Hospice And Attitudes Toward Death Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hospice And Attitudes Toward Death - Essay Example In recent decades, particularly in the last century, there has been a great shift in lifestyles of people all over the world. The religious-centered lifestyles have now moved towards being more materialistic and social. This has affected the way people dress, eat, interact with others, perceive, and prepare them for what is not in their control (Corr et al., 304, 2008). Thus, unlike older times when people relied more on religious ceremonies and rituals to lessen the bereavement and pain before death, nowadays, people fall back on hospice care services and more techniques that are modern. One way this affects the process is through reducing the time span of this bereavement. With modern day facilities and parallel services available under one roof at hospice, time duration of the pain and grief before dying and shortened considerably. With the availability of priests, psychologists, drug experts, food experts and plain entertainers to read and talk to patients, it has become comparat ively easier for patients as well as their families to cope with the loss and the accompanying gloom (Gittings, 273, 2000). However, the old patterns are not inefficient.

Political Campaign Videos Essay Example for Free

Political Campaign Videos Essay Shifts in the campaign films â€Å"The Sky is the Limit† by George Bush and â€Å"A New Beginning† by Ronald Reagan must have been very evident to expert media critics, but were not at all noticeable for average reasonable television viewers, making the films more effective materials in campaign. Let us first take a look at the campaign film of George Bush. The first of the film â€Å"A New Beginning† engaged the viewers to listen and take a look at Bush’ personal life. It contained clips of Bush’ father, mother and wife talking about him and that is where â€Å"personal† or â€Å"emotional appeal† comes in, because it was the family of Bush speaking. Bush’ parents talked about how loving and wonderful he is as a son. Even his love life was discussed by his wife, telling the audience that Bush is a type of person who keeps his words which he proved when he married Laura right away as promised. At this early part of the film, the film seemed to be just a simple documentary of George Bush’ personal life, until a clip of George Bush saying â€Å"I am the person who likes to smile† came in. He was saying that he likes to laugh, with his face extremely closed up while driving, followed by a very short clip showing himself laughing at a political assembly. This, then, is the start of political campaign and is also the first shift in the movie. The shift was made very subtly, though, because there was a mix of personal appeal and political campaign. The next clip was Carlos Ramirez talking about Bush being a person full of family values. While the topic was still very personal, the interviewee was a political person, Carlos Ramirez being the mayor of El Paso. With this, the combination of politics and personal appeal was created, signaling the second shift that was about to happen. This is indeed a clue that the next shift will be from personal-political to something that’s purely political. The third shift is marked by an interview with Ernie Ladd, a co-founder of a mentoring program for leadership called â€Å"PULL. † Ernie Ladd was talking about Bush’ performance as a leader. When the topic is about leadership, it clearly shows that the current focus of the clip was into politics. To soften the blow, Bush was shown on TV again, being back to a regular guy for another shot at personal appeal. Then again, it was still political because here, he was talking about change. At first, he was sympathizing over children who were coming from very difficult situations and comparing it to his wonderful life. He said he wanted to change this and make lives better for all children, while uttering the purely political line â€Å"This is the reason why I want to run as a governor of Texas. † The campaign, at this stage, is at its full swing. Another shift was created, but this time, there was an effort in emphasizing the goals of Bush in the elections. Phyllis Hunter, a representative from READ of the state of Texas, talked about changed which Bush caused in the state. She further explained the positive changes which took place in Texas which may not have been impossible without Bush. â€Å"She gave testimonials on how helpful Bush is as a person which can be seen through her exact words, I have seen a big difference since he has been governor of the state of Texas in the amount of supports that we have to help us as educators reach the standards. He said if you need it, we’ll get it for you. We have websites, we have grant programs, we have teacher training in the state of Texas, and we have George leading the way (Parmelee, 2003, p. 52). † From this point, the film became highly political because what were shown were purely campaign materials. There was Bush talking to kids while reading their letters to him, in which a letter even contained a wish for Bush to win. Here, Bush tells the kids that he hopes he wins, too. This campaign material was given drama and personal appeal when the kids were involved. Lastly, Bush was uttering the words â€Å"I’m confident I can do the job that people want me to do. I’m a proud member of my party, but Im more than that; I’m an American. I love my country. I love what America stands for. I’m going to remind people that were lucky to be Americans (Parmelee, 2003, p. 52). † Ending the film is a song entitled â€Å"We the People† matched with a loud applause. Ronald Raegans film â€Å"A New Beginning†, on the other hand, starts with a footage of his inauguration. While uttering his constitutional oath, a montage of Americans leading a normal life was overlapping with his voice. His oath, then, functioned as a voice over to regular citizens who tended animals, tilled the lands, worked in offices, and the likes. It was indeed a technique that made the film strong because the film was able to make portray that the heroes of the United States are the Americans, and not Ronald Raegan himself. From this scene, a shift was made to Raegan talking about how he finds his job in the political arena, saying that â€Å"hearing honest views while having meetings† coming from the executive branch of the government makes him inspired as a political leader. After