Volunteer report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Volunteer report - Essay Example Education is a very strong factor that determines individual and community success. These means that the society needs to be able to educate about life and any other important knowledge that they need to have. But people are not all the same. Some of the American people are less fortunate, and they need the help of other Americans who are willing and can offer help. This goes a long way to helping the needy in the society by being uplifted financially and also helping them to have a good meal. United way also looks at minimizing the level of school dropouts by helping them to solve issues that affect them. Having all this in mind, I took part of my time and volunteered to offer my help to the organization. I dedicated my 5 hours at the organization and during this time, I was able to decorate a Christmas tree which was actually my first time to, I distributed turkeys for Thanksgiving Day that was to be given to the homeless, I helped to fold some T-shirts as well as arranging book fits for boys and girls and this all was to help the kind to enjoy their Christmas in style. The children were so kind and respectful and I they made me enjoy the 5 hours that I spent in the United

Lessons in Pragmatism Essay Example for Free

Lessons in Pragmatism Essay Having been a Para Educator since 1994, serving both Special Education as well as General education children, I have had countless opportunities to observe incredible teachers in action. In fact, one of my most vital responsibilities is to collect observational data on various special education students and their IEP goals. This allows the teacher to generate reports of student progress and to help in modifying goals and objectives as needed. It is unfortunate that the writing of this paper falls during the summer months making it impossible to conduct a formal observation of a specific lesson plan in real time. Therefore, the focus of this presentation shall be a lesson plan which was located in the database of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, an organization dedicated to providing enriching, meaningful mathematics curriculum while ensuring availability for all students. This particular lesson plan is a multi-dimensional lesson, or a better an investigation, written by Laurie St. Julien (2008) and printed in the publication Teaching Children Mathematics. It has been generated toward third graders as a means to â€Å"pose their own mathematical questions from real data† (St. Julien, 2008, pg. 506) Before performing any critique of a lesson plan, it is first helpful to identify the basic philosophies that provide its foundation. In a course structured around empowerment through group dynamics conducted by Brunson and Vogt (1996), the results correlated with the theology that â€Å"an empowering educational philosophy promotes trust, collaborative learning and tolerance for ambiguity†. (Brunson Vogt, 1996, pg. 73) Pragmatism is a philosophy that centers not on the simple passing of knowledge from teacher to student, but around the teacher and student acting as co-learners in the educational process. Stallones, 2011) Pragmatic teachers believe that in order for children to flourish, they must be provided with opportunities to create their own knowledge through experience with the real world in a social context. This Pragmatic theology can be traced back to philosopher John Dewey (1859 – 1952). He saw education as the process of reconstructing knowledge through experiencing the real world; seeing Philosophy as a discipline that required constant change, paradoxically requiring the same reconstruction in education. Neubert, 2009) Following this school of thought, students are guided to generate their own questions, and to use scientific means to come to their own conclusions. This seems to go in tandem with the 7000 Pancakes lesson plan, centered on the theme of the incredible weekend output of the busiest International House of Pancakes in the country. This is quite pragmatic in that it clearly relates to a real world construct familiar to most children, as well as the fact that this particular pancake house just happens to sit next to Disneyland. The students have not been asked to arrive at a singular conclusion, but rather to hypothesize and test their theories, problem solve solutions to and adjust their assertions. This is done in a systematic way over more than one period. (St. Julien, 2008) They are also asked to generate and share their own small group generated questions, This allows for the development of scientific analysis and critical thought, particularly when coupled with the opportunity to scientifically attempt to answer each other’s questions through experience. In addition, Pragmatism favors the merger of various disciplines, in this case the blending of mathematics and science. The lesson plan includes an element that focuses on the eggs that are needed to create various numbers of pancakes in various time increments; however it also questions the properties of the egg and how they change when prepared differently embodying a scientific component to the lesson. This is accompanied by hands on demonstration of all of the aforementioned components, even culminating in a pancake breakfast! St. Julien, 2008) The real world connection in every aspect of this lesson, and the scaffolded guidance required by the teacher to implement it effectively, shows the true pragmatic nature of the lesson and its creator. The strengths of the lesson in question are numerous. The social requirements within the various groups and in the numerous opportunities for open discussion provided a psychosocial aspect to this lesson. These social skills are vital in every aspect of adult life, beyond the practicalities of mathematics. This is support by Siegel (1995) in her assertion that â€Å"learning is a social process in which learners actively construct their understandings†. (Smith, 1995, pg. 407) By using the real world construct of the familiar pancake house, and the visual aids that the lesson facilitates the students in developing a vested interest in investigating the questions that naturally arise through scientific analysis. The hypothesis and analysis process that resulted were well established and right on target for the inquisitive mind of a third grader. Allowing them to tactilely handle the different components of the pancakes allowed them to commit the information to memory in meaningful ways, allowing them to apply this new knowledge to other situations. The scientific component is also a major strength, however I believe yet another discipline could have been added to this lesson; I would also ask them to keep a scientific journal chronicling the experience as well as write a short reflective essay at the end to tie in the language aspect as well. To find any other fault with the lesson plan in question or to better it would prove to be extremely difficult.

