Information Sensitivity and Protection of Data Essay - 1

Information Sensitivity and Protection of Data - Essay Example Additionally, the policies, contracts and standards illustrated in this policy affects the entire BIDMC staff, provisional staff, autonomous contractors, representatives, as well as additional IT clients, anywhere could be positioned across the corporation (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, 2007). In addition, one of very important features of the BIDMC security and privacy policy is to improve and optimally augment the overall working and operational security of the corporate confidential/ownership data and details. Additionally, this policy encompasses clear guidelines for proper establishment of information security management and privacy protection (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, 2007). Afterward there are some improvised strategies for the overall protection and management of the prohibited activities at the workplace. Additionally, there is a proper code of ethics that needs to be followed for the better management of the privacy all through the organization (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, 2007). Moreover, the BIDMC’s security and privacy policy ensures the denial of big sized file sharing over the business network.

The Bridge at Argenteuil Essay Example for Free

The Bridge at Argenteuil Essay The Bridge at Argenteuil by Alfred Sisley is a landscape painted during the French Impressionism period. This painting is located at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art in the European to 1900 collection. The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is the oldest fine arts museum in Tennessee and displays art from antiquity to contemporary. I chose this museum because it has art from different time periods. This museum, upon first impression, was well organized, and the different collections were relatively easy to find. I chose The Bridge at Argenteuil because Alfred Sisleys work is rarely studied. Alfred Sisleys The Bridge at Argenteuil is a landscape painting. It is oil on canvas and 15 ? by 24 inches. Painted in 1872, The Bridge at Argenteuil depicts a quiet, country scene. Toward the right of the painting, there are warm-colored houses on top of a small hill, while toward the left of the painting is a river, in which is a small sail boat. The grass in the foreground is reminiscent of wheat fields. There is a path that runs from the foreground of the painting out to the river, ending at a small dock, perhaps for fishing. There is a bridge in the background, seemingly tying the entire painting together. Because there is no action in the painting, this work seems to be a study in quiet and calm country life. Every object in this landscape seems to be connected. For example, the path in the foreground leads to the dock that connects with the river. The bridge in the background stretches from the land where the artist painted from, over the river, and to the shore on the other side of the river toward the left of the frame, connecting the two pieces of land. This painting clarifies that the countryside is peaceful and calm. Many artists choose to paint people, animals, and urban scapes. However, a few, like Alfred Sisley, choose to paint landscapes. Sisley recognized that country landscapes show the softer side of life. Sisley chose to look at the bigger picture instead of focusing on one thing in particular. By having the freedom that comes with not focusing on a particular subject, Sisley captured the essence of the natural world, a world that is peaceful, calm, and ever-changing. I believe this is what he wanted to show the world. The Bridge at Argenteuil is a study in the wonders of nature and how man and nature can exist in harmony. This work does meet the standards of perfection, inexhaustibility, and insight. Every object in the painting works with the others to create a scene that is calm and peaceful. Sisley painted in great detail, showing the perfection that exists in nature. For example, Sisley included different shades of blue in the river; the further I looked into the background at the water, the whiter it seemed to become. The white clouds seem to be moving from right to left, slowly covering a light blue sky. Sisley added these details to capture the ever-changing essence of nature. The work is insightful. This painting made me take a slower, second look at nature and how everything does balance out. For example, in this painting, every aspect of nature the sky, the water, and the land seem to have an equal part of the frame, they seem to be balanced. I could envision a triangle while looking at these aspects, with the sky being the top point, and the land and water being the bottom points. The Bridge at Argenteuil resists monotony because nature is always changing. For instance, the water seems clear, like it would be during the summer, but the grass is becoming brown, indicating that the season is moving toward winter. The sky is becoming overcast; this could be indicative of a colder breeze moving in. Because of these elements, it seems as though the season is in transition. This painting has and has not withstood the test of time. For instance, it has withstood the test of time because it was painted in 1872 and is still on display along with other famous and important works of art. It depicts a nature scene that is always changing and evolving, a scene that never becomes outdated. However, Alfred Sisley, as well as this painting, has not been studied extensively and is rarely analyzed, unlike other works of art of the late nineteenth century, such as Monet and Renoir. This gives the impression that this painting has not withstood the test of time. The bridge at Argenteuil has not only been painted by Alfred Sisley. Claude Monet, another impressionist painter, painted this bridge as well. However, there one major difference between the two paintings, although they share the same title. Sisleys The Bridge at Argenteuil depicts the bridge from afar, focusing more on the land and the water in the foreground. Monets The Bridge at Argenteuil focuses more on the water and a couple of sail boats, with the bridge off to the right side of the frame. Another important detail is that Monets painting of the bridge was created two years after Sisley painted the bridge. Therefore, Sisleys The Bridge at Argenteuil can be determined to be unique and original. Also because of the aforementioned reasons, it can be said that this painting could have influenced Monets painting of the bridge. Sisley also depicted a sail boat in his painting, like Monet did, although Sisleys sail boat was small and relatively insignificant, while Monets sail boats were the focus of the painting. This painting possesses not only international appeal because Sisley was a French painter, but universal appeal because people from around the world can relate to nature. This painting depicts elements in nature that can be found in any rural area. For example, it is a scene that focuses on a grassy knoll and a body of water. While looking at this painting, it seems as though it can be found in the United States, when actually, this scene was painted in France. This scene has universal appeal because people of all ages and cultures can relate to it. I chose Alfred Sisleys The Bridge at Argenteuil because it is an under-appreciated painting. It seemed calm and comforting, two feelings that most do not take the time to enjoy. The grass in the foreground and how it seemed to be swaying in the breeze sticks in my mind the most. The analysis of this work of art taught me how to appreciate the seemingly insignificant aspects of life. For most, including myself, life rushes by. Getting to work or school and finishing daily tasks keeps one so busy that no one ever has the time anymore to slow down and appreciate nature. Most take these aspects of life for granted. Analyzing this painting forced me to slow down and appreciate the beauty of nature.

Anylasis of Humbert :: essays research papers

Humbert Humbert   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Humbert Humbert in the book Lolita is the type of person who will do anything to satisfy his needs. When Humbert is institutionalized in an insane asylum he toys with the doctors. Once he got to a certain age Humbert felt like he needed to get married to suppress his sexual desires, so he did. Later on Humbert realizes the only way he can be with Lolita is by marrying her mother, Charlotte. After Hubert loses his control on Lolita he gets the need to get revenge on the person who has taken Lolita from him. A person can grow up into being a very needy person or someone who always needs to be in control by how they are raised and their surroundings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second instance of Humbert goes into a mental asylum he manipulates the doctors making them believe false diagnoses. He gets a certain joy from tricking the doctors. Humbert describes the joy: â€Å"I discovered there was an endless source of robust enjoyment in trifling with psychiatrists: cunningly leading them on; never letting them see that you know all the tricks of the trade, inventing for them elaborate dreams†¦ teasing them with fake primal scenes†¦ (Nabokov 34) He goes to certain extremes to satisfy his wants. Humbert goes as far as bribing a nurse so he can see that the doctors were misdiagnosing him. This back and forth with the doctors was nothing more than a game for Humber. This type of control was making him really happy so he decided to stay even longer than he needed to at the insane asylum. â€Å"The sport was so excellent, in results in my case so ruddy that I stayed on for a whole month after I was quite well. And then I added another week just for the pleasure of taking on a powerful newcomer.† (Nabokov 34)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Once he became a young adult Humbert knew that he needed to repress his sexual desires for young nymphets so he married Valeria. When he married Valeria, she was a very young looking polish girl. This way he was able to be with someone that reminded him of nymphets and still able to have a certain sense of security. â€Å"†¦what really attracted me to Valeria was the imitation she gave of a little girl.† (Nabokov 25) Humbert didn’t really love her he was just using her for her young looks.

