Quality Teaching

Abstract Educational institutes in New South Wales have embarked on a quest to make gradual improvements since the adoption of the Quality Teaching model. While this progress has been markedly slow because of the many changes required for each institute to achieve effective results, it has been consistent.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Quality Teaching specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Even so, schools and other institutions of learning need to increase the pace of change on a district level so as validate the continued use of the model. This can only be achieved if the district education body reassesses key features of Quality teaching model in all schools. Background Analysis Education is a fundamental requirement for the development and ultimate advancement of the community and educators and policy makers are constantly looking for educational structure and practices that will increase the effectiveness of th e education system. The New South Wales (NSW) Department of Education and Training (2003) asserts that a core directive of the Department of Education and Training is to make sure that state and nation wide policies on education are successfully implemented. The Quality Teaching model is one of such policies that the Department of Education and Training is mandated to adapt throughout its jurisdiction. This policy has led to academic progress and improvements in student performance across NSW since it was formally endorsed. However, these level of improvement has been lower than it was projected to be. These low success rates might be attributed to the previous attitude of encouraging teachers and school administrates to implement their own version of principles and guidelines of the Quality Teaching model. A number of noticeable reasons are to blame for the slow development and improvement of the pedagogy proposed through the Quality Teaching model. Anderson and Helms (2001) assert that the three defining principles of the model; intellectual quality, quality learning environment and significance, faced some form of opposition in their implementation within the district. The biggest hindrance faced in the implementation has been budgetary constraints in most schools. Inequitable financing of educational institutes as the District and National levels have led to unequal distribution of resources across school districts. Without equity, it is impossible for most institutes to set aside the financial resources required to implement this new model.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Federal and State government aspires to provide equitable financing to each educational institute. However, this noble goal is seldom met and the reality is that some institutes receive modest finances while others have a surplus. King (2002) observes that this has a direct influence o n the ability of the institute to provide quality education to the students. The last decade has witnessed significant changes in the education field with computers and modern learning equipments becoming central to the learning efforts of students. The District bodies have been unable to conclusively supply institutes with this expensive modern equipment therefore deposing the district bodies from their traditional role as major financier to educational institutions. Charity organization, corporate sponsors, and philanthropists have taken up the role of major financier. Martinez (2004) points out that this private funding has led to intense competition and disunity as teachers from different schools fight to obtain sufficient financing from these new benefactors. This occurrence has mitigated the effectiveness of the Quality Teaching model as finances play an integral role in the success of the model. Failure to adopt a successful teaching model has led to lowered performances in p ublic schools. This has led to dissatisfaction among many parents who have turned to private schools in the hope that these privately funded institutes will provide better quality education. Gore and Ladwig (2006) suggest that the presumption that private schools are better equipped to provide quality education is misguided surplus finances do not equate to better delivery on all the elements of Authentic Pedagogy and the Quality Teaching Model. As such, availability of adequate financial resources does not necessary translate to quality teaching. The attitude of all the relevant parties in the educational system significantly influences the success of the teaching model.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Quality Teaching specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These relevant parties include teachers, students, school administrators and regional and national education bodies. Teachers are regarded as the most significant actors since they are relied on to impart knowledge to the students. Their role is therefore critical to the success or failure of any quality teaching process since they are the ones who implement the Quality Teaching model. Teachers do not hold a uniform attitude regarding the model and their outlook is influenced by factors such as cultural ideologies and social predispositions (Martinez, 2004). Teachers generally enjoy a modest social economic status and this inclines them to believe that certain goals and intentions are beyond one’s natural capability. Lee and Smith (2001) observe that teachers find it hard to make the constant changes in educational practices necessitated by current social circumstances. While such changes would greatly enhance the quality of teaching and positively influence student performance, the changes require significant financing and maintenance. The financial requirements of the changes are unattainable even for the wealthiest nations. Changes are proposed regularly and this this makes many students and teachers loss interest in the many incomplete efforts proposed all the time (Groundwater-Smith Hunter, 2000). Teachers also feel an extra burden since they are forced to fulfil responsibilities that are alien to their training. The Regulatory Commission for Authentic Pedagogy under the Quality Teaching model Steps need to be taken to deal with the shortcomings of the current implementation of the Quality Teaching Model in NSW. One method which might assist is the establishment of a regulatory body by the Department of Education and Training. Such a body would be responsible for formulating a sustainable system that addresses the issues that plague the current Quality Teaching implementation. The body would liaison between the Department and School administrations to identify teacher and student issues that need to be addressed. The body would provide students with an avenue to air their views or grievances concerning the ir education. Anderson and Helms (2001) suggests that such an avenue would be beneficial for students who prefer to air their views concerning the education process to an independent third party. Agents in the regulatory body would also play a supervisory role thus ensuring that all parties fulfil their mandated roles and responsibilities.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The financial requirements of the proposed regulatory body would be significant. Government and State authorities would need to provide these finances. It would therefore be desirable for the body to fulfil its goals within a reasonable period of time to save the government from high maintenance expenses. NSW has 760,000 students and 2200 public schools making it the State with the highest student and public schools population in Australia (NSW Department of Education and Training, 2003). An average of 350 students would be served in each institute if the number of students was evenly spread out across the available schools. If each teacher was is responsible for a maximum of 30 students, less than 20 teachers would be required for each institution. Combined with administrative and non-administrative staff, the number of non-student population would be between 30 and 40 adults. Regulatory agents would be tasked with supervising and interviewing this non-student population in schools . From this, they would be able to deduce their effect on the overall academic achievement of students. It is to be expected that the non-student staff will be greater or less than the estimates provided since students are not equally distributed across public schools in NSW. In addition to this, Lee and Smith (2001) assert that education institutions for special needs students require the different pedagogical principles to regular institutes. At the same time, regular institutions applying self-contained or inclusive classrooms to cater for special needs students require the same, if not more, attention in the delivery of Quality Teaching goals. The commission will therefore be made up of agents who will invigilate progress in predefined sectors of NSW. Feedback is essential in any monitoring efforts and as such, the regulatory division will have a feedback department. The feedback will be obtained from teachers, administrators and students. All additional policies or amendments t o policies concerning Quality Teaching will be instigated from the division making it a centre for changes and the chief source of resources concerning Quality Teaching for schoolteachers. King (2002) suggests that consistent monitoring is necessary for any significant gains to be achieved. With this considerations, each agent will have to regularly assess all institutions within his/her jurisdiction and interview all the relevant parties in order to access if