Face Recognition Essay

Forhumans, faces are the most significant for visual stimuli, a fact that becomes apparent insocial settings—as a species we are constantly, almost obsessively, monitoring each other’s faces, paying close attention to subtle details that can give some insight into the emotional state, level of engagement, or object of attention of our associates. Fluency with faces offers great social advantages, allowing one to glean aspects of another’s internal thought processes and to predict their behavior. (Leopold, 2010). Explain the processes associated with face recognition, identification, and classification Conceptgenerallyrefer to theabstract notion of what that category represents in one’s mind. ((Robinson-Riegler, 2008). The recognition of individual faces is in some ways the pinnacle of human visual performance. Because all faces have the same basic configural appearance (for example: two eyes above a nose and mouth, sometimes called the first-order configuration), individuals must be identified by subtle deviations from this prototypic pattern, sometimes referred to as second-order relational information or configuration . To process facial identification an individual depend on the process offirst-order relational information, theinformation about the parts of an object and how those parts relate to one another. For face recognition, this would involve an analysis of the person’s facial features and the relationship among those features. However, first-order relational information is not enough to recognize faces; simply noticing that two eyes are above the nose, which is above the mouth, may be enough for recognition that something is a face but doesn’t allow for recognition of who the face is. To recognize faces, we need second-order relational information. Second-order relational information involves comparing the first-order analysis to facial features of a â€Å"typical,† or â€Å"average,† face. This typical face is built up through experience and serves as an implicit standard against which we compare the faces we see. Inverting a face disrupts the encoding of second-order relational information When we deal with information, we do so in steps. One way to think of this is to picture the process of acquiring, retaining, and using information as an activity called information processing Information comes from the outside world into the sensory registers in the human brain. This input consists of things perceived by our senses. We are not consciously aware of most of the things we perceive; we become aware of them only if we consciously direct our attention to them. When we do focus our attention on them, they are placed in our working memory. (Education, 2011) Even when perceivers are presented with stimuli in suboptimal conditions, the face-processing system is still capable of extracting categorical knowledge in a rapid and accurate manner. Third, category activation is sensitive to the typicality of group members. Incategorical thinking people identify with groups who they are familiar with. Analyze the role of encoding and retrieval processes involved with long-term memory and how this affects face recognition. Early perceptual processes (and their associated products) also appear to play an important contributory role to the generation of categorical thinking. Categorization is a fundamental property of the brain. Categorical thinking streamlines most aspects of person perception, including decision making, memorial functioning, and attention processing(Cloutier, 2005). People are skilled with various levels of understanding along with other social agents. From only a few visual cues, a person isable to processdetailed impressions of others, identify the sex, emotional status, and identity of conspecifics ; and infer the hidden internal states (example. goals, intentions) that create their plan of purpose. In social cognition, the two basic processes that serves or promotes aperson perception are categorization and individuation . Individuation, in contrast to categorization, the individualisticview other people not as members of distinct social groups but rather as unique entities. Individuals areguided by two distinct cognitive processes. These two processes operate at the early stages of a person’s perception, relevant with the process of object recognition. The individual is capable ofmaking individual judgments about stimuli corresponding to prior perceptual experience. As part of the face recognition process, a face must activate a face recognition unit a stored representation of that face in memory. If activated, the person is recognized asfamiliar. Next, the face recognition unitmust activate the person identity node which stores biographical information about the person. If activated, this biographical information becomes available (Robinson-Riegler, 2008). Prior to the retrieval of information from long-term memory, however, a great deal of social-cognitive processing has already taken place. perceivers have resolved the perceptual puzzle of identifying social agents from available visual cues. This includes, but is not restricted to faces. (Cloutier, Discuss at least two possible errors that can occur with face recognition, such as misidentification and self-recognition. Our knowledge of our own face seems inseparable from our general knowledge of self andwho we are as individuals, our likes and dislikes, our personal history. Unconscious transference, occurs when a witness fail to identify or distinguish between a target person,for example, falselyidentifying aneyewitnessmay result to imprisonment of an innocent person Robinson-Riegler, 2008). As individuals we confront the world with our faces, from the time of birth to the time of death. The age and gender of a personare printed on their faces. Emotions are expressed in a person’s facial expressions. The open and instinctive emotions that Darwin wrote about, as well as the hidden or repressed ones that Freud wrote about, are displayed on our faces, along with our thoughts and intentions. People have physical attr actions toward each other, a person may admire the physical attributes such as arms, and legs. In spite of what draws one attention, the face is the first and last that is judged, whether it is beautifulin an aesthetic sense, â€Å"fine† or â€Å"distinguished† in a moral or intellectual sense. The face of an individual definesa person character and experience. Face recognition is crucially important for humans, and the vast majority of us are able to identify thousands of faces individually, or to easily pick out familiar faces in a crowdProsopagnosia or topographical amnesia are lifelong conditions that does not decrease as one grows older.

Possible Exam Questions Elizabeth Essay

‘Tudor monarchs experienced more failures than successes in dealing with religion in England in the years 1547 to 1587.’ Assess the validity of this view. Students may refer to some of the following material in support of the claim that religious Policies were successful: †¢ after 1549 there were no rebellions against the religious changes introduced during Edward VI’s reign †¢ Religious changes in Mary’s reign enjoyed popular support in most parts of the country †¢ Over the course of thirty years there was a gradual acceptance of the religious changes introduced by the Elizabethan Settlement †¢ ‘Puritan’ opposition to the Elizabethan Settlement had become weak by 1588. Nevertheless, there are a number of other factors to consider: †¢ Religious changes had helped to bring about rebellion in 1549 †¢ Religious change in Mary’s reign had been resisted by Protestant martyrs †¢ There was continued evidence of Catholic survivalism under Elizabeth, especially in The north, which witnessed a rebellion in 1569 which was largely religious in origin †¢ There was opposition to the Elizabethan Settlement from those who had felt that it had not gone far enough. Furthermore, students may legitimately point out that the powers of enforcement of religious Policy were variable, as they were dependent on the support of local officials who might not always have been completely supportive of the policies themselves. Historiographical approaches are not required to answer this question effectively. However, the effective deployment of perspectives derived from historians such as Duffy, Haigh, Collinson and Lake are likely to show skills of a high order. In conclusion, students may conclude that governments enjoyed mixed fortunes in their attempts to promote religious change. To what extent did royal authority decline in the years 1547 to 1558? Students may refer to the following to support the case that royal authority  was undermined: †¢ The frequency of rebellion, including the contribution of the rebellions of 1549 to the downfall of Somerset †¢ The extent to which royal authority might have been hamstrung by Edward’s minority, in particular through the actions of Somerset †¢ The extent to which both monarchs faced open opposition to their religious policies †¢The extent to which royal authority might have been undermined by Mary’s marriage to Philip of Spain. Nevertheless, there are a number of other factors to consider which suggest that royal authority might not have been undermined: †¢ Religious reforms under Edward VI, whilst undoubtedly unpopular, were pushed through ruthlessly †¢ The legitimate succession was upheld in 1553, despite the machinations of Edward VI and Northumberland †¢ In many respects Mary can be seen to have been a successful ruler †¢ Mary’s legacy to Elizabeth was, in many respects, positive. Furthermore, students may explore some of these issues within a historiographical framework, though this is not required. This might apply especially to recent revisions of the reign of Mary. In conclusion, students should offer evaluations which draw on a balance of arguments for and against the loss of authority by the mid-Tudor monarchs. The rebellions which occurred during the reigns of Edward VI and Mary I were mainly political in origin.’ Assess the validity of this view. Candidates may refer to some of the following material in support of the claim that the rebellions were primarily political: †¢ local political antagonisms seem to have been at the root of the East Anglian rebellions †¢ it is difficult to separate out the western rebels’ religious motives from their political distaste for the regime †¢ Wyatt’s Rebellion seems to have been primarily focused on the desire to prevent Queen Mary from marrying Philip of Spain. Nevertheless, there are a number of other factors to consider: †¢ the western rebels were primarily motivated by their resentment at the scale of the attack on popular religious practices †¢ the demands of the western rebels,  whilst mostly religious, are also couched in a language which seems to indicate a significant level of class antagonism †¢ both the western and East Anglian rebels had significant social and economic motives †¢ it has recently been argued that conservative religious sentiments were present amongst the East Anglian rebels †¢ the overtly political motivation of Wyatt and many of his fellow rebels was reinforced by the popular Protestantism of some of his followers. In conclusion, candidates may differentiate between motivation for the various rebellions.

