A Tale of Two Cities: Minor Characters Essay -- essays research papers

A Tale of Two Cities: Roles of Minor Characters Every story in the history of literature has one or more characters that are not as significant as other characters. Although these characters aren’t as important, they serve to advance the plot or are symbolically important. There are definitely numerous depictions of these characters in A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens. Two examples are Lucie Manette Darnay and Miss Pross. Both of these flat characters are important in the development of the story. Lucie Manette Darnay played an important and symbolic role in the novel. Dickens described her as â€Å"the golden thread† of the novel, weaving its good throughout the plot. Along with her good nature, she was also young and attractive. Dickens described her as having: †¦a short, slight, pretty figure, a quantity of golden hair, and a pair of blue eyes†¦and a forehead with a singular capacity†¦of lifting and knitting itself into an expression that was not quite one of perplexity, or wonder, or alarm, or merely of a bright fixed attention, though it included all the four expressions. (Dickens 17) Dickens created Lucie to be an ideal rather than a real woman. She represented all that is good in humanity—innocence, kindness, faith, and hope—and she served as a touchstone for other characters to find those qualities within themselves. Lucie is a loving and devoted wife to Charles Darnay. After Darnay’s death sentence she tells him: We shall not be separated long. I feel that this ...

Computer Games and Artificial Intelligence :: Video Game AI

Computer Games and Artificial Intelligence Abstract Computer games provide a challenge for mankind. A way to demonstrate his mastery over the concept of intelligence and yet a way to test that mastery. It is through a continual need to improve the artificial intelligence in computer games that man also finds a way to examine his own creativity, to reach beyond what is possible and improve himself. Developments in the artificial intelligence of computer games have shown remarkable improvement as new genres of games have been created with new advances in the technology. Newer more complex and adaptable games demonstrate an increased understanding of intelligence and furnish entertaining benchmarks of our own ability. Introduction The idea of artificial intelligence is a daunting notion. That the very thing that distinguishes humanity from all other living beings, intelligence, is reproducible even improved upon presents a certain challenge to mankind: is artificial intelligence superior to human intelligence? To avoid the philosophical chicken-and-egg argument, man has created an ingenious way to test AI: games. What were once mere entertaining diversions, computer games have become a forum for man to pit his intelligence against an artificially intelligent computer program in an attempt to validate his own self worth. Such challenges provide not only a means of entertainment but also a path to self-improvement. Consider the controversy regarding the recent victory of IBM's Deep Blue over world chess champion Gary Kasparov. Headlines relating the story typically questioned the preeminence of human intelligence in favor of the artificial intelligence represented by Deep Blue. Now more than ever, the challenge presented by computer games and artificial intelligence has created a need. This need can only be met by tests provided by engaging, creative, and intelligent computer games. This has spurred an entire industry, which accounts for billions of dollars every year. The wide-scale development of computer games continues in a variety of formats: simulation games, action/adventure games, interactive 3D games, fighting games, and others. These are all ways for man to test not only his creativity but also his own intelligence and ability to improve himself. Computer Games Early computer games required mere physical reaction and not much intelligence as game programmers struggled to develop more realistic games that would provide an environment for more complex interaction. With this aside, the advent of modern computer games required game designers to develop programs that would simulate human behavior. Simulation, thus, while not representative of original thought, is a necessary place to start in order to examine the development of computer game intelligence.

The Philosophy of Teaching Essay -- Education Teachers School Essays

My Philosophy of Teaching Philisophical teaching stratigies include the following disciplines, essentialism, existentialism, and many others. Of these stratigies the philisophicla approaches each include a distinct direction in the style and type of learning taking place. Lessons should include these philisophical teaching stratigies within there designed properties. Although all of the stratigies may be able to incorporate all learning disciplines and learning styles a lesson does not need to contain the entire array of philisophical stratigies. Informitive lessons may take place without all stratigies invovled. William Bagley's essentialsim is one of the philisophical styles which I find to be a large protion of the melting pot which I agree to. The essentialsim style is a basic philisophcial idea pertaining largely to math, science, history, and literature. This style of basic fundamentals can create a strong backbone of learning and knowledge. The essentialsim philosophy not only provides the student with a background in many disciplines and views, it also offers the student more. The student also gains by essentialism due to its influence of character. This building and concentration of character allow students not only to gain knowledge , but respect and confidense. Although this style is not my soul reliance. Essentialsim also focus's on the teacher more heavily. The idea follows the style of a larger group learning enviornment. This mass style learning allows for less individual attentiona nd intsruction. Not all students learn in mass groups and not all students require personal attention, thus the blend off other disciplined styles must be required. Essen... ... usefullness which it provides students. The curriculum is advantageous to the students as well as society, becuase it allows them to learn from previous mistakes and achievments and install those into their lives. My future educational goals after graduation are somewhat unorthadox in style compared to that of the average post graduate.Many graduates seek to continue their higher education at an institution where a masters or phd can be earned. I plan to recieve my post graduate studies at an institution of much lower levels. The curriculum I plan on teaching will provide a prfound and invaluable post graduate studies program for me. The actions of daily teaching coupled with the problem solving situations of daily school activities will engrain in me an understanding and furthured education which no higher educational institution can provide.

