Personal Vision of Ministry free essay sample

Personal Vision of Ministry Statement â€Å"Creative,  loving,  and  inspired  ministry  that  loosens  the burdens of religion, and  leads  people to a  lifetime,  obedient relationship with our  Lord  Jesus Christ. † Each word in that  vision  statement is very significant to me and describes my spiritual being to this point. Creativity  is important to me, not just because advertising or me being a bit imaginative, but because from the beginning, our God was a creative God; I don’t believe there is any room  for  becoming stagnant in Christianity. Love  is the central theme of the Bible, and it is the most important of the Great Commandment’s. It is only through daily submission that  inspiration  will come, and it is only through inspiration and testimony that I find the strength to carry out God’s work. There are  two â€Å"R† words  that are distinctive when sharing ministry:  Religion and Relationship. They are not the same. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Vision of Ministry or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Religion: being the belief in and worship of a personal God or Gods Details of belief as taught or discussed. Relationship: the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected. Example being Jesus Christ connected as our personal Lord and Savior. So this would be my personal ministry of how I am to share Christ Jesus Love. To be able to teach, and lead others to Christ through scripture. As a church youth minister, I should be one that is connected with today’s youth. A youth minister should lead children, not only in their spiritual growth but their personal development as well. A youth minister needs to possess great leadership qualities and have plenty of experience and testimony in order to share with the children. I must be able to train and encourage others within the church. I will be discipline, self-motivated, organized, and spiritually mature. This is why I believe AME will help me further Gods ministry, and gain more knowledge of who God is. Scripture says Lots about knowledge throughout the bible. One of my favorite verses explaining Gods sovereign knowledge is in Proverbs. Proverbs 3:1-35:  My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness for sake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord  with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. | | | May God use me to accomplish His purposes.

Book Review Song of Solomon

Book Review Song of Solomon Summary of the Book The central theme in Toni Morrison’s book, â€Å"Song of Solomon†, is the quest for self-identity. In the novel, the author narrates the life journey of a young man, â€Å"Milkman† Dead, who lacks enthusiasm for his life, is alienated from his relatives, his cultural roots and his community.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Book Review: Song of Solomon specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At first, Milkman appears psychologically and spiritually enslaved, but later, his aunt, Pilate, and his ally, Bains, help him to embark on a journey of self-discovery. It is through his quest for spiritual and physical restoration that Milkman is able to relate to his inner self and regain his sense of self-worth. The events of Milkman’s journeys span over thirty years. In part I of the book (Chapters 1-9), Morrison narrates Milkman’s early life in his hometown, a small town in Mich igan. From his birth to his early thirties, Milkman is spiritually empty; his aunt’s conservative tendencies and the father’s worldly lifestyle could not help him grow spiritually. At one time, Milkman’s father and his sister, Pilate, are forced to flee their home following their father’s killing over land. Later, following a disagreement, they go separate ways only to meet again in this small town in Michigan. The two still have a grudge against one another and could not communicate. Towards the end of part I, Milkman sets out on a quest to find his aunt’s hidden gold, which, according to his father, would become his inheritance. In part II, Milkman travels to the South ostensibly to search for gold (his inheritance). His quest leads him to a farm in Danville, Pennsylvania, his grandfather’s home. He would later trace his lineage to a small town, Shalimar, in Virginia and go there. It is in this small town that his quest ends when Milkman m eets his paternal relatives and discovers his true self-identity. Developing Milkman’s Quest Morrison uses many narrative elements in part I in developing Milkman’s quest in the American South in part II. One such narrative element is setting. The South harbors Milkman’s past history particularly slavery in the South. Morrison uses the name â€Å"Southside†, Pilate’s residence in the town, to denote their southern ancestry, the origins of the Black population. Thus, Pilate’s place gives Milkman a direct emotional connection to his ancestors in the South. Also, Morrison predicts the importance of Milkman’s journey to his southern ancestral home when he states that Milkman’s walk in the Not Doctor Street was dreamlike and strange following his quarrel with his father.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More His quarrel with his father marks a turning point in his life as he learns of his father’s materialistic tendencies over family traditions. Also, in part I, as Milkman walks down this street to his aunt’s Southside residence, he encounters people â€Å"all going the direction he was coming from (78). Here, Morrison signals that in order for Milkman to discover his identity, he will have to go against the grain and transcend not only the Northward migration of the Black population but also his selfish desires and pleasures. Morrison, in part I, narrates Milkman’s inquisitiveness to know the meaning of one’s name to signify Milkman’s as well as his ancestral origins. It is the South that harbors the secrets of Milkman’s ancestral past and the origin of his family name, which they lost because of their high mobility. As his father explains, Macon Dead, was the name given to his grandfather by a Freedman Bureau official, which the Macon family kept because Milkman’s mother insisted that it was new and would wipe out the past (53). His father’s explanation marked another turning point as Milkman later sets out to find his family origins and his true identity. By dropping their family name the Macon family lost their traditions and history. The surname is significant to the family as it gives them a sense of self-determination. Thus, Morrison uses Milkman’s urge to know his family name in part I to herald his subsequent quest to the South to discover his heritage and self-identity. Another narrative element Morrison uses in part I of the novel to herald Milkman’s journey in part II is sequencing of events. Milkman’s self-alienation and disaffection to his family and the black community required complete restoration. He had lost his sense of heritage and therefore, could not relate well with his family or community. Morrison first symbolizes Milkman’s uniqueness during his birth. He narrates tha t Milkman is born, the first Black baby, in an all-White hospital called Mercy Hospital. Morrison also narrates how Milkman’s prolonged breastfeeding distinguishes him from other children. At only age four, after Milkman learns that people cannot fly, he loses â€Å"all interest in himself and likewise has no interest in those around him (9). The author narrates how Morrison was excluded by other children while growing up. His siblings treated him with â€Å"casual malice† (10), which, ironically, made Milkman, from an early age, to develop the urge to seek answers about his true identity and familial origins. The social exclusion Milkman suffers marks a turning point in his life as he realizes that he is different from other kids. It also makes him to seek to find out about his ancestry, hence his quest to the South. As Milkman becomes older, his life is fraught with failures, partly because of his childhood alienation and lack of empathy and self-awareness. Morrison narrates that, at 22 years of age, Milkman still acts and behaves as a child. He writes that Milkman had not â€Å"thought of his mother as a person, a separate individual, with a life apart from allowing or interfering with his own (75).