had never been to a concert before, so I was incredibly excited about it

It was the 6th of April 2001 and I remember every detail vividly. I was with 6 of my close friends; Ben, my boyfriend of 5 months, Becka, my best friend for as long as I can remember, Charlotte and her boyfriend Steve, Sbecky and her boyfriend Tony. Charlotte and Sbecky were also very old friends of mine from school years, both of whom I had kept in contact with since leaving school. We were all very excited about the gig, and as we stood outside waiting for the doors to open, I noticed that nobody was concerned about the fact that it was bitterly cold. I stood amongst my friends and while we were talking about Charlotte's birthday that had just been, I felt a gust of wind hit my face like sharp knifes piercing my skin. I rubbed my face to warm myself slightly. Ben noticed that I was incredibly cold and he wrapped his arms around me to shelter me from the unkind coldness of the night. It was very slow getting into the venue as there were so many people waiting, so as we slowly crept nearer to the doors, we all became a little more anxious to get in. When we finally got there we handed over our tickets and they were torn in half, just like at the cinema. The first thing I noticed as I walked through the doors was the instant warmth, so welcoming in contrast to the icy wind that waited to stalk us on our return home. Next I noticed the amount of people that surrounded me; it was just like a sea of teenagers all as happy and excited as me and my friends. It was such a lively enthusiastic environment. I turned around, expecting to see Ben, but instead there was a short woman in her early twenties. I started to look around and walk back towards the doors until I heard Ben's voice from about 5 feet away, so I turned and moved towards him. As soon as I was back with him I felt safe and relaxed. Everybody else soon found us, and as soon as we were all back together we headed towards the main hall. There was a long passage leading to the main hall, I was sure it would have seemed longer if there were fewer people surrounding me. The doors on our right hand side were huge and had two people in luminous yellow jackets standing at either side. As we walked in we had a little more room to move about. We went to the back, and sat down on the hard, uncomfortable plastic chairs. For me Charlotte and Becky, it was the first time we had ever been to a concert, so we had no idea what to expect. We waited for about twenty minutes until the support band came on stage. They greeted the audience and told us that they were called Ten Benson. Each member of the band wore a fish-net top and a green baseball cap. We had already begun to walk down the stairs and into the main crowd by the time they started playing. The noise was so powerful it began to make my ears tingle. As we got closer and closer to the front, we could see the band a little more clearly. They were such an energetic band; their act consisted of climbing on top of amplifiers and jumping off, whilst still playing their instruments incredibly well. The drum beat was very powerful and so we were all compelled to dance. When the vocalist began to sing on the second song it was clear that he was a very heavy smoker, but his voice was so intoxicating, I couldn't do anything but listen to him. At the end of each song there was a huge sound of clapping and cheering for the band, but it wasn't until they started to leave the stage that the sound became like thunder. They had played amazingly well and I'm sure that anyone who didn't have their album already would own it within the next week. When the band had left the stage and the lights came on slowly, people began to drift back towards the seats. Becka, Charlotte and I, decided to do the opposite. As people were leaving the front we moved forward. We eventually managed to squeeze our way right up to the front. Various people were coming onto the stage, swapping leads about, tuning the lead and bass guitars, and trying to make the stage a little tidier. After about fifteen minutes the crowd started to force their way back to the front again. I was being squeezed against the metal railings that were keeping the crowd from getting onto the stage. Security guards stood in front of the railings, I felt envious of the amount of space they had. It seemed so strange that thousands of people were all packed into a space like sardines and less than two feet away from them stood security guards who had all the space they liked. The main band appeared and the crowed roared once again. They were called The Darkness and I had only heard one track they had ever made, but I loved it from the first time I heard it. They talked to the crowd for a few minutes, saying how great it was to be back in Wales and what a great crowd we were. They started playing and the pain I was feeling as my ribs got crushed was reduced as I was distracted by the creativity of the band. They were outstandingly good. The drummer looked like he had just escaped from a mental institution. He let out all his energy onto the drums, with his head moving up and down frantically and arms everywhere, he was so talented. The lead guitarist/vocalist wore a cat suit with zebra print on it and a huge hole from the waist line up to the shoulders so that his torso was on full display. He had shoulder length dark hair, and as he was playing his hair was flying about so freely. His fingers moved up and down the guitar with such elegance and ease, and he seemed to thoroughly enjoy every aspect of the performance. The bassist, on the other hand wasn't moving much, he looked very serious and was concentrating on his instrument. He played very well, and the bass line was very clear, which was unusual. I was having the time of my life, and I didn't think the night could get any better, until they played the one song I'd heard by them the week before. It was called ‘Love on the Rocks with No Ice', and it was played so much better live, than when I had heard it on the television. The crowd loved them, there were people on other people's shoulders, singing with the band and people were crowd surfing over our heads. The enthusiasm from the crowd was so powerful that it seemed to give me more energy, so I danced and danced for the rest of the set. When the band played their final piece the crowd all shouted for more, nobody wanted the night to end. Eventually the band came back on to the stage and told us we could have one more song. They played what was going to be their next single. It was great, but when the song ended, I knew it was the end of the night. The lights in the hall came on and the atmosphere was diminished. As we wandered out of the hall with the rest of the crowd, I felt overwhelmed with happiness. Ben tried to talk to me but I couldn't hear him, I'm not sure if it was that the noise from the concert had slightly damaged my ears or whether it was the fact that so many people were talking around us. As we got into the main reception area where t-shirts and posters were being sold frantically, my friends and I began to talk about the concert. Everyone had thoroughly enjoyed the night; the only thing that had gone wrong was that Becka had lost her jacket in the crowd. We all put our money together and bought her a long sleeved top to keep her a little warmer on the walk home. We walked outside, said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. As predicted, the cold wind crept behind me, Becka and Ben, reminding us of its presence every now and again, until we finally reached the warmth of our own homes.

The Great Charlemagne

There was relatively little commerce in Western Europe. Roads, bridges, and the infrastructure generally were non-existent. Furthermore, the countryside was unsafe for travel due to a lack of organized law enforcement. Small villages had to take care of themselves; therefore, manufacturing was carried on only to the extent that was needed to supply local needs. In the little kingdoms or principalities, the lands over which a King ruled were regarded as no different from other property. Among the Franks, all sons were entitled to a share. Therefore, when a King died, each son became a King over his own little kingdom. Thus, many political units became small so there were no uniform laws or policies. This lack of unity made them vulnerable to enemies as well as conflict from within. Bullough points out that the loyalty of a warrior or subject to his chosen leader was not a light matter. The author does not contrast that concept of loyalty however, with our present ideas of loyalty to the homeland or institution. â€Å"The apprenticeship of a King† describes how Charlemagne gained power through conquest and diplomacy. In 768, King Pippin died and his kingdom was divided between his two sons. Charles, the elder, and the younger was Carloman. The author says that little is known of Charles† boyhood. When he was of the right age, it is recorded that he worked eagerly at riding and hunting. It was the custom of the Franks to ride and be practiced in the use of arms and ways of hunting. We may reasonably infer that acquiring these skills formed a major part of his early education. Charles was not a â€Å"man of letters† and the author makes no attempt at explaining this other than to point out that literacy was considered unimportant at that time for anyone other than the clergy and Charles didn†t become interested in â€Å"letters† until later in life. Bullough explains a number of experiences in public duties and responsibilities, which were assigned to Charles by his father, thus, giving him an apprenticeship to rule the kingdom. For some reason tension between Charles and his brother began shortly after their accession. The author explains a number of conflicts. The younger brother died however, at the end of 771 and a number of prominent people in his kingdom offered allegiance to Charles. Bullough names and explains those subjects. The result was the re-uniting of those territories, which helped to establish the kingdom of the Franks. The author describes in detail the military conquests of Charlemagne. The text includes maps of the territories and battlefields. It is stated that to some areas, Charles may have come as a liberator from the infidel yoke, but to many other peoples who bordered his dominions, Christian and Non-Christian alike, he was an oppressive enemy, like so many others before and after. In 880, Pope Leo III called on Charles for assistance when he faced charges of simony, perjury, and adultery. Charles acted with careful deliberation when dealing with this matter. Charles was asked to preside over the Pope†s hearing. He did so, and Leo was cleared of all charges. Two days later, Leo placed a crown on Charles head and proclaimed him Holy Roman Emperor. This gave Charles the â€Å"Devine Right to Rule† according to the Roman Church. The author does not infer from any of this information. Personally, it seems that Charlemagne united an empire by conquest and ruled by the authority of the Pope. Bullough does not suggest that during this time the government and the church became so intervened that there were really one and the same. Having conquered an empire and established the â€Å"Devine Right to Rule†, Charles then, according to Bullough, began to establish some uniformity within the empire. The ancient concept of public order had not been entirely destroyed by the invasion of barbarians within the empire. But, as law and order became weaker, its place was partly taken by the Churchmen†s Nations of peace and right order. The author explains how Charles established a system of courts to see that justice was done to all free disputants and to protect widows and orphans. The author does not state any conclusions as to the results of the establishment of a uniform legal system. Although Charles was not literate, he seems to have placed value in education. Bullough credits him with a revival of learning or a â€Å"Carolingian Renaissance†. Charlemagne saw that education was in serious decline. So he gathered together at his court some of the finest minds of his day. He also sponsored monasteries where ancient books were preserved and copied. He reformed the palace school and saw that monastic schools were set up throughout the realm. The idea of learning was given a time and a place to flourish. The â€Å"Carolingian Renaissance† was an isolated phenomenon. Learning did not catch fire throughout Europe. Only in the royal court and monasteries was there any real focus on education. Yet because of Charles† interest in preserving and reviving knowledge, a wealth of ancient manuscripts was copied for future generations. Just as important, a tradition of learning was established in European monastic communities. These monasteries helped to overcome the threat of the extinction of Latin culture. The Carolingian handwriting that evolved during Charlemagne†s reign was developed to increase the legibility of the numerous manuscripts the monks turned out at this time. These small letters, known as â€Å"Carolingian Miniscule† became the basis of the lower case letters we use today. Ninety percent of the works of ancient Rome now in existence are preserved in the form of manuscripts copied in a Carolingian Monastery. Bullough devotes much time to the areas on art and architecture during the Carolingian period. Included are photographs of buildings, which are standing, and in use today. There are also ground plan drawings of buildings and samples of other works of art. Being closely aligned with the church, it is not surprising that the major examples of Carolingian architecture are churches and Biblical illustrations make up much of the art. These are not the only works. There are also many secular works, such as â€Å"Charles and his Warriors†. Bullough tries to separate legend from reality. It seems that while Charles attempted to rekindle an interest in learning and unite various groups into one nation, he never addressed the economic difficulties that Europe faced now that Rome no longer furnished order. Although Charlemagne did devise the system of pounds, shillings and pence used throughout Europe during the middle ages and in Britain until recently, other segments of the infrastructure continued to decline. Roads and bridges fell into decay, trade was fractured, and manufacturing was by necessity a localized craft instead of a widespread and profitable industry. But these are only failures if Charlemagne†s goal was to rebuild the Roman Empire. It is doubtful, however, that that was his motive. Charles was a Frankish Warrior King with the background and traditions of Germanic peoples. He probably succeeded in his goals. Charlemagne treated his empire as his personal property and divided his realm among his sons. Either he failed to realize that only with unity could the empire become a true power, or he placed his own wished, and those of his sons, above the decisions that would best serve the empire. The book is a good source for specific information. It is not a book that I would suggest reading for pleasure. Bullough gives facts and sources but does not stimulate thought. I am sure this book would be great if the reader had considerable knowledge of history. The author makes few direct connections or speculations as to why Charlemagne made certain decisions and took certain actions or the long-term effects of his actions. The author infers most of the conclusions included in this paper in a vague way. At times, I found myself groping for conclusions as to why certain actions were taken. This book provides the reader with hard facts about the Middle Ages in Europe. It does not allow the reader to draw many theories as to the ideas and feelings of the people.

