Lorrie Moore

In the story â€Å"How to Become a Writer†, Lorrie Moore takes the reader through what seems to be her own Journey on how she became a writer. The story is told in Second Person. The way she writes, in second person, she seems to take the reader personally through her Journey on â€Å"How to Become a Writer†, but you, the reader are the character. Moore writes about how â€Å"you† will apply to college, â€Å"you† will show up to the wrong class, and â€Å"your† mother will not understand this writing gig.Her style eems to draw the reader in hanging on for the next thing that will happen in â€Å"your† life. She effectively makes the audience feel like they are at college, in the wrong class or that they are simply standing in their kitchen showing their mom the haiku they wrote at the ripe age of fifteen and she stares at them â€Å"Blank as a donut† (Moore p. 652) and she says â€Å"How about emptying the dishwasher†(Moore p. 652). The common theme of this story is that â€Å"you† are always struggling with a plot, and o one quite understands â€Å"your† writings.This struggle is a relevant struggle for Moore, as well as many young college students. Through out the short story she explains this common trend of â€Å"no plot† and even still you read on and can not help thinking is there a point to this story? The no plot theme seems to take a deeper role. As most will struggle with the choices of life and a fair amount of people will even feel as if they have remained stagnant and really not done too much.Moore really drives this point home. She makes the reader really relate. College students can especially relate. With all the dysfunction a college student endures with choosing what to do and then like Moore having second thoughts and changing their major. This story was witty and sarcastic. Leaving you with a perm-a-grin, because you can totally relate. The style of writing was som ething unusual for me to be reading but I greatly enjoyed it. Although weird it was intriguing.

Theres a Word for That

Theres a Word for That There’s a Word for That There’s a Word for That By Mark Nichol Why is that despite the fact that the English language has hundreds of thousands of words, we have no single-word term for many emotions and other concepts that are specifically represented in other languages and that would be beneficial for everyday use? For example, English has no word equivalent to gianxi, a Chinese term akin to but not the same as goodwill. (It refers to the social stock one accumulates by doing favors and bestowing gifts.) Nor is there any succinct translation of forelsket, the Norwegian word for the ecstasy of love in its early stages. (A concise definition is â€Å"the state of being enamored,† but even if enamoration were a word and why isn’t it? it doesn’t incorporate the context. Infatuation comes close but is not quite equivalent.) My conclusion, after a bit of research, is that English speakers just aren’t trying hard enough. It’s true that the parent language of English, Anglo-Saxon, lets us down in matching single words to concepts, but English is very receptive to new vocabulary. (One comment attributed to a dictionary, though I couldn’t identify the specific source, is that â€Å"English acquires new words with the delicacy of a vacuum cleaner.†) It is this adaptability that we must, for the most part, rely on. (I write â€Å"for the most part† because formation of new words is effortless: See enamoration above.) All we have to do is â€Å"borrow† from other languages. (I enclose borrow in raised eyebrows of irony because steal would be more accurate; we don’t give the words back.) Turn to any page of a dictionary, and you’ll find at least one word acquired from a foreign language: Souvenir, from French. Contort, from Latin. Gymnast, from Greek. More recent acquisitions abound as well: Honcho, from Japanese. Cafeteria, from Spanish. Trek, from Afrikaans. But our loanword word-hoard is woefully incomplete. From German, we have schadenfreude, referring to the enjoyment of other’s misfortunes. But why hasn’t English appropriated pena ajena, an expression from Mexican Spanish that denotes embarrassment about another person’s humiliation? That would certainly come in handy. The answer to my thesis question is this: There’s a word for almost everything, but it isn’t necessarily in the English lexicon yet. English is constantly enriched by the accumulation and integration of vocabulary from other languages, but the only reason you wouldn’t say to me, expecting others to understand, â€Å"You’re such a pochemuchka† that Russian word means â€Å"a person who asks too many questions† is because we haven’t (yet) decided that the word’s useful enough to assimilate. Start introducing more foreign words into your writing, and you’ll build gianxi with me. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Punctuating â€Å"So† at the Beginning of a SentenceHow to Pronounce Mobile10 Types of Hyphenation Errors

An Overview of Urban Geography