Enzymatic Activity Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Enzymatic Activity - Lab Report Example The purpose of the above named experiment is determination of whether the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide is endothermic or exothermic reaction. The experiment is mainly testing two substances. The two different substances are potatoes and meat and preferably beef liver for the purposes of discerning whether there is maintaining breakdown involving different materials. In such an experiment, an exothermic reaction is all about releasing heat energy where there is higher temperature than the initial whereas an endothermic reaction is all about absorption of heat energy and in this case the energy in subject is lower than the initial. Also in this experiment there is Catalase which is a biological enzyme, yeast which showed bubbling. This is similar to the many proteins employed by the human body and used to help in breaking down hydrogen peroxide into oxygen and water through lowering the reaction activation energy. The very substance in subject accelerates chemical reactions but permanently changes or gets used up in the process. It has not yet been proven whether both the liver and the potato contain any Catalase in them. The hypothesis was supported because the liver is a meat while potato is a starch thus both affect how the entire process works in breaking the substances. Several things could be done to improve the experiment including keeping the test tubes much further apart from each other for the purposes of preventing any possible mixing. The second way is keeping every starting temperature constant. As the data shows, tests were started at different temperatures thus not reliable. The third thing is making sure that the thermometers are wiped after every measurement and after every stirring to prevent any possible mixing. The last recommendation would be conducting the experiment in an enclosed space to get better results. The results in the second experiment do not vary much from the

Commodity chains Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Commodity chains - Essay Example Production and demand of shoes by consumers are the two main elements focused by companies in the industry. The production factors that include land, capital and labor influence the manufacturing of these commodities. Before globalization, many companies were unable to take advantage of cheaper investment and labor costs in other countries. Luckily, it has now become a norm for shoe companies to invest in other countries due to trade agreements and economic integration. The materials utilized in making of shoes poses a threat to the environment as production is characterized by use of energy, chemical, greenhouse gas discharge, water and solid waste. In the past ten years, however, the company has strived at utilizing environmental friendly alternatives to various resources that are incorporated in the production of shoes, such as cotton, leather, polyester and rubber. This has significantly reduced environmental implications of the materials (Michie 268). The production of footwear is handled by contract factories situated in various countries notably in Asia due to the available raw materials and low production cost. The production of shoes is conducted in two stages as the primary level involves the extraction of raw materials vital in the production process. A pair of shoes incorporates various materials including rubber, leather, plastics, adhesives and conventional cotton. In the production process, some of the raw materials come from close proximity with the firm or from other countries. This is because the raw materials including cotton and rubber are often imported from counties oversees. Leather is a product of farm animals, as rawhide is purchased by companies from farmers and is eventually transformed into leather that is vital in the production of shoes (Michie 268). Many companies own facilities in Indonesia, Thailand and Netherlands where the production of leather is

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Rhetorical Analysis - Essay Example The story awakens readers that despite how long time ago God had spoken to his people, through dreams, visions, and nature, but he still does the same today. He does speak to people who believes in him, and obeys him without having a second thought. He speaks to them through impressions, events, and thoughts (â€Å"Does God Still† (A)). The text is no ordinary nonfiction and it happens in real, everyday life. It can drive the reader to react to an emotional level since the story has something to do with the person’s relationship with a supreme being and not every person has the kind of intimate relationship with God, to the point that the character talks to God, asks him questions and to the point also that God himself responses. The text goes, â€Å"As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought, stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook and said out loud, ‘God is that you?’ It continues, â€Å"He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home, he again felt the urge, ‘turn down that street’† (â€Å"Does God Still Speak to Us?†). The writer’s purpose is to motivate the readers that it is possible for man to converse with God today and it is possible also that God will answer and will speak right through a person’s thoughts. But the writer wants to emphasize that for man to be able to hear from God, he must first believe that he exists. God only speaks to people who have faith in him, for without faith, it is impossible to establish a relationship with him. He also emphasizes the value of trust that comes along with having faith. In the text, â€Å"He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat. ‘Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid.’ Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk† (â€Å"Does God Still Speak to Us?†). Here we can see how much the man puts his trust to God even when it

Explanation Graphic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Explanation Graphic - Essay Example he current method of registering students, the new system will be able to register students in the appropriate class and provide access on the start date of the course. This will be much easier than the current process, as a sales person register a student, and the IT person has to configure a lab machine for the students use. The registration will save administrative work, and provide a lower production cost while providing better quality. The system will provide a friendlier login process for the students. With the new system, integration will occur through the student portal, making it easier for the student to connect to a virtual lab machine, without having to use additional logon information throughout the duration of the course (Rijlaarsdam et al 9). Students will also find it easier to register for future courses and also see and previous courses they have attended. The lab machine will be automatically available on the start date of the course, and can undergo automatic extension for an additional 30 days access with a simple click of a button. Students now can convert into other classes efficiently, unlike the current method. The communication plan helps in setting up standards for communication. The project leader would need to establish the standards within which the communication will occur. The stakeholders would also need to be aware of the course of the communication with the indication of how and when it will take place. The communication plan enables the project leader to set the scope for all the communications that are relevant to the project. The communication plan is also significant for scheduling various projects, within a period, thereby making the stakeholders to be aware of the progress. According to Schriver’s model, the graphic is efficient in proper management of time since it offers the option of a search engine (Rijlaarsdam et al 9). Time saving is important in any project management especially when there is need to achieve a

THE FASCINATION WITH RAY BAN SUNGLASSES Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

THE FASCINATION WITH RAY BAN SUNGLASSES - Article Example The only similarity they have is their same look in all Aviator sunglasses. The Wayfarer was also originally designed for pilots but gained more popularity amongst women. It is available in various colors like black, white, pink, red etc. Both Aviators and Wayfarers are made from various types of lenses amongst which the commonly used are polarized lenses which are beneficial for drivers (Ray Ban Aviator sunglasses: timeless fashion 2012). Ray Ban is a popular brand in the current time because the brand products are made of highest quality material thus providing excellent vision. Ray-Ban sunglasses while providing protection and comfort to eyes also looks very fashionable and stylish. Apart from Aviator and Wayfarers Ray-Ban offers various collection of eyeglasses catering to different needs of customers of all age groups. All its products are designed keeping contemporary fashion trends in mind. Ray-Ban products may be expensive but are high quality glasses. They protect eyes against harsh UV rays, are long lasting and look trendy too. The products offer excellent transmission of light through anti-reflective lenses which provide protection from all harmful rays (Evans and Berman 2003). The reason for popularity of Ray-Ban sunglasses worldwide is the brand’s consistent efforts in updating the style while maintaining the retro appeal of their products. Ray-Ban understands the need of getting closer to their consumers which helps them know their needs thus designing the products accordingly. One more technical feature of Ray-Ban sunglasses which makes it popular worldwide is the use of polarized lenses in its products. Polarized lenses provide glare protection as well as precise and sharp vision. The sunglasses are made of carbon fiber which makes them durable, light weight, comfortable and flexible for whole day wear. Ray-Ban sunglasses are thus one of the most trendy and stylish products providing best eye

Leadership and Management - Critically analyse the effectiveness of Research Paper

Leadership and Management - Critically analyse the effectiveness of leadership as portrayed in Elizabeth (1998) - Research Paper Example The effectiveness of her leadership is demonstrated by her ability to shape the politics of England as well as the critical decisions that shaped the political environment of that time. Elizabeth (1998) is a 1998 biographical film, in the role of Queen Elizabeth I of England. The movie explores the leadership outlook and the reign of Elizabeth, which started after the death of her half-sister Mary I, who had held her as a captive (Elizabeth 1998). Her reign over the bankrupt and divided territory was considered to pose a high risk of invasion by Spain and France, but the effectiveness of her leadership appears to dissolve the issues facing the territory. Through the effective leadership outlook of Elizabeth, she is able to surmount major internal threats, including that of Eccleston, the 4th Duke of Norfolk and that from the armies of Ardant (Mary of Guise), which took place at Scotland. Using her leadership outlook and using the wits of leadership, she evades plots from Gielgud (Pope Pius V). Through her effective teamwork with partners like Rush (Francis Walsingham), she masters both external and internal threats, and manages to execute the plotters of the attacks very effectively. After realizing that her affair with Fiennes (Robert Dudley) was compromising her effectiveness as a leader, she resolves to stay married to England only. At the conclusion of the movie, the effectiveness of her leadership leads to the initiation of England’s golden age, which demonstrated the positive outlook of her reign and leadership style (Elizabeth 1998). This paper will explore the leadership characteristics of Elizabeth, which signify that her leadership was effective – like it is portrayed through the film. The paper will also explore relevant leadership issues, towards demonstrating the effectiveness of Elizabeth, citing relevant

Chronology in ‘A Rose for Emily’ Essay Example for Free

Chronology in ‘A Rose for Emily’ Essay William Faulkner takes into account the ever-complicated concept of time in â€Å"A Rose for Emily†. It is a manifestation his contemplation on the nature of time. It lacks a standard chronology. Faulkner ensnare almost three quarters of century in a few page story. He does it superbly by avoiding a proper chronological order. Faulkner skillfully put the story up to demonstrate the indefinable and intangible character of time. He constructs it in such a subtle manner that it is hard to detect any chronological order of the plot. Time does not flow in a linear direction but take a circular direction with the progress of story. Fault consciously or unconsciously does not concern himself with specific dates. A handful of explicit dates are cited in the story. But these indications reveal as plenty of information about the linear chronology of the vents. For example, it is quite clear that remittance of Emily’s taxes by Colonel Sartoris takes place in 1894. It is further provided that he is dead for the last ten years and this the time Emily meets the new aldermen. Story further discloses that Emily died at 74. This hint capacitates us to construct a linear chronology of the events. The linear sequence of events in Emily’s life is as follow; Section 4 illustrates her birth during civil war. Section 2 describes a joint ride with her father in an old wagon. Her father dies. Homer Barron appears on the scene and an amorous affairs starts with Emily in section 3. She purchases male lavatory set and outfits for him in section 4. We are again forced to revert back to section 3 when town people degrade him and reverted back and summon her cousin. Section 4 is marked with the arrival of cousins and departure of Homer from the town. He returns back after the exit of her cousins. We again slip back to section 3 where Emily purchase poison from a local vendor and Homer disappears in the next section. Section 2 illustrate stink from her house indicating his death and four aldermen are shown sprinkling water on her grave. Faulkner has used a novel narrative technique as story starts with Emily’s funeral (the end) and concludes with the finding of Homer’s rotten dead body. Faulkner’s concept of time and its effective utilization does not weaken the story but it is the most obvious strength of its plot, construction and thematic expressions. Although presentation of time in this manner is mostly related is subject to philosophical orientation of the author but it had deep impact on the plot. He merges past into present and present into past and this feature of the story captivates the reader. â€Å"Faulkner gives the story a chronology, but as with so many of his stories, we have to sort it out† (McGlynn 461); Furthermore, it hinders the formulation of reader’s judgment about Emily till the end. The effects of this non-linear chronology on the story are beautifully summed up by McGlynn (1969). He says that â€Å"A chronology of ‘A Rose for Emily’ is useful for at least two reasons: it makes the plot more easily comprehensible, and it helps clarify the function of time in the story† (461). By evading a clear and linear chronological order of events, Faulkner attempts to provide his reader a riddle comprised of various bits. However, he provides clues to facilitate this puzzle-solving. The motive behind this exercise seems to involve his reader more deeply in the story. So above-mentioned arguments and supported evidence clearly suggest that time is not present in a simple chronological way in the story but it is manifested in random manner and plot flows with the flow of the consciousness of the narrator and does not follow the rules and principle of chronological time. Works Cited Faulkner, William. 1970. A rose for Emily. Columbus; Merrill. McGlynn, Paul D. 1969. William Faulkner: An Interpretation; The Chronology of A Rose for Emily, Studies in Short Fiction. 6.