AT&T’s use of Total Quality Management

The following is an attempt to analyze AT&T's use of Total Quality Management throughout its organization. Since AT&T is an elaborately enormous corporation I will focus my study to AT&T Power Systems/Lucent Technologies. This division of AT&T has been the industry standard for excellence since TQM was first introduced to the company. AT&T Power Systems has become one the world's most dynamic companies because of its use of TQM. I will provide a brief description of who AT&T Power Systems is, a description of the events that lead up to its use of TQM, AT&T's TQM philosophy, and how this philosophy was implemented. Finally I will discuss the benefits AT&T Power Systems realized through their use of Total Quality Management. AT&T Power Systems provides a verity of power products for the data processing and telecommunications industries. Power System and its 4,200 employee's design, develop, manufacture, and market electronic power systems, components, and power supplies to an increasingly international marketplace. In the past ten years AT&T as a whole has gone through a dramatic metamorphous. It was forced to change from a large telecommunications monopoly providing universal telephone service, to a competitive global corporation roviding a full range of communication services and technologies. The â€Å"new† AT&T is a potpourri of smaller, highly focussed entities. Each entity has its own customers, competitors, and operational functions. Power Systems is the pinnacle of the â€Å"new† AT&T. In less than five years Power Systems has become the prototype for successfully implementing the cultural and organizational revolution know as Total Quality Management. It has not only received internal recognition, but external achievement as well. In 1994 Power Systems was the first American company to win Japan's prestigious Deming Prize for Quality Management. In the ame year AT&T's long distance division won America's Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. AT&T's TQM philosophy made it the first corporation to win these two awards. Why did Power Systems change to TQM? Prior to 1990 Power Systems provided equipment for only its parent company AT&T. Power Systems was a lackluster division of AT&T that reported losses in numerous quarters. As the scope AT&T and business as a whole changed Power Systems was forced to survive on its own. No longer would losses be tolerated, if the work couldn't be completed in a cost-effective manner the division would be sold and the work would be given to an A. M. (Andy) Guarriello, Vice President & COO of Power Systems, was given the job of implementing TQM. Guarriello along with Power Systems management team launched the â€Å"Dallas Vision† project, an initiative involving physical, organizational, and philosophical changes that soon led to the adoption of Total Quality Management as the management system for the future. Power Systems consolidated several of its locations into several small internal business units. These units would become to foundation that Power Systems operated on. Each units is given the resources to develop, engineer, manufacture, and its products. Functions such as human resources, finance, marketing, and sales are provided by smaller organizations developed to support the internal Power Systems Dallas unit was completely redesigned. This 900,000 square foot facility was rearranged into what AT&T calls â€Å"focused factories. Each â€Å"focused factory† has the capability to accept incoming material, manufacture, and ship finished products. This layout was designed much within the guidelines of the Japanese JIT system. Power Systems took the Japanese approach to TQM and modified to fit the AT&T culture. The TQM riteria developed within Power Systems were selected to ensure the company's ongoing focus on high standards for customer orientation, process excellence, employee involvement and continuous improvement. AT&T's TQM philosophy has three main components Quality Policy Deployment, Daily Work Management, and Quality Improvement. These three components combine to ensure robust solutions and continuous improvements. Quality Policy Deployment is the process of aligning the company's attention and resources on a few high-priority, customer-focused issues. This is done to achieve to realize vast improvements in performance. Daily Work Management is a process of defining, measuring, and managing the day-to-day work of individuals and groups to obtain incremental improvements. This gives individual employees the opportunity to see improvements in measures they understand. Quality Improvement is a team-based problem-solving methodology that uses the seven-step process known as the â€Å"QI story process. † The â€Å"QI story process† is designed to detect and eliminate errors that cause defects. Together these three concepts formed an effective solution to Underlying these three concepts are four principles that are the foundation of AT&T's TQM philosophy. These four are customer satisfaction, management-by-fact, respect for people, and P-D-C-A. P-D-C-A is Plan-Do-Check-Act developed by Shewhart. These four principles helped Power Systems implement its cultural change. Without any one of these TQM will not work, so Power Systems' management instituted a training regiment that had every employee had at least two full days of training within the first year of implementation. Power Systems has instilled pride in each one of its employees, which perpetuates outside the business to their customers. Each manager, worker, team member, and internal group believe that they can make a ifference in the operation of the company. Each also believes they have the responsibility to produce a quality product efficiently that not only meets their customer's needs, but also makes profit. This attitude as propelled Power Systems, or as it is now known Lucent Technologies, to the top of its industry. What Benefits did Power Systems see from TQM? Power Systems surpassed the expectations of management to realize colossal growth. Below is a list of improvements from a 1994 AT&T press release. These improvements pertain specifically to Power Systems.

American Medical System (Is or not) broken Essay

American Medical System (Is or not) broken - Essay Example When all these aspects are put together, the American health system is deemed broken. This paper is going to give its focus on the broken American health care system. Furthermore, this paper will highlight the reasons behind having a broken health care system in the United States. In this paper, I ask; why is the American health care system broken? Reasons behind the American Broken Health Care System The broken American health care system can be attributed to various reasons. It is apparent that the American health care system is a complete paradox. This is because in regards to technology in medicine as well as the disease scientific understanding, the United States is a leader. Doctors in America are the best paid in the world. Despite all these privileges, the Americans are still not the beneficiaries (Gumbel). Gumbel continues to argue that the healthcare system is run by insurance companies that are profit-propelled thus making the system be inefficient and more expensive, besi des being dehumanizing. America’s expenditure on healthcare is two and a half times that of Britain, and twice as much as that of France. However, the health care system is on a meltdown in almost every key indicator in public health sector, high infant mortality rate when compared to other developed countries like Britain. There has been no serious debate on healthcare system in America since 1994 when Bill Clinton was the president and his wife Hillary Clinton failed in her attempts to overhaul the health system. About 45 million American citizens are not insured (Garson). This number includes 10 million children (Gumbel). Gumbel continues to remark that the growing numbers of uninsured is unacceptable in any civilized society, more so not in America. Analysts had predicted that the American health care system would be broken, come the year 2011, and the government would have taken measures to avert the situation before it happens. For instance, Bolen, a consumer advocate, had remarked in 2004 that everybody was aware that the U.S Medicare system would experience a meltdown in 2011. According to him, the healthcare care system was going to be unaffordable to most Americans. Bill Frist, the majority leader of the senate and a heart specialist physician, gives scary Statistics on the American health care system. The statistic show that America spends about 15% of its overall income on health issues. This is higher than other developed nations. In this regard, when broken down, America spends approximately $5,540 annually on every man, woman and child (Broder A24). Similarly, health care costs are experiencing four times increase when compared to wages. Broder predicted that in 2006, the cost of health care coverage sponsored by the employers would be at $14,500 per family. However, the health stakeholders and the government did not do anything to prevent the situation from taking place. In 2003, the Census Bureau stated that about 44 million Americans w ere rendered without health insurance in 2002. Amazingly, the number of uninsured has been on the increase to approximately two million people every year. A consumer group known as Families USA reported that about 82 million Americans did not have health insurance cover in 2002/2003 period, most of them for a period not less than nine months (Broder A24). Furthermore, The American Journal of Medicine, as