Marketing & Sustainability Essay

What exactly is marketing? Is it just convincing people to buy products through various media? Billboards, TV commercials, junk mail and magazines filled with advertisements? From the consumer’s perspective, that is how it seems (Kotler et al. 2010, p. 5). But from a business’s standpoint, marketing is viewed very differently. Marketing is viewed as being based on an exchange relationship between a business and its customers, where a business offers something of value, and customers purchase this product, which provides the business with the means to continue producing this item of value (Moscardo et al. 2010, p. 277). Where does sustainability fit into marketing? In the past, the discipline of marketing has been accused of stimulating unsustainable levels of consumption amongst consumers (Rettie, Burchell & Riley 2012 p. 420). Now with the impact of our overconsumption starting to take its toll on our earth, marketers must reassess its strategies and practices to accommodate the reality of limited resources and the environmental impact our consumption is having on the planet. In order to sustain our valuable resources for future generations, businesses need to re-evaluate their research and development strategies, production methods and financial and marketing practices (Kotler 2011, p. 132). This involves integrating social and environmental concepts into conventional marketing strategies (Peattie & Belz 2010, p. 9). Consumer behaviour In the chapter by Wells, et al, the relevance of consumer behaviour in marketing is discussed and broken down into the â€Å"four A’s† of sustainable consumer behaviour, Awareness, Acceptance, Ability and Action. This addresses a method that can be used to encourage consumers to support and engage in sustainable behaviours (Moscardo et al. 2010, p. 277). Awareness In order for a customer to buy a green product, they must be aware of the sustainability issues that are being addressed by the product. If you are not aware of a problem, how can you make changes to address it? A study conducted by whirlpool discovered that because its customers were not aware  of what CFC’s were, they refused to pay a premium for a CFC-free refrigerator (Kotler et al. 2010, p. 23). Although many consumers remain uninformed about the seriousness of sustainability issues, the number of people considering the environment and social issues when making a purchase is on the rise. A study in Norway in 2011 discovered that most participants were aware of the sustainability concept, which when compared to a similar study performed in 1995, showed an increase in the familiarity of sustainability. It is plausible that this could be due to increased media coverage on the issue and is an encouraging finding for sustainability marketing (Hanss & Bohm 2012, p. 679). Acce ptance In order to want to solve a problem, you need to accept the problem as true and relevant. One factor influencing the acceptance of a particular behaviour is the individual’s level of concern about an issue (Galbreth & Ghosh 2012, p. 128). Is climate change really an issue or is it just another far-fetched theory being hyped up by the media? (Moscardo et al. 2010, p. 284). People believing the latter may be more likely to disregard products promoting their efforts of reducing their impact on climate change. Another factor that can affect a consumer’s willingness to participate in sustainable behaviours is the social acceptability of that action. The social acceptability of sustainable behaviours as a whole is becoming less of an issue in recent times, as environmental consciousness has seen things like locally and organically grown produce become more mainstream (Sheth & Sisodia 2012, p. 77). Personal biases can also play a role in acceptance. Some consumers may believe that products made from recycled materials may be of inferior quality and therefore their performance and reliability would be negatively affected (OECD 2009, p. 46). Ability Ability refers to whether a person has the means in which to pursue the desired action. Products labelled as â€Å"organic†, â€Å"biodegradable†, â€Å"made from recycled material† or other similar green claims are generally priced higher than conventional products (Kotler et al, 2010 pg 405). Low income earners, students, pensioners and the unemployed may not be able to afford a premium on sustainable products and will buy the cheapest alternative conventional product. Also, not all products on the market may have an available green  alternative and therefore the consumer has no choice but to purchase a non-green product (Moscardo et al. 2010, p. 284). Greenwashing In the text, the issue of greenwashing was addressed and its impact on consumer purchase decisions and on the sustainability market. Greenswashing can be described as â€Å"the practice of overemphasising a company’s environmental credentials, often by misinforming the public or understating potentially harmful activities† (Doyle 2011). The practice of greenwashing has led to consumers being more sceptical of products marketed as ‘green’ or ‘environmentally friendly’. This scepticism may result in consumers avoiding sustainable products for fear that the ‘green’ labelling may indicate an inferior product using promises of sustainable resources and production to increase its prices (Rettie Burchell & Riley 2012, p. 422). One Study in Norway showed that labelling of products was considered the most indicative way to ensure the sustainability of the product and that consumers tended to favour labels in which they were familiar. As there are a large number of eco and fair trade labels used in Norway, customers intending to purchase sustainable products may avoid perfectly good sustainable products due to the lack of familiarity of the label and therefore trust and confidence in the product (Hanss & Bohm 2012, p. 685). Convenience As stated in the text, convenience and green products are not generally two terms that go together, and there has often been a trade-off between convenience and sustainability. Although rechargeable batteries are more environmentally friendly, It is a lot more convenient to just replace old used batteries with new ones and throw the old ones away. In a constantly moving, time poor world, convenience is highly valued by customers, and sustainable products that cannot match the convenience of its conventional rivals may be unsuccessful in the marketplace (Peattie & Belz 2010, p. 13). Communication When all is said and done, it all comes down to effective communication. Communication is vital to make consumers aware of the development of products and solutions tackling the issue of sustainability, and how they can meet customer’s needs and be efficiently integrated into their life style (Peattie & Belz 2010, p. 13). Conclusion This article effectively examines the challenges presented to companies in the sustainable production and marketing of their products. The movement towards the use of renewable materials is clear, nevertheless, consumers may be reluctant to accept these products for a variety of reasons. By examining the issues confronted by businesses today the chapter addresses the main concepts of consumer behaviour and the challenges for the future. Customer expectations are one of the main considerations in producing and marketing a product. While the author discusses the concept of awareness, one aspect that may have been mentioned is possible strategies a company might use in order to effectively increase awareness and methods for effective communication. References Doyle, C 2011, A Dictionary of Marketing, 3rd edn, Oxford University Press, NY. Galbreth, MR & Ghosh, B 2012, ‘Competition and Sustainability: The Impact of Consumer Awareness’ Decision Sciences, vol. 44, no. 1, pp. 127 – 159. Hanss, D & Bohm, G 2012, ‘Sustainability seen from the perspective of consumers’, International Journal of Consumer Studies, vol. 36, no. 6, pp. 678 – 687. Kotler, P 2011, ‘Reinventing marketing to Manage the Environmental Imperative’, Journal of Marketing, vol. 75, pp 132-135. Kotler, P, Brown, L, Burton, S, Deans, K & Armstrong, G 2010, Marketing, 8th edn, Pearson Australia, Frenches Forest, NSW. Morcardo, G Lamberton, G, Wells, G, Fallon, W, Lawn, P, Rowe, A, Humphrey, J, Wiesner, R, Pettitt, B, Clifton, D, Renouf, M & Kershaw, W 2013, Sustainability in Australian Business: Principles and Practice. Wiley-Blackwell, Milton, QLD. OECD 2008, Promoting Sustainable Consumption: Good Practices in OECD Countries, OECD, viewed on March 28th, www.oecd.org/greengrowth/40317373.pdf. Peattie, K & Belz, FM 2010 ‘Sustainability Marketing – An Innovative Conception of Marketing’ Marketing Review St. Gallen, vol. 27, no. 5, pp. 8-15. Rettie, R, Burchell, K & Riley, D 2012 ‘Normalising green behaviours: A new approach to sustainability marketing’, Journal of Marketing Management, vol. 28, no. 3-4, pp. 420-444. Sheth, JN & Sisodia, RS 2012, The 4A’s of Marketing: Creating Value for Customers, Companies and Society, Taylor & Francis, NY.

Lemonade Stand — Season Three

This report provides factual quantative information on Lemonade Stand, sourced from financial statements, the business’ General Journal and financial data collected during Seasons One, Two and Three. The following economic summary report will consider how well Lemonade Stand’s business is performing by, among other things, deducting the stand’s capital costs from its profits. Through analysis of the previously stated quantiative information, the company will be able to measure how well the stand is using capital to build economic value, with perhaps deploying company resources in ways that will further enhance its economic value. In short, the economic summary report’s fundamental objective is to maximize the stand’s return for its owners, as well as to focus on very precise value-related targets, be they cost reductions, new investments, or other resource allocation. Over the three season period of review, Lemonade Stand has shown a steady revenue growth. Although this growth is positive, there are aspects of the business that, if managed more efficiently, could have brought the stand a significant increase in overall profits. First, the price per cup could have been increased throughout Season Two – instead of maintaining a steady price of $0. 60 during the whole season. This simple increase in price would increase revenues and profits for the season. Second, there was a lack of wise management towards the purchase of supplies during Season Two. It was difficult to forecast the turnout for each day and excess supplies were purchased in preparation for a predicted rush of customers. This mismanagement lead to a waste of supplies, – especially ice – a low inventory turnover, increased expenses – due to management mistakes instead of business operations — and excess inventory at the ending of the season. However, despite the downfall in Season Two, inventory turnover did improve during Season Three as well as the stand’s current ratio. The Lemonade Stand’s current ratio increased significantly from having $5. 80 in current assets for ever $1. 00 in current liabilities in Season One, to having $14. 50 in current assets for every $1. 0 in current liabilities at the conclusion of Season Three. The higher current ratio indicates the liquidty of the business, meaning that there is a greater margin of safety to cover short-term debts. As a result of a higher current ratio, the stand will be able to obtain necessities from short-term creditors such as suppliers, easier than before. The ability to obtain supplies and other necessi ties from short-term creditors will allow the stand to expand – if desired – and perhaps secure a more profitable Season Four. In addition, the decrease in the debt-equity ratio is another positive sign that shows us that the stand can be successful in the future if managed properly. The owners of Lemonade Stand place a value of $100. 00 toward being their own boss and thus have the freedom and flexibility that they would otherwise not experience while working for another person or company. This form of revenue can be found in the stand’s implicit revenue on the stand’s balance sheet and is added to the value of learning how to run the business — $50. 0 for Season One – as well as gaining more information and/or education on increasing profits and learning how to better manage the stand. During the third season, the stand was more concerned with maximizing returns on resources and therefore lead to a greater economic profit for that season. When the information contained in the business’ financial statements is used to create strategic objectives, such as maximizing returns on resources, the stand will be able to focus on those activities that will produce the desired result and also guide the owners in the management of the business. By focusing on activities that create the most value and, conversley, avoiding devoting inordinate amounts of resources to activities that produce little value the stand will be able to maintain its financial health and generate higher profits in the seasons to come. Lemonade Stand is in a strong position to expand and through expansion, will be able to set larger strategic objectives and potentially increase the health and value of the business.

civial affair essays

civial affair essays There are many different reasons why civil wars occur. These violent conflicts arise in a nation and usually destroy and split the country. The United States felt the pain that civil war causes because of the issue of states rights and slavery. Spain experienced the agony of civil war firsthand because Gen. Franco attempted a coup and tried to install a Fascist government. These two countries experienced civil wars because of political decisions and government policies. The civil wars that occurred in El Salvador and Guatemala were different from those of the United States and Spain. These countries suffered from many problems that neither the United States nor Spain had to endure. In Central America both El Salvador and Guatemala had conditions that were conducive to violent civil war. El Salvador is a small country in Central America. Coffee production is the major source of income for the country. With this much importance on one crop, the country began to expand the production of coffee. As coffee production grew, there was less and less land available for the every day farmer to use for crops to feed his family and try to make a living. The Salvadoran government began to take away the opportunities many of the poor had to live on. This lead to a migration out of El Salvador and into Mexico and the United States; however, this still left a large number of unhappy Salvadorans who were still in El Salvador. By the early 1900's the landowners were pressing to get more land for the production of coffee. In the 1960's El Salvador had the worst land to people ratio in the world. The landowners wanted more land and the poor Salvadorans wanted land themselves. The conditions in El Salvador were quickly becoming hostile. The elite had no care for the welfare of the poor. They were producing coffee for export to the world. The poor would never make enough to buy coffee produced in El Salvador. The conditions in 196...