Mr aaban Essay Example for Free

Mr aaban Essay An employees contract of employment may be terminated by either the employer or the employer or the employee giving the notice required by the applicable award or the industrial Relation act 1990. Where the prescribed notice is not given, the employee shall be paid wages in lieu of notice, or the employer may withhold wages due to the employee. Part 2 Notwithstanding Part 1 above, where any employee is guilty of misconduct, the contract of employment may be terminated instantaneously. Where it is alleged that an employee is guilty of misconduct, the employee shall be provided with details of the allegation/s and be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to allegations prior to a decisions being made to either terminate the employment or to issue a written warning. Part 3 where it is alleged that an employees capacity or performance is unsatisfactory, then the following procedure should be followed. The existence of this procedure shall not prevent an employee being dismissed in accordance with part 2 above. The initial discussion and direction will be provided on an informal basis by Business manager of other authorised person. If the problem/s persist the Business manager to other authorised person will discuss with employee. 1. the matter/s of concern; 2. action necessary to resolve the concerns; and 3. a timetable for improvement to be evidence. input including explanations will be sought from the employee. As a result of this discussion the Business manager or other authorised person will notify the employee in writing regarding those matters in question discussed per clause 3. 5 above The notice will detail; 1 the matter/s of concern; 2. actions necessary to resolve the concerns; 3. a timetable for improvement to be evidenced. This notice will be signed and confirmed by the employee to recorded the discussion (3) above. of there is a disagreement as to the content of the notice the employee shall have the opportunity for their view to be placed on the record. Appropriate monitoring and counselling shall then be provided to the employee by the business manager or other authorised person. part 4 at any meeting or discussion forming part of the process in part2 or 3, the employee nay be accompanied by a union representative or other person of the employees choosing. Macville Private Incident Hazard Form Incident/ Hazard Report Form Given Name: John Family name: Dawson Position Title: Equipment Assistant International? Yes No Visiting Student Agency Personnel Visitor Contractor Employee number/ Student ID : s654 Address: 57 Mitford Crescent Craigieburn Division: 50 Management Unit: 15 TAFE Unit/ Sub Management Unit: 20 DOB: 02/06/1985 Gender: M F Contact details: 86557342 Have you reported this to your Team Leader/ Manager? Yes No Date 15/08/2012 notified Yes Name ( please Print): Matthew Contact: 0432654678 Macville Private Questions and Answers for Incident Hazard Form Question1. Feed back for the use of Templates: Answer: For Incident Hazard form we got feedback from the employees and management committee so made some changes in it. In incident hazard form we got the feedback from employee suggested that we need to add more question in section 2 details of incident. Rest of the format for this template was achieved good response from all of them. Question 2. Change in template after feedback Answer: According to the feedback on the use of template we made some changes in for example we add some more question regarding the incident so we after giving the answer to those question we have more information what actually happened. Question 3. How to provide information for document Answer: We can use Meta tag which is primary used to help search engines better index a document by supplying additional information about the document. Question4 : Which particular section of the form should prior check the form? Answer: In incident hazard form first check the details of the person to check they are appropriate and then check the details of the incidents what actually happened. Question 5: which software used to make forms for example? Answer: For Incident Form we used software Microsoft word. Macville Private Question and answer for Performance Development form Question1 : Feedback for the use of Templates Answer: Fro the Professional development form we got feedback from the employees and management committee so made some changes in it. First of all we just asked in the form for professional goals then they suggested that if we achieved good response from all of them. Question2. Change in template after feedback Answer: According to the feedback on the use of template we made some changes in for example we made another column of personal goals in professional development form so we can achieve both goal employees personal and professional Question3 : How to provide information for document Answer: We can use Meta tag which is primarily used to help search engines better index a document by supplying additional information about the document. Question4: Which particular section of the form should prior check the form Answer: In Performance development form all the sections are important but firstly we will check the Name of the person and date of reviewed and there goals. Question5: Provide clear instruction for the use of all three forms. Answer: Development form is a really good way to know the employees work performance that how the employee is doing the job and what he/she want to achieve from doing that job and what/where they can do best in the future for the organisation to achieve their targets and mission.

