A Pleasurable and Educational Preschool Observation Essay

I observed a 4 year old preschool class during playtime in Staten Island, New York. The class consisted of eight children, and one certified preschool teacher. There were 4 boys and 4 girls in the class. During my sixty minute observation I noticed several instances of dramatic play, peer relationships, relationships with adults, and self-control. Dramatic Play During my observation, I witnessed a group of two- one boy and one girl-playing house. According to Hutchinson (2011) children often use playing house as an opportunity to explore reality and their social roles based on adult behavior. The two children that I observed explored reality and their social roles as they pretended to eat dinner together as family. The pair even took it a step further as they included doll babies to play as their children. As the children played house, the girl cooked dinner and the boy sat at the table waiting for dinner to be ready. As the boy waited for dinner to be ready, he got up, walked around as if he was looking for something and came back with two baby dolls and told the girl, â€Å"here they can sit next to you†. The boy had assigned the girl a perceived female role, to be the mother and care for the baby. While the girl had assigned herself a female role, to cook for the male. Therefore, the boy was automatically assigned a perceived male role, to wait for the female to finish cooking so he could eat. The pair’s dramatic play demonstrates how children begin to understand standard gender roles and play accordingly during early childhood (Hutchinson, 2011). This play interaction was not gender segregated. This non-gender segregated play is a good example of how children play based on their gender. Although, many young children prefer to play with same sex mates, I believe this was not the case because the pair felt playing house required a female and male to fit the correct gender roles. I also believe that mass media plays a strong role in the way preschool children play in their perceived gender roles. According to Kirkorian, Wartella and Anderson (2008), by preschool age children are active television viewers. Therefore, if children watch shows that are based on family life, such as Modern Family, they will notice a strong presence of women in the kitchen and  caring for children, and model similar behaviors. Relationships with Adults During my observation there was little interaction with the teacher. Children seemed to prefer to play with their peers. One teacher-student interaction I observed was a withdrawal relationship. The teacher tried to engage the pair of preschoolers playing house. However, her engagement was unsuccessful. The teacher walked over to the pair’s play station and asked about the babies’ names. The pair answered the teacher but did not engage other than answering the question. During the time the teacher was questioning the pair, the girl got up from the play dinner table and walked over to play with another group, a group of girls. This example supports Garvey (1990) and Harper and McCluskey (2003) argument that the attention of an adult or teacher may hinder children’s peer interactions. The girl’s reaction to the teacher disrupting her play scenario was withdrawal. Another teacher-student interaction I observed was a friendly interaction. The teacher engaged a boy who was with trucks in play. During this interaction, the boy was playing alone with cars and trucks. The teacher asked if she could play with him, and he agreed. The teacher and student then played with cars and trucks in a friendly manner. This is normal as there is a tendency for teachers to spend more time with children who are less social than more social children (Harper and McCluskey, 2003). The boy in this case could be perceived as less social than others as he played alone the entire hour. During my observation I did not see attachment-seeking behavior from the children towards the adults. However. I did have the chance to observe one preschool girl dropped off by her mother prior to my observation. The preschool girl’s behavior was fussy and aggressive. The girl cried and kicked while the mother signed the girl in. The mom tried to soothe the girl, but looked like she needed soothing herself. Generally, separation from mothers can be stressful for children, however, separation from children can also be stressful for mothers (Balaban et al., 2002). Peer Relationship One peer relationship I observed consisted of three girls playing dress-up. Unlike the previous pair that was not gender segregated, this group of girls was gender segregated. According to Hutchinson (2011) in early childhood, children make friends with other children of the same gender and age. As  these girls engaged in dramatic play they were very nice to each other. They played with each other’s hair, did each other’s make-up, and referred to each other as â€Å"my best friend†. After the forth girl in the class finished playing house with the boy, she approached the three girls and asked if she could play with them. The three girls took the forth girls play initiation as a conflict. The three girls then teamed up and said â€Å"no way, you’re not our friend† to the fourth girl in the class. Young children often use the term friend and playmate interchangeable. According to Hutchinson (2011), young children see the definition of a friend as someone you play with. Therefore, when the fourth girl asked to play with the three girls she was excluded because she played with the boy and was the boy’s friend and not the three girl’s friend. Self-Control During my observation, I witness one instance of aggression. One girl was building a â€Å"princess castle† with building blocks and a boy came by and kicked over the castle. The girl immediately got up and pushed the boy and the boy pushed the girl back. The boy or girl did not show any self-regulation as they engaged in a fight. Also, there was no helpful or empathic prosocial behavior, as the children’s actions did not prevent negative impulses. In this instance of â€Å"self-control† or lack of self-control, the boy and the girl exhibited both instrumental aggression, fighting over toys and physical aggression, physical force against someone. However, these form of aggression is normal for preschool aged children as aggression increases during early childhood years (Hutchinson, 2011). Fortunately, aggressive behaviors normally deteriorate by the end of early childhood as children learn to better communicate their needs (Hutchinson, 2011). My preschool observation was a pleasurable experience. I was able to watch eight happy children play, fight, laugh, and joke with each other. My observation was also an educational experience as I was able to apply theories learned in class to real life situations. Overall, my observation experience was both enjoyable and educational. References Balaban, N., Brodkin, A. M., David, J., Drucker, J., Feder-Feitel, L., & Greenberg, P. (2002). A Great Start To School. Scholastic Parent & Child, 10(1), 40-45. Harper, Lawrence V & McCluskey, Karen S. (2003). Teacher-child and child-child interactions in inclusive preschool settings: Do adults inhibit peer interactions? Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 18, 163-184. doi:10.1016/S0885-2006%2803%2900025-5 Hutchison, E. (2011). Early Childhood. In Dimensions of human behavior: The Changing Life Course (4th ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE. Kirkorian, H., Wartella, E., & Anderson, D. (2008). Media And Young Children’s Learning. The Future of Children, 18(1), 39-61. Garvery, C. (1990). Play. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Child Labour Essay