An Overview of Urban Geography Urban geography is a branch of human geography concerned with various aspects of cities. An urban geographers main role is to emphasize location and space and study the spatial processes that create patterns observed in urban areas. To do this, they study the site, evolution and growth, and classification of villages, towns, and cities as well as their location and importance in relation to different regions and cities. Economic, political and social aspects within cities are also important in urban geography. In order to fully understand each of these aspects of a city, urban geography represents a combination of many other fields within geography. Physical geography, for example, is important in understanding why a city is located in a specific area as site and environmental conditions play a large role in whether or not a city develops. Cultural geography can aid in understanding various conditions related to an areas people, while economic geography aids in understanding the types of economic activities and jobs available in an area. Fields outside of geography such as resource management, anthropology, and urban sociology are also important. Definition of a City An essential component within urban geography is defining what a city or urban area actually is. Although a difficult task, urban geographers generally define the city as a concentration of people with a similar way of life-based on job type, cultural preferences, political views, and lifestyle. Specialized land uses, a variety  of different institutions, and use of resources also help in distinguishing one city from another. In addition, urban geographers also work to differentiate areas of different sizes. Because it is hard to find sharp distinctions between areas of different sizes, urban geographers often use the rural-urban continuum to guide their understanding and help classify areas. It takes into account hamlets and villages which are generally considered rural and consist of small, dispersed populations, as well as cities and metropolitan areas considered urban with concentrated, dense populations. History of Urban Geography The earliest studies of urban geography in the United States focused on site and situation. This developed out of the man-land tradition of geography which focused on the impact of nature on humans and vice versa. In the 1920s, Carl Sauer became influential in urban geography as he motivated geographers to study a citys population and economic aspects with regard to its physical location. In addition, central place theory and regional studies focused on the hinterland (the rural outlying are supporting a city with agricultural products and raw materials) and trade areas were also important to early urban geography. Throughout the 1950s and 1970s, geography itself became focused on spatial analysis, quantitative measurements and the use of the scientific method. At the same time, urban geographers began quantitative information like census data to compare different urban areas. Using this data allowed them to do comparative studies of different cities and develop computer-based analysis out of those studies. By the 1970s, urban studies were the leading form of geographic research. Shortly thereafter, behavioral studies began to grow within geography and in urban geography. Proponents of behavioral studies believed that location and spatial characteristics could not be held solely responsible for changes in a city. Instead, changes in a city arise from decisions made by individuals and organizations within the city. By the 1980s, urban geographers became largely concerned with structural aspects of the city related to underlying social, political and economic structures. For example, urban geographers at this time studied how capital investment could foster urban change in various cities. Throughout the late 1980s until today, urban geographers have begun to differentiate themselves from one another, therefore allowing the field to be filled with a number of different viewpoints and focuses. For example, a citys site and situation is still regarded as important to its growth, as is its history and relationship with its physical environment and natural resources. Peoples interactions with each other and political and economic factors are still studied as agents of urban change as well. Themes of Urban Geography Although urban geography has several different focuses and viewpoints, there are two major themes that dominate its study today. The first of these is the study of problems relating to the spatial distribution of cities and the patterns of movement and links that connect them across space. This approach focuses on the city system. The second theme in urban geography today is the study of patterns of distribution and interaction of people and businesses within cities. This theme mainly looks at a citys inner structure and therefore focuses on the city as a system. In order to follow these themes and study cities, urban geographers often break down their research into different levels of analysis. In focusing on the city system, urban geographers must look at the city on the neighborhood and citywide level, as well as how it relates to other cities on a regional, national and global level. To study the city as a system and its inner structure as in the second approach, urban geographers are mainly concerned with the neighborhood and city level. Jobs in Urban Geography Since urban geography is a varied branch of geography that requires a wealth of outside knowledge and expertise on the city, it forms the theoretical basis for a growing number of jobs. According to the Association of American Geographers, a background in urban geography can prepare one for a career in such fields as urban and transportation planning, site selection in business development and real estate development.

