance. (Will we become more efficient?) Our principal sources of liquidity are cash flows generated from operations. In that regard, one way of reducing operational and performance variation, is to implement a uniform production platform in creasing process efficiency. (Is this part of our planned strategy?)As trick be gleaned from our third quarter report for fiscal 2009, compared to the same period in the prior year, operating expenses have increased. This is due in part to a settlement to Toysrus LLC for $51million and increase in other costs. There are a number of pending lawsuits against Amazon that must be factored in our decisions. (Is operation efficiencies are to be improved then reducing law suites is a way forward?)As our operations are segmented among North America and International, there are a number of issues we are uncertain about, but actual results could differ. These concerns are fluctuations in opposed exchange rates, (do we hedge as a practice?) changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, the rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce.Information SystemsFuture DevelopmentAmazon will continue to improve the IT services associate the e-commerce and add toge ther chain management. The areas of future development includeAmazon Elastic Compute CloudAmazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) is a web service that provides resizable compute capacity in the cloud. It is designed to make web-scale computing easier for developers.Amazon S3 StorageAmazon S3 provides a simple web services interface that can be used to store and retrieve any amount of data, at any eon, from anywhere on the web. It gives any developer access to the same highly scalable, reliable, fast(a), threepenny data storage infrastructure that Amazon uses to run its own global ne devilrk of web sites. The service aims to maximize benefits of scale and to pass those benefits on to developers.Amazon Cloud FrontAmazon Cloud Front is a web service for sate delivery. It integrates with other Amazon Web Services to give developers and businesses an simple way to distribute content to end users with low latency, high data transfer speeds, and no commitments.Amazon period Web Se rviceAmazon Fulfilment Web Service (Amazon FWS) allows merchants to access Amazons world-class fulfilment capabilities through a simple web services interface. Merchants can programmatically send order information to Amazon with instructions to physically fulfil customer orders on their behalf.Amazon continues to develop the IT systems related to the support of the Kindle e-book reader. In particular the online Kindle Book terminal and the related Whisper net wireless distribution network.Kindle issuesAn OverviewAmazon Kindle is a software and hardware platform developed by Amazon.com subsidiary Lab126 for interpreting and displaying e-books and other digital media. Three hardware devices, known as Kindle, Kindle 2, and Kindle DX (Figure 1) support this platform, as does an iPhone application called Kindle for iPhone.The Kindle hardware devices use E Ink brand electronic paper displays, and are able to download content over Amazon Whispernet using the Sprint EVDO in the ground fo rces or, for newer Kindle 2 devices, ATTs network transnationally.Kindle Sales and EarningsWe are yet to make profit on Kindle. The Kindle hardware is based on a cut-down Linux/PC configuration. As you can see from Figure 2.4 the teardown cost for the Kindle 2 have been estimated to be $185 per unit. This represents approximately 50% of the present sale cost of $400. Therefore, the margin per Kindle must be slim once development, manufacture, ecstasy and promotions costs have been factored into the unit price.The Future of E-Book Readers The Potential MarketA number of analysts have predicted a large market for e-book readers. Forrester research has predicted the potential market (Figure 2.5) based on the sales of mistakable products, such as IPods and mobile phones.If Forresters predictions are correct then there is a large potential market.Threats to KindleThe main factor in determining if Kindle will be a successful is content. There are number of free books that have elapsed copyrights, which are available for the Kindle and other e-book readers. However, the main source of revenue for the e-book market is predicted not to be books but newspapers, magazines and journals. These limited life documents would be transmitted directly to the reader via the mobile phone network the Kindle DX, Sonys e-reader and Barns Nobles recession have this functionality. (Googles recent announcement on e-books? Do newspapers and similar already offer some for of e-news through their web portals?)Sony has been creating alliances with a number of publishers to produce content for its e-reader. The highest profile publisher is Rupert Murdochs News Corp that prints large number of leading newspapers and magazines. This is the main threat to the success of Kindle. This circumstance has similarities to the format battle between HD videodisk and Blue Ray DVD formats. Sony won this format battle by forming alliances with the Hollywood studios. These studios agreed to produce c ontent solely for the Blue Ray format. gay Resources and AdministrationFor 2008 fiscal year, our payroll and administration expenses were $279million compared to $235 million in 2007 and the increase was primarily due to increase in staff recruitments, payroll related expenses and passe-partout services fees.In reference to our employees, staff complement increased by 22%, from 17,000 in 2007 to 20,700 in 2008. At present, there have been no prolixity exercises make in the company and we are focusing on retaining employees in order for them to remain engaged and loyal to the business in the long-term. (Have we increased manning in 9m to 30/09/09, over and above seasonal increases?)As the companys main revenue comes from the 4th quarter, we expect to increase the volume of temporary employees in order to play customers orders. We will continue to supplement all our teams with additional staffing and will continue to add some capacity particularly in the world(prenominal) region t o puddle ourselves to serve our customers during our busiest time of the year.In 2008, Amazon UK was accused of treating staff harshly. However, this has been hyped by the media and till date there is no accusation of breaching the law. (There is a difference between breaching the law and treating staff harshly are we sure of our position?) We greatly appreciate and reward our employees with a basic wage complemented by performance related pay. Meanwhile, employees are represented by a democratically elected employee forum who meets regularly with senior management of which any matters will be discussed accordingly. (Is this window training or does the method work, how is it implemented globally?)Business DevelopmentWe recently acquired the online shoe retail shop, Zappos.com for the sum of $928million and $40million during the year for acquisition of Yieldex, Lexcycle Inc., Booktour, Foodista, Talk Market Inc, and sally Tell Inc. These acquisitions will help us maintain the sal es growth rate in this current crisis. (Has there been analysis to support these statements about growth rates?)Our international activities are significant to our revenues and profits, and we plan to further expand internationally in the long term due to the recent economic situation. Our international expansion will be focused on the BRIC countries specifically chinaware and India as the markets are still untapped and will be good for us. Based on the little experience in the future market segments, proper research and risk analysis have to be done to enhance our? legitimateAmazon has always ensured that we comply with government and other regulatory authority policies in the different countries that we operate in. We are intricate in claims, proceedings and litigation dating back from 2001 to date. We currently have fifteen patent infringement cases against us pending in various courts with ten claims filed in 2009. We were acquitted in our lawsuits with Actus and Cordance in September 2009. (Is the board worried about this level of litigation?)In order to lower the volume of lawsuits against us, we have decided toConduct a proper research of existing technological platforms before embarking on the usage and deployment of the platform.Where the already platform already exists, we will seek permission or lead of the rights and pay fees for the usage.We will also embark on developing our own technological platforms.We are also involved in the issues relating to the avoidance of sales appraise in some states in the country. These states include New York, North Carolina and Hawaii. New York Legislative has passed a bill compelling Amazon to pay sales tax and other states are hoping to follow soon. Financial impact analysis of this legislation? Are disputed sales taxes reserved for in the B/S? interpret Chain ManagementIn Amazon, the inventory policies drive the operating expenses and working capital requirements. Items are shipped as and when customer ord ers are received through the ab buffer servers. Our ability to meet customers demands with precision timing and accuracy has been a source of competitive advantage and customer loyalty. We currently have fulfilment centres (how many and set where?) for stocking the merchandise.We aim to improve our delivery time to gain more advantage, loyalty and long term alliances by introducing the cross docking concept where we identify suppliers who can readily agree to facilitate unique packaging facility at their locations. The financial burden of this arrangement will be borne by Amazon but the cost of packaging will be offset by the savings generated from reducing the inventory. What is the model for this? Is there an upside supplier cost, now or at some