Bolsheviks Power essays

Bolsheviks Power essays When the Bolsheviks came into power, everything was in a state of chaos. In 1917, the level of literacy was low. However, soon there were nearly seven times more specialists who had higher education than in 1913, while those with secondary education increased by almost twenty- eight times. Illiteracy fell dramatically. Press, radio, and the cinema soon began to have a direct influence on a population that was giving all its energies to the building of the socialist society. The emphasis of education was on skill building and the indoctrination with Communist ideology. Teachers were not only expected to teach but to shape the personalities of the student in accordance with the Communist ideal. Students were exhorted to join youth organizations, like the Young Pioneers, sanctioned by the Communist Party. Public education was free at the elementary and secondary levels. Tuition for preschool and postsecondary institutions were nominal if it was charged at all. Private school s were prohibited. Teenagers and young adults served as a discursive lens through which the anxieties of early Soviet Russia was exposed and debated. Children served as the personification of the whole enterprise of cultural revolution. The young were an empty canvas on which the revolutionary vision was supposed to be painted, symbols of what was new in about Soviet Russia, and the objects of changing policies and attitudes. The center of the Bolshevik canon was the transforming of the youth. Kindergartners were known as small conrades. They were the blankest slates of all, the first generation to grow up free of bourgeois prejudices. More radical Bolsheviks expected them to grow up free of parents for Marxism had the family becoming extinct. These same radicals believed that the young children left orphaned and homeless by war and revolution would serves as the vanguard of the new, family- free soci...

Privacy Issues and Monetizing Twitter

Privacy Issues and Monetizing Twitter Problems Faced by Twitter Trio A twitter is a social internet site, which allows users to send short text messages with a limit of 140 characters. The short messages are called tweets, and a twitter user seeks to have many followers as possible. Twitter users have been faced by many security problems, which is a threat to the Twitter trio.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Privacy Issues and Monetizing Twitter specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some of these problems are caused by links that are found on the twitter page. Some links directs users to unknown destinations. These links have commands for downloads which might destroy an individual’s or company’s data. More so, the links directs a user to malicious user’s sites. Some cookies are designed to be destructive because when it is saved on the hard disk it destroys useful information or data. According to Ivey (2011), tweets written by users can also be searched using Google. This is a risk because the users feel that their tweets are being followed by investigators and hence they fear expressing their views in detail. Hackers have been able to follow tweets from users, hence hacking passwords and interfering with private information, especially when it leads to a company’s sensitive information. Since anyone is able to follow and see what users are commenting, competitors have been able to follow up company’s secrets and at times even financial and investors information. Since twitter users accounts enables them to follow other peoples accounts, hackers also create accounts and follows many users, hence the users follow them too without knowing whether the accounts are for malicious use. These malicious people enter the twitter network and seek to damage it as long as they follow thousands of the social network users. As compared to other website accounts like Facebook, when you sign up an account, it is ver ified through the email address that a user has provided, but when you sign up a Twitter account, it does not verify the account through the email address that has been provided. This has enabled spammers to create some fraudulent networks and accounts on twitter. It is recommended that personal information should not be added on Twitter because people can monitor user’s activities; there are cases where people have been robbed because of twitting their movements and activities, which led to buglers easily monitoring them. Despite the fact that a tweet is real time, destructive leaks of information about a company or an individual can travel all over the world in just seconds. This can damage a reputation which has been earned for years.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Shelly, Napier, and Rivers (2009) argue that Twitter unlike Facebook has many limitations because it allows a user to upload only one small picture. This is a major challenge to the three partners. Twitters interface is not friendly because when a user signs up for the first time, it is not easy to know what to do next. As compared to other social networks, people struggle to have many followers and hence it creates some competition and it is sometimes not easy for a new user to get followers. It is advisable for a user to consider both advantages and disadvantages before signing up on twitter as a social network. Data Privacy on the Internet and Threat to Privacy Although the Internet has made communication easy with information and other activities meant for entertainment, security about the data storage use in the Internet has become a major concern because it is not easy to tell whether malicious people can access personal information. Other issues are whether the websites visited are safe and how hackers can access a website data. The security threats are a major is sue because many Internet users have been exposed to security threats. These threats may be instructions that are created by malicious persons and are designed to spread in the internet and cause damages to data on unprotected websites. Hackers access the systems through codes generated by programming operating systems (Laudon Laudon, 2010). Employers are now searching for information about the applicants on Twitter and other social networks without the applicant’s knowledge. Some are disqualified because of posting nude pictures and abusive messages on the social networks. There are cases where an employer rejected some applicant’s letters because they had posted discriminatory messages about racism. Data on social sites like Twitter and Facebook are difficult to delete, unless there is substantial privileges. There is a time when the President of the United States Barrack Obama warned high school students about what they post on Facebook. The president believes that it is possible to access even deleted data on people’s accounts after many years. Many websites like PleaseRobMe has been developed to discourage those who access people’s private data, the hackers might fear that they are being tracked. Data can be altered by malicious persons when being sent from one site to another. Viruses can also be a risk to private data because they can infect a computer. These viruses are passed on by storage devices such as flash disks which affect the networked computers. They are mostly programs which are created by people for destruction purposes.