Mysterious Story Essay

It was a sunny Saturday morning, my first time hiking and we were on the road to the Drakensberg mountains. My dad, Lanny, was driving us and I was lying on the back seat listening to music. Oh yes and my little brother Ross was in the passenger seat speaking to my dad, asking him about hiking. When we had arrived at 11:00 am we were booking in at one of the hotels close to our hiking trails starting point. We were un-packing and ready to get some sleep for the big day ahead of us. Waking up at the crack of dawn was hard but we were able to do it and made snacks for the hike. At 6:00am we were ready to hike and at the trail. As we started it seemed easy but continued to get harder. My younger brother Ross was struggling up the mountain and asked me to carry his bag for him. I had a strange thought; I should be nice to him because if something had to happen to him I wouldn’t like it if the last thing I said was nasty. We had been hiking for just over an hour when we decided to stop for a break and brunch. My brother was in need of the toilet. We told him to just go behind the bush. I heard a rustle in the bushes around us and a cold shiver ran through me. HELP! We ran to the bush he was behind. Looking around we saw marks and footprints on the ground. We followed them down the bank. Running as fast as we could, we saw the huge creature. It turned around, we dived behind a shrub, I don’t think it saw us. Jumping up again, we were out of breath but continued chasing. The creature was very big with white fur, bigger than a gorilla or a bear. We were determined to find him and as we approached the village that these Sasquatch type beasts were using, we peeped over the fences made of steaks and vines, we were sure Ross was in great danger. When looking over the walls we saw many of the Sasquatches and searched for little Ross among the crowd of beasts. We had made up our minds, we were going in. After we tried to get his attention several times we noticed he was in such great shock that he didn’t recognize us. Hiding behind each tavern and bush. Jumping and rolling from bush to bush. Then Bang! There the sound of something landing behind us. We turned around and saw its giant feet then ran. But we were no match for them, they surrounded us. My dad said, â€Å"just be calm we’ll be fine†. They tied us up and put us each in separate taverns. I saw my back pack and tried to get the Swiss army knife out, but the primitive Sasquatch saw me and couldn’t understand what I was doing so he locked me up in small dark room. They took off my ropes and confiscated my bag. They left me in this room with only the belongings in my pockets and my clothes. I wrote this message on my cell phone and sent it to everyone I know. Please try save us!

Historical Investigation – The Great Depression & German

Section A: Plan of the InvestigationThe investigation will explore the question: How did the Great Depression begin in Germany and what are its impacts on the economy? The scope of my research will mainly focus on the rise of the Great Depression in Germany, and its effects on the country’s economy. The breath of the research will cover between the periods of 1924 to 1933. The method used will be to gather mainly from secondary sources, such as books and websites, as well some primary sources, like pictures or autobiography written by the people in that time.Also, I’ll compared and contrast this evidence, and evaluate the origin and purpose of my source for their limitation and reliability. Two sources – an autobiography ‘Children of the Unemployed’ written by Margot. L and textbook ‘Germany 1918-45’ by Josh Brooman – will be evaluated in depth as they provide major evidences. Finally, a conclusion will be settled based upon the e vidences and source evaluation.Section B: Summary of Evidences1. Before the Great Depression A. Weimar Republic Germany’s Weimer Republic was formed in 1919.1 Under the Treaty of Versailles, Germany had to pay reparations to other countries like France.2B. Dawes Plan After the inflation in 1923, Germany’s recovery had been brought largely by American investment, this became a direct result of Dawes Plan in 1924.3 Dawes Plan was formulated to help the Weimar Republic out of hyperinflation and to stabilize its economy.4 The United State gave Germany a loan of 800 million marks to get the Dawes Plan started.5 Under Dawes Plan, Germany agreed to pay as much reparations as it could afford each year, starting with 1000 million marks.C. American Loans After Germany no longer suffered from inflation, in 1924 to 1929 foreign banks were willing to lend money approximately 25000 million gold mark to German borrowers.72. Economy Impacts on Germany A. US respond to the Great Depres sionIn October 1929, the New York stock exchange on Wall Street crashed. They pull out their investment from Germany and demand immediate repayment.8 America gave Germany 90 days to re-pay money loaned to them.9 Most countries slid into depression as overseas markets suddenly declined.10 German business that had managed without loan was badly affected.11 In 1930, the United States started the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, which stopped Germany and other foreign companies from selling their products in U.S. markets.  German industrialists lost access to US markets and can’t obtain credit. Many industrial companies and factories either closed or shrank.13 In the summer of 1931, the Austrian Kreditanstalt Bank fell and soon the German Norddeutsche Wollkammerei and Darmstadterbank collapsed. 14B. Fall in Economy The value of German exports fell by 55%, from  £630 million in 1929 to  £280 million in 1931.15 In 1932, Germany’s industrial output fell to 40% of the 1929 level .16 Large mass of peasantry was affected by the fall in agricultural prices.17C. UnemploymentThe number of unemployment rose to more than six million by the early 1932.18. 60% of each new university graduating class was out of work.19 Millions of German workers had to put up with low wages, short-time working and worse conditions of work.20 German workers were paid unemployment benefit by the government for 26 weeks.21 An unemployed German looking for work in 1930.Her placard says, â€Å"I am a trained shorthand typist, out of work, looking for any kind of work.†22 A 13 years old girl explains the system of crisis payment from the government, â€Å"First my father went to sign for the dole. Later, when the time during which he could sign on ran out, he got ‘crisis benefit’. He had to collect the money from the welfare. This was not enough to manage on. I often saw how my mother brooded over the question of clothing and feeding our family of six.