Marketing and Product Essays

Marketing and Product Essays Marketing and Product Essay Marketing and Product Essay The traditional way of viewing the components of marketing is via the four PS: 1. Product. Goods and services (creating offerings). 2. Promotion. Communication. 3. Place. Getting the product toa point at which the customer can purchase it (delivering). 4. Price. The monetary amount charged for the product (exchange). Introduced in the early 1950s, the four Ps were called the marketing mix, meaning that a marketing plan is a mix of these four components. If the four Ps are the same as creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging, ou might be wondering why there was a change. The answer is that they are not exactly the same. Product, price, place, and promotion are nouns. As such, these words fail to capture all the activities of marketing. For example, exchanging requires mechanisms for a transaction, which consist of more than simply a price or place. Exchanging requires, among other things, the transfer of ownership. For example, when you buy a car, you sign documents that transfer the cars title from the seller to you. Thats part of the exchange process. Even the term product, which seems pretty obvious, is limited. Does the product include services that come with your new car purchase (such as free maintenance for a certain period of time on some models)? Or does the product mean only the car itself? Finally, none of the four Ps describes particularly well what marketing people do. However, one of the goals of this book is to focus on exactly what it is that marketing professionals do. Value Value is at the center of everything marketing does (Figure 1 . 1). What does value mean?

Science Fair Chemistry Project Ideas and Inspiration

Science Fair Chemistry Project Ideas and Inspiration These science fair projects ideas provide information and questions you can develop into a science fair project. Bookmark this page or check back regularly, since new ideas are added. You may submit an idea for a science fair project to be included in the list. Quick Look at Projects by Education Level These projects are grouped according to grade level ranging from preschool through middle school, high school, and college. 12th Grade Science Fair Project Ideas. Senior high school science projects can be fairly advanced. Some seniors have done projects that gain them scholarships or change the world!11th Grade Science Fair Project Ideas. 11th grade is the peak time for students to apply to colleges, so an award-winning or thought-provoking project can gain scholarships or aid during the school interview process.10th Grade Science Fair Project Ideas. 10th-grade science fair projects offer students the opportunity to explore whether they want to pursue college education or a career in science. There are scholarship opportunities at this level, too.9th Grade Science Fair Project Ideas8th Grade Science Fair Project Ideas7th Grade Science Fair Project Ideas6th Grade Science Fair Project Ideas5th Grade Science Fair Project Ideas4th Grade Science Fair Project Ideas3rd Grade Science Fair Project Ideas2nd Grade Science Fair Project Ideas1st Grade Science Fair Project IdeasKindergarten Science Fair Project Ideas

Critical evaluation on the standard model of professional legal ethics Essay

Critical evaluation on the standard model of professional legal ethics (neutral -partisanship ) - Essay Example According to this theory, the lawyers need to keep high standards of morality in their profession and this at times goes against the interest of their clients. According to Atkinson (1993)â€Å"The concept of lawyering are two correlated principles, partisanship and neutrality. The first of these, partisanship, is the more obvious:' the lawyer is to use all legal means, and the maximum of personal energy and zeal, to advance any client end, subject only to the constraint of the outer limits of the letter of the law. The second, less obvious, principle is neutrality toward the morality of clients' purposes†. Lawyers are the law protecting agents of the society; hence they have the superior obligation to work for the fulfillment of the justice and preservation of the law. The model of professional legal ethics aspire the legal professionals in setting a foundation which is strong in terms of moral and ethics. However, the lawyers have the obligation to heed to his conscience whe n considering a legal fight. A lawyer should not only focus on the freedom of his clients but consider whether the client is ethically right or wrong. Finally, the legal professional ethics aims at serving the interest of the clients but this should not be achieved by going against the moral and ethical standards of the law. Analysis of few cases in relation to professional ethical standards In this section certain cases are being assessed in terms of the professional ethical standards. This is done to consider the implication of ethics and morals by the legal profession in defending their clients. These case studies focus on the problems and dilemmas faced by the lawyers when acting in favor of their clients .A lawyer is a professional with high moral obligation towards his clients as well as the society. Even thought the neutral partisanship allows a lawyer in acting in favor of his clients, it also ask him to act according to the law - abiding rules and principles. He should not reject the moral and ethical values and only look in to the protection of his client. In order to find the complication faced by lawyers, we can study few cases which demand the ethical and moral obligation from the lawyers. Surat & Scheingold(1998) claims that â€Å"The role of lawyers and the scope for legal activity is, for example, considerably broader in the American than in the British common law system. Similarly, in times of crisis, liberal regimes may undertake repressive measures that undermine the rule of law and drive cause lawyers into defensive postures†. Case 1 : Acting for the Pride of Britain Organisation Harold Truman a multi – billionaire is the man who represent the Pride of Britain Organization, which is a political party with specific interest to support British nationals. This political party, PBO which is funded by Truman has taken anti – immigrant stands to protect the job opportunity of British nationals by hindering the prosperity of m igrants. The Truman has contacted the Monkmans solicitors for working on behalf of PBO and initializing the anti – immigrant policies. However, the Monksmans solicitors being a representative for refugees, asylum seekers and economic migrants presented strong objections to the interests of Truman and PBO. Trumen being the client of Monksman solicitors, has the right to get sufficient favors from the latter .However, considering their professional ethics and morals principles, the Monksmans Solicitors decided to abide by their mission of protecting the rights and privileges of local immigrants and refugees . They denied working against their true professional motives, to not to jeopardize their reputation as a protector of immigrants .The case conveys the message that being a lawyer is not only about serving the client

Illegal immigrants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Illegal immigrants - Essay Example Those who favor amnesty for illegal aliens, specifically those crossing the southern border do not seem to realize that a crime has been committed and not, as they might have you believe, one without a victim. The massive numbers of illegal aliens pouring across mainly the southern border has and continues to cause substantial economic, social and physical harms to legal citizens. These harms occur predominantly to those who are among the most vulnerable segments of the population, minorities, children and the poor. Simply enforcing the laws presently on the books and deporting illegal aliens is an economic necessity that would also result in decreased crime rates. Illegal immigrants receive more from public monies than they contribute which lowers the standard of living for legal citizens. Illegal immigrants contribute greatly to the overall population growth and health care, education and employment are the most impacted. Salaries are driven down by illegal immigrants willing to work for much less while their children, illegal and legal, overcrowd the schools. It’s the U.S. taxpayer who is sent the bill for their health care services as well. In addition, the large influx of illegal aliens burdens the already inadequate number of units classified as affordable housing and other welfare resources such as energy, water and land usage (â€Å"Illegal Immigration†, 2003). If Congress were to put the country’s interests ahead of its own, it would pass an illegal immigration bill which grants no amnesty. Congress should also pass legislation amending the Immigration and Nationality Act eradicating the idea that children born of illegal aliens are automatically citizens. That privilege should be reserved for children of legal immigrants. Congress should also criminalize illegal entry into the United States which would force government administrators and health workers to report these people to the

The Future of Nursing in an Evolving Health Care System Research Paper

The Future of Nursing in an Evolving Health Care System - Research Paper Example The report recommended nurses to join the talks regarding the transformation of healthcare service delivery by giving them a greater voice and control in making reliable and effective decisions (RWJF, 2012a). The main objective was reforming the healthcare delivery approach, and ensuring patients received better and reliable care at much lower costs that they could afford. To make service delivery more affordable and efficient, nurses had to be the focus in all deliberations; they are much closer to patients in healthcare facilities. Such were the proposed strategic decisions to transform the future of nursing in improving healthcare delivery. The IOM report on the future of Nursing was of much importance to the nursing profession. Nurses have varying levels of education and competencies raging from the licensed practicing nurses, who in most cases are in contact with patients in nursing homes, to nurse scientists who are actively involved in research work on how to improve the care of patients and improving the nursing profession. The IOM report considered all classes of nurses across education levels, roles, and settings in envisioning the future of the profession (Institute of Medicine, 2010). ... Â  states, with regulations related to the scope of practice defining what activities a qualified nurse has to perform, all which affect different nurses in different ways (Institute of Medicine, 2010). Moreover, the recommendations of the IOM committee sought to improve the nursing profession by recommending that nurses had to achieve higher levels of education and training by going through a much-improved education system with seamless academic progression (Institute of Medicine, 2010). This was aimed at ensuring nurses are better equipped to deal with the rapidly changing patient needs, which are becoming more complicated. By advancing their academic levels, nurses would be better equipped to deliver high-quality care with competencies such as leadership, system improvement, health policy, and research and development being injected in the nursing profession. According to the Institute of Medicine (2010), the purpose of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action intended to guide the implementation of the recommendations by the Institute of Medicine report on the Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health; a report that was considered a blueprint in the medical sector. It was taken as the roadmap for future direction and actions in the nursing sector, towards making the recommendations of the committee a reality. The campaign aimed at enabling and preparing the nurse to lead changes within their areas of operations, advancing and improving the nursing education, removing barriers in nursing practice across the states, fostering an effecting interprofessional collaboration between various stakeholders, enabling an infrastructure for data collection in interprofessional healthcare staff, among other reasons (Institute of Medicine, 2010).

