Sunday, November 10, 2019

Reflection: Education and Reflective Practice Essay

The aim of this assignment is to give a reflective account on group presentation and the peer assessment process as well as the development of a personal action plan. It would involve using ‘The What? Model of Structured Reflection’ (Driscoll 2007) to analyse the experience of using a group designed assessment tool to assess my peers and the experience of being peer assessed. Additionally, experience of completing a group presentation would be reflected upon. A personal action plan which identifies areas for personal development and the designed assessment tool is attached as appendix 1 and 2 respectively. Reflection entails reviewing experience from practice so that it may be described, analysed, evaluated and consequently used to inform and change future practice in a positive way (Bulman and Schutz 2013, p6). Reflection could be (Oelofsen 2012, p4) in real time (reflection in action) or retrospectively (reflection on action). Several authors (Jay and Johnson 2002; Taylor 2006) have suggested the use of frameworks to guide students undertaking reflective writing. However, John (cited in Bulman and Schutz, 2013, p118) cautions that reflective frameworks are guides rather than a rigid prescriptive format. Jasper (2006) also warns that frameworks come with the author’s perspective and values base and leads reflectors in a specific direction. It is therefore imperative to be critical of the model of choice and adjust the framework to suit ones purposes so that it can be used effectively. Numerous frameworks for facilitating reflection are utilised in nursing (Doel and Shardlow 2009, p42) such as Gibb’s Reflective Cycle (1988) and John’s Model of Structured Reflection (1995). Following critical analysis, ‘The What? Model of Structured Reflection (Driscoll 2007) consisting of three simple questions; What?, So what? and Now what?, each with sub questions was chosen. The rationale for this choice is that this framework is comparatively simple (Howatson-Jones 2010), effective and very apt for novice practitioners but can equally be used at different levels (Jasper 2003, p99). Moreover, it can be used logically with any type of situation by using the cue questions which gives a deeper and meaningful reflective process hereby leading to the formulation of an action plan for the future. Furthermore, as opposed to Gibbs and John’s framework, it enables reflective activity to lead to action being taken rather than being proposed or tentative. The purpose of returning to this situation is to learn from the experience of using a devised assessment tool to assess my peers. Haven being divided into a group of four students based on our learning styles, each group was expected to design an assessment tool and carry out a presentation which is to be peer assessed. The group presentation involved presenting on one of the 3 future roles of a nurse: educator, manager or professional. Devising our assessment tool was very challenging as each member of the group brainstormed, shared views, and prioritised. Communication was done via emails, phone calls and meetings as agreed by all members. Effective team working was evident among all members. The assessment tool was amended based on feedback received from the lecturer. On the presentation day, majority of the students including myself were anxious as there was a misunderstanding of the date of presentation so were not prepared. Although, this affected the quality of our presentation as it was prepared under 20 minutes. However, students’ still proved that they could be innovative even under duress. The peer assessment process involved an individual assessment of each group’s presentation using our assessment tool and calculating the average to give the final grade. During this process, I realized how difficult it was assessing others and being assessed without being biased. It was particularly difficult to measure the criteria as our assessment tool was not explicit making it impossible to justify the marks awarded. It had too many separate components with inappropriate weighting which made it arduous and complicated in the averaging task. Although, the assessment tool appeared simple as it involved ticking boxes. However, it was diff icult to decide which boxes to tick because students demonstrated majority of the criteria but at different levels and this led to being over marked. It would have been more realistic to award marks to each criterion rather than ticking boxes. Hargreaves (2007) as well as Quinn and Hughes (2007, p270) propose that assessment tool should be both valid (assess what it claims to assess) and reliable (perform in a consistent and stable manner). It is of the opinion now following the assessment that our assessment tool cannot be considered valid and reliable for the following reasons. Learning outcome was not part of the criteria so it was impossible to make a judgement about the quality of the students’ presentation and thus could not be penalized. Hinchliff (1999) suggests that learning outcomes should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timed (SMART). It should include an indication of the evidence required to demonstrate that learning has been achieved (Dix and Hughes, 2004), but Welsh and Swann (2002) caution that too many may create unreasonable expectations. Moreover, the ambiguity of the tool and individuals’ subjectivity in terms of attitudes, beliefs and values (the ‘halo’ eff ect) resulted in perceived bias which affected the reliability. Bias however, remains an issue to overcome and as such I felt the feedback received from my peers would not be accurate. Although the peer assessment process made us engage fully in the presentation and learn from the strengths and weaknesses of our peers, there is a need to develop the necessary skills and judgements to effectively manage peer assessments and this involves knowledge and experience (Oelofsen 2012, Somerville and Keeling, 2004). Furthermore, there is a need to be fully prepared and equipped, develop criteria that match the identified learning outcome, consider the issue of fairness particularly with disabled students and clearly communicate assessment criteria . The above reasons can be considered as areas for future development, an in depth analysis of this can be seen in the attached action plan (appendix 1). This process of reflection on action has proved successful as it brought about learning. Even though critics like Rolfe (2003) and Markham (2002) criticised reflective practice for lack of definition and unproven benefit. Taylor (2010) however argues that it is nevertheless worth the effort to bring about deeper insights and changes in practice and education. In conclusion, this essay has demonstrated an understanding of the peer assessment process by assessing the worth of our assessment tool on other students and the experience of being assessed by peers. Using a framework of choice, my experience was analysed and areas for further development identified and attached as appendix 1. Overall, this reflection has brought about deeper insights which identified strengths and weaknesses that would consequently enhance my professional development and result in changes in the future should the situation arise again.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Financial Analysis in the articles Inquiries galore and A Long

