Use of Alumni Tracer Study to Maintain Curriculum Relevancy

Use of Alumni Tracer Study to Maintain Curriculum Relevancy Distance education can play a crucial role in the professional development of a developing country like Indonesia by meeting human resource requirements. It caters to the requirement not only those who are unemployed but also of those who are on the job. Their knowledge can be updated through continuing education programmes. In-service teacher education is an investment in human capital, which brings benefits in the form of enhanced educator productivity, and higher levels of output. One of the most important functions of the education sector is to provide knowledge and skill to various sectors of the education area. It is widely argued that the structure and pattern of education, especially at the elementary and secondary stage, has to be purposefully re-oriented towards new national standard to join together with the projected future pattern of graduation requirements. Currently, most of the countries of the world, especially Indonesia, has given due importance to in-service teache r education to provide diversification of educational opportunities so as to enhance individual professionalism, reduce the gap between urban and rural area of skilled teacher and provide an alternative for those pursuing higher education. Distance and online learning in the Open University of Indonesia (UT) has been greatly developed as a methodology for providing education for those who formerly may have found further education inaccessible for various reasons. In the purpose of accreditation process, UT put a finest on compliance and included some reporting requirements in tracer study that necessarily lead programs toward excellence or increase in-service teacher students impact on their schools and distance learning. In writers opinion, Universitas Terbuka can responsively maintain curriculum relevancy and usefulness for professional development. Ornstein and Hunkins (2009, p.15) argue that curriculum development includes how a curriculum is planned, implemented and evaluated, as well as what people, processes and procedures are involved... Curriculum models help designers to systematically and transparently map out the rationale for the use of particular teaching, learning and assessment approaches. They suggest that although curriculum development models are technically useful, they often overlook the human factor such as the personal attitudes, emotions, values involved in curriculum making. Therefore they are not a method and should not be a substitute for using professional and personal judgement on what is a good approach to develop student learning. UT organized alumni tracer study in 2009 and got more than 10.000 responses but in this paper the writer only use 200 responses to be analyzed randomly. Tracer study encourages UT to solve complex problems confronting professional development. It is also common for higher educational institutions to have their graduates make an evaluation of their learning experience and the quality of learning which they received. This evaluation process often takes the form of graduate or alumni surveys, which are sometimes referred to as tracer studies. It is focused not only on measuring teacher and program performance, but also other alumni and other aspects. UT should know the fortunes of their graduates in order to make a complete assessment of how the educational process has impacted their graduates. With the tracer study result, UT is able to make development and modifications on their programs that could enhance their students chances of achieving success. In this paper the use of the trace r study will be discussed as an effective method of evaluating the success of distance and online programmes to provide and maintain curriculum relevancy for professional development in UT. THE OPEN UNIVERSITY OF INDONESIA UT which was established in 1984 is a national university constituted under the Presidential Decree of the Republic of Indonesia Number 41 Year 1984 and has the same legal and academic status as any other national university in Indonesia. UT is quite unique as it is the only university in Indonesia that is dedicated to distance learning. The academic programmes of the UT are specifically designed to enable persons who have graduated from senior high school to pursue a higher education. The programmes of the university enable students to join in at the level of the qualifications they possess and are structured from certificate and proceed to diploma, bachelor degrees and graduate degrees. At present with a total student enrolment of around 639,049 (http://www.ut.ac.id/ut-dalam-angka.html, 2010), UT has the largest student bodies in the country. The students are enrolled in more than 30 programmes of study out of which 96 per cent of the students are employed and around 82 per cent are teachers. The completion of programmes by students become more difficult for students who enrol at Open Universities as they are compelled to study while working and attending to their normal family responsibilities. It is pertinent therefore, to examine the alumni satisfaction after they graduated from UT. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN UT The Characteristic of UTs students UTs students are similar with the other ODL students. Its characteristics are classified as non-traditional students (Easton, 2003): have internal motivation to seek higher education and self-discipline to undertake study. One of the motivations is they can study while working for people who for some reasons cannot attend face to face education, for example people living in rural areas, in isolated islands, who cannot move to the cities where there are universities. UT differs from other open university on two accounts. It requires formal entrance qualifications and it has both full-time as well as part-time students (Hiola Moss, 1990).   