the Quality Teaching model is being implemented effectively. While attention will be given to all the relevant parties, focus will predominantly be on the students since they are the people who the model hopes to impact. Regular interviews will therefore be conducted with students and a focus group established to help gauge the students’ attitudes towards schoolwork, teachers, administration and non-teaching staff. The agent will also interview teaching and non-teaching staff who interact with the students. By interview ing teachers, the agent will gauge their attitude towards the Quality Teaching model. Groundwater-Smith and Hunter (2000) observe that the interviews will also help in giving a better understanding of what each teacher perceives quality teaching to mean under this model. From the findings of the interviews, teachers who are under-informed will be required to attend Quality Teaching seminars in order to inform them on what constitutes quality teaching under this framework. Administration heads will be consulted before recommending mandatory seminars to ensure that their authority is not undermined. An important question will be with regards to who makes up the regulatory agency staff. King (2002) proposes that pedagogy experts from universities and seasoned policymakers on educational matters are the best candidates. Such professionals will be best placed to design and redesign the application of Quality Teaching in public schools in order to increase the rate of effective implementa tion through seamless adaptation and assimilation. The current move towards Quality Teaching in NSW is grounded in studies done by veterans such as Newmann and Griffiths (King, 2002). These seasoned academic researchers would be the most qualified to run the regulatory commission and handle any difficulties that may arise in the implementation process of the Quality Teaching Model. Uniform adoption of the new policies would be desirable and as such, meetings between the commission’s heads and regulatory agents would be necessary. Such meetings would ensure that all public institutes in NSW integrate Quality Learning in their institutes at the same pace regardless of factors such as school population or socio-economic realities of each institute (Anderson Helms, 2001). As has been noted, some teachers would require additional training in order to properly adopt the Quality Teaching principles in their classrooms. The commission’s heads will be in-charge of these mandat ory re-education seminars. Martinez (2004) reveals that there is a great possibility that most of the teachers who will require re-education will be career teachers who have been in the job for long. Such senior teachers with experience of over ten years will have developed personalized teaching techniques and most likely have reputations amongst their peers and the students. Proposed changes that such teachers consider unproductive or flawed will be ignored. Gore and Ladwig (2006) see the rationale behind such action and concur that experience offers insight into areas within Quality Teaching that require more analysis and evaluation. Even so, experience is not synonymous with perfection and even the most experienced person can learn better ways of doing things. The commissioners will therefore have to face the challenge of convincing these veteran teachers that the Quality Teaching model is a pedagogical framework that will bring about teacher satisfaction and improve the learning experience for the students. The commissioners will use regular regional meetings as avenues for obtaining feedback from teachers. Such feedback will include suggestions on how the three tenets of Quality Teaching can be better adapted. Such meetings will ensure that the role of enforcement is passed on to the teachers. Without such an approach, the regulatory commission would have to force the framework upon teachers and this would lead to resistance and even resentment. In these approach, the primary role of the commissioners and regulatory agents will be to obtain support for the framework from teachers. Groundwater-Smith (1999) forecasts that ingraining the pedagogical framework into all teachers will lead to teachers implementing it autonomously therefore leading to the desirable outcome, which is rendering the work of the commission obsolete. The administrative hierarchy will have the regulatory agents at the bottom and the regulation commission and schools’ senior adm inistrators at the top. The agents will conduct the actual regulation and report to the commissioners and school heads. The agents would also involve the school administration to help coordinate in activities that affect the particular school. Even so, the agents would have autonomy during evaluations to ensure that an independent and impartial report is obtained. The school’s administration would be isolated from evaluation efforts in order for valid claims to be made by teachers and students. The administration will have representation during focus group interviews or individual interviews with students and staff. However, the representatives role will be strictly that of an observer. Analysis of the Potential Impact on the Quality Teaching framework The agent’s attention shall mostly be directed towards the student body, teaching and non-teaching staff. These groups individually influence the three tenets of Quality Teaching in a profound manner. The Student bodyâ⠂¬â„¢s acceptance of the model will occur if they are able to find relevance in the subject matter. Effective learning will only able to occur if the teacher is able to identify areas of interest for the students and focus on them. The agent will be tasked with identifying where the interests of the different students lies notwithstanding the differences in culture and socio-economic status that the students might have. This will not be an impossible task since there is a fusion in some of the basic interests of students in NSW state due to the co-existence of different cultures and social classes in the same environment (Groundwater-Smith Hunter, 2000). An in-depth understanding of student interests and desires would assist in increasing the efficiency of the teaching methods employed by making the lesson more engaging for the students. For a teacher to perform his role effectively, he needs to be well informed since the students should ideally view him as the primary purveyor of information. While it was easy for the teacher to be the primary source of information in the past, this is no longer the case since information technology systems have made an infinite amount of knowledge and data available to the students. Technology savvy students are able to challenge tutors with complicated information obtained from the internet. Teachers are at times unable to keep up with the student’s pace for information desire. The first tenet of the Quality Teaching Model is intellectual quality and it insists on the teacher possessing a large knowledge base in order to remain significant and intellectually respected by their students (NSW Department of Education and Training, 2003). Inability to maintain intellectual quality will diminish the effectiveness of the teacher. The non-teaching staff plays an integral role in the education institute. Their role in maintaining a healthy and adequate learning environment is constantly undervalued despite it being very imp ortant since teachers and school administrations can only provide a classroom-learning environment but they cannot effectively control the external environment that the non-teaching staff takes care of. While regulations for the control of substance use exist, they are very inadequate (Corwin et al., 1975). The non-teaching staff takes care of the environment therefore providing a conducive atmosphere for students and teachers alike. Greater sensitivity to the role that non-teachings staff play in enhancing the learning environment is required since they are necessary elements in the school environment. References Anderson, R. D., Helms, J. V. (2001). The Ideal of Standards and the Reality of Schools: Needed Research. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 38 (1), 3-16. Corwin, R., Heffernan, P., Johnston, R., Remy, M., Roberts, J., Tyler, D. (1975). Environmental Impact Assessment. San Francisco: Freeman, Cooper Company. Gore, J. M., Ladwig, J. G. (2006). Professional Develop ment for Pedagogical Impact. Paper presented at the Australian Association for Research in Education Annual Conference, Perth. Groundwater-Smith, S. (1999). Students as Researchers and the ‘Why’ Question. Paper presented to the British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, Brighton. Groundwater-Smith, S., Hunter, J. (2000). Whole School Inquiry: Evidence-based Practice. Journal of In-Service Education, 26 (3), 583-600. King, M.B. (2002). Professional Development to Promote School-wide Inquiry. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18(1), 243-257. Lee, V.E., Smith, J.B. (2001). Restructuring High School for Equity and Excellence. New York: Teachers College Press. Martinez, K. (2004). Mentoring New Teachers: Promise and Problems in times of Teacher Shortage. Australian Journal of Education, 48 (1), 95-108. NSW Department of Education and Training. (2003). Quality Teaching in NSW public schools: A classroom practice guide. Sydney: NSW Department of Education and Training, Professional Support and Curriculum Directorate This essay on Quality Teaching was written and submitted by user Isai Hardin to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Overview on Reasons to Learn Mandarin Chinese

