Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Being religious is not a matter of subscribing to doctrines Essay Example for Free

Being religious is not a matter of subscribing to doctrines Essay In oral/first traditions, being religious entails much more than simply subscribing to a set of doctrines.   It is instead a world view, a way of ordering society, and a means of reckoning with the natural and supernatural.   It deals with the unseen and, in the absence of science, does not create boundaries between natural phenomena and the divine or supernatural.   According to Walter Burkert, â€Å"Religion is manifest in actions and attitudes that do not fulfill immediate practical functions.   What is intended and dealt with cannot be seen, or touched, or worked upon in the usual fashion of everyday life. †Ã‚   (Burkert 5) Being religious is not a matter of subscribing to doctrines (which, in Western societies, is separate from science and other aspects of human life), but is instead a complex relationship with the surrounding natural world and with other humans. views in oral/first traditions often establish the links between a people and the forces controlling their lives.   This is especially true with folklore and creation stories, which attest to the links between a people and their divine beings, as with Io in Maori myths or Bumba in Bushongo myths.   In essence, these attest to the people’s close identification with their divinities and stress a kind of organic belonging important to these societies.   (Novak 334-336)   Also, creation myths bind people closely to the sources of their sustenance, showing their reverence for the natural resources on which they depend.   For example, the Pawnee root their origins firmly in corn, their chief food source, and their divinity (â€Å"Mother Corn†) is female; indeed, many oral/first traditions venerate female deities along with the male, attesting to the biological nature of divinity in oral/first traditions.   (Novak 338-339)   Resources are not simply seen as spiri tually inert commodities, as in Western societies, but as vital parts of a world infused with spirits. Folklore also helps to explain natural phenomena, addressing the â€Å"why?† in order to coherently explain and help people cope with powerful events (again in the absence of science), often natural calamities.   (Burkert 112)   Burkert explains that such tales typically start with some human folly, often a broken taboo or conflict, link these to catastrophes (which are, in these people’s views, manifestations of evil), and explain how they are ultimately overcome.   Chains of human wrongdoing, dreadful consequences, and ultimate resolution, says Burkert, create â€Å"a context of sense and [premise] a meaningful cosmos in which people can live in health and at ease. . . .†Ã‚   (Burkert 128)   Evil is attributed to supernatural agents aroused by human wrongdoing and brings punishment by the gods.   However, resolution does not always occur.   In tales akin to the story of Adam and Eve, whose misdeeds in Eden led to their expulsion from it, both the Ya o of east Africa and the Hopi of North America blame human misbehavior for driving God away from themselves.   (Novak 344-346) World views in oral/first traditions not only involve folklore, but they are also rooted in social hierarchies, since hierarchy serves as a means of ordering the world.   According to Burkert, this is virtually universal in world religions and early societies.   (Burkert 81)   In oral/first traditions, hierarchy involves not only simple subjugation to the powerful, such as humiliation and shows of deference, but also adherence to mutual obligations by superior and inferior alike.   These help create a stable, ordered society in which inferiors show deference to superiors and superiors are obligated to protect or otherwise assist those they dominate.   As Burkert asserts, â€Å"Dominance makes possible forms of solidarity not easily encountered elsewhere. . . .†Ã‚   (Burkert 82)   Hierarchy also manifests in showing reverence for natural forces.   Again, Novak’s examples of the Sioux relationship to the bison and the Pawnee reverence for â€Å"Mother Cornà ¢â‚¬  illustrates how oral/first religions clearly recognize their dependence on certain natural resources for their survival, and their world views often place the sources of their sustenance at the top of their hierarchies. (Novak 338-339, 363-372) Another key behavior in such traditions is reciprocal giving, which Burkert considers vital because it â€Å"regulates the standards of justice . . . [and] is an unexceptionable expectation or even obligation of return.   Every gift demands a counter-gift.†Ã‚   In these societies, an unanswered gift is a serious taboo which violates the obligations inherent in hierarchies.   (Burkert 130)   Creating reciprocal obligations in such religions is a means of promoting peace and stability by strengthening mutual social bonds. Ritual often assumes a central place in oral/first traditions because it â€Å"grows out of anxiety and is designed to control it.†Ã‚   (Burkert 36)   Rituals involve confronting some aspect of fear or pain in order to better cope with it, or to appease unseen forces.   One such common ritual is sacrifice (pars par toto, Latin for â€Å"part for all†), which Burkert calls â€Å"a manageable loss in order to gain salvation.†   The author mentions ancient Greek sacrifices to hail (Burkert 34-37), while others involve bodily mutilations (such as finger sacrifice or severing hands).   Another fact of this is sacrificing scapegoats, usually social outsiders or individuals guilty of violating certain taboos. Scapegoats are sometimes blamed for arousing divine wrath, and their sacrifice is a means of restoring safety to a perilous situation.   He grounds this in biology, likening it to distracting predators by leaving behind an expendable part, like foxes gnawing off their paws to escape hunters’ traps.   (Burkert 41)   Similarly, Burkert considers ritual castration a means of defying biology: â€Å"The illusion is that by renouncing procreation men may stay clear of the maelstrom of life and death.†Ã‚   (Burkert 48)   It is also a biological means of enforcing hierarchy, as seen with lower primates A less brutal aspect of this is the sacrificial feast (eating certain venerated foods) and ritualized killing of certain animals (intended to show the being reverence, as with the bison).   Life, according to Burkert, is â€Å"a transient stability depending upon the ‘just’ exchange† (Burkert 155), and showing respect for life-sustaining forces assumes crucial importance.   Another aspect of ritual is the oath, in which words are set in a ceremonial context in order to make them sacred and inviolate.   (Burkert 171-173) Another aspect of behavior in this milieu is the importance of signs, which help divine some aspect of the future, usually through the role of the shaman.   Shamans, who often attain their status through ceremonies or rituals, are basically the mediators between the natural and supernatural, capable of reaching an ecstatic state which gives them divine insights and lets them cross the boundaries that other members of these societies cannot.   