The lack of time and funds promote students to apply in UT. Potential UTs students are not a captive market. UT can at least rely on a student intake derived from the geographical location in which they are approximated. Proximity and subsidized fees through scholarship often make nearby institutions the first option for students. For those who cannot physically attend, UT provides education from certain places on the world by ODL. The prospective distance education student can therefore join in UT for the type of programme they wish to pursue which are congruent with their professional and personal goals. UT has many competitors around the world, because the demand for ODL has grown extensively. Many private and public universities have increased their student intake by offering online programmes. With the large number of institutions participating in ODL it has become a highly competitive market for providers. Distance education has taken on the characteristics of a service industry, with students becoming the loyal customers for the education product. The need for customer satisfaction therefore increases the necessity to have students evaluate the product (Millington, 2008). Student responses on these matters can gauge the level of satisfaction with the course itself and institutional planners can implement improvements where dissatisfaction has been expressed. However, this form of evaluation does not measure the outputs and outcomes of education. Furthermore, UW-Stout conducts surveys on all its alumni one and five years after their graduation. Bosshart, Wents, and Heller (2009) state these surveys provide critical information for assessing and determining the effectiveness of programs. These results may then be utilized for program improvement. Schomburg (2003, p.25) identifies the outputs as attributes such as knowledge and skills, and outcomes as transition to employment, work experience and service to society. He suggests the use of the tracer study by institutions as a method for knowing the destiny of their graduates and the relationship between their study and their professional reward. (p.29). Tracer Study and Curriculum Development Although the usual end of the course evaluation can ask for the student to assess whether they have gained the knowledge and skills necessary for fulfilling their personal objectives, there is really little proof of this until the student has completed the entire course of study and has entered the workforce. By surveying a cohort of graduates from: a specific institution; profession; discipline; graduation date; level of education; or a combination of these for comparative analysis, Schomburg (2003) presents examples of issues which can be addressed in tracer studies. Biographical data on Where are our graduates now may supply information on income, job title, nature of employment, and years of employment. He also believes that surveys should also include information about the kind of work task the relationship between study and work, and professional values and job satisfaction. The use of tracer studies to provide and maintain curriculum relevancy for professional development have been conducted by Harald Schomburg and his colleagues at the Centre for Higher Education and Work, University of Kassel, Germany, have done considerable research on conducting tracer surveys, constructing effective tracer study questionnaires and their statistical analysis. They have conducted survey projects such as the CHEERS (Career after Higher Education-a European Research Study) which investigated the links between higher education and graduate employment in Europe. They have done similar research in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Zembere and Chinyama (1996) tried to find out what factors are important for professional success of graduates taking into account personal factors and identify key aspects of the continuing professional education of graduates in University of Malawi. Another tracer study is conducted in Nigeria (Ugwuonah Omeje, 1998) with the results as follows: Link and match in both the industries and higher education profiles. Broad based and trans-disciplinary curriculum planning and development Collaboration between higher education institution and industries. Tracer study conducted for open and distance learning (ODL) is not many. One of them is done by the Staff Training and Research Institute of Distance Education (STRIDE) at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). In addition, tracer study also completed by the Nigerian Institute (NTI) which launched its Nigeria Certificate in Education by ODL in 1990 in response to urgent need to train more teachers. The findings of the study were that the performance of ODL graduates was as effective in the classroom as that of their peers who had studied in the traditional way. Based on the tracer study result, the Institute itself had improved its management and monitoring systems (Umar, 2006). ALUMNI TRACER STUDY FOR MAINTAINING CURRICULUM RELEVANCY AND USEFULNESS Provision Of a Working Definition Of The Tracer Study Concept For the purposes of this discussion tracer study will be taken to mean: A period when institutions of learning set up regular intervals of time to venture into the field and follow their past graduates to find out what they are doing with the training they received and find out from them how best they think the institutions who trained them will be able to help them upgrade their acquired knowledge and skills through the reform and innovation of curricula and course programmes including school-based or work-based professional development to live up to the expectations of the constantly changing technological and scientific working environment and employer demands (Boaduo, Mensah Babitseng, 2009). In educational research, according to Schomburg (2003), tracer study is a survey of graduates from institutions of higher education since its target groups is the alumni. The ILO Thesaurus 2005 defines a tracer study as an impact assessment tool where during evaluation the impact on target groups is traced back to specific elements of a project or programme so that effective and ineffective project components may be identified. Schomburg (2003, p.36) notes that graduate surveys are popular for analysis of the relationship between higher education and work. They provide quantitative-structural data on employment and career, the character of work and related competencies, and information on the professional orientation and experiences of their graduates. The alumni tracer study in UT has objectives to build strong bonds between the institution and its graduates, because the alumni are the excellent source of advice for improvements of institution and to measure the extent of professional and academic careers pursued by the graduates after gaining knowledge and skills through academic institutions. Many questions were designed so that appropriate answers could be ticked off. Some open-ended questions were developed to get suggestions, comments, explanations and clarifications. Immediate supervisors or employers were requested to provide views on UTs graduates in their employment, in terms of theoretical knowledge, practical experience/skill, job performance, strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement. Assuming that peers can be the most important appraisers of their fellow UTs graduates, as they are very close to them in many respects, peer groups were asked to state the strengths of UTs graduates. A scaling technique was applied to measure the relevancy and usefulness of tracer in professional and academic development of UTs graduates. Some questions were featured in a tabular format to assess job profile that UTs graduates considered before and after their studies at UT. This was done to get information on the number of positions held, year