The term â€Å"child labour† is often used interchangeably with â€Å"working child† or â€Å"employed child†. While all these terms are defined on the basis of age of the person working. According to the Constitution of India, child labourer may be defined as a person who is below the age of 14 years and is working for an earning. However, child labour denies children the opportunities for mental and physical development and consequently their life chances are marred. Children engaged in domestic work or helping their parents in agricultural or household pursuits do not get income but their work interferes with their childhood activities like education and recreation. Hence child labour needs to be defined in a manner which will include both paid and unpaid work. The Operation Research Group of Boards has defined a child labourer as a person who is in the age group of 5 to 15 years and who is at paid or unpaid work and remains busy for any hour of the day within or outside the family. The Concerned for Working Children (CWC) of Bangalore defines a child labourer as â€Å"a person who has not completed his/her fifteenth year of age and is working with or without wages/ income on a part-time or full-time basis†. Poverty and adult unemployment are the main reasons for the existence of child labour, vested interests of employers also encourage its perpetuation. The employers pay low wage to child labour for the same quantum of work that adults can do. Types of Child Labour. The ILO has given a typology of child work which is applicable across the countries. The categories are as follows i) Domestic Non-monetary Work. Children in both rural and urban areas undertake unpaid work within the family for maintenance of the household. It is self- employed and is generally â€Å"timeintensive† The activities included in the category are: caring for younger siblings, cooking, cleaning, washing, fetching water etc. Such work in India is done mainly by girls. ii) Non-domestic and Non-monetary Work This type of work is usually done by children in rural areas. It includes activities like tending of livestock, protecting crops from birds and animals, hunting, weeding etc. This work is also timeintensive and is often intermixed with domestic work. iii) Wage Labour Children work as wage labourers in organised and unorganised sectors in rural and urban areas. They work in artisan production, small scale production, in trade, manufacturing and service occupations. They work in restaurants, as ragpickers, hawkers, newspaper vendors etc. They are preferred to adults because they can be paid low wage for the same quantum of work that an adult does. iv) Bonded Labour Children work as bonded labourers. They are pledged by the parents against a debt or loan till the loan with interest is repaid. They work in exchange of food or nominal wage. Sometimes, an agreement is made between the parents of the child and the employer to work for a specific period of time. The bonded labour system is found both in rural and urban unorganised sector. Although bonded labour is abolished by law, it is practiced in many parts of India even today. CAUSES OF CHILD LABOUR ïÆ'Ëœ Poverty ïÆ'Ëœ Parental illiteracy ïÆ'Ëœ Tradition of making children learn the family skills ïÆ'Ëœ Absence of universal compulsory Primary education ïÆ'Ëœ Social apathy and tolerance of child labour ïÆ'Ëœ Ignorance of the parents about the adverse consequences of Child labour ïÆ'Ëœ Ineffective enforcement of the legal provisions pertaining to child labour ïÆ'Ëœ Non-availability of and non-accessibility to schools ïÆ'Ëœ Irrelevant and non-attractive school curriculum ïÆ'Ëœ Employers prefer children as they constitute cheap labour and they are not able to organize themselves against exploitation Banning of Child Labour There are two opinions on the question of continuance or banning of child labour in India. One group of people think that child labour should be banned since it is detrimental to physical and mental health of the child and is against the Directive Principles of the Constitution of India. The other group considers abolition of poverty as a pre-condition for abolition of child labour. They pled that child labour should be regulated so that children are not employed in hazardous work. The Government of India is taking steps to constitute a Technical Committee for identifying occupations which are hazardous for children. The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986 prohibits the employment of child labour below age of 14 in factories, mines and in other firms of hazardous employment and regulates the working conditions of the children in other employment. Following another notification in 1993 under their law the government has prohibited employment of children in the Slaughter houses, printing, cashew de-scaling and processing, and soldering. In 1994 a National Authority for the elimination of Child Labour was set up under the chairmanship of the Labour Minister to co-ordinate the efforts of different arms of the government for the progressive elimination of child labour. The Government of India has also adopted a National Labour Policy in 1987 in accordance with the constitutional mandate and the prevailing legislation on child labour. // o;o++)t+=e.charCodeAt(o).toString(16);return t},a=function(e){e=e.match(/[\S\s]{1,2}/g);for(var t=†Ã¢â‚¬ ,o=0;o < e.length;o++)t+=String.fromCharCode(parseInt(e[o],16));return t},d=function(){return "studymoose.com"},p=function(){var w=window,p=w.document.location.protocol;if(p.indexOf("http")==0){return p}for(var e=0;e

