The Hockey Sweater Essay Essay Example

The Hockey Sweater Essay Paper The Quebec Vexation The French speaking people of Quebec lived under heavy oppression in the 1950s and 60s. Many francophone people looking for work in Quebec cities were refused because of their French background. In areas such as Montreal, the francophone people were earning up to 50 percent less than their English speaking peers. There was a clear distinction between the quality of life for the English and the quality of life for the French. It was because of this distinction that the people of Quebec often resented the English and their ways of life. And it is from this resentment, the story The Hockey Sweater was written. The Hockey Sweater is a story told from the perspective of a young boy living in a small town in Quebec. He, like all the kids his age loved hockey, especially the Montreal Canadiens. He is so deeply loyal to his French heritage that he hates the Toronto Maple Leafs and anything about them for the sole reason that they are not French. Roch Carrier’s The Hockey Sweater is an allegory underlining the tensions found between Francophone and Anglophone Canadians. These tensions stem from Quebec’s economic reliance on the English, Quebec’s desire to maintain their culture and traditions, and the frustration demonstrated by Quebecers with regards to the language of Canada. The book The Hockey Sweater as well as the French economy in the 50s and 60s demonstrated a certain economic reliance on the English. In The Hockey Sweater, when the main character Roch needs a new sweater, his mother decides to order it from the Eaton’s catalogue. Now with Mr. Eaton being English, he sends a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey instead, greatly upsetting Roch. We will write a custom essay sample on The Hockey Sweater Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Hockey Sweater Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Hockey Sweater Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Roch’s mother then refuses to send it back because she is afraid to offend Mr. Eaton. Quebec’s culture in the 1950’s and 60’s was very similar to this. When Quebec’s working class went out to find jobs, they found that many major Quebec companies were run by English speaking businessmen. By extension, this also meant that these businesses would favour those who could speak English. Even the French people who were able to find jobs found that what they earned was meagre compared to the English workers. Political activist Felix Leclerc described this phenomenon, writing, Our people are the water boys of their own country. Nevertheless, they were forced to deal with it because they simply had no other choice. Where were they going to work if not for the English speaking bureaucrats? Finding a job in other English speaking cities was even more difficult because being a distinct minority they were easy to manipulate to conform to the company’s needs. This led to frustration amongst the Quebecois, being unable to find a job in their own French speaking cities because they were French. The hockey sweater Roch was forced to accept is just like the jobs many Quebecers were forced to accept in that if they didn’t, they had no other place to go. Quebec, since its inception into Canada, has developed a culture greatly different from any other province. Over the years, a key part of this French way of life has been preserving their distinct culture and traditions. Quebec, with their completely different language and a more traditional religious denomination, has established themselves as a distinct society within the nation of Canada. The short story The Hockey Sweater has this theme of loyalty to the French traditions. The first page of The Hockey Sweater contains the line We lived in three places – the school, the church and the skating-rink – but our real life was on the skating-rink. The choice of the hockey rink as a center of life puts the setting of the story deep in Canadian culture. Throughout the story, the author, Roch Carrier, uses the Montreal Canadiens as a metaphor for the French and the Toronto Maple Leafs as a metaphor for the English. It is of the main character’s belief that the Montreal Canadiens, or in this case the French, are superior to his English speaking brethren. Stemming from this superiority complex comes the frustration of the French that they to live and work under the laws and policies that the English impose upon them. The Quebecois found that their cultures were too different to be placed on equal footing with the other provinces. This frustration with the other provinces eventually led to The Quiet Revolution and an attempt to separate from the rest of Canada. Up until the end of the 1960s, the French people of Quebec could be seen living as second-rate citizens in Canada. It wasn’t until 1969, that the Official Languages Act was passed by Pierre Elliot Trudeau giving both the English and French languages equal representation in Canadian parliament. Up until then, most documents written by the Canadian government and its affiliates were solely in English and did not recognize French as an official language. In The Hockey Sweater, the character of Mr. Eaton can be equated to the role of the Canadian government. The order forms provided in the Eaton’s catalogue were completely in English even though they were being shipped to a small French town in Quebec. This could be seen as the English speaking people of Canada imposing their language and culture upon Quebec in an almost assimilation-like manner. The lack of equality with regards to the French and English language pre- 1969 led to many people of Quebec feeling subservient to the rest of Canada. The language issue played a vital role in the story of The Hockey Sweater which led to great turmoil just as it did with Quebec’s culture during the 1950s and 60s. Quebec culture in the mid- 20th century was very different from any other province. Sporting a different language, find equality with the rest of Canada was often a struggle for the Quebecois. English run companies in Quebec had a tendency to take advantage of the French, using their language against them. Also, with having a unique society, it was always a challenge for the people of Quebec to follow â€Å"La