time in future? Section 4.1.1 bullet 1 lists $20m saving or 1.5%We hope to use this to reduce the inventory holding costs, shipping costs, operational costs as well the working capital requirement for the supply chain function.Strategic AnalysisInternal and External AnalysisAmazons brand has established high levels of recognition around the world, making it the first port-of-call for much of the rapidly expanding internet retailing consumer base, with the reputation of offering a wide choice of products and services. To this end, detailed analysis of the following will be undertakenAmazons internal capabilities and resources (see appendix SWOT Analysis and VRINE Analysis)Weighing our competitive advantage (see appendix External Analysis (Porters Five Forces).To expand in China (see appendix E-Commerce in China and PESTLE Analysis)Strategic PositionAmazon has been able to maintain sustainable competitive advantage based on three operational strategies. These are low cost-leadership, customer differentiation and focus strategies.Low cost-leadership is pursued by Amazon by differentiating itself primarily on the basis of price. We believe that offering low prices to our customers is fundamental to our future succes s. We seek to partially mitigate the costs of lowering prices over time through achieving higher sales volumes, negotiating better terms with our suppliers, and achieving better operating efficiencies. Amazon makes sure that it offers the same quality products as other companies at a considerably cheaper price. Analysis of competitors? Are there services we (can/could) offer using our infrastructure that could command a premium price?With our customer differentiation strategy, Amazon provides current and prospective customers with differentiation through design, quality or convenience by selecting a strategy that is different among the competitors.The focus strategy takes one of the two other strategies and applies it to a niche within the market Based on this, Amazon focuses on outstanding customer service as a niche but not the whole market because each niche has its own demand and requirement. Expand?Recommended StrategiesSurvival through Operational EfficiencyThe recent financia l crisis and Amazons financial performance in recent years has shown that we have to optimally utilize organisational resources hence to be in better position to handle crisis situation and hence we propose the followingReduce Operational CostsSales are high but the costs associated with the sales have ranged between 75% -80% of sales in recent years. In order to be more efficient in our operations, we propose to cut the expenditure by 2 % in the followingReducing cost in inventory by usage of cross docking by which we project to save $20million i.e. 1.5 % of the fulfilment? cost by the next fiscal.Research Development cost projected to be cut by $50million which 5 % of the present budget. How?Marketing budget projected to be slash by $10 million. Impact?Put a hold on diversification and acquisitions. A review of existing alliances, diversifications and acquisitions should be done to determine the non-profitable business and decisions should be made about the appropriate strategy to be considered. The review has not been done before?Legal Dispute SettlementThe sum of $500million has been set aside to settle the lawsuits pending the court judgements. Analysis needed why we have so many law suites, is this now part of our culture and that we thin out risks in the belief we are smart etc?Improve Kindle SalesIt is clear that the e-reader market is embryonic and has great potential. For the Kindle to survive, Amazon has to adopt a similar strategy to that of Sony, which is to develop alliances with content providers. Googles recent announcement?We can consider cutting Kindle prices based on increase in sales in the future leading to economies of scale which can help boost our profit margin. (What is the model for this?)If this can not be achieved, in the long-term, should consider merchandising the Kindle design and patents rights to a third party who has a greater expertise in hardware development. F/A?Short Term (1-3 years) blowup to ChinaObjectivesTo attain a market share of 20-30% of Chinese internet retailing sector. How?Target Company for acquisitionsSohu.com IncSohu is a China based internet media company providing a network of web-properties and club based web 2.0 products which offer an array of choices regarding information, entertainment and communication to the Sohu user community. Sohus products and services are advertising, aggregated content, e-commerce, communication and community tools, internet access and services, search engines, sponsored search, web-properties, wireless communication, on-line games. (Might this company be in the process of dressing up their performance to attract a emptor?)Price of AcquisitionsThe ultimate purchase price will depend on a number of specific factors, including the targets current market value, its intrinsic value, and the value to be gained from any potential synergies between the target and buyer. Approximate costs of acquisitions can vary from $700million. To what?Potential Obstacl es and ChallengesSmall number of credit card users 75 million credit cards in circulation by 2007.Payment systems are now safer no longer a technical problem, but a problem of customer confidence.E-commerce logisticsSize and vast distances in China delivery for most companies limited to major metropolitan areas using couriers Cost as a % of sale price compare with other locations?High delivery cost due to the small scale of some logistics enterprisesOver 70% of all purchases in the B2C market are paid cash-on-delivery.Over 70% of all purchases in the B2C market are paid cash-on-delivery Duplication of point 4?Buying online is a dramatic change from conventional shopping practicesConsumers in China still prefer to look over the goods, determine their quality, and then, if satisfied, pay in cash. Probably a model which existed in west in earlier years when discretionary spending was limited?On-line commerce, in comparison, is an alien experience that only increases risk.Kindle clo ne $190. qualify more clearly?Risk FactorsIntense competition.Expansion into new products, services, technologies and geographic regions are subjects to additional business, legal, financial and competitive risks.Unsuccessful in efforts to expand into international market segments.Foreign exchange risk. Hedge?Payments related risks. Credit cards?SWOT AnalysisSTRENGTHSLargest e-retailer with lions share of the e-commerce market.Strong brand position and brand associations. customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Information Technology (IT) support Amazons business strategy.Amazon is a huge global brand. It is recognisable for two main reasons. It was one of the original dotcoms, and over the last decade it has developed a customer base of around 30 million people.Highly effective advertising and marketing.Effective use of technology and partnerships.Recent positive cash flow.WEAKNESSESLoss of focus on core products.Weak economy which could lead to low sales.High advertising and marketing costs due to no brick-and-mortar presence.OPPORTUNITIESSelling of developed technologies.Extension of brands into new areas.International expansion specifically India and China and other emerging markets.Opportunities with non-competitive businesses for mutual benefit.THREATS out of the blue(predicate) changes in regulatory requirements both in the U.S. and abroad.Legal Issues in patent infringement 15 court cases.International issues export and import restrictions, tariffs and other trade barriers, fluctuations in currency rates, political instability, longer payment cycles, adverse tax consequencesExternal Analysis Porters Five ForcesThreat of new entrantHighThe cost involved in setting up an online bookstore is low and this poses a threat. With the right resources and knowledge, a new entrant could set up a similar website to compete with Amazon.LowAmazons technology platform and knowledge might make it difficult for entrants to come in and compete as the costs and ex perience involved might be high.Brand Recognition and customer loyalty may also make it difficult for a new entrant to compete bargain power of supplierHighBargaining power of supplier is relatively high in their electronic business sector. Amazons Low Cost strategy has made it difficult for it to buy electronic product directly from the main distributors such as Sony, Panasonic and Pioneer.MediumHowever, bargaining power of supplier in Amazons online book sector is relatively medium. Their power is medium as Amazon.com is dependent on Publishers for its supply.Threat of product substituteHighThreat of product substitute is very high in Amazon.com online business. Physical bookstores have an established brand name in their brick-and-mortar business and customers might not be comfortable buying books online. A competitor that might be able to offer better services and prices might be able to substitute Amazons products. However, Amazons One-click shopping might be able to reduce the threat.Industry rivalryHighAs the result of huge and wide presence of competitors for the book business, Amazon.com faces high industry rivalry in their online book business. completed bookstores have the advantage of a larger and well established customer base, brand recognition, awareness and a wider selection of books. The entry of established bookstore into the online bailiwick has further increase industry rivalry in this sector.Amazon.com also faces intense rivalry from their online music sector. For example, Amazons entry into the online music market has caused CD-Now to take steps in reduce Amazons threat in the sector. CD-Now has more advantage because they are well established and has more brand recognition in comparison