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Book Review: Song of Solomon specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Also, Morrison portrays Milkman’s perceptions as inaccurate and self-centered. He assaults his father to please his mother but learns that â€Å"there was no one to thank him-or abuse him, his action was his alone (68). This marks another turning point in his life, as he learns that he is responsible for his actions and by extension, his destiny. Morrison also gives his point of view regarding Milkman’s actions. He states that Milkman’s â€Å"sleeping with Hagar had made him generous, or so he thought, wide-spirited, or so he imagined (69). The author’s poin t of view portrays Milkman as a self-absorbed and selfish young man, with no dream in life. It is no wonder the prospect of hidden treasures (gold) makes him set out on a quest to find it. Morrison also gives his views about Milkman’s adulthood dream. He states that Milkman contemplated relocating from the Not Doctor Street to a new place with â€Å"new people, new command. That was what he wanted in his life† (180). The author’s views and sequencing technique to herald Milkman’s future quest to the South. Magical Realism in the Book Morrison uses many examples of magical realism to advance the novels’ themes. One such example relates to his use of descriptions that appeal sense perceptions such as odors, tastes and colors. For instance, he describes the realistic, yet the mysterious quality of the smell of ginger, when he compares his hometown in Michigan with a mystical place in the Far East. He writes: â€Å"An odor like crystallized ginger, or sweet iced tea with a dark clove floating in it†¦ made you think of the East and striped tents and the sha-sha-sha of leg bracelets†¦.† (184). His magical description evokes emotions of Milkman’s lost personal identity and culture. It helps to elaborate the novel’s realistic themes of bemoaning lost culture and personal identity. It underscores Milkman’ and his friend’s (Guitar) search for self-identity, which is a key theme of the book. Another example of magical realism occurs in chapter 11. In this scene, Morrison describes the sounds made by the hunting dogs during the hunt. He describes the sounds as â€Å"all those shrieks, those rapid tumbling barks, the long sustained yells, the tuba sounds, and the drumbeat sounds†¦ (278). His depiction of the voices, though, distinctive and realistic, is, in time and space, shrouded in mystery. Morrison also links the conscious experiences and the memories of the characters’ past li ves. Morrison uses this approach to advance the novel’s theme of the search for one’s self-identity as exemplified by Milkman’s search. It is through his epic search for self consciousness that readers understand the significance of familial and communal identity in his life.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another example of magical realism that involves personal consciousness occurs in chapter 10. Morrison describes Circe’s house as â€Å"looking as if it had been eaten by a galloping disease, the sores of which were dark and fluid† (220). She then proceeds to describe what is going on in Milkman’s memory including his flight from his hometown in Michigan to Pennsylvania, his final chat with his personal friend, Guitar, his journey on to Circe’s house and his interaction with his father’s friends before returning to Circe’s house where Milkman is. This approach of superimposing past memories with the present is an important magical realism technique that helps Morrison to describe the dynamics of the characters’ conscious experiences. A new sense of self-identity transforms the once narcissistic Milkman into an empathic man as shown in his realistic interaction with his girlfriend, Sweet: â€Å"He made up the bed. She gave him gumbo t o eat. He washed the dishes†¦ He scoured her tub (285). Here, Morrison encourages greater consciousness among the black people to seek to understand their history and community identity. Her description of how Milkman connected with his personal and familial consciousness borders magical realism. Milkman, in chapter 15, on completing his quest, reflects on the people he has interacted with and how they helped shape his destiny. He becomes conscious of his familial and community origins as shown in the list of names of his black kinsmen. Morrison uses this mental imagery to illustrate the book’s theme of personal and community sense of identity. Toni Morrison’s Female Character Portrayal Morrison depiction of the female characters in the novel illustrates the defects of gender relations among the blacks. She portrays female characters as crucial in the development of personal and community identity. All the females Milkman interacts with, though he mistreats them, help him discover his self-identity. One such female character is Pilate, an influential figure in Milkman’s life, who, unlike Macon Dead, is conservative and disdainful of Macon’s materialistic lifestyle. Morrison uses Pilate to represent the deep connection that females have to their people and ancestors. A stark contrast to Pilate values her ancestry and longs for a reunion with her relatives in the South. However, to her brother, Macon, kinship is not important. Pilate plays a crucial role in Milkman’s life. Her incomplete song makes Milkman to seek for the missing words of the song later in the book. The words of her song are symbolic because she is attempting to assist Milkman discover his identity. At the end of the book, Milkman gets all the words and is able to sing the entire song, which makes him feel that he has found his true identity. Pilate helps Milkman, who had lost all personal and cultural consciousness because his father was ‘deadâ€⠄¢ emotionally, to discover himself. Thus, Pilate helps to develop an emotional connection to his ancestors. Morrison also portrays female characters as role models. In the novel, all of Milkman’s role models are females who guided him throughout his life. Even his close male friend, Guitar, is a rogue murderer who could not guide Milkman. In the end, Milkman discovers that Pilate’s teachings were relevant to his final destiny, though, initially, he had sidelined her. As it turns out, Pilate is the most influential figure in Milkman’s quest for self-identity. Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: Vintage International, 1977. Print.

