Jewish History Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Jewish History Questions - Assignment Example The second wave occurred during the pre-civil war through the nineteenth century, and it included the Jews who came from the central European the Ashkenazim. Ashkenazim is the ancient name in Hebrew that means Germany. Thirdly, it occurred between 1880 and early 1920s this migration was from Russia and some parts of Eastern Europe, the Jewish community increased in population, in America. Between the period of 1880 and 1900, at least 1.4 million had arrived, compared with those that were there in the period of 1800 to 1880. It is during this period that the Jewish and Judaism culture were established in America. The wave of migration ended in 1920 due to the legislation that restricted migration (Jerome 10). Question # 2 The Jews had the challenge of opportunity cost, which was much higher in America than in Europe. It was very costly to make every hour attendance in the synagogue and observation of home religion. People reduced their synagogue attendance time and activities on relig ious rituals. The American Jews had a reduced intensity of time in observing their religion, and many of them stopped to observe kashrut. It is good to find that the Hebrew Congregation of America Union, the America United Synagogue Union and the Union of the Orthodox were made in the late 19th century (Jerome 13). The unions continue to dominate the religious life of the Jews up to this day. Question # 3 The population of the Jews in America is concentrated to the northeast with 44 percent of them living in the region of Mid-Atlantic and England. The Jews from America tend to be much older than the general population. About 14 percent of the Jews are foreign-born, but in 1970, it was higher with 23 percent.  Jews from America worry much about intermarriage and their identification as Jews. It is believed that, in 1990, the rate of intermarriage increased by 50 percent. In the year 2000 to the year 2001, the percentage recorded for intermarriage was 47 percent (Jerome 18). This re cord shows that the rate of intermarriage is increasing at a great rate.  

Strategic Alternatives for Marvel Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Alternatives for Marvel - Case Study Example This aims at increasing the marketplace share for the Marvel enterprise. Filming, for example, is one such practice where competition is paramount. Therefore, Marvel ensures that it keeps producing new films that are of high quality. Improving quality of movies ensures that Marvel stands competition from the opponents. The other means in which Marvel diversifies its competition is through the making of toys. These are toys used in the field of entertainment and comedy. The competition strategy also ensures is that Marvel ensures that there are no conflicts concerning originality of products. Marvel thus ensures that its productions are original. The other strategy deployed by Marvel Entertainment is that of marketing. Marketing strategy ensures that its products serve a wide market. Therefore, Marvel ensures that its distribution chains operate well. Marvel also ensures that it increases its marketing by doing extensive advertising of its supplies. These efforts ensure that my customers get aware of products offered. Knowledge of new products ensures that there is increased purchase. The marketing also ensures that the changes made in their productions become clear. The marketing strategy is the determiner of the proliferation of the productions of the company. This is because if more productions become sold, then the production speed would be elevated. The other strategy is that of management. Marvel ensures that it deploys this strategy to ensure that its operations are up to standard. This is because management is a sensitive segment that requires accurate handling. Therefore, Marvel ensures that operations of its segments are up to standard. Marvel ensures that accountability in management becomes vocal. Management approach also ensures that everything runs well. There is also a licensing strategy for Marvel (Beamish, 250).  

History of District Nursing in Australia Essay Example for Free

History of District Nursing in Australia Essay District nurses are those senior nurses who are involved in managing care in a community by leading teams of both support workers and community nurses. This particular paper talks about the history of district nursing since its emergence in England over one hundred and fifty years ago. It then discusses the progress of district nursing in other countries, in this case, Australia. Nursing can be defined as a science and an art with an exceptional body of knowledge drawing from behavioral, physical, and social sciences (Funnel et al, 2005, p. ). It is a profession that is unique in its own way because it addresses families and individuals responses to health problems, health maintenance, as well as health promotion. Over one hundred years ago, nursing was defined by Florence Nightingale as the act of making use of a patient’s environment in a bid to helping that particular patient recover. To facilitate for quick recovery, she considered a clean, quiet, and well ventilated environment as very essential. Nursing helps in facilitation of prescribed therapy, assists patients to be independent of assistance, and also help the patients to function to their maximum potential as soon as possible. Various themes have been associated with the definition of nursing. Some describe nursing as an art, as a science, that nursing is about caring, it is holistic, that it is client oriented, adaptive, and that nursing is generally a helping profession. The historical accounts of the profession clearly bring out the revolving nature of nursing. The word nurse was derived from a Latin word which means to cherish or nourish. In a human being’s life, birth, death, sickness, and injury are all very common. There has therefore always been that need to take care of others, especially those in need. Funnel et al state that some of the earliest and most organized nursing carried out by men who worked in hospitals which were established by military religious orders at the period the crusades. Some examples included the knights of St. Lazarus, and the Knights of St.  