to Amazon.com.E-Commerce In ChinaReason for expansionOne of the fastest developing countries in the world.Leading and most reliable emerging market.World largest foreign direct investment (FDI) reference country since 2002.Market realization from potent iality due to recent well-ordered economy development, personnel disposable income increasing, infrastructure and transportation investment, rural economy development, speeding-up of foreign invested retailers in China.Market overviewTransaction volumes of online retail in the country reached $18.8 billion in 2008, up 129% from 2007 according to iResearch, a Chinese internet research company. The market is predicted to reach almost $35 billion by the end of 2009 and offers huge potential.The number of online shoppers rose against the economic crisis by nearly 14 million from 74 million to 87.88 million.One out of four Chinese Internet users shops online, while two out of three Internet users in countries with high Internet acumen like Europe, America and Korea are online shoppers.Chinas potential of online shopping is yet to be released.Additionally, the government has attached great importance to e-commerces stimulus to the economy, and has released a series of policies to ordina te and guide e-commerce development.Industry e-commerce also grew vigorously, with more e-commerce platforms emerging and more and more farsighted traditional enterprises setting out for e-commerce.Against the general background, e-commerce is expected to maintain fast growth in the coming years.PESTEL Analysis for ChinaPoliticalSingle party leadership with consistent policies.Unique socio economic political model centrally planned economy to a more market-oriented version with a rapidly growing private sector.Good relations with the US, Free Trade agreement with ASEAN (by 2010).Has been able to maintain a stable growth rate of 7-8% in the last few years. Inflation is between 4-5 %.Government focus on equitable growth thru liberalization policies by building good relationship with other countries which lead to a growth in its trade.Have good road, railway, air and shipping associate to support the business activities.EconomicMaintained strong economic growth over the years, 2003- 2008, average GDP growth of 10.3% due to capital inflows, low real-interest rates and free market economy.Unemployment rate is high due to rural-urban shift. Transition shift from agricultural to industrialized country of which the service sector provides secure wages.The reformed IT and telecommunication policies and focused initiatives for the development of core technologies showcase Chinese plans to build its domestic prowess. By 2020, China will invest around 2.5% of its GDP in RD.China also wants to raise the contribution of technology to economic growth and limit its dependence on imported technologies. The country has also emerged as one of the main hubs for investments in RD, IT and ICT services.Socio CulturalRising population with increase life expectancy and education level.Reduced poverty level by increasing per capital income. In 2008, Chinas per capita income was $2,770, which is one of the highest in Asia.Social richness prefers to inspect products before purchasing a nd haggle pr

Treatment Of Clostridium Difficile Infection Health And Social Care Essay

Treatment Of Clostridium Difficile Infection Health And Social oversee EssayAs a nurse perishing in acute medical ward for elderly, I work closely with patient roles with C. difficile transmittance. I have detect the effect of C. difficile transmission system in elderly do- nonhing be fatal.C. difficile is a gram positive anaerobic bacillus. They colonise in the oxygen deficient beas of the body. That can ca utilisation life threatening conditions, including diarrhoea, colitis and septicaemia and resulting death. C. difficile infection can ca affair serious illness and a significant cause of patient morbidity and mortality. It is a major cause of infirmary acquired diarrhoea. C. difficile infection can cause serious illness and hospital outbreaks .It can cause significant financial nub on NHS. It is estimated that the increased length of hospital baffle itself can cause an excess of around 4,000 per patient. The number of death certificates mentioning C. difficile infecti on in England and Wales fell by 29% in the midst of 2007 and 2008 ,after increasing every form since records began in 1999(National Statistics,2008).According to Weston (2007), Clostridium difficile was first identified in 1935s, but until the late 1970s it was not identified as the cause of pseudo membranous colitis following antibiotic drug drug therapy. C. difficile infection is more common in elderly (over the age of 65). commonwealth who have a long stay in health care settings, those who have recently had gastrointestinal surgery and those who have a serious cardinal illness that compromises their immune system are also at high stake to get C. difficile infection. In-patients are also at high risk if at that place are hospital outbreaks. Poor infection check offs are also an big risk factor.CausesAntibiotics are con slopered as the most important cause for C. difficile infection. Any antibiotic can cause C. difficile infection, but Broad spectrum cephalosporins, broa d spectrum penicillin and clindamycin are most frequently implicated. The second most commonly named antibiotic is Co amoxiclav (Health Protection Agency, 2008). The use of proton pump inhibitors such as lansoprazole, omeprazole and pantoprazole are also potential risk factor for C. difficile infection (Leonard et al., 2007). The disruption of pattern harmless(prenominal) bacteria in the gut, because of antibiotic therapy also allows the C. difficile to multiply to greater number. The bacteria start to produce toxins. The antacids suppress the gastric acid secretion and as a result, C. difficile bacteria, including the spores are less likely destroyed. The reason for community associated C. difficile infection was unclear but it is become clear that the reasons for the majority of the infections are associated with antibiotic prescriptions or hospitalisation (Wilcox et al., 2008).TransmissionThe contagion is through faecal-oral route. The infected patients acquire the organisms dir ectly from other patients with diarrhoea. The route of transmission whitethorn be direct, via the hand of health care workers or via the hands of patients or via the environment. A characteristic people who are colonised with C. difficile are also can be able to transmit the illness. About 3% is the small town rate in healthy adults, but this increases to nearly 20 % in older people especially in chronic care wards. The spore form of C. difficile can survive in the environment for five months or more on hard surfaces. It is considered that the primary route of transmission of C. difficile infection via healthcare workers hand.Clinical features and pathogenesisThe most important clinical feature is sudden onset of offensive smelling diarrhoea during a course of antibiotic or who had antibiotics with in the previous two months. Patients may au revoir soft or watery stool more than twice daily or in more sodding(a) cases more than 20 clock attach to by severe abdominal cramps ( Weston, 2007). Abdominal distension, fever and dehydration may also be present in more severe cases. Unless C. difficile is diagnosed, the patients can be miss- diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. C. difficile infection is a major health problem worldwide that leads to increased morbidity and mortality. Healthy adults carry around 500 species of bacteria in the colon, 90% of which are harmless (Weston, 2007). C. difficile colitis results from the disruption of normal colonic flora and C. difficile colonises in the oxygen deficient areas of intestine. The spores are able to simulate and produce toxins that can lead to mucosal damage and inflammation. In a healthy adult the normal colonic flora inhibit the growth and colonisation by C. difficile. The antibiotic therapy may disrupt the normal flora and allow the C. difficile to colonise very rapidly. After colonisation the organisms produces two protein exotoxins( Toxin A, an enterotoxin and Toxin B , a cytotoxin) in to the colo nic lumen. These are responsible for diarrhoea and colitis. Toxin A binds to the receptors in the intestine and cause extensive tissue damage, inflammation and oedema. Both toxins posses cytotoxic activity against accomplished cells by same mechanisms but they differ in cytotoxic potency, toxin B is generally 1000 times more potent than toxin A and to play a major role in activating inflammatory repose (Weston, 2007). Toxin B is more important than toxin A in the pathogenesis of C. difficile infection in man.According to research lab test reports there are 100 different types of c difficile stains. The most recognised epidemic types is ribotype 027.The most important feature of ribotype 027 is hypertoxin production, 10 to 20 times more toxin than other stains. The C. difficile infection caused by ribotype 027 are more likely to be severe with increased complications such as renal impairment, severe colonic dilatation and sepsis (Freeman et al., 2007).The clinical features include increased severity of illness, failure to respond to antibiotics ,abdominal distension. Raised CRP and rising WCC particularly in patients who may have appeared to respond to antibiotics and stultification in condition and appears to have higher mortality rate.DiagnosisLaboratory studies of stool sample will help to detect c difficile infection. Stool shade will help to detect the presence of difficile with toxin production. Stool enzyme immunoassay (ELISA)will detect both of the toxins ( A or B). For toxin B Stool cytotoxicity assay will be positive.Endoscopy may demonstrate ,but it is the least sensitive for diagnosing C. difficile as