The impertence of communicationing Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The impertence of communicationing - Term Paper Example This can be related to Socrates’ second principle which is about knowing your audience (Socrates, p.5). In this case Ted according to a co-worker, Linda, is very self-centered. This is one of the problems in communication, when people do not know how to listen. Communication can only be effective when one party is listening to what the other is saying and take turns in doing so. Another important issue that can be pointed out in the episode is the use of one form of communication and understanding the errors related to the use of this way of communication. According to the third Principle of Communication presented by Socrates, one must master the medium of communication that he or she chooses (Socrates, p.8). In this case, the company chose to use a company-wide memo system to reach the employees and tell them the different updates in terms of the company’s policies and rules. In this case, the management did not impose and stress the importance of communicating the message accurately. A simple typographical error can change the meaning of a memo completely and can cause misunderstanding. The scenario presented by the TV show resulted to ethical issues since the memo is requiring the company employees to say bad words to each other. Aside from being a negative form of communication, this is against ethical principles projected for the common good (E thical Principles, p.10). In terms of the two issues, it is important to take into consideration the lessons presented by Socrates. No matter what era, the 7 Principle of Communication can still be effective. With regards to the first issue, which is about knowing the audience or the listeners, the solution presented in the program is to be more open to audience which in this case is the employees. It is important even for entertainers and speakers to know the audience to be able to effectively convey the

Spanish critical response (literature) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Spanish critical response (literature) - Essay Example los tiempos eran terribles para muchos. En esta escritura, el autor tiene una discusià ³n central en la cual el texto entero se centre alrededor. Todo a travà ©s del texto, el autor nos deja saber que el conocimiento es energà ­a. Él tambià ©n dice que para que un paà ­s a funcionar bien, la gente que lo està ¡ gobernando deba tener conocimiento apropiado de los asuntos. El conocimiento apropiado ayuda a la gente en energà ­a para ocuparse de los desafà ­os mejores, y a ayudas de este conocimiento mantener la unidad el paà ­s. El autor nos dice que para que la gente para tener conocimiento de los asuntos del paà ­s ella deba estudiar varias fuentes de las noticias. Si la gente que està ¡ en energà ­a no estudia estas cosas, la historia se repetirà ¡, y habrà ¡ siempre agitacià ³n.  ¿Cà ³mo han de salir de las universidades los gobernantes, si no hay universidad en Amà ©rica donde se enseà ±e lo rudimentario del arte del gobierno, que es el anà ¡lisis de los elementos peculiares de los pueblos de Amà ©rica? A adivinar salen los jà ³venes al mundo, con antiparras yanquis o francesas, y aspiran a dirigir un pueblo que no conocen. En la carrera de la polà ­tica habrà ­a de negarse la entrada a los que desconocen los rudimentos de la polà ­tica. El premio de los certà ¡menes no ha de ser para la mejor oda, sino para el mejor estudio de los factores del paà ­s en que se vive. En el perià ³dico, en la cà ¡tedra, en la academia, debe llevarse adelante el estudio de los factores reales del paà ­s. Conocerlos basta, sin vendas ni ambages; porque el que pone de lado, por voluntad u olvido, una parte de la verdad, cae a la larga por la verdad que le faltà ³, que crece en la negligencia, y derriba lo que se levanta sin ella. Resolver el problema despuà © s de conocer sus elementos, es mà ¡s fà ¡cil que resolver el problema sin conocerlos. Viene el hombre natural, indignado y fuerte, y derriba la justicia acumulada de los libros, porque no se administra en acuerdos con las necesidades

The Face of American Poverty Essay Example for Free

The Face of American Poverty Essay Poverty is a social ill that is affecting most developing countries in the world, if not all. This is evidenced by the peoples lack of access to basic commodities such as food, clothing and shelter due to insufficiency of foods to purchase these needs. More often than not, this kind of situation is associated to third world countries like the Philippines and Vietnam and less identified with industrialized countries because people in the latter have more access to a better life and an abundance of job opportunities. United States is a country that could be least likely identified with poverty, however, statistics revealed there are millions of people in America who are living a poor life. This hidden problem of America was magnified to the whole world when hurricane Katrina destroyed properties in southern United States, specially New Orleans. A BusinessWeek article (Farell 2005) reported that the disaster reminded every American of the big class divide in the country. The whites who had more means were able to find a safer place to stay as the disaster hit their homes while the blakcs who have just enough or not even, were left on their rooftops crying for help. They barely had enough to save themselves from the brutal effects of the hurricane. Based on the latest statistics that the bureau released (Current Population Report 20), America, an industrialized country and one of the most powerful countries in the world houses 36. 5 million people, 24. 3 percent of which are Blacks, 10. 3 percent are Asians and 8. percent are non-Hispanic whites. Poverty in the United States is measured by the Bureau of Census using the money income earned by the family members. If the total income of the family is below the familys threshold, every individual in the family is considered as among those people suffering in poverty. There are 48 possible poverty thresholds that may be assigned to each family. These thresholds vary according to family size and ages of th e members of the family. The thresholds are annually updated in consideration of the inflation and other factors. These thresholds in a way reflect the family needs and serve as statistical yardsticks; however, these statistics alone do not provide a comprehensive description of what a family needs to live decently. The measurement, which the bureau uses, was derived from the Office of Management and Budgets Statistical Policy Directive 14. The thresholds that are being utilized to measure poverty were formulated in 1963 by the U. S. Department of Agriculture food budgets initially for families who are under economic stress (U. S. Bureau of Census 20) According to the Current Population Report of the U. S.  