mentioning people from the executive branch, the film shifts to ordinary people again, giving testimonials on how they have learned values like patriotism, respect and pride because of Reagan. It was in the fourth shift when a sudden change can be noticed, because the music suddenly became dramatic, having the lyrics â€Å"Freedom, they cant take that away, I am proud to be an American† as a contributing factor to the emotional appeal. This part extended to a few minutes (as long as the whole song) and converted the film temporarily into a music video until it was cut to a few clips showing Reagan’s trips to demilitarized zones in Asia. In this shift, the film showcased the military power of a country where Reagan shows how delighted he is to hear pride among soldiers. He then meets the soldiers from South Korea and greets then one by one with the words â€Å"I am proud to know you. † This way, he is sending the message that we should emulate his behaviour of acknowledging these soldiers or â€Å"heroes† everytime we see them. Testimonials from ordinary Americans are inserted again, in which everyone says that they get to spend more money and they can feel the progress of the economy since Raegan led the nation. The topic of inflation was also discussed, with statistics mentioned to prove that he is most concerned with inflation and security of elders. The music in this scene is lively and victorious, followed, again, by testimonials from other people. The most dramatic shift comes with the topic of the assassination attempt on him. This part was purely emotional and personal, sharing to the audience the moment he talked to the doctor and the doctor told him â€Å"God must be on your shoulder. † However, an abrupt change occurred when a sudden lively music entered the scene, showing again his trips to Asian countries. This time, he says that people go to the West, which shows that the West, then, provides future for the people. He says that Americans have a lot to offer, which brought a change on the clip by inserting a clip about the World War II veterans who risked and sacrificed their lives at Point d’Hoc. He tells us that men these days can be found in offices, stores, farms and shops as a result of a free society all because the military force helped the nation achieve it. After this, the film becomes political when Reagan started talking about reform, simplifying taxes and creating enterprise zones and business incentives. From this, he also talks about peace which he achieved because he is helping people. The film ended with the song God Bless The USA (Morreale, 1991, p. 84). The values common to these two films are pride, patriotism, generosity, leadership, spirituality and respect. What makes these films different are how these two define themselves. Bush defines himself as a person full of family values, someone who wants to make everybody happy, respectful of his parents, wanting to create change, full of optimism and reaching big dreams, in which his being a family-person and wanting to create change is emphasized. Reagan defines himself as a person who respects heroes, full of patriotism, prioritizes economy of the nation, advocates freedom, spiritual and a peace-lover. In this, his respect for heroes or military and his patriotism are emphasized. Musical scores that are lively and victorious support the progress, dreams and freedom the candidates are portraying in the film. The sentimental songs support the personal and emotional appeal of the film, which helped in making the audience feel what the candidates wanted them to feel. Visual images also had a role – American flags, innocent kids, boy scouts, soldiers, baseball, laughter, sunrises – all these promoting a positive vibe for their personality, making the candidates look as more positive individuals in front of the camera.

Optimal Economic Uncertainty Index

Optimal Economic Uncertainty Index Introduction Economic uncertainty states about the uncertain of future economic events. This means we cannot foresee what will happen to the country’s economic in the future and this is why this research is been investigate. There are many situations which caused the uncertainty to happen such as the changes in economic and financial policies, various views about the growth prospects, the productivity movements, wars and natural disasters (Bloom et al., 2013). The first innovative work which discussed about the effects of uncertainty is done by Knight (1921). Knight formalized a distinction between risk and uncertainty. Based on Knight’s research, risk was applies to the situations where is unpredicted but still can accurately calculate the odds. However, uncertainty applies to the situations where is unpredicted all the information we need with the purpose of set accurate odds. According to a theory of profit and entrepreneurship, Knight suggests that the function of the entreprene ur is to earn profit by undertaken the investments with uncertain outcome (Bewley, 2002). Thereafter, more and more researcher has constructed diverse models to investigate the uncertainty. Mises (1949) states that researchers never gave up in searching the best ways to reduce the problems which caused by the uncertainty. However, the results gain by most researchers which tested the uncertainty could not supply suitable and meaningful outcomes. This is because the researchers’ understanding and the modeling created has supply limited information from the empirical data and too much effort has been applied in explaining and estimating the characteristic of human beings under variety situations (Ellsberg 1961; Epstein 1999). However, an open question remains as to whether or not research in this area could better our knowledge of economic turbulences and other utmost uncertainties and improve the scientific accuracy of economic theory. There are fewer of empirical studies on the economic uncertainty index depend on normative analysis. This type of analysis creates value judgments about the economy or the goals of public policy to be archive. (Caplin and Schotte 2008). Thus, normative analysis cannot be used to refute the precision of the economic uncertainty index (Gan 2014). Monetary conditions indexes (MCI) have become famous in several countries over the past few years as a useful tool and indicator for the stance of monetary policy. Although MCI played as an alternative monetary policy rule sparked intense debate and yet whether a consensus can be reached remained unknown at