Overview on Reasons to Learn Mandarin Chinese Mandarin is â€Å"too hard† to learn, right? Despite this widely-held belief, millions of people are studying Mandarin Chinese as a second language. But if it’s so hard, why bother to learn Mandarin? Is Mandarin Difficult? There is no doubt that written Chinese is difficult to learn – even for the Chinese! But the spoken language is a different kettle of fish. In many ways, Mandarin Chinese is much easier to learn than European languages. Here are some features which make Mandarin easy: no subject/verb agreementno pluralsno conjugationsno tensessimple numbering system which is applied to dates and time expressionssimple conditional sentencessimple prepositions Why Learn Mandarin? So Mandarin is easy, but why learn it? The number one reason is that Mandarin Chinese is the most widely-spoken language in the world. Learn to speak Mandarin and you can speak with millions of people around the world. More reasons: Business - Business people who speak Mandarin have a huge advantage in tapping into the Chinese market. It is much easier to develop all-important relationships if you can speak Mandarin.Travel - China and Taiwan offer exciting travel opportunities. Getting around is much easier if you can speak Mandarin.Culture - With thousands of years of history, Chinese culture is endlessly fascinating. Whether your interests are in history, architecture, music, or cuisine, a knowledge of Mandarin will enrich your understanding of Chinese culture. Chinese Characters The Chinese writing system is quite a challenge, but this is another reason to learn it! Despite its difficulty, learning to read and write Chinese will give you a lifetime of intellectual stimulation. The real beauty of the language is revealed in the writing. There are thousands of Chinese characters, but they are not randomly constructed. There is a system to their design, and understanding that system makes it much easier to learn new characters. So take the challenge and learn Mandarin Chinese! It is your ticket to a lifetime of reward.

Missing Information in Chicago Authorâ€Date Referencing

Missing Information in Chicago Author–Date Referencing Missing Information in Chicago Author–Date Referencing Do you feel like something is missing from your life? Well, if what you’re missing is source information for a college paper, you’re in the right place! That’s because, in this post, we’re looking at how to handle missing information in Chicago author–date referencing. No Named Author Finding that a source doesn’t have a named author is a common problem. The best response is usually to cite an organizational author. For example, if we were citing a UNICEF report without a named author in Chicago author–date referencing, we could write: Recent campaigns have been more successful (UNICEF 2017). You would then use the organization name in the reference list at the end of the document, too. However, if there is no suitable organizational author to cite, the Chicago Manual of Style recommends using the source title instead. If the title is too long, though, you may want to shorten it in citations: In-Text Citation The organization has been criticized (â€Å"Problems with Planning†¦Ã¢â‚¬  2015). Reference List Entry â€Å"Problems with Planning for a Sustainable Future on an International Scale.† 2015. Accessed 28 August, 2018. https://medium.com/story/problems-planning-sustainable-future-international-scale-44a21e9c531 The title is in quote marks here because it is an article. However, the correct formatting depends on the source type (e.g., italics for a book title). No Year of Publication When a source does not specify a year of publication, use the abbreviation â€Å"n.d.† after a comma: The public was canvassed for solutions (Jackson, n.d.). This stands for â€Å"no date.† You should also use â€Å"n.d.† in the reference list entry for the source at the end of your document. However, â€Å"n.d.† is only used for an online source when it doesn’t have either: A date of publication Or a date for when the page was last updated If either of these are available, use them instead. Remember to check the web page carefully, too, as this information will not always be easy to spot. No Place of Publication or Publisher In a Chicago reference list, you should list books with a place of publication and publisher. But if you cannot find either of these details, you can use the abbreviation â€Å"n.p.† instead. This is short for either â€Å"no place† or â€Å"no publisher† depending on how it is used. You could use other Latin abbreviations to avoid this ambiguity: e.g., â€Å"s.l.† and â€Å"s.n.,† which stand for sine loco (without a place of publication) and sine nomine (without a named publisher) respectively. However, the Chicago Manual of Style says that â€Å"n.p.† is more likely to be understood in English-language publications. You should therefore use this unless instructed otherwise. Summary: Missing Information in Chicago Referencing Chicago referencing indicates missing information as follows: No author = Use the source title instead No year of publication = Use the abbreviation â€Å"n.d.† No place of publication = Use the abbreviation â€Å"n.p.† No publisher = Use the abbreviation â€Å"n.p.† However, remember to check before using these options. The information will be available somewhere in most cases, even if it is not immediately easy to see. And if you need help checking your referencing, get in touch today.