An example is the Eskimo shaman, whom Novak claims can achieve a â€Å"fit of mysterious and overwhelming delight† (Novak 355).   In this state, they may see signs by watching people’s behaviors, the weather, objects, and other phenomena in which the future may be divined. These signs basically comprise a kind of unwritten language for interpreting the world, and the shaman acts as a designated translator.   Other signs not limited to the shaman include body markings, such as scars, brands, tattoos, and tooth alteration, which set certain people apart and are not simply arbitrary choices or fashions.   These function as a language (often in the absence of a written language) with deep significance for those who embrace it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite the commonalities one finds among early traditions, such as bonds to the natural world, the presence of shamans, and the importance of hierarchy and mutual obligation, conversion does not appear to be a matter one could take lightly.   In these societies, religion is not simply a set of doctrines which can be substituted for another, but a complex system of relationships to a specific group of people, physical environment, and body of folklore.   They are not rationalized as commonalities between cultures, since people in these societies seldom transplanted themselves lightly from one cultural cosmos to another.   For example, while first traditions all share similar creation stories, the nuances and elements of each will differ from one another, as will the rituals and signs associated with their religions.   Changing entire world views appears not to be a frivolous decision, since the world views in oral/first traditions are so intricate.

Monday, January 20, 2020

Genetically Modified Foods Essay -- GMOs, Genetically Modified Crops

Introduction Let’s face it, the term genetically modified (GM) foods is not the most appetizing word in the English language and neither is the term genetically engineered foods for that matter. Whether or not you realize it, you have consumed at least one product that contains genetically modified foods. These â€Å"modified foods† are hiding all over your supermarkets and in some instances, there is no way to tell just by looking at it. But, they have been around for more than two decades and it has helped to keep our food supply alive. The technological innovation that is genetically modified foods was first introduced during the early 1980s. It took nearly two decades of expensive research and development to move agricultural and food products from the lab and into your supermarkets (Weick & Walchi, 2002). The basic process of creating GM foods is to isolate the gene of a living organism and transfer them into a different living organism. This process is known as â€Å"recombinant DNA or gene technology† (Windley, 2008). This is done by cutting DNA from different organisms and joining them together. The loops of DNA that are naturally found in bacteria are cut with a restriction enzyme and then combined with a gene of interest. The technology allows plant breeders to produce crops with characteristics that can withstand diseases and insects. This paper will focus on the effects of genetically modified foods on producers, consumers, and the environment. I decided to choose this topic because it has always been a subject mentioned throughout many of my science courses. I have heard the term, but never fully understood what it meant or its impact on the world. By choosing this as my research paper topic, I know it will better my und... ...ture. MEDSURG Nursing, 11(5), 242-246. Retrieved from CINAHL Plus with Full Text. McCullum, C., Benbrook, C., Knowles, L., Roberts, S., & Schryver, T. (2003). Application of modern biotechnology to food and agriculture: Food systems perspective. Journal of Nutrition Education & Behavior, 35(6), 319-332. Retrieved from CINAHL Plus with Full Text. Weick,C.W., Walchli,S.B. (2002). Genetically engineered crops and foods: Back to the basics of technology diffusion. Technology in Society, 21(3), 265-283. Retrieved from Science Direct. Whitman, D. B. (2000, April). Genetically modified foods: Harmful or helpful? ProQuest. Retrieved April 2, 2012, from http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php Windley,S. (2008). Genetically Modified Foods. Pure Health MD.Retrieved April 3, 2012, from http://arch.ttu.edu/w/images/d/d8/Genetically_Modified_Foods.pdf

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Historical Development of the Early Childcare Essay

a) History and current status of childcare provision in Ireland During the early Twentieth century in Ireland there was a lack of job opportunities for women in the workforce. Women were still seen largely seen as the ‘stay at home figure’. Due to this environmental impact, children were cared for in their own homes mainly by their mothers. Therefore there was less of a demand in the Early Childcare Education sector. This ended when children started attending Primary school. During the latter part of the Twentieth century, during the times of the Celtic Tiger, the number of job opportunities for women in the workforce escalated. This resulted in an increase in urbanisation and a decrease in family support. For example: Families lived further apart from each other, and as a result, it did not make sense to leave the children with their grandmother or other family members due to financial restrictions such as the price of fuel, or time restrictions such as the length of time taken to leave the children from one  destination to the ot her. This lead to parents seeking the childminding services privately or within their local area. Statistics have shown that approximately 60% of children under six years of age attended a form of childcare service at this time. (Class Notes) There was a substantial increase in the demand for both private and community childcare services. In response to the rapidly increasing demand for childcare service, it was deemed necessary that an ‘Expert Working Group on Childcare’ was formed. The Expert Working Group came together and arranged a meeting to discuss ways to resolve the upcoming problems within the childcare services sector. They held discussions on how to make childcare services more readily available and accessible to families in Ireland. It was recognized at this point, that there was a need to develop a ‘National Strategy’ to assist them with the transformation of the current childcare services sector. Thus, a National Strategy was developed and was published in 1999. The National strategy recognized and contained the following principles: ‘The Needs and the rights of the child, Equality of access and participation, Diversity, Partnership and Quality’ (Class Notes Page 2) It also contained suggestions and advice on support for parents/guardians, Laws relating childcare, Qualifications, Employment, Planning and Co-ordination. In 2002, the Centre for Early childhood development and Education was established. This centre was set up to develop standards and to improve the childcare sector. The Centre for early Childhood Development and