†23Section C: An Evaluation of SourcesPrimary SourceL, Margot. Die Kinder der Arbeitslosen (Children of the unemployed). Ruth Weiland: 1993. The origin of the source is valuable because it’s a primary source. The author is a 13 years old girl, who lived in Ruth Weiland, Germany, during the period of the Great Depression from 1929 to 1933. Through her personal experiences, we have direct understanding of the economic and social situation in Germany at that time. She explained the system of crisis benefit her father has to collect in able to run the family  life.The purpose of her autobiography was to write down what she saw and experience while Germany suffered from massive rise of unemployed. However, there are limitations to this source because the reader only can understand the situation from her perspective, but not in general. As well, she was just 13 years old when she wrote her autobiography. Therefore she might not yet fully understand the system of crisis benefit and economy d ownfall of that time.Secondary SourceBrooman, Josh. Germany 1918-45. London: Pearson Education, 2005. (accessed May 5, 2013). The origin of the source is valuable because the publishing company Pearson, is one of the largest and well known publisher in the world.24 The author they will pick and the book they will publish, must be in excellent quality and content, providing with authentic facts of history. Therefore they can able to sell the product, and attract people to buy and study about it. Moreover in this book, they provided many primary sources and understandable but detailed descriptions.The purpose of this textbook is to educated students and people who are interest in German’s history during the period of Weimar and Nazi. The limitations of the book is that this was publish in England and written in English, therefore the content might not be as accurate as the one producing and written in Germany. As well, the book only tell us about the factual stuff, but they are possibility that it’s not the truth. Moreover, we can’t get any primary perspective of the people at that time.Section D: AnalysisBefore the Great Depression, Germany has a new Republic called Weimer that was formed in 1919.25 The new republic had serious weaknesses from the start. People blamed the government because of the country’s defeat and post war humiliation caused by the Treaty of Versailles. Under the Treaty of Versailles, Germany had to pay reparations to other countries like France and England in able to let those countries to build up their industry again.26 Germany soon faces many economic problems and drastic inflation.After the inflation in 1923, Germany’s recovery had been carried largely by  American investment, and this became a direct result of Dawes Plan in 1924.27 Dawes Plan was formulated to help the Weimar Republic out of hyperinflation and to a form of stability in its economy.28 The United State gave Germany a loan of 800 mill ion marks to get the Dawes Plan started.29 Under Dawes Plan, Germany agreed to pay as much reparations as it could afford each year, starting with 1000 million marks.30 After Germany has no longer suffered from inflation. In between 1924 to 1929, foreign banks mostly American were willing to lend money approximately 25000 million gold mark to German borrowers.However, Germany debts from the United State, later became the main reason that lead to the economic downfall in Germany during the Great Depression. In October 1929, a serious disaster struck the New York stock exchange on Wall Street. The stock value dropped severely, various economic problems began to emerge in the United States.32 The Americans had no option but to pull out their investment from Germany and demand immediate repayment. America gave Germany 90 days to re-pay the money that was loaned to them.33 In this period of time, most countries in the world slid into a depression as overseas markets for their goods sudde nly declined.Thus, German’s business which had managed without loaning money from the US were badly affected, too. In 1930, the United States started the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, which is a new law that restricted Germany and other foreign companies from selling their products in U.S. markets,35 in able to secure their domestic demanded market, and it could efficiently decrease the unemployment rate and suppress the inflation. However, the sudden appearance of the tariff, German industrialists lost access to US markets and found that they couldn’t obtain the credit anymore.36 In result of this, many industrial companies and factories either closed or shrank.Hence, the sudden decrease of German business led to the fall in German exports and the rise of unemployment rate. The value of German exports fell by 55%, from  £630 million in 1929 to  £280 million in 1931.37 Also, large mass of peasantry was affected by the sharp fall in agricultural prices. 38Furthermore, in the summer of 1931, under the pressure from the Great Depression, the Austrian Kreditanstalt Bank fell and followed by the German Norddeutsche Wollkammerei and Darmstadter bank also collapsed.Millions of German workers had to start put up with low wages, short-time working and worse conditions of work.40 The placard of an unemployed German looking for  work in 1930 says, â€Å"I am a trained shorthand typist, out of work, looking for any kind of work.†41 Her situation told that even the trained worker or professionals were also having high chance of not getting a job. Statistic stated that 60% of each new university graduating class at that time was out of work.The Great Depression has significantly changed impact on the employment opportunities. The number of registered unemployed rose to more than six million by early 1932.43 Also, there were between one and three million jobless people who could not or did not register as unemployed. In total, there were between seven t o nine million Germans that were out of work by 1932.44 This significant numbers really strike Germany’s economy into downfall, approximately 23 million people were directly affected by this.People became poorer with not enough money to survive. Hence, the government were force to subsidize and aid those German workers by paying unemployment benefit for 26 weeks.46 Around that time, a 13 years old German girl who live during the period of the Great Depression explained the system of crisis payment in a part of her autobiography, she wrote, â€Å"First my father went to sign for the dole. Later, when the time during which he could sign on ran out, he got ‘crisis benefit’. He had to collect the money from the welfare. This was not enough to manage on. I often saw how my mother brooded over the question of clothing and feeding our family of six.†47 Through her personal experiences, we know that the Weimar government could only afford specific amount of money to each German workers, the money each person got was hardly enough from maintain and survive their family.Section E: ConclusionIt is clear that Germany’s debts from the United States played a major part to the rise of the Great Depression in Germany, and it’s clear that the Great Depression impact deeply on the economy. When the Great Depression started, US demanded the immediate repayment, Germany straight away get effected, and couldn’t afford the debts which led to many economic problems. The major effects are, the fell in exports product, large shrank in German’s industrialist and companies, and that lead to the most significant influence, the large mass of unemployed in Germany, 1932.