the beginning however it has been losing its magnet effect on the economy from the past years. The main factor of this change would be exchange rate, which is merely determined by the market. Gan (2014) conducted a paper namely the optimal economic uncertainty index constructed is one of many in the economic uncertainty literatures, which the optimal form may reflect the true economic conditions. This study will apply two monetary policy rules which are MCI and OEUI in selected Asian countries to examine which rules would facilitate achieving the best economic outcomes and lead to rational and wise policy decisions through a comparison. Matters of the study The argument of monetary policy rules in an economic uncertainty A good monetary policy rule is very important to the economy. It can help the economy respond efficiently to economic upheavals by limiting the gap of actual economy activity from its equilibrium, without significantly changing the ultimate goals of monetary policy. As stressed by Svensson (2000), monetary policy rule can either describe a systematic response of policy instrument to events in the economy (e.g., changes in macro variables and changes in policy variables), or it can suggest a specific economic outcome, or it can target the central bank’s goals (e.g. output and/or inflation). This behaviour of the policy rule can be inferred only in the context of a full model that links the policy instrument to the targeting variables included in the rule. Levin, Wieland, and Williams (2001) investigated the performance of forecast-based monetary policy rules by using five macroeconomic models that present a wide range of views on aggregate dynamics. They categorize the characteristics of rules that are robust to model uncertainty. However, the performance of monetary policy rule in an economic uncertainty is still under debate. Dotsey and Plosser (2012) examine the design of monetary policy rules in an environment. The argument is lingering around the issue that people have only an imperfect knowledge of the economy to confront challenges arising from various forms of economic uncertainty. The inadequate of non-optimal monetary policy rules in an economic uncertainty Simple monetary policy rules – non-optimal – such as Taylor (1993) may involve a reaction to variables other than conventional variables such as inflation gap and output gap, which are considered intuitively relevant to the conduct of monetary policy. Generally, these rules are similar to those discussed in Clarida et al. (1998). The great virtue of the simple rules is simplicity, which makes them easy to understand. Simple rules still can be used in central bank communication, although the public would not be able to verify the exact rule that is being followed. The rule can perform well in a wide range of models, which makes it robust to model uncertainty (Taylor, 2000). As stressed by Orphanides (2007: 11), some useful elements of policy design surface from historical analysis of TR: (i) good stabilization performance have a strong relation to the inflation’s reaction; (ii) good performance is associated with policy rules that show considerable inertia; (iii) a strong reaction to incorrectly measured output gaps has historically proven counterproductive; (iv) successful policy could still usefully incorporate information from real economic activity by focusing on the growth rate of the economy. Additionally, financial market analysts, scholars and central banks’ staff have been using monetary policy rules increasingly to forecast interest rates and to evaluate and describe central bank actions. Despite the fact that simple policy rules can often provide a good approximation to fully optimal policy under perfect information and are typically more robust to uncertainty (Cateau, 2007), simple rules have a number of weaknesses. Although their performance is rarely disastrous, they can involve large welfare losses relatively to fully optimal rules (Nikolov, 2002). In the similar vein, Svensson (2003) argued that a commitment to a simple instrument rule might be far from optimal in some circumstances. Crucially, simple rules are rarely optimal. Some studies, for example, Batini, Harrison and Millard (2003) argued that Taylor-type rules are not robust to open economy features. Taylor (2007) recognized that the TR is not supposed to be followed mechanically, but he also argued that monetary policy might deliver better results in terms of low inflation and output variability by staying closer to the rule. The failure of monetary conditions index Generally an MCI is a measurement of demand pressure; demand pressure is often measured by the output gap (output gap is the difference between current output and the estimated output in equilibrium level). The MCI is simple economic uncertainty measure because it involves gap variables in estimation; any estimation of gap variables is subject to considerably uncertainty (Gan, 2014). The equation of MCI[1] is a combination of interest rate gap[2] and exchange rate gap[3]. Thereby, increases in interest rates as well as increases in exchange rates[4] indicate a higher MCI figure and, therefore, tighter monetary conditions rested here. The estimation of the weights of the two variables in the MCI is at the heart of calculating of the MCI. The ratio of these weights would encode whether an appreciation in interest rates can be compensated along with depreciation in the exchange rate. The weights also reflect the relative impacts and changes of the interest rates as well as in the exchan ge rate affected on monetary conditions. Therefore, the MCI is generally viewed as a summative and informative tool for the public; meanwhile it serves as an early indicator for the central banks. However, the benign MCI played as an alternative monetary policy rule still sparked intense debate and yet whether a consensus can be reached remained unknown. Noticeably, the MCI has been losing its magnet effect on the economy from the past years. The most contributive factor of this change would be exchange rate, which is merely determined by the market. Further, the MCI mixes up two variables that are situated on two fundamentally different stages of the transmission process. The evidences can be briefly summarized by the application of the two MCI formerly leading advocates, the Bank of Canada (BOC) and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ). Since the early 1990s, BOC officially used MCI as an operating target (operating target is variable that the central bank influences directly by its monetary policy instruments[5]); however, the BOC did not directly control both the interest rate and the exchange rate simultaneously, but merely focused on the control of the interest rate. This means that central bank adjusted its interest rates to modify monetary conditions directly, which in turn is assumed to affect the exchange rate in various systematic approaches (usually via uncovered interest parity – UIP).