Education aimed to ensure that every childcare setting (whether it was a Full-time / Part-time service or a Public / Private service); met the criteria and quality standards that that were established by the Centre. The main objective of the Centre for Early childhood development and Education was to focus on improving more disadvantaged are as as well as the more advantaged areas so as to ensure that all areas within the childcare sector offered the same quality of services In 2006, ‘Siolta’ was launched. Siolta was set up to implement the first aim of the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education which was to develop the current standards within the childcare sector. This was called ‘The National Quality Framework for Early Education’. This ensured that there was support in improving quality across all childcare services which contained children from 0-6 years of age. Further to this, in 2009, a new scheme was introduced within the Childcare sector. The Early Childcare  Education scheme ‘Free pre-school place’ was formed. The free pre-school place enabled children within the age range of 3 years and 3 months and 4 years 6 months in September of the relevant year to engage in one free academic year within a full time or seasonal service. If a childcare service/ centre wanted to take part in the Early Childcare Education scheme, the criteria set out by Siolta had to be met and furthermore the Principles set by An Siolta would have to be implemented within their current childcare setting. It is important to recognize that this is the first time that Early childhood education has received any direct Universal funding. As a result of the free pre-school place initiative, the demand within the childcare sector continued to grow. (Siolta) More recent developments within the childcare sector include the introduction of a new initiative called ‘Aistear’, which was established by the Department of Education and Skills through NCCA in 2010. Aistear from the Irish word meaning ‘journey’, is of relevant importance to childcare settings where children from the ages of 0-6 years receive their care and education. Aistear works closely alongside Siolta and consists of an informal curriculum that contains twelve principles and themes that give guidance to the childcare worker. Aistear recognizes that education and care are not separate within the childcare sector and they aim to help children grow and develop independently.(Aistear) b) Current range of childcare provision in Ireland Six types of services that can be categorised under sessional and fulltime services are: Naà onraà  – A Naà onraà  is a sessional service. It organises and communicates with the playgroup through the medium of Irish, they recognise each child as individuals. The service doesn’t put pressure on children to speak Irish, they still encourage and support children either way. As the children are surrounded in Irish they will gradually pick up and learn the language in their own time. The service is recognised by Forbairt Naà onraà . Parent and toddler groups – This is a sessional service and is supported by Early Childhood Ireland. Parents and their children/toddlers meet in one area, often held in one of the parent houses who are taking part in the service. It gives children the opportunity to gain the experience of interacting with others, therefore promoting and developing the child’s social skills. It also gives parents the opportunity to intera ct with other  parents, gaining support of each other. Montessori pre-schools – The pre-school is usually privately run, it develops its curriculum around the methods of Dr Maria. The Montessori focuses mainly on the child’s educational development, its curriculum is therefore more practical based, isn’t fully focused on play. This action of purely practical based education may be scrutinised by certain individuals as it thought by some theorists that children should experience and develop through the experience of play at this young age. The pre-school functions on academic year and mainly cares for children from three to six years of age. Home and community playgroups – Home and community playgroups care for children within the age range of 2 and a half to five years of age, they operate in either a home or community basis. Home playgroups are generally privately funded where as community playgroups receive funding from the government, each service usually opens and runs for a period of three to four hours each day. The service highlights and develops children’s social and emotional learning through play. Crà ¨ches, Nurseries and Day care services – These services are recognised as a fulltime service and cater for children from the age of approximately three months to five years of age. They are open at a minimum of eight hours a day and usually provide a day-to-day curriculum. The services can be privately or publicly run, an increase in demand for these services greatly increased after the Free Pre-School Year was introduced. Each service provides the children attending the service with a hot meal and snacks during the duration of the day. Each service helps met the child’s safety, welfare and developmental needs. They also help children make the best of their abilities, whether that be through play or practical learning. Family Day Care – Children are looked after in the childminders home. There is no specific age group that Family Day Care caters for, they can cater for all different age groups at once in the same facility. The hours that the carer caters for the children is arranged between the child’s parent and the carer. The children become easily settled in this form of day care as they are only interacting and building a relationship with one adult with the service. The children are provided with snacks and possibly hot meals, depending on the length of time the child is attending the service. The service is supported and recognised by Childminding Ireland. c) Current range of roles in childcare support organisations and agencies Health Service Executive (HSE) – is the first service contacted when there is a serious concern involving a child safety or family issue , the Health Service Executive then has the responsibility of bringing services and agencies together to help resolve the concerned matter. The Health Service Executive provides services that helps protect and support children, parents/guardians and families. There are many roles within the Health Service Executive, they include: Family support worker – The Family support worker offers support and supplies services to family’s going through emotionally distressing times. The Family Support Worker tries to keep families remained together unless there is a family member deemed at serious risk if kept together. Some of the services that The Family Support Worker will supply to the family to try help resolve the issues are, â€Å"Parenting Skills, Confidence and Personal Development, Home Care management, Diet, Nutrition and Health Care, Budgeting and family Finance†. (Class notes page 4) Community Childcare Worker – The Community Childcare Worker works alongside professionals to give support to children