Poster & powerpoint for business environment Essay

Poster & powerpoint for business environment - Essay Example Interestingly, gold is among the few elements that cannot lose its lustre due to exposure to moisture or air. An element that tarnishes becomes less valuable. Additionally, in can conduct electricity and can also be modified into different shapes (Kettell, 2002). Gold has been used as jewellery for a very long time. A large quantity of gold mined is as for decoration purposes. It is that 78% of the gold that is mined in the world is used produce personal ornaments such as bracelets, rings and necklaces. One of the attributes that make gold an ideal element to manufacture ornaments is lustre. Gold is yellow in colour something that makes it more attractive for decorations. Consequently, is used to create durable ornaments. In addition, some communities have adopted the use of gold ornaments as part of their culture (Howard, 2009). Given that gold is highly valued, financial institutions use it as collateral. Banks and other financial institutions use gold a medium of exchange. The concept of using gold as a medium of exchange started more than 6000 years ago. In the ancient days, snippets of gold and silver were used as means of transaction (Hill, 1999). Additionally, gold is widely used in the manufacture of electronic equipment. It helps prevent electronic equipment from developing malfunctions that arises from corrosion of components used to produce electronic equipment (Uhaj, 2009).It has been established that electronic devices made from gold lasts longer than those designed using other elements. However, one of the challenges of using gold in the production of electronic devices is that the part is rapidly becoming depleted (Friedberg et al., 2009). Australia is among the largest gold producers in the whole world. In the year 2008, the country was ranked as the second largest gold producer globally. More than 75% of the gold produced from Australia comes from the Western side of the country. The 75% of gold from the region accounts for 4,500 tonnes

Leadership in the Globalised Firms Research Paper

Leadership in the Globalised Firms - Research Paper Example The research paper "Leadership in the Globalised Firms" discusses different types of internal and external challenges of the globalized firms. These threats are reducing the potentials of growth and sustainability in the international market. Leadership is one of the key traits of the managers and administrative level of the firms.There are different types of leadership ethics like the golden rule, stakeholder approach to ethics and four-way test. Being the global leader, I use stakeholders approach in order to maintain a balance between the welfare of both senior management and subordinates. In this scenario, I have to follow the order of senior management as well as I have to answer the query of the employees. I cannot inform the employees regarding the reduction in pending staffing by 10%, as it will harm the motivational level of staff or team members. I will try to react against rumors in a positive manner. In the staff meeting, it is one of the most crucial ethical issues. I wi ll inspire my staff to provide their best contribution and fight to sustain in the firm. It will be a healthy competition, which will enhance the overall performance of the firm. This ethical strategy will help me to maintain my responsibility from both ends. Global leaders are adopting a different type of approaches to managing diversity among their followers and subordinates. The global organizations are facing an intense challenge in terms of maintaining cross cultural diversity and socio economic differentiation among the people.

Poster & powerpoint for business environment Essay

Poster & powerpoint for business environment - Essay Example Interestingly, gold is among the few elements that cannot lose its lustre due to exposure to moisture or air. An element that tarnishes becomes less valuable. Additionally, in can conduct electricity and can also be modified into different shapes (Kettell, 2002). Gold has been used as jewellery for a very long time. A large quantity of gold mined is as for decoration purposes. It is that 78% of the gold that is mined in the world is used produce personal ornaments such as bracelets, rings and necklaces. One of the attributes that make gold an ideal element to manufacture ornaments is lustre. Gold is yellow in colour something that makes it more attractive for decorations. Consequently, is used to create durable ornaments. In addition, some communities have adopted the use of gold ornaments as part of their culture (Howard, 2009). Given that gold is highly valued, financial institutions use it as collateral. Banks and other financial institutions use gold a medium of exchange. The concept of using gold as a medium of exchange started more than 6000 years ago. In the ancient days, snippets of gold and silver were used as means of transaction (Hill, 1999). Additionally, gold is widely used in the manufacture of electronic equipment. It helps prevent electronic equipment from developing malfunctions that arises from corrosion of components used to produce electronic equipment (Uhaj, 2009).It has been established that electronic devices made from gold lasts longer than those designed using other elements. However, one of the challenges of using gold in the production of electronic devices is that the part is rapidly becoming depleted (Friedberg et al., 2009). Australia is among the largest gold producers in the whole world. In the year 2008, the country was ranked as the second largest gold producer globally. More than 75% of the gold produced from Australia comes from the Western side of the country. The 75% of gold from the region accounts for 4,500 tonnes

MSC MANAGING MAJOR PROJECTS AND PROGRAMMES Personal Statement

MSC MANAGING MAJOR PROJECTS AND PROGRAMMES - Personal Statement Example want my future to be, I have decided to apply for admission to Middlesex University - the National Centre for Project Management, a well-known, established university in London and to be specifically part of its MSC Managing Major Projects and Programmes course. My decision to specialize in this course was based on its close relation to my present job requirements, existing acquired skills and experiences. I have also arrived at this decision considering the recent business trends emerging like the widespread of project management base work around the globe, the wider coverage of project management, the thin layer of available project managers against the soaring demand for them and the issue of a popular published international corporate magazine which rated â€Å"project management† as the number one career choice of this millennium. I have chosen Middlesex university amongst the rest because of what it offers, its school facilities, quality of mentors and most importantly, its impressive distinguished achievements like being the first university in London to be awarded four Queen’s Anniversary Prizes in four different categories. It also received positive feedback from the Quality Assurance Agency for maintaining globally competitive academic standards to its students. These achievements, brought to the attention of the public, have drawn more enrolees including myself. It will be my honour and pleasure to learn the needed knowledge and skills with the world‘s greatest mentors and at the same time exchange with and compete against the best students in the world. I am confident that these two factors will provide me with lifelong benefits. Only by driving myself into this highly competitive academic arena will I be sure that my outstanding potentials can be elicited into the fullest, and therefore, enable me to further develop my courage and stance to face challenges, enhance my endurance, and improve my analytical thinking. My motivation for charting my

Legalization of Marijuana Essay Example for Free

Legalization of Marijuana Essay Marijuana was first used for medicinal purposes dating back as early as the 1600’s. However, a law was passed in 1930, which banned the substance. Since then we have been fighting a never-ending war on drugs that has estimated to be over a trillion dollar failure, and we have nothing to show for it. There are many different takes on legalizing marijuana nation-wide but some states are not convinced yet. There are two main views on legalizing cannabis. One is the government view, which believes if marijuana was taxed like alcohol and tobacco it could yield close to 50 billion in tax revenue annually. Along with this, legalizing the drug would save the U.S. about $41 billion a year in enforcing the drug laws, and using that for education and health. The other view would be the medicinal use side of it. Proponents of medical marijuana argue that it can be a safe and effective treatment for the symptoms of cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, pain, glaucoma, epilepsy, and other conditions. The government should legalize marijuana for recreational and medical use because it will create tax revenue, help patients, and we will be done fighting an everlasting war. $42 billion dollars is what our current marijuana laws cost American taxpayers each year. If marijuana was legal, the money generated would be able to be used for other things like giving every one of our current teachers a 30 percent raise and use whats left to take a $27 billion whack out of the federal deficit. Or use it towards community or environmental projects to help the natural resources we use every day. â€Å"Marijuana in the U.S. is a $113 billion dollar business† (Gettman). It costs the average prison $40,000 to house an inmate for a year. If you multiply the number of marijuana related prisoners times $40,000 a year that is over $29 billion a year spent on prisoners alone. â€Å"Of the billions of dollars a year we spend to enforce, it has accomplished little or nothing beneficial in terms of economic benefits† (Shen). Despite all that, we now arrest one American every 38 seconds on marijuana charges. And we do so at a staggering cost in law enforcement expenses, lost tax revenues, and staggering profits for criminal gangs.The alternative is clear. Regulate marijuana just as we do beer, wine, and liquor. We will be able to save the government and law enforcement billions. In addition, the government would not only be saving from not having to enforce the laws, they will benefit greatly from tax  revenue that can be created. Researchers assumed that legalized marijuana would be taxed similarly to alcohol and tobacco and that the income earned by pot producers would be subject to standard income and sales tax. But we do know that legalization would lead to a positive revenue impact on the income and sales tax side† (Davis). Right now we have 2 states that have both legalized medical and recreational use, Colorado and Washington. We will be able to study the tax revenue that is created from both and researchers will be able get better information on how much tax will actually be created. So far it has been nothing but a large money source. â€Å"Colorados legal marijuana market is far exceeding tax expectations, according to a budget proposal† (Solomon). The governor of Colorado predicted sales and taxes next fiscal year would produce some $98 million, well above a $70 million annual estimate given to voters when they approved the pot taxes last year. That is just in one state, imagine what would be created nation-wide. There are a variety of estimates, but when you put them all together you get a range of $10 billion to more than $120 billion a year. Either way that is money that the US didnt have before. Legalizing marijuana will create a large tax revenue and in a bad economic time this will, w ithout a doubt, help our economy out. Lastly, medical marijuana is still illegal in many states and that should change. Although many slanderous claims have been made about cannabis in recent history, the truths are slowly starting to surface. Unfortunately, these truths are under heavy criticism due to the stereotypical view of what people view as the typical marijuana user. It has a skewed perception of a lazy and unmotivated America, which is the result of over seventy years of propaganda and misinformation spread by private interests who needed cannabis illegal for their own personal gains. â€Å"Using marijuana for medicinal purposes is not a recent discovery† (Berman). In fact, written references to use medical marijuana date back nearly 5,000 years. Marijuana can be used for a variety of disorders. These disorders include pain relief, nausea, glaucoma, and movement disorders. It is also used as a powerful appetite stimulant which helps patients that had HIV/AIDS or cancer patients going through chemotherapy. â€Å"Painkillers are highly addictive but handed out to patients everyday† (Astaiza). Marijuana has proven to be non addictive and has caused no deaths to this date. Today, thousands of patients are able to use  marijuana as an effective method of treatment for their ailments. This is possible because fourteen state governments across the country have acknowledged cannabis’ effective healing properties and legalized its consumption for medicinal purposes with the consent of a licensed physician. However, these patients are at the mercy of the federal government and its authority. Marijuana should be legal because it can give patients relief other prescriptions cannot. In summary, medical and recreational marijuana should be legalized nationwide. Police could stop wasting money and time trying to fight something theyve been at for over 50 years now. The government will be able to tax it similar to alcohol and tobacco, and we have already witnessed the tax take off in Colorado. Patients will be able to use it to treat many disorders instead of using highly addictive over-the-counter medications. In a down time for our economy we are struggling to fight back. The federal deficit and the revenue created from marijuana may not solve it completely,but it puts a large chunk of money in the governments hands. Even though marijuana sometimes gets a bad name, it is an all natural plant that can create a lot of benefits.

