Written assignment museum visit Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Written museum visit - Assignment Example The artist has used acrylic on canvas. The painting depicts a deserted place that has survived the cruel winters, and the changing colors of skies and melting ice indicate the arrival of spring that shows reclamation. A vivid imagery has been used by Begay, with intense color scheme. Begay a graduate from the Institute of American Indian Art (IAIA) started his career as a professional painter in 1983. Unlike, most of the graduates from IAIA, his work denounces the Pop style, which is still dominant until today. Navajo history, socio-politics and autobiography are the major subjects that Begay emphasize on; however; his fondness for nature and people must not be underrated. Some critics refer his style to be similar to Social Realism. While comparing Begay’s work with pop artists, there are several dissimilarities within the two art forms. Pop culture began in the middle of twentieth century and flourished rapidly all over the globe. Begay’s contemporary Navajo artists follow pop art quiet strictly. While Begay is inclined towards historical and metaphysical themes, pop art embraces the modern culture. It does not put any questions on fate of material values rather it appreciates, what world has become. Pop artists use flat imagery like the ones in comic or newspapers. The color scheme usually comprises of bright colors. On the other hand looking at the portfolio of Shonto Begay, one can find clear reaction against the popular culture. Meanwhile, some of the art critics in the recent years have claimed that painting is dead, considering the expansion of information technology in relation with multimedia. Begay still holds to the traditional acrylic paints and brush to make his paintings. Instead of following the modern culture, Begay has his own way of demonstrating his thoughts. His work his high on emotional scale, and one can sense his belongingness to his American Indian origin. Therefore his love for nature is directly associated

What Are the Main Perspectives in the Study of Psychology Essay Example for Free

What Are the Main Perspectives in the Study of Psychology Essay What research methods are used to study these perspectives? Every topic in psychology can be looked at in a number of different ways and various different approaches can be adopted for each topic. These approaches are known as perspectives (i. e. view) that involve certain assumptions (i. e. beliefs) about human behaviour: the way they function, which aspects of them are worthy of study and what research methods are appropriate for undertaking this study. There may be several different theories within an approach but they all share the above common assumptions. Different perspectives have different research methods. The â€Å"Gloria Tapes† of 1975 are a good example of how different perspectives are used to address the same problems in a client’s life, as they are looking at her problems from different viewpoints (http://www. metafilter. com, accessed February 2012). For the purpose of this essay, we will be looking at the five main psychological perspectives. These include the psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioural, biological and humanistic perspectives. A wide range of research methods are used in psychology. In its simplest terms, Martin Shuttleworth (2008) defines research as â€Å"In the broadest sense of the word, the definition of research includes any gathering of data, information and facts for the advancement of knowledge† Types of research methods include laboratory and field experiments, case studies, correlations, interviews, observations and questionnaires. These research methods fall into two basic categories: quantitive and qualitive. Qualitative research gathers research that is not in numerical form and is useful for studies at the individual level (i. e. client centred therapy). Quantitive research gathers data in numerical form, which can be put into categories, in order or measured in units of measurement. This type of data can be used to construct graphs and tables of raw data. Experiments typically yield quantitative data (McLeod, S. A. 2007). This essay will now go on to explain the main perspectives in more detail and what different research methods are used for each perspective. The essay will end in a conclusion based on what has been discussed. Sigmund Freud was undoubtedly the main founder of psychodynamics. In 1900 he published his paper â€Å"interpretation of dreams† (Gross, R. 2001 page 15). This marked the beginning of psychoanalytical thought. Other psychiatrists who also helped strongly with the psychodynamic movement include Carl Jung, Alfred Adler and Melanie Klein. Freud’s psychoanalysis is the original psychodynamic theory and is based on the belief that events in our childhood can have a significant impact on our behaviour as adults. He believed that people had little free will to make choices in life (opposite to humanism) and instead, our behaviour is determined by the unconscious mind and childhood experiences. Freud explained the human mind like an iceberg, with only a small amount of it being visible (Gross, R. 001 page 15). Most of our thoughts and ideas are not accessible at that moment (pre – conscious) or are totally inaccessible (unconscious). He used techniques such as free association, dream analysis and transference to unlock the subconscious. Most of our subconscious has been made up through repression, whereby threatening, traumatic or unpleasant experiences are â€Å"forgotten† and â€Å"locked away†. This is a major form of â€Å"ego defence†. Repression is closely related to resistance, interpretation of which is another key technique in psychoanalysis. Freud believed that personality is made up of three components: the id, ego and superego. The id and superego (unconscious) are in constant conflict with the ego (conscious), which tries to resolve this discord. If this conflict is not resolved, we use defence mechanisms to reduce our anxiety. Psychoanalysis attempts to help patients resolve their inner conflicts. The id also contains two instincts, eros (life and sex instinct) and thanatos (dream instinct). Thanatos has weaker energies than eros and is therefore channelled away from ourselves and into aggression towards others. One aspect of psychoanalysis is Freud’s theory of psychosexual development, which shows how early experiences affect adult personality. The most important stage is the phallic stage and during