John of Jerusalem. Henry VIII, during the sixteenth century, commanded the closure of English monasteries and the confiscation of their wealth as well. What this meant was that all the sick and destitute people had no where to stay and were hence left to die. This then saw the construction of work houses which were used to house the poor and especially the sick. Here they lived in very bad conditions and were at the same time required to work in order to earn th eir continued stay there. Conditions in London got to a very desperate state, and after many petitions from the citizens, Henry VIII had no option but to allow for the re-founding of some hospitals like St Mary’s, St Thomas’s, as well as St Bartholomew’s. These hospitals despite their reopening were very poorly staffed and were characterized by untrained workers whose characters were very poor. Patients who were admitted in these hospitals lived under appalling conditions in overcrowded wards Funnel et al add that the early 18th and mid 19th century came to be termed as nursing â€Å"Dark Ages† of nursing. It was an age where caring of the sick and nurses’ status reached to the lowest levels ever imaginable (5). A clergyman named Theodor Fliedner in 1836 founded the institution Kaiserwerth where they trained specially chosen women as deaconesses. The institution was then to be famous for its high standards and levels of training as well as the care given to the sick. The institution then grew very famous and finally became the centre for training nurses and as a result received very many trainees, and from all parts of the world. Some of these trainees later opened up centers in their respective countries. Modern nursing has hence evolved as a result of the influence Kaiserwerth had on individuals like Florence Nightingle. She had spent two weeks at Kaiserwerth in 1850 and later visited the institution again in 1851 and was named Superintendent for Establishment for Gentlewomen during Illness. She became famous when she took with her a team of thirty nurses to Scutari where they were met with a lot of resistance from medics who refused them to take care of the sick and injured soldiers. She however did not give up and devoted her time and energy to improving bad conditions in the camps through the introduction of communal as well as personal hygiene, organization of excellent food supply, getting hold of medical supplies, and basic sanitary conditions like washing of hands and also the importance of fresh air. In a span of two to three weeks, the opposition she had earlier faced was no more and the nurses were then called back to come and take care of the sick. Florence Nightingle was viewed as an idol by the soldiers because she brought hope and comfort to the sick just by the light of the lamp she used t carry at night, hence she was later came to be known as the Lady of the Lamp. In the case of Australia, very little interest was paid for the care of the sick when the original English colony was established at Sydney Cove. In 1811, Sydney hospital was opened and the staff included of female convicts with some male convicts also carrying out nursing duties. They were however received no wages for the labor they offered although they received their keep. The nurses’ behavior here was wanting and they were known to be of poor character with them being drunk in most cases while on duty. In 1811, Australia opened its first lunatic asylum and it was characterized by untrained mental attendants. As a way of control, huge numbers of disturbed individuals were literally restrained because most of the staff were custodians and there was no emphasis whatsoever on treatment (Funnel et al, 2005, p. 5). In 1838, the first group of trained nurses arrived in Sydney. They were five in number. The influence of Nightingale was experienced in 1868. The principles of Nightingale were gradually adapted and the physically ill could now be cared for. Nurses were not left behind either. Practical skills were taught to them such as those of leeching, dressing, as well as administering enemas. Emphasis was however put on their punctuality, sexual purity, cleanliness, and most importantly obedience. A huge percentage of nursing comprised of housekeeping, and was dominated by house hold work. It was however acknowledged that compassion and also dignity were characteristics that were desirable for all those who took care of the sick. The necessity for nurses training in Australia grew as scientific advances continued to be made. By the year 1900, most of the Australian hospitals had a three year training program for student nurses where lectures were delivered by the medical staff. The students could not however maintain their concentration in class as a result of long hours of work. IN the wake of the twentieth century, conflict would arise whether nursing should be viewed as a vocation, subordinate to medicine, or as a profession which is different but of equal status with medicine. (Funnel et al, 2005, p. 6) add that in the year 1867, an Act of Parliament was passed which stated that all individuals displaying signs of mental impairments should be sent to mental asylums and not prisons. As a result, the developmentally disabled were then able to be separated from the mentally ill. Nursing in these mental asylums was delivered mostly by male attendants, and even though care remained and continued to be custodial, the medical staff was able to offer some lectures to these attendants. This is the period in which female attendants begun receiving serious considerations. As the increase in training of nurses continued to increase, so was the agitation for nurses’ registration. In 1920, South Australia was the first of the states to pass the relevant legislation followed by Western Australia in 1922 and Victoria and New South Wales in 1924. Industrial issues emerged as the sense of professionalism emerged among nurses. In 1924, the Australian Nursing Federation was able to hold its first meeting and the meting addressed several issues including the improved working conditions, improved wages, and the need for greater professional acknowledgment. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (1986), home nursing in Australia started in 1885 when a group of concerned nationals came together in Victoria and founded the Melbourne District Nursing Service. The main objective of the group was to look after the underprivileged sick people at home. Since then, nursing services have been seen to spread to every territory and state. Today, there are more than two hundred institutions using modern technology to take care of the sick and at the same time offer both general and specialized nursing services to the citizens of Australia. Australian Bureau of Statistics states that the link with district nurses from England is apparent in the growth of nursing institutes in Australia. In England, nurses begun to be trained for work districts in 1848. One, Mr. William Rathborne, in 1859, saw the need to provide a nurse who was meant to work amongst the poor in Liverpool. He later founded a training school for district nurses using his own personal finances. These nurses were not only seen as caring but also as social reformers due to their knowledge and also direct contact they established with those they cared for. During