Bureau of Census (20), Table 3, People and Families in Poverty by Selected Characteristics: 2005 and 2006, South America has the highest number of people who are living in poverty, it reaches about 14 million and constitutes almost 14 percent of poor Americans. The other regions only registered an average of 11 percent each of the table listing the American people who are living in poverty. Aside from this, the statistics also show that majority of the Americans who are poor are native born. Those who are foreign born and naturalized citizens only comprised a small percentage of Americans living poverty. The bulk of these poor people range from the age bracket of 18 to 64 years oldthe working age. However, the poverty that America defines is a lot different from the definition of poverty in developing countries. As indicated in the research, Understanding Poverty in America, by Robert Rector and Johnson Johnson (n. pag. ), the poor in America are better off compared to those who are considered poor in developing countries. The research revealed that a poor American has a car, a house in good repair and has air-conditioning, clothes washer and cable television among others. According to Results. org (n. pag. ), the face of a poor person in America is a single parent working full time but still has no sufficient funds to pay for their food needs, rent, medical bills and car costs for travel. Results. org (n. pag. ) also revealed that an American who experiences hunger is in a better state than those who are in really poor countries because unlike the latter who really have nothing, Americans still have food to eat the only problem is that the food that they eat is not sufficient to meet a nutritious diet. According to the organization report (n. pag. ), the face of hunger in America is a malnourished child whose parents are not earning enough to purchase healthy and nutritious food and sometimes has to skip meals. The research conducted by Rector and Johnson (n. pag. ) showed that one of the problems of poor Americans is malnutrition, however, this malnourishment that poor Americans face is not under nutrition but obesity. Their findings show that most of the adult Americans are obese because their diets compose mostly of foods that are high in fat. They consume this kind of food more often due to lack of money to purchase food that could provide a better diet. Based on the findings of Rector and Johnson (n. pag. ), poverty is caused by two main factors: the absence of the father in the house and the fact that parents only spend less time at work. The research show that poor families are only supported by 800 work hours per year or 16 hours per week on the average. If the parents spend longer hours at work, then they could earn more and there is a greater possibility that the family would not fall among the list of poor families. In addition to this, the researchers also found out that the absence of a father in the house is also a great factor in the rise of poverty in the United States. Out-of-wedlock pregnancies are becoming more prevalent in the American society and this causes a surge in the number of single parents that are supporting their children. More often than not, the income that these single parents are generating is not enough to sustain their family’s needs thus; they fall within the poverty line. If there were two parents that are earning for the family then there would be more funds to buy the family the needs. Aside from these factors, Isabel Sawhill (n. pag. ) also cited other reasons for the emergence of poverty in the United States. One the reasons that she gave is the lack of employment opportunities among the poor people. This unemployment is actually caused by several reasons such as the mismatch between the required skills of employers and those that are offered by employees. Another reason is the fact that American workers need to compete with cheaper foreign labor. Their competition forces the need for Americans to accept lower wages in order to earn a living and supply the needs of their family. If they do not lower their salary expectations then it is more likely that foreign labor will prevail and complete the job. Another factor that affects unemployment in the United States is racial discrimination. There are employers who prefer to accept white Americans for better paying jobs as compared to the Blacks, Hispanics or Asians. Some American corporations continue to underestimate the capabilities of colored Americans and perceive that the whites are still superior and perform better than any other race. This type of discrimination is one of the reasons why America remains to be a divided nation. Moreover, the geographical location also plays as a factor because there are states that offer more job opportunities compared to other states which only offer a few. More often than not, those states which have more resources geographically and industrially offer more job opportunities as compared to those states which only have a few resources to develop and few corporations to run. Based on the data released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (n. pag. ), the region which has the highest unemployment rate are Midwest and West regions registering 5. percent each while the region which has the lowest unemployment rate is Southern United States at 4. 7 percent. Among the states, Texas has the highest employment rate followed by Nevada and Minnesota. In addition to the causes of poverty, researchers (Sawhill n. pag. ) are also blaming the income policy transfers of the government such as the food stamps, Medicaid, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families for the prevalence of poverty in the United States. The food stamp program aims to alleviate hunger and malnutrition in the country by providing qualified low-income families with food stamps that can be utilized to purchase food items to complete a nutritious diet. According to the U. S. Department of Agriculture, the average benefit that can be derived from the program per individual is $1 per meal. In order to qualify, a household should have a gross income that falls below 130 percent of the poverty line and do not own assets that are more than $2,000 in value (results. org n. pag. ). The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children aims to provide pregnant women who have low incomes, new mothers, infants and children that are facing