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Privacy Issues and Monetizing Twitter specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some have ability to replicate many times and clash the network system. These viruses include Trojan horse and spyware. Worms affects the performance of the computer and the system risks losing data. Some of these are meant to track a company’s data (Laudon Laudon, 2010). Data loss or privacy violation is either caused by human or machine error. The Internet has made communication easy in organizations whose branches are separated by geographical factors. With all the company’s information flowing from one computer to another through the Internet, secure transfer of data is an issue that has not been fully addressed. Companies have failed to protect or monitor their data workflows and it has become susceptible to damage or illegal access. Internet users are also exposed to commercial advertisers when they give their personal information upon filling forms provided by some sites in the internet. The Internet technology has enabled advertisers to analyze and take peoples personal information. Users are usually not aware that their personal information is being accessed as well as unauthorized tracking of internet activities (Stair Reynolds, 2008). Website managers or operators are capable of storing information about people who have visited the website. There are instances where users are supposed to input their personal information to access the websites. The information is then stored in a database which keeps on recording those who have visited the website. When the user’s information is profiled without the user’s knowledge, it raises privacy concerns. It is even worse if a company decides to profile employee’s health records on their website. When organizations fail to hide their unused data in a correct way, employees and other hackers may access its private information or it might be used in lawsuits. Moreover, shopping at the internet has raised a security concern since users fear that their personal information might be used in corrupt ways. Twitters Legal Requirements Twitter has failed in some of its legal requirements that govern its operations because some of organizations sensitive data such as investors and monetary data have been gi ven away through tweets (Ivey, 2011). Organizations important information is being leaked through these online tweets. Information such as patients details, which doctors keep on their computers or phones can be stolen and displayed on other social networks like Facebook or Google. Since these mobile phones or computers may not be encrypted, unauthorized persons can easily access data. Likewise, since Twitter is used around the globe, it has faced security privacy issues since each country has its own laws and the extent to which personal data is protected.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Twitter, children under the age of 13 are not allowed to have a Twitter account. However, Twitter has not been able to follow who uses its services, and hence children, even as young as 9 years, are on the social network, which exposes them to dreadful comments from Twitter users. Additionally, Twitter has not been able to manage on who uses their network and it has violated laws that govern the creation of interactive sessions of celebrities where those who join the interactive session can obtain the celebrities private information without consent from the owner. Data mining is a threat to users because Twitter stores personal information without authority from its users, although this has assisted the legal enforcers to get criminals by assessing behavior patterns in a given area. Shelly, Napier, Rivers (2009) suggest that this indicates that Twitter has not been able to secure personal information because they do not have systems that protect access to user’s data. Ford motor company is an example whose data was hacked. Its data contained customer’s information such as their account numbers, transactions details and address number. How Customers/Users React to Twitter’s Proposal to Mine Its Clients’ Data Ivey (2011) conforms that although data mining would increase Twitters revenue, customers would not want their data to be mined and especially those who would not like other users to access their private data. Some of the users would quit Twitter and create accounts in other social networks like Facebook, but it is not clear whether data is fully deleted when a user deactivates the account. Like in the case of Facebook, when a user deactivates his/her account, the data is still accessible. However, some may be positive about data mining because some of the user’s main aim on Twitter is to read other users opinions, facts, and comments. The users can access and read other people’s feelings about a given topic, but some of the information might mislead them. Some users will also be able to read information about companies of their interest, especially when doing research. Data mining will be to the advantage of companies or users who are doing business and are customer focused. It will enable them to know the goods mostly consumed by customers because they will be able to access transactional history. According to Stair and Reynolds (2008), data is accessible since it is stored in classes of related groups; for example, in hotels, customer transaction data is recorded to identify the time that customers visit more and what they order most. When data is stored in clusters, it shows similar market sections. It can also be stored in a sequence to guides in customer’s behavior patterns. For example, Midwest grocery was able to study their customers buying patterns. This company arrived to a conclusion that men came on Thursdays and some on Saturdays to buy diapers and they also bought beer. When the retailer found out those men bought diapers together with beer, they kept the bear close to the diapers on Thursdays and Saturdays. Data mining will also assist the users find financial organizations with loan and credit data. The financial institution can compare its customer’s qualities and assess the risks of loans granted (Laudon Laudon, 2010). Monetizing Twitter According to the Twitter trio, both Microsoft and Google have many plans to monetize Twitter. They are planning to license Twitter’s real time search, and the company is hoping to make more money. Google and Microsoft will list billions of tweets, which are posted in monthly basis. Twitter should also come up with profile upgrades. These profiles will attract members who will also pay a fee for the upgrade, and Twitter and its marketers will get monetary gains. Twitter should also increase the number of characters because its limit