[6] Due to its inability to target the exchange rate under MCI’s mechanical way, The RBNZ in 1999 gave up the concept of MCI may. The recurrent depreciation during the crisis and the evocable changes in the MCI were interpreted as signals of upcoming tightening that can cause long-term interest rates to rise and consequently exacerbate recessionary forces (Ito and Hayashi, 2004). To sum up, the concept of the MCI had lost a great part of its initial attractiveness in the end of the 1990s. The RNBZ abandoned published an MCI in March 1999 and concentrated its policy statements on a short-term interest rate. While the BOC continues to publish the MCI, its role in taking monetary policy decisions was reduced to that of many other indicators in recent years. The perform of optimal economic uncertainty In economics, optimal analysis is a normative analysis. It studies what the economic ought to be. However, the study about the optimal economic uncertainty is very limited. Most of the empirical studies are approximate form but not optimal. The optimal analysis is very common in most of the economic study such as the studies of monetary policy rule and others. In the late 1970s, the Federal Reserve stabilized the country’s economy by using the optimal Taylor Rule in the monetary policy. However, the Taylor Rule has misplaced the policy makers to face the real time data (Orphanides, 2003). This is because the optimal Taylor Rule only can perform better in the interest rate function. Giannoni (2000) investigated optimal policy rule in a simple forward-looking model, when the policymaker faces uncertainty about model parameters and shock processes. Other than that, Dieppe et al. (2004) examined the optimal monetary policy rule in the model of the euro area which is known as the ECB’s Area Wide Model, including a high degree of intrinsic perseverance and a restricted role for forward-looking anticipation. The optimal economic uncertainty index constructed by Gan (2014) is one of many in the economic uncertainty literatures, which the optimal form may reflect the true economic conditions. Since the economic uncertainty index is not observable. The rule of optimal economic uncertainty index suggests optimal economic uncertainty index can be computed by using grid search method based on small open economic model; a small open economic model is very close to a true economic model and it is not partial economic model. Motivation of the Study What is the response of optimal economic uncertainty to macro variables and policy variables? Until today, there are no policymakers (hereafter, central banks) have publish the optimal economic uncertainty index, for the reason they might be unwilling to publish such an index, or such an explicit formula simply does not exist. As stressed by Bernanke (2010a), economic engineering to address economic uncertainties needs to be improved. Optimality in this study can be given by particular specifications of the central bank’s loss function. Therefore, an optimal rule is the one that derived by minimizing a loss function. Two models are practically employed here. The first model is an optimal economic uncertainty index, which is proposed by Gan (2014). The second one is MCI concept which is based on the theoretical works by De Wet (2002). Thereby the optimal monetary responses can be derived. What is the welfare gain from taking into account the external variable? In order to answer this question, the study attempts to compare the derived optimal economic uncertainty index to a set that assumes with the exchange rate variable and a set that assumes without exchange rate variable. In line with this measure, one feasible approach is to measure the difference in the loss function values. For this purpose, the study would derive the optimal economic uncertainty index for a small open economic model in two setting, in other words, a model with the exchange rate variable and a model without the exchange rate variable. Objectives The objective is to examine the optimal economic uncertainty index (see Figure 1.1) while including the role of external variables – normative analysis. Specifically, this model is augmented and examined with exchange rates. The first model is the MCI of Bank of Canada is a variant of economic conditions rule, which can serve as a competitive rule; this rule consists exchange rates, interest rates and past output. The second model is the optimal economic uncertainty index based on a small open economy model, which was proposed by Gan (2014). Since the basic idea is to keep the rules at constant, i.e., MCI (De Wet, 2002) and optimal economic uncertainty index (Gan, 2014), these optimal rules would bring the economy back to its long-run equilibrium; the process can be indicated by MCI (i.e. an indicator that encompassed the total effects of interest rates and exchange rates), and by optimal economic uncertainty index (i.e. an indicator that encompassed the total effects of inter est rates, exchange rates, inflation and output at optimal level). This study also examines the dynamic profiles of monetary policy rules through a comparison. Eventually, this would enable us to draw an inference regarding which rules would facilitate achieving of the best economic outcomes and lead to rational and wise policy decisions and aid in assessing the behavior of the economic uncertainty in the future. Figure 1.1 Analytical Frameworks (theoretic framework of optimal economic uncertainty index) Figure 1 (a) 3D macro model and the optimal economic uncertainty index at zero uncertainty level of macroeconomic conditions. (b) 2D field of view of the optimal economic uncertainty index with zero uncertainty level of macroeconomic conditions. (c) 2D field of view of the negative-optimal economic uncertainty index with economic contraction. (d) 2D field of view of the positive-optimal economic uncertainty index with economic expansion. Significance of the Study The attainment of these