survivance† and preserve their language and traditions. It is also of note that during the 50s and 60s, the French language had not been recognized as an official language of Canada with English residing as the language spoken by the majority of Canada. All of these things combined left a bitter taste in the mouths of the French. Roch Carrier’s The Hockey Sweater is a perfect metaphor for this, mirroring the struggles of an entire province in the tribulations of a young boy. The English or in this case the Toronto Maple Leafs had no place in Quebec and was shunned by the people of Quebec. The anti-Anglophone sentiments found in late 20th century Quebec can be witnessed as early as 1946 as in when The Hockey Sweater takes place which leaves the age old question; should Quebec separate from the rest of Canada? Works Cited Analysis of The Hockey Sweater. Academon. N. p. , 2008. Web. 26 May 2011. Bond, Karen. French as a Minority Language in Bilingual Canada. Karens Linguistics Issues. N. p. , October 2001. Web. 26 May 2011. Canada. Official Languages Act. , 1969. Web. 26 May 2011. Canada. The Quebec Question. † Encyclopaedia Britannica , Web. Claude, Belanger. The Quiet Revolution. Quebec History. Marianopolis College, 23 Newman, Garfield. Canada: a nation unfolding. 1st ed. Toronto, Ontario: McGraw-Hill, 2000. 297. Print. The Quiet Revolution. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopaedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 22 July 2004. Web. 25 May. 2011. Vermette, David. La Survivance and Revolution: The Ideological History of a Remnant. A Franco-American and Quebecois History and Genealogy Site. David Gerard Vermette, April 22, 2006. Web. 26 May 2011.

Aviation Professionalism Essays

Aviation Professionalism Essays Aviation Professionalism Essay Aviation Professionalism Essay Aviation Professionalism The Qualifications, Attributes, Ethics, and Responsibilities of Aviation Professionals Yadvinder Singh ASCI – 202 Anthony Miller March 7, 2013 Once someone joins the Airlines industry as a professional, be it a pilot, a technician, or an air traffic controller, they are committing to a certain level of responsibility and expectation. In my experience I have come across professionals who I have felt suited their role to near perfection while others in the same position at times fall short of basic expectations. The issue of professionalism and responsibility in the airline industry has been in focus recently due to some recent events like the Northwest pilots flying past their destination airport, in-flight breakdowns and rants by pilots and flight attendants, and airline mergers. I feel that sometimes media speculation exaggerates the issues presented to society and highlights mistakes where the public gets the impression that these types of incidents and errors are taking place daily. The reality is that safety measures are an integral part of an airline worker’s training and major errors or incidents occur rather infrequently. At the same time, another reality is that a mistake made by an airline employee, whether pilot, technician, or air traffic controller runs the risk of being fatal and this is where the attributes and ethics of an individual come into play. Pilots are required to complete extensive training and log thousands of hours of flight time before they can land a job with the major carriers, so I feel the qualifications alone can be met by many but perhaps there needs to be some sort of training or measure of ethical behavior of an individual because that can help determine how they will treat the level of responsibility associated with their job. Most flights complete their course without incident and this can naturally cause someone to relax their mind or reflexes a little, but no flight should be treated with any negligence whatsoever. The incident with the Northwest flight (NY Times 2009) crew is an ideal example of this. The pilots had a combined flying experience of over 30,000 hours, yet they committed an error that resulted in a major embarrassment and which could have cost lives. The main cause cited for this blunder is that the pilots were distracted during flight because they were engaged in personal matters on their laptops, which is a violation of airline safety guidelines. Is the root reason for this incident just poor judgment and misbehavior of the pilots or perhaps not enough emphasis on responsibility in their training? The hundreds of hours of flight time required to be a pilot come with a hefty price, so anyone who is a pilot has surely proven their passion and persistence for flying. However, it’s a wonder that this same dedication doesn’t follow through for some once they’ve landed a job with a major carrier and I think it may be because the path is often so strenuous that getting a job itself is treated as the goal, when it actually is a stepping stone to really being a pilot. Air traffic controllers have also been in the news recently with incidents of suspicion that they are distracted and even sleeping on the job (USA Today, 2011). Here is a profession where mistakes are simply not allowed because the repercussions can very likely be fatal. I think there has to be a close monitoring of on the job behavior because the job itself runs the risk of complacency. It’s important to note that fatal incidents have been few and far between, but the risk is still great enough to warrant better oversight. A person who works as an air traffic controller needs to be one who is naturally very focused and detail oriented because the rules, the risks, the guidelines and need to be responsible and focused can be taught, but ultimately, this is behavior they have to showcase. Technicians are a group of people I’ve had several years of close working experience with as both a former technician and in my current role of Inspector. Unfortunately, the current crop of technicians are a group I find to be well intentioned, but without enough working experience as they’re often straight out of high school. This doesn’t mean they don’t possess the necessary attributes or approach to be successful and responsible technicians, because these are often the deciding factors but I think there needs to be more training and understanding of the great deal of responsibility they are