Inclusion Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Inclusion Policy - Essay Example The vision of the policy I to ensure that all the children and young people have a sense of being part of the local community they belong to. It also aims at having all the children educated and can easily access education within their local community unless otherwise. With a target of children ranging form 0-19 (25) years, the participation of their parent and children are crucial in achieving successful implementation of the policy ( Halvorsen & Neary ,2001) .The absence of an inclusion policy may deprive some students of there rights to fully benefit from the education system due to a number of factors (Hampshire County Council 2009). There are children who are disadvantaged in various capacities, have physical disability, encounter learning difficulties and require special attention to achieve their full potential in education and life. The inclusion policy lays a big role in ensuring that the problems faced by this group of children are adequately addresses. Inclusive education, according to its most basic definition, means that students with disabilities are supported in chronologically age-appropriate general education classes in their home schools and receive the specialized instructions delineated by their individualized education programs (IEP's) within the context of the core curriculum and general class activities ( Halvorsen & Neary,2001). According to the policy teachers and parents should be in a position to identify such children and plan for individualized education program that addresses the needs of the child. The purpose of having inclusive education policies is to ensure that the needs of all children are included in the curriculums guiding education. Inclusion policies came to be as a result of inequalities in education sector. These inequalities were in form of gender, racial and disability. For example some white dominated schools did not allow admission of children from minority groups such as the blacks, and if such children were admit ted their life at school would be made unbearable preventing them from achieving their full potential in education. More over, physically or emotionally disabled children were not provided with the adequate attention they required from them to catch up with other children in the class leaving them to lag behind and perform poorly in class (Woodward, 2000). There were great disparities in enrollment, retention and performances between the genders. The reason for the disparity was that during enrollment the most parents did not see the reason for educating the girl child. In addition the girl child was discouraged form undertaking science related subjects and the boys were equally discouraged from taking art based subjects leading to an in imbalance between the girls and boys in the specific subject areas .On the other hand most children with disabilities were being discriminated and they had no right to education like any other child. Inclusion policies were made so that all children would get a chance to access education despite their race, gender or disability (Fazal & Lingard, 2010). Critique of the inclusion policy The policy does not clearly mention the efforts to be taken by Walsall Primary school to cater for children who are discriminated upon because of their disability, gender and racial orientations. The policy talks about an environment where children are valued, respected and their confidence built from a strong partnership with their parents (Woodward, 2000) . Even though this policy sounds good, there is a notable gap in terms of provisions for

Musical Instrument Museum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Musical Instrument Museum - Essay Example The yangqin is a commonly used Chinese musical instrument because it was present in the three episodes and also at the museum. Yangqin is a dulcimer, and people play it using bamboo mallets pair rubberised on one end. It is played by hitting the string with the rubberised end, but the mallets can be used through being turned over to create a sharper note. In playing some Chinese song, the player holds the mallets vertically and makes the use of the other end or the use of hands to pluck. Yangqin is referred to as a versatile instrument because it is able to play arpeggios or rapid running tunes. Liuqin was also available in the museum and at the three episodes. This instrument is referred to as a soprano range lute. Liuqin has two sound holes located at the side of the body. The instruments also look similar to pipa but has is smaller. Liuqin has four strings that are turned G3-D4-G4-D5. The instrument just like guitar is played using the plectrum. An individual can change the pitch by pressing slightly above the frets of the instrument. It is a soprano instrument because it has a bright and penetrating sound. The range of liuqin is similar to the violin.Pipa is another instrument that was present in the museum as well as in the three episodes.Pipa has been associated with imperial songstresses and concubines at teahouses since it conveys the stereotypical demure damsel image. Pipa does not have the sound hole, but this does not limit it from producing musical sound just like other plucked string instruments.