Queen Victoria’s Jubilee Year in 1887, some of the funds collected for her gift were given by the queen for the setting up of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee Institute of Nurses. Throughout England for many years, the establishment facilitated both the employment and training of district nurses. A considerable number of district nurses also came to undertake this particular training program. The relevant information regarding district nursing services was brought to Australia by Dr. Caffyn and Rev. C. Strong who were from England. They were both very instrumental when it came to setting up the first home nursing in Australia which was known as the Melbourne District Nursing Society (204). According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the first State to introduce a district nursing service in Australia was that of Victoria in 1885. It was then followed by South Australia in the year 1894, then came Tasmania in 1896, New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia in 1900, 1904, and 1905 respectively. One notable nursing service was the Blue Nursing Service. According to the history of Blue care, Blue care started off being known as the Blue Nursing Services. The service came to be through the vision and urgings of Rev. Arthur Preston, who was the founder. There was a great shortage of hospital beds in Australia and the nursing bodies that were in existence then were not able to cope with the demands of an ever growing population. This was the reason the founders saw the need to establish a new home nursing service to cater for this rising need. In 1977, together with the Methodist and Presbyterian churches, Blue Nursing was seen as a uniting factor in Australia. It is evident from the history of district nursing that the establishment of all nursing organizations was triggered by identified health care needs present in the society. At fist, focus was mainly at the poor, disadvantaged, and the sick. Services were however later made accessible to everyone in society. This was attributed to the government started issuing subsidies to most of these organizations. Nursing institutions today operate in very different structures and also under different support like voluntary bodies, local government, and hospitals. At the same time, nurses working in these organizations share one common goal and commitment: that of providing quality care in the society. There has been new demand on those nurses working in the society caused by the increased development of both technological and medical services. This has its results as people are now being discharged from hospitals earlier and also at a more accurate stage of sickness. Nurses have been forced to further and upgrade their current education so that they can keep up with helping and providing quality care to the community. For Australia, district nursing is a record of success. Realizing their extended roles as nurses which are based on their expertise, experience, as well as knowledge is crucial if at all effectiveness is to be maintained in delivery of their services.

Case Study: Patient With Asthma

Case Study: Patient With Asthma Patient RR is a 58 years old female with a weight of 55kg. Patient was admitted to hospital on 9th April 2009. Her presenting complaints were cough with sputum, pain when inhaling air at chest, breathless and unable to speak in full sentence. Her past medical histories were hypercholesterolemia, bronchial asthma and she has no known drug allergy. For her social history, she works as a security guard and is living with her husband. She is a non smoker as well as non alcoholic and she has no known family history. Patients drug history include metered dose inhaler (MDI) salbutamol 200mcg as required, MDI budesonide 400mcg twice daily, theophylline SR tablet 250mg once daily and lovastatin tablet 20mg once daily. Investigations Blood Test: 9th April 12th April WBC 10.9109/L 12.9109/L High (4-10.0) RBC 4.821012/L 4.91012/L High (3.8-4.8) MCV 78.7 fl/cell 78.6 fl/cell Low (83-101) MCH 26.5 pg/cell 25.3 pg/cell Low (27-32) ESR 24 mm/hr High (0-20) Blood HbA1c 7.2% Good control: 8.0% Renal Profile: 9th April 11th April Plasma K+ 2.8 mmol/L 2.5 mmol/L Low (3.5-5.1) Creatinine 100 ÃŽ ¼mol/L 79 ÃŽ ¼mol/L (58-96) Blood test indicated that the level of white blood cell and erythrocyte sedimentation rate is higher than normal which suggests the patient had an infection. The blood HbA1c showed adequate control of blood glucose. On the other hand, the renal test showed that the patient had low plasma potassium and the plasma creatinine level is normal. Clinical Progress On examination, the patient was alert with no pedal oedema. Her pulse rate was 120 beats per minute, blood pressure was 130/62 mmHg, and respiratory rate was 22 breaths per min. She was diagnosed with acute exacerbation bronchial asthma secondary to upper respiratory tract infection. The plan was to give intravenous (IV) hydrocortisone 200mg immediately then 100mg three times daily, IV Augmentin 1.2g three times daily, nebulizer atrovent: ventolin: normal saline (A:V:N) 2:1:2 every two hours and to continue SPO2 monitoring. On day 1, the patient was given MDI Budesonide 400mcg, nebulizer AVN, IV hydrocortisone 100mg three times daily, bromhexine tablet 8mg three times daily, erythromycin tablet 400mg twice daily, prednisolone tablet 40mg once daily, oxygen 3L/min and lovastatin tablet 20mg once daily. Theophylline were stopped. On day 3, patients blood pressure was 120/70 mmHg, respiratory rate was 26 breaths per minute and the SPO2 was 98%. She has cough with yellow sputum and the sputum culture showed that there are no pathogen isolated. The patient was to start on long acting beta agonist (LABA). Other medications that were given include potassium tablet 1.2g twice daily, Neb Combivent 4 hourly, IV Augmentin 1.2g three times daily, MIST expectorant 15mL three times daily. Hydrocortisone and bisolvon were stopped. On day 4, the patient had fever, cough with yellow sputum and difficulty in breathing. No new action was taken. On day 6, patient had no more fever but still had cough with yellow sputum. Her blood pressure was 122/80 mmHg and respiratory rate was 20 breaths per minute. The plan was to give MDI formoterol 9mcg once daily and augmentin tablet 625mg. Oxygen and prednisolone were stopped. On day 8, patient still had cough but the sputum turned white. Patient was given theophylline SR tablet 250mg twice daily and was ready to be discharged the next day. Medication Summary Drug Dose Frequency Indication T.Bisolvon 8mg tds(stop at day 3) Cough Mist Expectorant 15 mL tds (day3-day 6) Cough T.Erythromycin 400mg bd (stop on day 6) Infection KCl solution 20mL tds (stop on day 7) Hypokalaemia T.Prednisolone 40mg od (stop on day 6) Acute asthma T.Augmentin 625mg tds Infection T.Lovastatin 20mg od Hyperlipidaemia T.Nuelin SR 500mg bd Asthma OXIS inhaler (formoterol) 9mcg od Asthma MDI Budesonide 400mcg bd Asthma Salbutamol 200mcg when required Asthma Pharmaceutical Care Plan Care Plan Recommendation Desired Outcome 1. Monitor K+ level -high dose salbutamol and theophylline causes hypokalaemia K+ level should be monitored. K+ supplement should be given if K+ level is low. Maintain stable potassium level. 