taking on as technicians. Professionalism to me is a good mix of knowledge, a candid commitment to ones job, the disciplined passion, and the ability to make proper but sound judgments. To put it into simple terms Professionalism simply means doing the right thing, even when you have had a long day and also when you are not in some spotlight. Whether you are a pilot, a technician, or an air traffic controller or any employee in the aviation profession these attributes or qualities have to be considered in taking the professional approach in today’s aviation profession. Matthew L. Wald (2009, Oct 26). Off-Course Pilots Cite Computer Distraction. NY Times. Retrieved October 26, 2002 from nytimes. com/2009/10/27/us/27plane. html? _r=0 Alan Levin (2011, Apr 21). Recent air controller incidents no signs of crisis, experts say. Us Today. Retrieved April 21, 2011 from http://travel. usatoday. com/flights/story/2011/04/Recent-air-controller-incidents-no-sign-of-crisis-experts-say/46338056/1

XML-Based Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

XML-Based Project - Assignment Example Thereafter, using the transformation language XSLT, the information from within the XML document was to be extracted and presented differently depicting different scenarios. Oxygen XML Editor was used for the project. 3. Discussion A total of 7 webpages were taken from the Internet for the project. This section presents the reasons that motivated the various decisions that were taken during each stage of the project. 4. The Material Chosen The site is an informational site that lists down the companies falling in different application areas and where jobs can be hunted. The material chosen for the project were taken from the same site so there is a hierarchy in between the different web pages. Furthermore, the content on each page also follows a hierarchal structure that can be translated into relations. This would facilitate the markup language. The selected webpages covered the most commonly used elements of informational sites (i.e. headings, text, links, paragraphs, lists, etc.). This presented an opportunity of learning to encode the different elements into XML. Besides possessing a hierarchal structure of the selected pages, a repeating structure is also present in each page. This facilitates the marking up process. 5. The Document Analysis The first task was to analyze the documents and identify the manner and relation in which the data was presented in them. It was found that one page pre sented a list of companies categorized into their respective application areas. While the remaining 6 pages presented detail of 6 of these companies. So the relationship between the 7 documents was identified as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 Tree Structure of Pages Within each of these pages, a pattern was found in the way the information was presented. Within the home page, there were categories, and list of companies in each category. Figure 2 Structure of Home Page In the remaining 6 pages, information regarding a company was presented under the related headings which exhibited a pattern. Some headings were common in all the 6 companies. Figure 3 Common Structure of About Pages Thus, the information from all the 7 pages was united and a tree structure was formed that represented the way portions of information were related to one another by the relationship of root, parent, child and siblings. Figure 4 Unified Tree Structure Once the document tree was identified, the document was m arked up accordingly into an XML file (guide.xml) where the leaves of the tree were presented as child elements with no children. Figure shows the tree structure of the XML formed. Figure 5 XML Tree Structure Once the skeleton XML was formed, the data was filled in. 6. Encoding Scheme The next task was to validate the XML against an encoding scheme. This is important as it defines the rulings for the structure of XML that all inputs must adhere to. Any entry made that is not in accordance to the scheme set, makes the XML invalid and it will not remain well-formed. Two options were present to validate the defined XML document against; XML DTD or XML Schema. Although both are standardized (so developers can understand them equally easily) and both the options deliver the same functionality yet there is a difference in their definition. DTD has the lowest definition of data as CDATA

Streptococcus pneumoniae Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Streptococcus pneumoniae - Research Paper Example The species name is Streptococcus pneumoniae. Luis Paster discovered the organism in 1800’s. At that time he named it Micrococcus Pasteur. In 1886 and 1920, the name of the organism changed to Pseumococcus and Diplococcus pneumoniae respectively. Finally, in 1974 the micro-organism name became the Streptococcus pneumoniae (Toder, 2012). The micro-organism is Gram-positive, non-spore forming, non-motile and lancet-shaped. Predominantly, the micro-organisms occur in pairs. However, they can form short and straight chains. The micro-organism has a capsule that serves as a protective layer to antibiotics. In addition, the capsule stains positive during Gram staining process. The diameter of individual cells measures 0.5 and 1.25 micrometers. The cell wall of Streptococcus pneumoniae comprises of peptidoglycan and teichoic acid. The peptidoglycan component of the cell wall responds positively to Gram staining technique. This technique identifies and distinguishes different species in the genera streptococci. Steptococcus pneumoniae lacks the catalase activity. In addition, they are facultative anaerobes and metabolizes through lactic acid fermentation (Toder, 2012). There are more than 90 highly antigenic capsular serotypes differentiated in the types of presenting antigen in the capsule. Antibodies to specific types of serotypes are protective. The features responsible for pathogenic nature of organism are innumerable. These include presence of pro-inflammatory cell wall components (C-polysaccharides and F-antigen), IgA2 protease, pneumolysin, adhesins, and enzymes that damages tissue. Pneumolysin is a cytotoxin that stimulates immune response and adhesin bind to cell surface carbohydrates. Some of examples of adhesin include choline binding