is 140 words and create more space for photos to att ract more users. This is because many sport fans and other Twitter users are relying on the company’s services (Miller, 2010). Twitter should create more room for biographic data or seek assistance from Google since many users prefer amore friendly social site like Facebook, which allows a user to see friend’s photos and to upload many photos and store them on albums. Ivey (2010) conforms that, just like Google and Yahoo, Twitter should seek to become a search engine. It will earn money when customers search for services and products. When, for example, a Twitter user posts a question about where to get a certain commodity, followers will reply while also informing others who might want to buy such commodities in future. Twitter should also include tweets for job search, whereby the users are capable of posting their resumes. When users pay a fee to access the vacancies available and post resumes, it would earn Twitter more money. Similarly, employers looking for peopl e to recruit should pay a fee to access the posted information from job seekers. It should also create and manage sites for outsourcing tasks where it creates jobs for online who may work in groups or as individuals. Furthermore, Twitter should take advantage of getting people’s comments on a certain company; for example, performance and what the customers like or dislike. This will assist the company to get customers’ feedback about certain products and decide on improvements. The companies will be able to improve and change their products and services according to the customers needs and hence the companies should pay a fee to twitter for the service. Likewise, Twitter should come up with an advertising strategy for companies. These companies may be charged on monthly basis or after 3 months. Individual users can also make money in Twitter by posting advertisements, especially when a user has many followers. A user can also search on advertisements and link them to f ollowers who are interested in buying. Promotion is another way to make money where a user can promote upcoming products for a company to the followers. Options That the Trio Have The partners have an option to store user’s personal information, which will improve their competitive advantage. They want to come up with a big archive of user’s data. This will only be successful if they make sure that they have mined data with consent from users. Google and Microsoft has given permission to Twitter to post its tweets at the Google search, this will be easy for users searching for certain information. Users will benefit from real time messages and latest news. Twitter attracts many users on the Google search. They have also come up with data mines that are likely to increase revenue on twitter because psychologists and other researchers will be able to get information, especially on behavior patterns of human beings. They will encourage people’s participation by not including their names, but only taking helpful information particularly for research purposes without including the names. Twitter has also increased its income by making an agreement with Google and Microsoft to make it easy to search a blog service on the Internet. The company has been able to discuss with telecommunications sector to lower the costs and this will benefit twitter because it will increase its profitability (Ivey, 2011). Twitter has another plan of archiving user’s information. Users have responded negatively, but the company has assured them safety of data. The users fear is that their tweets could be used against them. Twitter trio should come up with a plan to ensure that even if they archive the information, the government or any other party will not interfere with it because users might think that FBI is following them. Microsoft has started Microsoft helps, which is a twitter tool that supports users through information on Windows 7. This real time inf ormation will be checked by Microsoft while also supporting customers. Using Twitter, customers are capable of accessing help online and in real time. They will also be able to bring about issues or problems encountered when using Windows 7. However, there are privacy concerns for the trio because the crackers are out to destroy data, especially when mining. SalesForce is an example of a company that allowed businesses to access conversations on Twitter and take important information. If a customer has a question about computers, SalesForce informs computer companies about the client. The partners, being highly supported by Google, are coming up with ways that will enable users to protect their personal data. Some users on Twitter are exposed to cookies, which direct them to unknown sites. Twitter users can no longer trust the company because it is not able to protect the users’ data. Both Microsoft and Google are supporting Twitter in its real-time messaging. Users have conf essed that they get many insights from other users since it involves sharing with different users around the globe. Twitter may provide information not found on Google because it involves asking more people and the network in real-time. Google has not been successful in creating interactive sessions like twitter. In case of any latest news such as plane crush, Twitter displays them in real time while Google may take some hours. Both Google and Twitter are working together to improve on their business model. Twitter is a poor search engine; Google has decided to post its tweets since Google is poor on social matters, and hence it has considered having tweets so that users can see real time comments. Combining of the two features that mainly focuses on search micro-blogging and messaging services found in these social networks will increase their monetary value. In essence, Twitter is turning out to be a place where users do business and it is increasingly growing in ecommerce because as users follow each other on their accounts, it is easy to promote products and services. It has been greatly favored because of its real-time characteristic, and this is a blessing to the Twitter trio. References Biskup, J. (2009). Security in Computer Systems, Challenges, Approaches and Solutions. Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag. Ivey. (2011). Privacy Issues and Monetizing Twitter. London: Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation, 2011-04-15. 9B11E002. Laudon, K.C., Laudon, J.P. (2010). Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm (11th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Miller, C. C. (2010, June 18). Sports Fans Break Records on Twitter. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/18/sports-fans-break-records-on-twitter/?mtrref=undefinedgwh=993DB9C58627C72733D0FB968A58745Dgwt=pay Shelly, G.B., Napier, H.A, Rivers, O. (2009). Discovering the Internet: Complete Concepts and Techniques (3rd ed.). Boston: Cengage Learning, Inc. Stair, R. Re ynolds, G. (2008). Fundamentals of Information Systems (5th ed.). Hamilton, CA: Thomson Course Technology.