Development of the ECCE Sector in Ireland

Development of the ECCE Sector in Ireland Anne-Marie Keegan Historical development the role of the government of the ECCE sector in Ireland from the 1960’s up to and including the present day. I am going to explain the historical development of the ECCE sector in Ireland from the 1960’s up to and including the present day. I will also cover the following points: Historical development of the ECCE. Equal opportunity legislation. Historical development of the ECCE. Over the past 50 years Ireland has changed completely regarding the government, childcare and its families. Ireland conventionally had a laissez-faire policy approach with regarding the children. Laissez-faire means† the policy of leaving things to take their own course, without interfering. A laissez-faire attitude to life (Oxford dictionaries, 2014). The government have now come up with the idea of funding a free preschool year; this was aimed at families that could not afford to send their children to preschool, so therefore this is an advantage for the children aged 3-4 years as they are getting the education they need. As seen in the 1960’s it was quite a tradition for the men to work on the likes of farms and for the women to stay at home and mind their children. The women were not allowed in the work place in the 1960’s. All of this change so much during the ‘Celtic Tiger’. Nowadays you would rarely see as tradition was before, a housewife and a working father. This has also changed family structure over the past 60 years. Whereas nowadays it would be more natural for children to be raised by a one parent family or even step parents. Also now divorce has become more acceptance than before in the 1960’s where it would have been frown upon. Childcare has been more about mothers than fathers, whereas now the childcare settings are trying to introduce the fathers into this setting as part of diversity. From this setting there are more groups which have been set up to help the children like the following: special needs assistant, childcare committees and after school groups which is a one on one session. Equal opportunity legislation During the past 50 years there has been a major change to equal opportunity in Ireland. The government has brought in the employment equality act 1998. This is based on the 9 grounds of discrimination, which are: Gender Family status Marital status Age Disability Sexual orientation Religion Race Membership of the traveller community. So from the above 9 grounds the childcare setting will abide by these for example there will be no judgement on the children who attend the crà ¨che for example their race or even religion. So I think that the government had the right idea bringing in this legislation as in the 1960’s they would have discriminated against many people, but now its quite right and fair how people are been treated. There are many different types of discrimination for example: â€Å"Direct Discrimination: Happens where a person is treated less favourably specifically on one of the nine discriminatory grounds. Indirect Discrimination: Happens where there is less favourable treatment in effect e.g. where people are refused a service or employment not explicitly on account of a discriminatory reason but because of a practice or requirement which they find harder to satisfy – resident’s association for example. Discrimination by Association: Happens where a person associated with another person is treated less favourably because of that association.† (Equal at work) Other important legislation which the government have brought in regarding the ecce setting is: White paper on early childhood education. Ready to learn (1999) Q2. Discuss two pieces of statutory legislation that the ECCE settings must adhere to protect the welfare of children. I will discuss the following two: 1. Equal Opportunity Act (2000) This act is based on the 9 grounds of discrimination, which are as follows: Marital Status Family Status Race Religion Age Disability Sexual Orientation Gender Membership of the Traveller Community The above 9 grounds of discrimination allow for everybody to receive the same opportunity’s, without been discriminated for example their sexuality or nationality. My understanding of this act is that everyone is entitled to be treated with the same amount of respect as any other person. It also promotes equality and diversity, which is an excellent thing. Childcare Act 1991. From my understanding of this that it has the best interests of the child at heart. It also has high quality standards, for example, the childcare setting should be fully staffed to the national ratios and also to the space provided. The act has now been implemented and basic rights of the children should be met. There has been great measures been met daily to protect children from danger, for example, â€Å"no one waits until a child has been burned by fire or run down by a car to teach them about fires and road safety. â€Å" Donohue and Gaynor. Q3. Discuss and evaluate the children first guidelines for the protection and welfare of children in Ireland. Discuss: This Act came about in 2011, by the minister for children and youth affairs, Ms. Frances Fitzgerald TD. The guidance it’s self-deals with recognising, reporting and the management of child safety concerns. It sets out a number of key points in relation to the protection of children. Some of the key points are the safety and welfare of children, children’s wellbeing, saver lives for children and also the reporting of concerns and co-operation with statutory bodies. Children first is national guidance that promotes the protection of children from abuse and neglect. It also states what organisations need to do to keep children safe, and what the general public should do if they have a query about a child’s safety and welfare. The guidelines are set out specifically for the HSE social workers, Gardaà ­ and other forms of professionals working with suspected abuse and neglect. It’s very important that the different agencies share the information that they have as, as it is in the best interest of the children, which is what the guidance is all about to ensure better outcomes in the future. Anybody can read the children’s first document, but it is especially for the HSE social workers, Gardaà ­ and children first staff working directly with the children for example teachers, the health sector and clubs. All organisations have responsibilities, including the likes of schools, Government Departments, public sector agencies, funded organisations and health services. They all have the responsibility to safeguard the children by: Raising awareness within the organisation about potential risks to childrens safety and welfare. Promoting the general welfare, health, development and safety of children. Adopting and consistently applying a safe and clearly defined method of recruiting and selecting staff and volunteers. Developing effective procedures for responding to accidents and complaints. If organisations have concerns for children they should contact the HSE as they will deal with them effectively. Children first was first published in 1999. The principle and substance of the document (2011) are unchanged. The guidance has been updated to reflect new policy, legislation and organisation (HSE, HIQA, DoCYA). The document reflects the ongoing of bullying as a feature of abuse. The guidance will make children safer as the guidance is made fit for purpose. If the public need information on this guidance they can get it in each Garda station, general practioner, primary schools and secondary schools as one hard copy has been provided. People can also get their information off the following sites: www.dcya.ie and www.hse.ie . Evaluation: From reading about the Children First National Guidance 2011, I myself have come up with the following conclusion. It focuses on the child needs, which is quite important. The child is always the Centre, meaning the child always comes first in any of the situations which occur. A person apply to work in the childcare sector, now needs to be fully garda vetted as to the child’s protection is the main priority. The guidance is focused on a saver life for the children and all agencies working together to achieve this. Q4. Outline two pieces of social policy one national and one international. Discuss the impact on the wellbeing of children and families. International: UN Convention. This policy consists of 54 different articles regarding to the rights of a child. It basically gives everyone under the age of 18 the following rights: The right to a name. The right to an education. The right to know their rights and responsibilities. The right to clean water. The right to live and develop. The right to be safe from harm and neglect. The right to privacy. The right to heath care. The right to a nationality. The right to be treated equally and fairly. So as you can see from the above points, the UN Convention is all about focusing on the rights of the child. A from some of the articles which I will mention below, they focus on the wellbeing of the children and their families. Article 2 All children have these rights, no matter who they are, where they live, what their parents do, what language they speak, what their religion is, whether they are a boy or girl, what their culture is, whether they have a disability, whether they are rich or poor. No child should be treated unfairly on any basis. I think this article explains itself really as not one person should feel any different, and everyone should be treated the same so that the families and their children all feel the same and no different from other people. Article 7 You have the right to a name, and this should be officially recognised by the government. You have the right to a nationality (to belong to a country). This means that all is welcome in to a country without feeling left out. Article 9 You have the right to live with your parent(s), unless it is bad for you. You have the right to live with a family who cares for you. All children and their families have the right to live a happy life of their own without any interference from others. This is necessary for their wellbeing. Article 11 You have the right to be protected from kidnapping. All children should be safe from any kind of kidnapping no matter where they live. Article 12 You have the right to give your opinion, and for adults to listen and take it seriously. I really like this article a lot as I believe that if each and every child spoke out about their problems, that it could save lives in later years. It would definitely create a bond with the child and their parents, which is great for both of their wellbeing’s. Article 13 You have the right to find out things and share what you think with others, by talking, drawing, and writing or in any other way unless it harms or offends other people. All children and adults are and should be allowed to express their feelings in whichever way they like, as it’s not a good idea to hold it all inside, As said above its alright unless it harms or offends others. Article 14 You have the right to choose your own religion and beliefs. Your parents should help you decide what is right and wrong, and what is best for you. I believe that everyone should choose their own religion, as there is too much fighting over what religion people are. People should feel safe in which religion they wish to choose, as it is their own choice and they should not be bullied into it. Article 17 You have the right to get information that is important to your well-being, from radio, newspaper, books, computers and other sources. Adults should make sure that the information you are getting is not harmful, and help you find and understand the information you need. Article 20 You have the right to special care and help if you cannot live with your parents. This is necessary in some situations, and sometimes it is for the wellbeing of the child. So therefore it is alright. Article 21 You have the right to care and protection if you were adopted or are in foster care. Article 23 You have the right to special education and care if you have a disability, as well as all the rights in this Convention, so that you can live a full life. I really agree with this article as I believe no matter what all children even with a disability should be entitled to a fair education. An everyone should be treated the same. Article 26 You have the right to help from the government if you are poor or in need. This is very well needed, as some families need help and have nowhere to get it from. This could cause the child to get bullied in school and could lead to low self-esteem, which is not good for their health or well-being. So yes the government should help out. Article 27 You have the right to food, clothing, and a safe place to live and to have your basic needs met. You should not be disadvantaged so that you can’t do many of the things other kids can do. Again this is similar to the above article. Article 29 Your education should help you use and develop your talents and abilities. It should also help you learn to live peacefully, protect the environment and respect other people. If this is done the right way without the child been forced to develop their skills, the child will be amazing at their talent. This will give them a huge confidence boost and make them happy. Article 33 You have the right to protection from harmful drugs and from the drug trade. Each and every child is entitled to live a drug free life; this should not be forced upon them in anyway. Article 34 You have the right to be free from sexual abuse. Article 42 You have the right to know your rights! Adults should know about these rights and help you learn about them, too. All adults should explain the rights of a child to their children, as its good for the adult to learn them too. Articles 43 to 54 These articles explain how governments and international organisations like UNICEF will work to ensure children are protected with their rights. The above articles (italic only) were cited on: http://www.oco.ie/education-and-human-rights/un-convention-on-the-rights-of-the-child.html So from reading the above and finding out about them, I have learned that the UN Convention is definitely well and truly needed for the safety and well-being of the child and also their families. An each and every person is entitled to these no matter what their circumstances are. An also it’s good that the government will help out those who are in need. People dont actually realise this, but this is actually saving some peoples life’s knowing that there is help out there, in which is excellent for their health and well-being in a way. National Constitution of Ireland The constitution is a document in which recognises and declares that the people living in Ireland have certain fundamental rights. These are natural human rights and are protected by the constitution. Not every fundamental right which we have is set out by the constitution, only the rights which are specifically stated in the constitution. Fundamental rights can be limited or even restricted by the oireachtas on the grounds, for example, public order or for the common good. Some of the main constitution rights are: Equality before the law Right to life Freedom of expression Freedom of association Bodily integrity Trial by jury The right to privacy The right to earn a livelihood Freedom to travel The rights of the family All of the above are in relation to the wellbeing of