2. On day 4, patient had fever but not treated. Paracetamol should be given. To lower down patients temperature. 3. Concurrent use of oral prednisolone and IV hydrocortisone for acute treatment -If patient can tolerate orally, oral prednisolone should be adequate. -if cant, give IV hydrocortisone 100mg every 6 hour until conversion to oral is possible. 4. Combination inhaler can be given to patient Symbicort inhaler (1-2 puffs bd) can be given instead of OXIS and budesonide inhaler. Besides that, Symbicort can be also given as relief to replace Combivent. Less confusion and increases compliance. 5. Technique to use inhaler -Counsel patient on proper technique -advice on oral hygiene to avoid oral candidiasis. 6. Prophylaxis of asthma Counsel patient to avoid allergen that may trigger attack and avoid NSAIDs. Lowers risk of asthma attack 7. Compliance issue Advice patient on the importance to take control medication accordingly even if patient feels well. Lowers risk of asthma attack Disease Overview and Pharmacological Basis of Drug Therapy Asthma affects people of all ages, but it normally starts at childhood1. Asthma affects 5-8% of the population around the world2. A study done by World Health Organization (WHO) shows that there are 15 million disability-adjusted life years lost yearly because of asthma, displaying 1% of total disease burden worldwide3. The annual worldwide mortality caused by asthma is estimated to be 250,000. In Scotland, the incidence of clinical asthma is around 18.4% of the population3. Asthma is an inflammatory disease where there is frequent reversible airway obstruction1. The narrowing of the airway happens when people with asthma react strongly to certain substance they breathe in. These irritant stimuli are too weak to affect normal individuals1. The narrowing of airway is also caused by other factors which include mucosal swelling or inflammation caused by inflammatory mediators released by mast cell and basophil degranulation as well as mucus or phlegm production2. The causes of asthma include genetic factor, environmental factor and history of etopic disorder5. The most common symptoms of asthma are wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and sometimes cough, especially at night in younger people1, 4. The probability of asthma increased if symptoms worsen at night and early morning or in response to exercise, allergen and cold air5. Acute severe asthma may cause hypoxaemia and is not easily reversed. Therefore, the patient needs prompt treatment and hospitalization1. Patients with asthma have continuous and excessive T-helper cell type 2 (Th2)-dominated immune response and the Th1 which is responsible for structural and defensive status of the tissue is reduced4. The activated T-cells produce cytokines in the bronchial mucosa and this attract other inflammatory granulocytes especially eosinophils which produce cysteinyl leukotrienes along with granule protein to damage epithelium. The cytokines released also promotes IgE synthesis in some asthmatic patients which cause expression of IgE receptors on mast cell and eosinophils1, 4. The important mediators associated with asthma are leukotriene B4, cysteinyl leukotrienes (C4 and D4), interleukins IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 and tissure-damaging eosinophil proteins1. In atopic asthmatic patients, inhaled allergen caused cross-linking of IgE molecules on mast cells hence activating degranulation with histamine and leukotriene B4 release. These substances are powerful bronchoconstrictors thus causing acute exace rbation of asthma1. For diagnosis of asthma, spirometry is the preferred initial test5. It is a device to measure the functional lung volumes. Through the patients full force expiration into the device, the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and force vital capacity (FVC) are measured. Exhalation continues until there is no more breath to be exhaled. The FEV1/FVC ratio shows the severity of airflow obstruction and the normal ratio is 75-80%2. The ratio is less than 75% in asthma which indicates obstructive defect. There is normally more than 15% improvement in FEV1 after administration of B2 agonist or steroid trial in asthma patients2. Peak expiratory flow (PEF) is also another test for asthma though FEV1 uses lesser effort2. It is measured by the maximum forced expiratory through a peak flow meter and acts as an estimate of airway calibre. PEF is measured frequently to check response to treatment and disease control. PEF is used to test acute and chronic asthma with PEF decreases along with s everity2. Moderate acute asthma Severe acute asthma Life-threatening Able to talk, Respiratory rate (RR)50-75% Incomplete sentence, RR>25/min, SPO2110/min, PEF 33-50% Silent chest, cyanosis, exhaustion, confusion, feeble respiratory effort, SPO2

Colonial Women Essay -- History Historical Colonies Gender Essays

Colonial Women Women did not have an easy life during the American Colonial period. Before a woman reached 25 years of age, she was expected to be married with at least one child. Most, if not all, domestic tasks were performed by women, and most domestic goods and food were prepared and created by women. Women performed these tasks without having any legal acknowledgment. Although women had to endure many hardships, their legal and personal lives were becoming less restricted, although the change was occurring at a snail’s pace. Life for the colonial woman was a mix of imprisonment and freedom in their marriages, homes, and in the American Colonial legal system. Women who chose to come to the American Colonies had a 100 percent chance of finding a husband. Men outnumbered women almost six to one. Any woman could be choosy when finding a husband, for countless men tried to woo her into marriage. Because women could choose their husbands, they could marry those men who would give her the most benefits. A woman did not have to marry a man who would treat her poorly. In most New England colonies, a woman could sue her husband for a divorce if he treated her without respect and abused or neglected her. Although women had the legal privilege to divorce a bad husband, she did not have any legal rights under the law. As soon as she married her husband, she lost all legal existence. For a woman to have any place in the legal system it was better to remain single. Single wom...