Principles of Critical Care Nursing - Leadership and teamwork when Essay - 1

Principles of Critical Care Nursing - Leadership and teamwork when planning care and making decisions - Essay Example Besides, the clinicians must ascertain the patient’s variables such as salt and diet intakes alongside the ability to adhere to the therapeutic regimen (Aronson, 2009). It is critical to maintaining optimal potassium levels of at least 4.0 mmol/L for this particular patient besides a routine potassium monitoring. There is also need for the joint administration of Magnesium to enhance the cellular uptake of potassium (Urden, Stacy & Lough, 2014)). The Intravenous piggyback infusions of electrolyte require that the administration be executed based on free-flow protected devices such as an infusion pump. Patients must meet certain conditions before the initiation of the Potassium (SCr 40Kg). The electrolyte replacement protocols such as potassium Phosphate or Chloride may be ordered individually or jointly (Kee, Paulanka & Polek, 2010). Initiating intravenous Potassium therapy is hazardous and should meet certain strict requirements. The intravenous treatment of hypokalemia has to be instigated only when the enteral route cannot be availed or confirmed not to achieve the standard elevation of serum Potassium based a clinically set timeframe (Kee, Paulanka & Polek, 2010). The guidelines for initiation of replacing Potassium must be determined by the urgency of Potassium replacement and should only be performed in case of cardiac arrhythmia, low serum Potassium (

Jews of Spain relationship with Islamic and Arabic Culture Assignment - 1

Jews of Spain relationship with Islamic and Arabic Culture - Assignment Example Ladino was a romantic language that borrowed much from Judeo-Catalan, Hebrew, and Old Castilian. However, Jews in Spain currently uses Spanish as their language. The adoption of the Arabic culture by the Spanish Jewish started in the twelfth century when Almohades seized the southern parts of the Spain. He gave three choices to the Jews in Spain: death, flee or adopt the Arabic culture. Some of the Arabic cultural practices that Spanish Jews adopted include using of the last name. Jews were renowned of using their first name, their fathers’ name, or even their tribal name but with adoption of the Arabic culture, they were compelled to use the last name. The Spanish Jews adopted washing of legs and hands before entering the synagogue just as the Muslims do; they also adopted Arabic tunes for their sacred songs (Attig 832). In addition, the Arabic rule made the Spanish Jews to shift from their native languages such as Hebrews and Aramaic to Arabic language. The loss of the Jewish language led to extinction of the central literary works that was a characteristic of the Jewish culture. Examples of the Jewish literary works are poetry, Torah, Mishnah, liturgy, and Midrash (Corrà © 172). Moreover, the wide spread of the Arabic language resulted into Bible translation into Arabic. Consequently, Jews shifted from their traditional habit of being religious to secular. Furthermore, the Spanish Jews adopted the court system of settling disputes. Additionally, Jews of Spain accepted the Arabic traditions and customs including clothing in their daily routine (Corrà © 172). Jewish of Spain never lost hope of their culture, however, they took advantage of the Islamic rule to revive their culture by collaborating with them. The Spanish Jews struck an agreement with the Islamic rulers so that they could exercise their religion and culture. This agreement came at a cost because they had to a pay a special tax called jizya. Therefore, they enjoyed

Assesment of Wal-Mart's international expansion strategy Essay

Assesment of Wal-Mart's international expansion strategy - Essay Example These locations where Wal-Mart has a well-established or newly-established presence were the product of joint ventures, foreign direct investment for wholly-owned Wal-Mart cash and carry stores, and through intense acquisition strategies. Wal-Mart in China Wal-Mart chose an export-led growth strategy in China as well as foreign direct investment for wholly-owned Wal-Mart stores. One of the main reasons for selecting this particular entry strategy is the difference in currency value between the Yuan and the U.S. Dollar, especially at the time of market entry in the 1990s before China became its current industrialized entity. Chinese domestic firms, additionally, have significant credit restraints for business development that restricts international trade activities (Manova, Wei and Zhang 2010). Limited credit availability gives Wal-Mart a significant advantage as it can procure capital from its domestic operational environment (i.e. The United States) to perform expansion, improve op erations, and also ensure better procurement of international goods for sale in China. Limited credit availability in China gives Wal-Mart a significant competitive advantage as research data shows that exporting or foreign-owned businesses perform better than domestic Chinese firms (Manova, et al). Having access to more capital and credit gives Wal-Mart the ability to set lower prices as a means to outperform domestic firms operating in the same sales industry as Wal-Mart in China. Further, Chinese consumers are extremely price sensitive and a recent survey indicated that Chinese consumers consider pricing above all other factors when buying merchandise (Suessmuth-Dyckerhoff, Hexter and St-Maurice 2008). Chinese consumer willingness to defect to another brand is significant when prices rise by a mere five percent (Suessmuth-Dyckerhoff, et al). Wal-Mart is a well-established promotional leader in the United States and other Westernized countries, thus it