compared to stool assays., Sigmoidoscopy alone may not reveal any abnormality if the distemper is confined to the right colon. Colonoscopy is more useful. Because of the risk of perforation Sigmoidoscopy and Colonoscopy is contraindicated in patients with colitis (Weston, 2007).TreatmentThe treatment of C. difficile infection depends on the sever ity of the illness. At my work place, the patient is closely monitored and isolated. A stool chart is maintained using Bristol Stool Chart. All antibiotics that are not required are stopped. This will help the normal bacteria to thrive again in the gut. If any patient develops C. difficile infection at my work place, we conduct a thorough investigation for the causes and we notify the antibiotic management team to review the patient. The team will review the patient in the ward (rounds Wed/Fri.) or via the phone. There will be a root cause analysis to find why the patient developed C. difficile infection? In some patients fluid and electrolyte replacement and nutrition review may also be necessary. In mild cases of C. difficile infection, patients are monitored for 48 hrs before starting antibiotics. In severe cases, antibiotics may need to be administered immediately. Metronidazole and vancomycin are the two preliminary antibiotics used in the treatment of the infection (Weston, 20 07). Usually a 7 to 10 day of therapy is required. Oral metronidazole 400mgs octonary hourly for seven to ten days is the first line of treatment. It is contraindicated in women who are pregnant or who are breast feeding. The most recognised side effects of the metronidazole are an unpleasant metallic taste, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, headache, pruritus, rashes, dizziness and reversible neutropenia.vancomycin is known to cause the interruption of vancomycin resistant bacteria. Vancomycin is used for severe, life threatening cases of C. difficile infection. It is also used for patients unable to tolerate metronidazole and failed treatment with metronidazole. Vancomycin is expensive. Oral vancomycin is not completely draped or metabolized in the gut and is excreted in the stool unchanged. This is ideal in the treatment of C. difficile infection. The recommended oral vancomycin doses for adults are either 125mg or 500mg four times daily. The use of a rectal vancomy cin enema (500mg diluted in 1000ml of 0.9% sodium chloride injection) is also an alternative. A recurrence of symptomatic disease with re infection occurs in 5-20% cases. Management of repeated relapses is more difficult. The options include slow tapering of vancomycin or metronidazole over a period of six weeks and vancomycin combined with rifampicin for seven days. There are also case reports of successful treatments with intravenous immunoglobulin which contains antibodies to c difficile toxins. The studies shows oral administration of limited bacteria or yeast helps to reconstitute the gut flora and there is a potential to prevent infection.The ability of these organisms to colonize and also to prevent and treat the c.difficile is unclear. (Department Of Health, 2009). Surgery may be needed for small number of cases especially if C. difficile infection progress to fulminant colitis and perforation. Loperamide (anti diarrhoea drug) is contraindicated for C. difficile infection be cause this will slow down the clearing of toxic bacteria (Weston, 2007).Prevention ControlPreventing the spread of C. difficile can be challenging as hospitals tend to have an increasing population of elderly, debilitated and supersensitive persons, which naturally increases the number susceptible hosts within the environment.IsolationIsolation should be implemented in conjunction with the infection measure and control measures to minimise the risk of spread to other vulnerable groups. Private room/side room is recommended, especially for patients who are fecally incontinent. Cohort symptomatic C. difficile associated disease patients only with other symptomatic C. difficile infected patients, to minimise environmental contamination. Patients with C. difficile infection may be moved to other rooms or bays when the diarrhoea ceases (no diarrhoea at least 48 hours) (Department Of Health, 2009 and Health Protection Agency, 2009). mess washing Barrier nursingContact precautions shoul d be used for C. difficile infected patients with diarrhoea. Proper hand washing is essential. Alcohol-based hand gels are not effective in reducing the spread of the organism and are not recommended. Disposable gloves and aprons should be worn when caring for the patients. It is recommended that not to share the equipments between the patients. It is a good practice to inform healthcare workers and visitors that a patient is on contact precautions, such as labelling the door of the room, without disturbing patients privacy. Last year we (My work place) spent 1,280.32 for soap, alcohol, gel and moisturiser.Environmental CleaningThe environment of a patient with C. difficile infection should be cleaned thoroughly at least twice per day. An authorize hospital disinfectant-detergent should be used for all environmental cleaning. Terminal cleaning (stage cleaning) of ward area is essential after the discharge or transfer or death of a patient with C. difficile infection. (My ward)Decon tamination of equipmentDo not share equipments among patients to prevent cross infection. Commodes and bedpans are heavily contaminated with spores and are considered as vehicles of cross infection in C. difficile outbreaks. It is ideal that symptomatic patients have their own commodes or toilet facilities. Proper disinfection essential be essential.Transfer of PatientsTransfer of patients with C. difficile infection or disease to another ward, unit, or to the long term care facility must be informed prior to the transfer that the patient has C. difficile infection. Same notice must accompany transfer of patients with C. difficile infection to a long term care facility (Department Of Health, 2009). It is not necessary to have absence of diarrhoea or detrimental stool cultures before the transfer of a C. difficile patient to a long term care facility. On the patients discharge, we need to notify the primary care mendelevium (My ward).Rectal ThermometersSince the outbreaks C. diffi cile in hospitals and long term care facilities, rectal thermometers are restricted to use. For the routine use Electronic tympanic thermometers are recommended (Department Of Health, 2009)Education cover should conduct teaching programmes to the health care staff. Ensure that patient / family information leaflets are given out.Anti microbial management teamIt is the responsibility of the hospital trust to develop anti microbial management team. That should consist of a consultant microbiologist, pharmacist and prescriber. The trust also needs to develop restrictive antibiotic guidelines. These guidelines specifically need to address to avoid the use of broad spectrum cephalosporin, broad spectrum penicillin and clindamycin especially in elderly and minimise the use of fluroquinolones, carbapenems,that we follow in my work place. It is also a good practice to have an infection control link nurse to each and every ward. It is their responsibility to do worthy training for staffs an d auditing the clinical area.Outbreaks of C. difficile infection in Long Term Care FacilitiesAn outbreak of C. difficile infection is defined as three or more cases of symptomatic C. difficile infection mainly in the same area of the hospital ward within a period of seven days. Infected patients should be placed in isolation room or cohorted. Patient(s) can be arrive atd from precautions if there is no diarrhoea .There is no need to wait for negative stool culture to remove the patent from precautions. An education program regarding C. difficile infection and its transmission and prevention should be conducted to all health care workers. Need to highlight the use of gloves and aprons and moreover proper hand washing. The health care facility need to monitor for any significant episodes of C. difficile infection, and then need to liaise with local health department for save assistance (Walker K et al., 1993).Possible SolutionConducting education programmes and workshops for health care workers and public to increase the awareness of C. difficile infection can contribute a major role in reducing the number of C. difficile infection cases within the healthcare system. Need special attention to personal hygiene. The primary route transmission is via the hands of healthcare workers and other patients and residents. It is very important to perform proper hand washing and barrier nursing (gloves, gowns). Environmental hygiene is also very important factor in controlling C. difficile infection. Regular and proper cleaning of patient rooms with anti bacterial cleaning agents is essential as C. difficile toxins can stay in the environment for several months.Changing the way doctors prescribe antibiotic therapy is also an important strategy in control the C. difficile infection. Because C. difficile infection is always associated with the use of antibiotics, It is also recommended to have an antimicrobial management team for each hospital (Department Of Health, 2009). In cases of recurrent C. difficile infection experts agree that the non antibiotic treatment have a positive impact. The use of toxin binders neutralises the effect of toxin producing stains and to helps the intestinal flora to restore .Tolevamer, developed by Genzyme Corporation is the first non antibiotic treatment approved for C. difficile infection (www.mediscape.com). mandatory surveillance of C. difficile infection in the United KingdomWhen face at surveillance reports, many of the hospitals in the UK have been affected with outbreaks of C. difficile.We can see that the macroscopic increase in the number is between 