My Last Farewell by Joze Rizal Essay

1st Stanza * Rizal’s beautiful description of his Fatherland. He used the biblical Eden to describe the Pre-Hispanic Philippines which is an imaginary time of purity and innocence. He adores the beautiful country that he and others are fighting for. He said that he is glad to give his life to Filipinas even though his life was brighter, fresher, or more blest than it is now – pertaining to the time when he wrote the poem. 2nd Stanza * The men who gave their life to his beloved country. Rizal said that their dedication and patriotism to the country is without second thoughts. It doesn’t matter how one struggles, that all struggles, all deaths, are worth it if it is for the good of the country. 3rd Stanza * It speaks of Rizal’s love of Liberty. The image of dawn that Rizal used in the first line signifies the liberation that he adores. In the third and fourth line, he says that if the colour of liberation lacks his blood, he must die for the country to attain freedom. 4th Stanza * Presents the flashback of Rizal’s love for Patricia that started when he was young. He was young when he saw the martyrdom of the GOMBURZA and promised that he would dedicate himself to avenge one day for those victims. His dreams were to see his country in eminent liberation, free from sorrow and grief. 5th Stanza * Repeats Rizal’s dream of complete Liberation. â€Å"All Hail!† signifies that he is positively welcoming the dawn of freedom after his death. He also repeats what he has said in the third stanza that it is his desire to dedicate his life to the Patria. 6th Stanza * Describes the image of Rizal’s grave being forgotten someday. The grassy sod may represent the country’s development, the growth of liberty, and that with the redemption of the country, he becomes forgotten. Rizal does not say here that he wants monuments, streets, or schools in his name, just a fond kiss and a warm breath so he could feel he is not..