has an immediate advantage i n talent expertise upon entry into a foreign market. Coupled with price-sensitive buyers, Wal-Mart can simply transfer its existing everyday-low-price model directly in the new region without significant costs of redesigning organisational structure or service delivery design. Long-run operational cost reduction is the methodology for entering China under direct investment in wholly-owned businesses due to environmental and social conditions in this country. Additionally, Chinese consumers learn a great deal about Western culture through media exposure and their personal travels which has led to a great demand for Western brands (Emmons 2002). This determined the export-led strategy for taking domestic product and flooding it into the Chinese market based on social demographic characteristics of the Chinese consumer. The high Chinese demand for U.S.-produced products is also supported by a vast global infrastructure for procurement needs, thus satisfying budget related to the supply chain. Furthermore, the political environment in China is growing ever-more favourable for foreign direct investment, such as reducing the tariff rates associated with foreign exports (Carbaugh 2009). Governmental restrictions and supplemental

Our Buttocks Are Different Essay Example for Free

Our Buttocks Are Different Essay I have chosen Arthur Rimbaud’s poem entitled â€Å"Our Assholes Are Different†. The poem was originally written in French and has been translated in many different versions. Interestingly, the poem is also known as â€Å"Our Buttocks Are Not Theirs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and carries a significant reference to the poet’s personal life as he was an unabashed homosexual. The poem is also a reflection on Rimbaud’s tongue-in-cheek and witty sense of humor that is his unique trademark in all his writings. In this paper, I will discuss his usage of tone, imagery and symbolism. First I am going to analyze tone. The poem is spoken in a direct, straight-forward manner with feelings of animation, pleasure and amusement. The poet is clearly thrilled with the idea of peeping into other’s private moment of relief but instead of looking at them with disgust, the view provides him with romantic, happy, idle thoughts that remind him of freedom. The act of relieving oneself is actually a form of release and that the pleasure is both mutual, for the reliever as well as the watcher, â€Å"And in those happy floods that youth set free I watched the architecture of our crotch†. To the poet, seeing the buttocks is a way of appraising nature as it occurs upon him that not one buttock is similar to the other. It is interesting how he describes the buttock similar to our faces, with â€Å"a dimple indent’ and characteristic from one another, â€Å"Its forms to muscles, and a wickerwork/ Of hairs; for girls, the most enchanting lurk/ In a dark crack where tufted satin grows†. The smooth roundness and blushing cheeks of our buttocks reminds him of the â€Å"painted cherub on a Baroque shrine† known for their adorable exposed buttocks that are as chubby as the cheeks on their innocent, angelic faces. The touch and appearance of its softness from afar excites the poet as it inspires him the meaning of liberation, â€Å"If only we were naked now, and free†. And at the end of the poem the poet even sounds aroused when he declares, ‘to watch our protruding parts align;/ To whisper – both of us in ecstasy! †. Next I will analyze imagery. Rimbaud uses simple language to describe his emotions and responses to something we often keep private. As he begins with describing his habit of watching people urinating in private, he describes them as how he sees them with a touch of romanticism. The poet is descriptive in the physical attributes of the buttocks similar to if he were looking and describing a building, â€Å"I watched the architecture of our crotch/ Quite firm, in many cases, it owes its form to muscles, and a wickerwork/Of hairs†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . While others would feel embarrassed to look, let alone illustrate, the sight of another’s private parts, Rimbaud is unabashed, telling them as God’s enchanting work of art as he sees them as ‘touching and wonderful innocence†. It is interesting how Rimbaud uses a small reference for relief (urinating) and transforms them into a bigger and more profound imagery such as freedom of the soul. And as one openly exposes oneself with his buttock, we might as well go completely naked to experience the ultimate form of relief – spiritual liberation. Next I will discuss symbolism. On the surface level, Rimbaud’s buttock is extremely physical: one sees another urinating and the buttock is exposed for all to see, perhaps unintentionally. However, on a closer inspection, the buttock signifies an opportunity to be free, not just for the observed but also the observer. From just the mere sight of a person’s buttock, the poet is saying we are hiding something so marvelous and beautiful to behold, thus, let alone an entire body that would be even more marvelous to be shared, â€Å"Oh! If only we were naked now, and free/ To watch our protruding parts align†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The buttock is an attribute we have behind us and that is constantly covered, like a best-kept secret. Yet it plays a crucial role for humans as it releases toxins from the body. And because it is always kept hidden, it becomes a wonder. And how we keep it â€Å"quite firm† or â€Å"a wickerwork of hairs†, is a reflection of who we are and our personality, much like a thumbprint. And thus, seeing glimpses of one’s crack is much like having a preview into one’s personality before you even get to know that person, and that