Month: October 2021
Entertainment during WWII Kimber Bevens Mountain View High School
On December 7, 1941 Japanese troops bombed Pearl Harbor this awoke the sleeping giant known as America. The next day December 8 America declared war on Japan and their allies. With the country eager to fight and scared for outcomes distractions and entertainment became a key factor to keep the soldiers and citizens sane. Many forms of entertainment include radio programs going to the movies and the United Service Organization.
At this time radio was the main form of news and entertainment because channels would air so many different things like music, sports, and talk shows. Listening increased during the war time. In 1945 there was nearly 10,000,000 radio licenses around the world (Imperial War Museums 2018). Shows range from the Informative Brain Trust to popular comedies such as It’s That Man Again (Imperial War Museums 2018). One very popular singer had her own show known as Sincerely Yours – Vera Lynn. Vera Lynn’s voice became recognized throughout troops and was known as the ‘Forces Sweetheart’. Radios today mainly only play music on the FM but on the AM you’ll find something you’d most likely hear back in the 40’s.
By the 1920s the theater became a very popular pastime and in the 1940s you can see a large change of the movie themes (filmsite.org 2018) films began to become very propaganda and comedic during the wartime. Popular films Include Which We Serve (1942) and Millions Like Us (1943) (filmsite.org 2019). Both these movies have similar themes of supporting your nation and propaganda for the war and to serve your country. Even Disney partook in comedic cartoons that made fun of leaders to make light of the subject and to degrade their characters (filmsite.org 2018).
Franklin D. Roosevelt brought together multiple organizations including, The Salvation Army, The Young Women’s Christian Association, The National Catholic Community Service, The National Travelers Aid Association, and the National Jewish Welfare Board. The organizations combined create the USO. The United Service Organization was established in 1941 (United Service Organizations 2018). The USO provided programs, services and live entertainment to the United States troops and their families. The USO was very important to the troops so they can escape from the hardships of war. The USO is still around today helping soldiers and providing them with goods and services.
Any range of entertainment from music and dancing to enjoying a sports game would help distract and provide ease to the citizens and soldiers. Without entertainment it would have been very hard to get through the war, let alone come out of it on top. Entertainment served as a reminder who the troops were fighting for, freedom home and safety.
References
- Filmsite.org. (2019). Film History of the 1920s. [online] Available at: https://www.filmsite.org/20sintro.html [Accessed 1 Jan. 2019].
- Imperial War Museums. (2019). Popular Pastimes And Entertainment In The Second World War. [online] Available at: https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/popular-pastimes-and-entertainment-in-the-second-world-war [Accessed 5 Jan. 2019].
- United Service Organizations. (2019). United Service Organizations. [online] Available at: https://www.uso.org/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI95mqxeXX3wIVjblkCh2WxgIaEAAYASAAEgI9m_D_BwE [Accessed 5 Jan. 2019].
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Entertainment During WWII Kimber Bevens Mountain View High School. (2021, Oct 14).
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Aleezay Shahzad Heritage High School
One of Night’s theme was based upon religion. Elie Wiesel was a boy who was most devoted and attracted towards God’s existence in his family. As his life takes turns and becomes complicated, his stable relation with God becomes tangled up as he becomes an accuser and God as accused. The series of events makes it difficult which leads to the struggle to keep his faith upon Him. His belief in the exitances of the almighty develops throughout the course of the novel as he struggles to keep his faith on his existence of the one who how once truly loved now starts to question him and shows anger towards Him.
Religion was the most common and important theme of the Hight. In the beginning of the novel, Elie mentioned the faith on God in the first chapter which showed his interest toward Him. As the chapter progress, it was clearly shown that he wanted to go the depth of His words as he wanted to “enter eternity” (5). His love for Him didn’t stopped him when his father “wanted to drive out the idea of studding Kabbalah from...mind” as the father constantly told him the there weren't any “kabbalists in Sighet” .