Abstract Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Abstract - Essay Example works and paintings were influence by John Sloan who was a realism artist, Franz Kline and Robert Rauschenberg, who made greater contributions in realism art (Carpenter 2004, 130). He was also inspired by a trip he made to Italy in 2003 which was facilitated by the Newington-Cropsy Travel Grant he had won and which allowed him to travel and study in various countries (American Arts Quarterly 2007, 34). His development also included sketch studies of the various masterworks he came across to enhance his skills. Kassan is most known for his life size hyper realism portraiture. His knowledge of human anatomy extensively helped him in the understanding of the muscular structure beneath the skin make his work to appear to be real and with life thus conveying emotion to people when they view them (Philips 2007, 34). Kassan has also kept up to date with the latest technology by doing a demonstration on finger paint on is apple iPad which was a great hit on YouTube and went viral in six months with one million

Quaker Oats Company and Snapple Beverage Company Essay

Quaker Oats Company and Snapple Beverage Company - Essay Example The company specialized in the manufacture of beverage, food, and oatmeal products. Management conflicts occurred among the three partners, with Crowell and Stuart being forced out by Schumacher. However, the two returned through a proxy-share war that resulted in the ejection f Schumacher in 1901. It was after this that they changed the name of the company to the Quaker Oats Company. In the process, the company changed its product line to specialize in oat, wheat cereals, corn meal, baby food, animal feeds, corn meal, and hominy. During the late 20th century, the Quaker Oats Company expanded its product-line to include hundreds of beverage and food products such as frozen waffles, pancakes, mixes, crunch breakfast cereals, Aunt Jemima syrup, among others. Since then, the company has expanded its operations to become a multinational organization with branches in over 25 countries across Asia, Europe, and Latin America (Hill, Jones & Schilling, 2014). The Driving Forces behind the Acquisition The acquiring company paired Snapple with its Gatorade plant, thus forming the third leading non-alcoholic beverage producer in North America. The success story of the Snapple Co. was one of the driving forces behind the acquisition plan. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Snapple dominated the media as the darling of the Wall Street. The company’s profit margins had roared for close to a decade, thus drawing interests from other players in the industry.

Energy drinks Essay Example for Free

Energy drinks Essay Since the mid-2000s, demands in the global beverage industry shift from carbonated soft drink to alternative beverages. Because of this market grows rapidly and gives high profit margins, it make changes in beverage manufacturing and encourage new entrant to focus solely on alternative beverages. Alternative beverages segment is comprised of energy drinks, sports drink, and flavored or enhanced water. Each segment has different consumer types and different distribution channel. In developed countries, such as USA, this carbonated soft drink market has reached a mature stage but energy drink and ready-to-drink tea is still inclined. However, beverage industry is steady growth in developing countries. Alternative beverages competed on the basis of differentiation from traditional drinks such as carbonated soft drinks or fruit juices. All energy drink brands attempted to develop brand loyalty based on taste, the energy-boosting properties of their ingredients, and image. The strongest competitive force is buyer because buyer costs to switch brands are low. Consumers will be more prices sensitive and will switch to other product or even other segment. The weakness competitive force is rivalry because of many sellers in this market and diversity in commodities. The high profit margins will make alternative beverage market attract entrants that are more new, also supported by rising demand for the alternative beverage. Energy drinks pricing is 400% higher than carbonated soft drinks. In addition, to create an alternative beverage business needs medium-high capital investment. The market of global beverage industry is projected to grow from $1. 58 trillion in 2009 and forecasted to grow to nearly $1. 78 trillion in 2014 as beverage producers entered new geographic markets, developed new types of beverages, and continued to create demand for popular drinks. It is expect to result from steady growth in the purchasing power of consumers in developing countries. In addition, alternative beverages tended to carry high price points, which made them attractive to both new entrants and established beverage companies. Sport drinks and vitamin-enhanced beverages tended to carry retail prices that were 50 to 75% higher than similar-size carbonated soft drinks and bottled water, while energy drink pricing by volume might be as much as 400% higher than carbonated soft drinks. While the alternative beverage segment of the industry offered opportunities for bottlers, the poor economy had decreased demand for higher-priced beverages, with sales of sports drinks declining by 12. 3%. The Alternative beverages consumer profile varied substantially across the three types of beverages. Then energy drink consumer was a teenage boy, sports drink consumer were purchased by those who engaged in sports, fitness or other strenuous activities. Vitamin-enhanced beverages could substitute for sports drinks but were frequently purchased by adult consumers in increasing their intakes of vitamins. The best position strategic group map is reasonable price and reasonable quality. The worst position is the low price and quality. Now people think about health more than in the past, and they still worry about economic crisis. The alternative beverage chose set strategic group map with answer key we are alternative. We found that key factors, which determine the success of alternative beverage producers,have many factors. First, is Productinnovation, Product Innovation can be done by customizing product ingredient, flavor, packaging, or the benefit that product offer to consumer. Second, Focus in one segment can be the best strategy like Red Bull. Their focus in energy drink segment make them became the market leader in energy drink. Third, there are many type of channel distributor, like supermarkets, natural foods store, wholesale clubs, convenience store, and restaurant. The company’schoose is depends on the company resource. Example PepsiCo and Coca Cola were dominating convenience store and special event channel. However, for company with limited resource use third parties channel distribution will has lowest cost in transportation and labor. Fourth, use the right supplier can reduce production cost. The last one is Brand image, the right promotions that really connect with the product image will make the brand and product can penetrate the market.