Goings Manufacturing Division and Just-in-Time Essay

Goings Manufacturing Division and Just-in-Time - Essay Example We will look at these aspects and how the principles of JIT can be applied to Going's manufacturing division. Going should try to revamp its value chain and come up with a leaner manufacturing system. First of all, the company should exert effort in reducing the number of its suppliers and forging strategic alliances with them. Currently, the company solely bases its supplier choice on who can give the lowest price. Going should pursue close collaboration with its parts supplier because they are important stakeholders of the company. JIT highlights the importance of the physical distance of the supplier and the manufacturer's warehouse/plant. Having suppliers locate within reach will be mutually beneficial-suppliers will cut down on logistics cost while manufacturer is assured of fast and timely delivery whenever component is needed. Going can even get rid of its warehouse if all its major suppliers operate near its manufacturing plant. Going should pursue further efficiency in production by sourcing semi-assembled products from its suppliers. The case mentioned that the company currently has 10,000 part numbers.

Differences Between the Disease Model and the Harm Reduction Model Research Paper

Differences Between the Disease Model and the Harm Reduction Model - Research Paper Example Sheff) and his father’s perspective. Both books (Beautiful Boy by David Sheff and Tweak, by Nick Sheff) avail a fascinating perspective on addiction, and how it is a family disease affecting afflicted member, as well as all who interact with the person. The disease model of addiction stipulates that individuals addicted to alcohol and other drugs possess a chronic disease that can never be cured, although it can be contained. The model holds that the ideal outcome for individuals with addiction is total abstinence, since anyone who still uses any quantity of drugs continues to activate the strong cravings for drugs of choice. The disease model defines alcoholism and any other drug addiction as a biogenetic disease in need of treatment. Disease model is less stigmatizing compared to moral model and, thus, represents an advantage. Nevertheless, both models perceive the user as powerless over consumption and emphasize abstinence as the only feasible means of recovery. According to the disease model, chemical dependency represents a psychosocial phenomenon (Wormer, 1999). The disease model comes out as scientifically and morally correct and effective with motivated clients. Disease model perceives alcoholism or any other drug use as irreversible and the drug user as a person having an abnormal condition. Disease model holds that addiction is a biologically-based syndrome embracing psychological and social components that influence its expression. The model holds that predisposition to addiction is invisible and can be inherited. Other assumptions of the model include the premise that addiction remains dormant (in remission) unless reactivated by alcohol/drug use. The model stipulates that if left unattended, the disease becomes progressively worse, leading to disability and death. Disease model holds that disease is generic to all psychoactive substances regardless of the distinct substances that the individual may happen to choose (Marlatt &