However, he succeeds in “finding a master” and purses to learn with the master, Moishe the beadle . His journey toward the faith started as Moishe started to question him by asking” why do you pray” thus Elie started to explore his Jewish faith as the questions were served as the outline. The time he spent with Moishe made him more invested and devoted in his religion. His affection starts to grow even bigger as Moishe spoke to him “for hours on the end of Kabbalah’s revelation and mysterious” . Furthermore, the beginning pages of the novel showed that at the very young age he wanted to the understand the meaning behind His words and actions as he read “over and over again the same pages of Zohar”. In his words, he wanted to “not to learn by heart but to discover within the very essence of divinity” .
The time Moishe and Elie spent together helped him to understand the meaning behind his doings which made Elie to eventually convinced that Moishe was the one who could. help him to enter eternity” into that time when question and answer would become one” . The time went by with Moishe, Elie was able to reach a point where his relation with Him was deep and unshakeable. However, the fantasy world of his, crumbled down when the Nazi came to Germany.
Furthermore, the relation of him with the God didn’t lasted as long as Elie wanted. The doubts started to plant its roots in his mind once he reached the Auschwitz the concentration camp. At the first night, elie saw that women, men and children were thrown in the buring hell, the conflict of disbelief started. He couldn’t believe himself after what he saw and questioned “how was it possible that...the world kept silent”, which was the beginning of disbelief . The act of inhumanity, brutality toward the Jews (people of God) and dehumanization of Elie, himself, made him question the authority, justice and mercy of Him.
The first made an implacable mark on the mind that he vows he shall “never forget that night...flames which consumed my faith forever” which indicated that nor did he suffered because he saw murders of his fellow Jews but he also felt the murder of god, his faith. As few days went by, he ceased to pray as the concentration camp “consumed my faith …murdered my God” which to him only felt like just a job he has to do . The beginning of a new chapter in his life shakes Elie’s his faith which at one point was unshakeable.
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The Permanent Effects of Football at a High School, College, and National Level
Football is by far and away the most popular sport in the United States. However, it has in recent years sparked a dialogue that has been pushed to the forefront by media and films such as “Concussion”. These concerns are of the brain damage football has been proven to cause to its players known as “CTE”; or Chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Football has been shown to do permanent damage to its players at the high school, college, and national levels and there is a great social responsibility on the players, coaches and general public to prevent the perpetuation of the damage the game causes in its current state. To begin, what is CTE?
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is, according to concussionfoundation.org, found in people with repetitive brain trauma and over time progresses to slowly destroy brain cells. CTE is not caused by large impacts or single concussions necessarily but can be caused by the often insignificant hits in a normal football game. As these hits pile from dozens to hundreds to thousands over an athlete’s career, the brain’s impact with the skull continues as well. After the discover of CTE, the NFL fought for years to cover up the mounting evidence and continues to argue about football’s role in brain damage, but the facts are in a study conducted by Boston University and the Boston VA discovered that 110 of 111 former NFL players had CTE. The numbers were slightly lower when college players were included in the count.
This connection is well-known by the NFL’s leadership, but instead of meaningful change they see it as better to pay the families after the death of their loved one. The league is even referred to by some as “The League of Denial.” According to qz.com, one innovation the NFL has recently shown off has been the Zero1 helmet, but this is believed if anything that it will encourage players to use their helmets more defensively which will only lead to more impacts. Helmets at the end of the day can not protect against impacts and advertising equipment as such is hugely irresponsible on everyone involved. There is a social responsibility on the league to fix the issues in the game, but currently not enough social pressure for actual change. Aside from the league, famous players such as Troy Aikman have been quoted as saying: 'If I had a 10-year-old boy, I don't know that I'd be real inclined to encourage him to go play football, in light of what we are learning from head injury. I'm concerned right now overall with the long-term viability of our sport.'