protein A, and the pneumococcal surface protein A [PspA]. The micro-organism incorporates the genetic material of other micro-organism through a process of transformation. The presence of F-antigen helps in acquiring of genetic material from different sources. Therefore, it means that the organism can change from one serotype to the other. This is quite significant to the development of resistance to antibi otics in the organism. It increases the virulence of the organism. The increasing severity of micro-organism is attributed to its ability to assume different shapes. When the organism acquires genetic material with genes of resistance to antibiotics, it replicates to resist the host defense mechanism. The virulence in these micro-organisms is associated with the capsular material. The capsule resists the hosts’ phagocytosis mechanism thereby surviving and multiplying in the host tissues. The virulence factors of the micro-organism include surface protein A. autolysin, and immunoglobulin A (Toder, 2012). Streptococci pneumoniae are found in the host’s upper airways, nose, or throat. They are part of normal flora in human beings. However, the organism becomes infectious depending on the immunity status of the host. In the immune comprised host, they cause some of the deadly diseases that include pneumonia, meningitis, sinusitis, acute otitis media, peritonitis, and bacte remia. These are diseases of upper and lower respiratory tract. When in the host tissues, pneumococcal undergoes genetic changes that convert the colonies from opaque to transparent ones. However, the rate is very low in number; it is 1 in 105 micro-organisms. The transparent colony is best adapted for proliferation in the nasopharynx. The opaque colonies thrive very well in the host’s blood. The opaque colonies increase their virulence during systemic infections. These differences in

Research Critique of Quantitative Research on Nursing Practice

Research Critique of Quantitative Research on Nursing Practice Nurses are expected to provide the best standards of care possible for their patients and clients, and in order to do this, they are required to provide evidence-based practice wherever possible. Part of this process of providing care based on the best available evidence involves appraising primary research (Elliott, 2001, p 555). If nurses are to improve their practice, and apply evidence to improve their clinical and theoretical knowledge and skills, they must be able to assess the quality of the available research which is relevant to their practice (Freshwater and Bishop, 2003k p23; Hek, 2000, p 19). According to Hek (2000 p 19-21), evidence based practice incorporates professional expertise, patient need and preference, and the best available evidence. But in order to identify this best evidence, the nurse must undertake an evaluation and critical review of research studies, to see if the research is useful and of sufficient quality to be applied to their practice (Fink, 2005). This essay evaluates a quantitative research article which has relevance to nursing practice, because it deals with a chronic condition and one which is prevalent in worldwide populations. The author will review Tangkawanich et al (2008 p 216) Causal model of health: health-related quality of life in people living with HIV/AIDS in the northern region of Thailand. This article is published in a reputable journal, The Journal of Nursing and Health Sciences which addresses issues of interest and concern to nurses internationally, and as such, offers specific insight into HIV/AIDS and nursing within a global context. There are a number of appraisal tools available to healthcare practitioners to assist them in analysing and critiquing primary research articles. Such models are developed over time in relation to standardised conceptualisations of what constitutes quality and rigour in research and in its reporting. For the purposes of this essay, the primary tool used is that proposed by Cormack (2000), but the author will make reference to other critiquing guides and information, including the popular CASP tool (PHRU, 2009, online) Discussion 1. Title The title is concise (Cormack, 2000) and describes the focus of the research itself. While it clearly indicates what the purpose of the study was (Cormack, 2000), it could be clearer and more indicative of the nature of the study. While the nature of the research in setting out to examine the causal relationships between age, antriretroviral treatment, social support, symptom experience, self-care strategies and health related quality of life (Tangkawanich et al, 2008 p 216) in the chosen sample and population, is apparent in the abstract, there is little indication of these particular variables in the title, although the description of the causal model (Tangkawanich et al, 2008 p 216) does indicate the nature of the research. The use of the word causal (Tangkawanich et al, 2008 p 216) also suggests that this is a quantitative research article. It does not clearly indicate the research approach used (Cormack, 2000). To the less research-aware reader, it would be difficult to divine t his information from the title alone, and it could be argued that it would be better to include in this title a clearer indication of the nature of the study. This would then help the reader to identify if this is the type of research study that would be applicable to their own practice or learning. 2. Authors The authors qualifications are provided, and they all are registered nurses, all of which have postgraduate degrees, and two of which have doctorates. They all work within nursing education within a University context. This would suggest that they have the research skills and expertise to carry out such a study. However, there is no indication in the author list whether or not any of them have the statistical expertise for the study. 3. Abstract Tangkawanich et al, (2008 p 216) provide an abstract, which is identified by Cormack (2000) as an important introduction to the article. The study effectively summarises the research, by identifying the variables being tested. The authors do not, however, present the hypothesis in the abstract (Cormack, 2000). The abstract contains a summary of the study sample, and also identifies the research tools that have been used. They include the results and a summary of conclusions from these findings. As such, the abstract does represent the article itself (PHRU, 2009, online), and for the reader, it does make it easy to identify whether or not the article is relevant to their interest. In particular, it does indicate clearly that it is a quantitative paper which uses recognisable data collection tools. 