who are in disadvantaged families, deemed at risk, deprived or in care. The Community Childcare Worker also helps children deal with or come to an understanding of why they are in that care home. Social Worker – works with problematic families and individuals, The Social Worker helps resolve problems in families whether that is emotional, behavioural or social problems. Social Workers also deal with problems such as child abuse, domestic violence, and adoption. Before removing children from their home and separating families social worker s have to prove that they have gave families every option possible, if the family /parents does not comply with any of the options, the matter continues to rise and the child/children are still recognised at risk then the case is taken to court and assessed by a Judge whether the child/children should be removed from the family home, thus action is seen as a last resort. Barnardos – Barnardos is Ireland’s biggest children’s charity. It is focused on working with children and families on, whether that be group work or one-on-one interaction. Barnardos help children make the best of their abilities when going through difficult situations, such as neglect, abuse,  or poverty. They provide a range of services to help families through distressing time’s i.e counselling, and bereavement help lines. Barnardos also protest against Government laws that affect children and their way of living e.g. child benefit cuts. d) Six National Childcare organisations Barnardos – Barnardos is Ireland’s biggest children’s charity, it is mainly focused on working with children and families. Barnardos provide a range of services to help assist and support families through distressing times, they also help children make the best of their abilities whilst going through or have gone through difficult times e.g. neglect. Childminding Ireland- is a registered Charity and was created in 1986. It was created by a small group of childminders that further grew into a bigger organisation. The organisation promotes home-based childcare. Forbairt Naà onraà  Teoranta – is a voluntary organisation which supports education and care for children from birth who are brought up in Irish. St.Nicholas Montessori Society of Ireland – Provide opportunities for Montessori teachers to further their profession. They also offer help, support and give guidance for Montessori teachers. The Irish Society for the prevention of Children’s Cruelty – Provide a 24hour support service for children who are going through a difficult situations. States that id high quality childcare service wants to keep their service high quality, then the service must ensure that there is good child protection within the facility. The organisation also recognises children are individuals and therefore the child’s right s and values should be supported. Border Counties Childcare Network – Is a network that services in counties such as Monaghan, Meath, Louth, Cavan, Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim in helping deliver a childhood service of high quality. LO4: Clear explanation the rights of the child in the context of an ECCE setting. A) Examine the UN convention on the Rights of the Child. The UN convention on the Rights of the Child has 54 articles. These  fifty-four articles are a written list of the different types of the child’s rights, if those rights are intentionally broken it is seen as breaking the law. The UN convention on the Rights of the child can be broken into four broad areas, these four areas are – Survival, Development, Protection and Participation. Survival – The child has a right to life and the right to the basic requirements to survive life e.g. food, water, shelter, clothing, medical aid. Development – The child has a right to education, religion, play, develop the identification of right and wrong and leisure. The child also has the right to be provided with a safe environment to develop these skills and knowledge. Protection – The child has the right to be protected against abuse and neglect. If a child has come in interference with and suffered from abuse then the child has the right to some form of counselling to come to an understanding and overcome the traumatic situation. Participation – The child has the right to join organisations e.g. clubs, groups, freedom of expression and speech. Standard 1: Right of the child. â€Å"Ensuring that each child’s rights are met, requires that she/he is enabled to exercise choice and to use initiative as an active participant and partner in her/his own development and learning.† (Siolta page 13) Component 1.1 – Choice for the child Practitioners could put component 1.1 into practice at meal time. By giving the child the options at meal time, this could be achieved by giving the child the choice of two different meals therefore enabling the child to make its own choices. If a child decides they do not want to eat at meal time the practitioner should respect the child’s decision. By having different utensils available at meal time e.g. chopsticks, this provides choice for the child. The child can then make the choice on what they want to eat there meal with. Component 1.2 – Use initiative A practitioners could put component 1.2 into practice with a child from twelve – thirty-six months by providing the opportunity of letting the child out on its coat independently, enabling the child to zip or button  the coat. The practitioner should talk the child through the process, encourage the child as she/he is trying to overcome and accomplish the task and support the child if he/she comes into difficulty. Component 1.3 – active participants A practitioner could put component 1.3 into practice with a child from birth to eighteen months by viably communicating. While/when the practitioner is changing the child’s nappy he/she could viably communicate to the child and make eye contact whilst changing its nappy. The practitioner could also sing nursery rhymes and act out movements to the child e.g. three little pigs, touching the child’s toes whilst singing the rhyme. This makes the child feel comfortable and an active participant throughout the activity. LO2: Detained description of the qualifications and experience needed for work associated with one occupation in the ECCE sector. a) Outline legislations, policies, practices and procedures pertaining to ECCE provision. Childcare Act 1991 Provides asset of rules relating to children/young adults under the age of eighteen in Ireland, it governs the care and protection of children in Ireland. (Classnotes) Due to this legislation the Health Service Executive has a mandatory duty to promote and protect the wellbeing of all children under this act. Children who are being abused or at risk, this Act allows those children to be removed or be placed under the care of the Health Service Executive. In relation to preschool services the Act is consulted with when rules and regulations are being drawn up for the supervision of children of pre-school services. Under the Act the pre-school carers have a responsibility and duty to implement safety and wellbeing of children under their pre-school setting. If the pre-school carer has