of starting and ending j ob, title and level of the positions, influential positions, name of the employers organization, type of employers, major responsibility, and awards, rewards or promotions. The position levels in categorically divided into three stages such as survey organization, data collection, data analysis and report writing. Curriculum Relevancy and Usefulness for Professional Development in UT The alumni tracer study consists of many aspects. Some of them are impact study that seeks to determine graduates satisfaction with the institution especially with curriculum relevancy and usefulness. Another one is professional development study to determine the extent to which the curriculum has developed them qualified in their career. As the writer said that the majority of learners are already working, they need to develop their competencies and skills to stay relevant and useful. The attributes that would be developed in the distance education in the future are knowledge and skills, perspectives, contextual problem solving, networking and competency-based outcomes (Boettcher, 2006). UT should have planning to accommodate these new emphases and provide curriculum relevancy for its alumni to incorporate their education and professional competencies. Academic curriculum as a tool used to develop the skills, roles as a vehicle, which attributes can be transferred during the learning process (Fallows Steven, 2000). In the academic curriculum dimension for 2009, both of items are majority rated satisfactory (Table 2.). It is shown that alumni are generally satisfied with the curriculum developed by UT. In writers assumptions, one of the contributors of the curriculum relevancy is the rich composition of participants in academic curriculum development, which consists of lecturers, students, curriculum specialist, professionals and experts in certain fields from government parties or private industries. Another contributor is the use of information and communication technology in learning process. According to Listyarini, Ratnaningsih and Yuliana (2010), alumni and stakeholders perceived that alumni had improved in their knowledge and skills of ICT and learning media. Strategy to Provide and Maintain Curriculum Relevancy Earlier in this paper it was suggested that the findings of tracers studies could be used to reform ODL programmes. As seen in the African studies graduate dissatisfaction with resources, technology and the need to enhance teacher competence in audio-visual technology points to where institutional investment and reform could be targeted. The Malawi study revealed the importance of interpersonal skills and proficiency in English. This information could be used by curriculum planners for the incorporation of these skills into training and course content. The Nigerian study indicated a need for greater linkages with the industrial sector to make programmes more relevant to the manufacturing industry, especially for engineering. Most importantly, the fact that tracer studies can show that the quality of ODL graduates is comparable (as with the NTI) with those of traditional education suggests that they should be an integral tool for evaluating ODL. Tracer studies of ODL graduates can provide the information needed to reform educational programmes to bring about the fit between the requirements of the employment world and study. Surveys do have their disadvantages: it is sometimes difficult to locate alumni and have them complete questionnaires. Schomburg (2003) warns that the graduate might not always be able to identify the relationship between the knowledge acquired during study and their professional lives and that research findings are valuable inasmuch as planners can turn the findings into concrete reforms. However, this paper suggests that the tracer study can be an information provider as well as an evaluation tool. The success of graduates can be used, as a maintaining strategy to develop curriculum. UT can use the information gathered to adapt their courses to the demands of professional development and modify programmes to expand professional advancement through ODL. Zhou, Varnhagen, Sears, Kasprzak, Shervey (2007) examine the role of technology in continuing professional development and learning. They investigate whether online delivery of professional development is a successful alternative to other forms of professional development. This study provides a rich account into the challenges and tensions as to how leaders in higher education create and facilitate a shared, communal vision in the context of online curriculum delivery. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS This paper has provided documentary analysis about the need to use tracer study paradigm for the enhancement of the quality of courses offered in UT in Indonesia to be able to meet the demands of the changing educational demands of the new century. A working definition upon which the whole discussion was based has been provided. It is important to indicate that tracer study is a means of gathering important information about past graduates of higher institutions to be able to identify what they are doing with the training they obtained and what could be done to add to their expertise through these institutions to be able to reform their course programmes to keep up with the needs of the rapidly changing technological and scientific age. The result confirmed that UT is making a significant contribution to its distance learner by providing opportunities to improve their knowledge and skills, not only to perform better in their careers but also in providing the opportunity to pursue their studies to a higher level. This reflects the success of UT in providing the culture of lifelong learning among its learners. The most important thing is that the majority of alumni indicated that they would recommend their colleagues to study at UT for professional development purposes. It must be indicated that tracer study survey is a very tedious and complicated exercise. Extensive efforts should go into tracking and contacting individual graduates and alumni. There is need to step up the process of providing regular opportunities for alumni to register and create a forum electronically and through the web. Furthermore continuous efforts should be made to collect data progressively before and after graduation which will contribute to the improvement of the analysis of future tracer studies. Additional data can be collected for the type of institutions, nature of work, and ranks of the past graduates. The following recommendations are provided as a means to help improve tracer study in the future: (1) database developing for all higher education institution in Indonesia, (2) Establishing network between UT and its graduates, and (3) developing a committee of alumni tracer study for the whole higher education institution in Indonesia.