this stage boys experience the â€Å"Oedipus† complex and girls experience the â€Å"Electra complex† (Gross, R. 2001 page 15). These complexes result in children identifying with the same sex parent who enables them to learn sex appropriate behaviour and a moral code of conduct for their future life. However like lots of Freud’s work, it has been criticized for over emphasizing the importance of sexuality and under emphasizes the role and influence of social relationships. The types of research methods that are used to study the psychodynamic approach include case studies (i. . Anna O, Little Hans), experiments, hypnosis, slips of the tongue (paraplexes), projective tests (TAT, Rorschach) and dream analysis. Psychodynamic research methods are mostly unscientific and lack empirical support, in terms of analysing human behaviour. For this approach, we are more likely to see qualitative data collection (case studies) which are subjective and also unfalsifiable. The humanist approach believes this approach is too deterministic, leaving little room for personal agency although a great strength of psychodynamics is that it highlights the importance of the subconscious mind and defence mechanisms. Freud too criticizes other perspectives, especially behaviourism, as it doesn’t take into account the unconscious minds influence on behaviour (McLeod, S. A. 2007). Behavioural psychology is concerned with how outside environmental factors (stimuli) affect observable behaviour (response). It focuses on learned behaviour and how these behaviours are learned and reinforced. The underlying assumption is that psychology should be seen as scientific. Around this time Watson, who was the founder of behaviourism, became increasingly critical of introspection and was also starting to experiment on non – human animals. He believed the psychodynamic perspective was difficult to verify and was very subjective, the polar opposite of behaviourism which can be accurately measured. With his famous manifesto of 1913, Watson redefined psychology and launched the behavioural school of psychology (Gross, R. 2001 page 13). He believed people are born with a â€Å"blank slate† and that peoples (and animals) behaviour are controlled and taught from their specific environment, rather than internally (i. e. Freud, Jung). Freud completely rejects tabula rasa and believed people are born with â€Å"instincts†. Behaviourism is purely a â€Å"nurture approach† and how we are nurtured, determines behaviour. The two main processes whereby people (and animals) learn from their environment are namely classical and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning involves learning by association. The Russian psychologist, Pavlov (1897) accidentally stumbled upon this condition after originally studying digestion in dogs (McLeod, S. A. 2007). He noticed the dogs salivating whenever he came into the room, even when he wasn’t bringing them food between experiments. He believed dogs didn’t learn to salivate when they saw food. This was â€Å"hardwired† in them as an unconditioned reflex. So why were they salivating when they saw him enter the room? He came to the conclusion the dogs learnt over time to â€Å"associate† him with food. From this knowledge he conducted experiments where he successfully conditioned dogs to salivate to the sound of just a bell through the repeated association of the sound of a bell and food. This proved his theory. Operant conditioning involves learning from the consequences of behaviour. B. F.  Skinner investigated this theory with controlled experiments and showed how rats learnt and changed their behaviour from punishment, positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement with his â€Å"Skinner Box† experiments (McLeod, S. A. 2007). This and other human experiments explained some behaviour by a person’s (or animals) motive, therefore proving behaviour occurs for a reason. One other behavioural theory that should be mentioned is social learning theory. Albert Bandura (1977 page 38) states behaviour is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning (bobo doll experiment). He believed we learn indirectly, observing behaviours of others then imitating them. For a person to imitate another, the behaviour must be seen as rewarding in some way (reinforced) otherwise this wouldn’t happen. Memory is also involved in some way, and then the behaviour is carried out. Behaviourism is very scientific, using quantitative data. Its laboratory experiments and research with non-human animals is always supported by empirical data, obtained through careful, controlled observation and measurement. These measurements and data are also very accurate. There are limitations to this perspective, with regard to it being too deterministic and its experiments having low ecological value for some. Humanists also believe you cannot compare animals to humans. Behaviourism began to loosen its grip during the 1950’s and during the 1960’s, cognitive psychology started to take hold. Cognitive psychology is introspective and focuses on mental processes such as memory, thinking, problem solving, language and decision making. It has been greatly influenced by psychologists such as Piaget, Bandura and Tolman (1948). It’s a very scientific perspective, and revolves around the notion that if we want to know what makes people tick and behave in certain manners, then we need to know what processes are actually going on in their minds. Unlike behaviorism, which focuses only on observable behaviors, cognitive psychology is concerned with internal mental states. It explains behavior in terms of how the mind operates, often comparing it to a computer (Gross, R. 2001 page 21). Such internal processes include perception, memory, language and maladaptive thinking. These processes are viewed as mechanistic. Perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of sensory information. It comes from the Latin word â€Å"perceptio† which means receiving, collecting and action of taking possession with the mind or senses. â€Å"Memory is the means by which we draw on our past experiences in order to use this information in the present† (Sternberg, 1999). Memory is essential to all our lives. Without a memory of the past, we cannot operate in the present or think about the future. Schemas are memory knowledge packages and can be defined as â€Å"a set of linked mental representations of the world, which we use both to understand and to respond to situations† Piaget, J. (1936). Born in 1896 Piaget was the first psychologist to make a systematic study