Storm Drainage Design Project, Hydrographs Essay

Storm Drainage Design Project, Hydrographs - Essay Example Rainfall is the input used to a watershed and the stream flow is also considered as the output of the watershed. A hydrograph also represents how a watershed reacts to rainfall. King1998, in his report said that the response of a watershed to rainfall depends on several factors which affects the shape of a hydrograph. This represents the effect of rainfall on a particular basin. This is a hypothetical response of a watershed to the input of rainfall. This will allow calculations of the response to any input(rainfall). Hydrographs are often affected by factors of soil saturation and the surroundings. The vegetation type and the steepness of the surrounding lands, with the drainage density(Stott,2005). Very dry weather, nornmally creates a crust on river beds and wet winters would increase the discharge. Sand and clay produces a flashy hydrographs but there could be a difference between the two. be used as a water source of an open channel that would supply water to nearby reservoir. The hydrograph data was used to analyze the water activity in the river after a rainstorm. The study was done for a period of 96 hours. Measurements on the height of water was done on an hourly basis. The results of which are as follows. The water level was almost constant for the first 43 hours. At the start of the 44th hour, the water level started to rise. This stage of the rise of water is called the rising limb.It reached the peak, or the highest water level on the 58th hour. As it started to fall down, it undergoes falling limb. This is when the height of water level starts to recede. The falling limb would come after the rising limb . The peak discharge is when water reaches its highest point and there is the greatest amount of water in the river. The lag time is theperiod of time that is recorded between the peak rainfall and peak discharge. Design computation of the Channel Data provided Note: Apply the the Manning's Formula to get value for Q = 0.8 m3/s breadth b, of a channel with a given value for d. n = 0.012 S = 1/2000 = 0.0005 d = 0.3 Substitute the data in the equations below: V = where: v = velocity Q = Av R = Hydraulic Radius Q = A S = slope A = bd n = Manning's coefficient R = Q = discharge Solutions: A = db = 0.3(b) Q = A R = 0.8 = 0.3b 0.8(0.012) = 0.3b 0.0285 = 0.6b = 0.3 = 1.447 = (1.447)3 = b3 3.029 = 3.029 = 3.029 (0.36 + 1.2b + b2) = 0.09b5 1.0904 + 3.6348b + 3.029b2 = 0.09b5 1.0904 + 3.6348b + 3.029b2 - 0.09b5 = 0 b = 3.5799 m. In order to get the value of the discharge in the river, the first computations will be to solve the value of depth d: From the given data v = 4.0m3/s s = 0.0005 n = 0.012, Q = Av v = v = 4.0 = 4.0(0.012) = 0.048 = 2.17 ==

American History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

American History - Assignment Example First generation of immigrants had a feeling that they had more rights in the country than those who just settled in. These sentiments resulted in series of violent attacks against Irish immigrants and the Catholic Church in the US. Several small parties took into consideration the nativist ideas and formed the Know-Nothing Party. Since it was a aecret society in the very beginning, party members were not allowed to tell anything about this organization. They were saying that they â€Å"know nothing.† That is where the name of the party originates from. Using the Dred Scott case the Supreme Courte tried to put an end to debates over issues of slavery in the territories. The Court figured that the decision of Wisconsin Territories to ban the slavery was unconstitutional. Since slaves were considered a property, the Court believed that constitution protects all property ownership rights. Therefore it was concluded that the Congress had no rights to outlaw the slavery on territories. John Brown initially attempted to organize a revolt against slavery. According to his plan he was supposed to seize the arsenal at Harpers Ferry, give the weapon to slaves and go southward with his army. Brown’s supporters were able to occupy the town without any problem. However the Federal troops did not let his plan to achieve, they killed almost all of his men and prevented the slave’s revolt. Even though slaves did not follow Brown, northerners supported and sympathized him a lot. The case of Harpers Ferry underlined the differences and increased the cleavage between the North and the South and highlighted the sense of disunion. This created a situation when the Northerners were sent off from the South? Some of people were lynched, slaves found themselves in the worse situation than

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Class 6310 week 5 posts - Assignment Example It is that kind of courage that most people lack and especially being the first time (Bradshaw and Lowenstein, 2011). I do not understand whether the two scenarios you have described were challenging or unsatisfactory please clarify and answer according to the guideline questions. I cannot understand why you gave Wanna high marks on evaluation if her teaching as you explained was not that good. Is that not being of double standards, untruthful, unjust and even unfair, in short being unethical? (Billings & Halstead, 2012) You must have been really frustrated and tired from overworking and having an uncooperative tutor who is favoring others. Since the tutor was unethical in not being fair by having favoritism which did more harm than good, why didn’t you take immediate action as a group and report the matter immediately to the supervisor even if it was anonymously if you were afraid of repercussions? (Boyer,

Societal Forces Affecting Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Societal Forces Affecting Science - Essay Example Half were given an application from a â€Å"male† applicant. The other half were given the identical application, from a â€Å"female†. The allegedly female applicant was consistently marked as a less competent and less likely candidates than were the allegedly male applicants (Yuriewicz). Thus, gender bias definitely exists in the scientific community, and it blocks equality of opportunity (Yuriewicz). Masculine bias would obviously shape the field of science significantly. The findings strongly indicated that female scientists also rated male applicants as more competent and more likely candidates (Yuriewicz). This indicates that the bias in those who pride themselves on objectivity is sub-conscious, and unquestioned. This effect can and should be minimized through gender bias awareness training, and through a more objective applicant screening process, one carried out by a computer program, for example. A positive influence bias in science is the strong bias for journal publication and citation search indexes to include only English research articles (Granda-Orive, Solano-Reina and Jimenez-Ruiz 104). There is a negative influence, in that language, not quality, positions papers to be cited and quoted (104). Yet, there is a positive influence in that language and thought are closely intertwined, and it is beneficial to the advancement of scientific knowledge for there to be a global base from which to theorize. Replication is part of the scientific method, so common language brings common understanding and a common framework within which to communicate. The negative effect can and should be minimized by maintaining a citation database for non-English papers, but the positive influence of this bias outweighs the negative impact, and should be

Time Management Matrix-Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Time Management Matrix-Leadership - Essay Example As such, the time management matrix may arguably be considered an effective time management resource thereby invoking the importance of its analysis. The first quadrant comprises of urgent and important items such as a crying baby and some calls. This implies that items in the first quadrant require immediate attention and cannot be postponed. The second quadrant is a composition of not urgent but important items such as exercise and vacation. Items in the second quadrant may be regarded long term due to their lack of urgency but should not be neglected. According to Covey, items in the second quadrant are somewhat neglected, perhaps, because they are not urgent. Nonetheless, it important to note that efficacy is achieved by working both strategically and tactically and items in quadrant two ensure this. For example, exercising is not urgent but it is an important aspect of healthy living. The third quadrant entails items that are urgent but may be regarded as not important such as other calls. This implies that quadrant three items could be eliminated but people feel the need to hold on to them. As such, these items consume the largest portion of people’s time thereby corrupting effective time management. Finally, the fourth quadrant is a composition of items that are neither important nor urgent such as trivia. Quadrant four items are generally those that people take as breaks from important activities hence they can be considered to add relatively little value. Therefore, quadrant four items may be eliminated in an effort to avoid wasting time. The time management matrix arguably provides a proper strategy of managing time effectively hence can be useful tool in leadership. After analyzing and comprehending the application of time management matrix, leaders should take time to categorize their different commitments into respective quadrants. Additionally, after categorizing commitments, calculations of percentage of

Create a needs assessment OUTLINE (NOT PAPER) that describes and Research Paper

Create a needs assessment OUTLINE (NOT ) that describes and documents the health status of SMOKING ADDICTION IN COLLEGE URBAN CAMPUSES....(NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY) - Research Paper Example Furthermore, the environs of the city are surrounded by neighbourhoods where drug peddling is rampant, thus a close proximity for the students to access the substances. 1. In 2012 the rate of drug addiction in universities and colleges in America was estimated at 46.7%, 29.6% among the drug users did not graduate or dropped out of school out of school before completion of their respective courses. 3. The number of learners who utilised illicit drugs went up by 3.4% in 2012; those who drank alcohol increased by 157% as compared to the previous year (Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 2014). 3. Approximately 4,645 cases of health complications were reported in 2012 as a result of substance abuse 90% of them were related to smoking while the rest use of alcohol and marijuana combined (Gfroereret al.2004). Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2011). Results from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings (HHS Publication No. SMA 11-4658, NSDUH Series H-41). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2014). 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Methodological resource book. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Gfroerer, J., Hughes, A., Chromy, J., Heller, D., & Packer, L. (2004). Estimating trends in substance use based on reports of prior use in a cross-sectional survey. In S. B. Cohen & J. M. Lepkowski (Eds.), Eighth Conference on Health Survey Research Methods: Conference proceedings [Peachtree City, GA] (HHS Publication No. PHS 04-1013, pp. 29-34). Hyattsville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health