Cyp 3.1

cyp 3. 1 P47 2. 2 Explain how children and young peoples development is influenced by a range of external factors. Lack of finances – economic factor (parents may be unemployed) – The child will miss out on additional opportunities by not being able to attend after school activities such as swimming/music lessons, sports activities (tennis, football, gymnastics) or extra tuition. – Affecting social, emotional, physical, intellectual development. Inadequate housing poverty – Poor housing conditions may affect the child’s health and chances of developing through play if they live in a small over crowded house.The house may have damp (mould) not enough finances to provide adequate heating in the winter months, which will affect the child’s health. Lack of or unsuitable furniture/equipment – The child may not have a proper bed or blankets this will affect the child’s health if they cannot get enough rest/sleep, no safety equipment f or babies/young children – stair gate, plug socket covers etc†¦ which could cause the baby/child to have accidents or come to physical harm.Community social factor – Living in built up Inner city areas where there is antisocial or challenging behaviour within the community – parents may feel it is unsafe for their child to play in the community, the child may become involved through peer pressure to join the group/gang. There may not be sufficient local facilities for the parent to participate in activities with their child. The social infrastructure maybe lacking . e. g. play group’s, playgrounds, community halls where after school clubs are held.Diet personal choices – Lack of finance may mean that the child is not being provided with a sufficiently healthy nutritional diet. Low income families may buy foods that are a lot cheaper such as processed foods, these foods have higher levels of fat, salt and sugar – this can lead to poor co ncentration, lack of energy, obesity and many health problems. Education – Again lack of finances might lead to the child falling behind in their education – lack of study books or equipment, no access to the nternet – helping with their homework/research. Parents may not be able to afford school trips so the child may be affected emotionally and socially, feeling isolated or alienated from peers. Motivation and aspirations – The child/parent may feel despair living in inadequate housing conditions as well as the struggle of financial difficulties, may lead to anxiety, depression for child or parent, affecting the child’s motivation to learn and thrive in education.Lack of adequate parenting skills – Not encouraging their child to develop, not reading to the child, not engaging in activities that interest the child, not communicating with their child or others in the right manner (aggressive, shouting, swearing, ignoring or degrading) or par ents with antisocial behaviour, will leave the child feeling inadequate, having low self esteem, poor emotional, social and communication development. Addictions – The child may grow up in a vulnerable household where parents may be alcoholics or drug abusers, this will cause further financial problems for the family unit.The way in which the addicted parent cares for their child will have a detrimental affect on the child’s development as they will be incapable of providing a stable, nurturing and safe environment for their child. As the parent is consumed with their addiction they may neglect the child’s physical, emotional and intellectual needs. The child may take on the role of the main carer of the family (younger siblings as well as the parent) as the parent is incapacitated by their addiction.

Steps to Improve Your Test-Taking Experience

When taking tests it is very important for you to know and understand first, the different kinds of test questions you may encounter and second, how you can help maximize your potential of doing much better by knowing a few simple skills to help you master whatever test you may be faced with. The three most common different kinds of tests include but aren't limited to; matching, multiple choice and essay tests. In the next few body paragraphs you will learn simple skills that will help you understand how to master each test as well as other general information that can assist you when taking any kind of test. During any test, first and foremost you must read the directions very careful. The biggest way to eliminate making careless errors is to fully understand what the questions are asking and to follow all instructions. We will first discuss matching tests and the skills needed to take them. During matching portions of tests it is very easy for a student to become discouraged and distracted because of the level of knowledge it seems to take to answer these test questions. One good thing to remember about matching questions however is that most matching questions are usually broken up sentences, so paying close attention to grammatical clues is key. Also being aware that in most cases a long question is not paired with a long answer. In most cases if the question is long, the answer is short and vice versa. One final helpful hint during matching portions of tests is marking out used answers, this is helpful in eliminating redundancy unless the directions specifically say some answers may be use more than once. Second are multiple choice tests. Multiple choice tests are most common in college courses and require a lot of attention to ensure getting a good grade. Again first, read all directions. If you are unsure about what the test is asking, ask for clarification from the instructor. A good way to begin taking a multiple choice test is to read all of the questions before attempting to answer any questions. Reading through the questions once is a good way to get your mind active and ready to analyze and dissect each question. Once you've read through the questions you are ready to re read the test questions and this time reading all possible answers for each question. Without reading each possible answer and choosing an answer before you know of all that are possible, you are setting yourself up to miss the opportunity to find an answer that may be better than the one you've chosen. When rereading test questions and reading all possible answers it's a good confidence booster to mark â€Å"sure thing† answers first. When you are confidently answering questions you know are true, you are more likely to have more confidence venturing onto questions you may not be sure of yet. After you've marked all of your â€Å"sure thing† answers, you may need to reread the questions and answers a second or third time to review of any questions you may now know the answers to now that you've cycled back once or twice. Only after you've marked all of your â€Å"sure thing† answers will you begin to have to look for clues to answer the remaining questions you are still unsure of. Paying attention to grammatical cues help in many cases as well as divided context (multiple choice questions that may require you to finish a sentence) or differing formats (multiple choice questions that may ask you to identify something that is NOT true, or questions that contain double negatives to confuse the test taker). In cases when you are not sure of an answer and there is an option for â€Å"all of the above†, it is your safest bet to chose this answer. Also when dealing with numbers, such as percentages in statistics, it is usually wise when in doubt to chose the middle term as a possible answer. If you are still unsure of your answer begin by discarding obviously wrong answers first and eliminate answers from there. The third, final and probably hardest test to master is the essay test. Reading and understanding all directions and guidelines is essential, especially in essay tests. In most cases when you first begin an essay test you have many ideas floating around including important facts and/ or possible ideas you want to express in your essay, because essay tests require your undivided attention it's always a good idea to jot down potential ideas you may have so you won't forget them and your mind is free of unnecessary clutter. It's always best to start with the easiest questions first to gain momentum in your test and to jump start your creative thinking process. An important aspect of essay tests is the time limit you are given, It's easy to lose rack of time however not getting you whole essay done or expressing your important points in your essay may be detrimental to the grade of your essay. A good way to ensure you have time to spare is pacing yourself. Another way is to disregard your introduction and/ or conclusion paragraphs a d jump right into the point(s) you are trying to make. Use solid evidence to support your arguments/points and try to avoid personal opinions in you essay. In any kind of test situations, may it be from the ones reviewed above or another, some tips are helpful in every test situation. Making sure your name is on your test may seem like a juvenile point to make but it also shouldn't be the reason for you test to be thrown out or given a failing grade. Understanding an reading all directions is a point that can never be stressed enough as well as understanding the nature of each type of question that is being asked. Starting with the easiest questions and working your way to the hardest is a good way to manage time as well as give yourself the extra boost of confidence needed to shake off the jitters during a test. Never second guess yourself unless you are absolutely sure your second answer is right. Many times when you second guess your first instinct it is out of fear of your test not â€Å"looking right† or out of test anxiety causing you to over analyze your answers. Get clarification if you are unsure about something but be sure to only ask your instructor for clarification, speaking with a classmate can be seen as cheating. Pace yourself to avoid careless mistakes and if you have extra time, use it to double check your answers. By following all of these steps you are sure to have a much more pleasant and relaxing test taking experience.