Albert Einstein Essay -- biographies biography bio

Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany in 1879 to Jewish parents. In the year 1880 the Einsteins moved to Munich so that Albert could attend the school there. Albert's father started a factory there in Munich. The most charming story was told about the young Albert Einstein when he was 5. He was late to dinner because he was sitting out in the garden thinking under a tree, when he was brought to his father he noticed a small compass on Hermman Einstein's pocket watch. He was fascinated with the little compass and why it always pointed north. School for Einstein was a trying experience. For young Einstein "school is just like a barrack...and the teachers are like the officers who tell the soldiers what to do. If you don't learn your lessons by heart they scold or beat you. Even if you don't understand what the books say! They are angry when you ask questions-and I like to ask question."(2) Albert Einstein stayed at the school in Munich until he was about 15, then he left Munich to join his family in Milan. There he while hiking and listening to music he decided to be a theoretical physicist. After this decision was made he left Milan to go the the Zurich Polytechnic school in Switzerland. After a year of study he was admitted to the Zurich Polytechnic and completed a degree in physics. "Why should one not admit a man [to the United States]...who dares to oppose every war except the inevitable one with his own wife?" (1932) (1) Albert Einstein viewed the militarism with his homeland as disgusting. At the age of 16 renounced his German citizenship and became a Swiss citizen vowing never to hold German citizenship again. During World War I Einstein was the co-founder of the 'Bund Neues Vaterland'(League of the New Fa... ...." December 20, 1939 (4) "I cannot conceive of a God who rewards and punishes his creatures, or has a will of the kind that we experience in ourselves. Neither can I nor would I want to conceive of an individual who survives his physical death; let feeble souls, for fear or absurd egoism, cherish such thoughts." 1930 (1) Bibliography 1. Calaprice, Alice. The Expanded Quotable Einstein. Princeton University Press; Princeton, 2000. 2.Levinger, Elina. Albert Einstein. Simon & Schuster, Inc; New York, New York, 1949. 3. Goldsmith, Mackay, & Woudhuysen. Einstein the First Hundred Years. Pergamon Press; New York, 1980. 4. www.stcloud.msus.edu/~~lesikar/einstein/personal.html 5. Infeld, Leopold. Albert Eistein: His Work and its Influence on Our World. Charles Scribner's Sons; New York, 1950. 6. www.th.physik.uni-frankfurt.de/~jr/phys.einstein.