children and their families as they were made to give or make their lives happier. The constitution is all about giving children and their families their basic rights, as one of the above rights is, â€Å"right to life†, every single human should be entitled to this and live it in which way they possibly feel like, without any interference from others. The constitution was made so that everyone including children and their families can live a life of their own, without and interference and to which happiness they would like. This increases their confidence knowing that they have these rights. It was also set up for their protection for example, no person can working the childcare sector without being garda vetted first. This is needed as you need to feel save leave your children a childcare setting, and also the child needs to feel safe and secure. So to sum all of this up the constitution has an extremely important part in a child’s and family’s health and wellbeing. It is there to help all, an people need to know and learn more about their rights. References Oxford dictionaries. (2014). ‘oxford dictionaries’. Oxford university press. UK. http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/laissez-faire [assessed 20/02/2014]. Equal at work. ‘Equality legislation-a summary’. Ireland: equal at work. Cited on: www.dublinpact.ie/word/equalitylegislation-irl.doc‎. Accessed on: 21/02/2104. The Ombudsman for children (2110). UN Convention on the rights of the child. The Ombudsman for children. Ireland. Cited on:http://www.oco.ie/education-and-human-rights/un-convention-on-the-rights-of-the-child.html accessed on: 25/02/2014. Donohue,J and Gaynor, f. (2011). EDUCATION AND CARE 4TH EDITION in the early years. Spain. Gill and McMillan. Page 162. Word count: 2735. Anne-Marie KeeganPage 1 Development of the ECCE Sector in Ireland Development of the ECCE Sector in Ireland Contents (Jump to) Introduction Historical development of the ECCE sector in Ireland Provisions for ECCE ECCE Scheme DAI Child benefit welfare Public Health Nurses Health Equal opportunity legislation and mention at least three items of legislation and relevant to children Show how you maintain a quality ECCE environment that complies with relevant regulations and standards. First aid Behaviour management Sà ­olta Conclusion Bibliography Introduction This report will research and discuss the historical development of the ECCE sector in Ireland with relation to the Child Care Act 1991, equal opportunity act and more legislation that set up the grounds in developing the ecce sector. Next it will look at two ECCE provisions set up by the state such as public health nurses and child benefit. Then it will have a look at one health and welfare provision set up by the state. Then it will have a look at the equal opportunity legislation with legislation and policy that affect children in the ECCE sector. Lastly it will show how to maintain a quality ECCE environment that complies with current ECCE regulation and standers with relation to the pre-school regulations and the equal opportunity act. Historical development of the ECCE sector in Ireland In early Ireland most childcare was done at home by the mother or the grandparents. This is because the father in the family main role was to provide for the family and the mothers main role was a home carer. Only a limited few mothers worked outside the home. From the 1960-1990 Ireland was changing immensely with Ireland opening up to European and international ideas and technology base economy urbanizing Ireland causing families to move to cities and towns away from their extended family. More women were joining the workforce by the 1990s because the Celtic tiger, this made advocate support services to start such as Early Childhood Ireland. The Child Care Act 1991 and preschool regulations started the improvement of childcare in Ireland. The 1991 act gave the HSE the duty to promote the welfare of the child but this act was largely unregulated because an inspection system wasn’t established until 1997. The preschool regulation act improved the structure and the process of ch ildcare in Ireland and also set up an inspection system. In 2000 the government came in with the equal Opportunities Childcare Programme for a national development plan was established to improve the quality of childcare and also increased participation. In September 2007 the updated pre-school regulations 2006 came into effect, these regulation gave the childcare practitioners very specific requirements on how their childcare service should be ran such as child to adult ratio, suitable nutritious foods, and register for the children and many more regulations. These are set to improve the quality of all ECCE sectors. The ECCE set up a scheme called the free year programme. This programme is set up to give children a pre-school year to get them ready for primary school and give them the first learning experiences and becomes the start of their social and learning development Provisions for ECCE ECCE Scheme The Early Childhood Care and Education scheme gives parents the choice to put their children into a free year of early childhood care an education if they are aged between 3 years and 3 months and 4 years and 6 months on the first of September in which the service starts. Exceptions can be made if a child is verified as having a special need making a later starting date acceptable. The normal pattern for the free pre-school year is three hours a day over a 38 week period, if you go over these three hours you will be charged extra. Children over the age limit due to special needs might be able to be exempt from the age limit on the ECCE scheme if parents write to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs asking for an exemption from the age limit .Children with a disability are allowed to spread their free year programme over a two year period if they would benefit from this. There is no charge for parents availing this service. The state capitation fee pays these childcare service s to provide the ECCE hours. Parents might be asked to pay for extra activities but these have to be optional and there must be other appropriate activities set up for the children not taking part. DAI The dyslexia association of Ireland (DAI) was founded in 1972 to work with and for people that are affected by dyslexia. The DAI provides information, offers suitable support services and help in representing and raising awareness about dyslexia. Their vision is for a society that is dyslexia friendly where they are able to reach their maximum potential. Everyone with dyslexia has appropriate support and identification to achieve their maximum potential in all aspects in life. Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that affects reading and spelling skills with around 10% of Ireland affected. There are a lot of services the DAI provide such as information services through every form of communication. They have an assessment service that has a team of educational psychologists that work with children young people and adults. They also have other services like tuition for both adults and children who have been diagnosed with dyslexia. For people with dyslexia the dyslexia associatio n website has every single bit of information that someone with dyslexia would need even putting a feature on their page so people with dyslexia who struggle reading black on white can change the background colour of the page to make is easier for them to read Child benefit welfare Parents or guardians can claim child benefit for a child under the age of 16 or under 18 if that child is in a youth reach programme, full time education or has a disability. Child benefit is not eligible for children age 18 of over because in the eyes of the law they are now an adult Child benefit for twins is paid at one and half of the monthly rate for each individual child, other multiple births is double the rate. To apply for child benefit you need to apply within the first month of your childs birth. The month you became guardian of the child or the month you family came to live in Ireland. To keep on child benefit after age 16 for a child with a disability you have to apply a month before the childs 16th birthday. For children in full time education child benefit will continue until the month of June stop and resume that September when they start back at education. EU citizens living in Ireland can claim child benefit even if your child is not in the country, but if he is living in an EU country where regulations apply you should claim for family benefit that you are entitled to there. The child benefit monthly rate is â‚ ¬140 per child it increased by â‚ ¬5 in January of 2015 Public Health Nurses Health Public Health Nurses are usually based in a towns local health centre and they are each assigned to different places and geographical areas all over Ireland. These public health nurses are employed by the health service executive to provide the community with a range of health care services. These services are provided in a range of different places such as community centres, day care centres, schools, health centres and in peoples homes they provide basic nursing care, advice and assistance to all their patients. For terminally ill patients they can provide weekend nursing and twilight nursing. Sometimes public health nurses sometimes visit mothers and their new-born babies. They also visit primary schools in arrangements with the school health services. Public health nurses keep a register for old people and people with a disability and visit them in some areas in Ireland. For people in Ireland with communication difficulties or disorders public health nurses can provide a speech a nd language therapy. Equal opportunity legislation and mention at least three items of legislation and relevant to children The main principles behind the equal status acts are that everyone equally has the right to live and participate in society’s services without being discriminated against. The people who provide these public services cannot discriminate against the nine grounds of discrimination that are: Race Religion Age Gender Sexuality Disabilities Travelling community Marital status The civil partnership ground In relation to a child care setting all these grounds have to be followed, for example. A member of the travelling community has to be allowed to use all ECCE services and that child cannot be bullied or discriminated against in that service because of the family they come from where they live. A childcare worker has to treat that child the same as any other in their service Another example is for children with a disability such as a child in a wheel chair. Public services must have the facilities to be able to cater for the child’s needs such as wheel care ramps and elevators so the child can freely move around the building Another example is sex; a young boy cannot be discriminated against if he wants to do an activity such as ballet. Just because the majority of people who do ballet are female does not mean the young child should be discriminated against and also girls who want to do activities such as a physically sport such as rugby, this child’s decisions should be respected Show how you maintain a quality ECCE environment that complies with relevant regulations and standards. The preschool regulations are set to improve the standards in child care and to ensure the health, welfare and safety of pre-school children in promoting their development First aid In a childcare building there should always be a first aid box in the building. Should also be a person who has a qualification in first aid in the building at all times. On days outside the building with the children a first aid box should be brought along and the person with the first aid qualification should also come along with the children. This is to make sure if anything happened the child the child-minder is able to help the child. This links with the pre-school regulations 2006 regulation 6 Behaviour management In the 2006 pre-school regulations it clearly states in regulation 9 that: â€Å"A person carrying on a pre-school service shall ensure that no corporal punishment is inflicted on a pre-school child attending the service† (Anon., 2008) Therefore in the childcare setting every child should be respected there should be no practices that are neglectful emotionally or physically harmful, intimidating, degrading or disrespectful. Sà ­olta Sà ­olta is the national quality framework for early childhood education, sà ­olta is made to asses, define and support the improvement of the quality of practice in all ECCE sectors with children in their service ages 0-6 years. The16 standards give all childcare practitioners’ a vision to apply to all aspects of the ECCE practice; some examples of these are standards are: Each child in the service has the right to make their own choices and decisions and all their own choices made should be respected, this is stated in the 4th standards of Sà ­olta Each child is allowed to take their own initiate in the activities that they do giving them the appropriately level of independence and support in the child problem solving, this is stated in the 1st standard of Sà ­olta These 12 standards give early childhood and care practitioners a standard of quality in which all sectors of the ECCE must apply in their services. Conclusion In this report it has looked at the historical development of the ECCE sector in Ireland talking about the roles of the family before the Celtic tiger, the childcare act 1991 the pre-school regulations 1996 and 2006, the equal opportunity act 2000 and the ECCE scheme 2010. The report then looks at two state provisions set up by the state, talking about the ECCE scheme set up to help people in disadvantaged and disabled children in Ireland, and the DAI (Dyslexia association of Ireland) set up to help and give people with dyslexia the information needed. Next the report looks at one health and welfare provision state up by the state that are, child benefit for welfare, set up to help parents with children in full time education or children with disabilities and public health nurses as health, set up to provide the community with range of health care services. The report then has a look at the equal opportunity legislation and mentions three items of policy and legislation that are rele vant to children in the ECCE sector. Lastly, the report shows you how to maintain a quality ECCE setting with relevant regulations and standards talking about sà ­olta and the preschool rights. Bibliography Anon., 2008. northtipperarychild.ie. [Online] Available at: http://www.northtipperarychildcare.ie/docs/Guideline-on-Developing-a-Behaviour-Management-Policy-for-pre-school-services.pdf [Accessed 29 5 2015]. Anon., 2015. [Online] Available at: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/social_welfare_payments_to_families_and_children/child_benefit.html [Accessed 29 may 2015]. Anon., n.d. gillmacmillan.ie. [Online] Available at: http://www.gillmacmillan.ie/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/058/Early_Care_and_Education_Practice_-_Look_Inside_Sample.pdf [Accessed 29 may 2015]. Anon., n.d. siolta.ie. [Online] Available at: http://siolta.ie/ [Accessed 1 june 2015]. Anon., n.d. www.hse.ie. [Online] Available at: http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/1/LHO/CavanMonaghan/Public_Health_Nurse/ [Accessed 30 may 2015]. dyslexia.ie, n.d. www.dyslexia.ie. [Online] Available at: http://www.dyslexia.ie/