Constant Stereotypes that People Place on Former Prisoners...

P for Punishment The rusted metal door scrapped shut, followed by the jingle of keys in the lock. Footsteps of free people echoed throughout the dry air and bounced off the low ceilings, growing fainter as they moved toward the exit of this icy room. Another door slammed shut, screeching loud metallic echoes in my ears and scattering my brain. After a while, the only echoes, to be heard, were the quiet voices of private conversations and the rustle of paper, which melted together in a blissful orchestration. Florescent lights hum and buzz overhead; one blinked every so often as if it were about to die, much like my happiness had long ago. This description captures the true horror of imprisonment. A close examination will reveal†¦show more content†¦The same study discovered that out of another sample of 272,111 prisoners released in 1994, 25.4% were resentenced to prison for a new crime, 46.9% were simply reconvicted and 67.5% were rearrested for a felony or serious misdemeanor within the next 3 years. According to data released by the Bureau of Justice, in 2007, an approximate number of 1,180,500 ex-prisoners on parole were suspected to be at risk for re-incarceration. Contrary to the previous study, ten years later, only 16% actually returned to incarceration by 2009 (Langan and Levin 13-14). That’s still approximately 188,880 people who burn themselves once again and ending up back behind bars. With that in mind, in order to understand their motives now, we must understand where these prisoners came from. Generally speaking, a majority of these citizens have poor education and come from unstable homes. Education is the only way to strive in this day and age. â€Å"Prison education is a means of rehabilitating and re-directing. If you release someone with the same skills with which she came in, she’s going to get involved in the same activities as she did before (Stern and Western).† This researcher evaluated a woman’s prison in s outh Florida only to find that the inmates that had high school diplomas were a mere 19%. These women have no way of continuing, or starting, their education and worse yet they have no motivation to do so. Prison systems should use more of their funds to redirect the inmate’sShow MoreRelatedThe Media s Influence On People Opinions1556 Words   |  7 Pageseleventh, news coverage was main cause a rise in Islamophobia feelings. With terrorist attacks from Middle-Eastern based groups, like ISIS and al-Qaeda, a sense of fear has grown among the American people. A major cause in this rise is the media’s influence on people opinions. 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The Concept of Child Abuse - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2769 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/04/08 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Child Abuse Essay Did you like this example? Abstract: The concept of child abuse can be defined as any action that comes from the person responsible for the child, either by commission or omission, which puts (or can put) at risk the physical, emotional or cognitive integrity of the child. One of the determining aspects that are analyzed to assess the existence or not of this phenomenon comes from the study of the environment in which the child develops. Usually speaking of a maladaptive or harmful environment when various factors occur such as a restructuring at the family level in which they frequently resort to aggressive interactions, low affection, a marginal socio-economic level, a dysfunctional school environment at the psych pedagogical level, a social environment lacking interests, insufficient cultural-urbanistic resources, or presence of a conflictive environment in the neighborhood.. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Concept of Child Abuse" essay for you Create order Introduction: A definition of child abuse is similar to that described is that of the General Assembly of the United Nations of 1989: Child maltreatment is any form of violence, physical or mental harm or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, ill-treatment or exploitation, which occurs while the child is in the custody of their parents, a guardian or any other person who is in charge. General overview of child development: During the first 8 years of a childs life, many changes occur. In just a few years, he goes from being a helpless baby, dependent on his parents, to becoming a small self-employed with his own interests that has already formed an image of the world. In fact, if we look back we will be amazed at how much it has grown and the huge leap that it has taken at the psychological level. The development of the baby from 0 to 12 months During the first year of life, the baby grows in sight and goes from being a child who can not stand alone to being a child who launches to discover their environment and actively relates to those around him. In this period his movements are perfected. At 5 months he is already able to pick up small objects with his hand, a movement known as a grasping reflex that represents the anteroom of the gripper grip, which, later on, will allow him to hold the pencil to write and make his first abstract drawings . Before the first year he will be able to hold his head on his own and crawl, and between 9 and 12 months, sometimes a little later, he will begin to take his first steps (Kleinman, 2015). During this stage his main means of communication is crying, although around the second month of life he will begin to show what is known as social smile, since until now his smile was a simple reflection. Around 7 months will begin to stammer some loose syllables, such as pa or ma, which will allow you to train your speech device. During these first months he will also begin to react to stimuli that are pleasing to him and will be more interested in seeing and hearing what is happening around him. And after 5 months your range of emotions will be greatly expanded since not only will you feel happy when you are caressed, but you will also get irritated when you do not get what you want The development of the child from 1 to 2 years From the first year of life the child gains independence, is able to communicate better what he wants and his motor and cognitive skills are developed at high speed. At this age most, children will have already taken their first steps. At the beginning you will need a little help and it is likely that you walk leaning on the furniture to avoid falling, but as the months go by, you will gain in balance