Evolution of Business Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evolution of Business Theories - Essay Example Interaction of Business Environments The term business environment can be simply defined as a set of economical, social, political, legal, and institutional conditions which are unmanageable in nature, and influence the day to day performance of an organization. The framework of business environment has two major components including internal environment and external environment. According to Daft and Marcic (2010), internal environment comprises of man, material, money, machinery, and management and it is usually within the control of business; whereas, external environment represents factors which are beyond the control of the organization (pp.47-48). The external environment is again subcategorized into two, such as macro environment and micro environment. Suppliers, customers, market intermediaries, competitors, and public constitute micro environment while macro environment includes economic, socio-cultural, technological, demographic, and international environments. Generally, external environments of organizations, particularly that of multinational corporations, relate to each other regardless of their industrial differences. According to Bird and Stevens, â€Å"increasingly, an identifiable and homogeneous group is emerging at least within the world business community† (cited in Samovar, Porter, and McDaniel, 2009, p.11). Researchers argue that cross cultural differences may or may not influence the interaction of business environments, because cultural elements largely deviate from region to region. Nowadays, a high level interaction is observed among business environments. Industrialization and urbanization together with the emergence of information technology provide infinite opportunities for business houses; and therefore, modern firms tend to expand internationally. Consequently, a number of international business models developed including import/export businesses, franchisee models, joint ventures, foreign direct investments, and mergers and acquisitions. Each of these models necessitates interaction of business environments. As Maznevski, Steger, and Amann (2007) comment, modern business management is a much complex task; and diversity, frequent market trend changes, and ambiguity are the major drivers of this complexity. This complexity in turn leads to uncertainty regarding future. Many management experts are of the view that global interdependence can have a great role in reducing modern business complexity. Hence, a number of organizations have recently adopted an interactive business style where its external environments communicate with each other. This increased interaction of business environments assists organizations to effectively predict future trends and immediately respond to unforeseen contingencies. In addition, business environments’ interactions have greatly aided firms to avoid unhealthy market competition and thereby to trim down unnecessary operational expenses. Furthermore, this policy would help companies to easily reach global customers and increase the geographical coverage of the business. Thus evidently, interaction of all business environments has led to the evolution of a globalized business environment, which offers infinite opportunities for modern organizations. Business Theories While analyzing the modern business era, the old paradigm of business practices seems unsuccessful because market and market trends have been notably changed over the past few decades. Nowadays

Dance Reflection Essay Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dance Reflection Essay - Personal Statement Example Instead of just a series of wiggles and shakes, dance has become, for me, an emotional experience that can be enjoyed on an artistic level. As I approach the end of this class, I will leave having had my viewpoint changed by an instruction on dance that is full of history, amazing athletics, and surprising emotions. Dance has a rich and vibrant history. In fact, even before history was written, people were creating music and expressing their joy, sorrow, spirituality, and pain. As events of life occurred, people would dance to celebrate, to appease their gods, and to announce a call to war. Whether it be with nothing other than a drum, or with the complicated musicality of a full orchestra, dance has been a part of human life throughout its history. Even in today’s life, weddings, schools, some churches, and crowds of people at music events, dance with the joy of the movement in their body. During the period of history that would be most often referred to as primitive, dance was considered a way to express and celebrate the events of life and community. As couples wed, sought to birth children, express their sorrow over death, prayed for a good harvest and release their anger over injustice, primitive cultures would use symbolic gestures accompanied by beats as a means to share those thin gs with each other. The earliest evidence of dance would come from paintings and pieces of art. According to James Redmond, in his book Dance, Dance, and Music, â€Å"many vase paintings are much earlier than the earliest possible dates for the beginning of organized dramatic performances at Athens and may therefore provide testimony to the character of the pre-dramatic activities which were to grow into fifth century tragedy and comedy.†