of cognitive development. Piaget called the schema the basic building block of intelligent behaviour – a way of organising knowledge. All of us use schemas in our everyday life as well as stereotyping, which are â€Å"mental short cuts†. Stereotypes are often communicated through words i. e. hairman. Another area of cognitive behaviour is social cognition which is concerned with how people think about each other and different social groups i. e. class, minorities. It is suggested people have psychological problems due to maladaptive thinking and irrational thoughts. C. B. T. challenges these thoughts and behaviours to treat such disorders i. e. Depression or Anxiety. Research methods for cognitive behaviour are mostly in the form of laboratory experiments. Case studies though are sometimes used in situations where individuals are brain damaged. It’s extremely scientific using mainly quantitive data. Skinner criticizes the cognitive approach, as he believes that only external stimulus response behaviour should be studied, as this can be scientifically measured (McLeod, S. A. 2007). One of its strengths though is that this perspective has many empirical studies to support its theories. It’s easily measured which is why it’s included in the medical model and is currently used widely in the NHS. The cognitive approach though, does not always recognize physical factors in determining behaviour. The biological perspective studies such factors. The biological perspective is a way of looking at psychological topics, by studying the physical basis for animal and human behaviour. It is one of the major perspectives in psychology, and involves such things as studying the immune system, nervous system and genetics. This field of psychology is often referred to as biopsychology or physiological psychology. This perspective has grown significantly over the past few decades, especially with advances in our ability to explore and understand the human brain and nervous system. Eysenck (1980) believes peoples personality behaviour can be explained in terms of the kind of nervous system a person inherits and has also produced evidence ( Eysenck 1967) relating to biological differences between introverts and extroverts, believing behaviour can be governed by physiology and genetics (inheritance), (Gross, R. 2001 page 616). MRI scans and PET scans also allow researchers to look at the brain in different ways and can explain behaviours in neurological terms. This can sometimes explain abnormal behaviour in people. Biological psychologists believe that schizophrenia is affected by levels of dopamine (a neurotransmitter), and a brain scan can show up these levels. Autism can also be treated by psychoactive drugs and low carbohydrate diets too (Gross, R. 2001 page 582). Those findings have also helped psychiatry and helped to relieve symptoms of mental illness through drugs. One limitation of this perspective is that Freudians would say the biological approach only treats the surface symptoms and not the underlying causes of the actual problem. This approach is very scientific, using laboratory and natural experiments for physiological studies. Brain function studies include invasive (Autopsy) and non- invasive (CAT scans) methods. Brain damaged individuals are also investigated through case studies. The biological approach has a strong counter argument against the nurture approach (behavioural) but humanists would argue against this perspective as being too deterministic. Two of the most influential theorists in humanistic psychology are Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow (Hierarchy of Needs Model). Carl Ransom Rogers was born in 1902 in Oak Park Illinois and is the founder of â€Å"person centred† or non-directive therapy. It’s a form of talk psychotherapy and the goal of P. C. T is to develop a sense of self wherein the client can realize, how their attitudes, feelings and behaviour are being negatively affected and make an effort to find their true potential (Rogers, R C 1961 page 18). Clients are aided by the therapist to find their own solutions to their problems through self-awareness, finally leading to self-actualisation. In Rogers’s words â€Å"the organism has one basic tendency and striving – to actualise, maintain and enhance the experiencing organism (Rogers, R C 1961, 487). He believes we can help ourselves through our own free will and personal agency, to self-actualise to become a fully functioning person once again. Humanistic psychologists empower their clients rather than have â€Å"power† or â€Å"authority over them like psychoanalysts or behaviourists do. They look at human behaviour not only through the eyes of the observer, but through the eyes of the person doing the behaving. It’s based on the six core conditions needed for change. As humanists focus on the whole person (holism), they regard scientific measures (i. e. biological) inappropriate for studying behaviour, although their belief in free will is in opposition to the deterministic laws of science. The research uses qualitative data, using methods such as case studies and informal interviews. Qualitative data also gives genuine insight and more holistic information into behaviour. As we can conclude from the discussions on the various perspectives, each one focuses on their own unique conception of why humans behave as they do. Freud’s â€Å"tension reducing person†, Skinners â€Å"environmentally controlled person† and Rogers â€Å"growth motivated person† are all quite different from each other. This diversity of approaches and research methods reflect the complexity of this subject matter. However we’ve also noted some important similarities between different approaches, such as the deterministic nature of Freud’s and Skinners theories and the scientific nature of the behaviourist and biological approaches, which have no consideration for human free will. Each perspective has its own unique strengths and limitations and can even contradict each other’s theories. A scientific approach such as cognitive psychology tends to ignore the subjective (i. e. personal) experiences that people have. The humanistic approach accounts for this but largely at the expense of being non-scientific in its methods and ability to provide evidence. Each perspective though, has something of value to contribute to our understanding of ourselves and human behaviour. Without all these perspectives; our learning and understanding of human behaviour would indeed be more limited and therefore each perspective has its own unique place in psychology.