and you will be able to walk alone. In fact, at the end of 2 years you will be able to run and go up and down stairs with relative ease. At the same time, his fine motor skills are developed, the manual movements become more precise and at 2 years he will be able to use the spoon to take the food to his mouth without spilling the contents (Van der Kolk, 2017). At this stage you can already say some words with meaning and understand simple commands such as give me or take. In fact, your vocabulary will consist of about 50 words, which will allow you to communicate more easily. You can also answer yes or no to the questions you ask, as well as identify some objects and animals using onomatopoeic sounds. In addition, he is able to relate the story he hears to the illustrations of childrens stories, an important step in the development of his verbal expression and symbolic thought. Around the year he will also begin to release his incipient character and will be able to experience and express more complex feelings such as shame, pride and jealousy. However, the first temper tantrums also appear because he is still not able to regulate his emotions. Development of the child from 2 to 4 years In this period the child is more independent and enjoys his autonomy. He has gained more control over his movements and feels more confident. His social skills have also improved so he will be more cooperative at home and start making friends on his own. Now he will practically double his height with respect to the moment of birth. Your balance and coordination will have improved significantly, so that you can throw a ball high and even jump on one foot. However, one of the most important changes is that lateral dominance begins to manifest itself, so that you will start using one hand more than the other, which will help you to fine-tune your fine motor movements. By the time you are 4 years old, you will have incorporated into your language around 1,000 words, so you can prepare sentences with up to 5 words, which helps you to communicate better. His thinking and intelligence are also developing, so that he is now able to understand more complicated concepts. Your memory has also been consolidated and you can remember simple commands, count up to 4 easily, distinguish colors and differentiate objects according to their characteristics (Christian Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect, 2015). However, the fact that he is able to express himself better does not mean that he has full control of his emotions. Temper tantrums and crying persist at this stage as he still does not know how to express his feelings assertively. It is also usual to be more rebellious when you feel too much pressure or when you want to assert your opinion and defend your independence. The development of the child from 4 to 8 years At this age the child is already independent enough to do most of his daily activities alone, so he will begin to test his skills. Between the ages of 4 and 8 he achieves an almost perfect control of his movements, so he begins to acquire new coordination skills that will allow him to learn how to ride a bike or skate. His fine motor skills are also perfected, in fact, his strokes are much firmer, he already knows how to write with relative ease and can even tear and cut with great precision. From the intellectual point of view, when you reach 8 years old, you already have a very broad vocabulary that allows you to clearly express what you want and think. He already knows how to use pronouns, articles and prepositions well and is able to conjugate verbs. In fact, the grammatical construction of his sentences is almost perfect and pronunciation errors are already a thing of the past. Her ideas have also undergone a great change, are based more on reality and no longer confused with their fantasies. In addition, his abstract thinking begins to develop. Now his feelings are more lasting, which is related to the psychological maturity and emotional development he has achieved. He is also more aware of his emotions and able to express or hide them. He has also learned to grasp a broader range of emotions and be more empathetic to others Child maltreatment can be defined as those active or omitted behavior, intentional or negligent, occasional or maintained in time that compromise the physical or emotional integrity of minors, their sexual freedom and indemnity or, in general, their correct development. An adequate response to child maltreatment requires establishing guidelines for action that should guide the intervention of the different public institutions and the different areas of professional action, from an integrated and intersectoral approach and according to the responsibility that each one of them has. And all this, with the fundamental objective of preserving and defending the rights of minors and intervening when they are violated, especially in situations of abuse. Its construction, like any other, is a gradual process that is accomplished in stages. During childhood this structure is very fragile and that is why children are endowed with the so-called childhood innocence, which allows them to perceive the world above all as a place full of magic, beauty and harmony. In the same way that it is necessary to initially support the foundations of a building and wait for them to solidify before carrying them with all the weight they will bear, children need the protection of their family and society so that their mind and heart they are fed with the kind realities of life as they develop the capacities and strengths to support the most painful and negative aspects of it. But unfortunately, TV, and now the Internet, are exposing children to all sorts of violent, infamous and immortal stories and events that their fragile childhood condition is not designed to carry. Thus, a vast majority of them are now victims of what Mary Pipher, Ph.D (reviving Oph elia) called cultural abuse, a term that describes this subtle and dangerous form of child abuse. In fact, until the first half of the century the facts and customs of life, that is to say culture, were transmitted first of all through the teachings of the elderly and, for some, through the written media. Children were thus subject to limited information, which wise and gradual, gave their elders. But in recent years, television has destroyed that gradual process of revealing the less kind truths, exposing children, from very young, to all sorts of scenes and stories bloody, infamous or tenebrous. Children, and even teenagers, do not have the emotional solidity or the