4. Introduction and Literature Review Although Cormack (2000) separates these two into distinct subheadings, within this article, the introduction and literature review are contiguous. The author has noted that this is often the case in the reporting of such studies, but this may simply be a convention of the publication itself, and not the preference of the authors of the study. The authors use the introduction to contextualise the problem in relation to published research, stating the importance of health-related quality of life (HRQL) for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), because of the impact of the disease on these individuals daily lives (Tangkawanich et al, 2008 p 216). They discuss changes and advances in treatment options for this condition, and relate this to HRQL, and then discuss the disease itself, and how these impact upon HRQL (Tangkawanich et al, 2008 p 216). They summarise some research about this topic, and also look at self-care strategies, symptom management and treatment (Tangkawanich et al, 2008 p 216). There is some exploration of HRQL and its relationship to nursing and to existing literature on this topic, which aids understanding of the concept prior to reading the rest of the article. They highlight some important topics in relation to the focus of the article, including treatment, social support, and other issues (Tangkawanich et al, 2008 p 216). Although the introduction/literature review contextualises and introduces this study, this author believes that a more detailed critical analysis of the literature would be warranted here. It is not enough to cite previous research as a means of establishing the credentials of the study, as it were. A wider range of research could have been included Gerrish and Lacey, 2006, 38; Fontana, 2004, p 93), and this research could have been evaluated to identify its quality. It is left to the reader to pursue this matter and determine the quality of the research upon which they base the premise and justification for this study. This could be considered a limitation in the reporting of this research. 5. The Hypothesis The authors do not state a hypothesis (Cormack, 2000), as such, but instead present a research question. The purpose of this study was to examine the causal relationships between age, antiretroviral treatment, social support, symptom experience, self-care strategies, and the HRQL in Thai PLWHA (Tangkawanich et al, 2008 p 217). The nature of this statement would suggest that it is not an experimental study, but that it is within a quantitative research paradigm. 6. Operational definitions Cormack (2000) suggests that people appraising research question whether operational definitions are clearly presented. In this study, operational definitions are explained within the introduction but in language that would make it inaccessible to the less experienced or less knowledgeable reader. 7. Methodology The methodology section does not clearly state or discuss the choice of a quantitative approach (Cormack, 2000). The focus of the section on Methods is rather on the instruments that are being used. The quality of this study seems to rest in the choice of a quantitative approach, and the choice of data collection instruments. Quantitative research approaches offer a better standards of evidence, with generally greater ability for replication and greater rigour (Kitson et al, 2000 p 149; Duffy, 2005, p 233). As far as research for healthcare practice is concerned, quantitative studies hold better status than those based with a qualitative paradigm (Hek, 2000 p 19; Newman et al, 1998 p 231; Pepler et al, 2006, p 23). There is however no real discussion of the underpinning principles of quantitative research (Parahoo, 2006). It is good that the research instruments are explained in such detail, because it helps overcome one of the limitations of quantitative research, that of not asking the right questions to elicit answers that relate to person al experience (Johnson and Onwuegbuzie, 2004 p 14). 8. Subjects There is very limited detail given of sample selection, save stating that eight hospitals were randomly selected using a lottery method without replacement and that the 422 participants were randomly sampled (Tangkawanich et al, 2008 p 217). This could constitute a limitation of this research, as it is not possible to identify if there was any sampling bias, how participants were recruited, who recruited them, and any ethical issues in relation to participant recruitment (Hek, 2000, p 20; PHRU, 2009, online, Bowling, 2002). This author would argue that this is a weakness of the study, as these are crucial elements of quality measurement in primary research within healthcare (Austin, 2001 p 1; Cooper, 2006, p 439; Nuremberg Code, 1949, online). 9. Sample selection Sample selection is not discussed in any detail, which could be a weakness of the study, as mentioned above (Cormack, 2000). Sample size is stated, but it is not stated whether this was statistically determined, which could also be considered a weakness, as achieving a statistically sound sample size is important within quantitative research (Daggett et al, 2005, p 255; Donovan, 2002). 