Former Steelers Quarterback Terry Bradshaw had to say: 'If I had a son today, and I would say this to all our audience and our viewers out there, I would not let him play football.' This shows that the players themselves alongside much of the public. But, when push comes to shove, the push for reform in football is not currently big enough for changes to happen in the game and contribute to increased safety. The NFL is seen as the premier league in the United States, so it’s fair to say act in a way that greatly influences college and high school football. Currently, there aren’t any obvious variants in how to game works mechanically across leagues, and historically the smaller leagues have followed the NFL’s changes over time. It’s safe to say that until then, the over one million high school football players in America and thousands at the college and national levels will suffer decades after they put down the helmet because of a refusal to act by the powers that be in competitive football.
To summarize, CTE is affecting thousands of former football players while little to nothing is being done to protect the players with some even not permitting the game for their own children because of serious safety concerns they and others have. Us as an American people have a social responsibility to protect the over one million Americans that are high school players or higher. Hopefully the future can be safer while retaining the joy millions find in the sport we all know and love.
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Church Girl Diary Junior Year of High School
Today’s 1/3/18 I was planning out Valentine’s Day with Stephen and we were talking about favorite snacks because every year we go to the movies Here are my favorites: My Mom’s Banana Pudding A cannoli from little Italy food should taste good sweet potatoes wise popcorn hot cheese kettle cooked mesquite bbq fritos flavor twists honey bbq snyder’s of hanover Pretzel Pieces Honey Mustard & Onion Welch’s Fruit Snacks Haribo Gold-Bears Today’s 1/11/18 Dear Church Girl I just ran for the train. Caught it glory be to God. Today will be a great day. Today’s 1/12/18 Tonight I texted two people from my past.
I wanted to see who I was in the past by talking to someone who I was close to about myself. In order to have an outside perspective. Talking to them alone brought back memories of who I used to be and how I’ve grown. Today’s 1/18/18 Today is MLK day and I am currently at the Boston Convention Center. I am trying to make as many connections as I can today. I really hope I can work at the State House or my dream job working for the senator in college but I only have one more year. With one of the Speeches said I am questioning does the government cater to truly to everyone’s needs those that have and to those that do not.
There are so many different types of people within this nation; so many different problems people face. If we take that into the considerations, are we really benefiting everyone with our decisions or are we helping people in the nation who are closest to us? One of the speakers, Bakari Sellers, stated that as long as we put the people in South Boston and Roxbury against each other it will be almost impossible to move forward together. (I am paraphrasing). That touched my heart because growing up in Boston my whole life I was always told not to go to Southie. And I noticed the “nicely” segregated areas divided by Ruggle Station. I say “nicely” but that does not make it right. Being against each other has brutally tore apart communities with gentrification (cold heartedly).
Today’s 1/17/18 Realized some will break down your confidence just to prove their sufficiency and it hurts. Today’s 1/25/18 On my way to school right now. Sitting alone among a bunch of people really causes me to reflect. I think about a lot and sometimes I ever wonder if I over think. Today’s 1/27/18 These are important questions to ask me when I have a little more downtime to self-reflect: Do you feel like you have the ability to help more people and what are some of those examples? Is this friendship benefiting both of us and where we are trying to go? Today’s 1/28/18 Today at church the theme is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. It was pretty interesting it was geared mostly towards adults with children and keeping them in church. Most of my friends that were raised up in church values really stuck with them as we are growing up.
My Bishop also preached about being influenced by outside believes and how important it is to have a relationship with the lord for ourselves. Other people can be so persuasive that they can have a Christian question their own faith. I know that I will have to work harder to understand the bible for myself. If I truly want to be that strong believing Christian I always wanted to be. Today’s 2/6/18 How dear you say there is no such thing as racism. Brainwashed maybe? Maybe it’s the way we started It’s the school systems That’s fogging up our lens I go to school and my culture is never taught about in comparison to the European culture.