Phonological Neighborhood Size on Verbal Short-term Memory

Phonological Neighborhood Size on Verbal Short-term Memory NG LI JIA For several decades, researchers tried to understand the dynamics of short-term memory in speech processing and word recall. However, data were contradictory due to different lines of inquiry using varying methodologies. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of word recall and short-term memory remains an elusive, but not an impossible task. It is important to pinpoint how short-term memory and long-term memory interact so that light can be shed on illnesses which can affect speech articulation (Caplan, Michaud, Hufford, 2013). Current research focused on neighborhood size effect on the serial recall of words. Neighborhood size refers to the number of phonologically-similar words on a list that is serially recalled. Many experiments have shown that word recall was worse using lists with many phonologically similar words, i.e. words with a large neighborhood size. Roodenrys (2009) concluded the efficacy of word recall was more affected by large neighborhood size and frequency due to phonological similarities. However, when Roodenrys replicated Goh Pisonis (2003) experiments using words that were not neighbors on the same list, no effects were found for either large or small populations. The following experiment utilize lists where neighbors are present in set but not on same lists. It will also utilize lists where neighbors are present in list but not present in set. Therefore, hypothesized that serial recall will be more significantly than small neighborhood sizes as opposed to large neighborhood sizes where words are present in list but not in same set. In addition, it is hypothesized that significant effects will be noted by small neighborhood sizes on serial word recall when no neighbors appear in the set. Examination of past experimental methodologies is in order to determine where errors were made and how to navigate the best approach to prove or disprove the aforementioned hypotheses. Jalbert, Neath Suprenant (2011) showed that word length and concurrent articulation negated neighborhood size effects in mixed lists. Concurrent articulation is defined as when a word that is to be recalled is spoken or articulated almost simultaneously, adding a so-called cognitive load as well as noise to the to-be-remembered items (Jalbert et al., 2011). This study demonstrated that small neighborhood size was affected very little by concurrent articulation. The studys design was marred by the fact that such small sample was used. That is, only ten subjects were tested small number from which to collect meaningful data. Furthermore, it stands to reason that studies should use subjects who have similar educational backgrounds and/or similar ages, thereby eliminating confound. Older people may show quicker decay time when shown a word, thus slowing down process of redintegration. However, recalling longer words from larger neighborhood sizes, higher-educated people would be more familiar with lists and/or sets of words of longer lengths. In this study, English was native language of the subjects. However, they failed to mention whether subjects had proficiency in second language, a skill which could help recalled CVC (consonant-verb-consonant) words, or even with longer nonsense words. Example, if a subject was shown the nonsense word geto, subject may use secondary language to recall similar word gato which, in Spanish, means cat, or homonyms such as paro (a nonsense word) and pero, meaning but in Spanish, assisting in a different mechanism of recall other than a phonological loop. Goh and Pisoni (2008) used 56 subjects of roughly the same age and educational level in the first experiment of their study, thus potentially eliminating age and educational level variability and gathered more data from the subjects. Goh and Pisoni (2008) also considered short-term memory span (STM) and measured this variable accordingly, using the nine-digit span. The researchers found that all subjects scored about the same. However, this studys aim to measure lexical competition based on frequency and density of neighborhood sizes. They found that lexical competition among item-specific information for easy versus hard words in non-repeated lists was performed mainly in long-term memory (LTM) (Goh and Pisoni, 2008). The researchers assumed LTM and STM are static entities and they are not in flux. Moreover, their definitions of experimental effects fit STM versus LTM are ambiguous. The abovementioned researchers did not use nonsense words in their experiments, which would have served as a significant variable for determining boundaries of LTM and STM, because nonsense words are less frequent in large populations. Nonsense words would help eliminate lexical density in neighborhood populations and further define process of redintegration, i.e. how words decay into STM traces are somehow retrieved and reconstructed. Roodenrys et al. (2002) conducted similar study using 24 Australian subjects, all of them native English speakers. Roodenrys et al.s (2002) contradicted other findings that found speech perception in lexical properties playing a role in redintegration of words. Rather, these experiments pointed squarely to phonological processing rather than speech perception. While the design and methodology were sound, researchers failed to account for cultural. The results of all four experiments revealed a counterintuitive result, i.e. effects of neighborhood frequency had little impact on word recall. Roodenrys (2002) stressed that most of the word recall effects in their experiments were mediated by speech-production mechanisms. Researchers especially Roodenrys contended lexical memory equates with LTM. However, their line of reasoning is unsound. It seems the time elapsed between seeing a word and its recall should constitute one definition of how STM of word lists and intrusion errors across sets could delineate the boundary between STM and LTM. Another consideration, is the effect of pattern recognition on recall accuracy as well as the potential effect on LTM. Furthermore, there may not be a universal wiring schematic for individual. Finally, many of these questions will be investigated in this experiment and variables will be held constant to accurately calculate the effect of independent variable(s), and conclusive data will be collected to prove or disprove hypotheses that predict significant effects of small neighborhood sizes when no neighborhood words are on list but in a set and predicting significant effects of small neighborhood sizes (as opposed to large neighborhood sizes) when no neighborhood words appear in the set. References Caplan, D., Michaud, J., Hufford, R., (2013). Short Term Memory, Working Memory, and Syntactic Comprehension in Aphasia. Cognitive Neuropsychology 30(2). doi: 10.1080/02643294.2013.803958. Goh, W. D., Pisoni, D. B. (2003). Effects of lexical competition on immediate memory span for spoken words. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 56A, 929-954. Jalbert, A., Neath, I. Suprenant, A.M. (2011). Does length or neighbourhood size cause the word length effect. Memory Cognition, 39, 1198-1210. Roodenrys, S., Hulme, C., Lethbridge, A., Hinton, M., Nimmo, L.M., (2002). Word-Frequency and Phonological-Neighborhood Effects on Verbal Short-Term Memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition 28(6): 1019- 1034. Roodenrys, S., (2009). Explaining Phonological Neighbourhood Effects in Short-Term Memory. Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences. Retrieved from http://ro.uow.edu.au/hbspapers/1693/

Effects of Absent Fathers on Adolescents Essay -- Social Issues, Divor

The role of the father, a male figure in a child’s life is a very crucial role that has been diminishing over the years. An absent father can be defined in two ways; the father is physically not present, or the father is physically present, but emotionally present. To an adolescent, a father is an idolized figure, someone they look up to (Feud, 1921), thus when such a figure is an absent one, it can and will negatively affect a child’s development. Many of the problems we face in society today, such as crime and delinquency, poor academic achievement, divorce, drug use, early pregnancy and sexual activity can be attributed to fathers being absent during adolescent development (Popenoe, 1996; Whitehead, 1993). The percentage of adolescents growing up fatherless has risen from 17% to 36% in just three decades between 1960 and 1990 (Popenoe, 1996). Dr. Popenoe estimates this number will increase to approximately 50% by the turn of the century (Popenoe, 1996). The US Census Bureau reported out of population of 24 million children, 1 out 3 live in a home without a father (US Census Bureau, 2009). The role of a father is more than just another parent at home (Popenoe, 1996). Having a father, the male biological parent in a child’s life is important because it brings a different type of parenting that cannot be replicated by anyone else (Stanton, 2010). Fathers who are present and active in a child’s life provide great benefits to a developing child (Popenoe, 1996). Having a father brings a different kind of love. The love of the father is more expectant and instrumental, different from the love of a mother (Stanton, as cited in Pruett, 1987). The effect of an absent father can be quite devastating to the developing ad... ...istics, 1999). McBride, Brent A., Sara K., Sullivan, and Ho-Ho (2005) reported about the achievement levels in a adolescent who grows up with a father, â€Å"A study of 1330 children from the PSID showed that fathers who are involved on a personal level with their child schooling increases the likelihood of their child's achievement. When fathers assume a positive role in their child's education, students feel a positive impact.† (p. 201-216). Children who do not grow up in a two parent homes, are more likely to fail and repeat a grade in school. It is also important to note that children who grow up in single parent families are less likely to have parents involved with the school, 62% of children with two parent homes have parents that are involved in school, while children from single parent homes have half of them involved in school (Nord, Winquist, West, 2001).

Developmentally Appropriate Practice Buzzwords or best practice?