Monopolies In A Capitalist Economy :: essays research papers fc

In a capitalist economy there are both wanted and unwanted monopolies. However, in a capitalist economy certain monopolies are needed. Monopolies have a big impact on the economy and the consumers because of the amount of control that the monopolies have on the economy. There are certain times when it is best to have monopolies then others, it really depends on the status of the economy. There is no doubt that monopolies do indeed play a critical role in a capitalist economy, but sometimes there are negative effects. It is indeed true to say that not all monopolies are unwanted in a capitalist society. An example of a monopoly that is not unwanted is that of a public utility, like SDG&E (San Diego Gas & Electric). These produce goods and services that are vital to the public's well being as far as functioning goes. Public utilities are an example of a pure or natural monopoly. A pure or natural monopoly is a single firm in an industry. This is the most effective way to provide very important goods and services. An example of a public utility monopoly that affects our everyday life is that of SDG&E. They are the only power company in San Diego County and thus they have a monopoly on San Diego. This, however is the kind of monopoly that the government likes to keep running and in operation because they know that we cannot do without for very long. If SDG&E decided to go out of business there would be no power supplier for all of San Diego County. In addition, because of the fact tha t SDG&E is the only gas and electric provider they can name almost any price and we have no choice but to comply with their demands unless they can find a dependable alternative, like solar power. The impact of monopolies is felt very heavily on the consumer. The biggest effect of a monopoly in a market is that it drives up the prices of the product in that market (South West, pg. 179). This happens because there is no competition and no other producer to drive prices down. The government has often tried to break up monopolies when they are presented because it will put a negative impact on the economy. There has even been legislation passed against monopolies. An example of a piece of legislation is the Sherman Anti-Trust Act which stated "any combination or conspiracy in constraint of trade" (www.