Depiction of Cold War in Rocky IV

Depiction of Cold War in Rocky IV The Cold War was an ideological or Propaganda War between the two Super Powers, The Soviet Union and the United States of America. The War was not only political but also social and cultural, to the extent of which it’s presence was felt not only in the mass media of the day, but also in the entertainment industry. It was especially during the 70’s and 80’s that optimum effort was put into the entertainment media to portray pro-capitalist and anti-communist ideas to the public. American values and ideals were exalted in movies, music, television, art and literature. Hollywood played a significant role in bringing the Cole War propaganda to the big screen through motion pictures and documentaries that were made and produced. The animated movie: Make Mine Freedom, Meet King Joe, Red Nightmare and the Rambo Saga are some examples of movies with the Cold War in the background. They successfully depicted the idea of the American Dream and idealized the capitalist and Democratic society of America as the epitome of political state rule. The Rocky Series, written and directed by the famous actor, director Sylvester Stallone is an action packed and exiting series of six movies. It depicts the life and crisis of a boxer, Rocky Balboa played by Sylvester Stallone himself. The films are:  Rocky  (1976),  Rocky II(1979),  Rocky III(1982),  Rocky IV  (1985),  Rocky V  (1990) and  Rocky Balboa(2006). The boxing blockbuster saga was well received by the audience and the critics. The movies became a huge rage all over America and also in other countries of the world. The movies at first glance come across as a typically action oriented sports melodrama, but on closer analysis many different themes and areas have been depicted and explained in them. Rocky IV the fourth installment of the Rocky Series that released in 1985, is a movie that showcases not only good drama that satisfies the audiences expectation of action and adventure, but also subtly depicts the Cold War and the idea of the â€Å"Us against Them†, that is, the United States against the U.S.S.R. The movie is well recognized as one that propagates the Cold War agenda that it is popularly known as: Rocky IV â€Å"the one with the Russian†. The story continues from the third movie where Rocky wins the title from Clubber Lang. He decides to spend some time with his family but soon destiny brings him back to the ring. A new fighter from the Soviet, Ivan Drago comes to America and fights with Apollo Creed. In the course of the match Apollo is severely injured and dies a cold death in his friends arm. To avenge his comrades death Rocky challenges the ruthless Drago to a rematch to be held in Moscow on Christmas Day. Both parties train vigorously, Drago using top notch technology and Rocky takes natures help to train. Finally, in the boxing ring Rocky fights his nemesis initially facing the worst beating of his life. He soon recovers and at last achieves victory over Drago. When analyzing the film in its quality of content, it is instantly identified as a movie with Cold War depiction. The relationship between the two main characters in the movie, Rocky characterized as the hero and Drago the villain is a well developed metaphor that communicates the political scenario of the Cold War. Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) represents America and Drago (Dolph Lundgren) represents the Soviet Union. Their enmity symbolizes the cold War situation between the two Super powers. The movie is an American film, thus it revels in the idea of America while condemning the communist Soviet. It is commendable how the film in a short span of ninety one minutes summarizes all the main incidents and themes of the Cold War. The defeat of Drago in the end is a perfect metaphor of the fall of the Soviet just a few years after the movie was released. The first incident is the fight between Drago and Apollo, where Apollo is killed by the cold Drago. This in terms can be seen as the Second World War where America got directly involved in the end. The period of the Cold War is the training session filled with tension and apprehension before the fight between Rocky and Drago. Although during the Cold War there was no actual battle between the two superpowers the fights in the boxing ring are metaphorical. They depict the ideological clash between the two superpowers. Rocky’s decision to face Drago in the ring is severely criticized by his wife who wanted peace. This is similar to the criticism President Reagan faced when he took adverse steps to bring an end to the Cold War. Rocky like President Reagan adopts the philosophy of â€Å"peace through strength and challenges Drago to a fight. And just as Reagan was praised for his efforts after the end of the War, similarly Rocky achieves victory and the faith of his wife in the movie after he gains victory over Drago. In this movie there is one notable difference in the portrayal of the villain. Here the villain is not black like in the former movies. The villain is a white man; this portrays the change of focus from the stereotype of the angry, colored man to the pressing political scenario. The white villain is a conscious attempt of portrayal of the enemy, the threat (the Soviet Union) in terms of the Cold War. During the era of the Cold War the media was used as a political weapon to arouse nationalistic feeling among the citizens of America. America saw the growing technology of the Soviets as a threat to their existence as a superpower. Keeping this in mind the movie resourcefully brings out the idea of the American dream, that is, success follows those who work hard. Rocky during his training for the rematch in Moscow is shown doing rigorous exercise by means of cutting wood, climbing mountains and pulling sleighs. He is and individualist who has achieved success through great labor. On his own he rises from the streets of Philadelphia and achieves fame in the boxing ring. In sharp contrast the mechanical Drago is surrounded by a team of professionals who help him train with the beast machines and technology. He builds up his strength through the aid of steroids. Finally it is Rocky who wins the match. His victory over Drago is the individual’s victory over the collective. Thus very cleverly the American idea of individual and self work is propagated against the Soviets idea of Communism. The Cold War for America was all about Anti-Communistic feeling which is very suitably shown in the film. The cold nature of the Soviet is depicted through the cinematography. The landscape of Russia is shown as course and snow covered. But even the harsh climate does not stop Rocky from continuing his training for the upcoming match. This reveals the American zeal and determination to attain success and aim high. As the end of the movie approaches, the Soviet regime of communism is mocked at as the Russians in the movie start supporting Rocky and condemning Drago, with chants of Rocky! Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!† This symbolizes the conversion of the Soviet into a capitalist nation sooner or later. It establishes the superior authority of the American idea of individualism and capitalism as opposed to Soviet Communism. The continuous chant of â€Å"rocky† establishes America as the only superpower that would exist in the world after the fall of the Soviet regime. It’s a celebration of the American nation. Rocky’s final speech is pro America and holds great appeal to pacifists and supporters of the Cold War. In his final words he appeals to the Russians to bring change. He says If I can change, and you can change, everybody can change. In turn echoing the thoughts of all Americans, that of putting an end to the Cold War. He declares that it is finally time to change. This change would establish America as the only superpower. With the fall of the Soviet some years later Rocky’s final words echo in the minds of the American people. This movie is the last of the great Rocky movies that is worth a mention. The fifth and sixth movies are no match in quality and content to the first three. Rocky IV stacked a great deal of money and popularity and has heavily contributed to the one billion dollars that the six movies have made. Rocky IV has a perfect alchemy of drama, action, and patriotism which makes it a fulfilling watch. It is very interesting how the contrast between the two Superpowers is shown in the characterization of the two main actors. The movie inspires nationalistic feelings among the American citizens and glorifies the ideology of the nation to the best effect. It is one of the few films that portray the Cold War scenario so appropriately in terms of metaphorical depiction.