Developmentally Appropriate Practice Buzzwords or best practice? By Jocelyn Smrekar and Andrea Hansen Teachers and parents are sometimes fooled into thinking that children must learn to read by age 5, usually in kindergarten. Consider this example: Jamie has trouble reading in kindergarten. Her teacher says it’s because she only played in preschool. In first grade, Jamie is called learning disabled because she still doesn’t read. By third grade though, Jamie is reading fluidly with her peers. Have teachers cured Jamie of a disability? No!Jamie’s reading development followed its own course and leveled into a lifelong skill and what teachers call â€Å"working at grade level. † Children develop at different rates in separate areas: physical, emotional, cognitive or intellectual, language, and social. Differences, including abilities and disabilities, affect the way and speed with which children develop skills. Genetic traits, temperaments, learning style, en vironment, cultural and racial expectations, and experiences influence learning. Some children learn to say words at 8 months, others not until they’re almost 2 or older.Many children learn to walk at 9 months, while others wait until they are 15 to 18 months. Charts of developmental milestones—walking, talking, running, or stacking three blocks, for example—are based on averages. Parents and teachers frequently worry when a child doesn’t have a skill at the targeted time. Most often, skills develop according to children’s interests and temperaments—that is, a child’s basic approach to people and events. Foundation for Further Learning Developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) is a term coined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.It describes teaching techniques that identify and foster the developmental needs of children, both individually and in groups (Bredekamp, 1987). DAP is a set of guidelines suggest ing curriculum content and practice serving children birth through age 8. Simply stated, these guidelines encourage early childhood programs to provide an educational environment that responds to the needs and interests of children. In that environment, trained teachers use observation to plan for the class and the individuals in it. In DAP classrooms, children’s play is the primary vehicle for learning.This article will focus on DAP in school settings, prekindergarten through third grade. DAP deals with all the levels and stages children grow through, building a strong foundation for future learning. Children remember, classify, repeat, and modify their experiences as they learn about the world and the people in it. For example, Zach, age 6, is eager to put together a puzzle with 100 pieces. He has experience with puzzles—first with five-piece wooden puzzles in a frame, then with cardboard floor puzzles, and finally with boxed 60-piece puzzles.He knows that the pictur e on the outside of the box will be a guide as he separates the straight-edged pieces from the curved ones. He locates the four corners, looks for matching colors, and after 45 minutes of concentrated effort, completes the puzzle. He has used his past experiences to build new ones that include abstract tasks like classifying, matching, counting, sorting, identifying, and experimenting. He has improved his small motor skills, increased his ability to concentrate on a complex task, and learned the virtue of tenacity, sticking to the task until completion.Zack’s alert teacher notes his success and plans new ways to challenge his skills and foster new interests. A teacher’s understanding and use of DAP are keys to educational success. Learning experiences in a DAP classroom Children are active learners—they need opportunities to investigate and explore with objects, materials, and equipment in order to construct a base of information about their world. Through first hand experiences, children are able to connect what they already know with new, more complex information.Teachers who use DAP in their classrooms provide opportunities for children to interact with a variety of materials. They offer uninterrupted time to actively explore not only intellectual skills, but also social, emotional, physical, and language skills. Specific teaching techniques include asking open-ended questions, modeling, demonstrating, exploring, coaching, and direct instruction. These techniques extend learning and guide children to skill mastery (Bredekamp and Copple, 1997). Young children learn best and most when they actively and playfully explore materials and activities, using all their senses.Developmentally appropriate classrooms are set up so individuals or groups of children can become directly involved with materials. Children move between free or spontaneous play and organized play. In free play, for example, a puppet show evolves into a performance by childr en in dress-up clothes. In organized play, children might chart the favorite fruits of class members. Role of Play A central issue in DAP is the role of play in the curriculum. Because adults don’t depend on play to learn, they tend to dismiss it as a pleasant time spent without profit. In children, however, play is an essential part of a child’s education.Sometimes called children’s work, play supports a child’s development by providing the tools, equipment, and interpersonal experiences that help children grow. Through play, children acquire information, master activities, use concrete materials as symbols, organize previous learning, learn perseverance and focus, solve problems, and develop creativity. Are Children Really Learning? While many teachers agree that DAP helps children develop cognitive, social, emotional, language, and physical skills, parents often ask, â€Å"Is my child really learning? All I see is play. â€Å"Standardized tests given after second grade to children in both DAP and traditional classrooms have revealed little difference in general reading skills (Kostelnik, Soderman, and Whiren, 1993). Children in DAP classrooms scored significantly higher in tests of vocabulary, reading comprehension, expressive language, and reading and writing mechanics in context. In standardized tests of math, the two groups showed similar scores in overall math skills, but the DAP children scored significantly higher in conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills than children in traditional classrooms.Children who had been in DAP classrooms for five years scored significantly higher in reasoning and problem-solving skills. Most importantly, children in DAP classrooms reported great enthusiasm for school and high involvement in the learning process. What Does a DAP Classroom Look Like? The physical setup of a DAP classroom indicates how learning takes place. The teacher’s desk is usually in an inconspicuous pl ace, not in the front of the room. Student desks, if provided at all, are clustered into learning centers. Most often, long tables replace individual desks, encouraging cooperative group work.Room arrangements and traffic patterns may change throughout the year as children grow and change intellectually, and they meet specific educational goals. Another difference in DAP classrooms is the way textbooks and worksheets are used. Often in traditional classrooms, printed materials are the primary source of instruction; teachers dictate the use of textbooks, worksheets, and other teaching materials. In a developmentally appropriate classroom, children learn through materials that are concrete, real, and relevant to their lives.In a kindergarten class that is studying insects, for example, the classroom is rich with pictures, colorful field guides, and posters. It may also have an ant farm with magnifying glasses, a box of silk worms spinning cocoons, a tomato plant with resident praying mantis, and a butterfly house. Children are encouraged to collect insects and sort them by size, color, function, or benefits to humanity. They use math skills like counting, estimating, and graphing in the daily routine. They have opportunities to draw and paint their impressions of insects as well as to sing and act out the metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly.In a DAP classroom textbooks are resources, not the primary source of information. All equipment and supplies—including manipulatives, construction materials, art music, and role-playing props—are accessible to the children as they explore and discover answers and new questions. Teachers support learning by setting up centers and providing the materials and guidance necessary for the children to learn. DAP as Best Practice Teachers who have adopted developmentally appropriate practices consider each child’s uniqueness and skill level when planning activities.Allowing children to progress through the stages of development at their own rates is the best way to build the foundation for future learning. This philosophy is reflected in the classroom environment and activities planned. Learning takes place naturally, because it is child-centered and relevant. Children are constantly learning, building on what they know to create new ways of thinking and seeing their world. Isenberg, J. and N. Quisenberry. â€Å"Play: A necessity for all children,† Childhood Education, 64 (3), 138-145, 1988. Statements of Developmentally Appropriate Practice Space and Furnishings 1. Indoor spaceChildren need sufficient space that is well lit and has a comfortable temperature for learning and playing. Indoor space that is well maintained and in good repair sends a message to the young child that is welcoming and inviting. 2. Furniture for routine care, play and learning Children need appropriate furnishings to meet the demands of their daily schedules. Basic furniture such as cots, tables and c hairs should be sturdy and appropriate to the size of the children in the group in order for children to be comfortable, have proper body support, and focus on learning, playing, and routine activities rather than their own discomfort.Caregivers need easy access to routine care furnishings, such as cots, in order to maintain proper supervision and provide smooth transitions between activities. 3. Furnishings for relaxation and comfort Children need space and opportunity to relax and rest. Soft furnishings and toys allow children opportunities for relaxation and comfort. Cozy areas provide a space for quiet activities to occur and should be protected from active play so children can snuggle, daydream and lounge. 4. Room arrangement Creative room arrangement promotes a child's positive self-image and encourages a wide variety of age appropriate activities.Well-defined interest centers where materials are accessible help children to understand about organization and returning materials to their proper place. 5. Space for privacy Some children experience unacceptably high levels of stress when exposed to constant activity and interaction. Places where children can escape from the pressures of group care promote positive self-esteem. Providing a child with opportunities, space, and time to be alone can contribute to positive classroom behavior. 6. Child related display Every child needs to know that others value his/her play or work.Artwork or other individual work that is created by the children should be displayed in the classroom at the child's eye-level. This promotes feelings of positive self-esteem and sends the message to the child that his/her work is valued and appreciated. 7. Gross motor play Children need daily opportunities to exercise large muscles, run in open spaces, and practice gross motor skills. (Safety is always a number one priority. ) Space to develop children's large muscles through a variety of play experiences should be made safe by providi ng adequate cushioning for fall zones.All play equipment should be safe and effective monitoring should be implemented to teach children safe play behavior and to safeguard against accidents. 8. Gross motor equipment Children need age appropriate stationary and portable equipment to promote a wide variety of skills that exercise large muscles while developing confidence and abilities. Equipment should be sound, sturdy, safe and accessible to children daily. Personal Care Routines 9. Greeting/Departing Parents and children need a warm, welcoming, and pleasant atmosphere to make the daily greeting and departing routine a happy one.Positive greetings help to promote the children's self-esteem and create a welcoming environment for parents. 10. Meals/Snacks Meals and snacks that follow USDA guidelines contribute to the health of children and provide a model for good nutritional habits for life-long practice. Proper hand washing along with careful food preparation teach children proper h ygiene and promotes sanitary conditions. 11. Nap/Rest Nap and/or rest time should be appropriately scheduled and supervised for the children in the group. Adequate separation of cots helps to prevent the spread of germs.Soft music or a soothing story helps to facilitate a peaceful rest time that is important in helping children to balance the day and renew their energy. 12. Toileting/Diapering Young children need appropriate supervision of the toileting process in order to care for basic needs and to teach the importance of good health habits. The schedule should be individualized. Provisions, such as soap and steps near the sink, should be convenient and accessible so that children can wash hands after toileting; this promotes self-help skills and good personal hygiene.Diapering should always be managed in a manner that promotes safety and good health practices. 13. Health practices Practicing preventive measures, such as washing hands after handling pets or wiping noses, help to e ducate children to achieve life-long health practices. Taking appropriate action when children are sick will minimize the spread of germs. 14. Safety practices Protecting children is critical in providing quality care, whether through adequate supervision or minimizing hazards both inside and outside. Caregivers should anticipate potential safety problems and demonstrate, model, and teach children safe practices.Language-Reasoning 15. Books and pictures The use of books and pictures is an important means of learning for children as they make sense of the world around them. Books, pictures, and language materials should be available in sufficient number both for independent use in a reading center and for use by a teacher with children in formal and informal settings. 16. Encouraging children to communicate Activities and materials that promote language development should be available for use throughout the classroom and the daily schedule. Teachers should establish an environment wh ere language exploration and usage is encouraged.17. Using language to develop reasoning skills Logical relationships and concepts should be presented in appropriate ways. Children learn through interaction with materials and people, both peers and adults, in the context of play and daily routines. Language provides the key tool for success and problem solving, as children are encouraged to talk through their thought processes. 18. Informal use of language Language is a way for children to expand understanding. Caregivers should engage children in give and take conversations for enjoyment and learning.They should support child-to-child conversations as well. Activities 19. Fine motor Children need a variety of age-appropriate and developmentally-appropriate toys and materials that they can manipulate with their hands and play with at will. These activities strengthen fine motor control while encouraging skill development that contributes to academic readiness. 20. Art Children benef it from exposure to child-initiated art activities that are open-ended and process oriented. Children's art should be respected and appreciated as individual, creative expression.Materials and opportunities to create art projects at a beginning and more advanced level should be available as children are developmentally ready for them. 21. Music/movement Music and movement are valuable means of learning. Children need a supportive environment that includes a teacher and a variety of tools to encourage their self-expression through music and related activities. 22. Blocks Block play, with a variety of blocks and accessories, allows children the opportunity to explore spatial, mathematical, and role-play possibilities.Powerful block play requires sufficient space in a protected area and time to expand on concepts and ideas. 23. Sand/water Sand and water play gives children the opportunity to learn concepts through active exploration with their senses. The addition of interesting props extends the learning potential offered through sensory play. 24. Dramatic play Dramatic play gives children the opportunity to discover an array of roles and responsibilities. It provides a vehicle through which they make sense of their world. Dramatic play is enhanced by space, time, props, materials, and supportive teachers.25. Nature/science Science and nature activities and materials foster curiosity and experimentation benefiting the young learner through direct experience and application to other areas of learning. Concept and observation skills are strengthened through science procedures. 26. Math/number Math skills, when introduced through appropriate hands-on methods, form a foundation for school readiness and later academic success. Math skills can be taught effectively through routines, schedule, and play activities. 27. Use of TV, video, and/or computerTV/video viewing and computer use tend to be passive in comparison to active involvement with materials and people. The use of each should be confined to subject material that is age-appropriate and mentally stimulating. Time limits encourage more active learning. Participation should not be required. 