creates another significant excitement for the poet. â€Å"Our assholes are different from theirs† reverberate a connotation of distinction. It is as if the poet is saying, â€Å"theirs† are different to mine. He describes the buttocks he sees and those of â€Å"young men† depicting them as filled with youth and â€Å"innocence†. And if he could stand naked among them, his bottom would be â€Å"whispering† to theirs – as if in humility – the joys and pleasure to be firm, carefree and adolescent again. There are no worries and no hassles in life, just liberation. This poem has an odd topic for discussion, yet it makes a lot of sense about wanting, needing, and appreciating freedom. And what is unique about its symbolism, is that the poet uses a simple concept to teach us about freedom from the simple act of urinating and relieving oneself. The problems we bottle inside us are similar to the urine we accumulate throughout the day. And as we operate in a cycle from drinking to urinating, we need to do employ the same method in other aspects of our lives. Yet we do not. Imagine if we had the same discipline with our problems and our life’s choices. We have the ability to purge out unnecessary â€Å"toxins† in our body such as hate, anger, tension, stress, frustration and sadness on a daily basis, we would be leading healthy lives and cancer would not exist. Silly as it sounds, the poem about our buttocks is a good reminder of the little pleasures in life we often take for granted. And poems such as this are a reminder of why Rimbaud was hailed a brilliant poet. He succeeds in bringing to life imagery and symbolism that would otherwise make no sense to us.

Curriculum Steiner Montessori

Curriculum Steiner Montessori Introduction As with most things in education, there is no agreed definition of ‘curriculum’. The way we understand and theorise it has altered over the years. A useful starting point for us here might be the definition offered by John Kerr and taken up by Vic Kelly in his standard work on the subject. Kerr (Kelly 1999, p.10) defines curriculum as ‘All the learning which is planned and guided by school, whether it is carried on in groups or individually, inside or outside school.’ There are many theorists who have studied child development and have designed curriculum’s from their own theories which they think will offer the best learning environment. This report will only examine three of various current curricula but offers an insight of how there is no real right or wrong way of how a child learns. The report will take a look at the ‘Steiner Method’, the ‘Montessori Method’, and finally it will discuss the ‘High Scope Method’, a more recently developed method. It will also provide examples on how some of the ideas of these methods are being incorporated into other childcare settings and curriculums. The Steiner Method There is over eight hundred Steiner schools world wide. The Steiner method is based on the philosophies of Rudolf Steiner and the education emphasises personal responsibility and social awareness. The central aim of the education is to equip young people emotionally, spiritually and intellectually, not only to meet the future but to play an important part in shaping it. According to Steiner’s philosophy, man is a threefold being of spirit, soul, and body whose capacities unfold in three developmental stages on the path to adulthood: early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. Steiner education differs from the mainstream in a number of ways. In a Steiner school there is no Hierarchy, teachers and parents work along together. Children do not start formal education until they are six or seven years old and they then stay with the same teacher for seven years. The teacher works with the student’s parents, often visiting the family home to allow parental involvement. Classrooms are filled with natural and organic materials. In a Steiner nursery, children typically play with simple unfinished, wooden toys rather than bright plastic ones, to allow their imaginations to develop. A Steiner classroom would have few books and few computers. The Steiner philosophy dictates that screen images hinder the development of thought and imagination. Colour is important to Steiners educational philosophy for helping childrens imagination to thrive so pupils are instructed carefully as to how to proceed through the colour spectrum (Lewis 2001). The huge difference between the Steiner method and other methods is that learning is directed by the teacher rather than the child. There is a huge emphasis on creativity and teachers will show children how and what materials they use. Teachers stress physical development through a ritualised dance form called eurhythmy. Another primary principle of the Steiner method is children do not start reading until their adult teeth have erupted, usually around age seven, which, according to Steiner, shows the child’s readiness to start formal education. Delayed reading is one of the most controversial issues surrounding Steiner education, and there is concern from some educators that children may miss out on their literacy and reading â€Å"windows† (Mogensen 2004). The Steiner method is one that is hugely different to other methods used in Nurseries and schools; therefore it is sometimes difficult to see similarities in other educational institutions. However you can see similar theories in the Montessori Method. The use of natural materials and the calm setting is one of the main principles that link the two methods. I have seen this in place at a Montessori primary school. The school was very quiet, and lots of toys and learning materials were made of wood and other natural materials. The school also adopted some of the creative ideas that Steiner follow. They