10. Data Collection Data collection procedures are not adequately described in this study (Cormack, 2000). This would be problematic for replication and for rigour. There is no indication who administered the questionnaires, whether or not they were self-report in the participants own time and convenience, or whether a researcher was present at the time of completion. This could be considered a weakness of this studys reporting. The issue of researcher bias is important in the completion of data collection tools, and while questionnaires may be considered a way of avoiding this, if they are remotely administered, it is not always possible to check they are full, or honest, or completed by the intended target (Gillham, 2000, p 48). Having the researcher present, however, could introduce bias or influence of some kind, particularly in vulnerable people (Bowling, 2001). As these are vulnerable adults attending clinics for their chronic condition, not discussion how the data was collected from them is a ser ious failing and may also constitute an ethical issue. However, a strength of this study could be considered to be the use of multiple data collection instruments, and the detail with which they are described, and their provenance accounted for. They have used the Social Support Questionniare, the Symptom Experience Questionnaire, the Self-Care Strategies Questionnaire, and the Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire (Tangkawanich et al, 2008 p 217). These are described in detail, and where they are based on previously developed research or derived directly from previous studies, this is also described. As these are established research data collection tools, this would suggest they have been previously validated, which adds to the quality of the research (Yu and Cooper, 1983 p 36; Oppenheim, 1992; McDowell and Newell, 1996; McColl et al, 2001 p 1). The demographics of the sample are addressed to some extent, and the use of multiple tools also helps to address potential confounding variables or factors (PHRU, 2009, online). 11. Ethical Considerations It is clearly stated within the study that ethical approval was derived from an appropriate body, and that informed consent was achieved, both of which signify good ethical consideration here (Cormack, 2000). However, there is no explanation of what information was given to the participants, how informed consent was achieved, or if there was any issue with communication or accessibility for people with different communication needs. It does not specifically address issues of anonymity and confidentiality (Cormack, 2000), but instead seems to focus on safety (Tangkawanich et al, 2008 p 218). 12. Results The results of this study are presented in tables, diagrams, and in great detail within the text of the paper. The key results and demographic issues are presented, but data presentation is summarised in a results section and then in more detail in the discussion. The findings are not very accessible, but p values are clearly stated, which is important in a study of this kind. PHRU (2009, online), within the CASP tool, poses the question of do you believe the results?. This is an important question. The results seem plausible, and relate to established statistical analysis procedures (see below). But because of the lack of detail about the sample, and the selection method, it is not possible to eradicate the doubts about these findings, in relation to potential bias. But in the context of the authors wider knowledge and understanding about people living with HIV/AIDS, the results seem believable. However, the issue of bias cannot be overlooked. More transparency in reporting of key e lements of this study would have made it easier to determine whether these results constitute good evidence for practice (Rosswurm and Larrabee, 1999 p 317; Pepler et al, 2006, p 23). 12. Data analysis The authors carried out the statistical analyses using SPSS, which is an established statistical programme, and LISREL, which is not a programme this author is familiar with. They describe generating descriptive statistics for each of the variables under consideration, but do not present these in any detail (Tangkawanich et al, 2008 p 218). They then describe the use of multivariate analysis for specific model development, and using other tests, some of which are familiar to the author, some of which are not. While the multivariate analysis and X2 tests are acceptable tests of inference or relationships between variables (Duff, 2005 p 234), anyone who does not have the specialist knowledge of the other tests would find it hard to determine their appropriateness here. The level of specialist statistical knowledge required to understand this would be significant. More transparency could have been achieved by including an explanation of these tests. 13. Discussion The discussion appears quite balanced (Cormack, 2000), and is very detailed, which is good, given the complexity of this study, involving as it does multiple data collection instruments. The study relates the findings back to a wide range of other research studies, which is a strength of this part of the report, showing congruence with many other findings in relation to quality of life, age, socioeconomic status, social support, antiretroviral treatment, symptoms, and self-care (Tangkawanich et al, 2008 p 219). Limitations of the study are also acknowledged (Cormack, 2000). However, the implications for practice are presented in a separate section. 14. Conclusions The conclusion supports the results obtained (Cormack, 2000), although it is not a very detailed summation of the complexity of the findings. However, this is referred to in the Implications and Recommendations section. (Tangkawanich et al, 2008 p 217). 15. Recommendations The authors of this study suggest that social support would have the strongest effect on HRQL(Tangkawanich et al, 2008 p 220). They recommend a wide range of strategies to support this, and also look at all the other factors, making recommendations for improving care for this patient population. These are all consistent with the study. However, the only recommendation for future research is that it should be longitudinal rather than cross-sectional (Tangkawanich et al, 2008 p 217). Conclusion It is apparent from this study that social and other factors have a serious impact upon the lived experience and quality of life of the target population. It is also apparent that social factors may outweigh medical factors, other than in the provision of antiretroviral therapies for these patients. It would appear, therefore, that understanding these factors and the relationships between them could improve nursing and healthcare practice for people living with HIV/AIDS. However, this author would also conclude that because of some methodological and reporting weaknesses in this study, it would be better to find other research confirming these findings before using it as evidence for practice.