Chinese investment in the extractive sectors in Africa (methods, Research Paper

Chinese investment in the extractive sectors in Africa (methods, profitability, and deal flow) - Research Paper Example ate resources through support to African governments on one side and the empowerment of Chinese mining and exploration companies working in Africa (Rotberg 152). The Chinese government maintains close ties with African governments on the political, economic, human resource and security development of these nations (Dubosse 70). Politically, the country sends high level delegations to meet leaders on the African continent and by this, they maintain strong ties with high-level Chinese government units. Economically, China promotes trade , investment and the development of infrastructure on the continent for the mutual benefits of China and Africa. Human Resource Development is done in the form of scholarship for some selected Africans to study in China and other parts of the world and also through grants and scholarships for African students. In terms of peace and security, China provides support for various national militaries and also contribute immensely to peacekeeping operations o n the continent. Collectively, these strategies and systems allow Chinese businesses to get contracts in the energy and mining sectors of various African countries. The China-Africa Development Fund The China-Africa Development Fund (CADF) was officially launched in June 2007 as a branch of the China Development Bank to act as an investment facilitation vehicle for the Chinese expansion to Africa (CADF Website). According to the official website of the CADF, the equity fund is to provide loans and funds to Chinese businesses operating in Africa and since its inception, it has supported more extractive drives than any other sector. Every loan or funds released by the CADF must have a good justification as being beneficial to the State and it is guaranteed by the Chinese government (Taylor... The author of the essay "Chinese investment in the extractive sectors in Africa" begins with that Sino-African relations were taken to a different level in 2006 when the government of China announced a wide range of co-operation activities between China and Africa including political, economic, education, culture, health as well as military co-operations (Meine 184). The main document of the 2006 China-Africa Co-operation conference attended by 46 African leaders stated that â€Å"peace and development remain the main theams of our time†. It therefore took the initiative to support African economies to attain this end. The government promised to do this by supporting local African nations in their development projects. This is complemented by support to Chinese enterprises to trade in Africa and provide preferencial loans and buyers’ credits to these traders. In the end the author concludes that Chinese influence is growing in Africa, particularly the mining sector because China uses political, economic, cultural and military aid to create a symbiotic relationship for African countries and Chinese-African enterprises. This makes African nations willing recipients of Chinese investors. Chinese businesses are also supported by the China-Africa Development Fund which is a tool for the support of the Chinese expansion to Africa. China has major deal with Central and Southern African countries with copper deposits as well as other petroleum exporting countries. This contributes a lot of money to the Chinese economy.

Definition of SWOT Analysis Essay Example for Free

Definition of SWOT Analysis Essay In Human Resource Management SWOT analysis refers to a useful tool by identifying advantage or disadvantage of a company. Also help company thoroughly evaluating pros and cons before formulating its development strategies. Each letter in â€Å"SWOT† stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats respectively. In this four points, â€Å"S† and â€Å"W† are internal factors that a company can do such as capacity and human resources. O and T, however, are external factors which a company may do such as laws and different culture. This method focuses on their own actual strengths of an enterprise as well as comparison with competitors. Therefore, this serious tool can help to decrease difficulties in corporate decision-making and make a more clearly human resource planning. But how we process a SWOT analysis? Firstly, make use of a variety of survey research methods in order to analyze various environmental factors including internal and external factors according to history and current situations of an organization. Secondly, list the investigation result ordered by importance level. At last, take four dimensions in the SWOT analysis into account, in this way we can build a SWOT matrix. For example, Haier, a famous multi-national enterprise that produce household appliance such as TV, refrigerator, washing machine and so on. The following diagram is a typical SWOT analysis for Haier.

Effects of Television on Child Development

Effects of Television on Child Development Effects of Television Shallene K Green Society looks at the effects of watching television, which raises the question- Does television harm children from an early age? Dr. John Grohol, Psy.D., an author, researcher and expert in mental health believes through research that television has a harmful effect on the development of children. He claims that it can negatively impact study skills and test scores. The research conducted by Dr. Grohol supported the claim that television has negative side effects on children by exposing them to sex and violence at an early age. Contradictory to this is that it can, and does, offer a view into other worlds by showing other cultures in a society different than a child’s own. Studies may show that exposure to television does affect a child; however, what also needs to be addressed and considered are: What programs were these children viewing? How much of an impact does a childs experiences with other outside sources of influence make on their educational performance? Surely, the data from these studies can be deemed as biased or supporting an already formed opinion that television alone was the cause of lower test scores and behavioral problems for children. Dr. Grohol supports the idea that television has a negative impact on the educational development of children. His study suggests that exposure to television resulted in low test scores. It showed that 70 percent of children with a television in their bedroom scored seven to nine points lower on a standardized test (Grohol, 2009). Dr. Grohol’s study additionally showed that childrens test scores during the testing period were lower than children excluded from the project. While evidence suggests that television negatively impacts the test scores of a child, it also has effects on behavioral and emotional development, such as aggression and anxiety, that could also have been caused by watching television (Mitrofan, Paul, Spencer, 2009). Dr. Grohol believes that a child watching television will be slower in school; therefore, leading to an unsuccessful and unproductive educational future. Another factor contributing to the effect that television has on certain individuals would be: how long was the childs interaction with the television program, what was the type of show that was being watched and how influential was a parents involvement as to what programs are available for the child. He believes that â€Å"babysitting† children with a television set deprives them of vital human interaction necessary for growth and development. Dr. Grohol explains that the sex and violence depicted in television have a detrimental effect on young minds. By monitoring and restricting the amount and the content viewed by children, their early childhood development would have a better probability of educational, emotional and social success. Researchers, like Dr. Grohol, need to take into account the effect that watching television has on the number of hours of sleep a child has every night. Sleep appears necessary for our nervous systems to work properly (Grohol, 2014). However, are children losing sleep because theyre watching too much television or is it because their brains are too stimulated to be able to fall asleep? It is far more likely that children are watching too much television at the fault of their guardians who are not regulating it. In which case, the blame for children doing poorly in school should be equally placed on guardians and not solely on television itself. When used properly, television may become a positive weapon for teachers and parents by providing children with brain stimulating educational programming instead of programs containing sexual innuendo and violent content. Television does have potential to be positive by giving children access to viewing new worlds, giving them a chance to trav el the globe, learn about different cultures, and gain exposure to ideas that they may never encounter in their own community (Boyse, 2010). The other side of this study process showed the windows of opportunity to learn about cultures around the world by gaining personal experience and applying that information to a child’s own upbringing and community. While there is reasonable evidence that shows how television can affect how a child does in school and everyday life, outside social and emotional interactions also need to be taken into consideration on their effect towards developmental success. When parents stay engaged with a child and provide guidance through educational programs, they can dictate what is appropriate for viewing and monitor the quantity watched. Television also affects children differently. When more research is studied it suggests that boys are particularly vulnerable to parental conflict, and with the combination of television, it can increase a discord in the classroom. Whereas a girl may, or may not, respond with an outburst of anger by displaying physical aggression by thinking less of themselves (Murray, Ducournau, Stein, 2005). Without parental involvement, these radical emotional portrayals are far more prominent and likely. The difference between boys and girls can be very different, and can influence h ow they react to the content of television. Keeping in mind that no two children are alike, everyone involved in a child’s life needs to stay in tune with how they are doing in school, with friends or even interactions at home in order to create the greatest chances for success. Watching too much television has the possibility of causing a drop in test scores, violent outbursts and overall struggle to develop and positively participate in society. Television is not the only contributing factor to these issues; therefore, the entirety of the blame cannot be placed solely on it. It may lead individuals to better understand how to change the choices and paths of children with proper supervision, influence and guidance. Unchecked, television has the ability to cause difficulties for children; however, if used properly it can also be a great educational asset. As technology becomes a bigger part of everyday life, it will be important to stay informed on how it works, how it helps society grow or the possible dangers that come with it. Society cannot hide from progress, but can help guide and direct choices for children today and into tomorrow. References Boyse, K., RN. Reviewed by Brad Bushman, PhD. August (2010) Television and Children Grohol, J.M., Psy.D. on 21 Feb (2009). Kids with bedroom TV sets have lower standardized test scores. Grohol, J.M., Psy.D. Jun (2014) Sleep Disorders Insomnia Hipwell, A., Murray, L., Ducournau, P., Stein, A. (2005). The effects of maternal depression and parental conflict on childrens peer play. Child: Care, Health Development, 31(1), 11-23. Mitrofan, O., Paul, M., Spencer, N. (2009). Is aggression in children with behavioural and emotional difficulties associated with television viewing and video game playing? A systematic review. Child: Care, Health Development, 35(1), 5-15. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2214.2008.00912.x