28. Promoting acceptance of diversity Children need to be exposed to the similarities and differences of people in positive ways through books, pictures, toys, materials, and interaction. This exposure encourages respect for others and lessens misunderstandings. Interactions29. Supervision of gross motor activities Caregivers should use gross motor activities as learning opportunities to promote positive social interactions and to encourage the development of skills and new experiences Diligent supervision of gross motor activities, whether indoors or outdoors, is critical to preventing accidents and insuring safe, active play. 30. General supervision of children (other than gross motor) During activities, caregivers must balance the level of supervision and control based upon the ages, abilities, and i ndividual needs of the children.Adequate supervision and awareness of the whole group is required for children's health and safety and in the recognition of accomplishments, which is necessary for children's emotional well-being. 31. Discipline The set-up of the environment, teacher expectations, available materials and opportunities, and daily schedule significantly impacts children's behavior in childcare. A classroom and curriculum geared toward developmentally appropriate practice will lead to generally good behavior that is the product of self-motivation rather than the result of punishment and control. 32. Staff-child interactionsCaregivers, who are nurturing and responsive, promote the development of mutual respect between children and adults. Children, who trust adults to provide for their physical, psychological, and emotional needs, develop their own sense of self-worth and self-esteem. 33. Interactions among children Because self-regulation, proper emotional expression, a nd positive social relationships are such essential skills for later schooling and life, teachers must encourage children to develop acceptable behaviors by providing a setting that encourages real opportunities for initiative taking and competence building.Providing opportunities for children to work and play together, to solve conflicts in productive ways, and to participate in group activities are ways teachers promote positive social relationships. Program Structure 34. Schedule Children thrive on having a consistent routine that provides a balance of activities designed to meet individual needs and foster physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth. Best practice promotes a daily schedule with large amounts of time for play, smooth transitions between activities, and a balance between child-initiated and teacher-directed activities. 35. Free PlayWhen children are permitted to select materials and companions, and, as far as possible, manage play independently, they practic e making decisions and having control of their world. Caregiver intervention should be in response to children's needs, an invitation, or an opportunity to expand play activities. 36. Group Time In group-care situations, the focus needs to be on meeting individual needs and guiding children as they interact in small groups. Whole group activities should be kept to a minimum and limited to gatherings that follow the interests and involvement of the children. 37. Provisions for children with disabilitiesMeeting the needs of children with disabilities requires knowledge of routine care needs, developmental levels, individual assessments, and the integration of the children in ongoing classroom activities. It also requires the involvement and establishment of a partnership between the parents and staff in setting attainable goals that will assist the child in reaching his/her full potential. Rutter, M. â€Å"Family and school influences on cognitive development,† Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 26, 683-704, 1985. Maybe little Janie can't read or count because her teacher can't teach.Or worse still, maybe the teacher doesn't know enough about English or math or history to teach the subject. Mischievous speculation? No. It happens, as a result of a historically flawed system in America of educating mostly average or below-average students to be public-school teachers. As evidence continues to pile up that American children are not learning the basics in school, critics are quick to blame the youngsters, their parents, the schools, television, or the curriculum. But increasingly, the focus has shifted to the teacher, the most vital link in the education process.Now, a four-month study at teachers colleges by The Washington Times indicates that the problem of unsatisfactory classroom learning is rooted in the early selection and education of students who say they want to be teachers. These students then are being taught by professors who differ wild ly on what teachers need to know. â€Å"Schools of education are cash cows to universities,† says Dean Edwin J. Delattre of the Boston University School of Education. â€Å"They admit and graduate students who have low levels of intellectual accomplishment, and these people are in turn visited on schoolchildren.They are well-intentioned, decent, nice people who by and large don't know what they're doing. † Mr. Delattre is one of the harshest critics of schools of education. â€Å"It would be possible in terms of the quality of their research, the significance of their research, and the quality of their instruction to give an intellectual justification for perhaps three dozen of them – certainly no more than 50,† he says. There are about 1,300 schools nationwide teaching students to be teachers. Roughly 2 1/2 million public-school teachers are responsible today for the education of 46 million children in kindergarten through high school.Although many teach ers perform well, a significant number are products of an entrenched training system that almost guarantees mediocrity in the classroom. New initiatives are under way in some of the preparatory schools and colleges, but, for the most part, the old ways and faddish new ways are still shaping the teachers of tomorrow. To become a public-school teacher, graduates have to be certified by the state. A college student must take required courses, do a stint at student teaching, and pass a series of general-knowledge examinations.The passing scores for these tests vary from state to state but tend to be fairly low. Curiously, many aspiring teachers never get in front of a classroom until their final days in college – an experience that sometimes persuades many to seek other careers. A major in education has long been considered an easy route to a college degree. Elementary education majors were especially easy to spot on any campus. They were the ones cutting out letters of the alpha bet to make posters while the English majors worried over a paper on Shakespeare's treatment of religious themes. Rigorous academic training was seldom demanded.â€Å"You just had to love kids to become a teacher,† says J. Michael Davis, dean of the School of Professional Studies at 105-year-old East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. Thirteen years ago, it was possible to graduate from East Stroudsburg with a major in elementary education without ever taking a math class, Mr. Davis recalls. Twenty years ago, some University of Maryland campuses gave short shrift to reading instruction. Serious concerns about teacher training surfaced in 1983 with the publication of â€Å"A Nation at Risk,† a landmark national report on the state of America's educational system.It found that too many teachers had poor academic records and low scores on tests of cognitive ability. Students who went into teaching programs scored below nearly all other majors on college entrance exam s, then graduated not knowing enough about the subjects they were teaching. Not much has changed in 15 years. Anyone who believes that the problem of unqualified teachers is overblown or confined to a couple of subject areas such as math and science has only to look at the experience of a New York state school district last spring when it tried to fill 35 teaching vacancies.The Connetquot district on Long Island got 758 applications in response to an advertisement. District officials decided to narrow the pool by asking applicants to take a short version of a multiple-choice reading comprehension test taken from the state's old 11th-grade Regents English exams. Just 202 applicants correctly answered at least 40 of the 50 questions. Such incidents keep teacher education in the public consciousness and on the radar screens of elected officials at the state and federal levels. Initially, state legislators turned to higher salaries to try to attract higher-caliber students.From 1981 to 1997, average salaries for public-school teachers rose from $17,209 to $38,611. That's for what is essentially a 180-day school year plus in-service days spread over nine months. Then, lawmakers linked salary increases to policies aimed at raising standards such as requiring new teachers to have more education and raising the passing scores prospective teachers must attain on standardized tests such as the National Teacher Examinations and its successor, Praxis. The teachers colleges responded with talk of â€Å"restructuring† teacher education, and some institutions actually did move to raise admissions and curriculum standards.East Stroudsburg has raised entry standards and toughened course requirements. Students still need to take 60 hours in general education, but they no longer have a smorgasbord of courses to choose from. The college recently raised the grade point average needed to get into elementary education from 2. 5 to 2. 75. In 1996, Boston University began to ta rget only teacher applicants with high SAT scores, resulting in a 17 percent drop in the inquiry pool. As a result, prospective teachers in last fall's freshman class had average SAT scores of 1,276, compared with 964 for all 85,442 self-declared education majors who took the 1997 SAT.George Mason University decided in 1989 that teachers should get a bachelor's degree first and then train to teach in a fifth-year graduate-level program. The Fairfax County school says it annually rejects half the applicants for elementary education training because they don't meet admissions standards. It takes a 2. 7 GPA to get into the University of Maryland College of Education at College Park and a 3. 0 to prepare for special education, a five-year program. â€Å"We're not getting the best and the brightest kids,† says University of Maryland Dean Willis D. Hawley. â€Å"We're getting some of the best and brightest.Some kids are really smart. What there aren't anymore are kids who are real ly dumb. † But the perception lingers, even among insiders, that a lack of academic rigor continues to plague the nation's teacher training programs. â€Å"The truth is, students get into colleges of education – particularly early-childhood education majors – because it's the easiest thing they can get into,† says John E. Stone, professor of education at East Tennessee State University and founder of the Education Consumers Clearinghouse – an Internet source for parents, taxpayers and policy-makers.â€Å"Here at ETSU, the schools of education are kind of at the bottom of the pecking order,† he says. â€Å"Students flunk out of nursing or business and come to Ed to get some kind of college degree. † Since the concept of a formalized vocational training program for teachers was established nearly 160 years ago, that training has combined lessons in subject matter with courses in methodology, or â€Å"how to teach. † The training a lso has included theories of child development and practical field experience. From the start, teaching preparation emphasized methods of teaching at the expense of the content of courses.Often the subject matter would be watered down and presented in courses tailored especially for teachers, instead of requiring teachers to take the same math, for example, that liberal arts majors were required to take. â€Å"Their focus is process, and that hasn't changed,† says C. Emily Feistritzer, who as president of the private Washington-based National Center for Education Information has conducted a number of studies of teachers and teaching. â€Å"Resistance to change is extraordinarily high at the same time there is a high level of conversation about change.† Many critics of teacher training programs argue that a solid grounding in the liberal arts with a concentration in the subject to be taught is all that is needed to teach math, science, history or English. But Mr. Hawley at Maryland's College of Education disputes that. Chances are, he argues, that a rocket scientist would make a terrible science teacher. â€Å"You have to have the ability to transfer knowledge,† he says. That ability generally has to be learned, says Dean Gary R. Galluzzo of George Mason's Graduate School of Education.He believes that only 5 percent of the population might be â€Å"born† teachers, while 65 percent have knowledge but need to learn how to impart it. Boston University recently doubled the amount of time its prospective teachers are required to spend in math class. It also requires juniors and seniors in education to take an ethics course that exposes them to the icons of Western civilization. â€Å"We try to make the fact that teachers are deeply involved in character and values formation obvious to our students,† says professor Kevin Ryan, who teaches an introductory education course.† `What is the right thing to do? ‘ is a question teachers need to ask the young. And we want them to see that America has a moral heritage. † Adds Charles L. Glenn, chairman of BU's Department of Administration, Training and Policy Studies, who teaches a course on the social and civic contexts of education: â€Å"Teachers have to be moral exemplars to students. We raise questions that are usually raised in a religious context. On what basis can you say certain behaviors are right or wrong? I don't know how you can send someone who hasn't grappled with those questions out to teach a 7-year-old.†Schools of education, reacting to social and political pressures, are perceived to be more interested in promoting equity, diversity and social justice than in transmitting knowledge. And many of the educational practices they encourage are often criticized as fads. East Stroudsburg's administrators, for example, proudly describe their teacher training program as focused on the learner and on â€Å"outcomes,† committed to â€Å"developmentally appropriate practice,† â€Å"modeling,† inclusion, and â€Å"hands-on† and cooperative learning.These are the buzzwords and the practices that permeate nearly all of the nation's teacher training institutions. â€Å"Schools of education are currently the origins of our problems, not their solution,† says E. D. Hirsch Jr. , professor of English and university professor of education and humanities at the University of Virginia. Testifying before Congress, Mr. Hirsch sharply criticized what's known as â€Å"developmentally appropriate practice† – the philosophy that a child should not be pressured to learn anything until he signals that he is ready and receptive.â€Å"The doctrine,† he said, â€Å"is drummed into almost all teachers who take early-education courses. The intention is to ensure caring treatment for young children, yet the ultimate effect of the doctrine is to cause social harm. To withhold demanding content from young children between preschool and third grade has an effect which is quite different from the one intended. It leaves advantaged children [who get knowledge at home] with boring pablum, and it condemns disadvantaged children to a permanent educational handicap that grows worse over time. â€Å"The schools that hire new teachers appreciate the increased attention college and university training programs are giving to practical experience. â€Å"Teaching colleges are getting a lot better,† says James Dallas, a Fairfax County support coach for new teachers. â€Å"They have begun to structure their programs to the needs of the school systems. † Where practical experience used to come in the senior year, it now begins at many places in the freshman year, where it can serve to weed out those who discover that life in an elementary classroom is not what they thought it would be.While there is general agreement among the deans about the value of practical exp erience, they part company on the ideal program to train elementary teachers. Mr. Galluzzo of George Mason would opt for a solid general education foundation in an undergraduate or graduate program. â€Å"You should be required to take a liberal arts major of about 80 [semester hours] or two-thirds of the college experience for general education plus major combined.Then you should study the four core disciplines – math, science, history and English – roughly 15 credits each. Spend the other 20 hours getting smart in one of these areas. And in the undergraduate program, the other 40 credits are in learning to teach those things, because now you have something to say. † In many programs, a lot of the basic discipline has to be taught in the methodology classes because the prospective teachers don't know enough math or science to stand up in front of a class and teach, he says.One of his concerns is that too many future teachers take a concentration in psychology i nstead of English, math, science or history, thinking it will help them understand children. In fact, psychology is a subject they will never teach in elementary school. â€Å"What does it mean to know your subject? † asks Maryland's Mr. Hawley, whose background is in the liberal arts and political science. â€Å"You probably don't need to understand quadratic equations to teach fourth-grade math, but you ought to understand algebra and calculus. â€Å"