let the children make their own story books instead of reading published books with ‘ready-made’ images, which encourages the child to use their imagination more widely. I think this is a great idea, as children are not tainted by a particular image of a person, animal, object or environment. Kettle Nursery, who follow a 3-5 curriculum, hold regular meetings with parents to inform them of their child’s development, and they also give parents opportunities to observe their child in the nursery. This promotes parental involvement, which is another of Steiner’s main principles. The Montessori Method The Montessori Method is an educational method for children, based on theories of child development originated by an Italian educator, Maria Montessori. The method accommodates all ages of children but it is applied primarily in preschool and elementary schools. It is an alternative type of method that harnesses the child’s natural ability to learn and is built upon the idea that children develop and think differently than adults. The Montessori Method supports all aspects of the Childs personal and social development. â€Å"From the moment the child enters the classroom, each step in his education is seen as a progressive building block, ultimately forming the whole person, in the emergence from childhood to adulthood. All focus is on the needs of the child† (Hainstock 1997, p.xiii). One distinguishing feature of the Montessori at the preschool age is that children direct their own learning, choosing among the sections of a well structured and stocked classroom including practical life, sensorial, Language, Math, Geography, Science and Art. The â€Å"Practical Life† area is especially for the very young child and teaches them how to care for themselves and their environment. Here, a child will learn to dress themselves, to pour, to wash a table, and to properly wash their hands, among other things. The â€Å"Sensorial† area allows them to use their senses to learn about the world. Here, a child will learn to judge different heights, lengths, weights, colors, sounds, smells, shapes, and textures. The language, math, geography and science areas provide a child with aids for their intellectual development. Exercises in body movement assist their physical development and their awareness of their body and what it can do. Many Montessori schools add such areas as music, art, dancing, sewing, wood-working and foreign languages to further enrich a child’s total development (Montessori 1912). In a Montessori school, a child teaches himself through their use of the specially designed Montessori materials. These are attractive, generally simple, child-sized materials that are self-correcting, that is, if a child makes an error, they can see it by looking at the material itself in this way; no adult is needed to point out their mistake and perhaps injure their self-esteem. The child learns to work alone and with others in a Montessori school. A child learns to follow the class â€Å"ground rules† and may often remind other children to follow them as well. Because they can choose their own work and do it at their own pace, a child has many opportunities for success; the Montessori classroom is non-competitive. They will also have access to plants and animals and will help care for them. The Montessori classroom is an attractive place in which a child can be free from adult domination and can discover their world and build their mind and body. The Montessori Method is unique. It is based on a sensible balance between freedom and structure specifically designed for the young child. It provides a pleasant environment with carefully devised materials that meet the child’s natural needs. It provides the overall guidance of a thoroughly trained teacher. The role of the teacher is to introduce children to materials and remain a â€Å"silent presence† (Montessori 1912, p.371) in the classroom. Montessori gives a child a strong basis, in their most formative years, for developing into a well-rounded, responsible, happy and fulfilled adult. From my experience in Kettle nursery, I can see how the curriculum incorporates some of the ideas that the Montessori Method follows. For instance, the children are fully encouraged to do things for themselves, and lead their own play and learning. The adult is to only serve as an assistant by supporting and extending their learning through play. They are also encouraged to clean up after themselves; washing up their snack dishes, cleaning the tables and tidying away materials once they have finished using them this is a very similar idea to the Montessori’s practical life idea. Another activity that allows children to experience practical life is when as soon as they enter the nursery they are expected to remove their outside clothing and shoes themselves, and at the end of the day they are expected to put it back on themselves. The High Scope Method The High Scope curriculum was developed in the United States of America in the 1960’s. It is one of the most common methods used there and in some other countries. The idea behind High Scope is that children should be involved actively in their own learning. The adults working with the children should see themselves more as facilitators than supervisors. The High Scope method is an â€Å"active learning† approach. This means students have direct hands on experience with people, objects, events and ideas. Children’s interests and choices are at the heart of High Scope based programs. They construct their own knowledge through interactions with the world and the people around them. Children take the first step in the learning process by making choices and following through on their plans and decisions. Teachers and parents offer physical, emotional