Why Athletes Choke in the Big Games? :: essays research papers

All sports fans have heard athletes comment that they â€Å"choked† or just couldn’t win the big game. The topic that will be addressed in this paper deals with the outcome of sporting events and why athletes continue to choke during and at the end of extremely important competitions. Baumeister (1992) found that â€Å"the choking reflex can be attributed to psychoneuromuscular influences†(p.3). My interest in the subject comes from being a big sports fan and a former athlete. And also from hearing people make comments such as, Scott Norwood and the entire Buffalo Bills football team are â€Å"chokers†. They can’t even win one Super Bowl in four tries. Barry Bonds can’t get one hit in the playoffs and thinks he’s the best baseball player ever. At the end of this paper you will be able to see why coaches and players go through these rough situations and what they can do to prevent them from happening again. In golf, â€Å"choking† is known as the â€Å"yips† and is defined as a psychoneuromuscular impediment of the execution of the simplest of tasks (Smith, 2000, p. 1). Adler (2003) defined the â€Å"yips† as a motor phenomenon of involuntary movements affecting golfers (p. 1). â€Å"Yips† is believed to be acquired through the deterioration of motor pathways via the basal ganglia. In some players it results from severe performance anxiety. This means that when a high level of stress and physiological arousal is present the â€Å"yips† start to show up. Basic patterns of the â€Å"yips† include sweaty palms, uncontrollable jerks, and anxiety. These symptoms continue to repeat themselves until the person that is affected learns to deal with these situations. These problems can influence quality of performance and even result in decreased playing time. â€Å"Yips† can also lead to the use of both alcohol and drugs as a coping adjacent. (Adl er, Crews, Wharen, & Laskowski 2003). Many of the best golfers in the world have had to experience this including Ben Hogan. Hogan said, â€Å"The difference between competitive golf and pleasure golf is like the difference between ice hockey and tennis† (Wertz, 86, p.