Positioning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Positioning - Essay Example Product positioning should be focused not only on the present, but should be adaptable for the product and the marketplace in the long term also. (Hiebing Jr., Roman G.; Cooper, Scott W. 2003 pp.145-146). Product positioning focuses on the attributes of the specific product in a market type. First of all, it is essential to understand how the product outperforms the competitors. Adroitly picking one or two key product attributes which are superior as compared to the competition, is important. Attacking competitors along axes corresponding to these attributes is the next critical step. The axes may be: feature/ technology, price/ performance, and channel/ margin axis. In entering an existing market, product positioning specifically influences the value customers place on its new features. (Blank, Steven G. 2006 p.46). Brand positioning is a process of establishing and managing: the images, perceptions, and associations that the consumer applies to the product, based on the values and beliefs associated with the product. These are managed through application of the brand positioning elements (name and graphic components) consistent with the product’s positioning, in all target market communication relating to the company, product or service. Brand represents the values, the personality and the experience that people associate with the company. A brand provides a point of reference: a reason to choose the company, product or service over the competition. (Hiebing, Jr., Roman G.; Cooper, A product like chewing gum can be positioned by Mapping: mapping out visually what is important to your target market in terms of key product attributes. Most effective when based on quantitative research that is representative of the marketplace. This positioning approach will also help to more clearly evaluate how the product and the key competition are perceived on each attribute. The three steps

Every Child Matters: Green Paper

Every Child Matters: Green Paper In 2003 the Government released the original Every Child Matters: Green paper, it was a response to the Joint Chief Inspectors report on the findings of Lord Lamings (Victoria Climbies death) public enquiry. It highlighted many failings from services to communicate and intervene. It set out proposals on how to address the issues of concern that had been identified and suggested measures that were needed to improve and reform childcare The Green Paper identified four areas of action: Support for parents and carers Effective protection and early intervention Accountability and poor integration Reform of the workforce The aim was to not only protect children but also to enable children to improve and fulfil their lives. The Green Paper built upon the foundations of Sure Start, aiming to eradicate child poverty and raising school standards. The success of the Green Paper led to the paper being transformed in to Every Child Matters: The Next Steps. Alongside this and with the support of the Houses of Parliament, the 1998 Childrens Act was reformed and adapted into The Childrens Act 2004. This Act aimed to encourage. It also aimed to ensure that LAs (Local Authorities) were given more flexibility when implementing their provision. One result of this act was the development of Local Safeguarding Childrens Boards. These boards aimed to co-ordinate between all LAs in a local area in order to safeguard children. The Act also resulted in the formation of the Every Child Matters Framework Every Child Matters: Change for Children, became a national framework. The title Every Child Matters was used to amalgamate all of the documents, that aimed to organise and deliver services that ensured every child and young person became an active member of society. There was also the aim of preventions as opposed to just dealing with the consequences. For this to work the framework suggested multi-agency collaboration from all those working with children and young people. Through this collaboration of services it would hopefully allow children and young people to achieve the five outcomes of the The Children Act 2004 (Section 10). Section 10 requires public services to ensure all children and young people are: Protected from neglect and harm Have the right to education, training and recreation Physical and mental health and emotional well-being Contributing to society Achieve social and economic well-being These are summarised as enabling children or young people to: Stay Safe, Be Healthy, Make a Positive Contribution, Enjoy and Achieve, and Achieve Economic Well-Being. These five outcomes are referenced to throughout Every Child Matters. To ensure all children and young people progress against these outcomes, policies and practices needed to be developed and implemented. The framework also focused on trying to ensure every child had provision regardless of their background or circumstances, and to enable children and young people to have a greater say about the issues and problems that affect them collectively and as individuals. This was evident in 2005, when the first Childrens Commissioner for England was elected; this gave a voice for children. This was one action aimed to prevent problems rather than dealing with consequences. As well as this the framework was seen as an inescapable moral imperative that it intended to assist a radical reform of services In 2007 The Childrens Plan was published, this aimed to build upon the Every Child Matters framework. The Childrens Plan: Building Brighter Future was a ten year plan that aimed to centralise children and young people, and increasing the focus on parental roles and the wider communities. The Plan focused on the Childrens Trusts, and believed that this was central to delivering quality, and set high expectations of them to deliver. The Childrens Trusts had similar aims to those of the Local Safeguarding Children Boards, they both aimed to collaborate. The Trusts take the child centred approach and use an integrated strategy of joint planning and commissioning, and pooled budgets. This inter agency co-operation aims to be sustainable by using a shared language and similar processes. Working in this manner means that the trust will hopefully be able to deliver a service that is very child centred, and has no restrictions from professional boundaries or any other existing agencies. Other frameworks, initiatives, acts and policies that have been a result of, or linked to, the Every Child Matters policy include Working Together to Safeguard Children (2006) and The Equality Act (2006). My Local Authority has made many changes and developed many policies. The LA has developed a