nutritional risks with healthy food, education on nutrition and health care access. Unlike the food stamp program, which provides monetary assistance to families, this government program gives food packages to the concerned individuals to meet their dietary needs (results. org n. pag. ). The Temporary Assistance to Needy Families is the welfare program replacement of the Aid to Families with Dependent Children. This program was created to fight the dependency of the recipient families to the welfare programs of the government. Unlike the other welfare programs which only require that the family’s income fall within the poverty line, this type of government program requires the recipients to work before receiving any assistance and limits the period wherein they can receive assistance from the welfare program. This policy of the government somehow lessens the sense of dependency to welfare programs by the recipients and gives them motivation to work and lift their families out of the poverty line. It has been observed by researchers (Sawhill n. pag. ) that recipients of welfare assistance from the government become so dependent that they no longer have the drive to work harder or worse, no dot exert any effort to support their needs. This kind of dependency was staged in the movie, Million Dollar Baby. In this movie, the mother of Maggie Fitzgerald, the female boxer played by Hillary Swank, got mad when Maggie bought her a house because this would drive them out of the welfare system. Owning the property will force them to find a job that will support their daily needs and take them out of their comfort zone. The family does not want this to happen because they have become so dependent with the welfare system that they cannot seem to live without it anymore. This is the kind of dependency that the government is trying to avoid because not only does this foster indolence it also takes away from the government funds that could be used for other projects that would better benefit the community. It would be better to teach a person how to fish and find provision for his personal needs rather than simply providing the fish to a person who never dare to exert an effort. Having too many children is also a factor in the surge of poverty in the United States because the more children there are, the more dependents the parents have and the more mouths to feed. If a family has fewer children then it would be easier for the family to get by because there are only a few needs to provide for and compete over the family income. There are various ways wherein sociologists try to explain poverty and one of them is using the structural approach which is influenced by Marxists and Functionalists perspectives (School-Portal n. pag. ). In the Marxist perspective, it can be gleaned that poverty is the direct result of the capitalist system. Through capitalism, people are forced to enter into a competition to survive and this competition is affected primarily by education and skills that an individual possesses. People try to attain higher education and learn new skills to have a better standing in a capitalistic world and a better fare at the competition. Employers prefer to hire an applicant who attained a higher level of learning and who has better skills compared to ordinary individuals, as this will foster better company performance and more earnings. Employees work hard to receive higher and more promising salaries. The discrepancy in earnings, ownership of properties and the creation of the social strata causes poverty exist. If people are not driven by competition and the dire to strive for more as compared to the others, there would be no discrepancy and all will just be equal—no rich and no poor. However, this will also advocate laziness among the people and lack of improvement in ones way of living. With regard to the functionalist perspective, everything is seen to be working for the whole and everything has a purpose. In consideration of this ideology, poverty is seen both in the positive and negative light. In its negative aspect, poverty is seen as a warning, something that people should avoid due to its adverse effects such as lack of sufficient food to eat, absence of enough funds to purchase basic needs and wants. On the contrary, poverty is also seen in the positive side, a feel good factor. When one sees he is faring better than the others, it creates a sense of thinking that all the efforts that he has exerted are all worth it. It somehow creates an appreciation of the hardships that he had to go through to achieve the position he is occupying. Another approach that sociologists utilize to explain poverty is the cultural approach. This type of explanation was elaborated by sociologist, Oscar Lewis. According to Lewis, poverty is transferred from generation to generation because the values of the parents toward poverty are passed on to their children. Lewis explained that people experience poverty because of the different cultural values that they have developed through time. These values include resignation and fatalism. People who are resigned feel that there is nothing much that they can do about their situation so they no longer bother to change it or even exert the slightest effort to lift their families out of the impoverished state their they are in. People, who adhere to fatalism, perceive that they are meant to be poor so there is no reason of fighting it. They believe that suffering an impecunious life is their purpose in this world and no matter what they do they will not be able to escape it. Trying to pull ones self out of the hole of poverty will only be a futile undertaking. These kinds of ideologies of the parents foster somehow affects how their children see poverty. Without even realizing it, these principles that they adhere to, is already burying their children to the pit of poverty even at a tender age. Once the minds of their children are shaped with these principles, they will carry this one as they age and like their parents, will be left suffering an impoverished life. The cultural explanation of poverty explains why there are many who continue to depend on the welfare system even if they have the capacity to get out of it. They have been so used to thinking that they are poor and cannot do anything about it that is why they no longer strive to make their lives more bearable. What these people fail to realize are the benefits that can be gained from getting out of the cage of the government welfare system. They has lost their sense of achievement and being able to contribute something fruitful to the country rather than just waiting for the assistance that the government will provide.