Principles Underpinning the Role of the Practitioner Essay

The principles underpinning the role of the practitioner working with children Section 1 – Maintaining professional relationships in the multi-professional team E1: Describe the responsibility of the practitioner in professional relationships: â€Å"Professional,† means engaging in a given activity as a source of livelihood. It also means being an expert and having or showing great skill. Practitioners are more likely to develop good relationships with colleagues and children if they are able to demonstrate professional standards. â€Å"Professional practice is the skills that will be required of you to develop in order to work effectively with children. These include understanding your role and responsibilities, the ability to establish and maintain good relationships with children and colleagues, and communication skills.† (Tassoni P, 2007:10) Being reliable means that staff and children begin to rely on you, for example practitioners may plan activities or mee tings and expect you to be there to assist or supervise children. Reliable means doing what is expected of you and this can include working as a team helping each other and being on time and honest. It can also include being hard working and consistent as this shows your enthusiasm towards the job role. It is important to be reliable because children can get attached to you and start counting on you to be there. Punctuality is crucial in all jobs but especially when supervising children. It is important to be on time consistently which shows you are dedicated to your job. A good example of this is a parent may not be able to leave for work until you arrive in the setting, or a setting may not be able to open if the right ratio of staff is present. Flexibility is essential as practitioners should have the ability to meet new ideas and initiatives with openness. They should be able to adapt to different teachers approaches and be flexible about the hours that they work or tasks that are given to them. For example, a practitioner can help with a Year 3 display if they are always working with reception. This shows that they can be helpful as well as outgoing. Being a good listener is highly important when being a practitioner. Using eye contact and lowering yourself down to the child’s level will make them feel as if you are talking to them and not at them which will not intimidate them. Practitioners should be supportive and non-judgmental. Good examples include repeating back what the child has said to show you are listening, commenting and asking further questions using body language; practitioners should not interrupt or change the subject. â€Å"You need to show children and young people that you are interested in what they have to say. By looking (not staring) at a child or young person, you show them that they have your full attention. Sometimes, during a conversation, they may look away or down and this may be a sign that what they are about to say may be uncomfortable or difficult for them.† (Tassoni P, 2007:139) (356 words) E3: Explain the value of a multi-professional approach when working with children and parents: Multi-professional working requires people from different professions and agencies to work together towards meeting the needs of the child. There are a very large number of organisations that support children and their families that may be involved in multi-agency working. In order to work effectively with other agencies, it is important to have an understanding of what they do and how they support one another. â€Å"†¦professionals can share knowledge about the family’s needs with each other so that parents do not have to be asked the dame questions over and over again. It also means that professionals are aware of each other’s role in supporting the family and so conflicting advice or timings of appointments can be minimised.† (Tassoni P, 2007:11) The benefits of a multi-professional approach include ensuring that children get extra support for example a learning mentor or speech therapist. The child is safer when they are looked after by a team of professionals because they can share all their concerns and expertise to support the child. This approach also boosts children’s confidence within the setting and promotes a holistic approach. It increases independence because children are given strategies from a variety of professionals who want the best outcome for the child. The value of a multi-professional approach ensures that the 5 outcomes of Every Child Matters (stay safe, be healthy, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic wellbeing) are being met because everyone is working together to share information and skills. This information will minimise the risk of error or neglect of the child. The fact that many professionals are involved means that judgements made about children are informed, thorough and objective. For example if a child is frustrated and has a low concentration span, this can then be analysed by a educational psychologist and further action can be taken from then. A multi-professional approach also supports parents. For example a dietician can advise parents on the recommended intake for their child (5 a day). If a child is diabetic, they can help to design a healthy food plan to help the child manage their glucose levels. He/she can also link the child’s diet with sports activities and advise parents on the benefits. â€Å"There are many benefits for children and families when this type of approach is used as support, advice and childcare can be tailored to ensure some continuity. In practice, this may mean that parents may be able to leave their children in a nursery while in the same building or nearby they attend a parenting class or take a younger baby to the health clinic.† (Tassoni P, 2007:11) (314 words) Section 2 – Developing reflective practice E4: Describe the benefits of developing reflective practice within the setting: Reflective practice is paying crucial attention to the practical values and theories which inform everyday actions, by examining practice reflectively and positively. Reflective practice can also mean understanding knowledge of something positively. One of the benefits of reflective practice is allowing schools to develop self awareness, a critical skill in order for a setting to thrive and move forward. For example, if practitioners are only aware of school policies and not current legislations, children are at risk and practitioners are not doing the best they can to further their knowledge. â€Å"An important part of the reflective cycle is how you review your practice. It is important that the process of reflection is viewed as positive process, rather than problems being seen as barriers to success.† (Tassoni P, 2007:229) Practitioners need to be aware of current legislations in order to follow them to improve their setting and be aware of fresh initiatives, for example considering children’s opinions which will make them feel valued and confident to learn. Lessons will be interesting and children are less likely to lose concentration. Reflective practice creates and effective staff team as observations are carried out to improve on expert advice. There are opportunities for personal and professional development and job satisfaction. This benefits children because activities and practice is evaluated to meet the children’s needs and support learning. It also benefits the setting as there is higher quality provision because weaknesses, strengths, activities and resources are addressed which ultimately is of benefit to the children. Lastly, reflective practice improves the reputation of the setting because it could lead to a higher Ofsted report. A good reputation benefits the practice because parents have confidence in the setting and this motivates their children to learn. Children will feel the urge to come to school and work hard, therefore resulting in higher grades and children achieving more which will maintain the good reputation of the setting. (280 words) D1: Explain the importance of reflective practice for improving your own performance: As a practitioner, reflective practice is extremely important as you can look back on a situation and make improvements. You