policy on e-safety, explaining the risks and what can be done to stay safe. They have also developed an Assessment and Response to Children System (ARCS). This explains the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) and how it aims to assess The LA are also currently undertaking a consultation of the Thurrocks Draft Children and Young Peoples Plan 2010-2013 (CYPP). This is the revised plan is signed up to by many organisations that provide key services for children and young people in Thurrock (including the Council, the NHS, the Police, schools and colleges and the voluntary sector). It sets out the priorities for the Childrens Trust, based on the analysis of the needs of children and young people, and what has been learnt through various consultations and interactions with children, young people, their parents, carers and professionals. These plans have to be prepared by every area in the country and the Department of Children Schools and Families (DFSF) provide guidance to help them do this. These plans will form the main planning document of all Childrens Trust agencies, and partner agencies, meaning that whatever is done with children and young people in Thurrock it will contribute to achieving the collective ambiti ons everybody has for them. Thurrock Children Young Peoples Plan 2007-10, developed many policies such as Each Child, Every Young Person, All Agencies Our Plan 2007 2010. This identified the priorities that were needed and the goals to be set in order for all children and young people in Thurrock to be able to achieve the five outcomes of ECM. It aimed to improve services in Thurrock over the past three years. The plan was delivered through the Children and Young Peoples Strategic Partnership (CYPSP), which aims to meet the need of children and young people in Thurrock. It sets out 12 goals that they aimed to achieve to be able to meet the ultimate five goals of ECM. In January of this year A Review of School Improvement was also conducted by Peter Wylie for Thurrock Council. It was a review of how effective school improvement services in Thurrock were, and it went on to propose options for the future whilst keeping in mind the local and national policy priorities. One such policy: Your child, your schools, our future: building a 21st century schools system aims to create a school system. It is a system that aims to respond to changes in economy and society and enable every child to enjoy growing up, and develop their potential and talent. It also gives them the broad skills they will need for the future. There are many guidelines, policies and legislation in place to ensure children are protected and achieve wellbeing, and each covers various areas and ensures multiagency collaboration. As a trainee teacher and a qualified teacher I will need to be aware of these because they underpin everything that I do. Within school and within my teaching and planning, the five key principles of the ECM framework must be at the forefront of my mind, they need to be at the heart of every aspect of the school, including. Within Every Child Matters, at the heart of the curriculum it states that ECM requires teachers to be committed and passionate, and offer. It also states that teaching should include activities that are beyond the school, that involve parents and relate to real life experience. It also suggests. The curriculum is designed with ECM at the centre; the design features address all 5 aspects, such as ensuring children are given the opportunity to learn in many subjects, and in a variety of settings and environments. ECM is at the centre when considering and ensuring opportunities for events such as productions and sports days, and when considering the schools routines. Also when considering any extended hours, offering opportunities before, during and after school, and links with health and social agencies. Young peoples lives are centred around school, and they clearly have an important part to play in supporting children to achieve the five aspects of ECM. Schools need to take into account the needs of all learners when planning. I will now consider how each aspect is/can be promoted in the curriculum. Schools can promote being healthy and staying safe by having a positive school ethos, which promotes inclusion. It should also follow many policies and procedures, to ensure children stay safe. When working as a Trainee Teacher and a qualified teacher I will need to be aware of all the policies that the school follows and ensure I am kept up to date with these. For example: safeguarding and health and safety policies. Some procedures for this might be: questioning any adults in the school without a name badge; and safety hinges on doors. I will also need to ensure I promote inclusion by methods such as personalisation. The school in which I am training tries very hard to ensure that children stay healthy. They have gained the Healthy School Award and have recently been given The Sports Unlimited Award. The school now offers a range of after school and lunchtime clubs, and provides healthy snacks for Foundation Stage and KS1 children. The school also brings in coaches to take P.E. lessons, to motivate learners and teach them the sport that they are experts in. Drinking water is provided throughout the day and each child has their own water bottle for them to drink from when in lessons. The school also actively promotes walking or cycling to school, and conducts cycling proficiency for pupils. Over the past year lunchtimes have become more structured with MDA and LSAs taking structured activities. Another good initiative that the school has adopted is the use of peer buddying and mentoring, with each adult in the school mentoring at least one child that is in need. The school also provides opportunit ies for learners to grow vegetables. As well as having regular assemblies taken by police officers and visits from health workers. The school makes many links between the community with visits to sing at old peoples homes and links with reading schemes through the library. When I am