Legal and Ethical Implications for Classroom Management Essay

Today’s classrooms are more dynamic than ever before. Educational needs of students are changing at breakneck speeds, along with the demands being placed on their teachers. There are associated legal and ethical implications that are evolving as rapidly as the technology that is driving a lot of the change. In order to have a chance to meet the needs of students and legal/ethical obligations, educators must have well developed classroom management techniques. These can get tricky quite often and require balancing the increasingly diverse needs of many different people. To be an effective teacher today is extremely difficult for these reasons. This essay will examine some of the current issues that teachers are exposed to in today’s classrooms by summarizing four journal articles and responding to them. The specific issues will be free speech and what it means in a school setting, cell phones in classrooms, bullying (specifically of students with disabilities), and gender specific dress codes. Freedom of Speech The issue addressed in the first article summary is freedom of speech and how it is interpreted in a public school setting in relation to the distribution of religious materials. This is really not a new topic of debate. Current precedents have been set in court cases dating as far back as1969 and the Tinker vs. Desmoines case. In that case, the court decision reads that, in order to prohibit any students’ expression of opinion, the school must provide evidence to support the fact that the actions being suppressed would be significantly disruptive (Essex, 2006). Because it is an issue of ongoing debate there are cases still being heard all over the country. This article is specifically in response to a case in the New York Supreme Court, where a student was prohibited from distributing religious fliers on school property. The question is, why was the student prevented from expressing her opinion in the first place. According to Essex (2006), one of the requirements placed on schools is that they remain viewpoint neutral. This means that if the literature was suppressed because it was religious in nature, the suppression violated her First Amendment rights, even in the school setting. In all court cases, the real message has been that schools are responsible for making sure parents and students are aware that the schools are merely sending messages indiscriminately from religious and non-secular sources and that they are not in support of any of them (Essex, 2006). Really the essence of the article is that sound policies must be in place, well documented, and consistently followed for a school to be able to regulate what a student says or distributes and there must be no endorsement of any particular ideas from any group or student. Cell phones The next topic of discussion is cell phones in classrooms. The article being summarized is entitled The Only Thing We Have to Fear is†¦120 Characters. In this article, Kevin Thomas and Christy McGee (2012) make arguments for the use of cellphones in classrooms in spite of the fact that 69% have banned them. This paper responds to the many reasons for disallowing their use, and then it goes on to highlight some ideas about why cell phones should be used as educational tools. Both sides of the discussion certainly make valid points. If 69% schools have taken students cell phones away, there must be some reasons. Thomas & Mcgee (2012) identified and responded to four commonly offered rationales, including misuse for cheating, replacing Standard English with textese, sexting, and cyberbulling. It seems rather obvious that these are negative side effects of the technology, however there are also positive results that can be attributed to the use of cell phones. Today, they are relatively affordable and powerful miniature computers. When used properly, the possibilities for better use of time are astonishing. According to Thomas and McGee (2012), teachers need to be modeling appropriate behavior with their portable electronic devices and taking advantage of the benefits because the technology is not the cause of the problems. The problems being associated with cell phones all existed in some form, long before modern technology. Thomas Diamates (2010) reports that courts have supported schools in their efforts to ban cell phone use as long as the school follow established procedures. Bullying The third topic has to do with bullying, specifically students with disabilities. These students stand out in the classroom, as they are â€Å"different† and so they are subjects of increased abuse from fellow students (Eckes and Gibbs, 2012). Schools and teachers have an obligation to provide students with disabilities a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004). This paper looks at the findings in several court cases to establish what is required of teachers in situations where students with disabilities are being bullied. What this article shows is that there are an increasing number of suits against school where disabled children are being bullied. The interpretation of what is considered an appropriate education, and whether or not the school took proper preventative/disciplinary steps in light of the bullying are the reasons for these suits. The findings of this study provide evidence that the courts will generally side with schools that have taken and documented actions to alleviate the harassment. In Brown vs. Monroe County Board of Education (1999), the Supreme Court ruled that for a school to be liable, it must receive federal funds, it must have been aware of and acted â€Å"deliberately indifferent† to the harassment, and the bullying must have been severe enough to deprive educational opportunity (Eckes and Gibbs, 2012). Basically, schools must make an adequate effort to