can also check to see if you are following the correct procedures. This allows the practitioner to grow and reach higher potential, in other words make continuous progression when reviewing situations. Reflective practice benefits the practitioner because he/she can validate and challenge existing approaches and methods of working. Reflective practice would help me to find out my strengths and weaknesses and to adapt into new situations that may occur. For example, when handling a situation where a new member of staff joins the team, reflective practice would help me to find out if I have helped them to settle in, in order to build a good relationship. I would have to think back and ask myself if I briefed them about what to do in the setting. This would help improve relationships with children and staff. Reflective practice would also help me to identify my training needs. For example, if a child had got lost on a school trip, I would have to think about if I followed the correct procedures or if I need to further my knowledge in safeguarding to build up my own learning, performance, confidence and job satisfaction. Reflective practice keeps me up to date with trends and initiatives, which are good for job promotions and job interviews. For example, if activities are repetitive or uninteresting, being reflective would encourage me to research and find out about new trends to keep the class intrigued and provide stimulating activities. Furthermore, reflective practice shows a commitment to wanting to do my best and reach my full potential. It is important that I reflect back on how I carried out a job and how I can do better, resulting in becoming more aware of what I am doing and how to become a better practitioner. â€Å"Through self-reflection, it becomes possible to think about how to repeat something that has worked well or how to improve ready for next time. Through reflect it is also possible to improve your interpersonal skills. For example, you might think about how you responded or communicated in a situation and then be able to consider ways in which you might have been more effective.† (Tassoni P, 2007:349) D2 Discuss two strategies for improving your own learning and performance Two areas, in which I would like to improve my own learning and performance are using my own initiative and working as a team. I can achieve these goals by using two strategies which are SMART targets and peer observation. â€Å"†¦it is important that any goals you set are SMART.† (Tassoni P, 2007:231) SMART targets are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time scaled. Using this strategy will allow me to draw up an action plan. The problem I tried to solve was maintaining a child’s attention throughout the required session time. Whilst I was carrying out work experience, I was allocated a maths group on a regular basis to try aid their learning and improving their mathematical abilities. The problem I encountered with this was trying to keep their attention so that I could communicate with them and so the tasks could be completed effectively. One of the children had been identified as having ADHD and therefore had particular difficulties in maintaining concentration and was often distracted. Other factors which affected this problem were distractions in the classroom and the complexity of the tasks that had to be carried out. I have decided that my own observations about how effective the solution was and how much work the children successfully did as week as well as the response I received from them. I decided to research into the effects of ADHD particularly children in a school environment and used various information sources (this will be attached as evidence). I decided on three options that I thought had realistic chance of success. The first was to arrange the classroom to minimise distractions for the child with ADHD and also those with difficulty concentrating, the advantages of doing this would be this would lower the disruption methods, however there are some disadvantages for example it may cause unnecessary d isruption to other pupils. The second solution that I considered was to include a variety of activities in each lesson by alternating physical and sitting down activities that appeal to different learning styles and would require careful and detailed planning to accommodate all three learning styles and each activity would need to be adapted to the requirements of each individual. Ensuring the classroom rules are kept clear rules are kept clear and simple and having a set discipline routine. If there continued or excessive misbehaviour and send them to my supervisor. Some of the advantages of this solution were that it would ensure that children are clearly understand the rules and repetition of the discipline system would emphasise the rules and therefore the children would begin pick up on them. However the disadvantages were that disciplining those with children with behavioural problems may have a negative effect and the discipline may seem harsh and could cause more problems. From the three solutions I have chosen to implement in my time during work experience is the second solution as I think this could be an effective method at maintaining a child’s concentration particularly a child with ADHD I have chosen to implement is solution 2 and this means I have to ensure that the teacher will have to be consulted and she will then provide the outline of the tasks to be carried out with the maths group. The teacher I was working with included different activities within the lessons such as discussions, quizzes, videos, drawing and some movement with the activities. I have decided to check if the problem had been solved using my own observations and to a certain extent the problem was solved and saw a gradual increase in their concentration levels and motivation to learn however it was difficult to implement the solution with limited time and resources. When working with the child with ADHD he was often distracted by other people around him and also other pupils found it difficult maintaining their concentration levels therefore it may have been effective to incorporate all three solutions together as this would have created a better and more stable working environment for all the pupils and would have benefitted their learning. It would have set out a clear and systematic discipline routine whilst maximising the use of different activities to achieve the child’s potential. â€Å"Peer observation is an effective way of gaining feedback about your practice with children.† (Tassoni P, 2007:230) Peer observation can improve my own learning and performance as it will enable a colleague to focus on my strengths and weaknesses when I am working with children. It is important that peer observations are objective and detailed, providing an opportunity to celebrate and recognise the things that I do well. This will improve my ability to work as a team by communicating and receiving positive feedback about my performance. This can be in meetings, or between me and my supervisor. If feedback is given to me in a positive way, this will improve my performance as I will feel confident, as well as being able to gain information that will help me reflect upon my own practice. â€Å"It can be difficult not to be defensive and take feedback personally, but if you focus on improving your own performance this will become easier with time.