Financial Analysis in the articles Inquiries galore and A Long In the article Inquiries galore Victoria Papandrea analyses the changes that may happen due to an effect of the commonly known the Ripoll, Henry and Cooper reviews that discusse the financial products, taxation and superannuation. Papandrea (2009) indicates that the main purpose of those reviews is ‘a profound effect on the financial services industry.’Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Financial Analysis in the articles Inquiries galore and A Long-term Plan for Australian tax Reform specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Analyzing the Ripoll Review, Papandrea says about the priorities of the role of adviser, commissions, banks, marketing and advertising campaigns, licensing, financial literature, etc. in the development of the current economical situation. However, nowadays, those changes seem like an anomaly. The government tries to change the system and support licensees and advisers, rather than provide a ne cessary reforms and complex regulations and restrictions. Writing about the Henry review, Papandrea indicates its main idea as the recommendations that can improve the current financial situation. It is the opportunity for government to regulate the tax system. The Cooper review, according to Papandrea (2009), is full of the expectations about the ‘greatest potential of the Australian superannuation system for future generation.’ Papandrea emphasizes the importance of the early realization of the preliminary recommendations in response to cover a number of problems within the current economic situation. Thompson in his research analyses the report of the Henry Review of the Australian taxation and transfers system that was proposed by the Labor Party in 2007. The key moments of the author’s analysis are the current 125 taxes in Australia. However, the author emphasizes that 90 per cent of the total number are based on ten of those taxes that leads to the discussi ons about its capacity and the real expediency. Describing the discussions around the governmental programs, Thompson (2010, p.305) indicates that the majority of the commentators criticize the government for adopting only a few of the tax programs.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Exploring the Henry Report, Thompson (2010, p.305) says about such fundamental recommendations as the personal income tax, business income, private consumption and economic rents, while the other taxes should be maintained only in case of its real efficiency. Thompson analyses the government’s response to the Henry Review, indicating the high level of ineffective misinterpretations. However, the measures announced in the 2011 Budget include the recommendation of the Review such as the tax paid by the financial institutions on offshore borrowings. Thompson concludes that the Austral ian government fixing the tax system should proceed to the recommendations in order to develop Australia’s position in the context of global markets. Reference List Papandrea, V 2009, ‘Inquiries galore’, Investor Daily. Web. Thompson, W. D 2010, ‘A Long-term plan for Australian tax reform – the Henry Report and the government’s response’, Keeping good companies, June, pp. 305-308.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Hinglish - Definition, Etymology and Examples