Quality Insurance

Quality Improvement Plan: Part III – Managing and Improving Quality In today’s health care environment, competition remains high and many organizations are seeking new ways to improve their quality of care, as well as remain competitive with other health care organizations in the process. Various methods exist today for organizations to integrate quality improvement strategies to help in the measurement of performance improvements.This paper will discuss:1) several methodologies, the pros and cons that exist with these methods, 2) describe information technology applications, how they may be used to improve patient falls, 3)discuss how benchmarking and milestones are involved in managing the use of quality indicators, and finally,4) describe how performance and quality measures are aligned to an organization’s mission, vision, and strategic plan, and how these measurements align with Self-Regional Hospital’s mission, vision, and strategic plan for improvem ent. Methods for Quality Improvement StrategiesAccidental Falls have become the most commonly reported incident in hospitals today, and Self-Regional Hospital is no exception. Recently, Self-Regional researched and gathered specific fall data that included â€Å"mobility/gait, lower-extremity strength, history in fractures, visual, or auditory impairments, dizziness, dehydration, depression, stroke, ischemic attacks, and cardiac arrhythmias† and the role they play with patient falls in the organization (The Joint Commission, 2007, p. 26). They are now in the process of researching various methodologies to help manage and improve this area of concern.Several concepts that concern total quality management (TQM), and quality improvement (QI) are offering health care organizations and their administrators the opportunity to decide which methodology would be most successful in improving quality care for their patients. There are three methodologies Self-Regional is considering: 1) Six Sigma, 2) Lean, and 3) Customer Inspired Quality (CIQ). â€Å"One of the key components of quality improvement is the technology that gathers and compares the data that the quality improvement measure produces† (Dlugacz, 2006).Once this information has been gathered, the organization can benchmark with other comparable organizations. The Six Sigma model, pioneered by Motorola, is used to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying, and removing defects through a problem-solving approach that works to improve quality outputs. The Six Sigma methodology achieves this by using a process known as the DMAIC process (define, measure, analyze, improve, and control), for existing quality processes that are below specifications, and are in need of improvement in increments.There are features with Six Sigma that separates it from other initiatives of quality improvement: * Clear focus on achieving measurable and quantifiable financial returns * Increased emphasis on stron g leadership and support * Special Infrastructure of â€Å"Champions,† to lead and implement the Six Sigma approach * Clear commitment to making decisions based on verifiable data, rather than assuming or guess work (Harry, 2000). The second model is Lean, which played a key role for Toyota’s success.This method is used to help reduce or alleviate waste, while working to improve an organization’s performance through their workflow processes. Organization’s that use Lean have a clear understanding of consumer value, and continuously will focus on the key processes to improve it. Their goal is to provide excellent value to the consumer, by developing an excellent value process that has zero waste. Lean offers the organization the opportunity to identify steps in a quality improvement process, and then identify the steps that are valuable and non-valuable.Once the non-valued steps have been identified they will be removed to prevent waste in the process (Lea n Enterprise Institute, 2009). The Customer Inspired Quality method is the last method for quality improvement that Self-Regional is considering. In 1992, Shaw Resources patented this methodology to focus on work processes that have direct impact on the care and services that hospitals provide. The Customer Inspired Quality methodology identifies, defines, analyzes, and improves the quality and effectiveness of processes in the health care environment with an emphasis on the following work process evaluating components: Integrates department services that are related to defined systems concerning care * Improves productivity and efficiency, while reducing unneeded work processes and costs * Can be implemented as short-term or long-term quality improvement processes * Patient loyalty and satisfaction is enhanced (Shaw Resources, n. d. ). Pros and Cons of Quality Improvement Methodologies There are always pros and cons to any quality improvement methodology. For instance, the pros of Six Sigma tend to place extreme importance on leadership and its support for the success of the project.Another pro is the integration of different human elements, which include cultural change, and focus on the customer and their needs. â€Å"By using the concept of statistical thinking, Six Sigma encourages applications of statistical tools and techniques that reduce variability† (Harry, 2000). The cons of Six Sigma include, not having the quality data available, especially when a new process has been implemented without having the data available. Often the solutions that Six Sigma proposes can be costly and only a small portion of the solution can be implemented.When using Six Sigma the choosing of the right project is critical to its success. The pros for Lean include: * Minimizing overhead cost to thirty percent * Eliminates most waste, if not all * Can improve productivity by eighty percent * Eliminates negative behaviors and employees have a clear objective of the orga nization’s expectations The Lean methodology’s cons include: * Can be difficult to attain support from all employees, due to resistance of change * Personality clashes can occur if some individuals do not take orders well from their co-workers Lean training is ongoing and in the beginning is time-consuming (Businessknowledgesource. com, 2010). The pros of the Customer Inspired Quality methodology include: * Quality improvement efforts are prioritized based on the customer’s needs * Friendly and encourages input from employees The main con with the Customer Inspired Quality method is that is structured primarily for health care organizations. Information Technologies for Quality Improvements Information technology plays a major role when it comes to quality improvement methods used by health care organizations.Self-Regional Hospital has implemented software known as Business Objects. The components of Business Objects â€Å"provide performance management, planni ng, reporting, query and analysis, and enterprise information management† (Sap. com, 2008). The Business Objects Enterprise offers the organization the ability to track report instances by triggering alerts. The reports have parameters that can be modified to perform analysis on the data and the organization also has the ability set alerts that trigger when certain conditions are met or not met.The data can be customized to show in charts and can be customized to allow the organization the opportunity to drill down into the data. Information technology allows data to also be displayed in a dashboard or a scorecard. A dashboard is a tool that monitors the ongoing performance of a process and its data in real time. Whereas, scorecards report on past performances and generally focuses on outcomes rather than processes. All of these applications can be used by administrators to track quality improvement processes of the organization.Administrators also have the ability to design t he scorecards or dashboards to display only information that is pertinent to the process. These processes would also give Self-Regional the ability to examine data that pertains to patient falls within their organization. Benchmarks and Milestones Benchmarking is a process that gives an organization the ability to compare their performance metrics and processes to other organization’s best practices. In other words, benchmarking is the process of an organization comparing itself to their competitors and defines how the competition performs better.In health care, when an organization has a clear understanding of how their competitor/s meets their standards, they can set goals for quality improvements within their own organization. Benchmarking is beneficial for improving customer satisfaction, as well as improve core measurements set by the Joint Commission. Self-Regional Hospital can use benchmarking as a means to compare how hospitals rate on patient falls and what processes they have set in place to improve in this area. The hospital would benefit by using the website â€Å"hospitalcompare. hs. gov to research on patient satisfaction, quality improvement outcomes, and where they rate in these areas as well. Potential benchmarks Self-regional will strive for improved core measures at 90% for patient falls. Another area the organization will strive for is to improve patient safety. In order for the hospital to do this they will need to continue to implement the processes that support the Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals, and implement quality improvement processes that will involve the organization as a whole.Self-Regional will also implement computerized provider order entry (CPOE), and will also begin the process of extending the goals to the emergency department and critical care areas. The third bench mark will be to enhance the patient’s experience by using the DMAIC model to understand and support the emotional, spir itual, and clinical needs of the patients. Self-Regional Hospital will use the Customer Inspired Quality Methodology for implementing their performance improvement processes with patient falls. Data will be comprised from Crystal reports to display balanced scorecards and dashboards.The organization will divide the dashboards into the Extending Elements, team, clinical, service, market, and finance. This information will be used in conjunction with information from benchmarking data to monitor the quality improvement plan. Health care organization’s use performance and quality measures to align their products and service activities with their mission, vision, and strategic planning to help improve their internal and external communications, as well as monitor the organization performance against their strategic goals.Self-Regional Hospital’s mission, vision, and strategic planning is aligned with their performance and quality measures to provide continuous advanced qua lity care that will improve their patient outcomes, while focusing on patient satisfaction in the process. APA References Dlugacz, Y. D. (2006). Measuring Health Care Using Data for Operational, Financial, and Clinical Improvement, San Francisco, CA: Josey-Bass Publications Harry, Mikel J. (2000). The Nature of Six Sigma Quality.Rolling Meadows, Illinois: Motorola University Press. p. 25 Lean Enterprise Institute, (2009). What is Lean? Retrieved on September 26, 2011 from http://www. lean. org/WhatsLean/ Shaw Resources, (n. d. ). Customer Inspired Quality: Health Care Operational Improvements, Retrieved on September 26, 2011 from http://shawresources. com/ customer-inspired-quality-and-processes-improvement. htm Sap. com (2008). Retrieved on September 26, 2011, from http://www. sap. com/ solutions/sapbusinessobjects/index. epx