Gateway Arch Development

Gateway Arch Development Gabe Bohler Standing at 630 feet, the Gateway Arch transcends all other memorials in its way. The Archs superior height allowed for travelers to see, even from a great distance, that they were approaching the Gateway to the West which is how the Arch got its name. Pierre Laclede established a bartering station in 1764 at the exact same location on which the Arch now stands. Located in St. Louis, Missouri, the arch was built for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. Eero Saarinen, the architect of the arch, was born in Finland and the son of an art school dean. Saarinen won the memorials design contest and helped make his design into reality. Not only is it a beautiful piece of art, it has a rich history behind it. This masterpiece symbolizes the westward expansion that took place to get the land we now have in our country. As you may know, through this process, many Native Americans were forced into reservations and tribes were destroyed. However, if the expansion never happened, we would n ot have the grand country we live currently live in. Although westward expansion is often distinguished as being cruel and unjust to the indigenous people, the Gateway arch symbolizes the importance and glory of the progressive expansion. Around late 1933, civic leader Luther Ely Smith, returning to St. Louis from Indiana, saw the St. Louis riverside area and visualized a memorial there which would stimulate the economy. He proposed his idea to the city mayor who in turn brought it up in a meeting with other city officials. They approved the proposal, which resulted in Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Association being created. Smith was appointed chairman and the associations goal was to create: A suitable and permanent public memorial to the men who made possible the western territorial expansion of the United States, particularly President Jefferson, his aides Livingston and Monroe, the great explorers, Lewis and Clark, and the hardy hunters, trappers, frontiersmen and pioneers who contributed to the territorial expansion and development of these United States, and thereby to bring before the public of this and future generations the history of our development and induce familiarity with the patriotic accompli shments of these great builders of our country. Many locals did not agree with the idea of depleting public funds for the cause and even Smiths own daughter related saying the people need more practical things but he would fire back that spiritual things were of equal importance. The association estimated that $30 million would be required to get the project in motion, with the U.S government footing $22.5 million of the total cost. The proposition to give the riverside a makeover was not new, with earlier projects surfacing during the economic downturn brought about by the Great Depression. On December 21, Franklin D. Roosevelt signed off on an executive order to put the project in motion, which would set aside 82 acres for the first National Historic Site. The motivation of the project was twofold-commemorating westward expansion and creating jobs however, not all taxpayers were onboard with the project that many called a boondoggle. After an intense competition to see who would be designing the Arch, Saarinens team was picked for best design. His team worked to perfect their design and on September 1, 1947, they submitted as the first stage to the jury. By January 1951, Saarinen proposed 21 sketches, which included scale pictures of the attractions near the Arch itself. In 1959 and 1960, the foundation for the monument was beginning to be laid and by the next year, the structural components were being added. Finally, by January 22, 1962, after the previous meeting was postponed, the bidding meeting commenced with over 50 companies attending the event. Initial building of the Arch started the next year in 1963 and was finally completed in 1965, two years later. As the country grew and expanded, the American people where always one to push their bounds. In 1763, we proudly, defied Englands proclamation of the year, and settled west of the Appalachian mountains. A little later, the westward people pushed Indians, animals, and society to a place where no American person had gone before. But all the while, one important factor determined where they transported themselves, where they settled, and what they did when they got there. This factor, the environment, profoundly affected the settlers way of life, and other factors, such as the Indians and the railroad, only aggravated a pre-existing condition. The settlers of the late 1800s had only one way to get to the west- along the pre-existing routes established by the courier-de-bois, Spanish settlers, and the Indians of the past. These routes, which flowed through the only passable areas of the Rockies, naturally led to Oregon and California, which caused an increase in the population of these r egions at the time. On the home front, the environment played an important role on the family life as well. With an increased sense of independence, women had gained rights to vote and proprietorship. But with this increased sense of independence came the added responsibility of being the family doctor, chef, and provider of family comfort and support. Although westward expansion can be seen as positive, it also had many negative effects including war, slavery, and the suffering of many Native Americans. Starting with the French and Indian War, the United States, or in that time, the colonies, has always encroached on the Native Americans. This war was only the start to many others which brought about suffering to the Native Americans and American people. During the American conquest of the west, Natives were for often forced into slavery when a tribe was attacked and defeated. Steps for peace were thought to be made by the American government to relocate the Native Americans into smaller reservations. These reservations were too small to hold the huge tribes and the soil was unfertile to plant food to last for a while. For example, the Trail of Tears relocated around 4000 Cherokees into a reservation in Oklahoma. Throughout the journey, many Native Americans died due to harsh conditions. This is seen as a cruel punishment but it w as meant for good. If this expansion never happened, the United States wouldnt have the land and greatness we now have. Although it was often cruel and unjust, which could have been made easier and less harsh, it was needed in order to expand the country to fit the population of the rising US. Due to this expansion, the Gateway Arch symbolizing it and its greatness may be disliked by many Native Americans today. Building a monument for the enlargement into the west can however, help everyone appreciate the expansion and the importance it had to our country. Rising above all other monuments, there is a reason why the Gateway Arch is the tallest monument in the country. Perfectly placed in St. Louis, Missouri on the Mississippi river, the arch can be seen by anyone in the area or if they are visiting the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial for which the arch was made for. The Arch represents the westward expansion and most things that were involved with it. Native Americans were treated badly during the expansion but our country wouldnt be what it now is today without it. Although westward expansion is often distinguished as being cruel and unjust to the indigenous people, the Gateway arch symbolizes the importance and glory of the progressive expansion.