The Early Years Of Key Stage One

The Early Years Of Key Stage One This report focuses on the principles underpinning Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Key Stage 1 (KS1), and how this influences practice when supporting children in the transition from EYFS to KS1. This report will also include the similarities and the differences between the EYFS and KS1. The main aim of this report is to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of theory underpinning the development of key stage 1. The Early Years Foundation Stage is not a curriculum it is a framework. Sited in (DCSF 2008a, p.9) The EYFS document sets the standards for children from birth to 5 by meeting the diverse needs of each individual child this principle lies in the heart of the EYFS. All practitioners should deliver personalised learning, care and development to encourage and help children receive the best possible start in life. The overarching aim of the EYFS is to help children achieve the five Every Child Matters outcomes which are: Staying safe Being healthy Enjoying and achieving Making a positive contribution Achieving economic well-being (DCSF 2008 a) However the national curriculum sets out the stages and core subjects children will be able to be taught during their time at school. The national Curriculum also sets out the knowledge and skills that are important for children to become successful and confident learners. The curriculum also sets out the achievement targets in each subject, teachers can use these to measure each childs progress and plan the next steps in their learning. Schools are free to plan and organise teaching and learning in the way that best meets the needs of their pupils. The new curriculum identifies the impact of play-based and activity learning in engaging children and helping them achieve a wide range of outcomes and make the best possible improvement. (National Curriculum online) However the EYFS framework provides assurance, it also states that every child deserves the best start in life. The Early Years Foundation Stage sets standards for the development, learning and care of children from birth. The new primary curriculum expands on the principles of the EYFS and encourages play-based learning. In the early stage the content of the curriculum is generic to the area of learning. Rose, J. (2009) The principles which guide the work for all early years practitioners are grouped in to four themes. The first theme is A Unique Child: every child is an experienced learner from birth who can be flexible, confident and self confident about him or herself. The second theme is Positive Relationship: children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents, families and carers. The third theme is Enabling Environment: The environment plays a key role in supporting and extending childrens development and learning, The fourth theme is Learning and Development: children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and all areas of Learning and Development are equally important and inter-connected. The Four guiding themes work together to underpin effective practice in the delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They put legal requirements in to context and describe how practitioners should support the development, learning and care for each individual child. (DCSF 2008a, p.9) Transition should be seen as a process not an event, transition is something that is continuous, and should be planned for and discussed with children and their parents. Settings should communicate information which will secure continuity of experience for the child between settings. Schools should use the summative assessment of each child recorded in the EYFS profile to support planning for learning in year 1. However teachers should also be familiar with the EYFS and the EYFS teachers should be familiar with the KS 1 Curriculum. (DCSF 2008b, p.10) Moving into years 1 can be a shock to some children after the play freedom they had in nursery and reception, five year olds can often be turned off education by suddenly being made to sit still and listen to their teachers. Sited in Moyles, J (2007 p. 16) Wood and Bennett (2001) stated that the effect on children of the transitions they make in early childhood has become a major focus on the national and international research. (Margetts 2002, Dockett and Perry 2004a-2005). As many practitioners are aware that the big transition may be the move from a foundation stage setting in to a key stage 1. The recent focus is on continuity and progression that can be offered to children at this point. Rose, J (2009) stated that: Transition from EYFS to primary school can be difficult for some children This can be difficult for children because the children are more familiar to the play-based learning, and when moving to key stage 1 the children will experience a difference as they will be expected to sit on a chair at a table and be told what to do. However the creative curriculum is also being introduced, the main aims of the creative curriculum are to encourage and develop a more creative curriculum in foundation subjects in Key Stage 1. The creative curriculum is also introduced to create a more personalised, incorporating key life skills that could transfer into lifelong learning skills and increase the use of the local area and increase out of classroom learning experiences. Feedback from parents, teachers and pupils suggested that the curriculum had become more creative and exciting. Pupils were taking part more and getting involved in their learning and took ownership. This also improved parental involvement in their childrens learning and development. The staff, parents and pupils commented on some changes they noticed occurring from the new topic approach. They reported that the children were more excited about their learning, the children were also talking about their learning more at home with parents and families. The children also started to bring resources from home for the new topic to support and expand their learning. (Creative curriculum 2008 online) The Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum includes a survey by Ofsted in 2007 which proclaimed that a very less amount of schools had successfully linked the areas of learning and development in the EYFS with the related subjects of the National Curriculum in Key Stage 1. Because there was lack of clear links between the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, this meant that 8 in 10 schools in the survey introduced the subjects of the National Curriculum at the start of the autumn term. However, Two in three of the schools taught a literacy hour or daily numeracy lesson within a few weeks of the start of the school year. In Rose, J (2009) Ofsted also noticed that over half of Year 1 teachers had used the Early Years Foundation Stage profile but few had found it mostly helpful. The EYFS profile confused many teachers by including assessments beyond the level of the early learning goals, but not linked openly to the level descriptors in the National Curriculum. However given the