Analysis of LAP and Modified LAP

Analysis of LAP and Modified LAP 1. Critically review a test item that you have designed for inclusion in an assessment instrument It is nearly two decades since the St Vincent Declaration (1989) called for a marked reduction in morbidity with diabetes related problems to be achieved through better patient management. The available evidence suggests that the process of care in Britain is still very variable in quality. (J. Mason, 1999) et al. conducted trial on diabetes foot care, and provided an important message that vigilant and trained health care professionals can identify the emerging risk factors for ulceration at relatively low cost. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE 2004) clinical guideline on type 2 diabetes foot care on the prevention and management of foot problems recommends that healthcare professionals and other personnel involved in the assessment of diabetic feet should receive adequate training. Hence, it is imperative that the Diabetes Specialist Registrars [SPR], the future diabetologists, who look after diabetic feet in the community and secondary care, should be trained and adequately assessed if they want to make an impact on patient outcomes. Thus, the need arises for a training CME [Continued Medical Education] day for the management of diabetes foot and assessment before they treat patients with these problems. The main aim of the assessment is to optimize the capabilities of all learners and practitioners by providing motivation and direction for future learning. The assessment has to be formative in this case guiding future learning by providing reassurance, promoting reflection and shaping values. At the end of the training day (Appendix 2) the plan is to conduct a modified, observed, long case type of assessment tool with 3-4 items and knowledge based assessment. One such item an observed modified long case is described in Appendix 1. The plan to use a real case is to illustrate the some of the day to day difficulties and uncertainties one faces during clinical judgement. The time breakdown is to prepare them for thinking about various aspects in given time. They are assessed in different generic skills as well as speciality knowledge and management of the case. Appendix 1 [page 24-26] Properties Even though it is used as an item here, the long case has traditionally been used as a summative tool by itself in the past and its properties in those situations have been studied extensively. Hence, the properties like reliability and validity have been discussed briefly with others of the items such as facility. The reliability of a long case can be improved by structuring the long case i.e. elements of discussion and questioning (Olson et al 2000, Wass and Jolly 2001). Thus observation and structuring is applied here to improve the reliability. This increases student perception of fairness. Validity This can be addressed by introduction of examiners who observe trainee performance throughout and so the trainee is observed by the team in all parts of the long case out here (Olson et al 2000). Facility It could be made low facility depending on the complexity of the case. Discrimination is not really applicable since it will be used as part of formative tool but can be made into a highly discriminatory one by following global assessment. The other properties of the assessment tool are not discussed as it is used mainly as an item. Item Response Theory This is not discussed here as it is mainly used in the context of Multiple Choice Questions. There is not much in the literature about the strengths and weaknesses of the long case when used as an item in a formative assessment tool. So here is an attempt to look at both the positive aspects and potential drawbacks of this item should this be used in the context of this formative assessment. The positive aspects of this item Observed Modified Long Case Holistic and Robust This item in the long case is real and looks at competency and some aspects of performance. Multidisciplinary Approach mimics how the clinics are conducted in most hospitals and assess candidates knowledge across specialities. Written and Verbal Constructive feedback Ende (1983) proposed that the process of feedback should be expected and well timed, based on first hand data (observable behaviour) and regulated in quantity. In a systematic review by Best Evidence in Medical Education (BEME) collaboration (Veloski, et al., 2006) the positive impact of the feedback process was confirmed, with the most marked effects if provided by an authoritative source. These principles are strictly followed in this item. The method of feedback can be either Pendleton or ALOBA- Agenda-Led Outcome Based Analysis. Some of the potential drawbacks of this item-How they can be overcome Risk of assessing the short term memory This argument stems from the fact that the assessment is done just after the CME program as suggested. Based on Bligh (2000), the above graph, demonstrates the retention power if tested early after the learning experience. Hence the argument: the item should be administered immediately after the CME to increase retention. Resources and Standardisation The number of people including specialists involved and the organisation will require resources, including money, but some of the funding could be organised by the educational fund for the SPR in the region. Some contribution can be arranged from other sources including pharmaceutical company help. Since it is a formative assessment tool, it need not be rigidly standardised in assessment and it is to promote the professional development of the SPRs. Why rigid time limits and not just global assessment? This rigid structure is to give an opportunity for each of specialists to have an opportunity to observe and feed back. In real life, the time spent on each task may be different but giving stringent time limits also gives the opportunity to observe how the candidates perform within these time constraints. The global assessment is avoided so that the feedback component needs to be broken down to each level to make sense and promote specific areas for improvement. Bias Since some of the examiners and experts would have taught these SPRs in the course there may be bias from these examiners after observing the candidates interaction over a day and might want them to do well or otherwise in the assessment. This can be avoided by formal training of the examiners. Organisational consideration The main difficulty will be getting the team of assessors together as given in the item and making sure they are trained in giving constructive feedback to the candidates. Getting a real life patient to participate in such a scenario might not be difficult as patients are often happy to share their experiences. CONCLUSIONS If used in conjunction with variety of other items, perhaps it can be used as a cog in the wheel of summative assessment for the high stake assessment e.g. as a part of portfolio in final year Rotation In Training Assessment [RITA]. It fulfils the learning objectives of the course and what the item intends to measure. This item also comes close to what is usually measured in items of work place based assessment [WPBA]. Element 2 Assessment option Using relevant theoretical and/or research literature, critically review one instrument of assessment used in clinical education. LAP and Modified LAP BACKGROUND In the traditional long case candidates spend 30-45mins with a patient from whom they take a history and examine. An examiner is not present and the candidate is not observed. The student summarises and is examined by a pair of examiners over a 20-30 minute period. The usual format of practice in long cases is to examine patients that are already known to the examiner or are in the examiners own specialty. The long case, patient based examinations have been used for decades both in undergraduate and postgraduate settings both as a formative and summative tool. They were specifically used for final certification exam for postgraduates both here and elsewhere. They had their strengths in that it evaluates performance with real patients and enables candidates to gather information and develop treatment plans under realistic circumstances (Norcini, 2002). However, this method has drawn lot of criticism. The problem lies with inter case reliability (Wass, et al., 2001) and whe n subjected to psychometric analysis, these examinations were found to be unreliable and so have fallen from favour (Turnbull, et al., 2005). Particular problems were with the reproducibility of scores generated by the long case. To improve this required large sampling which itself required a lot more resources which made the long case difficult to use as a summative assessment tool. Recent work suggests that the long case is still a highly relevant tool in that it appears to test a different clinical process to that of the structured short case examination (Wass and Jolly, 2001). A study, performed with undergraduates in London found that, by observing the process in the long case, the above problems could be overcome. This probably led to a return of long cases in the form of OSLER Objective Structured Long Examination Record introduced by Gleeson(Gleeson, 1997) and LAP the Leicester Assessment Package. The LAP was originally developed to assess the consultation competence of general practitioners in the UK. In the LAP, the patient is not known to the examiners and at least one of the examiners is not an expert in the specialty being examined. It has been designed for use in live and/or video recorded consultations with either real or simulated patients. It was subsequently adapted for use in undergraduate teaching. The LAP is designed to provide assessment by directly observed consultations with real patients/simulated patients, but to present this in a structured format closer to an OSCE, which also allows other aspects of performance to be assessed. Seven prioritized categories of consultation competence which need to be mastered are assessed with marking (Appendix 3). The modified LAP varies from the LAP in a couple of areas. Performance is assessed against predefined standards which are different compared to the LAP. The examiners attend training before they become assessors in the modified LAP. The guidelines to the examiners [how to mark and assess] and the assessment forms are appended (Appendix 4 5). Inevitably, some overlap occurs between components of differing categories. (Bhakta, et al., 2005) acknowledge that no single assessment format can adequately assess all the learning objectives within the course blueprint, a combination of assessments (including OSCE, EMQ, essays, short case, and long case) are currently used to assess the students competence. The authors main objective is to use theoretical and research literature to critically review the LAP and modified LAP used in the assessment of clinical practice. This review is based on the seven key concepts (Van der Vleuten, 1996; Schuwirth and van der Vleuten, 2006; PMETB, 2007) liste d below: Purposes Alignment Properties Standards Sampling Evidence Level 1. PURPOSES It can be used for both formative and summative assessment. (Fraser, et al., 1994) argued that the modified LAP is designed for both purposes. The focus of the examination in the intermediate clinical exam for undergraduate is to promote further improvement as they have done only one clinical year [e.g. WMS and Leicester Medical School]. Hence, the feedback is handed to the students which helps them to focus on their strengths and improve on their performance The 3rd and 4th year medical students of these Schools believed that it was likely to enhance their consultation performance (McKinley, et al., 2000). It has also been used as a formative tool in improving professional competence in different countries and different specialties (Lau, et al., 2003, Redsell, et al., 2003). When (Teoh and Bowden, 2008), arguing for the resurrection of the long case, state that the observed long case such as the Modified LAP doesnt encourage the reductionist approach as in Objective Structured Clinical Examination [OSCE ]. Thus, it can be an ideal summative assessment tool for the high stake exam but perhaps has to be used in conjunction with other tools as discussed below. Additionally, in most cases, the assessment is an end of year high-stakes assessment and, for failing students, there is generally only a short time available for remediation. The feedback provides a way to focus them on the areas of their consultation skills and prepare for their remedial exam. 2. ALIGNMENT The Education Committee of the General Medical Council (GMC) sets and monitors standards in all UK medical schools. Medical students must be able to demonstrate their competency and professionalism through a list of educational outcomes set out in the publication of Tomorrows Doctors (2003 and 2009) prior to graduation. The intended outcome envisaged by WMS is to produce a generation of doctors who have knowledge, proficient clinical skills and the appropriate attitudes and behaviours ready for work as Foundation Year one doctors. The modified LAP forms a part of the summative assessment in assessing mainly clinical skills e.g. examination techniques. As described, it has various components and proper, planned blueprinting against the learning objectives of the MBChB course and competencies of the various specialties (Wass, Van der Vleuten, Shatzer and Jones, 2001). Thus, assessment and curriculum design should be intricately interwoven and the assessment of course drives the learning (Wass, Van der Vleuten, Shatzer and Jones, 2001). Similarly, in postgraduate exams, it usually follows knowledge based assessment in the form of MCQs and careful alignment should be done considering the curriculum set by the institutions like the Royal Colleges. 