Betrayal :: Personal Narrative Writing

Betrayal 1.Desire It is easy to fall in love with bodies. I Breathe skin, lose time to anticipation and pleasure, hair, lips, thighs; tangled in another person, I am lost in a jungle. Transcendence. Society teaches us to break a body down: we love legs, butts, breasts; we take images and splice them into the form of our perfect desire. Like Pygmalion we are desperate to breathe life into our conception of beauty, our imagination of a perfect creature. Reality is easily redrawn around a body whose presence in a place reorganizes the map of the world. Nothing exists but the texture of skin, its taste thick in the mind's imagination. Against our animal world, ideas and numbers seem strange, misplaced, insignificant to desire and love, to connecting with another's warmth. Trying to fulfill a fantasy, it is the dreamer who is recreated. It is time that is filled in. 2. Characters To a moment we are only characters. In this moment: David, the long-term boyfriend (now). Moa, at first betrayer, then clown, then you (then). There is the self who perceives, creates, and ultimately longs for the deep and endless fall of vertigo (lost between the now and then). And there is Love, so mysterious and evasive that I sometimes believe it is a character, alive, weaving tendrils around us (love plays with time). But the descriptions might switch names. I could be the clown, and it could be you who plunges yourself into vertigo. And maybe only one character could play all the parts. There are several combinations to fit several moods (this is my version that fits my now). 3. Eternity The moment has a way of leaking into other moments. Other moments with other lovers leak into the memory. The lovers, like muddying watercolors, swirl into each other. I wonder if I only have relationships with myself. I ask myself the same question over and over till it feels like I am banging my head against a wall, "What do I want?" I look into my heart but it is hard to see through the haze of time and desire. Sartre writes that we are indoctrinated with the values of our societies. We can never be or know ourselves till we escape these. Sartre draws one single path to freedom, this is radical choice, choosing something totally unconnected to anything, in practice this could only be a random choice.

History Of The ECCE Sector In Ireland Essay

Introduction. In this assignment I will outline and discuss the Historical Development of  the ECEC sector in Ireland. ECEC is the Early Childhood Education and Care division in Ireland. I will give a clear explanation of the rights of a child in the context of the ECEC setting. I will also give a detailed accountant of the ECEC sector and its range of occupation. I will give a detailed description of the qualifications and experience needed for work associated with one occupation in the ECEC. Finally, I will give an extensive examination of the employment and career opportunities in the childcare area. History of ECEC provision in Ireland. Pre-school education did not really exist in Ireland until the 1980s and 1990s. This was largely due to the fact that until quite recently the majority of Irish women did not work outside the home. Even if they did, childcare was usually provided by family members or child-minder’s located in the community and known to the family. The marriage bar meant that women working in the public service had to leave their jobs as soon as they got married and become stay-at-home mothers and wives. This ban was lifted in 1957 for primary school teachers, but it was 1973 before the ban was lifted for other women in the public service. The ECEC needs of babies, young children and their families were met instead by a broad range of community, voluntary and private enterprise. ECEC service provision was unregulated until 1997. When the child care regulations 2006 came into effect, no stipulation as made regarding the qualifications necessary to deliver such services beyond the person having their own children, a reference to show appropriate experience in caring for children and/or an appropriate qualification. One important initiative came from the public sector in 1969, with the opening of a state-run pre-school in Rutland street Dublin. The Department of Education worked with the Van Leer Foundation- an organisation that promotes the early education of children living in economically disadvantaged areas. Together, they set up the pre-school in Rutland Street as a template for other such pre-schools around the country. These pre-schools were known as Early Start pre-schools. A total of 40 pre-schools opened nationally- all of which are still open today. In 1992, Ireland ratified the United Nations Convention on the rights of the child. This helped to bring to public consciousness the rights of children. And in 2000,  the Department of Health and Children published the National Children’s strategy. This strategy set out a ten-year plan for the improvement of children’s lives in Ireland. One of the goals of the National Children’s Strategy is that children will receive quality supports and services to promote all aspects of their development. The strategy aims to fulfil this by providing quality childcare services and family-friendly employment measures. There have been many other significant initiatives and decisions in Ireland in recent years in an attempt to respond to the demand for equality in ECEC. In 1989 the National Forum on Early Childhood Education was established. This brought together organisations and individuals with an interest in early childhood education. In 1999 the National Voluntary Childcare Collaborative was established. Today the organisation comprises seven national non-government agencies decimated to the promotion of ECEC in Ireland. Also in 1999 the White Paper on Early Childhood Education, Ready to Learn as established. The purpose of this was to set out government policy on all issues relating to early childhood education. Quality of provision was the key theme of the White Paper. In 2002 the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education was established. CECDE aimed to achieve the goals set out in the ready to learn (1999). The organisation was disbanded in 2008, when it was seen by the government to have achieved everything it was set up to do. The Child Care (Pre-School) regulations were established in 2006. The regulations clearly list all the requirements that must be met by organisations or individuals providing ECEC services to children aged 0-6. Sà ­olta was established in 2006. The Sà ­olta framework was developed by CECDE in a process that took over three years and involved more than 50 different organisations representing childcare