amount of time spent in completing the EYFS profile and its potential value as a personal record of each childs previous experiences and achievements it is important for schools to make better use of it. However The Cambridge Primary Review is an independent enquiry into the condition and future of primary education in England. It is based at the University of Cambridge, Alexander, R (2009). The Review proposes a debate on if the age at which children have to start school should be raised to six in line with many other countries. Logically the ages and stages of schooling should be brought in to line, so the statutory starting age would become six, the point at which children move from the foundation stage and enter the key stage 1. The main concern is not when children start school but what they do when they get there. With sufficient resources, there is no reason why good quality play-based learning up to age six cannot be provided in primary schools. However this is maybe a risky change because some fear that children with most to gain from early education will miss out through being kept at home until they are six. This would confirm that England has finally accepted the need to protect and preserve the distinctive nature of early childhood. Easing the way for the youngest four-year-olds to start school, however the Rose report which has recently been proposed, sends a different view. Rose, J (2009) says: I hope the review will help our primary schools to build on their success so that all our children benefit from a curriculum which is challenging, fires their enthusiasm, enriches and constantly enlarges their knowledge, skills and understanding and, above all, instils in them a lifelong love of learning. The curriculum that primary children are offered must enable them to enjoy this unique stage of childhood, inspire learning and develop the essential knowledge, skills and understanding which are the building blocks for secondary education and later life. Primary children must not only learn what to study, they must also learn how to study, so the children can become confident, self-disciplined individuals capable of engaging in a lifelong process of learning. High-quality teaching in the primary years, as elsewhere, is vital to childrens success. McKinsey 2007 reports said that the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers. This is echoed by the Cambridge Primary Review, which states that A curriculum is only as good as those who teach it. Rose, J. (2009) However (BBC news 2008 online) states: Do children start school at too young an age in England? English pupils are starting very early in the classroom, Compared to other western European countries, as compulsory education begins in England at the age of five with children starting at four years old. However in countries such as Sweden, Denmark, school does not begin until the age of seven. This general question has been raised by the Cambridge-based Primary Review which is investigating how the primary education is organised. And its conclusion challenges the idea that an early start has long-term advantages for children. The assumption that an early starting age is beneficial for childrens later attainment is not well supported in the research and therefore remains open to question, says the report. However the Primary Review, taking an overview of the evidence, suggests that there is no clear link between quantity and quality in education. In England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Netherlands, children start school at the age of five years old. However in Austria, Belgium, and Denmark the children start at the age of 6-7, and in, Poland, Spain, and Sweden children start at the age of 6-7. The Effective Provision of Pre-school Education (EPPE) project investigated the effects of preschool education and care on childrens development for children aged 3-7 years old. This study has established the positive effects of high quality pre-school provision on childrens intellectual and social behavioural development up to the end of Key Stage 1 in primary school. Pre-school has a positive impact on childrens progress over and above important family influences. The quality of the pre-school setting experience as well as the quantity are both important. The Effective Provision of Pre-school Education (EPPE) project explores the impact of preschool provision on young childrens cognitive progress and their social/behavioural development. The research seeks to establish whether different types of pre-school settings differ in their impact and effectiveness. It also seeks to identify any differences between individual pre-school centres in their impact upon childrens cognitive progress and social, behavioural development. EPPE (2004) However Brown, J. Said that the Effective Provision of Preschool Education (EPPE) is the first major study within the UK to focus on specifically the effectiveness of early years education, monitoring the development of children from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures as they progress from the start of preschool up to key stage 2. Brown, J. (2009, p.26) I n the national curriculum education influences and reflects the values of society. Therefore it is important, to recognise a broad set of common values and purposes that underpin the school curriculum. Education is also a route to equality of opportunity for all, a healthy and just democracy, a productive economy, and sustainable development. Education should reflect the permanent values that contribute to these ends. These include valuing ourselves, families and other relationships, and the wider groups, to which we belong, the diversity in our society and the environment. At the same time, education must enable us to respond positively to the opportunities of the rapidly changing world and work. We also need to be prepared to engage and connect as individuals, parents, workers and citizens with economic, including the continued globalisation of the economy and society, with new work and leisure patterns and with the rapid development of communication technologies. National curriculum (online) The National Curriculum applies to pupils of compulsory school age in community and foundation schools, including community special schools and foundation special schools, and voluntary aided schools. Getting children to sit down on a seat in key stage 1 is not a problem. But what we need to ensure is that these children are interested and excited about their learning, the children need to feel involved in what is taking place and have a level of expectation about what will happen next. A creative curriculum is not simply about making links between subjects, it is about finding ways to inspire the children by drawing in skills from art, music, technology, dance and drama. Creativity is about inspiring children through the establishment of memorable learning experiences. Creativity can be a platform for establishment of personalized learning, enabling children to think out of the box for themselves. (Teaching expertise online) This shows that the creative