objectives will certainly benefit the central banks. With the growing international mutual consent, both in academia and among central banks, maintaining the medium to long-term price stability is the overriding goal of monetary policy (Asian Development Bank, 2008). Research provides strong support in maintaining low and stable inflation, ultimately; this is beneficial for overall economic outcome (Mishikin, 2008). In line with this consensus, the proposed economic uncertainty index based on a small open economic model – suggested in this study may be considered by the central banks as an alternative framework with the end view of coming up with an improved and more effective economic policy strategy. This study provides exploration of two types of monetary policy rules in an economic uncertainty, the MCI of Bank of Canada and optimal economic uncertainty index based on a small open economic model of Gan (2014), where a set of parameters inducing different decision rules are determined. This study encompasses two macro variables (i.e., output and inflation) and two policy variables (i.e., interest rates and exchange rates) in the optimal model. Not only does this facilitate a better understanding of current policy actions, but it permits markets to better forecast the central bank’s future actions. The optimal policy in one setting may not be optimal policy in some other setting because there is no agreement on the best model of the economy (Plosser, 2008). The rules derived in this study can be contrasted. The optimal economic uncertainty index may outperform other rules (e.g., the Taylor rule and MCI rule) as it can be useful for the central banks. The proposed rule can serve asa policy of inflation targeting that in line with a welfare maximizing policy aiming at minimizing the output gap and inflation gap. This rule is superior that maintaining public confidence while giving monetary authorities to achieve the best economic outcomes in an optimal way. Conclusion This thesis is divided into five chapters. The current chapter sets the background and motivation for the thesis. Chapter 2 explores the theoretical and empirical literature on monetary policy rules with the aim of highlighting two research gaps that motivate the present study. Chapter 3 examines the MCI rule â€Å"true† policy reaction function through optimal TR, while Chapter 4 furthered the MCI rule by employing optimal economic uncertainty index based on a small open economic model. Lastly, Chapter 5 summarizes the major findings of the thesis and their implications, together with some recommendations for future study. [1] [2]Interest rates in the current period minus interest rates in the base period, i.e., changes in interest rates. [3]The level of the effective exchange rate minus the effective exchange rate in the base period divided by the level of the base period. i.e., changes in exchange rates. [4] A positive value for indicates appreciation of the domestic currency. [5] Cf. Burton and Lombra (2006: 671) and Thomas (2006: 608) for textbook definition. [6] Interest-rate-parity theorem states that the interest rate differential between two countries will be equal to the difference between the forward-exchange rate and the spot-exchange rate (equation), in other words, interest differential between two countries should be equally expected in term of the exchange rate change.

Grading System Reform Essay example -- Argumentative Persuasive Educat

Grading System Reform Teachers have always used grades to measure the amount a student has learned. This practice is becoming ineffective. Many students have a wide range of grades, which show that grades may not show what a student really knows. Therefore, the standard grading system should be replaced. Some reasons why grades should be replaced are bad grades can hinder a child’s performance, grades define who a student is in the classroom, and grades are not an effective way to see if students have learned the material. The current grading system should be upgraded and every school should incorporate the plus/minus system in their method of grading. The public high schools began a grading system as a way of telling an individual how they were performing. There was no interest by the public in reporting the school’s progress at teaching. Teachers, in an effort to recognize outstanding performers, looked for a way of rewarding hard-working students for their efforts The grading structure changed from superior and excellent to A’s and B’s. This placed much of the burden of recognizing academic talent on the high schools. Hindering a student’s performance with a bad grade in the middle of the year can make them give up for the rest of the year. Once a student has received a bad grade they might lose faith in their academic ability. By giving up a student does not reflect their academic ability and their bad grades are not based on what they learned. Students are... Grading System Reform Essay example -- Argumentative Persuasive Educat Grading System Reform Teachers have always used grades to measure the amount a student has learned. This practice is becoming ineffective. Many students have a wide range of grades, which show that grades may not show what a student really knows. Therefore, the standard grading system should be replaced. Some reasons why grades should be replaced are bad grades can hinder a child’s performance, grades define who a student is in the classroom, and grades are not an effective way to see if students have learned the material. The current grading system should be upgraded and every school should incorporate the plus/minus system in their method of grading. The public high schools began a grading system as a way of telling an individual how they were performing. There was no interest by the public in reporting the school’s progress at teaching. Teachers, in an effort to recognize outstanding performers, looked for a way of rewarding hard-working students for their efforts The grading structure changed from superior and excellent to A’s and B’s. This placed much of the burden of recognizing academic talent on the high schools. Hindering a student’s performance with a bad grade in the middle of the year can make them give up for the rest of the year. Once a student has received a bad grade they might lose faith in their academic ability. By giving up a student does not reflect their academic ability and their bad grades are not based on what they learned. Students are...