2000 and 2007.It is the responsibility of thehospitals in the UK has to measure and report to the Department of Health.The surveillance should include the number of positive cases, number of severe infections, the number of required surgery cases and number of deaths.The surveillance of C. difficile infection is taking to get a target for 30% reduction from 2007/2 008 numbers by 2010/2011.In 2007-2008, there were 55,498 cases reported across England. In 2008-2009, the cases reported dropped to 36,095. i.e., cases dropped by 35%. Last year our target (My hospital and my community) was 180. The number of cases reported was 171, 98 of which are from hospital (7 cases from my ward).This year, the target is 155.Social, economic and political issues.C. difficile infection is expensive to the NHS. The total identifiable increased cost of C. difficile infection causes an excess of 4000 per case. Such high cost can be used to justify expenditure on personnel and/or other control measures to reduce the incidence of this hospital-acquired infection. There are noted outbreaks of c. difficile infection worldwide since 2003.Outbreaks was reported in Montreal, Quebec and Calgary, Alberta, in Canada. Approximately 1400 cases affected, death count 36 89.A similar outbreak reported at Stoke Mandeville hospital in the United Kingdom between 2003 and 2005, in which 33 patients died. In 2007 Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust was heavily criticized by the Commission, have heightened media and made public awareness. In 2009, four deaths reported at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Ireland also thought to have links to Clostridium difficile infection. The prevention and control of C. difficile infection in health care settings is become a global public health challenge.(Health Protection Agency 2009)ConclusionC. difficile infection is a major problem in hospitals that is associated with the use of antibiotics. C. difficile infection also recognised as one of the major health care associated infection. It is estimated that C. difficile infection affects between 40000-60000 people in the UK every year. The prevention and control of C. difficile infection is very important.The three main elements of prevention areNeed to restricted use of antibioticsStrict isolation precautions and barrier nursing when looking after patients with diarrhoe a andThrough cleaning of clinical areas.Poor hand washing is known to play a key role in the spread of infection. Hand washing facilities in the hospitals such as the number of hand washing sinks and their position, and type of taps are also need to be inspected. Hand washing protocols is low in many hospitals. C. difficile infection needs treatment only if it is symptomatic. Most of the people make full recovery and in elevated cases the infection can be fatal. Infection control teams need to develop education programmes to improve compliance and regular auditing. It is everybodys business to participate to prevent and control C. difficile infection with in the health care system. The health care workers need to follow the hospital infection control policy.

Inclusion of Special Needs Students

Inclusion of Special Needs StudentsThis chapter focuses on the particular proposition educational motive, behavioural, emotional and genial strongies (BESD). It explores the in inclusion body of churlren with this excess educational need in mainstream schools, as well up as the implications for indoctrinateers in the schoolroom. It similarly highlights the support and strategies that literature expatiates need to be in place in stage for these baby birdren to learn potently in the mainstream classroom.In todays modern world, on the whole children no matter their ethnicity, impediment or might matter. They argon suss outn as unique individuals, each with the right to a broad, enjoyable and inclusive education. Every child has the right to be take on in classroom development and chip inn ample opportunities to learn to their potential. In regard to education, Inclusion is about the quality of childrens give births, how they ar helped to learn, earn and particip ate full in the life of the school.There fecal matter be virtually confusion between the words inclusion and integration. They whitethorn view as similar spellings, but this is where the similarity ends, as at that place meanings are very different. Inclusion in terms of education, sees children working onside each other, sharing experiences, with learning individualize where necessary to enable all children to reach out. Integration on the other hand sees all children together in the classroom, learning exactly the same thing.Children with fussy educational needs (SEN) constitute not always been given the option of mainstream schooling. In the past, children who are now referred to as having SEN were labelled with more derogatory terms such as handicapped and retarded. In the 1940s children with SEN, including those with physical and mental disabilities were educated away from mainstream schools, existence taught instead in hospitals or institutions. During this measure the government and educators favoured the word segregation rather than inclusion. This is highlighted in the Education Act 1944 which positions, A local education authority shall, in particular, consecrate regard to the need for securing that grooming is made for pupils who suffer from both disability of mind or body by providing, either in circumscribed schools or otherwise, special educational treatment, that is to say, education by special methods appropriate for persons vile from that disability. (Chapter 31 5)Nonetheless the 1970s was the decade for trade, and this was set in motion by MP Margaret Thatcher who commissioned a composing to review the educational provision in England, Scotland and Wales for children and young people handicapped by disabilities of body or mind, taking account of the medical aspects of their needs, together with ar stovements to prepare them for entry into employment. (The Warnock Report 1978 1)The report was published in 1978, namely The W arnock Report, which changed the landscape of inclusive education. The word inclusion exploded into mainstream schools, and children with SEN were given the right to learn alongside other children. Within the report, the objective of inclusion for SEN children in mainstream schools was highlighted along with the need for provisions to be put in place to make it manageable. The report stated Full-time education in an ordinary class should be the aim for many children with special educational needs. It should be thinkable to achieve this aim in the case of the majority of children with nutty learning difficulties, many of whom are at present the c erstwhilern of remedial inspection and repairs, provided that adequate support is available from teachers with additional training or expertise in special education. (The Warnock Report 1978 102)Thirty years on from the original Warnock report, many were beginning to wonder whether inclusion of children with SEN into mainstream schools had been effective. An OFSTED report on inclusion (2004) seemed to be rather sceptical of its success. It detailed that the inclusion of children with SEN was taking place in mainstream schools, but at the detriment to childrens learning. It also mentioned how the curriculum was not being adapted to dally the provisions of children with SEN and offer them suitable opportunities to improve key skills. (Special Educational Needs and Disability, 2004 5)It was seen that the Government had gone too outlying(prenominal) when it came to inclusion, and were including al nigh all children with SEN into mainstream, closing special schools to save on costs. OFSTED commented how when inspecting schools they had observed work being explained effectively to pupils, but pupils with SEN depended on statement assistants to break the tasks down further so that they could participate.(2004 16)This is something that Warnock (2005) cited in a House of Commons Education and Skills Committee report (20 06) draws wariness to when she notes how children with SEN, are being taught almost entirely by teaching assistants who are not fully qualify teachers, while non-disabled students are taught by the teacher.Parents were questioning more and more, whether their child with SEN was learning to their potential in schools, and asking why their child was not being supported by the teacher as much as the other children in the classroom.Baroness Warnocks change of heart regarding her original vision of inclusion for all children in mainstream schools was made apparent to all when she declared, I think its plain now that the notion of inclusion of all children in the same school is actually not working in a very large morsel of cases. (Warnock, 2006)It would appear from this statement that Warnock had conceded that despite the best intentions to include children with SEN into mainstream schools, schools had actually integrated children rather than included them. SEN children were almost be en forced into mainstream classrooms, having to cope with the learning that has taken place, rarely having their learning personalised to meet their educational needs.Dimbleby (2006) really encapsulates in a debate on inclusion the issues of including children with SEN in the classroom. He states Children with special needs have always posed a core dilemma. On the one hand, give the sack we afford to include them in mainstream education no matter what the cost or upheaval involved? On the other, can we afford not to include them for fear of condemnatory millions to a life as second class citizen?From this small introductory speech the issues that educators and governments face are highlighted. The monetary cost, as well as a childs right to be educated with other children no matter what their ability