Brett Farve :: essays research papers

Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen. Meeting this evening as a group Green Bay Packer and NFL fans we recall many unforgettable moments in Packer history. From big hits to miraculous passes, we will have in the back of our minds forever. Every Sunday we are glued to the television watching the Packers. Win or lose our fans have always been there to support the team. It is a privilege to have with us a man who thrilled many spectators. Win or lose he was always there to boost the fans and players moral, Brett Favre. Brett Favre grew up idolizing a pair of Southern quarterbacks, the Saints' Archie Manning and the Cowboys' Staubach. He grew up in Kiln, Mississippi and went to high school in there. His high school, Hancock North Central, honored him this past May by re-naming the field, 'Brett Favre Field,' and unveiling a life-sized statue of the quarterback at the stadium's entrance. The school previously had retired his jersey, Number 10, in 1993. He stayed in the south to go to college where he went to Southern Miss. He became the starter at Southern Miss in his third game of his freshman season. Favre majored in special education. He led his Southern Mississippi team to 29 victories, including two bowl victories, during his four varsity seasons, 1987-90, and climaxed his collegiate career by earning a MVP award in the East-West Shrine game featuring the nation's best seniors. Favre set school records for passing yards (8,193), pass attempts (1,234), completions (656), completion percentage (53 .2), touchdowns (55), and with only 35 interceptions. His production included five 300-yard passing games and five 3-TD performances, while his 7,695 regular-season passing yards ranked him among the top 30 of all-time NCAA passers. His 1.57 interception ratio in 1988 was the lowest among the 50 top-ranked passers in the nation, and his 2.9 interception rate for his four-year career also ranks as one of the best in NCAA history. Also he was the MVP of the All-American Bowl at the conclusion of his senior year. All those records and stats and that was only in college!!! With the thirty-third pick in the 1991 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons choose Brett Favre. A little less than a year later, Atlanta traded Favre to Green Bay for a first round draft choice. Now in his 13th season in the NFL. Behind Favre, Green Bay has had nine playoff appearances including five division titles.

Negative Impact of Advertisement Essay

Advertising is a tool widely used by businesses and the media to promote their products. Unfortunately, advertising is pushing America more and more into a quick downward spiral. Advertisement acts like a fish hook for consumers. They have baits about the interest and wants of their consumers. Then when consumers grab a hold of it, advertisers reel them in on buying the products. The majority of advertisements are alarmingly misleading. They also convey an unrealistic view of certain products. Companies pay millions of dollars a year on advertising and go beyond the limit to persuade their customers. Little do consumers know they are indulging in this unnecessary luxury with nothing to gain. Advertising is unethical due to its negative impact on children, false images, and unrealistic expectations; however, advertisements do perform an important role on providing services to society. Without a doubt children are affected the most by advertising. At a young age, a child allows their mind to be molded and constructed. They don’t have much understanding of all the negative effects of the media and its advertisements. Children grow up to be everything they are surrounded by, as they are very susceptible to all outside influences. In many cases, children are most likely tended to misinterpret the messages conveyed through the advertisement. They end up having misinformed beliefs about many issues, which creates a desire to own a particular product being advertised. Joseph McLaughlin, a researcher from Fordham University, stated that â€Å"Children younger than 6 are especially susceptible to television advertising because many of them can’t tell the difference between a commercial and a program.† Because they are not able to distinguish the difference, glossy images in magazines, billboards, or flashy advertisement on television only create the im pulse for excessive desire to buy. Eric Schlosseris a well-known journalist that wrote the article â€Å"Kids Kustomers†. Along with McLaughlin, Schlosser shares a similar statement about advertising toward children. He  says, â€Å"The aim of most children’s advertising is straight forward: get kids to nag their parents and nag them well† (521). This means that advertisers are trying to focus their attention to make kids want their products and nag their parents until they get it for them. Children are the future, and an important part of the present as well. With these kinds of effects of advertising on them, this only creates a very wrong impression on their young minds about living without the needs of materialistic joys. Above all else, advertising is unethical. It creates an unrealistic image that urges people to buy in on the product. It gives them a natural high from the initial â€Å"new† or â€Å"delicious† feeling and leaving them unsatisfied after the feeling has worn off. Fast food advertisements are well known for exaggerating their products. Katie Robbins from Delish, wrote an article called â€Å"Fast Food: Truth behind Advertising†. In the article she says, â€Å"It looked so juicy and hearty, piled high with crunchy pickles and onions and resting on a soft, pillowy bed of a bun. But the actual sandwich that greeted when we ordered it at the Golden Arches didn’t look quite like the images we’d been seeing on billboard. Tired and limp, it was the anemic younger brother of the plucky McRib of our dreams† (Robbins). This means that people invest in a product they believe they saw in the advertisement but in reality, it’s just a pathetic excuse for fast food joints to make money. False beauty in advertising and pressure to look good caused many women to strive for the ideal perfection. Like Robbins, Jo Swinson, a writer from CNNopinion also wrote an article about how advertising contains false images. She stated: For some, the desire to look as perfect as these models can become all-consuming, and a wealth of evidence suggests that people in the UK are experiencing serious body image problems — a trend undoubtedly replicated around the globe. People unhappy about their bodies can develop eating disorders, turn to diet pills or steroids, or try cosmetic surgery and Botox injections. This means that women everywhere are willing to starve themselves or go beyond the limit to get the perfect body, to make them look like their favorite celebrities even. Advertising create unrealistic expectations. Ads for prescription drugs aimed directly toward consumer have resulted in unrealistic expectations  about the effectiveness of the drugs and its side-effects. In these kinds of advertisements, the visual images only show healthy, happy people. It never truly shows the actual downside effects of the drugs. Beauty and health products share a similar component by not living up to their promises; therefore, resulting in wasting consumer’s money once again. Herman CP, a psychologist from PubMed stated, â€Å"The false-hope syndrome suggests that unrealistic expectations in advertising about dieting set dieters up for failure.† This shows that fitness and health ads set consumers up to failure when they don’t see a change in their body, thus lead them to lose hope and give up. Gina-Marie Cheeseman from TriplePundit, shares a similar argument with Herman about unrealistic expectations. She says, â€Å"One of the implicati ons is that is creates an unrealistic expectation about the product that the company is advertising. Airbrushing sure does create unrealistic expectations, and U.S. women are shelling out money to meet those expectations.† This means that women everywhere are spending money on products to enhance their beauty to look like the one they see in the advertisements. Little did they know, advertisers used Photoshop and airbrushing to enhance the look of their models. Advertising however, still plays an important role on providing services to society. It offers social benefits. Along with that, advertising can be used to promote free speech since it is free speech: â€Å"This is especially true in countries where free speech has been suppressed. Advertising there, especially when it comes from the Western world where free speech is embraced, can encourage the idea that free speech is important,† says by Miranda Morley, a writer from SmallBusiness. This shows that advertising can be influential to foreign country that doesn’t allow freedom of speech. Like Morley, John E. Calfee also talks about how advertising is useful. He says, â€Å"But advertising does much more. It routinely provides immense amounts of information that benefits primarily parties other than the advertiser. This may sound odd, but it is a logical result of market forces and the nature of information itself† (98). Through providing information, it gives it a reason for research, and that research is backed-up by a firm sponsor thus creates credibility through its products. Although advertising plays an important role in society, unfortunately it is one of the major reasons why America is spinning into a downward spiral, doing major harm with little positive intention. Murray Lunn, a writer from Helium says, â€Å" Deceitful advertising, over the years, have caused consumers to associated the majority of advertising as a â€Å"sleazy† attempt to make them buy a product or service; participating in these types of advertising methods can cause a â€Å"black eye† on a business to the marketplace.† This means that businesses may put themselves in danger in the marketplace if they participate in these deceitful advertising. An article written by Shelly Frost, a writer from SmallBusiness, talks about how advertising affects businesses. She stated, â€Å"The Company is sometimes charged a fine for both current false advertising and any future incidents of deceptive advertising. If the company is sued, additional expenses come in the form of legal fees and money that must be paid to consumers who filed the suit.† Companies could lose more many than what they spend on making the advertisements if they’re caught false advertising. Advertising has long been seen as a way to convince consumers to spend their dollars on products or services they may not truly need. It is unethical. Women, who would see beauty ads, would want to emulate the thinness and beauty of such models. Today’s society has become cultures of consumerisms, and it is teaching children the false sense of self-worth. Also those consumers that were given the false impression about a product through various forms of media tend to suffer the most from society’s portrayal of the perfect body. Advertising is unethical and if not monitor carefully, it can affect and individual more negatively than for the better. Works Cited Calfe, John. â€Å"How Advertising Informs to Our Benefits.† Common Culture: Reading and Writing about American Popular Culture. 4th Edition. Ed. Micheal Petracca and Madeleine Sorapure. Upper Saddle River, NJ. 2004. 97-109. Print. Lunn, Murray. â€Å"The Negative Effects of Advertising.† Helium. N.p., 03 Feb. 2011. Web. 04 Apr. 2013. Frost, Shelley. â€Å"Negative Effects of False Advertising.† Small Business. Chron, 05 June 2010. Web. 02 Apr. 2013. McLaughlin, Joseph. â€Å"Researcher Shows Negative Effects of Advertising on Children.†Fordhamn.edu. Fordham University College, 17 May 2010. Web. 08 Apr. 2013. Morley, Miranda. â€Å"The Positive Effects of Advertising.† Small Business. Chron. N.p., 11 June 2010. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. Robins, Kate. â€Å"Food in the News.Fast Food: Truth in Advertising?† Delish. N.p., 16 Nov. 2010. Web. 02. Apr. 2013. Swinson, Jo. â€Å"False Beauty in Advertising and the Pressure to Look ‘good'† CNN. Cable News Network. 10.Aug. 2011. Web. 01 Apr. 2013. CP, Herman. â€Å"Effects of expose to unrealistic promises about dieting.† PubMed. National Center for Biotechnology Information, 25 Mar. 2009. Web. 08 Apr. 2013. Cheeseman, Gina-Marie. â€Å"British Regulatory Agency Bans Christian Dior Mascara Ad.†TriplePundit. N.p., 25 Oct. 2012. Web. 08 Apr. 2013. Schlosser, Eric. â€Å"Kid Kustomer.† From Inquiry to Academic Writing A Text and Reader. 2nd Edition. Ed. Stuart Greene and April Lidinsky. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. 519-526. Print.