† (Tassoni P, 2007:231) Section 3 – The principles underpinning the role of the practitioner E5: Summarise the main principles that underpin work with children There are many main principles that underpin work with children. Some of these include the following: The welfare of the child is paramount. This is stated by the Children’s Act 1989 and links in with the EYFS. This means the wellbeing of the child is the first and most important aspect of practitioners’ work. A child should always be valued and practitioners should ensure the child is safe and happy to protect them from abuse, harm and neglect. Celebrating diversity and individuality are also important. This means that children are individuals in their own right and need to be listened to and respected. Their cultural needs need to be met, for example, children should opt to celebrate their own or other cultural festivals such as Diwali, instead of just Christmas. Equal opportunities and inclusive practice are actively promoted. This is about recognising and celebrating difference and not about treating everyone the same, for example, setting up an activity that everyone can do regardless of their skin colour or race. Confidentiality is respected at all times except when child protection is an issue. All practitioners have a responsibility to maintain confidentiality at all times. This means that any information passed to the practitioner should only be passed on, on a need to know basis. (214 words) C1: Analyse how the main principles that underpin work with children can support the practitioner’s practice in the setting: Knowing the importance of the main principles that underpin work with children means that the practitioner can set out creating an appropriate environment. This means the environment is safe, healthy and enjoyable as the welfare of the child is paramount. The practitioner should act upon this principle by making the child their first priority. They should carry out daily risk assessments and follow policies and procedures to ensure this happens. Practitioners should act upon the EYFS because Every Child Matters. For example, practitioners can promote healthy eating (snack time) for being healthy, and when carrying out activities, all children should participate and enjoy what they are doing. Activities should be carried out to meet all children’s needs and practitioners should maintain commitment to children’s emotional wellbeing. Practitioners should also make sure children’s health and wellbeing is being actively promoted. They can do this by making sure children have pastoral care which includes health, social and moral education, behaviour management and emotional support of children. Practitioners need to act upon this by educating children about healthy eating, for example promoting healthy eating posters around school and encouraging parents to take part in cookery lessons, as well as encouraging their child to eat healthily at home and encouraging parents to provide healthy meals. It is important for children to also have good amounts of physical/outdoor play and exercise. Practitioners should make sure individuality; inclusive practice and diversity are celebrated. They can do this by getting parents involved. An example can involve having an international day where children can bring in food from their countries and dress according to their culture. This links in with Knowledge and Understanding of the World (KUW), from the EYFS six areas of learning. â€Å"Recognising diversity is about understanding that children come from a variety of backgrounds and family structures, and that this is reflected in many ways including the languages they speak their culture, beliefs and even care needs. While the core needs of children are the same (love, affection, stimulation and physical care), recognising diversity means responding positively to the differences and valuing all people, not just the children and families you feel closest to.† (Tassoni P, 2007:7) An example of inclusive practice is for example having reasonable adjustments such as a wide range of visual aids for children with learning disabilities. Equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice are actively promoted. Practitioners should make sure of this by mixing boys and girls together. For example, girls should play football with boys, or boys should paint with girls. Practitioners should avoid stereotyping by valuing process and not just the end product, for example, valuing a child for trying their best with a drawing, even though it may not be the best drawing within the class. Persona dolls should also be used for anti-bullying practice to show everyone is different. Some people may be disabled or have a different skin colour. Confidentiality is respected at all times except when child protection is an issue. Practitioners should ensure records are stored away safely and are only accessible to whom it may concern, for example the child’s parents or key worker. They should keep information on a need to know basis and respect the child as an individual. Parents should be informed about who the information is being shared with. (476 words) E6: Explain the importance of valuing children’s interests and experiences: There are many reasons why valuing a child’s interests and experiences are important. The first one being, the interests of a child should always come first and activities should be based upon the child’s interests. This is because if children enjoy the activity, they will do well and can achieve their full potential. It will be meaningful and this allows children to develop their confidence and self-esteem. A good example of this is when doing maths; children could learn to count using something that interests them for example cars, cubes, pencils and so on. â€Å"A child centred practice should be maintained throughout the child’s education. It is all about keeping the interests and wellbeing of children and young adults as the main focus of the practice used.† (Bruce and Meggitt, 2007). This approach promotes the child to give freedom to think, experience, question and search for answers. Children learn easily and retain information more effectively because they are participating in decisions about their learning and are able to develop to their full potential. It is stimulating for both the practitioner and child, and research shows children respond better and concentrate longer when they are engaged in something which interests them. The Early Years is based on this principle with a heavily play based and child centred curriculum. By involving children and showing them respect for their ideas and capabilities, will help them grow in confidence and self-esteem. This will also help to build a positive relationship with practitioners, for example, using a child’s idea in practitioners planning. Practitioners should include all children in activities and put all work up on display to make them feel valued. They should give the children free choice of activities, in other words let them do what interests them. It is important that practitioners should feedback to parents about their child’s interests and if possible, find out about what the child’s interests were in previous settings.

MOving About

Inertia is a property of matter that causes it to resist changes in velocity (speed and/or direction) (Rouse, 2005). Basically Inertia is a word we use when we talk about matter and movement (Unknown Author, Unknown Date). This idea goes all the way back to Sir Isaac Newton, a great physicist. In Newton's first law of motion it is stated that: 1 . An object at rests tends to stay in rest 2. An object in motion tends to stay in motion A great example of inertia would be if a car is driven directly into a brick wall, the car would stop because of the external force which is exerted upon by the wall.The driver requires a force to stop his body from moving forward, this can be prevented by a settable, or otherwise inertia will cause his body to keep moving forward until his body is acted upon by the same force. Newton's First Law: Newton's First Law of Motion states that â€Å"Every object continues in its state of rest or uniform motion unless made to change by a non-zero net force. â €  This law says if an object is accelerating, that is it experiencing a change on velocity, and then an unbalanced (or resultant or net) force must be acting upon it (Warren, N, 2004).From his law we can conclude that forces cause changes in motion (that is, accelerations)- they do not cause motion (Warren, N, 2004). . Newton's First Law, Image Courtesy by: Revision World Newton's first law is not apparent in real world situations because there are usually too many external forces acting upon objects on the Earth's surface. Common experience does not always seem to be in agreement with this law (Warren, N, 2004). A driver of a car on a level road for example, still needs to press the accelerator to move at a constant speed (Warren, N, 2004). Why does the car not accelerate?The season, of course, is that friction exists between the car and the road (Warren, N, 