or disability. Within the debate Warnock mentions how her original 1978 report failed to recognise the variety of special educational needs, instead putting them all under one banner a nd treating all children the same. Warnock also speaks of her realisation that certain children, oddly those with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD) would utility from special school teaching and learning. She notes that children with BESD could be educationally intelligent, but have certain difficulties preventing them from achieving to their potential. Warnock also admits that these children would be better of out of mainstream schools, and given the specialist teacher support that entrust help them achieve.Six years on from Warnocks change of heart, at that place are now many more government reports debating inclusion, and questioning where children with SEN should or could be taught. Parental choice is now taken into account when deciding where children with SEN should be taught, with parent being given the opportunity to state where they would prefer their child to be educated. The vision of many is to allow children with SEN to be taught in a school tha t is handout to meet their individual needs. Gove and Teather (2011 17) refer to this in the one thousand theme and propose that they will remove the bias towards inclusion and propose to strengthen parental choice by improving the range and diversity of schools from which parents can choose, make sure they are aware of the options available to them and by changing statutory guidance for local authorities.From just exploring a brief history of inclusion, it is clear that thither are many opinions as to whether or not the inclusion of children with BESD into mainstream schools has been successful and effective. BESD is a complex special educational need, far more unpredictable than any other. The quarrel for educators in the twenty first century in terms of managing the issue of pupils who exhibit difficulties with social, emotional and behavioural aspects of their lives is the tension between the twin issues of relative incidence and time to make with incidence. (McNamara, 20 06 24)This statement portrays the challenges teachers face in the classroom when dealing with BESD. Children with BESD have the capability to be disruptive and dangerous in the classroom, and teachers face the challenge of managing these behaviours, ensuring at the same time every child in the classroom is learning to their potential in a safe environment. There are some who cogitate that because of these challenges, children with BESD would be better of learning in special schools, giving them access to more specialised teaching and more one to one support. Conversely, there are people who believe that children with BESD should be taught in mainstream, despite the challenges posed to teachers. To able to fully understand what stance to take, it is essential to explore what BESD and its presence in the classrooms of today.Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties (BESD)Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties (BESD) is a special educational need that affects many childre n in the UK. These children have behavioural problems, as well as emotional needs, and find it difficult to interact in social situations. In short, children with BESD find it hard to access certain areas of the curriculum in order to achieve to their potential. Broadly, it is that behaviour, emotions and social development all influence learning and access to learning. Difficulties with behaviour, emotions and social development can all inhibit learning and access to learning. In the present-day(prenominal) jargon, they can form barriers to learning.(Farrell 20066)Children with BESD do not dec under any one specific stereotype. It does not matter what a childs ability is, they can unbosom have BESD, varying from mild to severe. Those children with mild difficulties may lack social skills and because struggle with group interactions, especially in learning situations. East and Evans (2006 15) detail how At the milder end of the continuum, pupils have problems with social interac tion and find it difficult to work with others.Children with severe difficulties may be physically and verbally aggressive, especially towards teachers and peers. They are unable to work in social situations as they have little or no concentration and communication skills. Children with BESD can also find it difficult to cope with changes in routine, which in relation to classroom life, can be a frequent occurrence. Children are usually recognised as having BESD when they portray a range of behaviours whichIs not age appropriateResults in isolation from peersNegatively affects the classroom/learning environmentPlaces unreasonable demands on teaching staffLeads to ostracise self concept and low self-esteemRestricts learning opportunitiesCreates dangerous situations.(Evans, 2007 no page)The behaviours identified by Evans encompass the spectrum of behaviours, from mild to severe, that a child with BESD can portray. As already discussed, a child of any ability can have BESD, which is a lso true for a child of any age. From past school experiences, devil children in two separate schools had typical characteristics of children with BESD. One child was in year 6, and the other in year 1, with the later showing all of the to a higher place characteristics most of the time.In todays classrooms, there are a rather high number of children that have the special education needs known as BESD. The Green Paper (2010 20) mentions the number of pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties has increased by 23 per cent between 2005 and 2010 to 158,000 pupils.These figures emphasise that over a five year period, there has been approximately an additional 29,545 children recognised as having BESD. Through looking further into the statistical info available surrounding BESD, there have been an number of arouse findings.From the statistical info, it is clear that there is one gender more common to having BESD. 26,170 (17.2 per cent of) boys with statements had beh avioural, emotional and social difficulties, compared to 3,590 (6.2 per cent of) girls. (DfE Special Needs Analysis 201012)This data, which pore on children aged 4 18, shows there is a remarkably high difference between the two genders with boys seven times more likely to have BESD. Brown and Schoon (2010 167-168), mention in their investigate of the behaviour of children aged 7 that the proportion of boys classified as showing serious behaviour problems was around twice that of girls (10% compared with 5%).Although completely different pieces of research, the overwhelming difference between gender and behaviour is apparent. It is also interesting to note the percentage of children with BESD in primary and lower-ranking school. The DfE Special Needs Analysis (2010 18) recorded that 12% of statemented children in primary school, and 18% of children in secondary school had BESD and mentioned Behaviour, emotional and social difficulties was the most dominant type of need for pupi ls between the ages of 11 and 15 years.It is very interesting to note that the findings from DfE Special Needs Analysis (2010 6) also highlighted that statemented children with BESD were more likely to be eligible for free school meals.The question asked must be whether environmental factors such as socioeconomic class have an electrical shock on childrens behaviour. Washbrook (2010 1) refers to the possible connection between social class and childrens behaviour and details that behaviour problems are much more common among disadvantaged children prior to the start of schooling, and these differentials change little between the ages of 3 and 7.Ethnicity was also identified as an additional factor, with the most likely ethnicity of a child with BESD recorded in various research as being Afro-Caribbean. Brown and Schoon (2010 168) in their extensive research specified how the greatest proportion with particularly high scores was found amongst Black Caribbean children 13 per cent wer e classified as having serious behavioural problems.The DfE Special Needs Analysis (2010 20) also recorded similar findings, mentioning how Black and mixed race pupils at school action increase were most likely to have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.It is authoritative to note that the data researched was based on children who were on schooldays action plus, an extra support service offered on top of other support from external sources. It does not mean that children on school action plus are the only children that have BESD. There are many other children in mainstream schools who have not been, or are waiting to be statemented who do have BESD, and have not been included in published research statistics.However, exploring the data that have been published, the most common factors of BESD areMale genderAfro-Caribbean broken in Socioeconomic classIt is essential to remember that there are other children not statemented and therefore not recorded in some statistical data that may have BESD in schools. It is important to stress the importance of not stereotypically judging a childs special education need. Just because they may not fall in line with the common factors mentioned above, does not mean they do not have BESD, equally a child who meets all these criteria may not have BESD.Disadvantages and Advantages of Mainstream SchoolingThere seems to be many opinions as to whether or not children with BESD should be taught in mainstream classrooms. Some believe it is beneficial to the child with BESD, others believe it to be disadvantageous for the other children in the classroom, as they will be distracted from learning. Sommefeldt (2006 96) researched teachers views on inclusion of children with BESD. One such view focused on a negative aspect