Hinglish s Hinglish is a mix of Hindi (the official language of India) and English (an associate official language of India) that is spoken by upwards of 350 million people in urban areas of India. (India contains, by some accounts, the largest English-speaking population in the world.) Hinglish (the term is a blend of the words Hindi and English) includes English-sounding phrases that have only Hinglish meanings, such as badmash (which means naughty) and glassy (in need of a drink). Examples and Observations In a shampoo advertisement currently playing on Indian television, Priyanka Chopra, the Bollywood actress, sashays past a line of open-top sports cars, flicking her glossy mane, before looking into the camera and saying: Come on girls, waqt hai shine karne ka!Part English, part Hindi, the linewhich means It’s time to shine!is a perfect example of Hinglish, the fastest growing language in India.While it used to be seen as the patois of the street and the uneducated, Hinglish has now become the lingua franca of India’s young urban middle class . . ..One high-profile example is Pepsi’s slogan Yeh Dil Maange More! (The heart wants more!), a Hinglish version of its international â€Å"Ask for more!† campaign.(Hannah Gardner, HinglishA Pukka Way to Speak. The National [Abu Dhabi], Jan. 22, 2009)Prepaid mobile phones have become so ubiquitous in India that English words to do with their userecharge, top-up and missed callhave become common, too. Now, it seems, th ose words are transforming to take on broader meanings in Indian languages as well as in Hinglish.(Tripti Lahiri, How Tech, Individuality Shape Hinglish. The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 21, 2012) The Rise of Hinglish The language Hinglish involves a hybrid mixing of Hindi and English within conversations, individual sentences and even words. An example: She was  bhunno-ing the  masala-s  jub  phone  ki ghuntee bugee. Translation: She was frying the spices when the phone rang. It is gaining  popularity  as a way of speaking that demonstrates you are modern, yet locally grounded.New research  by my colleagues . . . has found that while the hybrid language is not likely to replace English or Hindi in India, more people are fluent in Hinglish than they are in English. . . .Our data revealed two important patterns. First, Hinglish speakers cannot speak monolingual Hindi in settings which require only Hindi (like our interview scenario)this confirms reports from some speakers that their only fluency is in this hybrid Hinglish. What this means is that, for some speakers, using Hinglish is not a choicethey cannot speak monolingual Hindi, nor monolingual English. Because these Hinglish spe akers are not fluent in Hindi, they are not likely to undergo language shift to monolingual Hindi.Second, bilinguals adjust their speech towards Hinglish when they talk to Hinglish speakers. Over time, the number of Hinglish speakers is growing by adopting speakers from the bilingual community who lose the need to use either language monolingually.(Vineeta Chand, The Rise and Rise of Hinglish in India.  The Wire  [India], February 12, 2016) The Queens Hinglish A testimony is the average north Indians response to the language of the conquering British. They transformed it into Hinglish, a pervasive mishmash beyond state control that has spread from below so that even ministers no longer aspire to imitating the Queen. Hinglish boasts of airdashing to a crisis (famine or fire) lest newspapers accuse them of being on the backfoot. A vivacious mixture of English and native tongues, Hinglish is a dialect pulsating with energy and invention that captures the essential fluidity of Indian society.(Deep K Datta-Ray, Tryst With Modernity. The Times of India, Aug. 18, 2010)[Hinglish has] been called the Queens Hinglish, and for good reason: its probably been around since the first trader stepped off the ships of the British East India Company in the early 1600s. . . .You can hear this phenomenon for yourself by dialing the customer service number for any of the worlds largest corporations. . . . India has literally turned its English-speaking ability, a once embarrassing legacy of its colonial past, into a multi-billion-dollar competitive advantage.(Paul J. J. Payack, A Million Words and Counting: How Global English Is Rewriting the World. Citadel, 2008) The Hippest Language in India This mix of Hindi and English is now the hippest slang on the streets and college campuses of India. While once considered the resort of the uneducated or the expatriatedthe so-called ABCDs or the American-Born Confused Desi (desi denoting a countryman), Hinglish is now the fastest-growing language in the country. So much so, in fact, that multinational corporations have increasingly in this century chosen to use Hinglish in their ads. A McDonalds campaign in 2004 had as its slogan What your bahana is? (Whats your excuse?), while Coke also had its own Hinglish strapline Life ho to aisi (Life should be like this). . . . In Bombay, men who have a bald spot fringed by hair are known as stadiums, while in Bangalore nepotism or favouritism benefiting ones (male) child is known as son stroke.(Susie Dent, The Language Report: English on the Move, 2000-2007. Oxford University Press, 2007)