Phonics Primer for Year Five Remedial Class in Primary School Essay

1.1 Description of the Area of Research Title of the Study: Phonics Primer for Year Five Remedial Class in Primary School. Phonics is letter-sound correspondences. The units of sound can be syllables, onsets & rimes, or phonemes (EdResearch.info). Phonics Primer is a way of learning the sounds of the alphabet in order to decode the English language. It is recognized by a quick pace of teaching letter and the sound or grapheme and phoneme matches and immediately getting students to use this knowledge to read and spell regular words. Words are read by using the phonological skill of blending the sounds together – synthesis (hence the term â€Å"synthetic phonics†). Words are spelled by using the phonological skill of hearing the sounds in words (segmentation) by means of which words are segmented into their constituent phonemes (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia) Research Questions 1. What is the strategy in teaching synthetic phonics? 2. Can the method be successfully taught in shorter periods? 3. Can the 44 sounds of Phonics Primer help in teaching non-English speakers who have other sounds that is found in English? 4. Can Phonics Primer be used to teach cohorts in higher levels with reading difficulties? Research Variables The instruments that I will use in my research will be: 1. Questionnaires 2. Interviews 3. Classroom Observation Checklist 4. Tests 5. Document Reviews Gay and Airasian (20030 defined population as â€Å"The population is the group of interest to the researcher, the group to which the results of the study will ideally generalized†. The respondents of the research will be for remedial students from the outskirt of Sarikei in Sarawak. The majority of the students will be of the Iban race. The research will be conducted on two groups of selected students. One group will be used for study, called the experimental group. Another group would be the controlled group and they will be taught with the conventional teaching procedure during English lessons. Both groups will be cohorts who will need assistant in reading. About six students will be involved in this study. They will be remedial students from the cohort of year five students who are in the remedial class. The respected students and school will be chosen simply to fulfill the requirements of the research that will use the Primers phonics approach to teach reading for remedia l students. 1.2 Theoretical Framework Often we find that in schools, there are always students who are very poor in reading English. It is even worst when the students cannot read in a language that is very similar to theirs. This means that the students are having problems in basic reading. We can say that these students are too slow in picking up during their reading lessons in English. In classes where we have been teaching, oftentimes we see that students cannot recognize words and even there are some who cannot read. The students in rural Sarikei, in Sarawak, specifically are mostly Ibans. They are non-English speakers. They only encounter the language when they come to school. English therefore is very unfamiliar to them. Many English sounds don’t even exist in their mother tongue. Synthetic phonics has all the 44 sounds of the English Language. It is a very systematic way to teach basic reading in English. By using the method of teaching, students can read faster and easier. The method of teaching and the instruments used in teaching it can enable the remedial students of the primary schools to remember the sounds made by the letters and enable them to read. Research instrument are devices to measure the objects of the study. Instruments come in multiple forms. For this research, the researcher will be using multiple forms like questionnaires, observation forms, interview forms and tests to get information. The questionnaires and interviews will be used to get information about experiences, suggestions and ideas related to the study. The observation forms will be used to make observations during the study. From observation forms, the researcher will be able to see weaknesses and strengths during the teaching of Phonics Primer and also the current teaching method used by the school to make comparisons. The tests which will be given before and after teaching Phonics Primer will help the researcher to find out if the case study that they are doing is suitable and good for teaching remedial students. Questionnaires Questionnaires are familiar to most people (Berdie, Anderson, and Niebuhr, 1986).It is a written or printed form used in gathering information on some subject or subjects, consisting of a set of questions to be submitted to one or more persons (Your Dictionary.Com) It is a communication method of designing questionnaires to collect the requisite information. It is a list of questions framed to get facts. A questionnaire is defined as a group of printed questions used to elicit information from subjects by means of self report. Questionnaires will be distributed to both experimental and controlled group. Teacher Questionnaires. A teacher questionnaire is designed to gather information administered to English teachers in school. The questionnaire will be done two times, that is before the start of the Phonics Programme. A second questionnaire will follow at the end of the programme. This is to find out the status of remedial reading before and after the programme. If there are any differences before and after the programme, it will be noted down for analysis in the research later. Students’ Questionnaires Students’ questionnaire will also be done. It will be done with students who are involved with the study. They are the experimental group of students and also the controlled group of students for comparison later. Questionnaires can help the researcher discover the experiences, knowledge and backgrounds of the students and the school which is related to the case study that is going to be done. These information will help the researcher to know more and understand more about the stand of the students involved in the study. The questionnaire is also important in helping the researcher to make conclusion and give suggestions for future study of similar case. Interview The interview is a dialogue between the teachers with the researcher. The most commonly accepted objective of the interview is to determine whether there is a match between the candidates’ education, experience, interest and goals and the goals of the researcher related to the study for which the researcher is interviewing. In this study, the researcher conducts the interview with the remedial students’ teacher. This interview is designed to elicit data using a set of predetermined questions that are expected to elicit the subjects thoughts, opinions and attitudes regarding the teaching of reading to remedial students. Group Interviews with Teachers. To identify the major issues surrounding the planning and implementation of reading instruction in schools of a rural school, group interviews will be conducted with English remedial teachers. An interview will be used to facilitate discussion. Responses to the uniform standard questions will contribute to the final analysis of the study findings. Individual Interviews with Teachers. To investigate all of the major research questions. presented earlier, interviews will be conducted with English remedial teachers in the selected schools. An interview will be used to facilitate information gathering. Responses to the questions will contribute to the final analysis of the study findings. Observation Instruments Observation is a technique of gathering data through direct contact with the subjects. In this study, the researcher will observe two classes. The researcher will observe ongoing class using Primer Phonics and the normal teaching of remedial students in the school. Observation instrument is necessary to detect any strength and weaknesses for both types of methodology in teaching remedial students. The detections will be noted down in the researcher’s note book for making analysis, conclusion and suggestions for future researches. Classroom Observation Classroom observation will be done to make sure that Primer Phonics is taught accordingly. A checklist will be used. Classroom observations will also be done for the normal teaching of remedial students in the same school. The need for making observation for the normal method of teaching is to enable comparison among the two types of methodology later. Additional data collection and review will occur during the observations. Researchers summarized notes after each observation. Test The researcher will conduct two types of tests, the Pre test and the Post test, for two groups of students from the remedial class only. The students will be divided into the experimental and controlled group. A Pre test will be used to see the students’ ability to read before teaching using the Primers Phonic Method. The Post test will be used to see the achievements made after teaching using the Primers’ Phonic Method. Both the experimental and the controlled groups will take the tests so the researcher can compare if there will be any differences in the achievements after teaching using the Primers’ Phonic Method for the experimental group. The Controlled group will be taught by their own remedial teachers using the usual syllabus in the school. In the tests, subjects are to read a short text of about 150 words. These tests aims to see how good the students can or cannot read before and after teaching using the Primers’ Phonic Method. To assess the students reading, 5 criteria will be ticked accordingly. Students who gets two out of five ‘Yes’ are considered to have pass the Pre Test or the Post test Document Review Document review will inform the research process to varying degrees. Among the documents analyzed were student work samples, report cards, forms, letters to parents, lesson plans, lists of reading books, and other relevant documents pertinent to current reading instruction. The Theoretical Framework Diagram 1: The Diagram depicts the theoretical framework. 1.3 Review of Related Literature The literature reviews forwarded here will help us to understand more about the case study that will be done. A literature review is a body of text that aims to review the critical points of current knowledge and or methodological approaches on a particular topic. Literature reviews are secondary sources, and as such, do not report any new or original experimental work. Most often associated with academic-oriented literature, such as theses, a literature review usually precedes a research proposal and results section. Its ultimate goal is to bring the reader up to date with current literature on a topic and forms the basis for another goal, such as future research that may be needed in the area. A well-structured literature review is characterized by a logical flow of ideas; current and relevant references with consistent, appropriate referencing style, proper use of terminology and an unbiased and comprehensive view of the previous research on the topic I would like to make a review of related literature which is in my area of research, Instruction, Development, and Achievement of Struggling Primary Grade Readers by Elizabeth Campbell Rightmyer, Ellen McIntyre, and Joseph M Petrosko. Reading Research and Instruction. Coral Gables: Spring 2006. Their study examined the phonics and reading achievement of 117 primary grade students in 14 schools and 42 classrooms. Students received instruction in one of six different reading programs or models based upon the school they attended. Through qualitative data collection and analysis of specific instructional practices, they determined that no model or program proved more effective for the learning of phonics in the first grade after one year of instruction. Purpose The purpose of their study was to examine the phonics and reading achievement of primary grade students receiving instruction in six different instructional programs or models (referred to as â€Å"models† in reference to their study). Then, through a qualitative analysis of the specific instructional practices within these models and their understanding of young children’s literacy development, they explain the relative differences in achievement gains of these primary grade struggling readers. Method They examined the instructional practices and achievement of low performing students in first through third grade classrooms in which teachers used one of the following reading models: Breakthrough to Literacy (www.btl.com); Early Success (Cooper, et al., 1997); Early Intervention (Taylor, Medo, & Strait, 1995); Four Blocks (Cunningham, Hall, & DeFee, 1991); SRA Reading Mastery (Engelmann & Bruner, 1997); or Together We Can, a locally developed model based on small group guided reading and explicit teaching of reading strategies and skills. Participants The study included 117 â€Å"struggling† primary-grade readers in 14 schools and 42 classrooms. Schools that had recently received a state grant to implement one of the reading models were invited to participate. They then contacted the principals, asking them to recommend teachers who were particularly successful at implementing the instructional model for at least one year; they believed that principals would avoid selecting teachers who were struggling with the model, classroom management, student diversity, or any of the myriad complexities that teachers face daily. Independently, they checked the teachers’ credentials by using a state-developed data base and found that the majority of them held advanced rank in the profession; 73% had earned at least 30 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree. They also found that 84% of the teachers had taught in their current state of employment for more than five years. The principals distributed consent forms to interested teachers, and when they were returned, the researchers explained to each teacher that the children they wanted to study were those struggling with reading or learning to read. They had no control of the models that were proposed or the schools that were selected to receive the grants. Like many states under accountability mandates, their state is becoming heavily invested in direct instruction models of reading and mathematics, and this predilection was seen in the numbers of students who received scripted early intervention in reading. They asked that by October 1 of the first year of the study, the teachers identify the lowest achieving 20% in their classes. Again, they did not control for socioeconomic status, gender, or ethnicity of the identified children or in any way second-guess the teachers’ selection. Consenting students became the targeted group of children the researchers tested on the phonics application and reading tasks. There were two to five children in each of the classrooms, although due to attrition and a few flawed tests, this number was reduced in some classrooms. Researchers studied one group of children from the beginning of first grade through the end of second grade, documenting growth in phonics for one year. These children are hereafter referred to as â€Å"first graders,† even though they followed them through the end of second grade. The children in this group were all served by a single reading model – one of the five models that appear in Appendix A – across two years; however, most of the children had different teachers implementing the model the second year (in second grade). The study followed a second group from the beginning of second grade through the end of third grade, also documenting growth after two years. These children are hereafter referred to as â€Å"second graders,† even though they followed them through the end of third grade. Like the first graders, the children in this group were served by the same reading model across two years; however, most of the children had different teachers implementing the model the second year (in third grade). Table 1 lists the participants by model. Procedures for Data Collection and Analysis of Student Achievement Instruments The researcher pre- and post-tested first grade children on clay’s Hearing Sounds in Words Test (1993), a phonics application task that included encoding a sentence. This measure was conducted only with first graders, as this was the norming sample. It will hereafter be referred to as the â€Å"phonics measure† or â€Å"phonics achievement.† On the clay test, the examiner reads two sentences to the child, â€Å"The bus is coming fast. It will stop here to let me get on.† Then the sentences are read again, word by word, and children encode the sentence as the researcher dictates. The children are encouraged to do the best they can with the spelling and â€Å"use the sounds of words to write as much as you can.† The children score a point for each letter or group of letters they write that correctly correspond to the sounds in the words. Children can score from O to 37 on this test. The researchers selected this test because they believed it to be a more authentic assessment of phonics understanding and use than phonological tests on which children call out letter sounds they see or sound out semantically disconnected word lists. Data collection Researchers were trained using each of the testing instruments given. The training involved an explanation and demonstration of the testing procedures and observation of videotapes of the project director testing various children. The researchers scored those children, discussed results, and adjusted their expectations through more explanation and demonstration by the director. Children were pre-tested during the months of September and post-tested during the month of May during each of the two years of the study. Children were tested in one-on-one situations in quiet places, arranged by the classroom teacher or grant administrator for periods of no more than 30 minutes at a time. While the pre-testing took approximately 30 minutes per child, the post-testing took 60-90 minutes per child for most children, thus each child was met two or three times. The researchers attempted to make the children comfortable and rewarded them afterwards with stickers. All reading passages were tape-recorded. Quantitative analysis of achievement data For ease in comparing achievement, the researchers used the benchmarks provided by each of the tests. Clay’s Hearing Sounds in Words phonics test has a range of 1-37, with intervals of 1. Two trained researchers individually scored every Clay test, and these scores were compared against one another for accuracy. Where there was discrepancy in scoring, a third researcher also reviewed the data, and the group negotiated the final score. Scores were entered into a data base, and two team members reviewed each of them for accuracy in data entry. In this study, test score data were statistically analyzed in two ways. First, pretest scores were subtracted from posttest scores. The resulting gain scores were used as dependent variables in a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), with the reading models as the independent variables. Test 1 was a comparison of phonics achievement of students in the different reading models (one-year gain). For each test, students’ achievement in only five models was compared. Importantly, due to the unequal number of students in each of the comparison groups, and the small numbers of participants in some of the models, the interpretations about the findings of these tests are made with caution and based on trends in the data. Data Collection and Analysis of Instructional Practices The researchers collected data on the instructional models in three ways: a) by observing the teachers and taking field notes, b) by interviewing the teachers about their practices, and c) by completing an observation instrument after leaving the site (which required reflection and quantification of what was observed). For this analysis, they specifically gathered data on: 1) the focus of instruction, 2) the primary literacy activities conducted, and 3) the length of time children spent reading connected text. Other salient characteristics of the models, such as whether the model was considered an intervention for struggling readers or a whole class model, are also described. Observations and interviews Schools were contacted and arrangements were made to observe the teachers who had been previously identified as fully implementing the instructional model adopted through the state program. The researchers visited each teacher four times and observed between 90-180 minutes during each visit, depending on how long â€Å"literacy instruction† was conducted in that classroom. Researchers sat in the room and recorded what the teacher said and did in the form of field notes. One important feature in our field notes was the regular marking of time. In an effort to understand how teachers distributed their instructional time for various activities, they recorded the time in the margins of their field notes approximately every five minutes. After each visit, the researchers interviewed the classroom teacher the same day the observations were made. Among the questions they asked were about how typical the observed instruction was and how the children were selected for testing to ensure that they indeed were studying the bottom 20%. Observation instrument After exiting the field site, the researcher used the field notes and interview to complete an observation instrument that summarized and quantified instructional patterns. A small section of instrument was used to help determine the teacher’s focus of instruction. The instrument, the field notes, and the interview made a â€Å"data set† for analysis. Analysis of instruction In the first phase of analysis, researchers gathered to examine the data sets. Using a form created by the project director, the researchers summarized what happened during each of the visits. From these summaries of the field notes and interviews, the project director created a set of codes that reflected much of the data, a content analysis of sorts (Miles & Huberman, 1994). Then, the research team partitioned the field notes into â€Å"activity settings† (Tharp & Gallimore, 1988) in order to create smaller, bounded units of analysis. This meant that whenever there was a change in activity (the people, place, or product of instruction), the ensuing activity was considered a unit of analysis and coded separately. The Researcher did not consider as â€Å"change in setting† instances in which children had to leave a group early or if a lesson was interrupted. Thus, the lessons were coded holistically by setting. Settings lasted from five to 45 minutes. For example, one setting for analysis might be a 10-minute whole class lesson on which the teacher guided the children to â€Å"correct† a message she had written without punctuation. When the same teacher signaled to the children it was time to work in learning centers, a new unit of analysis was begun. Sometimes there were multiple simultaneous activity settings, and the researcher usually made the decision to follow the teacher. For each activity setting, they coded the teacher’s primary activity, followed by what researchers interpreted, from both observations and interviews, was the teacher’s focus for the activity-either to help students develop phonologically (ACTIV-phon), or to help students learn something else (ACTIV-other). The primary instructional activities observed in each class were listed on the summary sheet. Finally, to determine the time children spent reading connected text, they used an earlier analysis of these data (Authors, 2005). They first defined connected text as â€Å"texts of meaningful sentences or longer; that is, more than one connected sentence;† although, in this study, connected text was usually an entire story. Then, they clarified activities that comprised examples of opportunities to read connected text. The following practices were categorized as such: choral reading; echo reading (even though technically the teacher was doing half of the reading); guided silent reading; guided oral reading; and established periods for independent reading. Activities not included as â€Å"opportunities for reading connected text† included read aloud story time, times when the teacher was directly teaching something, times when students completed worksheets that included only words or unrelated sentences, drill of individual words, or time on non-print responses to literature. Then, the researchers highlighted in field notes when students were provided opportunities to read connected text. They calculated the percentage of time in such activity against the total time designated for language arts instruction. They examined all four observations of each teacher together as a unit because they knew they were going to categorize them. Using group consensus, they defined classrooms as having much opportunity to read connected text during all four observations, a moderate amount of time, or little time. After each data set was analyzed and each teacher categorized, they compared instructional foci and practices across models. They listed all the teachers in a given model together, and looked across these data sets for patterns.