2004). Hence the forces in this case are balanced and so the law is valid (Warren, N, 2004). To accelerate the car, we ne ed to apply an unbalanced force, that is, press the accelerator more (Warren, N, 2004). Low Speed zone, Road Rules and Safety devices: In recent years many local councils have introduced lower speed limits and placed speed humps in streets to reduce the speed of cars (Warren, N, 2004). Evidence shows, and physics dictates, that slower moving cars cause less damage to occupants if a crash results (Warren, N, 2004).The speed humps makes it difficult for drivers to speed since they would damage their cars if they hit humps too fast (Warren, N, 2004). Low Speed zones are in place because, the lower your velocity, the less momentum you have and the quicker you can stop (Unknown Author, 2007). Low speed zones keep the risk of major damage to a minimum by decreasing the momentum of cars (Indri, U, 2011). Momentum increases with both velocity and mass, as shown in the equation (Indri, U, 2011). It is important to keep momentum low because in the equation, as the momentum (P) increases, so d oes the impact force (F) (Indri, U, 2011).Therefore lower speed zones also allow for a shorter stopping distance, reducing speed decreases the chance of a collision to take place, by decreasing the stopping distance and lowering momentum (Indri, U, 2011). Modern cars are built with many safety devices including: 1 . Seat Belts 2. Airbags 3. Crumple Zones Each of these devices works by effectively increasing the over which passengers are brought to rest in the event of collision (Warren, N, 2004). Air Bags and Crumple Zones both increase the stopping distance of a vehicle.Relating back to Impulse = Force X Distance, If the distance is increased, the force is lower, this reduces the ores put on the vehicle, and the occupants inside it (Unknown Author, 2007). Seat Belts: (Explain in terms of inertia) In 1948 Tucker cars became the first car company to include seat belts, prior to which even minor motor vehicle accidents could cause serious injury (Marshal and Gibson lawyers, 2012). In 1968, the United States was the first country in the world to make it a legal requirement that all new cars have seat belts (Marshal and Gibson lawyers, 2012).A seat belt is a safety harness designed to secure the occupant of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result from a collision (Indri, U, 2011). As part of an overall occupant restraint system, seat belts are intended to reduce injuries by stopping the wearer from hitting hard interior elements of the vehicle or other passengers and by preventing the passenger from being thrown from the vehicle (Indri, U, 2011). Most seat belts are equipped with locking mechanisms (or inertia reels) that tighten the belt when pulled fast (e. G. Y the quick force of a passenger's body during a crash) but do not tighten when pulled slowly (Indri, U, 2011). This is implemented with a centrifugal clutch, which engages as the reel spins quickly (Indri, U, 2011). Alternatively, this function may be secured by a weighted pendulum or ball bear ing: when these are deflected by deceleration or roll-over they lock into pawls on the reel (Indri, U, 2011). There are three types of inertia reel seat belts: 1. NIL-(No Locking Retractor) 2. LEER V-(Emergency Locking Retractor-vehicle sensitive) 3.LEER M-(Emergency Locking Retractor-vehicle and Webbing sensitive) Air bags: Hitcher, a retired industrial engineering technician, received a patent in 1953 for what he called a â€Å"safety cushion assembly for automotive vehicles (McCormick, L, 2006). † His U. S. Patent No. As the first prototype for today's modern airbags (McCormick, L, 2006). Hitcher designed the system to reduce injuries during emergency braking and frontal collisions, according to a story in American Heritage about his invention (McCormick, L, 2006).In that story, Hitcher recalled the inspiration for his invention: â€Å"In the spring of '52, my wife, my seven-year-old daughter, Joan, and I were out for a Sunday drive in our 1948 Chrysler Windsor (McCormick , L, 2006). About three miles outside Newport, we were watching for deer bounding across the road (McCormick, L, 2006). Suddenly, there was a large rock in our path, Just past the crest of a hill (McCormick, L, 2006). I remember hitting the brakes and veering the car to the right (McCormick, L, 2006). We went into the ditch but avoided hitting both a tree and a wooden fence (McCormick, L, 2006). As I applied the brakes, both my wife and I threw our hands up to keep our daughter from hitting the dashboard during the ride home, I couldn't stop thinking about the accident (McCormick, L, 2006). I asked myself: Why couldn't some object come out to stop you from striking the inside of the car? (McCormick, L, 2006)† When he returned home, Hitcher started sketching designs for his â€Å"safety cushion. McCormick, L, 2006)† The primary purpose of the airbag is to slow the passenger's speed to zero with little or no damage (Indri, U, 2011). The constraints that it has to work wit hin are huge (Indri, U, 2011).The airbag has the space between the passenger and the steering wheel or dashboard and a fraction of a second to work with (Indri, U, 2011). Even that tiny amount of space and time is valuable, however, if the system can slow the passenger evenly rather than forcing an abrupt halt to his or her motion (Indri, U, 2011). There are three parts to an airbag that help to accomplish this feat: 1 . Air Bag: The bag itself is made of a thin, nylon fabric, which is folded into the steering wheel or dashboard or, more recently, the seat or door. . Crash Sensors: These small pieces of electronics are designed to tell when the vehicle has been damaged in an accident (Cars Direct, 2013). They respond to several different sets of stimuli, including sudden stopping, increased pressure as pieces of the car are moved due to the force of the collision, and more (Cars Direct, 2013). A mechanical switch is flipped when there is a mass shift that closes an electrical contac t, telling the sensors that a crash has occurred (Indri, U, 2011).The sensors receive information from an accelerometer built into a microchip (Indri, U, 2011). According to an engineering study and airbag can be deploy in 55 milliseconds. 3. Inflators: Once the control unit determines there is an accident, it sends a signal to the inflator system (Cars Direct, 2013). The inflator sets off a chemical charge, producing an explosion of nitrogen gas, filling up the airbag (Cars Direct, 2013). As the airbag fills up, it bursts through the paneling that contains it and enters into the space of the car in order to protect you (Cars Direct, 2013).Thus the use of the airbag decreases the overall force that is applied on the passenger resulting in less serious injuries and thus saves lives (Indri, U, 2011). . Impact Triggers Air Bag Inflation, Image Courtesy: Stephen Ramp Crumple Zones: The concept of the crumple zone safety feature was first used by the Mercedes-Benz engineer Bella Barrens on the 1959 model Mercedes-Benz â€Å"Fantail† (Rive, M, Unknown Year). This innovation was first patented by Mercedes-Benz in the early sass (Rive, M, Unknown Year). The patent was then granted as patent number 854157, minion (Rive, M, Unknown Year).A crumple zone is an area of the vehicle that is designed to change shape on impact with another object at high speed (Graininess, E, 2008). This is in order to redistribute the force exerted on the vehicle so that the driver remains relatively unharmed (Graininess, E, 2008). This is achieved by crafting the front and rear of the vehicle from a material that is designed to bend or collapse into itself upon impact (Graininess, E, 2008). Often, engineers will have to compromise between using a material that offers too little resistance to force and too great a resistance to force (Graininess, E, 2008).The best way to reduce the initial force in a crash with a given amount of mass and speed is to slow down the deceleration (Indri, U , 2011). You've seen this effect for yourself if you've had to slam on your brakes for any reason (Indri, U, 2011). The forces you experience in an emergency stop are much greater than when you gradually slow down for a stoplight (Indri, U, 2011). In a collision, slowing down the deceleration by even a few tenths off second can create a drastic reduction in the force involved (Indri, U, 2011). . The crumple zones and the passenger section of a car, Image Courtesy By:Mechanics Momentum In the equation Force = mass X acceleration (F=M x A), cutting the deceleration in half also cuts the force in half therefore, changing the deceleration time from . 