curriculum has been introduced so children are not sitting on chairs and doing what they are being told by the teacher, it has been introduced so children can enjoy learning through different experiences, and be more creative about their learning. However in nursery everything is more play-based, and key stage 1 is more focused on lessons like phonics, numeracy and literacy, this is why the creative curriculum has been launched so children are more motivated and interested in learning, and remembered what they had learned, due to this the children would want to learn for themselves they would be able to expand on the thinking and learn how to be in control. Within the EYFS it is also stated that the key person also play a vital role in a childs learning and development. Children can form an attachment in the setting with the key person, the benefits of this could be the child settling in different surrounding really quickly, and that the key person could assess and plan for the child individual needs. Sited in Elfer, P et al. (2003 p. 18) it was stated that the key persons role is vital for children and their parents. The key person makes sure that each individual child within the nursery feels welcome, safe and secure. They also make the child feel that they are taught about by someone in particular while they are away from home. However the key persons approach makes sure that parents are able to build a personal relationship with someone in particular rather than all the staff within the setting. The benefits of a key person are they give parents a peace of mind, it also gives the parents a chance to liaise and interact with somebody whom is fully committed and familiar with their child, and is able to provide the parents with up to date information about their childs learning and development. The Key Elements of Effective Practice (KEEP) emphasise that effective learning is dependent on secure relationships, an appropriate learning environment and high-quality teaching. Brown, J. (2009, p.26) The four main purposes of the National Curriculum are: To establish an entitlement To establish standards To promote continuity and coherence To promote public understanding Those awarded Early Years Professional Status must demonstrate through their practice that a secure knowledge and understanding of the following underpins their own practice and informs their leadership of others. The EYP Standards set out the national expectations for anyone wishing to gain EYPS and work as an Early Years Professional. They are outcome statements that set out what Early Years Professionals need to know, understand and be able to do. They cover working safely with babies and children from birth to the end of the new EYFS. Achievement of the Standards will enable members of the workforce to move across the range of early years provision, which will encourage and support learning and development.(EYP 2006 online) Reference Page Rose, J. (2009) Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum: Final Report. Nottingham: DCSF Publications Moyles, J. (2007) Early Years Foundations. Maidenhead: Open University Press Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Sammons, P., Blatchford, I, S. and Taggart, B. (2004) The Effective Provision of Pre-school Education (EPPE) project: Final report: DFES Bertram, T., Pascal, C. (2002) Early years education: An International Perspective. Birmingham: QCA Brown, J. (2009) Spring. Department for children, Schools and families. P26-28 Elfer, P., Goldschimied, E., Selleck, D. (2003) Key persons in the nursery. London: David Fulton Publishers BBC News (2008) is five too soon to start school? News Channel: Education Available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7234578.stm Haywood, J (2006) Early Years Professional Standards. Available: http://www.testsite.lancsngfl.ac.uk/curriculum/early_years/getfile.php?src=100/Draft_EYP_Standards_Aug_2006.pdfs=!B121cf29d70ec8a3d54a33343010cc2 Department for Children, Schools and Families (2008a) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Nottingham: DCSF Publications Department for Children, Schools and Families (2008b) Practice Guidance For the Early Years Foundation Stage. Nottingham: DCSF Publications

Growing and Expanding Sandwich Blitz Essay

Creating a new position between the CEO and the location managers will help the business to grow because this newly created role will help to clear up time for Dalman to focus on the other aspects of his position. Since he is spending so much time on talking with location managers, other portions of Sandwich Blitz, Inc. could be suffering from it. Not only that, but adding in the factor that he is just one person makes is clear that a new level in management would help with growing the other managers into the best managers possible. Promoting an existing manger is a good option to fill this position as they are already very familiar with the organization. With the added benefit of having the experience of working in the role as manager to give them a better understanding and insight into what issues and problems can be found within a location. However, for promoting an existing manager, I believe that there are advantages and disadvantages with promoting an existing manager to fill this position. If you promote one of the store managers, you gain the advantage of someone who is already familiar with the day to day operations. But you lose them as your location manager. If you hire someone who didn’t already work at Sandwich Blitz, this person may not be familiar with the product line, but they could introduce new management ideas into the organization. New ideas could help the organization run more efficiently. Furthermore, when it comes to decision making, I think managers should stick with tactical decisions, owners board of directors should stick to strategic decisions and employees should stick to operational decisions. With strategic decisions, these affect the long-term direction of the business eg whether to take over Company A or Company B. Tactical Decisions, these are medium-term decisions about how to implement strategy eg what kind of marketing to have, or how many extra staff to recruit. To add Operational Decisions, these are short-term decisions (also called administrative decisions) about how to implement the tactics eg which firm to use to make deliveries. To conclude, the levels of authority (management) that Sandwich Blitz, Inc. would have if the new position is created, would be line authority gives a manager the right to direct the work of his or her employees and make many decisions without consulting others. Staff authority supports line authority by advising, servicing, and assisting, but this type of authority is typically limited. For example, the assistant to the department head has staff authority because he or she acts as an extension of that authority. These assistants can give advice and suggestions, but they don’t have to be obeyed. Functional authority is delegated to an individual or department over specific activities undertaken by personnel in other departments.