workers, teachers, parents, policymakers and researchers. Sà ­olta aims to define, asses and support the improvement of quality across all aspects of practice in ECEC settings that cater for children ages 0-6. Aistear was established in 2009. In 1999, the NCCA published the Primary School Curriculum, which did direct and regulate the curriculum followed in infant classes. In 2009, the NCCA published Aistear. The ultimate aim of Aistear is the development of the whole child. Free Pre-School Year Programme. In 2010, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs introduced the Free  Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education Programme. Before this, it was only children in disadvantaged areas who could avail of free or subsidised pre-school education. The Free Pre-School Year Programme recognises that all children benefit from equality pre-school education. The programme recognises that because pre-school education in Ireland usually comes from private providers, it is expensive and therefore not available to all children, e.g. children of parent’s not working outside the home. Under the programme, pre-school provider are paid per child enrolled. The providers must meet certain criteria before entering the scheme, e.g. staff qualifications. This has had the effect of incentivising providers to meet criteria, which in turn has increased the quality of provision. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is an internationally binding agreement on the rights of children, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989. A child is defined in the UNCRC as a person under the age of 18. Ireland signed the convention on 30th September 1990 and ratified it on 28th September 1992. By ratifying the convention, the irish state committed itself to the promotion, protection and fulfilment of children’s rights as outlined by the convention. The convention incorporates children’s rights under three categories: Civil and political. Social, economic and cultural. Protection. In the ECCE settings children have the right to experience environments which meet their own specific needs. High quality early childhood programmes do not separate care from education or education from care. They provide warm, caring and stimulating environments for children. Children are deeply involved in their own learning, supported by a knowledgeable, observant staff in an environment structured to drive exploration and discovery. Equality refers to the importance of recognising different individual needs and of ensuring equity in terms of access, participation and benefits for all children and their families. Diversity refers to the diverse nature of Irish society for example in terms of social class, gender, returned Irish emigrants, family status, minority groups and the majority group. According  to the National Childcare Strategy 2006-2010 diversity and equality Guidelines for Childcare Providers the term minority group includes but is not limited to; People with a disability The traveller community Economic migrants Black Irish Irish-language speakers Refugees Asylum seekers Children with gay or lesbian parents Families of minority religious faith Under the Equal Status Acts 2000-2004, discrimination is prohibited on nine grounds; Gender Material status Family status Sexual orientation Religious belief Age Disability Race Membership of the Traveller community As a result of the multifaceted population in Ireland, practitioners work with children from minority groups and it is their task to ensure that they are integrated well into education and all children are treated equally. Equality and Diversity is just as important in childhood as the concept is in adulthood and included in many childcare documents to ensure best practice. The National Childcare Strategy gives guidelines on promoting equality and diversity in ECEC setting, as follows. Provides CDs of children’s songs in a number of different languages. The language will focus on English and Irish but educators can also include different languages from different cultures. Children can listen to them in the classroom on a regular basis. It is surprising how quickly children will pick up on new languages. Allow children regular access to art materials with which they  can paint, draw and colour different images that incorporate a range of skin tones. Children can talk about their images when they are finished. Provide toys or images familiar to an individual child so that a sense of belonging is fostered. Items that represent diversity will benefit all children in the ECEC setting. Display pictures of children and their families around the classroom. Pictures should be displayed at the children’s level, so that they can see the images whenever they wish. When the children look at such images, there is an opportunity for them to chat about similarities and differences. Provide a wide range of children’s books that show images of diverse people and their lives. Recent books are unlikely to have stereotypical roles seen in books from previous times. Many books will provide pictures of children from minority groups; children will be curious about pictures with other childr en in them. Pre-school regulations. Early childhood care and education services are regulated by legally binding requirements. These are the Pre-school Regulations, which first appeared in 1996 and have been updated with effect from January 2007. The main purpose of these regulations is to ensure that standards are in place to safeguard the health and welfare of children in pre-school services and to promote their development through the provision of developmentally and culturally appropriate materials, experiences, activities and interactions. The Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No 2) Regulations 2006 and the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No 2) (Amendment) Regulations 2006 are made under Part VII of the Child Care Act 1991 and prescribe the measures which must be in place to meet the requirements of the Act. The Regulations include an Explanatory Guide to Requirements and Procedures for Notification and Inspection which offers guidance on good practice in relation to areas covered by the Regulations which include the following: Health, welfare and development of the child A person carrying on a pre-school service shall ensure that each child’s learning, development and well-being is facilitated within the daily life of the service through the provision of the appropriate opportunities, experiences, activities, interaction, materials and equipment, having regard  to the age and stage of development of the child and the child’s cultural context. First aid and medical assistance There should be a