concern for a child’s safety health it is their responsibility to notify the Health Service Executive. If a new pre-school setting is being set up or is intending to set up the local Health Service Executive must be notified. The Health Service Executive then has a duty to inspect the pre-school setting to  ensure the health and safety standards of the setting are being met. The rules and regulations drawn up from the Act must be strictly followed by the practitioners. Childcare (preschool services) Regulations 2006 The regulation outlines the standards that a preschool setting of any form must put/have in place before it can commence e.g. all forms of health, safety and welfare of the setting must be put in place to ensure full safety of the child is being met. It is the Health Service Executive’s duty for inspecting and giving a report of information on pre-schools of any sort or kind who care for children from the age of zero-six years of age. The regulation is arranged in six parts – thirty-three regulations and can be broadly covered over the following areas: â€Å"Health, welfare and development of the child Notification and inspection by the Health Service Executive Record keeping Standard of premises and facilities General administration† (class notes) Policies and procedures must be drawn up and developed from these points. Children First 1999 Children First was first made available in the year 1999 but was later replaced with Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2011. The general rule of the document was left unchanged but acknowledges past inspections and reports and feedback, due to this the document had been edited to set out distinctive guidelines that individual roles should take is concerned for a child’s health, safety and welfare. Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2011 main aims are to ensure children’s health safety and welfare are being constantly met. That society are aware that they should not assume but should report any concerns regarding a child’s health and safety and realise that it is their responsibility to put this action into place. The legislation provides advise/support for parents/guardians in regards to their role as a parent/carer. Inspections made by the ‘Department of Education and Science’ will take place through-out schools of all sorts to  reinforce and ensure that the new legislation is being enforced. Siolta Siolta is made up of twelve principals, sixteen standard and seventy-five components. The twelve principals provide the base of the frame work. Without the principals the components wouldn’t be able to be put in place. The principals give direction for childcare workers on how they should carry out their work in an Early Childhood Care and Education environment, how to interact and communicate with children and fillies, how subjects should be taught and how the services that the childcare worker works in should be organised. The twelve principles contain: Equality – is a necessary aspect to have in a childcare setting, it is essential every child feels equal. Diversity- Every childcare setting should recognise that each child comes from very different backgrounds. It is the childcares settings responsibility to confirm that they understand, respect and accommodate this with visual aids e.g. posters, dolls from different ethnic backgrounds, chopsticks in the home area ec t. Environment- The physical layout of the setting should be organised to meet, encourage and develop the child’s abilities so the child can reach their full potential. Welfare- The child’s health, safety and welfare is essential and should be met as much as it possibly can be e.g. if a child has chicken pock’s, that child should be removed to a room where no other children are present the child’s parents should be contacted and the child shouldn’t return until it has cleared to prevent it infecting other children. The role of the adult- The adult working in the setting has a responsibility to make sure the child is making the most of their experience and are reaching full potential while in that adults company. Teamwork-Good communication and respect should be shown and practised in settings between the various workers in the setting. If there isn’t respect among workers, there won’t be good teamwork skills therefore the children present in that company will pick up on the negative energy and put what they have picked up on into practice. Pedagogy- The study and theory of the methods and principals of teaching should be put in place in early childhood care and education through holistic play, as this is the most appropriate method of learning for children of that age range. Play-Should be promoted, as it is an essential part in a child’s development  whether that be physical or theory learning. Sioltas sixteen standards are essential and necessary in services as it give guidance for workers within the service, IT gives guidance on how to act, provide and develop services with the setting. The standards contain various elements such as the various elements such as the child’s rights to the legislation and regulation. It’s from the sanders that the seventy-five components are made up. The components help meet the standard. Without the sixteen standards and seventy-five components the knowledge of the twelve principals wouldn’t be able to be put in place as effectively. Siolta was created to improve the way childcare is taught, organised, carried out and viewed in the Early Childhood Care and Education settings who cater for children from the age range of birth to six years of age. It â€Å"defines, assess and supports† these improvements. Early Childhood Care and Education settings and services taking part in the free school year must implement Siolta, making more demand for the service. (siolta) Aistear Aistear, was established by the Department of Education and Skills through NCCA in 2010. Aistear from the Irish word meaning ‘journey’, is of relevant importance to childcare settings where children from the ages of 0-6 years receive their care and education. Aistear works closely alongside Siolta and consists of an informal curriculum that contains twelve principles and themes that give guidance to the childcare worker. Aistear recognizes that education and care are not separate within the childcare sector and they aim to help children grow and develop independently. (Aistear) The manager The manager is required to have a minimum level 7/8 qualification in childcare, they have to manage the day-to-day routine of the preschool setting, ensuring that the developmental needs, safety and wellbeing of each individual child are being met. The manager may also be required to work unsocial hours and must attend to relevant meetings. The manager also has the responsibility to ensure the child protection policy is being implemented within the setting, recording and concerns and also ensuring high sanders of safety are being maintained at all times. (Class notes) The Childcare assistant The Childcare assistant is required to have a minimum of a level 5 qualification in childcare and previous experience is required. They assist in the day-to-day organisation and