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Lorenzo's Oil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lorenzo's Oil - Essay Example Also featured as an important aspect of this film is the way that the home care nurses treated their patient whom they knew was an invalid. Their negativism was poisonous to the childs environment and contributed to the undue stress that the child and the family were already experiencing. The main thing that inspired me about the family in this movie was the fact that they never allowed anyone to tell them what they could and could not do for their son. The Odones are the epitome of parents who put everything on the line in order to give their son a life. Granted that it may have not been a life that the boy would have chosen for himself and maybe, the boy at a certain point was already begging to die, but what kind of person would give up on his own life when his own family has fought so hard to keep him alive? Lorenzo himself was an inspiration as he bravely battled his physical and inner demons in order to continue with his life and his mission. Unbeknownst to the boy, he became a symbol of hope for all those suffering from ALD and his own family was a beacon of light for those who needed more than just medical jargon being spouted at them. It is because of this positive attitude of the Odones that I was saddened to see Lorenzos two medical nurses display such unprofessional behavior while caring for him. A nurse is by profession a care giver. A person who helps care for those who are ill and assist the family in dealing with their already trying situation. It is never the place of the nurse to dictate to the parents of the patient regarding what kind of medical treatment they think the patient should be having. A nurse should also display an uncanny sense of empathy for the ill and his parents. The attitude of the second nurse in the movie was something that should be disapproved of by any parent. Whether the patient is conscious of his position and condition or not, the latter should always be assumed

Friday, November 1, 2019

Chinese Christian History Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Chinese Christian History - Research Paper Example There is a current interest in Chinese Christianity studies owing to what many quarters see as an upsurge in the number of Christians in the country in recent times, with some estimates putting the number of Chinese Christians at anywhere between 25 million to 200 million, said to be the highest those numbers have ever been in China, with prospects for more growth in the number of new entrants to Christianity moving forward. This, in spite of a history of Christian persecution and persecution and suppression of religious expression by the government authorities in China through time, making it difficult to come up with accurate assessments of the state of Christianity in the country at any given time. The implication is that the persecution must drive some of the Christian activities underground, so that at any given time in history, one can say that the official numbers belie an even larger underground population of Chinese Christians who choose to remain incognito rather than face the wrath of the Chinese bureaucratic machine. That said, the history of Chinese Christians is interesting, given that at even today’s conservative estimates, the number of Chinese Christians attending Sunday service now dwarf the total number of European Christians, with a large potential upside. This paper basically traces the historical roots of this present-day phenomenon of the meteoric rise in the numbers of Christians in China (Gardam; Kelman; BillionBibles.org; Liqiang and Yinan; Christians in China; Moll; Orso; Yao). II. Chinese Christian History A. How Chinese Christianity Developed The earliest form of Christianity that took root in China had its origins in what is called Nestorian Christianity, which is a form of Christianity introduced by Alopen, a Nestorian \Christian from Syria, who came into China in 635 during the time of the Tang Dynasty. The religion was perceived and received by the local Chinese Buddhists as a variant of Buddhism itself, and via this asso ciation was received positively by the Chinese at the time, calling the religion of Alopen a brilliant religion worthy of admiration. The Chinese from the Tang period had a curious stance towards Western religion at the time, and this version gained some traction and toleration for some period of time, before it was rooted out of mainland China during the purge of the 9th century, when its perceived association with Buddhist precepts made it a candidate for purging. Several other waves of Christianity met with some mild success but failed to take root as well, from the 13th all the way to the 18th centuries, before a fourth Christianity wave that occurred during the 19th century developed sturdier roots in Chinese society. During this time, coercion on the part of the western powers allowed Christianity as advanced by missionaries to gain ground even with the corresponding advance of western economic and political interests resulted in Christianity being perceived as part of this dr ive, and so was resisted in some measure by the Chinese. The backlash from all this was the targeting of Christian groups in China in 1919, and the further withering of the roots of Chinese Christianity in the ensuing years due to the pressures exerted on it by the budding Communist Party. During this tim