suitably equipped first-aid box for children and arrangements to call medical assistance in an emergency. Management and staffing The law makes provision that a person carrying out a pre-school service must ensure that a sufficient number of suitable and competent adults are working directly with the children at all times. (â€Å"Suitable and competent†adults are adults aged over 18 with adequate appropriate experience in caring for children under 6 years and/or who have appropriate qualifications to care for these children). There should be appropriate vetting of all staff, students and volunteers who have access to a child by obtaining references and Garda vetting. *When a full day care service also takes children not on a full day basis, sessional service adult numbers apply. Note: The above ratios may not apply if the service is participating in the Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme. The Child and Family Agency can limit the maximum number of pre-school children who may be catered for at the same time. This provision is aimed at preventing over-crowding in pre-school services. If the Child and Family Agency proposes to limit numbers, the provider will be notified and has the opportunity to appeal or make representations about this decision. Behaviour management Anyone providing a pre-school childcare service should ensure that no corporal punishment is inflicted on any child attending the service. There should be written policies and procedures to deal with and to manage a child’s challenging behaviour and to assist the child to manage his or her behaviour. Register of pre-school children A pre-school childcare provider should keep a register with details of each child attending the service including name, date of birth, contact numbers for parents and child’s doctors. Information for parents Parents should be given information about the service including details of the person in charge and other staff, the adult/child ratios, the maximum numbers and age range of the children, the type of care, facilities, opening hours and fees. Premises and facilities Pre-school services (including child-minders, drop-in centres, crà ¨ches, etc.) are obliged to ensure their standards meet certain standards and provide certain facilities. These rules include ensuring that: The premises are of sound and stable structure and are suitable for providing pre-school services Adequate space per child is provided in the premises Fixtures, premises and fittings are kept in a proper state of repair and in a clean and hygienic condition and protected from infestation Furniture, work and play surfaces are clean, suitable, non-toxic and retained in a proper state of repair. There are adequate and suitable facilities for a pre-school child to rest and to play indoors and outdoors during the day Pre-school childcare providers are required to ensure that the building has suitable and adequate heating, ventilation and lighting; sanitary accommodation, waste storage and disposal Safety measures Adequate arrangements must be in place for extinguishing fires. Staff must be trained in use of equipment. Staff and pre-school children should know evacuation and other procedures. All heat-emitting surfaces in the premises have fixed guards or are thermostatically controlled. Gardens and play areas are fenced and doors and gates secured to prevent children straying. Ponds, pits and other hazards are fenced to ensure children’s safety. Food and drink A pre-school service should ensure that suitable, sufficient, nutritious and varied food is available for a pre-school child attending the service and there should be adequate and suitable facilities for the storage, preparation, cooking and serving of food, and adequate and suitable eating utensils. Handwashing, wash-up and sterilising facilities should be provided. The Department of Health’s Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Pre-School Services (pdf) advise that children in day care for more than 5 hours per session (full day care) should be offered at least 2 snacks and 2 meals, including one hot meal. Insurance The provider should ensure that the pre-school children are adequately insured against injury while attending the service. ECEC Services Currently Available in Ireland. The types of ECEC services currently available in Ireland can be organised under these headings; Sessional services – which provide ECEC services for a set period of time during the day. E.g. 9am-1pm. Full time services- which provide ECEC services throughout the day. Part-time services – which provide ECEC services for a total of 3.5 hours and less than 5 hours a day. Sessional services include; Playgroups Montessori schools Naà ­onraà ­ Early start Pre-school for traveller children Pre-schools for children with special needs Parent and toddler groups Full-time services include; Creches Day care centres Nurseries Occupations within the childcare sector. Nursery nurses Playgroup leaders Educational/special needs assistants Childcare manager/supervisor Montessori teacher Child-minder Au pair Nanny Childcare manager. These practitioners ensure that the care and education of the children is being maintained at all times. They take care of any issues that arise and they are in direct contact with parents. They are responsible for the day-to-day running of the childcare facility. This role requires childcare qualifications as well as experience in the area. The role also requires excellent interpersonal and organisation skills and the ability to manage a team of employees. A career plan. Short term goals. My current short term goals are to complete this QQI level 5 childcare  course. I aim to get 8 distinctions so I can go onto third level after in September. I finish this course on the 8th of May. For the summer I hope to get a part-time job somewhere working with children. In September I hope to attend Cork Institute of Technology to study early year’s education. This course is a three year course with a level 7 degree. Between now and September I hope to gain loads of experience with working with children as I feel I learn better by gaining practical experience. Within the next few months, I also hope to have completed a first aid course as it is essential to be trained in first aid when working with children also it looks good on your curriculum vitae. Medium term goals. In September I hope to attend Cork Institute of Technology to begin studying Early year’s education which is a duration of three years and you qualify with a level 7 degree. As this course will take up a lot of my time, I won’t have enough time for a full time job. I will need to fund my way through college though, so every chance I get I will be working, be it baby sitting