preparation of the childcare setting. The Childcare assistant must maintain all personal information of the individual children as confidential and at times have to work unsocial hours. The assistant must ensure the children within their care are receiving high standards of care, safety and wellbeing whilst also ensuring the developmental need of the children are being met accurately. The Childcare Assistant will have to at times participate in fundraising activities, special events and outings. They must strictly follow the Child Protection policy and report any concerns. (class notes) The Playgroup Leader The Playgroup Leader is required to have a minimum of a level 5 qualification in childcare and previous experience in childcare is required. The Playgroup Leader is required to manage the day-to-day routine of the playgroup. The playgroup leader has the responsibility to ensure the safety, wellbeing and developmental needs of the children are being continually being met. They must keep all personal information regarding the children within the service, children’s family and staff strictly confidential. Must strictly follow and promote the Child Protection Policy, ensuring high standers of hygiene and quality are being promoted within the setting. Organise regular meetings with parents throughout the year. Must regularly carry out appraisal on the staff’s performance, make sure all staff and volunteers have guard vetting. Must try to obtain good staff more and show respect to other staff members. Special Needs Assistant A Special Needs Assistant must have a minimum level5 qualification in childcare. Must ensure that all personal information regarding children or staff they work with remains confidently then it should be reported. Must strictly follow the Child Protection Act and make sure the developmental needs of the child are being met. The assists are recruited to help assist  and support children with special needs or difficult behaviour problems in schools. The assistants engage regularly with the parents of the special needs child, they also participate in fundraising activities, special events and outings to further help the child or children with special needs. Montessori teacher Must have a minimum level5 qualification in childcare. Must strictly follow the Child Protection Act and make sure the developmental needs of the child are being met, ensuring high standards of hygiene and quality are being promoted within the setting. A Montessori has the responsibly to provide opportunities for children so they can figure out how to do something for themselves. Must observe children within the setting and comment on their development. They provide challenging tasks for the children, so they make the best of their abilities. Organise meetings with the parents throughout the year. Detailed description of the qualifications and experience needed for work associated with on occupation in the ECCE sector. One occupation in the Early Child Care and Education sector I have chose to further evaluate on is the pre-school manager. The pre-school manager has many roles and responsibilities such as: Being strictly confidential within and outside the Early Childhood Care and Education setting in relaxation to keeping personal information about the children, their family and also the staff. Ensuring when planned activities are taking place that each individual child’s developmental needs are being met. Making sure that every area and all facilities of the Early Childhood Care and Education setting are being met to Sioltas standards. Has the role of preparing and creating curriculum plans for the staff to carry out in the Early Childhood Care and Education setting. Making sure that there is good staff morale, resolving any issues that arise promptly and effectively Making sure that there the Child Protection policy is being promoted and that the policy is being firmly stuck to. If any concerns are arisen then the manager must document and record this. Organise meetings with parents throughout the year to inform them and discuss such things as the child’s progression and also  adhering to any concerns raised by the parents. It is also a role and responsibility of the manager to prepare and organise special event and outings for the children attending the Early Childhood Care and Education setting. ( class notes) The preschool manager must have a minimum qualification of level of seven/eight in childcare.This qualification can be obtained in most IT’s. The duration of study that it would take to obtain this would be approximately three to four years depending on the level of qualification. To then further become a pre-school manager the level of experience the individual would need to have would depend on the Early Childhood Care and Education setting. Generally the minimum experience needed by the individual would be approximately two – four years. It would be appropriate that the individual had experience as a supervisor before becoming a pre-school manager. Employment and Career Opportunities in Childcare Funding that is made available to state to childcare services, such as the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme, the Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme / Free Pre-School year and Community Childcare Solovention scheme make the option of childcare services more appealing and therefore increase the demand for childcare services. As a result of the increased demand for childcare services, the demand for employment opportunities also increases. The Early Childhood care and Education Scheme / Free Pre-school year (FPSY) was introduced in 2009. The scheme recognized the importance of qualifications within the childcare sector and as a result it introduced a minimum qualifications standard for pre-school leaders. An important feature of the scheme is that it offers more funding for better qualified staff and because of this feature it can increase or decrease an individual’s employment opportunities e.g. if an individual applied for a particular position in which the state requires the potential employee to hold a Level 7 qualification, and the candidate did not hold a Level 7 qualification,  that candidate will most likely not get the position as a result as their employment would not benefit the pre-school. The Community Childcare Subvention Scheme is a support scheme that was set up to aid and support non-profit childcare services/centres. This scheme does not support profit childcare services. The schemes main focus is to help the non-profit childcare services. This scheme allows non-profit childcare services to provide their services at a lower rate, which enables children with disadvantaged parents the opportunity to attend childcare services. Each Community based service that takes part in the Community Childcare scheme, has the responsibility to make a guideline available of the different rates for each type of service that they offer to parents. There are four types of fee rates available; and the parent/guardian will be offered the rate depending on what price band or category they fall into based on their individual financial situation. This scheme enables more