Changeling: Film Techniques and Son Essay

Changeling is a 2008 inspiring film directed by Clint Eastwood. It is based on an American drama known as the â€Å"Wineville Chicken Coop†. Christine Collins, played by Angelina Jolie, is a single mother in the 1920s whose son mysteriously goes missing. The film goes on a journey with Collins leading her to discover the corruptness of the Los Angeles Police Department. Though the film incorporates multiple plots, the main narrative revolves around Christine Collins and her unbreakable spirit as she attempts to solve the mystery of the kidnapping of her son. The theme of the movie is that through a horrible tragedy, a triumphant success can come out of it. Furthermore, it shows that hope and love can overcome all pain and suffering. It is because of the film’s use of cinematography, editing, camera movement, composition and overall mise en scà ¨ne that the theme of the film is clearly represented. The opening sequence of the film gives significant information about the setting and the narrative. This is accomplished with the use of establishing shots. The film begins with a black backdrop and plays non-diegetic music. The slow tempo music provided by brass instruments gives the film a sense of a cryptic effect. As a result, we get a vision of what genre this film could be. The music also helps trigger tension and stress from the audience. Besides the music, a teardrop on the black backdrop is shown, hinting to a sad, drama genre. A fade-in then takes us into a nearly black, almost white establishing shot of the city of Los Angeles. The date and location of the shot are provided at the center of the screen as â€Å"Los Angeles. March 8, 1928.† In regards to cinematography, the lack of color that is provided informs us that the story takes place in the past when everything was presented on televisions in black and white. This occurred during the â€Å"Jazz Age,† which also explains the instrumental music that is playing during the opening sequence. The cinematography additionally helps illustrate much of the California setting and time in which the film takes place. The high angle camera begins in the sky and moves down towards the traffic, people, and other objects which make up the setting. The production set includes old fashioned cars, palm trees, milk trucks, and the distinctive vintage look of California during the 1920s. As the opening sequence fades out, we are transported to the first scene of the film into a house by a camera pan. Collins is suddenly awakened by her alarm and then wakes up her son Walter. The use of light and shadowing in this scene was quite apparent. It showed the joy and love between the mother and son during this scene before an unfortunate kidnapping took place. As the sun was shining brightly through the window and mother and son were smiling, we get a feel for the close relationship they have for each other and their unconditional love. During this scene, the camera angles also showed the loving relationship the both of them shared. A prime example is when Walter looked up to his mother with an upward camera angle showing his admiration for his mother. While Christine looked at Walter with a downward camera angle to show her gratitude for her little boy. The exchanging of dialogue between the characters occurs next, which also gives us a sense of the strength of their conne ction. We then see the mother and son exiting a trolley while the camera neatly closes in on their hands as they come together. A lot of framing by windows and doorways is shown in the film. One example is after the mother and son exit the trolley and stand by the school. The camera stays in the trolley and the two figures are perfectly framed by the trolley window. This is done to create a feeling of isolation or loneliness. The audience is therefore not let into a lot of personal moments like the one outside of the school which makes the audience wonder how the main character is feeling. The last part of the scene before her son is kidnapped occurs when Collins is preparing to leave for work. This particular moment is intensified by the dramatic camera movement. Collins firmly stands outside the house as her son glances from the window. As she slowly walks away, the camera follows her and pulls away from the house. From that distinct moment in the film, that shot would foreshadow the sepa ration the mother and son would soon face. The next scene is when Christine enters the house and discovers that her son is suddenly missing. The lighting in the house is very dark and gloomy, which describes how Collins is feeling at that moment. The camera then takes an omniscient view when we watch the high angle camera show Collins searching the house for her son. The emptiness of not only her house is represented with this angle but also how she is feeling at that moment when she finds out that her son is missing. As she calls the police to report the disappearance of her child, the camera takes on the omniscient view once again. The camera is placed right above her ear in which the receiver is held against. This angle is done to give an impression of someone watching Collins make the call. We find out that the authorities cannot do anything within the 24-hour window frame of his kidnapping and this foreshadows the police department’s inability in helping Ms. Collins’ find her son. The next noteworthy scene is when Collins speaks at a conference addressing the media about the events concerning her son. In this specific scene the weather is wet and dreary and because of that, the lighting and coloring looks meek and cold. The use of ambient lighting in this scene reflects the trouble Collins is going through and the heartbreak she is feeling trying to convince the authorities that the boy who was given to her is not her son. The coloring is a blue tone which symbolizes a despairing mood. Though the use of ambient lighting in the beginning of the film when Collins was with her son gave a gentle and complimentary effect, it progressively changed to a more unflattering effect as the movie unfolded. Editing during this scene involved a matched cut. First we see Christine and then the camera shows different views of the action around her. This editing technique was used to provide a sense of continuity and to highlight this important event in her life when she lets society know that the Los Angeles Police Department was not doing their job properly in discovering her son. Another scene that incorporates many film elements is the scene in the police station when Collins continues to argue that the boy the authorities gave to her is not her son. During this scene the lighting was once again very murky and it was even raining. The frame was positioned by a window and though you could not see the rain, you could see the shadows of it dripping on the wall. Throughout much of the film and this scene, rain was another symbol of the despair Collins was going through at the time. The lead acting role of Angelina Jolie in this scene involved a lot of use of body language and expression. She held her hands to her head indicating the frustration she was feeling and that she could no longer keep her emotions bundled up inside. And throughout much of the film, her emotions are not