moral criteria to see, for example, how many young girls are sold on the streets to buy drinks or drugs, how children like them kill their own parents with bullets, how young gangsters are brutally brutalized by blows, or how women also rape men, all this represented in great detail. And the damage does not end there. The problem is not that television does not educate enough, but rude and irresistible force, teaching children a series of behaviors that go against the fundamental ethical principles of any society that seeks the welfare of its members. And the culture that transmits TV is filling children with distrust, hopelessness, anguish, aggression, and what is worse, confusion between what is right and what is wrong. And this is a form of abuse. The characters that this is happening are not only the producers and sponsors of the television programs. The biggest fault lies with the public that tune them because if they did not have an audience they would not continue to be presented. But the incredible thing is that parents are accomplices of this abuse by allowing our children to spend their free time entertained by perverts, guerrillas, murderers, women of happy life, etc., under the pretext that we can not do anything because the culprits are the programmers of TV. What would we do if someone happened to distribute to home, and directly to children, sexual stimulants, firearms, or illicit drugs? It is our obligation to avoid, however, that our children continue to consume the atrocities that daily and in their own home they offer these devices. Loving children is to protect them against everything that hurts them. The audiovisual media are seriously damaging the mental structure and moral integrity of our children, cracking the foundations on which they will build their lives. Just as no building can stand firm without good foundations, no life can be built and become full without solid foundations that constitute its starting point. It is in our hands to avoid the collapse of our children and with it the collapse of a promising future for them and for our society. Child abuse interventions: Abuse of children by their parents or other caregivers is a major problem in public health and social welfare in many countries, especially high-income ones. It is a common problem that can cause death, serious injuries and long-term consequences that will affect the life of the child in adulthood, his family and society in general. The WHO 2006 report on the prevention of child maltreatment emphasizes the need to pay attention to this issue in order to achieve investment in prevention and epidemiological surveillance. There are determining factors within the characteristics of the mistreatment and the or the abusers. Most of the time parents have problems with substance abuse, mental illness or mental disability and violence. Girls are more at risk of being sexually abused than boys, although the rates of other types of abuse are similar for both sexes in high-income countries. In underdeveloped countries, girls are at greater risk of infanticide, sexual abuse and neglect, while children are at greater risk of severe physical punishment. Children with disabilities, regardless of their gender, have a higher risk of abuse, although it has not been determined exactly to what extent their disability is a cause or consequence of the abuse. Abuse increases in minors the risk of suffering behavior problems, including internalization (anxiety, depression) and externalization (aggression) of behavior. Children who witness violence inflicted between their parents are at greater risk of presenting behavioral problems, but if this factor is independent of the other forms of abuse it is debatable. In Sweden, there is a therapeutic program that aims to develop intervention for children and adolescents exposed to negligence or domestic violence. Its objective was to implement a new treatment in that country: Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect, MST-CAN. Based on the US MST program, MST-CAN is an outpatient intervention; the treatment focuses on the network of family and friends and the environment of each family. His multi-system perspective addresses change in all family systems: work, school, family, neighbors, family relationships and friends. The goal is both children from households in which there is neglect and / or abuse as parents or other relevant adults with mental health problems and addictions. In addition, it includes the treatment of traumas, both for adults and children, and intensive pharmacological treatment for parents, if applicable. As a result of the intervention, it provides children and adolescents with a safer home environment, and helps parents take more responsibility in their role, eliminating psychological and physical violence (Finkelhor, Shattuck, Turner Hamby, 2014). Since the 1980s, it has been an option for social services in various countries. In the Netherlands, for example, it is the private sector through insurers that supports this program, positively influencing the decrease in crime. In Sweden, several municipalities join and buy the team of professionals consisting of a supervisor, four therapists and a psychiatrist. The effective treatment for a family is estimated between six and nine months. The average number of beneficiaries reaches five people. The therapists meet with each family three to five times a week and work out the objectives that the family members themselves formulate. The work is carried out mainly in the family home or in the places where the family resides, for example, the childrens school. The therapists work at times that suit the family, often afternoons and weekends, and the team has an availability to families 24 hours a day, seven days a week. References Kleinman, P. K. (Ed.). (2015).Diagnostic imaging of child abuse. Cambridge University Press. Van der Kolk, B. A. (2017). This issue: child abuse victimization.Psychiatric Annals,35(5), 374-378. Christian, C. W., Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect. (2015). The evaluation of suspected child physical abuse.Pediatrics, peds-2015. Devries, K. M., Mak, J. Y., Child, J. C., Falder, G., Bacchus, L. J., Astbury, J., Watts, C. H. (2014). Childhood sexual abuse and suicidal behavior: a meta-analysis.Pediatrics,133(5), e1331-e1344. Finkelhor, D., Shattuck, A., Turner, H. A., Hamby, S. L. (2014). The lifetime prevalence of child sexual abuse and sexual assault assessed in late adolescence.Journal of Adolescent Health,55(3), 329-333.

Analysis Of Epictetus And Mills On The Way People Should...