Comparing the History and Culture of The United States and Jamaica Ess

After visiting the country of Jamaica this past summer, I realized how dissimilar some countries can be from the United States. Jamaica was not unlike the United States in a terrible way, but the disparities made me additionally interested in researching about the beautiful and culture-rich country of Jamaica. Even though the majority of facts about the history and culture of the United States and Jamaica are dissimilar, I was surprised to come across some similarities among these two countries. Alike the United States, Jamaica also acquired their independence from Great Britain. However, Jamaica did not obtain their independence until August 6th, 1962; virtually 200 years after the United States achieved their independence on July 4th, 1776. After Jamaica gained their independence, they decided to carry on a Constitutional parliamentary democracy, comparable to the government of Great Britain. So, in opposition to of having a president run the country, akin to the United States, Jamaica has a Prime Minister govern their country. However, their government is made up of three branches, legislative, executive, and judicial, reminiscent of the United States. The executive branch consists of the Governor General, the prime minister and, the cabinet. The legislative branch is a bicameral Parliament made up of twenty one appointed senators and sixty elected representatives. Lastly, the judicial branch consists of the Court of Appeal and the courts of original jurisdiction (Jamaic a) In spite of this, the Jamaican government does not have to govern as many people as the United States’ government is obliged to. The entire country of Jamaica has an area merely of about 4,244 square miles and a population of approximately 2,825,928, wit... ...t of State, 06 Aug. 2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. . "Jamaican Patois." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, 09 Sept. 2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. . "Jamaica Unemployment Rate - Economy." Index Mundi - Country Facts. Index Mundi, Mar. 2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. . "List of U.S. States and Territories by Area." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, 16 Sept. 2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. . "World Bank, World Development Indicators-Google Public Data Explorer." Google. World Bank, World Development Indicators, 28 July 2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. .