3. PROPERTIES The property of an assessment or more commonly described as the utility or usefulness of an assessment, was originally described by Van der Vleuten (1996) as a product of its validity, reliability, educational impact, cost-effectiveness and acceptability. In later years, the term feasibility is explicitly acknowledged and has been described as an added component of an assessments utility in clinical education (Schuwirth and Van der Vleuten, 2006; PMETB, 2007). Validity Validity represents the extent to which a measurement actually measures what it intended to measure. In medical education, this signifies the degree of meaningfulness for any interpretation of a test score. (Downing, 2003) A recent study demonstrated that observation does measure a useful and distinctive component of history taking clinical competence over and above the contribution made by the presentation (Wass and Jolly, 2001). It would seem logical that, rather than relying on a presentation alone, observation of the candidate while eliciting the history and carrying out the examination would be a more valid assessment of the candidates competencies in LAP. There is data in the literature for the face validity and content of the seven categories and the various components of consultation competence as contained in the Leicester Assessment Package (Fraser, McKinley and Mulholland, 1994). Whether or not the test scores obtained, in any particular LAP, are an accurate representation of real world competency is subjected to a vast array of variables (Downing and Haladyna, 2004). For instance, the design of the test items, number of representative cases, experience training and leniency of examiners, co nsistency of simulated patients [ used mainly in psychiatry], completeness of marking schemes and the characteristics of the candidates, can all affect the validity of a LAP, making it a valid assessment in one education institute, but not another. However McKinley et al in their study of modified LAP in the general practise setting concluded that students will be exposed to a valid set of challenges to their consultation skills during consultations with minimum six largely unselected patients(McKinley, Fraser, Vleuten and Hastings, 2000). Concurrent validity whether the results are consistent with those tests of similar constructs? There are studies comparing OSCEs with observed long cases [which is similar to LAPs in some ways]; however, the author has not come across studies comparing different types of observed long case e.g. OSLER vs. Modified LAP. Does it predict the future performance need to be assessed by more studies by following up the generation of students where the LAP is used as an assessment tool. Also, more studies are needed to investigate the construct validity of LAP. Reliability Reliability refers to the degree of consistency within a measurement tool, the extent to which an instrument is capable of repeatedly producing the same test score even when administered at different times and locations, with different candidates (Schuwirth and van der Vleuten, 2006). An assessment approach may be considered reliable when it yields consistent results regardless of when it is used, who uses it and which item or case is assessed. The importance of a specific type of reliability depends upon what is being assessed and the method by which it is being assessed. Generally speaking, the reliability or generalisability coefficient [since there is multiple potential sources of variability in this assessment tool] of 0.8 or higher are desirable (Shea and Fortna, 2002). Since the LAP has its roots in the long case and considering that it has evolved as a modified observed long case the author will attempt to address how the deficiencies in reliability of long cases were addressed to make it a LAP. Attempts to improve the reliability of the long case and make it into an effective LAP fall into three categories. First, studies have considered how many additional long cases would be required, with Kroboth et al (1992) suggesting that 6-10 long cases (each of 1-1.5 h) would achieve a generalisability coefficient of 0.8. Thus it would take a minimum of 4 different cases with at least 2 assessors in each to be reliable and therefore, careful sampling of representative cases with the use of blueprints is of paramount importance (Cangelosi, 1990).Second, commentators have attempted to increase the number of long cases, but have done so by employing a format that draws on shorter assessments (20-45 min) and multiple cases (4-6) assessed directly after each other in a single session (McKinley et al, 2000; Wass Jolly, 2001; Hamdy et al, 2003; Norcini et al, 2003). Third, elements of the discussion and questioning aspects of the long case have been stan dardised in an attempt to improve reliability and student perceptions of fairness (Olson et al, 2000). Thus, having all relevant domains and enough numbers would increase the reliability and validity of the instrument. All these are incorporated in LAP and modified LAP to make a reliable instrument. This is further demonstrated by McKinley et al that the required levels of reliability can be achieved when the modified LAP is used by multiple markers in assessing the same consultation, that is, the package produces inter-assessor reliability. Their generalizability analysis indicates that two independent assessors assessing the performance of students across six consultations would achieve a reliability of 0ÂÂ ·94 in making pass or fail decisions. Also in this study ninety-eight percent of students perceived that their particular strengths and weaknesses were correctly identified, 99% that they were given specific advice on how to improve their performance and 98% believed that the feedback they had received would have long-term benefit(McKinley, Fraser, Vleuten and Hastings, 2000). The example of assessment criteria and guidelines of the modified LAP used in the study are incorporated as Appendix 4 and 5. Reliability of the LAP would not be severely threatened if the details of the test items have leaked out to the candidates unintentionally. However, it might if they have seen this patient before in the clinical setting. There were chances of this happening as the same banks of patients were used. This has been rectified by updating the bank and recruiting different patients. Broad sampling across cases is essential to assess clinical competence reliably (Wass and Vleuten, 2004). Feasibility The design and running of the modified LAP has significant resource implications. The crux of the issue for this kind of assessment is feasibility and cost effectiveness in terms of finance, space and manpower. Lots of time and effort are required to prepare and administer the instrument with high quality. Recruiting enough assessors, real patients, [simulated patients in case of psychiatry] and the equipment is always a huge challenge. Finding the trained assessors, who mostly tend to be busy clinicians, to take time from their heavy work schedule is also a challenge. However, lots of these issues can be overcome if this test is administered regularly i.e. sequential testing. This is further helped by having a database for the patients and assessors. Good advanced planning will also go a long way. Acceptability John B Cookson, et al. (2008), in a letter to the BMJ, say that feedback from students who have faced this examination in Leicester for the past 9 years strongly indicate that it is perceived as a fair and acceptable test of their abilities. From the organizational point of view it has been acceptable because of sequential testing. There is a healthy debate about replacing this with OSCEs or at least using OSCEs to supplement this for the assessment of clinical based practice. Educational Impact From the students point of view, the high-stakes LAP certainly exerts a great educational impact. The outcome of the examination will be used to decide the fate of the students. The LAP provides a platform for students to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours in a single direct observational setting. Among other advantages it encourages students to develop the essential links between history, physical examination, diagnosis and management in each clinical challenge as the consultation progresses, not at some remote point thereafter. This is true as they practise for these exams in this way with peer group or supervision. It definitely has a huge educational impact as the students keep the final assessment in mind and practice the required domains in a structured way from various colleagues and peers. The impact is even greater in some medical schools like WMS as the feedback is given to the students in the formative intermediate exams. This enables the students to reflect on their performance and improve upon them. 4. STANDARDS The Standards can be criterion-referenced (absolute standard) or peer-referenced (relative standard). Borderline approach , fixed percentage , Angoffs and Hofstee methods are but a few of the many methods described in the literature for standard-setting (Norcini, 2003). Livingstone and Zieky (1989) proposed that the higher the stakes of the assessment, the greater the significance in using criterion-referenced standards. Thus criterion referenced can be used for LAP in the setting of high stakes exams like final professional exams in WMS or postgraduate exit exams SAMPLING It is impractical to combine all of the learning outcomes into a single, summative assessment. On a practical note one has to be careful while allotting the students and examiners for the different station/patients/item so that they get a wide variety of sampling that gives a different case mix. Thus, it also needs to be made sure that they are observed and examined by different examiners to increase the sampling. Thus a careful and effective blueprinting should be done to make LAP a high utility instrument. Moreover, qualitative triangulation of evidence [sampling] from different sources such as satisfactory performance in each block, including other types of exams likes OSCE for practical skills will further improve the reliability (Stern, et al., 2003). 6. EVIDENCE Evidence from a single point is not sufficiently generalisable to be extrapolated to all occasions (PMETB, 2007). Studies regarding validity and reliability are costly and difficult to design. Triangulation is an excellent solution to critique the evidence collated qualitatively, where evidence from at least 3 occasions/ resources indicating the same outcome is analyzed (PMETB, 2007). Each LAP item should be treated independently, as an entity of its own, and, although literature can prove LAP do possess the potential to be highly valid and reliable, such study would need to be conducted on separate occasions to demonstrate convincing evidence. This is continuous ongoing process at most of the institutions including WMS. 7. LEVEL It is suggested that using the LAP for direct observation of the consultation would be a useful tool to assess whether the student has successfully acquired the necessary competencies expected at the end of undergraduate or postgraduate training. One of the interesting components is to attempt to judge the overall relationship with the patient. Attitudes are most likely to be conveyed to the patient through the doctors behaviour and should, therefore, be assessed by the observation of behaviours in the clinical setting (REZLER, 1976). Nevertheless, this approach relies on judgements, made by experts, of non-standardised material and is, therefore, open to question. Because professionalism is a complex construct, it is unlikely that a single assessment will adequately measure it even though this assessment makes the attempt. Systematic assessment of professionalism should also include many different assessors, more than one assessment method and assessment in different settings (Lynch , et al., 2004). Hence, these assessments are a continuous process throughout the MBChB and, indeed, afterwards. In essence the LAP, as an assessment tool, is close to competency based assessment and demonstrates shows how in the Miller triangle. CONCLUSIONS Long cases on their own have been criticised for poor reliability of examiner assessments and the lack of direct observation by the examiner of the trainee patient encounter [reducing the validity of the assessments]. There is evidence that adding an observing examiner to the history and physical examination part of the long case assessment increases reliability and helps to reconcile the complex interactions between the context and the skills/knowledge (construct) that the long case attempts to measure (Wass and Jolly, 2001). The LAP is one such tool where there is observation during history and physical examination and structured assessment and proves to be of high utility. This is supported by some studies in the formative setting(McKinley, Fraser, Vleuten and Hastings, 2000) The LAP, when analysed via its properties, is a good tool to assess observed clinical practice. It might not be so effective for practical skills and, for these, it probably needs to be supplemented by work based assessments or even OSCEs. When supplemented with other assessment tools [Triangulation] LAPs can be used effectively for summative assessment in high stake assessments such as the final examinations for medical students. The main drawbacks are feasibility, difficulty in blue-printing and cost effectiveness. It encourages students to develop the essential skills together rather than combining them afterwards. REFERENCES Bhakta, B., Tennant, A., Horton, M., Lawton, G. and Andrich, D. (2005) Using item response theory to explore the psychometric properties of extended matching questions examination in undergraduate medical education. BMC Medical Education, 5 (1): 9. Fraser, R. C., McKinley, R. K. and Mulholland, H. (1994) Consultation competence in general practice: establishing the face validity of prioritized criteria in the Leicester assessment package.[see comment]. British Journal of General Practice, 44 (380): 109-113. Gleeson, F. (1997) AMEE Medical Education Guide No. 9. Assessment of clinical competence using the objective structured long examination record (OSLER). Medical Teacher, 19 (1): 7-14. J. Mason, C. O. K. A. M. A. H. A. B. R. J. Y. (1999) A systematic review of foot ulcer in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. I: prevention. Diabetic Medicine, 16 (10): 801-812. Lau, J. K. C., Fraser, R. C. and Lam, C. L. K. (2003) Establishing the content validity in Hong Kong of the prioritised criteria of consultation competence in the Leicester Assessment Package (LAP). Hong Kong Practitioner, 25 (12): 596-602. Lynch, D. C., Surdyk, P. M. and Eiser, A. R. (2004) Assessing professionalism: a review of the literature. Medical teacher, 26 (4): 366-373. McKinley, R. K., Fraser, R. C., Vleuten, C. v. d. and Hastings, A. M. (2000) Formative assessment of the consultation performance of medical students in the setting of general practice using a modified version of the Leicester Assessment Package. Medical Education, 34 (7): 573-579. Norcini, J. J. (2002) The death of the long case? BMJ, 324 (7334): 408-409. Norcini, J. J. (2003) Setting standards on educational tests. Medical Education, 37 (5): 464-469. Redsell, S. A., Hastings, A. M., Cheater, F. M. and Fraser, R. C. (2003) Devising and establishing the face and content validity of explicit criteria of consultation competence in UK primary care nurses. Nurse Education Today, 23 (4): 299-306. REZLER, A. G. (1976) Methods of attitude assessment for medical teachers. Medical Education, 10 (1): 43-51. Shea, J. A. and Fortna, G. S. (2002) 3 Psychometric Methods. International handbook of research in medical education, 97. Stern, D. T., Wojtczak, A. and Schwarz, M. R. (2003) The assessment of global minimum essential requirements in medical education. Medical Teacher, 25 (6): 589-595. Teoh, N. C. and Bowden, F. J. (2008) The case for resurrecting the long case. BMJ, 336 (7655): 1250. Turnbull, J., Turnbull, J., Jacob, P., Brown, J., Duplessis, M. and Rivest, J. (2005) Contextual Considerations in Summative Competency Examinations: Relevance to the Long Case. Academic Medicine, 80 (12): Wass, V. and Jolly, B. (2001) Does observation add to the validity of the long case? Medical Education, 35 (8): 729-734. Wass, V., Van der Vleuten, C., Shatzer, J. and Jones, R. (2001) Assessment of clinical competence. The Lancet, 357 (9260): 945-949. Wass, V. and Vleuten, C. v. d. (2004) The long case. Medical Education, 38 (11): 1176-1180. APPENDIX 1- PROPOSED ITEM AN OBSERVED MODIFIED LONG CASE CONTEXT- Following Continued Medical Education day for Diabetes Specialist Registrars-SPRs[CME Appendix 2] Aimed at senior SPR that is year 4-5 just a year before completion of their training Formative Assessment Can be used in their portfolios for Continued Professional Development CPD Generic skills assessed- Communication, Professionalism, Clinical reasoning in uncertain environment, Teamwork and Multidisciplinary Approach Assessment involves 4 items of observed long modified long cases and MCQ-paper aiming mainly at knowledge base. One such item an observed modified long case has been described below. Expected learning outcomes for this formative assessment item- Able to assess vascular, neurological status of foot and in a patient with diabetes Diagnose pedal pathologies in the