Diabetes Type II

Diabetes is a condition characterized by individuals having elevated levels of blood sugar resulting from the body not producing sufficient insulin or the body cells not effectively responding to the insulin already present in the body (Kilvert & Fox, 2007). Insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreases, enables the body cells to take up glucose and oxidizes it into energy (Zieve & Wexler, 2009). Lack of this glucose uptake by the body cells will result to the accumulation of glucose in the blood, a condition known as hyperglycemia (Kilvert & Fox, 2007).Hyperglycemia leads to a number of other serious complications. In type II diabetes also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) results from the body cells becoming resistant to insulin or the insulin that is produced in the body is insufficiency (Kilvert & Fox, 2007). The onset of diabetes type II can be characterized by individuals having general weakness, chronic fatigue, malaise and lethargy. Frequent urination i s not unusual and individuals often complain of excessive thirst.Excessive movements in the bowel and unexplained weight loss have been observed among individuals afflicted by the condition (Mayo Clinic, 2009). The individuals suffering from diabetes type II start having blurred vision caused by the alteration in the shape of the lens due to osmotic factors chiefly the elevated levels of blood glucose. Frequent thirst leads to the affected individual taking a lot of fluids. Diabetes type II is known to be a genetic disease although medical causes have been explained (Kilvert & Fox, 2007).There is an observation of an increased risk of developing diabetes type II in families where the parents have the disorder. A mutation in the gene known as the Amyloid Polypeptide gene lead to the early signs of the condition and makes the progress to a more severe diabetes type II condition possible (Kilvert & Fox, 2007). Apart from genetics, the condition can be caused by an alteration in the met abolism and deranged cell processes. Environmental factors have also been blamed to cause diabetes type II particularly some diets and weight (Zieve & Wexler, 2009).Some drugs have been identified to increase the risk of diabetes type II such as the thiazide diuretics, which inhibit the secretion of insulin because of the hypokalemic condition they cause. Thiazides also increase the insulin resistance due to elevated levels of mobilization of free fatty acids (Mayo Clinic, 2009). Other drug agents that can be blamed for drug induced hyperglycemia include beta blockers, somatropin, protease inhibitors, phenothiazines, flouroquinolones, corticosteroids, antipsychotics and calcium channel blockers. Treatment of Diabetes Type IIThe immediate objective of treating diabetes type II is to reduce the elevated levels of blood glucose while the long-term goal of diabetes treatment is the prevention of diabetes-related conditions, which arise after individuals have developed the complication. Diet and exercise remain the primary ways of managing diabetes (Ligaray & Isley, 2010). The afflicted individuals should be able to accurately test and record their levels of blood glucose. The knowledge on what to eat and what medications to use should be well known by people suffering from the disease. The patients should get important information from their doctors.Individuals with diabetes type II are recommended to eat at the same times every day and their meals should be consistent in terms of the type of foods they choose to eat (Ligaray & Isley, 2010). The adherence of the meal intervals and the type of foods eaten help prevent the increase or decrease in the levels of blood sugars. Individuals can plan their meals by eating the right quantity of foods, choosing healthy foods and eating the meals at the required time. Another aspect is the weight management. It has been observed that some people after cutting weight can stop taking medications even when they still have diabe tes.In extreme overweight individuals, bariatric surgery may be recommended. Gastric bypass surgery and laparoscopic gastric banding are some of the weight reduction procedures that can be recommended in the management of diabetes (Ligaray & Isley, 2010). For diabetics, regular physical exercise is imperative (Mayo Clinic, 2009). It has been observed that aerobic exercise carried out regularly can help reduce the levels of blood sugars without the need of any medication. Exercise help to burn any excess fats and calories and therefore individuals with diabetes can easily manage their weight through exercises.Blood pressure and blood flow, which may be seen as a problem in diabetes type II can be improved (Mayo Clinic, 2009). Exercise decreases the insulin resistance in body cells without necessarily having any body loss. The body’s energy level is also said to improve with exercise and the ability to handle stress as well as lowering of tension are some of the benefits of exe rcise. When all the options of exercise and diet have failed, individuals may opt for medications that are prescribed by physicians. The drugs acting against diabetes function to lower the blood sugar levels in a number of ways (Ligaray & Isley, 2010).Physicians may prescribe for patients more than one type of medication because of the different modes of action of the different agents used in diabetes management. The drugs are also prescribed along with insulin when it is required. The drugs used in diabetes treatment are either given intravenously or orally. For instance, biguanides sold as metformin is used to decrease the hepatic production of glucose (Mayo Clinic, 2009). The rationale of biguanides is to make the fat cells, hepatic cells and the muscle cells to absorb more glucose from the bloodstream hence lowering the total blood sugar levels.Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors are also important agents that lower the carbohydrate absorption from the digestive tract. This lowers the glucose levels especially after the meals. Sulfonylureas help in triggering the pancreases to produce more insulin and they are administered by oral route (Ligaray & Isley, 2010). Other agents used in diabetes management include the thiazolidinediones, pramlintide and exenatide and meglitinides. Insulin is only prescribes to patients who fail to respond to other methods of disease management such as diet monitoring, exercise and other medications (Mayo Clinic, 2009).In addition, insulin may be recommended for individuals who have poor reactions towards other medications used. Usually, insulin is injected under the skin by the use of an insulin pen device or a syringe. Insulin is never administered orally as proteolytic enzymes in the stomach may act on the hormone hence affecting the efficacy. In diabetes type II, the body cells fail to respond effectively to insulin even when it is present (Ligaray & Isley, 2010). This is typically seen in type II diabetes mellitus where the resist ance is cause by post-receptor derangements.Post-receptor effect implies that the insulin is sufficiently produced but the cells which should physiologically respond to the molecule have a problem recognizing the insulin (Ligaray & Isley, 2010). There is a general observation that the increased glucose production in the liver particularly in inappropriate times contributes to the inability of the body cells to respond to the ligand, insulin (Ligaray & Isley, 2010). This process, the conversion of glycogen to glucose affects the insulin level, which is important in hepatic function.The reduced insulin-dependent glucose transport especially in muscles and adipose tissues also contributes to the problem of diabetes type II. Similarly, there is an impaired function of beta-cells in the early phase of insulin release following the hyperglycemic stimuli. Diabetes type II is a condition which not only affects the regulation glucose levels but also other important body systems such as the i mmune system, renal function, reproductive system and cardiovascular system are largely affected (Kilvert & Fox, 2007). The immune system is hampered among the individuals suffering from diabetes type II.This can be seen in situations where diabetic individuals take a longer healing from the wounds and minor surgical incisions. The incidences of coronary artery complications as well as the arterial diseases are common among the individuals suffering from diabetes type II (Zieve & Wexler, 2009). Renal failure can be the most disturbing complication of diabetes type II where individuals may require dialysis for blood purification (Mayo Clinic, 2009). Diabetes type II has also been identified to be causing erectile dysfunction which can be a major problem in marriages.In general, diabetes type II is a problem which affects a number of body systems and leaves the affected individual and the family members and friends with a great burden. It is a condition of economic importance and effe ctive approach should be directed to its prevention and treatment. The social aspect of the patients and those close to them is affected. Although medications have been developed to manage the condition, effective treatments have not been developed, which can completely treat the problem. This calls for extensive research to come up with ways to manage diabetes type II.