2 seconds to . 8 seconds will result in a 75 percent reduction in total force (Graininess, E, 2008). Crumple zones accomplish this by creating a buffer zone around the perimeter of the car (Graininess, E, 2008). Certain parts of a car are inherently rigid and resistant to deforming, such as the passenger compartment and the engine (Grainine ss, E, 2008).If those rigid parts hit something, they will decelerate very quickly, resulting in a lot of force (Graininess, E, 2008). Surrounding those parts with crumple zones allows the less rigid materials to take the initial impact (Graininess, E, 2008). The car begins decelerating as soon as the crumple zone starts crumpling, extending the deceleration over a few extra tenths of a second (Graininess, E, 2008). The fundamental idea is that it takes force to damage them. Crumple zones spend as much force as possible so that other parts of the car as well as the occupants don't suffer the effects (Indri, U, 2011).Effectiveness of Safety Devices: Seat Belts: Wearing a seat belt is one of easiest ways of protecting drivers and passengers when traveling in a vehicle (Western Australia Government, 2014). Seat belts protect vehicle occupants by decreasing the time it takes them to come to a stop in a crash, spreads the impact force over a greater area of the body, minimizes contact wi th the interior of the vehicle and helps stop them from being ejected from the vehicle (Western Australia Government, 2014). Failure to wear a seat belt contributes to more fatalities than any other single traffic safety-related behavior (Indri, U, 2011). % of people killed in accidents are not wearing seat belts (Indri, U, 2011). Wearing a seat belt use is still the single most effective thing we can do to protect ourselves in case of an accident (Indri, U, 2011). . Seat Belts, Image Courtesy By: Tableaus Seat belts are the most effective safety devices in vehicles today, estimated to save 9,500 lives each year (Indri, U, 2011). Yet only 68 percent of the motor vehicle occupants are buckled. In 1996, more than 60 percent of the occupants killed in fatal crashes were unrestrained (Indri, U, 2011). . Fatalities where NV Occupant was Unrestrained, Image Courtesy By: AustralianGovernment As you can see from the graph above after 2007 number of fatalities who were unrestrained have decr eased over the year. This is because more effective laws came in and police patrol on roads also increased over the years. Our better understanding of safety of devices such as seat belts has also played a major part. Statistically, individuals who are in accidents that have manufacturer- installed airbags and who properly wear their seat belts have a better chance of making it out of a serious accident without serious injuries (Safer, 2006).Crumple Zones: In a typical crash scenario, the crumple zone effectively redistributes the force of impact on the vehicle, leaving the ‘safety cell' intact whilst the front or rear of the vehicle is completely deformed (Car Safety Systems and Unknown Date). This means that the crumple zone is working correctly (Car Safety Systems and Unknown Date). However, crumple zones are designed to work in tandem with the additional safety features of a modern vehicle, such as the airbags, settable and collapsible steering column (Car Safety Systems a nd Unknown Date). Crumple Zones, Image Courtesy sys; ‘(21968 Crumple zones allow the front of the vehicle to crush like an accordion, absorbing some of the impact of the collision and giving some off in the form of heat and sound (K-12 School Websites, 2006). The front of the vehicle effectively acts as a cushion that slows the time it takes for the vehicle to come to a complete stop, applying less force on passengers, which could help save their lives (K-12 School Web Pages, 2006).Newton's second law of motion, force = mass x acceleration, conveys that as the time it takes for an automobile to come to rest or change direction is increased, the force experienced by the automobile (and its occupants) is decreased (Erickson, Christopher, 2006). Conversely too, if the time to stop is shorter, the force experienced is greater (Erickson, Christopher, 2006). Crumple zones add time to the crash by absorbing energy (Erickson, Christopher, 2006).Air Bags: In Australia during 1997, the then Federal Office of Road Safety collaborated with UNCAP on a consumer information program comparing the injury outcome of a series of vehicle models with and without airbags (RACE, Unknown Date). The first release covered larger passenger cars that are popular with families and fleet buyers (RACE, Unknown Date). The test results showed that an airbag halves the chance of suffering a serious head injury (RACE, Unknown Date). A second series looked at the small car group which are very popular with private and first-time new car buyers (RACE, Unknown Date).Again the test results showed that an airbag at least halved the chance of suffering a serious head injury (RACE, Unknown Date). . Airbags, Image Courtesy By: Sally Dominique A recent US study has shown side airbags also to be highly effective in reducing the risk of serious injury or death, particularly those that include head protection. Previous research has shown that the installation of air bags in vehicles significantly red uces crash related deaths, but these analyses have used statistical techniques which have not been capable of controlling for other major determinants of crash survival (Barry, S, Gimping, S, O'Neill, T, 1999).Loose Objects in Cars: Every year, loose objects inside cars during crashes cause hundreds of serious injuries and even deaths (Abraham', D, Wesleyan, M, Lamar, A, 2011). Recent studies have shown that many drivers are increasing the risk of injury or death in automobile accidents by leaving items unsecured (Grubber, D, 2012). The potential angers of loose objects in vehicles are strongly associated with Newton's First Law of Motion, inertia (Cantina, 2005). For example, say a car is traveling along a straight road (Cantina, 2005).Loose objects in the auto are â€Å"acted upon† by the body, seats, or some other part of the vehicle (whatever is touching a loose object), whenever the car accelerates (Cantina, 2005). Let's say we stop the car instantaneously and turn the c ar so it faces left (Cantina, 2005). What happens to all the loose objects inside the car? They are still going to obey the First Law of Motion, and try to continue going down the straight road (Cantina, 2005). However, since the car is now both stopped and facing left, the right wall of the car is in the way of the loose objects (Cantina, 2005).At that moment everything flies towards the right wall, and the loose objects crash hard against it (Cantina, 2005). If it wasn't for seat belts, the driver and the passenger(s) would also smash into the right wall (Cantina, 2005). However despite wearing seat belts, a passenger can still feel the force that is pushing him towards the right side of the car, in this situation. If the car was extremely heavy, or was traveling at a considerable speed, then the force of the crash would be greater Cantina, 2005). This is because of Newton's second law, F=ma, the larger the acceleration or mass, the greater the force (Cantina, 2005).This makes it obvious that loose objects in vehicles are dangerous and should be placed in compartments provided (Cantina, 2005). Everything that has been explained above can be proven right by conducting a firsthand investigation. However in this investigation, one does not have to make a sharp turn or have loose objects laying around the car. One can simply place their sunglasses on the dashboard and observe its movement whenever the car turns. If the car turns right then the sunglasses will move to the left and vice versa. This is a very simple yet accurate example of inertia in the car's frame of reference.