History of Vernacular Language Essay

Spanish has one of the richest and longest histories of any of the world’s languages. It is the fourth most-spoken language in the world after Chinese, Hindi and English. Native Spanish speakers exist throughout Europe, the United States, Pacific Islands and Africa (Penny, 2002). Spanish originated on the Iberian Peninsula which is located in the southwestern region of Europe. The vernacular language was not originally known as Spanish, it was referred to as Vulgar Latin. The Celts were a nomadic tribe from central Europe who moved into the peninsula towards the end of the sixth century (Penny, 2002). The Celts mixed with the peninsula’s residents, the Iberians resulting in a new people known as the Celtiberians who spoke a form of the Celtic language. By the nineteenth century BCE, the region in southwestern Europe was known as Hispania and the inhabitants learned Latin from Roman settlers, traders and soldiers. Soon after the people in Hispania learned Latin, a new language was created as a mixture of the Celtiberians language and classical Latin (Penny, 2002). The new language became known as Vulgar Latin which developed into modern Spanish. Vulgar Latin was similar to classical Latin but implemented many words from other languages. Spanish started as a native language dialect spoken in the Castilian region of Spain. After many years of conquest, exploration and forced conversion, the people in the region spread the language to a worldwide vernacular. The Spanish language belongs to the Indo-European family of languages and the Romance language family as the language was greatly influenced by Latin. The anguage took many years to fully develop and spread because of the influence of other countries. Towards the end of the fourth century A. D. , Roman control over the Iberian Peninsula had significantly declined (Pimsluer, 2013). The fifth century brought on the rule of the Visigoths who spoke a German vernacular which made it difficult to communicate in Spanish. The Islamic people invaded Spain in A. D. 711 which led to the spread of Vulgar Latin throughout the Peninsula (Pimsluer, 2013). The Islamic people brought their culture and Arabic language to parts of Spain. The effects of the Islamic Moors conquest did not reach all parts of Spain which contributed to the spread of Spanish. Many residents borrowed from Arabic but the residents of the northwestern region of the Iberian Peninsula preserved the Spanish language. The northwestern region of the Iberian Peninsula was often referred to as Castile and by the eleventh century A. D. , Castile had gained enough power to declare itself as a kingdom. The Castilian people spread south and east throughout the Iberian Peninsula in Spain and drove out the Islamic and Arabic presence. As the Spanish speaking people moved throughout the peninsula, they spread their language into the conquered territories as well as surrounding territories. The Spanish language was known as Castilian during that time period and was often considered a prestigious language (Lopez, 2007). By the end of the fifteenth century, Castile and the Spanish language ruled a large territory encompassing the peninsula, spanning from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. Latin had a significant influence on the development of Western languages as it led to the creation of many individual dialects. The Roman Empire gained power during the fourth century B. C and Latin spread throughout the Italian peninsula and the Mediterranean region. Speakers of Latin traveled in Europe and Central Asia which sparked new innovations in language (Sayre, 2013, pg. 264). Latin influenced the development of languages in the Western region of the world by serving as a basis for the creation of new languages. An example of this influence would be the use of Latin words in the Spanish language as a result of the Roman power in the Spanish peninsula. Native populations learned Latin first and then eventually developed new dialects and languages. Local residents often became bilingual in classical Latin and the newer language or dialect. Latin is the main foundation of languages in Western Civilizations. The languages spoken in Spain, Romania, Italy, France and Portugal were created from a hybrid form of Latin. Western languages were also influenced by other languages such as German and Arabic but the most significant influence remains Latin (Sayre, 2013, pg. 264). Without the Latin language, only a small number of the languages spoken today would be recognizable in their current dialects. Latin survived the fall of the Roman Empire and continued to be an international language for educated individuals and the socially elite. After the Middle Ages, the Western Hemisphere underwent a cultural Renaissance and many forms of Latin were transplanted into Western languages (Sayre, 2013, pg. 265). Not only did Latin serve as a basis for the Spanish language but it had a substantial impact on the development of languages in Western civilizations.