Challenges in Managing Multinational Company Essay

Assalamualaikum, One of the common challenges faced by Malaysian multinational company is cultural diversity. Culture is the learned, shared way of doing things in a particular society. It is the way, for example in which its member eat, dress, greet and treat one another, teach their children, solve everyday problems, and so on ( Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn 2003). Cultural diversity in workplace refers to the range of differences between individuals in an organization. It affects the way in which people feel, think and act, and frequently, people either refuse to see it, or don’t want to see it. People from different countries always have different tradition and attitudes towards business. Some company decides to expand their organization globally but unsuccessful because they fail to realize one important thing. They do not change their organization to adapt to the new country. Malaysian multinational company can be successful if they evolve into a diverse organization which employs people from diverse culture. An international company needs to understand the host market. In order to have better understanding of host market, an international market needs to employ locals. Hence, in employing local resident international organization opens its doors to cultural diversity. When cultural diversity is not properly managed, it caused problem, misunderstandings, and conflicts will arise. I believed that to make Malaysian multinational company successful, it is important that they embrace the fact that the world today has no boundaries. Cultural diversity in workplace and elsewhere should be respected. Employees’ skills, talents, ideas, and values must be developed and improved. An organization must be able to capture the energy and ideas of all mployees in order to meet the challenges of the competitive marketplace. I also believed that Malaysian multinational company can be successful when it comes to managing diversity if they managed to bring people together from different cultural backgrounds and form a collaborative group. As future manager, the key to manage the cross-culture challenges is through developing respect for every person, regardless of his or her cultural background. They should also learn to be more open-minded. Instead of Judging people, they must learn to accept that every individual is unique and everyone can contribute to the success of the organization. Advancement in science and technology and the liberalization of trade under the Asean Free Trade Area and World Trade Organization (WTO) create an economic opportunity as well as new challenges to Malaysian multinational company. Malaysian nowadays is emerging towards a technology-driven and high-tech production-based pattern of development in order to meet the challenges of the competitive global marketplace. Although Malaysia’s competitiveness rating has improvements. The availability of skilled human capital in Malaysia is not sufficient for technological development to progress. Malaysian school and universities do not turn out to be problem solver and do not produce skilled, innovative graduates as technology companies demanded. Compare to China and India which produce tens of thousands of graduates per year, while Malaysia’s talent pool is tiny in comparison. Companies that do not keep up with technological changes soon will find their business outdated. This will result on missing new products and market opportunities. Demographic is the study of human populations in terms of size, density, location, age, gender, race, occupation, and other statistics. The demographic environment is a major interest to marketers because it involves people and people make up market. The world’s population is growing at a very high rate. The world’s large and diverse population uncovers great opportunity as well as challenges. Thus, for Malaysian multinational company to enter certain market, they must keep close tracks on demographic trends and development in their market, both home and abroad. In example, if Malaysia multinational were to enter Indian market, they need to understand the trends and dramatic changes in demographic data in determining arketing decisions, to identify opportunities and to anticipate declining demand. The continuously increasing urbanization, rapid growth and use of electronic media have brought changes to the lifestyle and consumption attitudes in urban areas in India, known as ‘middle-class population’ which has made some essential socio- economic changes -rapidly increasing emphasis on higher professional education, family system from Joint families to nuclear families (BiJapurkar,2007) and exposure to western lifestyle and customs. These factors created increasing demands of ariety quality of products and services, in example, branded clothing, restaurant, home appliances, travel, and so on. In some countries, government interference affects the operation of the multinational companies. It is a challenge that Malaysia multinational company has to face in the direction of going global. Conflicts and misunderstanding between multinational company and host country government has occurred in recent years.. Government interference takes the form of tariffs, quotas, and other non-tariff restrictions. The threat of nationalization (forcing a company to sell its local assets to the government or to other local ationals) or changes in local business laws and regulations can limit a multinational’s power. Examples can be taken from the case of China restriction towards multinational company. According to New York Times, companies that have operated exclusively in China for years are being targeted with discriminatory policies. Contracts involving state secrets or business secrets are reserved for Chinese companies and Chinese bureaucrats have been given broad latitude to exclude companies with foreign owners even if the company has been set up in China and have all of its operations in the country. Tenggiling Puitis a. m. n