Television Violence :: essays research papers

Television Violence In today's society television plays a big role. People watch T.V. for many different reasons. People watch T.V. mainly for entertainment, they also watch T.V. to learn, and to find out news. Some people watch T.V. and get the wrong idea about what they're watching, they feel that what they are watching is okay to do. Violence is a major factor, it affects people of ages. The worst outcome of T.V. is that it sends out the wrong messages. Some people get bad ideas from the violence on T.V. Although violence on television is not the greatest thing, it should be not be banned or restricted in any way. Most people watch T.V. to get away from reality. Watching shows that depict a fantasy world are a lot more interesting to watch. People don't want to see things that happen to them on a regular bases. Although sometimes seeing something that has happened to you before may be funny. Watching T.V. relieves stress and can be good for your health. Doctors say that laughing is good for your health. Violence on T.V. is a very debatable issue. Some people say that it is totally wrong and that it should be banned. Most people like the violence and find it to be very entertaining. Parents find it very hard to restrict their kids from watching violent television programs. The child would want to watch that program twice as much just because their parents said not to watch it. The child would be curious to find out what is so wrong about the program. Some people get the wrong messages or get bad ideas from watching some shows. If parents were to educate their children before watching shows like "Mighty Morphan Power Rangers", " X-Men" and "Cops" , then they wouldn't have to worry about their child getting wrong messages. Television shows also send out wrong Television Violence :: essays research papers Television Violence In today's society television plays a big role. People watch T.V. for many different reasons. People watch T.V. mainly for entertainment, they also watch T.V. to learn, and to find out news. Some people watch T.V. and get the wrong idea about what they're watching, they feel that what they are watching is okay to do. Violence is a major factor, it affects people of ages. The worst outcome of T.V. is that it sends out the wrong messages. Some people get bad ideas from the violence on T.V. Although violence on television is not the greatest thing, it should be not be banned or restricted in any way. Most people watch T.V. to get away from reality. Watching shows that depict a fantasy world are a lot more interesting to watch. People don't want to see things that happen to them on a regular bases. Although sometimes seeing something that has happened to you before may be funny. Watching T.V. relieves stress and can be good for your health. Doctors say that laughing is good for your health. Violence on T.V. is a very debatable issue. Some people say that it is totally wrong and that it should be banned. Most people like the violence and find it to be very entertaining. Parents find it very hard to restrict their kids from watching violent television programs. The child would want to watch that program twice as much just because their parents said not to watch it. The child would be curious to find out what is so wrong about the program. Some people get the wrong messages or get bad ideas from watching some shows. If parents were to educate their children before watching shows like "Mighty Morphan Power Rangers", " X-Men" and "Cops" , then they wouldn't have to worry about their child getting wrong messages. Television shows also send out wrong

Raising Achievement of Ethnic Minority Children Essay

This literature review would explore the barriers in raising educational achievements of ethnic minority students. As this is a broad area of concern the literature would examine two main barriers such as social background issues and English as Additional Language (EAL) while briefly looking at other barriers such as†¦ Statistical data collected from the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) 2002 would be analysed in respect to this group social economic status and its effect on their learning. The literature would outline the significance of raising achievement, particularly ICT teacher’s responsibility. This report would identify some strategies/solutions including pedagogical approaches to raising achievement which would be supported by research. The overall findings would illustrate why ethnic minority children underperform academically than their counterparts in school. INTRODUCTION It is important to recognise that ethnic minority pupils may fall into the category of low class low achievement. (Battle and Lewis 2010 pg35) said â€Å"a person’s education is closed linked to their life chances, income and wellbeing† it’s therefore, fair to say that ethnic minority communities are most likely to underachievement than others because of their socio-economic conditions. Language in education has long been the subject of attention by educationists at all levels. Initially as concerning the ‘problem’ of teaching English to children for whom it is not a first language, The Swann Report 1985 pg385 Other drawbacks to raising achievement are institutional racism, lack of motivation, lack of suitable challenge, the appropriateness of activities and tasks, a mix-match of expectations, a perceived irrelevance of the activities and tasks. National Education Authority claim to be â€Å"raising achievement to higher levels and closing student achievement gaps are priorities in schools and communities at all economic levels and in urban, rural, and suburban settings†. (http://www.nea. org/home/17413. htm. Accessed 02/11/12) What is Raising Achievement? According to (DfES 0013-2006. Pg. 6) (Excel and enjoy) raising achievement means a â€Å"tailored education for every child and young person, that gives them strength in the basics, stretches their aspirations, and builds their life chances. It will create opportunity for every child, regardless of their background†. Teachers have a committed liability to enable all learners to attain and achieve their full potential, whether