2.) When we debate about Epictetus and mills work we tend to agree with both philosophers but one of these philosophers ideas are better than the other. When it comes to Epictetus and Mills advice on the way people should live life is quite interesting. Epictetus advise us on the fact that some things are in our power and choice worthy we talk about clear thinking, right choices, right aims, good character traits. Stoics believe that if we develop the habit or disposition of getting our aims, valuations, and thoughts right we can experience happiness and understanding of a better life. Also things such as opinion, aim, desire, and aversion†. Since aim, desire, and aversion normally lead to action, the action is partly but not entirely in our power. Character depends on upon our opinions and aims, which are in our power; hence character traits virtues or vices are under our control. The presence or absence of violent feelings moreover is in our power. Some things are in our po wer and to be avoided confused or ignorant thinking, wrong choices, bad aims, and bad character traits. Normally to be selected, but not when doing so would conflict with correct thinking and action. These include but are not limited to health, survival, physical beauty, good reputation, freedom from pain. Some things are not in our power. These include but are not limited to illness, an early death, physical homeliness, and physical pain. Mill advice is about the importance, to man and society,

A Summary of the National Response Framework free essay sample

â€Å"Response doctrine influences the way in which policy and plans are developed, forces are organized and trained, and equipment is procured. It promotes unity of purpose, guides professional judgment, and enables responders to best fulfill their responsibilities. (NFR, January 2008, Page 8 and 9) This summary draws upon multiple documents from one primary source, the Department of Homeland Security web site. Upon examination of these documents it became clear that as our country faced more frequent and destructive disasters, the more collaborative our preparation, response and recovery efforts had to become; and to coordinate that kind of multi-systems response our first responders and decision makers would need a framework from which to provide a powerful unified response. That document is the National Response Framework. Researching and summarizing this document is a crucial foundation to understanding 21st Century emergency management in the United States. A Summary of the National Response Framework â€Å"To prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies, the United States Government shall establish a single, comprehensive approach to domestic incident management. We will write a custom essay sample on A Summary of the National Response Framework or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † — Homeland Security Presidential Directive – 5 (NPR Brochure, page 2) The National Response Framework (NRF) is a 90-page guide to how the United States conducts all-hazards response.As a student exploring the field of emergency management as a career possibility, it is clear that the National Response Framework is the essential first-step to having a better understanding of how incident response will be conducted now and in the future. Furthermore, it is the fundamental directive on how local, state and federal preparation, planning, mitigation and recovery will be forged, as well. So if one wants to be effective in emergency management, one must first become knowledgeable of this framework.The National Response Framework is guided by the input of hundreds of stakeholders, written for government executives, private-sector and nongovernmental organization (NGO) leaders, and emergency management practitioners to establish a comprehensive national approach to dome stic incident response. The NRF works because it sharpens the focus on who is involved with emergency management at the local, tribal, state and federal levels and with the private sector and NGOs; describes what we as a nation collectively do to respond to incidents; explains how we are organized to implement response actions; and emphasizes the importance of planning.It allows first responders, decision-makers and supporting entities to provide a unified national response to disasters and emergencies. (NFP- Fact Sheet, page 4) This document is a result of twenty years of federal planning documents. The NRF was preceded 15 years earlier by a Federal Response Plan (1992) that focused largely on federal roles and responsibilities only. (NFP, January 2008, page 2) However, after the 9/11 attacks, urgent efforts were made to understand and implement common incident management and response principles to develop common planning frameworks.President George W. Bush directed the development of the National Respon se Plan (NRP) in Homeland Security Presidential Directive Number 5, in February 2003. It was published one year after creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Strategy for Homeland Security (Strategy). (NFP, January 2008, page 2 and 12) The NRP formed the basis for how the federal government would coordinate with state, local and tribal governments and the private sector during the response to a national incident.It was the cornerstone for the eventual maturation to the National Response Framework. The NRP brought together best practices from a range of disciplines including: homeland security, emergency management, law enforcement, firefighting, public works, public health and the private sector and integrated them into one unified structure. This unified structure provided the ability to coordinate federal support to state, local and tribal incident managers. (NFP, January 2008, page 12)President Bush’s Homeland Security Presidential Directive Number 5 also ordered the development of the National Incident Management System (NIM S), which continues to bring together federal, state, local and tribal emergency responders into a single system for managing incidents. The NIMS enables responders at all levels to work together more effectively to manage domestic incidents no matter what the cause, size or complexity. (Homeland Security Under Secretary Kicks Off National Response Plan Workshops In D. C. April 15, 2005)The National Response Plan was then renamed the National Response Framework in 2008, to better align the document with its intent. Stakeholders suggested that the NRP did not constitute a true operational plan in the sense understood by emergency managers but rather a construct for coordinated national incident management. The new National Response Framework is based directly on the NRP and retains much of its content. (NFP, page2) As mentioned previously, many of these systems developed as a response to the 9/11 attacks.The NRF is actually a requirement of the larger overarching National Strategy for Homeland Security (Strategy) that serves to guide and coalesce our countrys security efforts to achieving the following four goals: Prevent and disrupt terrorist attacks. Protect the American people and our critical infrastructure and key resources. Respond to and recover from incidents that do occur. Continue to strengthen the foundation to ensure our long-term success. The NRF obviously addresses the third goal.