access to all types of parents and therefore increases the demand for childcare services and effectively increases employment opportunities. Special Needs Assistant – Due to the downturn in the Irish Economy, there have been substantial cuts in Special Needs Assistants. It has been revealed that approximately 1200 Special needs assistant positions will be cut in the near future. (Class notes) If this happens, there will be a sharp decrease in the amount of employment opportunities available within the childcare sector. It is also thought that as a result of the cuts, individuals that currently hold a Level 7/8 qualification may not be willing to apply for job opportunities that become available due to the poor pay conditions and low status of the childcare positions. Progression of qualifications within the childcare sector e.g. achieving a Level 5 and progressing to a Level 6, Level 7 and Level 8 qualification is becoming more important to childcare workers to help them increase their employment opportunities. The better the qualification that a childcare worker obtains means they have a higher chance of securing employment within the childcare sector. E.g. If an advertisement is published in a newspaper for a childcare position, and an individual that holds a Level 5 applies  while also an individual what holds a Level 8 qualification also applies, the individual with the higher qualification i.e. the Level 8 qualification, will have a higher chance of getting the position. After obtaining a Level 8 qualification i.e. A Degree in childcare, which is generally obtained over a three year period, there is a career opportunity to continue to study towards a Primary school teaching qualification. A further two years of study in Teacher training is also required before obtaining a qualification as a Primary school teacher. After achieving a minimum of a Level 7/8 qualification, there is also the opportunity to become a manager within a childcare setting. An individual seeking to further their career or who wishes to pursue a career in management would also need sufficient experience within the early childcare and education setting to secure a higher position. This career opportunity can only become available for the individual if they have obtained a Level 7/8 qualification.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Use a Periodic Sentence to Create Suspense

A periodic sentence is a long and frequently involved sentence, marked by suspended syntax, in which the sense is not completed until the final word — often with an emphatic climax. This is also called a  period or a suspended sentence.   Professor Jeanne Fahnestock notes in Rhetorical Style that the distinction between periodic and loose sentences begins with Aristotle, who described types of sentences on the basis of how tight or how open they sounded. Etymology Periodic is from the Greek for going around or circuit. Examples and Observations P.G. Wodehouse, Something Fresh In the almost incredibly brief time which it took the small but sturdy porter to roll a milk-can across the platform and bump it, with a clang, against other milk-cans similarly treated a moment before, Ashe fell in love. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, that is genius. E.B. White, Stuart Little In the loveliest town of all, where the houses were white and high and the elms trees were green and higher than the houses, where the front yards were wide and pleasant and the back yards were bushy and worth finding out about, where the streets sloped down to the stream and the stream flowed quietly under the bridge, where the lawns ended in orchards and the orchards ended in fields and the fields ended in pastures and the pastures climbed the hill and disappeared over the top toward the wonderful wide sky, in this loveliest of all towns Stuart stopped to get a drink of sarsaparilla. Truman Capote,  In Cold Blood Like the waters of the river, like the motorists on the highway, and like the yellow trains streaking down the Santa Fe tracks, drama, in the shape of exceptional happenings, had never stopped there. I Corinthians 13 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. Iain Sinclair, Lights Out for the Territory In the entrances of office blocks, just outside the revolving doors, on the fake marble steps (behind which can be glimpsed internal security personnel, pompous desks, escalators, hanging Jim Dine torsos) are these suits. Women in suits. Slightly shifty blokes. Insiders, badge-wearers, forced to taste the weather, to step outside — because they want to, have to, smoke. H. L. Mencken Democracy is that system of government under which people, having 60,000,000 native-born adults to choose from, including thousands who are handsome and many who are wise, pick out a Coolidge to be head of state. It is as if a hungry man, set before a banquet prepared by master cooks and covering a table an acre in area, should turn his back upon the feast and stay his stomach by catching and eating flies. Dylan Thomas, A Childs Christmas in Wales Years and years ago, when I was a boy, when there were wolves in Wales, and birds the color of red-flannel petticoats whisked past the harp-shaped hills, when we sang and wallowed all night and day in caves that smelt like Sunday afternoons in damp front farmhouse parlors, and we chased, with the jawbones of deacons, the English and the bears, before the motor car, before the wheel, before the duchess-faced horse, when we rode the daft and happy hills bareback, it snowed and it snowed. Saul Bellow, Mr. Sammlers Planet And even in the old days, in the days when he was British, in the lovely twenties and thirties when he lived in Great Russell Street, when he was acquainted with Maynard Keynes, Lytton Strachey, and H. G. Wells and loved British views, before the great squeeze, the human physics of the war, with its volumes, its vacuums, its voids (that period of dynamics and direct action upon the individual, comparable biologically to birth), he had never much trusted his judgment where Germans were concerned. Samuel Johnson, Preface to Shakespeare Upon every other stage, the universal agent is love, by whose power all good and evil is distributed, and every action quickened or retarded. To bring a lover, a lady, and a rival into the fable; to entangle them in contradictory obligations, perplex them with oppositions of interest, and harass them with violence of desires inconsistent with each other; to make them meet in rapture and part in agony; to fill their mouths with hyperbolical joy and outrageous sorrow; to distress them as nothing human ever was distressed; to deliver them as nothing human ever was delivered, is the business of a modern dramatist. James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson â€Å"Addison’s style, like a light wine, pleases everybody from the first. Johnson’s, like a liquor of more body, seems too strong at first, but, by degrees, is highly relished; and such is the melody of his periods, so much do they captivate the ear, and seize upon the attention, that there is scarcely any writer, however inconsiderable, who does not aim, in some degree, at the same species of excellence.