they are SEN (Special Education Needs), EAL (English as an Additional Language) or ethnic minority student. What is Ethnic Minority? The ethnic minorities in the UK, 50% are Asian or Asian British (Indian, Pakistani etc. ), 25% are Black or Black British (Black African, Black Caribbean etc. ), 15% are Mixed Race, 5% are Chinese and 5% are of other ethnic backgrounds. (http://www. historylearningsite. co. uk/ethnic_minorities_education. htm. Accessed 02/11/12) Cabinet Office defined it as â€Å"Ethnicity refers to cultural heritage (thus the term ethnic minorities can also be used to include White ‘ethnic’ minority groups in Britain, such as the Irish or people from other European countries). However, the systematic historical and continuing pattern of disadvantage for Black and Asian groups singles them out for special consideration†. (webarchive. gov. uk. Accessed 02/11/12). Barriers to Raising achievement Socio-Economic Backgrounds: Socio class can cause inequality in class which could in turn influence the achievement in children; (C. Stephen pg. 269) Social scientists have recognised the importance of an individual’s family socio economic status (SES) has an influence on the academic achievement of children since the mid-1960s. It could cause low their self-confidence and self-esteem â€Å"ethnic minorities may have special issues related to self-esteem. Because of prejudice, minority members are likely to see a negative image of themselves† ( DeLamater. J & Myers. D pg. 88). (http://www. historylearningsite. co. uk/ethnic_minorities_education. htm) â€Å"Ethnic backgrounds that are less successful in education is because they have a higher percentage of pupils from working class backgrounds. Also the lower a child’s class position, the lower their income. Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Black pupils are more likely to be raised in low income families. This can affect how well they do in school because lack of funds means lack of school equipment, less favourable working conditions e. g. cold house, no desk etc. This inequity could lead to poor or erratic attendance which was cited as a contributory factor to poor attainment in several schools. Table1 the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) 2002 illustrates the impact of socio-economic disadvantage by comparing relative GCSE performance for pupils who are eligible for free school meals. This shows that pupils from lower socio-economic groups tend to achieve less good results than those from higher socio-economic groups and that this difference is particularly large for white pupils. (Aiming High Raising the Achievement of Minority Ethnic Pupils) Table2: The pupil level annual school census (PLASC) 2002 characteristics: Proportion achieving 5+ A*-C GCSEs for those entered for GCSEs in Maintained Schools in 2002 Note: these charts are based on data collected as part of the 2002 Pupil Level Annual Schools Census. From 2003, data will be based on an updated set of categories including mixed heritage, Gypsy/Roma and Travellers of Irish heritage which are listed at annex A. (Aiming High Raising the Achievement of Minority Ethnic Pupils) Discrimination on grounds such as race will affect effective learning fundamentally in most cases, which is linked to disparities in school. Some schools are ‘institutionally racist’, says Oftsed’s Director of Inspections, Jim Rose – to the annoyance of teachers’ unions. Mr Rose said â€Å"Much of that [racism], we think, is to do with unwitting stereotyping of youngsters and the lack of expectation or lowered expectation of teachers as a result of that sometimes (http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/education/294078. stm)†. With the fact that their â€Å"ethnicity influences their class and their class influences their attitude†, there is concern about the aspirations of underprivileged children â€Å"socio-economic barriers may hinder aspiration formation for these children because of lack of mentors, opportunities, and resources and also doubt their ability to attain in learning† (http://www.learningbenefits. net/Publications/ResReps/ResRep27. pdf pg3). The majority of schools are engaged in a wide variety of initiatives to improve provision and raise the attainment of all pupils. However, few schools monitor these activities systematically and rarely do they have a specific ethnic focus. (Raising_the_attainment_of_minority_ethnic_pupils_school_and_LEA_responsespg7). Strategies to raising achievement of Socio-economic barrier: Having realistic expectations of the educational achievement of children of lower socioeconomic groups will make them feel they can achieve their potential. â€Å"Expectations are also shaped by teacher and student perceptions of the reasons for successes and failures. A â€Å"low ability† student, who views failures as lack of ability and successes as luck, will lose his motivation, feeling that there is little he can change to improve his learning†. (Rose Miller 2001) As evidenced earlier pupils from ethnic minority group have low self –esteem therefore, it is crucial for teachers to encourage the child or young person to find their own preferred style and rhythm of learning so they are motivated to pursue their learning process, making them have ownership of their own learning and work. To help raise achievement teachers and leaders should monitor and track achievement, encourage and support the child to maximize their potential – be aspirational for them. â€Å"Parents with fewer financial resources tend to hold lower aspirations for their children, and young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds tend to have lower aspirations than their more advantaged peers (Schoon, 2006). Promoting a culturally friendly environments and establishing classroom ethos of respect with a clear approach to racism and bad behaviour â€Å"modelling and promoting values, attitudes and behaviour supportive of race equality in class would explore and target underachievement to raise attainment†. (excellentandenjoymentlearning pg23). Strategically choosing students to work in groups, peer assessment where they can see others work which could help them shape their own work and