Red Bull – Promotional Mix

Red bull was originally established in Thailand in 1962 under the name Krating Daeng, Red Bull was incorporated in 1984 with its head office in Austria. It is now a market leader in the energy drink segment with presence in over 130 countries and an employee base of over 3,900 worldwide. It recorded a turnover of $2.6 billion in 2006 with a whopping 300% increase in global sales as compared to the year 2000. Starting with its first international foray in the neighbouring Hungary in 1993, it has since then entered and established a foothold in various key markets like United States, Germany and United Kingdom. Through its well developed network of local subsidiaries in these and other key markets, it manages to make its products available in more than 100 countries. The brand Red Bull has a reputation of unconventional marketing strategies, first mover in the energy drinks market and a strong player in the overall functional drinks market.AdvertisingRed Bull uses many ways of advertis ing, from billboards to television adverts. Red Bull mostly focus on advertisement through the media as it reaches its primary target market of young people. Here are a few examples of red bulls advertising strategies. Their most popular and well known type of advertising is their adverts on television. They use TV adverts as it is an affective way of reaching out to the public as most people own a TV and will see the advert. This is a screen shot from the advert. It states that ‘Red Bull gives you wings'.This is a well known slogan that many people recognise red bull by.Its a very catchy slogan therefore the public are likely to remember it and buy red bull. In the advert they are trying to put across a humorous yet witty message in their adverts by suggesting that Red Bull can help you escape by giving you wings. Cartoons can convey a message far more quickly than a written notice, for example. For one thing, you don’t need to be able to read to understand a cartoon. The advert also to give their potential customers a sense of the energy red bull can give you.This is a billboard advertisement by Red Bull. Billboards are a good way of advertising as lots of people see them so its easy to catch the publics eye and try boost sales. The message in this advertisement is very clever and tries showing a scientific side to Red Bull. This is a good way of catching the publics eye as if its proven to give energy then people will buy it. This also has a sense of humour by using Einstein in the advertisement, but also he is very well known so will catch the publics eye. This can be classed as celebrity advertisement which is a very popular and effective way of advertising.Personal sellingOne of Red Bull’s most successful technique of personal selling is their wings team members. The wing team are a group of people all over the world who help promote and sell Red Bull. The team is made up of young, fun, charismatic people who attend events around the countries to represent Red Bull. Their aim is to drive product trial, win new customers and introduce existing customers to new consumption occasions. Here is an event that the Red Bull wing team have attended. This was a student fresher’s party in Bournemouth, this is ideal as their primary target market will be attending this event. They have company cars and props to catch the public eye and will always have free product trial and often giveaways, which may be stickers, caps and so on.Sales promotionRed bull is sold all around the world to, big chain supermarkets, junction shops, cafes and many more. Red Bull sales are very rare as they are the leading energy drink product in the worldHere is a sales promotion for Red Bull. It is an offer stating if you buy two large packs of Red Bull you receive a  £5 gift voucher. This will help boost the sales for Red Bull and attract more customers. It is also priced at  £5.99 as it it a pricing strategy called a psychological stra tegy. This would appeal to the customers as the product will seem cheaper, rather than if it was priced  £6.00.Public RelationsPublic relations mean that the business has done something that will catch the publics eye and cause them to talk about it. This is an article on how Red Bull dropped off cans of their energy drinks to 400 campuses by helicopter. This is good for the product as it can be seen as free advertisement. Red Bull get a lot of public relations due to events like the Red Bull Stratos and many more. Events like these help the product gets into the media and set out interest to potential customers. Red Bull uses their wing team for direct marketing. The wing team travel around the country to events and cities to promote the product. They will approach customers and tell them about the product. They will often be given a free trial of the product or other freebies, e.g. stickers.SponsorshipRed Bull have a very big range of events, athletes, that they sponsor. On thei r website they show all the athletes that they sponsor. The picture above shows some of the sports they sponsor. This includes surfing, snowboarding, skating, motocross, mountain biking and many more. All of their athletes are very successful and some best in the world in their sporting area. Sponsoring successful athletes is good for the brand as it will help promote their product. For example the athletes will have the Red Bull logo on their bike, board, car and so on. This can attract a different type of group to their product and help the product make more sales.Direct MarketingRed Bull uses direct marketing to contact other businesses directly through email and letters to promote their product. They also use it to contact businesses to use their product, e.g in shops and supermarkets. Direct marketing is more effective as it allows other businesses to feel as the business is talking only directly to them.Promotional objectivesImprove company imageRed Bull improve their company image by sponsorship and the Red Bull team. The people they sponsor are very successful and mostly famous in their career. By sponsoring these people it allows Red Bull to be recognised in a good way from followers of these people and what they do. This gives Red Bull a positive company image and allows Red Bull to be associated with positive events.Improve financial position Red Bull improves their financial position by extending the product life by bringing out new products. Red Bull has brought out Sugar Free Red Bull and Red Bull cola. This helped them widen their customers and people who appeal to Red Bull, which will help Red Bull to make more sales and generate more profit.Increase brand awareness Red Bull increase brand awareness by advertisement and many other strategies. In my opinion the most affective is holding events such as, sports competitions, festivals and parties. This allows a big variety of people to become aware of Red Bull.