† Suspended Syntax and Balancing Acts Richard A.  Lanham, A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms Generally speaking, one might say that the  period  expresses a complete thought self-sufficiently; beyond this, it must have at least two members...Periodic sentence is a very rough English equivalent; it describes a long sentence that consists of a number of elements, often balanced or  antithetical, and existing in perfectly clear syntactic relationship to one another. The phrase suspended  syntax is often used to describe it, since the syntactical pattern, and so the sense is not completed, is suspended, until the end. Richard A. Lanham, Analyzing Prose The periodic stylist works with balance, antithesis, parallelism and careful patterns of repetition; all these dramatize a mind which has dominated experience and reworked it to its liking. It is tempting to say that the periodic style humanizes time and we can say this, so long as we remember that to go with the flow is as human as to oppose it... Periodic Sentences in Classical Rhetoric James J. Murphy, A Synoptic History of Classical Rhetoric Isocrates style is particularly characterized by the use of the periodic sentence, a style still recommended today as a means to achieve emphasis. Periodic sentences are formed by a series of clauses that build to the main clause, leading to a climactic effect. Here is an example of the periodic sentence from Isocrates political treatise Panegyricus: For when that greatest of all wars broke out and a multitude of dangers presented themselves at one and the same time, when our enemies regarded themselves as irresistible because of their numbers and our allies thought themselves endowed with a courage which could not be excelled, we outdid them both in a way appropriate to each. Periodic Style vs Cumulative Style Theresa Jarnagin Enos,  Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and Composition A periodic style is usually described as compact and as being characterized by suspended syntax. In a periodic sentence, subordinate elements precede the main clause of the sentence; a periodic style is dominated by such constructions... A periodic style is contrasted with a style variously described as free-running, cumulative, or loose. The use of a free-running style reflects the combining and intermingling of multiple thoughts, one upon the other, and gives the impression that a writer is exploring ideas; the main clause of a loose sentence comes first, and less important details and qualifications follow. A periodic style, on the other hand, is marked by periods and denotes a refinement and a controlled emphasis on the part of the writer. William Strunk, Jr., The Elements of Style The proper place in the sentence for the word or group of words that the writer desires to make most prominent is usually the end. Suspended Sentence Patterns Kristin Dombek, Critical Passages: Teaching the Transition to College Composition Ask students to look at a writing exercise or essay theyve written, and to mark the most important sentence in each paragraph. Ask them to look for places where that sentence might be better placed either at the beginning or end of the paragraph and to think about why. Then ask them questions to help them reflect on the patterns they see: Are you a cumulative or a periodic thinker? What effect does it have when the controlling sentence, with the most important information and thinking, comes at the beginning of a paragraph? At the end? Advantages and Disadvantages of Periodic Sentences Andrew Dousa Hepburn, Manual of English Rhetoric The periodic structure promotes energy, as it preserves the unity of the sentence and concentrates its strength in a single point. But it has an artificial appearance; it is unfitted for some kinds of composition, and its frequent recurrence is always disagreeable. It is not easy, without more help than the English language furnishes, to enable readers to retain in their minds the members of a complex thought, and at the close bind them easily and promptly into unity. To prevent obscurity and overtasking the attention, superfluous words and thoughts should be excluded from a period, and the members and clauses should be few and short. In arranging the clauses of the members, the same rule must be followed that governs the arrangement of the members of the period; the reader must not be led to suppose that the sentence is finished until it actually is so. When this rule is neglected, a period has the tediousness and feebleness of a badly constructed loose sentence. Sources 1 Corinthians. The Holy Bible, King James Version, Chapter 13, King James Bible Online, 2019. Bellow, Saul. Mr. Sammlers Planet. Stanely Crouch, Revised ed. edition, Penguin Classics, January 6, 2004. Boswell, James. The Life of Samuel Johnson. Penguin Classics, David Womersley (Editor), 1st edition, Paperback, Penguin Classics, November 19, 2008. Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood. Vintage International, Paperback, Vintage, February 1, 1994. Dombek, Kristin. Critical Passages: Teaching the Transition to College Composition. Language and Literacy Series, Scott Herndon, Celia Genishi, Dorothy S. Strickland, Donna E. Alvermann, Teachers College Press, December 6, 2003. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Self-Reliance. Paperback, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, April 3, 2017. Enos, Theresa Jarnagin (Editor). Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and Composition: Communication from Ancient Times to the Information Age. 1st Edition, Routledge, March 19, 2010. Fahnestock, Jeanne. Rhetorical Style: The Uses of Language in Persuasion by Jeanne Fahnestock. Paperback, 1 Edition, Oxford University Press, October 12, 2011. Hepburn, A. D. Manual of English Rhetoric. Charlotte Downey, Scholars Facsimiles Reprints, Scholars Facsimilies Reprint, October 1, 2001. If Its Obvious It Cant Be True. Old Life, January 22, 2016. Isocrates. Delphi Complete Works of Isocrates. Delphi Ancient Classics Book 73, Kindle Edition, 1 Edition, Delphi Classic, November 12, 2016. Johnson, Samuel. Preface to Shakespeare. 1st Edition, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, October 23, 2014. Jovanny, Meaning of this quote? Yahoo Answers, 2011. Lanham, Richard A. Analyzing Prose. Paperback, Second Edition, Bloomsbury Academic. Lanham, Richard A. A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms. Second Edition, University of California Press, November 15, 2012. Murphy, James J. A Synoptic History of Classical Rhetoric. Richard A. Katula, Michael Hoppmann, Paperback, 4th Edition, Routledge, 2013. Sinclair, Iain. Lights Out for the Territory. International Edition, Paperback, Penguin UK, October 28, 2003. Strunk, William Jr. The Elements of Style. E.B. White, Test Editor, Roger Angell, 4th Edition, Peason, August 2, 1999. Thomas, Dylan. A Childs Christmas in Wales. Hardcover, Orion Childrens Books, October 2, 2014. White, E.B. Stuart Little. Garth Williams (illustrator), Paperback, Harper Row, February 1, 2005. Wodehouse, P.G. Something Fresh. The Collectors Wode edition, Hardcover, Harry N. Abrams, April 7, 2005