Characterization in John Steinbeck’s Flight Essay

1. Sophistication- Sherwood Anderson 2. Big Two- Hearted River- Ernest Hemingway 3. Winter Dreams- F. Scott Fitzgerald 4. The Bear- William Faulkner 5. The Catbird Seat- James Thurber 6. The Jilting of Granny Weatherall- Katherine Anne Porter 7. The Devil and Daniel Webster- Stephen Vincent Benet 8. Flight- John Steinbeck 9. Winter Night- Kay Boyle 10. Another April- Jesse Stuart 11. A Worn Path- Eudora Welty 12. The Crop- Flannery O’Connor 13. The First Seven Years- Bernard Malamud 14. The Lucid Eye in Silver Town- John Updike 15. A Visit to Grandmother- William Melvin Kelley 16. Lost- Isaac Bashevis Singer Characterization: Almost animalisticMrs. Torres and Pepe were the only protagonists. Mrs. Torres was flat, but Pepe was a round character. Pepe underwent indirect character development over the course of sever events. He began the book as a child, but faced his death with the confidence of a man. | Setting: This took place on a farm in Souther California, near the border of Mexico. Around 15 miles close to Monterey. It was in a harsh desert. Themes: The theme is Pepe’s transition from boy to man. At the beginning of the book, he was childish and had no respect for all that the adults in the community had to go through. By the end of the novel, he had experienced all of the worst that life had to throw at him. | Plot:Pepe, the protagonist, is a young teen who is sent by his mother into town for some medicine. While there, he kills a man. When he returns home, his mother finds out and tells him he must go away. On his journey away from home, he is being hunted by gunmen who want to avenge the death of the man who Pepe killed. After much running and even being shot, he is killed by these men. Tone: The tone of this story is extremely suspenseful. The author has kept the reader on a hook to find out whether Pepe escapes the gunmen. The reader is desperate to know whether Pepe lives or dies. | Style: John Steinbeck uses accurate depictions of the landscape and the characters to pull in the reader. He uses very long, in depth sentences to paint a picture in the head of the reader of what is going on in that scene. |

Why Leadership and Love for Learning Are Related

Why Leadership and Love for Learning Are Related Does Every Leader Need The Love For Learning? Its always hard to write things on leadership as you always keep thinking what would happen if people hate what you write? Could my article discourage them? Or can they misinterpret my ideas and use them to manipulate others? I know this will happen. But there will also be a great number of people who will be asking the question, trying to change something in their lives. This is what keeps me going. Effective Leadership Skills This is a touchy subject for me as we may spend hours arguing about what leader should look like but will never find the solution as it depends on the team, field, purpose, type of work involved, and so much more. Learning for leadership very often involves things like public speaking, project management, and critical thinking. But I would be lying if I didnt mention two qualities which I believe play the most crucial role and are important for almost any sphere or field: empathy and love for learning. Key Definitions Lets begin our article with some key definitions we may have to refer to in the process:leader (n) a person who willingly makes the choice of leading the team or group of people. They are not bosses, babysitters, or friends who will be there for you 24/7. learning (n) the continuous process of acquiring new skills, knowledge, and keeping things in perspective love (n) non-stopping affection for something or someone, similar to the basic need of the lasting presence of the object in your lifeSo you may have guessed we will be addressing the question of love for learning as a part of leadership character. It also important to remember that developing leadership character takes years of practice, devotion, and patience and its not something you can train during a weekend. What is the Love of Learning? Let me explain what is the love of learning is. Okay, first of all not all people who love learning are geeks. Learning is about finding something great about everything you deal with finding something important about it. So I would say that the love of learning incorporates next things:meaning and purpose of learning. You have to understand why this particular thing or subject is important to you and in what ways it can contribute to your learning opportunities vs. challenges. Are you capable of looking at troubles as challenges and converting challenges into opportunities? regular reflection. How often do you actually take time to evaluate where you are and feel good about yourself?So in other words, love for learning is a desire to turn problems into opportunities and learn from every single situation in your life. Easier said than done. Many people would do that if it was easy. How are Leader Learnings Different from Most People? I know I may be blamed for speculation here, but I have to warn you. Im talking about perfect circumstances and effective leadership skills, so this is a perfect cases scenario we are talking about. Most people think they have to learn from experts and leaders of industry only. While there is nothing bad about it, I have to say that great leaders can learn from everyone and everything taking ideas, beliefs, and insights from people in their lives. Most people learn only things theyve majored in or things in their fields. There is nothing bad about professional growth, but successful leader understands that studying across different fields brings the perspective and helps find a creative approach towards the most complex and complicated problems. Most people learn when they are forced to, meaning when they have to get the degree or want to earn promotion. A smart leader understands the need for life-long learning and can acquire skills before they actually need them. A key to effective leadership is the ability to is to inspire others to learn. Can that be developed or it is a natural feature? I sincerely believe that almost every trait humans have can be taught or trained, so the question remains: how to inspire the love for learning in people?Encourage personal interest: the better we relate to the certain subject, the easier it will be to find any sort of interest in it. Ask questions and let people ask questions by creating a safe environment and making sure people can open up. Inspire the growth of the mindset. People who are satisfied with what they are can be good people, but they will never actually achieve anything great. Develop your own love for growth. Inspiring others by showing your personal example is amazing, so pay attention and take care of your own love for learning.So you really can teach other people this quality, under one simple condition: you have to have it! Summary Good leaders learn. It is that simple and unbeatable at the same time. Leadership is a life-long commitment to learning and the best thing you could do is love what you have to do. What is much harder is learning to inspire others and share the love you have in order to ignite the spark in them. Among all aspects of leadership, love for learning can be the most contagious one yet it can be the most tricky to share with others.