Information and Decision-Making Essay

Individuals in the world make decisions every single day of their lives. Decision-making, however, is even more important in the lives of leaders because they are running an organization which relies on their judgment and discretion for such decisions. Decisions have to be made carefully and based on the most accurate and updated information available. Otherwise, the quality of the decision would be affected by whim, suppositions, and assumptions, which might be difficult to quantify and verify. Because of the understanding of the importance of decision-making in an individual’s and an organization’s life, Maruska and Wheatley (2003) wrote How Great Decisions Get Made. Through their book, they address the different factors affecting the decision-making process—those factors intrinsic to the decision-maker as well as factors that are found in the extrinsic environment. Furthermore, they highlighted the importance of gathering information, no matter how difficult and routine it might seem. In addition to this, the authors proposed ten simple yet comprehensive steps that can help a leader in the decision-making process. The basic framework that the authors seek to establish is that decision-making should not be made out of fear, where the leaders and the decision-makers feel backed into the corner and that they have little choices left. Rather, they espouse hope-based decision-making no matter how difficult a situation may seem at first. The authors carefully explained the different outcomes and procedures that happen to people who make decisions out of fear as opposed to making them based on hope. In this regard, the case studies offered freely throughout the book are helpful in elucidating the message that the authors were promoting. The book’s language and layout are simple to follow yet it offers profound insight into an otherwise difficult process. Ten Steps to Making Effective Decisions The first step that the authors posited is the importance of enlisting the help of everyone in the decision making process (Maruska & Wheatley, 2003, p. 36). By doing this, more people would be able to provide inputs on how to make the decision. Moreover, they can provide additional information, which would eliminate fear out of the decision-making equation. Furthermore, by enlisting everyone, the leaders can avoid making enemies in the process. The second and third steps relate to discovering the shared hopes of everyone concerned and listening to the real issues that have to be addressed. By discovering the hopes and the fears of the people who will be affected by the decision, the perspectives of leaders will become less biased and will be grounded on what the situation really is (p 54). Based on the hopes and fears, it would be necessary to identify the options available for the group (p. 74). These options, however, should be backed up by data and by relevant information that could aid the decision-making process. Maruska and Wheatley (2003, p. 90) highlighted the importance of right information. The world is teeming with information nowadays, thanks to the Internet. However, not all available information is relevant to the issue being decided upon. As such, by taking into account the hopes and the fears of the stakeholders in the decision-making process, the right information will be identified and they will be helpful in mapping out the solution. The authors further believe that if there is 100% information, there would be zero debates. The task of the leader therefore would be to gather information and make sure that these pieces of information are indeed relevant. The authors also advised that decision-makers should foresee difficulties along the way and be prepared with alternatives that were not originally planned. But even in these cases, information gathering is still very important as they can steer the decision-makers to the right or wrong decision (p. 118). Conclusion Maruska and Wheatley (2003) were able to describe fully the decision-making process and the importance of gathering the right information. The case studies that they cited were also helpful in highlighting the importance of this process. For people who are in government whose decisions are crucial to the life and death of individuals, literally, or to CEOs upon whom the life of the organization has been put, How Great Decisions are Made is a great textbook for decision-making. This process is never an easy one. Rather, there are a lot of complications along the way. However, the authors were able to present a simple but not simplified view of the decision-making process and how information can make or break the effectiveness of the decisions made by leaders. They also highlighted the importance of teamwork and the process of discovering the shared hopes, dreams, and fears of the people serving with the leaders making the decision. After all, leaders are not only deciding for themselves. Rather, they are making decisions on behalf of their subordinates and of all the people who will be affected by the decisions made by these leaders. The presentation of the book is also easy to follow and would be accessible to anyone interested in improving their decision-making skills.