attain a better grade. However, teachers need to provide students with a stress free learning environment so they can feel included . (EVIDENCE OF WHY THEY NEED STRESS FREE ENVIRON,ENT) The revised National Curriculum includes a statutory inclusion statement setting out how teachers can ensure the curriculum is accessible to all pupils which would certainly help raise attainment for also ethnic minority students . It states that teachers must follow three principles for inclusion: setting suitable learning challenges; responding to pupils’ diverse learning needs; and overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils. (cabinet office pg14). NALDIC (National Association for Language Development in the Curriculum), states that we should therefore ensure access to and progress through the curriculum or subject content. (using ict for eal pg5) Also very few schools review their curricular and pastoral strategies to ensure that they are sensitive to the ethnic groups in the student population and the wider community. In those instances where schools have done this as a result of concerns about a particular minority ethnic group, positive outcomes have resulted. (Raising_the_attainment_of_minority_ethnic_pupils_school_and_LEA_responsespg7) Schools working effectively with pupils in low attaining groups were not found to adopt specific approaches for particular groups of pupils such as minority ethnic groups, but instead personalised the curriculum, pedagogy and assessment such that pupils in any group could benefit. (Effective Teaching and Learning for Pupils in Low Attaining Group). Self- assessment and appropriate target setting according to individual learning styles would help them to build identities as successful learners. The new Teachers’ Standards (DfE, 2011) would enable this strategy to work perfectly as teachers have to ‘Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils’†¦evaluate distinctive teaching approaches to engage and support them’. (Standard 5 The QTS Standards: DFES ‘Qualifying to Teach’(2002) In additional, as â€Å"they are much more likely than their peers of a higher socioeconomic environment to have a poor attendance, leave school earlier and with fewer qualifications, and are at far greater risk of being excluded from school. † http://education-landscapes. eu/pdf/learning_barriers. pdf . Teachers recognise strengths and improvements praising their effort would encourage children participation. Using positive words (‘I’ve seen a spark in you) and encourage this group would make them feel motivated, believe in themselves and appreciated to want to attend school (promoting attendance) regardless of any socio-economic worries. Attending â€Å"parents’ evenings and other less formal school functions can help understand difficulties and help to remove any barriers† http://education-landscapes. eu/pdf/learning_barriers. pdf. This could help build parent teacher relationship and both parties could devise ways to help raise the achievement and eliminate barriers affecting this young person’s learning. ? Respect frustration and encourage a positive approach to setbacks. http://education-landscapes. eu/pdf/learning_barriers. pdf. English as an Additional Language (EAL) barrier on Ethnic Minority: EAL learners will be affected by attitudes towards them, their culture, language, religion, and ethnicity http://www.mkweb. co. uk/emass/documents/Website_EAL_Artwork. pdf. The proportions of pupils with English as an additional language are from ethic minority background groups about five per cent (Black Caribbean pupils) to over 90 per cent (those from Bangladeshi backgrounds). Approximately 9. 3% (over 632,000) of all pupils in schools in England are recorded as having English as an additional language (EAL) according to Statistics of Education 2002(aiminghighraisingachievent pg28). These speech patterns are argued to be consistent with many low income families which are inadequate to meet the demands of the education system. These patterns directly contribute to educational failure as students cannot always understand elaborated speech which teachers use and teachers often misunderstand students who use the restricted speech. As a result there is a breakdown in communication between teachers and pupils. http://www. historylearningsite. co. uk/ethnic_minorities_education. htm. This is a major barrier to achievement as English is not their first language and cannot communicate effectively in lesson, with peers and content of the curriculum it is helpful for the to access prior knowledge so they have a fair understanding before the next lesson â€Å"Language learners need access to the subject curriculum while they are learning English†. EAL students learning is NOT a learning difficulty, learners should not be placed in groups or sets for ‘slow learners’–they need good peer models of subject specific talk and writing. Teacher expectations are powerful determiners of student success. Teachers should reflect high expectations in the ambitious targets set for these children. Bilingual learners need to make more progress each year than their peers in order to catch up (Collier, 1995) –their efforts need to be acknowledged and appreciated, to build their self-image and self-esteem as successful learners. (Making the Difference Teaching and learning strategies in multi-ethnic schools) Solution/Approaches: (Bourne, 1998 and others) Reforming the mainstream to be more language aware is not only good for bilingual learners, but benefits ALL students (Making the Difference Teaching and learning strategies in multi-ethnic schools). Education authorities have recognised the fact that student with EAL will struggle to reach their potential and has incorporate into the new Teachers’ Standards, saying that â€Å"all teachers and trainee teachers will benefit from an understanding and recognition of EAL as a significant field of teaching and learning. (http://www. naldic. org. uk/eal-teaching-and-learning/outline-guidance/pedagogy.) It is important to recognise that children learning EAL are as able as any other children, and the learning experiences planned for them should be no less cognitively challenging â€Å"High challenge