Rates of Reaction :: GCSE Chemistry Coursework Investigation

The rate of reaction is a measure of how fast something happens. We can find the rate of reaction by measuring the change that happens in a set period of time. Introduction ------------ The rate of reaction is a measure of how fast something happens. We can find the rate of reaction by measuring the change that happens in a set period of time. Many factors can affect the rate of reaction; the concentration of the reactants is one of them. In the following experiments we will investigate how the concentration of the reactants affect the rate of reaction. To do this we will use the reaction between magnesium and hydrochloric acid. GRAPH I will measure the rate of reaction by timing how long the reaction takes. Aim- I am trying to find out how an increase/decrease in concentration of the acid affects the rate of reaction in magnesium strips. Prediction: I predict that as the concentration of hydrochloric acid increases the time taken for the magnesium to dissolve will decrease. I also think that when the concentration of the acid doubles the rate of reaction will also double. Collision Theory: The collision theory is how the rate of reaction increases when the concentration of hydrochloric acid increases. In the reaction firstly all of the particles in the reacting substances must collide. They must collide with a certain amount of energy called activation energy, this must be reached for the reaction to take place. If the particles do not reach this required amount of energy there will not be any successful collisions and therefore the reaction will not take place. If the particles do reach the required amount of energy a reaction will rake place and as the number of collisions increase the reaction speeds up. The more concentrated the reactants the larger the number of successful collisions between the particles. This explains why the largest rate of reaction is usually as soon as the reactants have been mixed together, this means they are both at their highest concentrations. High concentration Low concentration (18cm ³ HCL + 2cm ³ H ²O) (6cm ³ HCL + 14cm ³ H ²O) The temperature in this investigation will not affect the rate of reaction because throughout the investigation it will stay at room temperature. If the temperature was to change during the experiment it would effect the rate of reaction by speeding it up if the temperature increased because the particles move a lot faster and travel a larger

random liability law Essay -- essays research papers

WHEN IS A PLAINTIFF ENTITLED TO RECOVER? A. A plaintiff who was injured as as result of some negligent conduct on the part of a defendant is entitled to recover compensation for such injury from that defendant.A plaintiff is entitled to a verdict if jury finds1. That a defendant was negligent, and2. That such negligence was a cause of injury to the plaintiff. Q. WHAT IS NEGLIGENCE? Negligence is the doing of something which a reasonably prudent person would not do, or the failure to do something which a reasonably prudent person would do, under circumstances similar to those shown by the evidence.It is the failure to use ordinary or reasonable care.Ordinary or reasonable care is that care which persons of ordinary prudence would use in order to avoid injury to themselves or others under circumstances similar to those shown by the evidence. The person whose conduct we set up as a standard is not the extraordinarily cautious individual, nor the exceptionally skillful one, but a person of reasonable and ordinary prudence.One test that is helpful in determining whether or not a person was negligent is to ask and answer the question whether or not, if a person of ordinary prudence had been in the same situation and possessed of the same knowledge, he or she would have foreseen or anticipated that someone might have been injured by or as a result of his or her action or inaction. If the answer to that question is "yes", and if the action or inaction reasonably could have been avoided, then not to avoid it would be negligence. Q. HOW CAUTIOUS MUST SOMEONE BE? A. The amount of caution required of a person in the exercise of ordinary care depends upon the conditions that are apparent or that should be apparent to a reasonably prudent person under circumstances similar to those shown by the evidence. Q. CAN I ASSUME OTHER PEOPLE WILL BE CAREFUL AND FOLLOW THE LAW? A. Every person who, himself, is exercising ordinary care, has a right to assume that every other person will perform his duty and obey the law, and in the absence of reasonable cause for thinking otherwise, it is not negligence for such a person to fail to anticipate an accident which can occur only as a result of a violation of law or duty by another person. Q. WHAT ROLE DOES A LOCAL CUSTOM PLAY IN DETERMINING IF SOMEONE IS CAREFUL? A. Evidence as to whether or not a person con... ... Strict Liability Strict liability is different from a negligence theory in that the injured plaintiff need not show knowledge or fault on the manufacturer's part. The plaintiff must show only that the product was sold or distributed by a defendant, and that the product was unreasonably dangerous at the time it left the defendant's hands in order to prove liability on the part of such defendant. The behavior or knowledge (or lack of knowledge) of a products liability defendant regarding the dangerous nature of a product is not an issue for consideration under a strict liability theory. Strict liability concerns only the condition of the product itself. In contrast, a negligence theory concerns not only the product, but also the manufacturer's knowledge and conduct. "Strict liability", however, does not mean "absolute liability". Simply because a person is injured, he or she cannot assert strict liability and automatically recover. Instead, the injured consumer in asserting strict liability, still must prove his or her right to compensation by showing that the unreasonable dangerous condition of the product was what actually caused the injuries sustained. random liability law Essay -- essays research papers WHEN IS A PLAINTIFF ENTITLED TO RECOVER? A. A plaintiff who was injured as as result of some negligent conduct on the part of a defendant is entitled to recover compensation for such injury from that defendant.A plaintiff is entitled to a verdict if jury finds1. That a defendant was negligent, and2. That such negligence was a cause of injury to the plaintiff. Q. WHAT IS NEGLIGENCE? Negligence is the doing of something which a reasonably prudent person would not do, or the failure to do something which a reasonably prudent person would do, under circumstances similar to those shown by the evidence.It is the failure to use ordinary or reasonable care.Ordinary or reasonable care is that care which persons of ordinary prudence would use in order to avoid injury to themselves or others under circumstances similar to those shown by the evidence. The person whose conduct we set up as a standard is not the extraordinarily cautious individual, nor the exceptionally skillful one, but a person of reasonable and ordinary prudence.One test that is helpful in determining whether or not a person was negligent is to ask and answer the question whether or not, if a person of ordinary prudence had been in the same situation and possessed of the same knowledge, he or she would have foreseen or anticipated that someone might have been injured by or as a result of his or her action or inaction. If the answer to that question is "yes", and if the action or inaction reasonably could have been avoided, then not to avoid it would be negligence. Q. HOW CAUTIOUS MUST SOMEONE BE? A. The amount of caution required of a person in the exercise of ordinary care depends upon the conditions that are apparent or that should be apparent to a reasonably prudent person under circumstances similar to those shown by the evidence. Q. CAN I ASSUME OTHER PEOPLE WILL BE CAREFUL AND FOLLOW THE LAW? A. Every person who, himself, is exercising ordinary care, has a right to assume that every other person will perform his duty and obey the law, and in the absence of reasonable cause for thinking otherwise, it is not negligence for such a person to fail to anticipate an accident which can occur only as a result of a violation of law or duty by another person. Q. WHAT ROLE DOES A LOCAL CUSTOM PLAY IN DETERMINING IF SOMEONE IS CAREFUL? A. Evidence as to whether or not a person con... ... Strict Liability Strict liability is different from a negligence theory in that the injured plaintiff need not show knowledge or fault on the manufacturer's part. The plaintiff must show only that the product was sold or distributed by a defendant, and that the product was unreasonably dangerous at the time it left the defendant's hands in order to prove liability on the part of such defendant. The behavior or knowledge (or lack of knowledge) of a products liability defendant regarding the dangerous nature of a product is not an issue for consideration under a strict liability theory. Strict liability concerns only the condition of the product itself. In contrast, a negligence theory concerns not only the product, but also the manufacturer's knowledge and conduct. "Strict liability", however, does not mean "absolute liability". Simply because a person is injured, he or she cannot assert strict liability and automatically recover. Instead, the injured consumer in asserting strict liability, still must prove his or her right to compensation by showing that the unreasonable dangerous condition of the product was what actually caused the injuries sustained.