Never once in science have we mentioned the millions of inventions blacks created. Never once have we taught about the success of those born brown. Never once have I learned about myself in school so that I can be proud of who I am. I am taught about my ancestors' failures. We have been colonized Over and over and over Enslaved and used for our crops. But there is so much more to our history And even our present. Today’s 2/21/18 I’ve been doing the screen every Sunday so I haven’t been keeping up but with my dairy, especially during service. Here’s what I read about in my diary today. The word of God is awesome. God word strengthens us.
He wants us to be strong yet we worry too much while God is holding us up. God is with us and we know this already, we just have trust that he got this. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”Today’s 2/21/18 I love NIV it helps me understand the KJV version much better. Sometimes regardless I still need help to understand what the bible is stating. The NIV version and prayer will have my back so that God’s word is more clear to me. Dear God, This Poem is meant to be broad. God, I want my readers to read what I write and see their own situations and others as well. Today’s 2/23/18 For If I Dear Speak to You Every morning your words hit me and I no longer want to be there. My words can not be spoken in full For if I dear speak to you I will be My words will be used and twisted to bigger up your pride The names you call me seem to be a joke But it only boils up emotions inside me Your words are not always factual if you just stopped and listened you would know that.
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Mary J. Blige Evie-Jean Taylor Teague High School English
The love for music is everywhere, but does the world really know the artists? Nicknamed, “The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul”, this non-mainstream artist has had a very rough path. Although Mary has had to fight to live, deal with abuse, and had access to drugs, none of this has stopped her to continue with her dreams. It’s not easy being Mary J. Blige because of how she has grown up and of all the mistakes she has made.
Mary J. Blige had a rough youth. Mary’s father, who was a professional jazz musician, abandoned her and her family when she was young . Her mother was a nurse who worked hard to support her indigent family . Her mother made Mary stronger than ever thought she could be. Mary saw her mother struggle to raise her family and feed them, and this made her want to become a stronger woman . Her family lived in a low-income apartment complex, and the neighborhood was overrun with drugs and crime, but that’s what made her tough. Mary Blige had once stated that growing up in the projects is like living in a barrel of crabs, if you try to get out, one of the other crabs will try to pull you back down. Mary and her sister had to be fierce to overcome their difficult journey. She would often get into fights over every little thing.
Mary always had to prove herself to keep from getting robbed or jumped . In the end, she always kept her head held high. In addition, Mary did not apply herself in school even though she had the potential to be an excellent student . Mary also had to work a lot of part time jobs to help support her family and she decided that she would be a dropout from high school in the eleventh grade . However, she would frequently proclaim regret about her decision to quit high school. On the other hand, Mary did help her family financially by working hard. Mary Blige had often advise her fans to not make the same old mistakes she had made. “If I had to do it over, I would finish high school. For real,” she stated. “If I had the sense that I have now back then, I would be in college by now… education is important no matter what field you want to go in”. Mary had expressed that once you are visible, you have the responsibility of not only yourself, but of others too. You have the power to influence the children who adore you and aspire to be you. Even though she doesn’t try to be a role model, Mary really is one.
The genesis of Mary J. Blige’s career finally began. When Mary Blige was just seventeen, she made a tape of herself singing karaoke at a mall. It was only intended for entertaining her friends, but it lead up to her music career. Mary wasn’t looking for a music career because she was just playing around. Mary’s mother decided to pass the tape around to some people she knew and it eventually ended up with R&B vocalist, Jeff Redd . Then he gave it to a record company executive, Andre Harrell. He loved what he heard so he signed her to a recording contract with uptown records . Mary Blige was very much delighted with the achievement of her first album. Though she had struggled to manage her unforseen advancement to fame, Mary dealt with the pressure by drinking, smoking, and using drugs. “My mother raised me with respect, but the street raised me with disrespect. I’d be hanging out every night and getting high,” Mary stated. “I used to do it because I thought it would make me forget about things. It made me forget about it for the moment, but the next day, it was seven times worse because the reality is that everything I was trying to run away from was still there”. In that moment in time, she was miserable but she pushed forward in her career.