and intellectual support. In active learning settings adults expand children’s thinking with diverse materials and nurturing interactions. High Scope has unique features that differentiate it from other early childhood programs. One is the daily plan-do-review sequence. Research shows that planning and reviewing are the two components of the program day most positively and significantly associated with children’s scores on measurements of developmental progress. This three-part sequence is unique to the High/Scope approach. It includes a short small group discussion during which children plan what they want to do during work time (the area to visit, materials to use and friends to play with). They are then given to time to carry out their plans and then they meet up again for another group discussion for reviewing what they have done and what they have learned. In between â€Å"do† and â€Å"review† children clean up by putting away their materials or storing unfinished projects. Children are very active and purposeful during â€Å"do† time because they are pursuing activities that interest them. They may follow their initial plans but often as they become engaged their plans shift or may even change completely (High Scope Educational Research Foundation 2007). The High Scope method also operates group time. ‘Small’ group time is a chance for the children to meet with an adult to experiment with materials and solve problems. Although adults choose the activity to emphasise a key experience, children are free to use the material in any way they want during this time. ‘Large’ group time is the time where children and adults come together for movement and music activities storytelling and other activities. Children have many choices and play the role of leader. In High Scope programs adults are as active in the learning process as children. A mutual give and take relationship exists in which both groups participate as leaders and followers, speakers and listeners. Adults interact with children by sharing control with them; focusing on their strengths, forming genuine relationships with them, supporting their play ideas, and helping them resolve conflicts. Adults participate as partners in children’s activities rather than supervisors. They respect children and their choices and encourage initiative, independence, and creativity. Because adults are well trained in child development, they provide materials and plan experiences that children need to grow and learn. Children and adults spend at least half an hour outside every day enjoying vigorous and often noisy play. They are free to make large movements running, jumping, climbing swinging rolling jumping yelling-all with energy. They collect and they garden. In extreme weather they do large motor activity indoors. Transition times are the minutes between other blocks of the day including arrival and departure times. The goal is to make transitions pass smoothly since they set the stage for the next segment in the days’ schedule. They also provide meaningful opportunities themselves. Children may decide how to move across the floor on the way to small group time. With a consistent daily routine, children know what is going to take place next. It is not unusual for them to announce the next activity and initiate the transition. Snack time allows children to enjoy eating healthy food in a supportive social setting (High Scope Educational Research Foundation 2007). Some of these daily routines that happen in a high scope nursery are quite similar to other curriculums. The idea of the child leading their own learning is incorporated into the Montessori Method and the 3-5 year Curriculum. I have seen this work well at Kettle Nursery. Another important element that I have seen in working action was the importance of health. Snack time at Kettle allows children to experience a healthy eating experience; including sugar free snacks, fruits and vegetables. It seems to be that in the High Scope Method, the child’s health is a very important aspect of the curriculum, which is very similar to the 3-5 years curriculum. Kettle Nursery provides the opportunity for the children to experience play outside each day. They encourage an active lifestyle which again is very similar to High Scope. At the end of they day at Kettle Nursery, the Nursery Nurse also spends a few minutes to discuss with the children what they did that day, this is a little similar to the High Scopes idea of ‘reviewing’. References Hainstock, E. 1997. The Essential Montessori: An introduction to the woman, the writings, the method, and the movement. New York: Plume Books. High Scope Educational Research Foundation. 2007. Curriculum. [Online] Available at: http://www.highscope.org/Content.asp?ContentId=1 [accessed 24 September 2007] Kelly, A. V. 1999. The Curriculum: Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. Lewis, G. 2001. Rudolf Steiner. [Online] Available at: http://www.freedom-in-education.co.uk/Steiner.htm [accessed 24 September 2007] Mogensen, K. 2004. Eyes Wide Open. [Online] Available at: http://www.aeufederal.org.au/Publications/AE/Atmn04pp26-30.pdf [accessed 24 September 2007] Montessori, M. 1912. The Montessori Method. [e-book] New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company. Available at: http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/montessori/method/method.html [accessed 14 October 2007] Bibliography Scottish Executive. 2001. Curriculum Framework for children 3 to 5. Dundee: Learning and Teaching Scotland. Tanner, D. 2006. Curriculum Development: Theory into Practice. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Maria Montessori. n.d. Maria Montessori, MD. [Online] Available at: http://www.montessori.edu/maria.html [accessed 24 September 2007]