The Administrative Agencies in the United States and their Implications

Administrative agencies are apart from the other branches of the government, the executive, judicial and the legislative, but are able to exercise the functions of the three. These agencies are authorized and supported by the legislative orders, and are capable of implementing and creating regulations, enforcing and adjudicating. They say that courts do not possess these capabilities.The continuous prevalence of this kind of system has increased the popularity of administrative laws in the Supreme Court. It came to the point that almost 1/3 of the decisions to be made by the court is about the administrative actions.Take note that administrative agencies function on the most sensitive areas of the society, and thus were called the fourth branch of the government. The agencies have a comparable scope of authority and perimeter to the three above-mentioned branches, and thus their impact is very much anticipated (Barry and Whitcomb, 2005, p. 25).One of the disadvantages with this kind of system is that the administrative office takes itself apart from the people under their functions. Because of this, the decisions they make are lacking in sympathetic flavor and thus are prone to the erosion of public interest.The executive part may decide on the basis of a single person, and because of this there might be narrowness in the judgment of that person, which makes the decision not applicable to many, thus is susceptible to initiating conflict (Zwart and Verhey, 2003, p. 58).The United States has become an increasingly administrative form. In line with this, implications were identified and patterned before the American character (democracy, justice, quality of life). Aside from the implication mentioned above, there are other troubling implications which are even historical but still this kid of system has prevailed.The democratic options made this kind of order, and still are renewable as dictated upon by the many. To stick with this kind of thinking, the decision m akers in the administrative office must be free from interpersonal influences, and be strong-willed also in order to come up with the necessary actions.When the customary administration has come into abuse or distortion, this is a possible threat to the American governance (Salyer,1995, p 246). Interest groups are everywhere, and they may greatly influence the administrative actions (policy implementation) and even the legislation (policy adoption), or take control of them.It is of high tendency that government policies may be formulated in the absence of law, and the law be just allowed to be made by this fourth branch (Williams and Torrens, 2001, p, 357).ReferencesBarry, D. D., & Whitcomb, H. R. (2005). The Legal Foundations of Public Administration. Retrieved July 8, 2009, from http://books.google.com/books?id=MQkiiTv5yg4CSalyer, L. E. (1995). Laws Harsh as Tigers: Chinese Immigrants and the Shaping of Modern Immigration Law. Retrieved July 9, 2008, from http://books.google.com/b ooks?id=2WWkzfYnsrMCWilliams, S. J., & Torrens, P. R. (2001). Introduction to Health Services. Retrieved July 8, 2008, from http://books.google.com/books?id=95q7ZvXPd8wCZwart, T. L., & Verhey, F. M. (2003). Agencies in European and comparative perspective. Retrieved July 9, 2008, from http://books.google.com/books?id=KWaAh5jMiB0C

Plastic Ban

Plastic Ban 101 We never know the worth of water till the well is dry (Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732). There are garbage everywhere. Water forms are polluted and underwater beauties are damaged due to different activities of humans. Do we still have to wait for the worst to come before we make a move to conserve and protect our environment? The earth where we are living is now at risk. This statement is supported by the survey conducted by the Social Weather Station (SWS) during the first quarter of 2012.They found that 66% of Filipino adults say the rising world temperature is dangerous (consisting of 37% extremely dangerous and 29% very dangerous) for the environment. Twenty-seven percent say it is somewhat dangerous, and 7% not dangerous/not dangerous at all. Though many Filipinos know that our environment is in great danger, another survey that questions ,†How often do you make a special effort to sort glass or tins or plastic or newspapers and so on for recycling (ALWAYS , OFTEN, SOMETIMES, NEVER, or RECYCLING NOT AVAILABLE WHERE I LIVE)?The result is: 31% of Filipino adults say always, 24% often, 31% sometimes, and 9% never. The remaining 5% claim that recycling is not available in the place where they live. One solution is available; banning plastic bags in the country. The House of Representatives approved HB 4840 or the Plastic Regulation Act of 2011. This act would require the phase out of non-biodegradable plastic bags within three years and the placement of a plastic bag recovery bin at each store or cluster of stores.However, SB 2759 or the Total Plastic Bag Ban Act of 2011 is still pending in the Senate. Is this really the solution to the issue in our environment? Banning of plastics will surely be a great help, but there will always be two sides of a story, how about the consequences of the act? First, a great number of Filipinos are working in plastic-manufacturing companies, they’ll be jobless once the bill is passed.If this compa nies will be closed, it also has a great impact in the Philippine economy, resulting to numerous protests from different business groups. â€Å"The business groups, including the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Federation of Philippine Industry and Philippine Exporters Confederation, put out a full-page advertisement in major newspapers yesterday to denounce the plastic ban.The other business groups are the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Employers Confederation of the Philippines, Pollution Control Association of the Philippines, Samahan ng Pilipinas sa Industriang Kemiko, Association of Petrochemical Manufacturers of the Philippines, Packaging Institute of the Philippines, Polystyrene Packaging Council of the Philippines, Philippine Plastics Industry Association, Metro Plastics Recycling Industries, Philippine Association of Supermarkets and Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association. The plastic ban does not protect the environ ment at all. It leads to more paper use, which means more trees cut and higher water and power use. The environment is worse off,† the ad stated. † (Desiderio, Louella D. â€Å"14 business groups oppose ban on plastic bags† The Philippine Star 1 Sept. 2012) These factors are the reasons why the SB 2759 or the Total Plastic Bag Ban Act of 2011 is still on the way in being a law.On the other hand, if the bill will be passed, it will be a great help in protecting the environment. One solid evidence is the town of Los Banos in Laguna. According to the former mayor Caesar Perez, the solid waste management program drastically curbed the garbage problem in the municipality. â€Å"Los Banos has successfully reduced its waste by 75 percent. † However, discipline remains the core ingredient of the program, Perez noted. Without it, he said, no initiative would have succeeded. Ang tao naghahanap ng pagbabago. Pero ang hindi nila alam, ang pagbabago magsisimula sa bawat isang mamamayan,† he added. (LAMENTILLO ANNA MAE YU â€Å"Ban on plastic bags slowly gaining momentum† August 28, 2012 from http://www. gmanetwork. com/news/story/271569/news/nation/ban-on-plastic-bags-slowly-gaining-momentum) Our ancestors lived without using plastic bags, there are many alternatives like bayong, reusable bags, net bags, etc.Plastics also are dangerous, even those â€Å"degradable plastic bags† that may degrade in two to five years but this issue remains unclear. â€Å"Degradable plastic bags merely perpetuate ‘throw-away’ and ‘dispose-as-usual’ mentality as it gives the wrong impression that discarding them the habitual way is okay since they degrade anyway,† said Greenpeace campaigner Beau Baconguis. â€Å"This raises, at least, two problems: littering and continued production of plastic waste,† she added. â€Å"When we heal the earth, we heal ourselves†. David Orr I choose to support the banning of plastic because the use of it primarily attributes the occurrence of natural calamities. Little of us do know that we, ourselves contribute in triggering such phenomena. There isn't any problem with the plastic itself, but the way or the manner of how people use it spells out the grim result of irresponsibility of disposing plastics. So, better to lessen the factor that causes the occurrence of floods and other calamities we should start by completely vanishing the use of plastic.