hidden and are displayed not only for entertainment, but they are used to provoke sympathy in the audience. The use of close up shots in this scene was also noticeable to connote the fear and anxiety Collins was feeling. While the long shots were used to connote the feeling of loneliness and separation. The key light in this scene was also shown above the police to show female disempowerment. During these times, females did not have the same rights as men and it was clearly represented in the movie through lighting. An example would be when a police officer would walk into the room, the room would suddenly appear darker and this showed the dominance they had over Collins. The next significant scene is when Christine is admitted in the psychopathic ward by the authorities for relentlessly denying that the boy who was given back to her was not her son. The scene was very obscure and it was one of the lowest points in her life. But when she thought of her son during a positive train of thought, the sun would suddenly appear and the room would get brighter. This lighting choice symbolized her hope and that she would never give up because she felt her son was still alive. Throughout many of these important moments an editing choice of flashbacking was made to startle the audience. One particular flashback occurred to show multiple plots going on when the scene would out of nowhere travel to a ranch where all the boys were kept and the serial killer was about to pick one to kill. This decision by the editor and the director gave the audience a harsh simultaneous view of the struggles Collins was going through and the tragedy these innocent boys were encountering. During this flashback there was also use of a canted angle in which shows an environment of a ranch where a man is walking out with a gun in his hand. This canted angle reflects the obscurity of the event as a little boy (Walter, Collins’ son) is seen running away from him. A hand-held camera movement is then used to follow the little boy running. This is used to make the audience feel the perspective of the person chasing him, which in turn makes the boy seem even more unprotected. The last notable scenes that use film elements in which show the enduring quality of Collins is the scene at the prison and the very last scene when a sense of closure has finally come. When Collins has a private meeting with the serial killer to interrogate him about the killing of her son, the room is very dark but the key light is on Jolie. It is interesting to see how the lighting changed from the meeting with the authorities to this meeting because they no longer have dominance over Collins as the light is shown over her now. The scene evolves into the abductor not telling her the truth and he is dragged out of the cell while the camera pans away from Collins holding on to the prison bars. This camera movement suggests that Christine is trapped in her own mental state of a prison and her hope for closure has still not arrived. But as the closing of the film presents itself, we receive closure when another boy tells his story of survival and lets the authorities and Collins know that without Walter, he wouldn’t be alive. As the movie concludes, the same non-diegetic music that was played during the span of the movie to symbolize sorrow and pain was played, but this time it was for a different reason. It was played to symbolize hope; the hope of Collins that she never gave up. The Oscar nominated 2008 film Changeling is a film about female disempowerment, corruption in political hierarchies and about children and violence during the 1920s in Los Angeles, California. It involves many elements that the make the film what it is. From its cinematography, to its acting, to its production design, to its editing, the film wouldn’t be the same if it missed any of these filmic elements. It is because of the lighting and coloring that we get gentle and soft moments and dark and cold moments. It is because of the music that we get emotions of tensions, despair and hope. It is because of the narrative that we get the journey of the determination of Christine Collins. It is because of the production design that we get the feel of how it really was in LA in the 1920s. And it is because of all of the individual choices and decisions for this film that it was able to express the theme or the lesson of this film, which is that hope and love can overcome all pain and suffering.

Describe What Your Role, Responsibilities and Boundaries Would Be as a Teacher or Trainer in Terms of the Teaching and Learning Cycle. How Might “Equality”, “Diversity” and “Inclusion” Impact on a Learner’s Experience?

PTLLS Assessment Describe what your role, responsibilities and boundaries would be as a teacher or trainer in terms of the teaching and learning cycle. How might â€Å"equality†, â€Å"diversity† and â€Å"inclusion† impact on a learner’s experience? Give examples from your own experience and research to support your assertions. â€Å"This submission is entirely my own work unless I have used quotation marks to indicate my reference to the work of others† As a teacher or trainer, there are a variety of roles and responsibilities that are important to consider. The main role of a teacher is to create a relaxed, comfortable learning environment for students to meet their learning needs. In many cases, the teacher’s role also involves delivery of specific content as defined by a curriculum, in order to prepare students for passing examination. As such one of the main responsibilities of the teacher is to be aware of any curriculum and examination requirements of a course. Another role of the teacher is to ensure that the lesson is inclusive of all learners and they are therefore responsible for recognising diversity within the group. This may include disabilities; language barriers and cultural differences. These roles and responsibilities would fall under the ‘identification of learners needs’ aspect of the teaching and learning cycle. This is a continual process and would necessarily be affected by other aspects of the cycle, particularly assessment and evaluation of the learning and teaching. This evaluation will constantly inform the teacher and will include such varied mediums as end of course evaluation sheets as well as simple observation of candidates demonstrating their knowledge and/or skills. It may be appropriate for candidates to meet certain assessment criteria or competencies throughout a course as part of this evaluation process. In my experience of teaching manual handling, I would expect leaners to be able to demonstrate specific manual handling, lifting, pushing and pulling skills during the course. Evaluation of previous courses and of the evolving requirements of students also helps to inform the planning and designing of lessons. In addition, the teacher is responsible for researching the subject area to ensure a wide, current knowledge base that will help when establishing credibility and professionalism, and then to develop a variety of interesting ways to deliver the content whilst ensuring a safe working environment for students. The teacher’s role is then to deliver the lesson content in a manner consistent with the learning styles and requirements of the delegates. These