planning and teaching I will need to ensure that I use circle time to explore health and personal issues as well as encourage debate and peer decisions. I could also provide a quiet area within my classroom where children are able to take time out. Opportunities should be given to promote and encourage and to learn to be healthy in many subjects. I will need to be aware of this and apply them in my teaching. A few examples include: allowing for leaners to be empowered through making their own decisions, encouraging diversity, respecting difference and teaching them about their own identity, and using mathematics to investigate data on diet and health. History could also be used to explore community history and individual identity. Schools have the responsibility to ensure children are able to enjoy and achieve whilst staying safe when they are at school, through a wide range of policies and procedures. For example rules for how to use equipment safely, safeguarding, carrying out risk assessments, and bullying policies. However the staying safe element of ECM goes much further than the school and it is about. The school in which I am training provides many opportunities to ensure children are able to stay safe. They provide day and residential trips and set rules around the school based upon the schools Core values. With the increase in the use of the internet, the LA have also developed a policy for E-safety. The school provides mentoring and home work clubs to ensure the learners dont fall behind with work and also provide pupils with the opportunities to discuss any issues they may have. The school also has a council that acts as the student voice and gets learners more involved in the school. The school also encourages confidence for children to speak out, and uses role play, performances and presentations to promote this. The school uses visits from outside professionals, such as community police officers, and before any school trips, a safety check has to be conducted. There are also many opportunities to promote staying safe in the subjects that are being taught in my school. For example art, and design and technology could be used to promote safe practice and managing risks that may occur. ICT could be used to develop safety, such as questioning information and how to sit correctly at computer, i.e. .posture. When Teaching I need to be aware of how I can incorporate staying safe in my planning and in my classroom. I would also need to use the schools Core Values to assist safety and set class rules with the children. I will also need to take some responsibility in ensuring the school is safe, because it is everybodys responsibility not just the head teachers or senior managers. I could use stories in my class to deal with behaviours such as bullying and challenging stereotypes, resolving conflict and consequences. Schools need to ensure every child is making a positive contribution by ensuring the environment is created to encourage all to participate. They also give learners a voice, and vary in teaching strategies. The school where I am training has a school council that provides the children with a voice to speak out. In the Every Child Matters, at the heart of the curriculum booklet it states that if the children are aware that they have the opportunity to enrich the lives of others and support and care for them, and ultimately change things for the better, then they are much more likely to be more sociable beyond the school gates. The school I will be training at provides opportunities across the curriculum to ensure children give a positive contribution. The school council gives the opportunity to make decisions such as what equipment shall be built in the playground. It is important that children are able to make choices that have a true impact. Learners are also given various responsibilities around the school such as being responsible for the library, putting books away or giving them out, watering and looking after the garden, and collecting the register. They also encourage learners to participate in clubs and projects around the school. The school offers various clubs and everybody participates in the Christmas plays, as well as using buddying and mentoring schemes. They make links with the community through projects such as Christmas singing and also use such projects to raise money for charities. I will need to be aware of these points to ensure that I incorporate them into my classroom, for example by giving children responsibilities. I will also need to be aware of the ways the children can offer a positive contribution in certain subjects, such as promoting group work in English, including listening, speaking and responding to others, or encouraging children to contribute to a performance in music. When I am teaching I will need to ensure I enable and provide children with an opportunity to speak out and tell me the support they need, and provide an environment which is created for all to be able to participate in. I could use various methods to promote positive contribution such as using talk partners, incentives and mentors. Enjoying and Achieving is promoted in schools by lessons always taking account for different learning styles and abilities, thus ensuring that learners enjoy their learning. To ensure they enjoy and achieve, I may need to refer a child that may need more specialist help, research any needs they may have, differentiate and personalise my lessons, and celebrate achievements. If children are enjoying learning and have good supportive relationships, they are more likely to achieve. Every child has a talent, and it is the responsibility of the school to uncover these talents and ensure that all young people view themselves as a success and can live a fulfilling life. This means that the curriculum needs to be full of challenges and surprises. Children need to be able to build upon their own aptitudes as well as being able to enjoy what they are learning, and should be given opportunities to take on responsibility, whilst always considering each childs individual needs. The