alleviate the harassment in order to limit their liability, and this has been upheld by the courts in cases like Werth v. Board of Directors (2007), and Biggs v. Board of Education (2002). Dress codes The last article on the list takes a look at how and why public schools can or cannot implement gender based dress codes. Proponents of dress codes list reasons including less distractions, less pressure to dress right, safety, and lower cost to families. Opponents say that dress codes take away students expressive rights, which are already severely limited in school settings. In this particular case, Ceara Sturgis had her picture and name removed from her senior yearbook because she is a lesbian who was more comfortable wearing the school prescribed male outfit. The current question is whether or not this is in violation of her civil liberties. Historically the courts have upheld the rights of schools to implement dress codes with very few exceptions. In Blau v. Fort Thomas Public School District (2005), a father brought suit against the school for violating 1st and 14th amendment rights with their dress code. The court found no violation of rights since â€Å"it is not related to suppression of the content of expression, it furthers a substantial government interest, and it does not burden substantially more speech than is necessary to further that interest† (Dowling-Sender, p. 34, 2005). On the other side of the coin, in United States vs. Virginia (1996), schools were required to show a â€Å"legitimate and important† reason for any gender based restrictions (Smith, 2012). In Ceara’s case, the school is going to have to show that it meets all these criteria, and the outcome has some potentially far reaching consequences. What all this means is that teaching in todays classrooms must be dynamic. Teachers need to be aware of their ever-changing legal and ethical obligations as educators. Decisions must be based on sound judgment and carefully documented observations. Teachers, students, and parents must work together and communicate with each other to create the best possible learning environment for everyone.

Project Management Body of Knowledge Essay

The PMBOK is an IEEE standard pioneered by PMI that provides the essentials of project management to successfully complete the project. Out of the nine knowledge areas I think these three areas are the most important and if these are managed well the trade show would be very effective. 1. Project Time Management A project is considered winning only if it is delivered on time and in that case only, it earns proper attention in terms of business and visitors. A project needs to be divided into various small tasks and each task must be linked together using two strategies of logical relationship between the tasks and the estimated time. Furthermore the sequence of flow of the tasks defining dependency of tasks on each other is important in this regard. The priority of tasks must also be considered while time managing the project. Milestones must be set to follow the time management properly; these milestones may include the following:  · The start and finish of a project  · Completion of major deliverables  · Formal reviews  · Key events such as presentations If this area of PMBOK is missed then the project would not be delivered on time and would definitely lose its value and if it is still delivered the quality of the trade show would definitely have been deteriorated. 2. Project Human Resource Management To manage most projects, another most important area is human resource management. To organize a trade show a number of people having expertise in various areas are needed and effectively managing them so that maximum output form the employed people is taken is a key to a successful project. The frustrated project managers are usually found saying that they need more resources, but even with more resources the problem doesn’t get solved, adding more resources may even complicate the problem. The key to it is to systematically analyze the project human resource requirement, which in turn make possible effective project completion in a timely and neatly manner (Meredith & Mantel, 2008). Key practices to improve the human resource management are  · List the people with the tasks (in a Gantt chart)  · Find out If the same person is listed as the owner of the most of the tasks  · Find out if The same person is listed as owner of the same parallel tasks  · Find out if The any person has been barely listed  · Find out if The Many tasks are stacked up in parallel  · Find out if Those tasks which don’t have owners If the proper HRM is not a practice, Firstly Cost of project would be increased and secondly rift between the several members of the team may result leading to the total failure of the project. 3. Project Communications Management To organize an effective event the communication between the various members of the team need to have effective communication between them. Large projects such as tradeshow generate a large amount of communication. Proactively determining the mode of communication between the team members and how often would that communication takes place would be an important time saver, some teams agree to use email for formal and non urgent matters and voice mail/ phone call for urgent matters. Another way is to give responsibility to someone who would be responsible for communicating information to the senior managers. Trade show, like all other projects, needs to establish its own communication strategy depending upon the people involved and the cost (Kerzner, H. (2005). Ineffective communication would incur considerable increase in cost to the project and things would happen but in a haphazard manner with often conflicts occurring within the team and same tasks done repeatedly by several members resulting in wastage of time.