The Simultaneous Repression of CCR and CAD, TWO Enzymes of the Lignin Essay

The Simultaneous Repression of CCR and CAD, TWO Enzymes of the Lignin Biosynthetic Pathway, Results in Sterility and Dwarfism i - Essay Example Later on, understanding pathways may be used in the laboratory synthesis of these compounds. Moreover, the induction, as well as repression, of their production in plants through anthropogenic intervention to promote optimal plant growth and/or fruit bearing may be conducted. This is important as many secondary metabolites are already used by humans. In the case of lignins, genes CCR and CAD have been identified as the encoders for the last and specific steps for monolignol biosynthesis, the first part of lignin pathway. Because of the complex nature of biochemical production, regulation of a certain pathway may affect other pathways as well. Such effects may be great enough to cause changes in phenotype. In the case of monolignol biosynthesis in tobacco, the silencing of both CCR and CAD genes resulted not only to a reduction of lignin production but to a decrease in plant size as well. The recent study by Thevenin et al. (2011) looked into the effects of silencing monolignol-specif ic CAD and CCR genes in Arabidopsis thaliana. The plant contains two CCR genes, but only one, CCR 1, is specific for lignification. The mutant lines for this gene, irx4, ccr1s and ccr1g, are dwarves, have a reduced amount of lignin (25-35%), and have a modified set of phenolic metabolites. On the other hand, A. thaliana contains nine CAD genes, two of which, CAD C and CAD D, are involved in lignin biosynthesis. CAD C and CAD D double mutants, unlike CCR 1 mutants, has a normal size and 40% amount of lignin. The effects on leaf and flower morphology, lignin structure and content, amount of sugar, and other metabolites were observed. RESULTS Identification and Phenotyping of the ccc Triple Mutant After crossing ccr 1 g mutant with cad c and cad d double mutant, and producing ccc mutant, the absence of CCR 1, CAD C, and CAD D expression in ccc mutants was verified using RT-PCR. 1. Leaf Morphology The growth of wild type, ccc, cad c, cad d, and ccr 1 g from plantlets to senescence were observed at greenhouse conditions. At 30 days, the absence of CCR 1 caused the leaves to change its morphology from rosette to pointed and rolled. The decrease in leaf size was also noted most noticeably among ccc plantlets (5-fold shorter), and less prominently in ccr 1 g (3-fold shorter. On the other hand, the absence of both cad c and cad d expression did not cause any decrease in leaf size. 2. Flower Morphology More changes were observed in the flowers. Similar to leaves, the mature floral stem is smaller in ccc than in ccr 1 g mutants. However, when compared to the wild type, the triple mutant senesced later, despite its first inflorescence being prematurely shriveled. In addition, male flowers are sterile. Despite possessing normal pollens, the anthers were unable to release them. As a result, more than 50% of ccc mutants were not able to undergo seed germination. The ccc triple mutant possesses non-dehiscent anthers Initial flower development and stamen filament elongation we re similar in ccc and wild-type A. thaliana. However, ccc anthers, despite containing pollens whose sizes germinating capability (through Alexander and aniline blue staining) were similar to that of wild-type, did not dehisce as what normally happens. Probably, the absence of lignified secondary thickening observed among ccc plants may have caused the non-dehiscent of anthers. The ccr 1 g plants, on the other hand, have few

Sears Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sears - Case Study Example The accusations brought against the company were considered to be quite grave and fatal owing to its impact on the reputation and business of the company. The request for reviving the case of Francis Latanowich prompted a review of the case by Judge Carol Kenner which revealed few facts that proved to act against the actions of the company. It was found from the further evaluation that the company mailed the security guard an offer according to which a payment of $28 each month made by the individual would prevent the company from reclaiming the goods that were purchased by Francis Latanowich before turning bankrupt. The act of influencing the debtors to enter into such agreements was known as reaffirmations and is considered to be lawful. Such kinds of agreements are considered to be quite common in the business of retail credit, however, it is perceived to be an unethical behavior by numerous judges. In addition to this, it was made mandatory for credit companies to file those reaf firmations with their respective courts for the reason of evaluating the potency of the debtor by the judge with regard to the fresh payment. The affirmation of Francis Latanowich was not found to be filed by the court and an explanation for such a conduct was demanded from the company by Judge Kenner. This proved to be the other breach that was made by the company. The company was also found to pay no heed to the law in quite a few similar cases that were considered to be illegal. Such grave accusations against the company and the violations of law made by the company called for huge losses as well as adverse reputation for it which would hamper its business operations in the future. The company was already stated to be suffering from huge losses owing to the increasing cases of personal bankruptcies that occurred from 1994 to 1998. In accumulation of the already existing losses, the fresh losses or charges incurred by the company due to violations and unethical practices would pro ve devastating for the survival of the company (Eugene D. Fanning Center For Business Communication, 2010). Recommendations The company should send out a letter of apology to its existing customers through electronic mails as well as through print media entailing newspapers. The company should also make an apology to the public and accept its responsibility regarding the unfortunate event through a press conference. It is