school that I am training at offers the pupils many opportunities to achieve and enjoy across the curriculum. The school gives each year group a topic every term, this allows children to see links between subjects, and provides them with opportunities to deeply explore issues. The school provides many trips from adventurous activities to historical sites, and provides opportunities for children to participate in the community through activities and projects. The school also provides many opportunities for children to demonstrate their skills through concerts, plays, and sports, and uses an achievement wall to praise children that achieve and/or participate, as well as having ac hievement assemblies once a week. In the achievement assemblies many awards are given: sporting awards; awards for effort; knowledge and reading; or anything else that is considered an achievement. The school also provides catch-up lessons and additional support through lunchtime and afterschool. I need to ensure that I see the school as a learning community and that I see myself as a lead learner. I will need to ensure that I provide opportunities for children to explore deeply and widely. When I am planning I will try and ensure to incorporate the childrens interest into lessons, and I will also need to ensure I arrange trips to help them to enjoy and achieve. I will need to try and use experts and organisations when teaching, and reach out and use parents where possible. I will also need to fully participate throughout the school to ensure I assist in allowing children to enjoy and achieve. There are many opportunities in lessons where I can plan to ensure children enjoy and achieve. In PSHE I could provide practical learning activities that relate to real life. I could also use real life situations in mathematics or use investigation games and strategies. I will need to be able to incorporate and ensure the children enjoying and achieving is at the heart of my teaching and planning. I must understand that it isnt about just teaching the lesson; it is about them understanding, enjoying and learning from the lesson. Economic wellbeing is about contextualising learning by relating it to the real world, and learners see the value of their learning. It also helps learners to create a. This means that children can achieve a great sense of satisfaction from being responsible for their own future. The school where I will be training uses many opportunities in the curriculum to help children to achieve economic wellbeing. The school provides learning opportunities for children to fundraise, in school or in an outside school setting. The school also encourages children to take on jobs in school such as taking responsibility for the school library or collecting the register. The school also provides leadership opportunities for pupils, such as becoming mentors or part of the school council. The school also actively promotes and embraces cultural difference and diversity. I could help children to achieve economic wellbeing by making them responsible for their dinner money and make it their responsibility to work out any change. I must ensure I encourage children to take on responsibilities in the school and in the class. There are many opportunities for learners to achieve economic wellbeing in subjects. For example I could use English to develop communication skills, and expressing views and ideas effectively. Learners could also develop their skills in obtaining information, analysing it, and evaluating it in science. P.E. could be used to teach children to work both as an individual and as part of team. When considering my personal development, my priority is to learn how to plan correctly, ensuring I use various learning environments and take into account the different childrens contexts. I will need to sit down with my School Based Trainer and maybe the classs last teacher, and consider each childs context. I will then be able to use this to personalise and differentiate planning. It will also inform me of the childrens interests, this will help me to plan for their interests and ensure they enjoy the lessons. ECM has greatly affected education and the way teachers teach. It has impacted many areas from, planning, safety, and dealing with behaviour. It has played a major part in radically reforming many children and young peoples services and lives. It is important however to not only praise the policy but also to criticise the policy in order for it to be developed and improved. This can be seen in the development from the Green Paper. At every stage the original policy aims were evaluated and then reset. For ECM to fully achieve its aims it is important that there needs to be multi-disciplinary work, and that teams and colleagues need to continuously reflect and evaluate. The overall effect of Every Child Matters and been massive, and Im sure that the results will continue to be seen for many years to come. Why Doesnt the UK Have a Constitution? Why Doesnt the UK Have a Constitution? Does the UK need a Republican Constitution? ANSWER There is a long and a short answer to this question. The short answer is â€Å"No†. The long answer is â€Å"Definitely not.† This may seem a flippant response, but this commentator predicts that it is precisely the kind of reaction that this question would engender in the majority of United Kingdom lawyers, commentators and politicians. Moreover, justification of this negative response is likely to be equally pithy: If it ’aint broke, don’t fix it. The United Kingdom is a stable, peaceful and wealthy constitutional monarchy. It is very far indeed from â€Å"broke†. Human rights are protected, the power of the state and its agencies are subject to the rule of law, corruption is relatively minimal and our legal system, welfare state and national health service are envied the world over. Democracy functions well, or at least relatively well in comparison with examples overseas. The Queen is generally respected and in many quarters cherished as a national figurehead. UK armed forces police the world and we have a seat at the highest global tables exercising far more influence over world affairs than our size and population merit. There is little in the way of civil strife or serious unrest no state of emergency or sense of impending doom. Our system, with all its typically British foibles and idiosyncrasies, undeniably works, and has done for the greater part of one thousand years.