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Banking System in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Banking System in America - Essay Example In the United States of America, separate financial regulatory structures are in place to regulate the Insurance and financial securities aspects of the banking sector at the State and the Federal level and. these regulatory agencies are controlled by the Federal government in conjunction with the State governments. In the United States of America, there are laws that are enacted to prevent money laundering, anti-terrorism laws, laws that are meant to prevent usury lending, anti-fraud and privacy laws, and laws to promote lending of money to people with small incomes, all this fall under the banking sector. This paper discusses the performance of the banking industry in America. In effectively discussing this aspect, this paper will give the industrial characteristics of the banking sector in United States of America. It will review the pricing, efficiency and profitability of the banksin America as well as analyze environmental factors that drive the Banking sector in America and th ereafter access there impacts. This paper seeks to answer the following questions, What are the industrial characteristics of the Banking sector in United States of America? How efficient is the banking system in United States of America in providing services to its people? What are the environmental factors that influence the performance of the banking system in America and what are its implications? The banking system in America is regulated by The National Banking acts of 1863 and 1864 and they are responsible for the creation of the banking system in the United States of America and any other legislation created, needs to be in accordance to this laws. This act promoted the development of a currency that could be used all over the United States of America and it supported withholding of bank assets which includes financial securities offered by the treasury of the United States of America. The National Banking Act recognizes the office of the treasury regulator whose role is to control the value of the United States currency and ensure that banks don’t collude to manipulate the American currency, the dollar. Banks in United States of America are characterized by the notion of relationship banking. This characteristic of the United States Banking system is for the purposes of maintaining profitability . Relationship banking refers to a situation where banks provide financial services through an intermediary. In the United States of America, banks practice these aspects of financial system. The main aim of banks in applying the principles of relationship banking is to enable them acquire information about a client to be used in the long run. These aspects of banking is important because it reduces the cost of gathering information about a client through many transactions and the information gathered, banks can use them to introduce other services in the economy and finally through this system of relationship banking, banks and their clients build a re putation through constant financial interactions and therefore facilitates negotiations of low cost loans. The American banking system is also characterized by emergence of private banks. American banking system allows expansion of commercial banks opened by individuals or companies. This was made possible by the requirements of The National banking act of 1863 which allowed competition in the