What Is Clonidine HCL 0.1 Mg Dosage, Effects, and Safety

What Is Clonidine HCL 0.1 Mg Dosage, Effects, and Safety SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Have you recently started taking Clonidine 0.1 mg pills or been told that you’ll be prescribed them to treat a specific illness or symptom? If so, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, I’ll explain what Clonidine HCL is, what it treats, how to take it, and what you need to know to safely use the drug. What Are Clonidine 0.1 Mg Pills Used For? Clonidine HCL is a drug used alone or in combination with other medications to treat high blood pressure. Clonidine is a type of drug known as a central alpha agonist that works in the brain to lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels so blood can flow more easily. Clonidine HCL Dosage and Administration Clonidine pills come in three different dosages that each have different markings and colors, though all are circular in shape. Check out the chart below for more information on Clonidine HCL tablets. Dose (mg) Color Marking 0.1 Tan BI 6 0.2 Orange BI 7 0.3 Peach BI 11 As you can see from the chart, Clonidine comes in three doses: 0.1 mg, 0.2 mg, and 0.3 mg. Your doctor will determine your dosage in order to properly treat your symptoms. Typically, you’ll take Clonidine by mouth twice daily, once in the morning when you first wake up and once at bedtime. If you have two different doses, you should take the larger dose at bedtime to minimize side effects. You can also receive Clonidine as a transdermal patch worn on your skin. Clonidine HCL’s effectiveness may diminish over time. If you’re taking Clonidine over an extended period of time, you may have to increase your dosage. Do not stop taking Clonidine suddenly, or you may experience adverse withdrawal symptoms. Your doctor will be able to help you safely stop using the drug. Clonidine HCL Brand Name and Manufacturer Catapres is the brand name of Clonidine HCL tablets, manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim. There are also several generic versions of Catapres that are approved for use. The following manufacturers also produce Clonidine 0.1 mg tablets: Actavis Elizabeth Doses: 0.1mg, 0.2mg, 0.3mg Alembic Pharms LTD Doses: 0.1mg, 0.2mg, 0.3mg Frontida Biopharm Doses: 0.1mg, 0.2mg, 0.3mg Impax Labs Doses: 0.1mg, 0.2mg, 0.3mg MYLAN Doses: 0.1mg, 0.2mg, 0.3mg Prinston Inc Doses: 0.1mg, 0.2mg, 0.3mg UNICHEM Doses: 0.1mg, 0.2mg, 0.3mg Yung Shin Pharmaceuticals Doses: 0.1mg, 0.2mg, 0.3mg Clonidine HCL 0.1 Mg Tablets Side Effects As with any drug, Clonidine HCL 0.1 mg pills can cause both minor and major side effects. Some side effects do not require medical attention and may disappear with time. Others are more serious and require immediate medical care. If you’re concerned about a side effect you’re experiencing while taking Clonidine HCL, you should contact your doctor. Minor Side Effects The following side effects are minor and do not require immediate medical care. However, if you experience any of these side effects and they worsen, are bothersome, or if you have any questions about them, you should speak with your doctor. Constipation Darkening of the skin Loss of appetite Nausea or vomiting Decreased sexual ability Dry, itching, or burning eyes Major Side Effects The following side effects are more severe and require medical attention from your doctor. Mental depression Swelling of the feet and lower legs Chest pain and discomfort Disorientation and confusion Anxiety Pounding, slow heartbeat Hyperventilation, Trouble with sleeping Fever Skin Rash Shortness of Breath Symptoms of Overdose It’s possible to overdose on Clonidine HCL. If you or someone you know experience any of the following side effects, you should seek immediate emergency medical help. Extreme dizziness or faintness Feeling cold Pinpoint pupils Extreme tiredness or weakness Precautions for Taking Clonidine 0.1 Mg Pills Before starting a new drug, it’s important to keep your doctor informed about your medical history so he or she can prevent any potentially dangerous side effects. In particular, make sure you inform your doctor about allergies and any history of kidney disease or heart rhythm problems. Interactions to Avoid While Taking Clonidine HCL Clonidine HCL can make you dizzy or drowsy, so you should avoid operating heavy machinery or driving while taking the medication until you’re sure that you won’t have bad side effects. You should also avoid drinking alcohol while taking Clonidine HCL. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you’re taking any medications that may also cause drowsiness, such as narcotic pain relievers, antidepressants, antihistamines, or cough-and-cold products, as these may increase the likelihood of you experiencing severe drowsiness while on Clonidine HCL. Recap: What Is Clonidine 0.1 Mg? Clonidine HCL is a medication used to treat high blood pressure. It relaxes your blood vessels so that blood can move through your body more freely. Clonidine HCL comes in three standard doses: 0.1mg, 0.2mg, and 0.3mg. Your doctor will work with you to determine the dosage that’s right to meet your needs. As with any drug, Clonidine HCL has potential side effects, ranging from minor, such as constipation, to major, such as mental depression. If you’re experiencing any side effects that cause you discomfort or seem particularly dangerous, you should contact your doctor.

Men, Women, Sex, and Darwin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Men, Women, Sex, and Darwin - Essay Example Both have some kind of libido and sexual attraction toward the other sex. Men want women and women want men. That is why it is natural for them to marry and bear children. This is what produces generations. This is an illogical argument from men’s side that they will have more relations with many women because they are more sexually active than women. However, this is true that men get indulged in more sexual relations because they have less control over their sexual impulses. On the other hand, women tend to have more control over their sexual urges and are farsighted. They need stable relations. So, they tend to be sexually reserved (Nichols 12). Hence, it is not a matter of difference in sexual drive in both the sexes, but the difference in controlling power that make them get involved in more or fewer sexual relations. Polygamy makes a woman believe â€Å"that she alone will not satisfy him. He requires others. She is inadequate†, writes Boteach. Polygamy also gives rise to many social problems like rape, women trafficking, and prostitution (Zeitzen 172). Moreover, the author writes that women love older men because they have the lesser ego and are more resourceful. However, most women would want a younger partner because they want a relationship on which they can depend for their whole lives. When they will marry older men who will die soon, they will have no one to rely on for finances and protection. So even if younger men have higher egoistic issues and are less powerful financially, still most of the women would like to have young partners for relationships and marriages. The author also writes about gays and lesbians. It is right that they have biological faults in their brains that make them behave a certain way that is not in accordance with nature, still, we must also consider the fact that women tend to hate men for their infidelity, which is why they want to build relationships within their own gender.