or working in a restaurant. I would certainly rather it be a job working with children as the more experience I get the better knowledge and understanding of the work in a childcare setting I will have. During these three years in college I hope to do a lot of charity work also, for child line, Barnardos and maybe even the Jack and Jill foundation, again all of this would be a great experience but also it would feel wonderful to be a part of trying to make disadvantaged children’s lives a bit better. Long term goals. Hopefully in 2018 I’ll b graduating from Cork Institute of Technology with my level 7 degree in early year’s education. When I have graduated and have my degree I hope to take a year out and go Au pairing in America, I’m very interested in it and I have done a lot of research on it but I think right now I am a bit too young and I will wait until I have got my degree and I’m that little bit older. My heart is set on Au pairing, I think it would be a fantastic experience and also it would look very good on my Curriculum Vitae. When I come back after my year Au pairing, I would love to do some work with special needs children, be it volunteer work or a Special needs  assistant in a school. So hopefully in five years, I will have that job as a S.N.A. If I don’t find a job to work with special needs I would gladly go and find work in a Montessori. From there on in roughly ten years I would love to have my own Montessori open and running and also be doi ng some volunteer work when I have the time. Challenges to achieving goals. Of course I would love to reach and achieve my goals but with these goals also comes a lot of challenges. For me to be able to move onto third level education in September, a lot of time and study has to go into my assignments and my exams. Trying to achieve distinctions in all modules will be the most challenging. With hard work and dedication I feel I will be able to achieve these goals. Time is a huge challenging factor in achieving some of these goals. As I’ve so much to do and very little time to get it all done. Before I complete this course I hope to have also completed a first aid course, but this will also be difficult as I will have many assignments to do along with study for exams. I will have to have all my assignments handed up on time but also put a lot of effort into them to try and achieve my distinctions. As I want to do a lot of volunteer work, time is also a challenge, as I have a lot of study to do and hopefully a job to be committed to, I really would love to do some volunteer work but again I’ll have to wait and see how I am doing with college and work. Money is also an issue with achieving these goals, as you know college is very expensive and I will be a full time student so it will be quite difficult to fund myself sufficiently. I will have to work twice as hard with every opportunity I get to earn money. I will have to look for a good job with good pay which is quite challenging and also be able to balance college and work will be difficult. For my long term goals, there definitely will be challenges I will meet along the way. A huge challenge will be money. If I want to do some extra course that I may not plan on doing now, it could add up to a lot of money, especially when my dream is to open and run my own Montessori. Even though this is a long term goal and is many years away, I will probably have to start saving for a rainy day which will hopefully end up going towards opening my own Montessori. Education and training needs. For me to become a fully Montessori teacher I need a level 7 qualification. This qualification will allow me to open up my own Montessori. With a level 6 degree it will only allow me to work in the Montessori and be a room leader. Education is essential for wanting to work in a Montessori or any childcare facility for that matter and also to be able to open and run your own care setting. A qualification is your number one priority you need for working in a childcare facility. Also Garda vetting is essential. Without your Garda vetting being cleared there will be no chance you will be allowed work in a childcare setting. There must be a staff member on the premises at all times who is qualified in first aid. So it is vital that when wanting to work in a childcare setting that you are somehow qualified in first aid and that you do a refreshers course every two years. In a lot of childcare settings there is a kitchen for cooking and preparing hot food for the children that are there for long days, so for working in a childcare setting it’s essential to have a H.A.C.C.P (hazard analysis critical control point) course done. This course makes you more aware of food hygiene in the setting and helps you prevent cross contamination and food disease in the childcare setting. Bibliography. Flood, E., 2013, child development, FETAC levels 5&6, Dublin: Gill & Macmillan. http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/education/pre_school_education_and_childcare/health_safety_and_welfare_of_preschool_childcare_services.html 1st February 2015.

The fear of changing jobs

The fear of changing jobs A life changing DecisionIn the life of every man there is the moment when something should be changed.Some people feel abstract influences, another definitely knows what exactly should be doneto have their own life changed in the way they wish. For me the decision to abandon myformer job in search of a new and more challenging vocation was taken because of adownward change in the auto industry. With my former profession I was not confident inthe way I had chosen it. It was like doing the things you did not wish to do. I decided tochange my career to a new and more challenging profession. I have finally found a new moredetermined comfort with myself. This new profession will lead to a new avenue of success.However, before the decision was made there was an impediment, the internal bar whichblocked my free will, the fear.One Fear illustration from Book of FearsFor sometime I have been working for American Axle. Now, I see that I neverreally wanted to do that, however I did. The idea of changing my job and abandoning theauto industry was not new for me. I had already been thinking about it but did not trulybelieve I could do it. The uncertainty and diffidence were causing me to forget about anyfurther actions. I was about the age of 30, and the thought that it was too late for radicalchanges pushed me back to the factory every day. I was unhappy. I have been doing myduties and my work with little interest and could not get rid of the thought that I am losingvaluable time, since I am not getting any younger. Finally, I started to feel really bad aboutit. Nothing could take away the continual...