and detailed inclusion was Detrimental to all both those with needs (lack of specialized / individual help and attention) and those without (left to cope alone with the curriculum because the teachers atte ntion is focused on special needs)It is apparent from this statement, that having a child with BESD in the classroom demands much of the teachers time, and their attention will be focused on one specific child a lot of the time. Evans (2007 56) mentions how there is also a concern about the detrimental effect on the learning of other pupils in the class.With teachers time and attention being focused on a child with BESD, it can be the case that the other children are left to manage on their own, or continue working through the potential distractions, both of which could potentially have damaging effects on their education. East and Evans (2006 15) speak of how difficult it can be for a teacher to manage both a whole class, and a child with BESD when they note, Children considered to have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties often present a far greater challenge than pupils with other kinds of special needs.This quote reiterates what has been previously mentioned regarding the complexity of BESD, and how it is special educational need that can be very difficult for a teacher to manage, due to the challenge of never knowing how a child is going to act or react in the classroom.Focusing on the impact mainstream education could have on a child with BESD, some believe they would not get the specialist, small group support they need in order to achieve in school. OFSTED (2006 3) in their key findings cite an important reason for why some pupils with BESD do not achieve in mainstream and detail how pupils in mainstream schools where support from teaching assistants was the main type of provision were less likely to make good academic progress than those who had access to specialist teaching in those schools.It is inevitable that at times during the day, teachers will look to teaching assistants to support certain childrens learning, especially if a child with BESD is in the classroom. However, TAs are not qualified teachers, so some argue they do not offer children with behavioural difficulties enough teaching and learning support in order for them to achieve. The occasional utilise of TAs to support children with BESD is referred to by Blatchford, Russell, Bassett, Brown and Martin (2004 20) in their research which mentions how There is something paradoxical about the least qualified staff in schools being left to teach the most educationally needy pupils.This may form part of the reason for why some parents opt to send their children to special schools, as they believe their child will receive the best support to help them develop in their thinking.Obviously there are disadvantages of including a child with BESD into mainstream teaching, both for the child and for their peers. However, it cannot be denied that there are similarly many positives that come from including children with BESD in the mainstream classroom.Sommefeldts research (2006 96) does not only focus on the negatives of mainstream inclusion. Many positives of mainstr eam education for children with BESD are also expressed. One teacher gave a personal opinion and stated It is my philosophy that all pupils should have an equal opportunity to access the mainstream curriculum.Children with BESD can be taught in special schools, but they also have the right to be taught in mainstream classrooms as well. As already mentioned, there are some that believe these children should be taught in special schools. These children may however be educationally able and therefore thrive from learning with other children that are of a similar ability. Fogell and yearn (1997 85) bring to light a potential negative sending a child with BESD to special school may have as they question the possible impact of placing a child with emotional and behavioural difficulties alongside a number of other children with exactly the same difficulties.This encompasses two advantages of mainstream schools, one from the educational ability aspect, and the other from the social aspect. Within the primary classroom, children with BESD can socialise with peers who do not have special educational needs, and who model various positive behaviours which can be observe on a daily basis by a child with BESD. In special schools, children with BESD usually interact with those with similar difficulties to them, and therefore lack the positive peer behaviour models a mainstream classroom can offer.another(prenominal) advantage of including children with BESD in mainstream classrooms is allowing normal children the opportunity to interact with and understand those with special educational needs. By teaching children about differences, and giving them the chance to learn with children that have special educational needs, they can develop an understanding, compassion and tolerance for those who they may not necessarily have met outside the classroom environment. Khalsa and Miyake (2005 8) note the benefit of children forming an understanding of special needs when they state, Th e inclusive classroom welcomes diversity and the wide range of student needs that accompany students differences. Teachers who help children understand and discuss differences help create an educational environment that supports empathy for all individuals.There are a number of advantages and disadvantages to mainstream inclusion, however if a child with BESD is taught in a mainstream school, then it is essential that the school does everything possible to allow them to flourish in a happy, inclusive environment.A Schools RoleMainstream schools who offer classroom places for children with special needs, including children with BESD, must have an understanding of what inclusion is. This understanding must be shown through the way the school is run. Schools should not look to change the children with special education needs, but instead look to change the school to become inclusive for all. This is referred to by McLeskey and Waldron (2000 40) when they comment that, One of the most i mportant issues to keep in mind when developing an inclusive school is that these programs should address the need to provide a better education for all students in a school.In order for children with BESD to achieve effectively in mainstream classrooms, schools must bare in mind a number of factors includingIndividualised Education plan (IEP)Teacher Support / TrainingPersonalised LearningEvery Child Matters (ECM)A child with special educational needs should have an IEP, which will detail what support the child is going to receive for that specific educational year. Schools must put these in place to ensure the parent(s) and teachers know the support that will be offered to the child, whether that be through one to one sessions with special teachers, or personalised support within the classroom. All staff working with a child with special educational needs must be given access to their IEP allowing them to understand the support and strategies in place, so they could in turn offer effective teaching and continuity for the child. Wilmshurst and Brue (2010 211) detail the importance of an IEP and mention, The IEP spells out the types of services, their frequency and duration, and the setting in which they will be provided, all of which are very important information for the service providers.Schools must therefore appreciate the importance of IEPs and do everything they can to create ones which are personalised for each child with special educational needs which is going to help them achieve to their potential. The creation of IEPs requires a great time commitment, which Twachtman-Cullen and Twachtman-Bassett (2011 69) mention, Unfortunately, many professionals find data collection, and all that it entails, formidable. After all, in this busy world of ours data collection involves, paper-work, analysis, and interpretation all of which are time consuming.However, if a school wants to include children with SEN into classroom teaching and learning effectively, th en this process needs to be undertaken in a slow, concise, professional manner.Schools must ensure that teachers are given support in order for them to effectively include and teach children with BESD in the mainstream classroom.The colour Paper (2010 32) recognised Only around half of teachers believed that there was appropriate support available in their school for teachers struggling to manage pupil behaviour.This, along with other reports, recognise and emphasise the importance of giving teachers extra training to ensure that they understand different behaviours and have the capacity to deal with them in the classroom environment. One form of support offered to teachers could be in the form of training and insets, giving them a greater insight into the strategies that could be initiated in the classroom to deal with children who have BESD. OFSTED (2005 12) detailed the importance of staff understanding, and how Regular training that links classroom practice to an understanding of how children develop socially and emotionally is central to the effective understanding and management of behaviour.Another form of support schools might offer teachers could be giving them the opportunity to liase with teachers from special schools who have first hand experience of teaching children with BESD. These specialised teachers can offer advice, share strategies, and help ensure that the inclusion of a child with BESD in the classroom is positive and effective for their learning. Senco cent Rice (2006) visited a special school to observe strategies used to deal with BESD and gain advice from teachers, which she could take back to her school and implement into the relevant classrooms. In her commentary of the day she highlighted the