Monday, October 28, 2019

The Play of Daniel Keyes’ Flowers for Algernon Essay Example for Free

The Play of Daniel Keyes’ Flowers for Algernon Essay The story, â€Å"Flowers for Algernon†, is one that has been written using the first person narration and makes use of progress reports hence making the reader to be part of the story an understand the story as it happens through each of the reports used (Rogers, and Daniel, 5-15). The first person technique is important in that it allows all the changes that are seen to take place in Charlie, who is the main character of the story, to be clearly visible both at an external and internal level. It is to be noted that Charlie Gordon is the center of the whole story whereby he is the main character that is subjected to a scientific experiment that is aimed at increasing his intelligence level. In addition to that, Charlie is also the author to the narratives provided through the progress reports.          The reader of this story is able to get a view of life throu8gh the eyes of Charlie who is the main narrator and character in the story ((Rogers, and Daniel, 5-15). The reader is able to understand and follow the progress and development of Charlie through the spellings and the evolution of Charlie’s syntax. The operation that Charlie undergoes fails to work and proves to be detrimental because Charlie gets to find out that his â€Å"friends† are not actually true friends. Furthermore, Charlie becomes arrogant and cannot relate to people after the experiment and his is not able to impress his family which is his true motivation.            Charlie undergoes an intelligence operation which transforms him to become more intelligent than he was before. He ends up getting a job at the bakery with the help of his uncle, Uncle Herman (Coules, Daniel, and Robert, 87). Charlie meets Gimpy, Frank Reilly and Joe Carp, people that he considers to be his friends at the bakery and ones he could rely on. However, as it turns out, these are not his true friends. Gimpy, Frank Reilly and Joe Carp result to making fun of Charlie and resent him for being more intelligent after the operation when he goes back to work with them. The three make fun of Charlie and eventually gets him fired because they never liked him despite the fact that the boss, Mr. Donner, believed in Charlie.            At this point, Charlie gets to know that the people that he considered to be his â€Å"friends† were actually not his true friends based on their actions towards him. However the attitude of the three changes towards Charlie as the story comes to an end and Charlie’s intellectual ability starts to recede drastically. One thing that the reader gets to learn from the actions of Charlie’s â€Å"friends† is that not everyone in your life is your true friend. There are others who may not have good intentions yet they claim to be your friends hence the need to be cautious with people that say they are your friends.            Another issue that is portrayed in the story is that Charlie becomes an arrogant person and is not able to relate with people hence showing that the experiment was detrimental. The lack of proper relationship with other people and Charlie shows that the experiment turned out to be quite detrimental to the life of Charlie (Coules, Daniel, and Robert, 87). It can be observed that after the experiment, Charlie starts to lose his intelligence and he starts to spend less time with his girlfriend Fay. However, it reaches a point whereby Charlie wants to get back with Fay but she cannot accept due to Charlie’s condition which makes her afraid of him. This results in the collapse of their relationship.             Furthermore, the experiment affected how Charlie relates with his family which is seen when he chases his sister out of his room and does not want to talk to her. The issue that one gets to learn from this is that not all experiments have positive impacts in the lives of human beings and it is important that people should accept who they are instead of trying to change themselves.          From the on-set of this story, Charlie is seen as less intelligent and retarded by his family members. The inspiration and motivation to volunteer for the procedure which was aimed at enhancing his intelligence comes from need to impress his family (Coules, Daniel, and Robert, 87). Charlie agrees to undergo the procedure so that he could be what his mother and father wants him to be, an intelligent child. Charlie is rejected by the family that motivated him to get the procedure done. After becoming intelligent, he is also rejected by the foster family for being too intelligent.            Charlie undergoes through a rough time especially when his acquired intelligence starts to recede causing him to become alienated from people and instead spends time alone. From the experiences that Charlie goes through in this story tells the reader that life is full of challenges and that there are appreciating what one has is of great importance than to seek for something that will only result in to misery. References Coules, Bert, Daniel Keyes, and Robert Chambers. The Play of Daniel Keyes Flowers for Algernon. Oxford: Heinemann Educational, 1993. Print. P.47 Rogers, David, and Daniel Keyes. Flowers for Algernon: A Full-Length Play. Chicago: Dramatic Pub. Co, 1969. Print. P.5-93 Source document