might include lecturing, large group discussion or case studies. In the past I have taught legislative considerations in regard to health and safety aspects of manual handling and use of display screen equipment and have used role play; small group work and case studies to try to accommodate different learning styles. Within all this, it is essential that the teacher establishes and maintains professional boundaries. These can be varied and quite different, depending on the context, the environment and the group or individual being taught, for example, a teacher teaching young children would have a different set of boundaries than a football coach coaching an adult football team. However, the teacher should always consider relevant legislation. This includes health and safety legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974; the Equality Act, 2010 and most relevant to the above example, child protection guidelines. On a more general level, establishing ground rules such as timekeeping and use of mobile phones is important in minimising disruption and allowing optimal delivery of course content. Promoting equality, embracing diversity and ensuring inclusion are essential components of an effective teaching strategy, if the goal of that strategy is to provide a positive, rewarding learning experience for all learners. â€Å"Equality is about the rights of learners to attend and participate, regardless of their gender, race, ethnic origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation and age†1. If a teacher fails to actively promote equality, they run the risk of excluding individuals from the learning process. For example a failure to acknowledge that English may not be the first language of some or all of the delegates and to adapt the teaching session accordingly would be detrimental. Once, when teaching a manual handling training session to porters and housekeepers working in a hospital, the majority of the candidates spoke Portuguese as their first language. I acknowledged this prior to starting the course and altered the course structure to enhance the learning process. One of the strategies I used was to include more small group work, ensuring a mix of people with difficulty understanding English, and those who were bilingual. â€Å"Diversity is about valuing the differences in people, whether that relates to gender, race, age, disability or any other individual characteristics they may have† 1. Just like promotion of equality, the importance of embracing diversity lies in recognising differences within any given group and using this to enhance, rather than detract from the learning experience. Diversity within a group will allow a variety of different perspectives on any given topic, thereby promoting wider understanding in the group as a whole. Johnson and Romanello2 examined teaching and learning considerations when teaching generationally diverse nurses. They opined that when presenting health problems to nurses from different generations it â€Å"leads student to share insights that can be applied to patient care with multiple groups of patients across generations†. 2 â€Å"Inclusivity is about involving all learners in relevant activities rather than excluding them for any reason† 1. In many ways, failure to acknowledge diversity and/or promote equality will inevitably lead to exclusion. In order to effectively ensure inclusion, planning of the teaching process, utilising a variety of teaching methods is essential. Moreover, the ability to adapt course content and delivery methods following recognition of diversity within a group is paramount to ensuring equality and inclusion. Even something as basic as starting and finishing a lesson on time will help with inclusion as a failure to do this might exclude learners who have commitments outside of the lesson times such as childcare. With regards to the learning cycle, the assessing and planning stages: assessing the requirements of the group and planning the format of the lessons accordingly are essential to ensuring inclusion. References 1 GRAVELLS, A, Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector, Bell and Bain Ltd, Glasgow, 2008, p. 18. 2 JOHNSON, S and ROMANELLO, A. Generational Diversity. Teaching and Learning Approaches, Nurse Educator, 30(5): Sept-Oct. 2005: 212-216.

Finding the Percent of Change Between Numbers

Finding the Percent of Change Between Numbers There are two methods of finding the  percent of change between two numbers. The first is  to find the ratio of the amount of change to the original amount. If the new number is greater than the old number, then that ratio is the percent of increase, which will be a positive. If the new number is less than the old number, then that ratio is the percent of decrease, which will be a negative. The first question to ask yourself when finding the percent of change with this method is: Is it an increase or a decrease? Method 1: AProblem With an Increase Say one person had $200 in a savings account last month and now has $225. Thats an increase. The problem is to find the percent of increase in  money. First,  subtract to find the amount of change: 225 - 25 200. The  increase is 25. Next, divide the amount of change by the original amount: 25 à · 200 0.125 Now, to change the decimal to a percent, multiply the number by 100: 0.125 X 100 12.5 The answer is 12.5 percent. So thats the percent of change, an increase of 12.5 percent in the savings account. Method 1: A Problem Witha Decrease Say one person weighed 150 pounds last year and now weighs 125 pounds. Thats a decrease. The problem is to find the percent of decrease in weight- the weight loss,   First, subtract to find the amount of change: 150 - 125 25. The decrease is 25. Next, divide the amount of change by the original amount: 25 à · 150 0.167 Now, to change the decimal to a percent, multiply the number by 100: 0.167 x 100 16.7 The answer is 16.7 percent. So thats the percent of change, a decrease of 16.7 percent in body weight. Method 2: AProblemWith an Increase The  second method of finding  the  percent  of change between two numbers involves finding the ratio between the new number and the original number. Use the same example for this  method of finding the percent of increase: One person had $200 in a savings account last month and now has $225. The problem is to find the percent of increase in money. First, divide the new amount by the original amount: 225 / 200 1.125 Next, to change the decimal to a percent,  multiply the result  by 100: 1.125 X 100 112.5 percent Now, subtract 100 percent from the result: 112.5 percent - 100 percent   12.5 percent Thats the same result as in method 1: an increase of 12.5 percent in the savings account. Method2: AProblemWitha Decrease Use the same example for the second  method of finding the percent of decrease: One person weighed 150 pounds last year and now weighs 125 pounds. The problem is  to find the percent of decrease in weight. First,  divide the new amount by he original amount: 125 / 150 0.833 Next, to change the decimal to a percent, multiply the result by 100: 0.833 X 100 83.3 percent Now,  subtract 100 percent from the result: 83.3 percent - 100 percent -16.7 percent Thats the same result as in method 1: a  decrease of 16.7 percent in body weight.