positives of visiting the special school environment when she stated I found todays experience very useful for my own personal practice, exciting, because I could see childrens behaviour being turned round even just in one day, erm, and I co uld see childrens confidence being raised, and that is very, very, very, important.Schools should give all staff, especially their SENCOs this opportunity, to improve their understanding of BESD, and keep up to date with current support strategies, because teachers with BESD children in their classroom usually rely on their SENCO for support and advise.There are many strategies that teachers could use to help include children with BESD in classroom learning. One of the most obvious strategies is to make sure that children with BESD have been set work and tasks, which are achievable. This means that they are kept on task rather than losing concentration because they do not understand or are finding something difficult. Another important strategy is positive reinforcement and reward of good behaviour, rather than only sanctioning bad behaviour. The way a child is rewarded will depend on the child and how the child responds to rewards. Howarth and Fisher (2005 42) point out how rewards can vary and how some will accept individually tailored reward systems while others will respond more positively to class and school based systems. The essential thing to remember is that rewards support and reinforce pupils learning.A strategy which if effectively implement could be very beneficial is a target behaviour chart. Teachers could set children with BESD targets and if they succeed, they could be given a reward. However, the child would need to be able to achieve these targets otherwise they could become despondent having tried and failed to achieve. The chart would be very visual and would allow the child to see what they had achieved, and have a sense of pride. Another possible strategy to control the behaviour of a child with BESD is time out. This method affords the teacher time to gain control of the situation, gives the child time to beam on why they behaved in the way they did and what they could do next time to stop it from happening. Rogers (2003 106) describe s how many infant and middle primary teachers have in-class time-out options to give the offending student cool-off time and thinking time.By giving children with behavioural difficulties these opportunities to reflect, it allows the situations to become less heated, and for a new start to take place once they recognise what they did wrong.Any schools main aim should be to help children to develop, learn and achieve. Children with special educational needs including, those with BESD, may need their learning to be personalised so that they can concentrate on areas of the curriculum they struggle with. This will allow them to learn more effectively, rather than being exposed to in learning that they find difficult to access and understand. Cheminais (2007 71) affirms this when she notes how providing personalised services and tailored education, will ensure that every child and young person, regardless of their background, reaches their optimum potential and experiences amend life ch ances.It is important for schools to remember, that although some children pose many more challenges then others, every child in their school matters. The government released a document detail the fact that every child has the right to a safe and effective education.Every Child Matters is about improving the life chances of all young people, from birth to 19, cut inequalities and helping them to achieve better outcomes. (Cheminais, 2010 3)If schools keep this in mind, then all children, not only those with special educational needs, will have a well rounded, happy education.There are many challenges that schools face when including children with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. However, if they stick to their beliefs, implement strategies, support teachers, and work together with outside assistance, the inclusion of these children can be successful.ConclusionIt is difficult to conclude on whether children with BESD should be taught in mainstream classrooms, because of the range of views found when researching. There are many who believe children with BESD should be taught in special schools, so that they can achieve educationally with specialised support, and so the other children in the classroom are not disrupted in their learning. They believe the impact of including a child with BESD in the classroom would be too much for a teacher to deal with, and would be damaging for other childrens education. However, there are people who think children with BESD should be taught in mainstream classrooms, and given the opportunity to learn alongside other children who may not have special educational needs. By being included in mainstream learning, they are developing their social skills and getting an equal opportunity to learn to their potential. One thing is for certain the inclusion of a child with BESD is not a quick and simple task. If schools are going to include children with BESD, they must have an understanding of this special education need , and have the correct classroom strategies in place. There ne

Free Shakespeares Hamlet Essays: Gertrude and Hamlet :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Gertrude and Hamlet Hamlets behavior is often explained using Freuds theory of sexual behavior howeverthe symptoms of bipolar disease explain Hamlets behavior. Bipolar disease is outlined as This disease causes symptoms like mood swings with periods of both depression and mania. They have consequent changes in thinking and behavior. Bipolar means the sharing of two poles, or high and low, having to do with mood.(2) Hamlets behavior throughout the play was extremely forcible, excessive talkativeness, destructiveness and sometimes grandiosity. These mood characteristics are the effects of bipolar disease. (1) Hamlet is extremely physical in his dealings with Ophelia and Gertrude. His excessive talkativeness is most evident in his soliloquies and his dialogue with his mother. His destructiveness is obvious in his conversation with the ghost his grandiosity in his sarcasm towards Polonius. Incredibly, Bipolar disease describes Hamlets behavior very accurately. When Hamlets father was murdered by Claudius, difficulties arose between Hamlet and Gertrude to cope with one another. Hamlet got wrathful with his mother for remarrying Claudius, his fathers murderer, that he decides to be more rough towards her, simply to gain control over her. When Hamlet grew up with his father and his mother, they grew up with a disorder known as Bipolar disease. This is a disease where you think delusional, since it was inherited, passed on from parent to child, Gertrudes marriage and Hamlets response to it, could have been the effects of this symptom. Hamlets father was an enabler who had made it possible for them to function, but now that his father is dead, they found it tough to cope with each other, as the family they once had.(1) Hamlet became angry for a reason, which was to try to get attention from his mother. This attention came in a sexual form, as shown when he kissed her and when he groped her. With this overbold bond, he tried to gain further control over his mother, to try and abolish the marriage between her and Claudius. Two quotes to support this are Queen nay then, Ill set those to you that can speak. (IIIiv) Hamlet Come, come, and sit you down you shall not budge. (IIIiv) This occurs when he tells Gertrude she cant move, therefore he shows to the viewers he has billet over what she says and does. If he cared, he would let her function as she wanted to, and he would support her decision.

Lymphoma: What To Expect :: essays research papers fc

On December 16, my life changed forever. I was in my third semester of college and had just finished my last final exam. Having studied both night, I headed to the university game room to shoot some pool and relax. After a few games I felt painful spasms in my neck and shoulder. At first I thought it was a pinched nerve, and I tried to ignore it, however the pain just got worse. I wanted to go home, however I had promised my girlfriend we would meet. As I walked to her building the pain shifted to my toilet table and I grew short of breath. I remember sitting out on the steps, waiting, and thinking, What the pitfall is going on? Never had I experienced such fear. I thought I would die. Shari and I had been dating for only a month, and I did not want to alarm her. So when she appeared, I said nothing. She, her girlfriend, and I walked over to the cafeteria for lunch. I sat there quietly wearing my best poker face. No one suspected anything. After lunch, the girls left to go to th eir next exam and I went home. Looking back, I should have asked for help, but I did not. It took me over twoscore minutes to walk to my car. With each step, the pain was more crippling. I felt like an elderly man inching along with a walker. Foolishly, I drove myself home. I was nineteen years old, but never in my life did I need my mother more. When I walked in the door my younger brothers and sister were there, but mom wasnt. I collapsed on the couch, but before I could explain mom arrived home. She could hear the desperation in my voice as I told her, Mom, I have to go to the hospital, something is wrong and explained what was happening. She rushed me to the Emergency Room where we waited in the lobby for hours. The nurses had already performed their initial assessment. They thought maybe I had a chest cold or perhaps sprained the muscles in my sternum. They wanted to take an x-ray, but I had to wait. Mom was worried about my brothers and sister being alone. My stepfather had m et us at the hospital, so he stayed with me while she went home to care for them.