[1] It may seem like a prosaic claim but it is a blunt fact that almost no other country in the world can lay claim to a history the like of which graces these islands. The question as to whether the United Kingdom needs a Republican constitution is therefore unarguably flawed. Of course it doesn’t need a Republican constitution. The Status Quo The United Kingdom operates as a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral (two house) parliament comprised of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Supreme executive power is technically invested in the Crown, but in practice this power is discharged in the name of the Crown by ministers of state led by the Prime Minister. The House of Lords acts as essentially as a consulting chamber and while it can delay the enactment of legislation even the fact that it is comprised of appointed rather than elected members has proved advantageous, because it leaves the authority of the House of Commons unchallenged. The system works and there is no sign of imminent frailty or jeopardy to the status quo. There is no formal separation of powers between the executive and the legislature and while the Sovereign in Parliament stands as the supreme legislative authority, ministers carry out the agenda and work of the government. In the House of Lords, Law Lords sit as judges in the Appellate Committee and they also play a full part in the legislative work of the House. All that said it must be conceded that the United Kingdom does not actually possess a formal constitution at all.[2] The United Kingdom is one of a tiny minority of countries that lack a single comprehensive document laying down the legal system of the state, the roles and functions of the apparatus of government and the procedural rules by which it should operate. It is submitted that such documents have proved useful in other countries as the ultimate statement of a nation’s supreme law with the sovereign legal authority to empower a nominated constitutional court to rule acts of the legislature illegal if they are found to contravene the rights entailed within. However, that revelation aside, it does not appear to matter that the United Kingdom lacks a single constitutional document. Our constitutional basis is found in piecemeal form shot through our entire system of government. Aspects of the United Kingdom’s constitutional system can be found in a multiplicity of rules that establish and govern the very practice of governance. It is a time-honoured system founded on a combination of Acts of Parliament conventions, judicial decisions and political practice. Perhaps it could not work in every state, but it appears to work here. A New Republican Horizon? Need it be said, a Republican Constitution would demand the abolition of the monarchy or more realistically a dramatic reduction in the power of the monarchy and a transfer of authority to, for example a Presidential executive. None of the mainstream political parties subscribe to such an ambition and one must descend to the third tier of political activity before the issue attracts even a modicum of fringe support. This commentator could identify only one Republican pressure group with a significant presence on the Internet, and even this group professes to have no political ambitions of its own.[3] This suggests that the issue of a new Republican Constitution for the United Kingdom, while titillating for students of politics and law, is simply not on the agenda. One could easily infer that the reason it is not on the agenda is that there is no perception of current need or even of current advantage, inherent in such a move. This view, which is as stated is held by the overwhelming majority of political actors and commentators, speaks for itself. It is a view that may well change over time as future events are unpredictable, and the succession to the throne of Charles may weaken the prestige of the Crown. However, with the popular Prince William waiting in the wings that may only be a temporary blip in the history of the British monarchy. Concluding Comments It is submitted that there can be only one reasonable response to this question and that is, as stated in the introduction to this paper â€Å"No†. The fault lies in the question itself and in particular with the use of the word need. The United Kingdom has developed into one of the most successful countries in the world. This commentator can see no imperative demanding immediate constitutional reform.[4] It would have made for a more interesting intellectual exercise if the question had asked if the United Kingdom would benefit from a Republican constitution? Does it need a Republican constitution? From the perspective of 2006, the answer is manifestly and unequivocally No. Indeed, this commentator would go further: it is argued that the United Kingdom seems to operate quite satisfactorily without any formal constitution at all. BIBLIOGRAPHY Brazier, R., Constitutional Reform: Re-Shaping the British Political System. (1998) Oxford University Press Dicey, A.V., Introduction to the study of the law of the constitution. (1959) London, Macmillan Republic: The Campaign for an Elected Head of State: http://www.republic.org.uk/faqs.htm Oliver, D., Constitutional Reform in the UK, (2003) Oxford University Press Footnotes [1] For comment see: Brazier, R., Constitutional Reform: Re-Shaping the British Political System. (1998) Oxford University Press. [2] For insightful comment see: Dicey, A.V., Introduction to the study of the law of the constitution. (1959) London, Macmillan. [3] See: http://www.republic.org.uk/faqs.htm. [4] Contrast the views of: Oliver, D., Constitutional Reform in the UK, (2003) Oxford University Press.