can be maintained through the provision of contextual and linguistic support and raise attainment. (ExcellenceandEnjoyment:learningandteachingintheprimaryyears,Creatingalearningculture:Classroomcommunity,collaborativeandpersonalisedlearning(DfES 0522-2004 G) However, Schools and colleges will need therefore to provide both physical and virtual learning environments that motivate and support the EAL learner’s distinctive needs. Raising achievement of ethnic minorities students with low attainment and EAL by developing appropriate resources across the curriculum; make effective use of displays boards to support their learning and develop their knowledge of the linguistic, cultural backgrounds. (excellentandenjoymentlearning pg32) It is a legal requirement for literacy to be included into lesson; literacy is fundamental to good learning and achievement. It must therefore be a top priority for teachers consider how subject specific vocabulary like writing out keywords on white board, spelling and pronouncing words correctly which would help improve their English language â€Å"grammar should be introduced, modelled, extended and supported through the teaching of subject content to enhance literacy† (ExcellenceandEnjoymentlearningandteachingforbilingualchildrenintheprimaryyears). Organise small groups for computer-based activities that enable early stage learners to work with other first language speakers and to hear good models of English. â€Å"Establishing layered curriculum targets as a context for language development. Speaking and listening: guided sessions for language development. † (Effective Teaching and Learning for Pupils in Low Attaining Group). Using ICT to raise achievement of Ethnic Minority pupils with EAL. ICT has a vital role to play in providing the appropriate resources and technology for both learners and teachers. Using ICT to support EAL students presents challenges for many teachers of how best to make use of these new and emerging technologies to raise the achievement of their EAL students. (Using ICT to support students who have English as an additional language) Using Creative use of ICT in the classroom can promote inclusion and reflect cultural and linguistic diversity. Multimedia Projects provide excellent opportunities for learners to work collaboratively with other first language speakers. Email, local network links, user groups and video conferencing facilities provide opportunity for learners to communicate with proficient speakers of English and also of their first language across the world. Pupils learning EAL require opportunities to draw on additional contextual support to make sense of new information and language. Content learning for pupils learning EAL can be greatly improved through the use of visual support. This can help learners to conceptualise learning tasks that are being presented to them, or in which they are engaged, even when their knowledge of the target language is limited. http://www. naldic. org. uk/eal-teaching-and-learning/outline-guidance/pedagogy OCD/Migraine/ Metal plate in head due to past injury. If *** bumps her head call carer immediately/ unhappy to come SRS/difficult to make friends/suffered bullying/kept away from other students at break times in primary school/attention seeker/ mother died due to violently attacked by father (sees father in prison) / CAMHS/ care placement/ Literacy/maths/low self esteem/limited support from home/ IEP/PEP Pedagogy approach to EAL EAL pedagogy is the set of systematic teaching approaches which have evolved from classroom based practices in conjunction with the development of knowledge through theoretical and research perspectives. These approaches meet the language and learning needs of pupils for whom English is an additional language. They can be used in a wide range of different teaching contexts. http://www. naldic. org. uk/eal-teaching-and-learning/outline-guidance/pedagogy Setting out limited number of objectives criteria describe what the outcomes will look like when they are achieved; and actions linked to the target objectives to identify what has to be achieved by the end of lesson is said to raise success of learners whose second language is English (excellentandenjoymentlearning pg23). Personalisation is the key to tackling the persistent achievement gaps between different social and ethnic groups. It means a tailored education for every child and young person, that gives them strength in the basics, stretches their aspirations and builds their life chances. Higher standards, better schools for all (HMSO 2006)(from-excellentandenjoymentlearning pg14) The development of EAL pedagogy has been influenced by social constructivist theories which emphasise the importance of scaffolding learning, and those which highlight the importance of socio-cultural and emotional factors. Children learning EAL will be affected by attitudes towards them, their culture, language, religion and ethnicity. (excellentandenjoymentlearning pg14) Learning of English should be distinguished into communicative skills and cognitive and academic language proficiency. Children should be paired up in group so they can become conversationally fluent in the new language by communication and collaborating with others and to catch up with monolingual peers in the development of cognitive and academic language. Activating pupils prior knowledge â€Å"Finding out what pupils know about a topic through questioning, supporting self-monitoring and using KWL (Know, Want to find out, Learned) charts, brainstorming in small groups or pairs, discovery tasks, enabling use of first language. †http://www. naldic. org. uk/eal-teaching-and-learning/outline-guidance/pedagogy. Peer and share, questioning strategies using oral feedback is also important to move learners towards the forms of language used in writing (cognitive) and linguistic development. Children learning an additional language are not just learning vocabularies, grammars and pronunciations; it helps them to learn all other language functions such as questioning, analysing, hypothesising that they need for other subjects like mathematics, science, ICT and so on. Planning lesson for a class that has EAL student.