As Mary moved forward on her journey, she had decided that she needed to part with the people of who she felt were negative influences. That even included her former mentor, Sean Combs, and ex-boyfriend, Cedric Hailey. Since then, Mary had revealed that she had suffered both mental and physical abuse in that relationship. She realized that she had deserved more then that and took her ex boyfriend, drugs, and alcohol out of her life. She was determined to be a woman of God. Mary J. Blige rekindled her commitment to God and began to strive toward loving herself. She had a lot of people around her who were trying to hurt her, who were able to hurt her because she couldn’t see that she meant something . Now her family is more involved in her career. There is nothing but love surrounding her. She wouldn't allow anything else. Her lyrics began to reflect her spirituality and self-respect. Mary Blige lives in a home in Long Island, New York, sharing it with her sister and her sisters family. She doesn’t Like to live in a big house by herself. Though, she never has been married nor has children, she does have an ideal man in mind.
“My ideal man does not have to have a whole bunch of money,” she noted. “He has to be secure. He has to be God fearing. He has to love his mother. And he has to respect all woman”. Now, Mary Blige has a commitment to God. She believes that because of her millions of fans and most importantly, her foundation in God, she continued to have tremendous favor in what has proven to be a fickle industry . Mary has taught about necessity of patience, commitment, and self-love with her songs. Mary states that she is now happy in her own skin. Mary Blige was happily married to her manager, Kendu Isaacs. Then, out of nowhere, they got divorced. That acrimonious break up has inspired Mary to write a song called Strength of a Woman. Blige's gorgeous but street-tough image has softened over time. She then forayed into acting making guest appearances and winning many awards in her business . In the end, it seems like everyone has their ups and downs no matter what their situation may be.
Like every role model, Mary Blige has a message. She aspires that her millions of fans understand her message about taking care of themselves and elude from drama, or undesired somatic and psychological agony. “I’d like people to be entertained, but I’d like them to her what I’m saying too,” she explains. “But if it doesn’t grab you right away, cool. Just dance to it. Just feel it until you are ready to hear what I have to say, and then whatever happens, will happen” . In summary, Mary J. Blige just wants everyone to feel the peace and love.
Mary J. Blige has had a rough life, but with God’s grace, she pushed through. She not only pulled herself out of drinking, drugs, and just a bad life to begin with, but she yearns to be a great christian to influence others. Mary hopes that through her music, she can help others through their pain. Mary J. Blige is just an overall classy role model who God has led to do many great things in her lifetime for herself and for others.
References
- Abbey, E. C. (2002). Biography Today: Volume 12. Detroit, MI.: Omnigraphics.
- Mary J. Blige. (2018). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Mary-J-Blige/438804
- Parham, M. (2008, February 18). Queen of hip-hop soul: Mary J. Blige tells how her faith in God, herself keeps her on top. Jet, 113(6), 52+. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A175285730/GPS?u=j081904&sid=GPS&xid=17cd43d6
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Mary J. Blige Evie-Jean Taylor Teague High School English. (2021, Oct 14).
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Four-Day School Week
Dislike Mondays like the majority of the people? Do you think a day off would be beneficial? Just looking at data tables there has been an increase in districts approving the 4 day school week all starting from 2000-2018 and still talking about it today here in Colorado (Coloradoan).
Stress is a pain, isn't it? Well, this will serve you well with an extra day of taking it to chill and wrapping up some work. Yes, this can get worse over time because of extracurricular activities, but if you think about it you’ll have a full day to be interactive with the society which includes family, friends, etc. Not only are there people that procrastinate for hours at home, but this is also what is time-consuming. Just getting straight to work will be and is the most effective strategy. We know, everyone does this every once in a while, but when your targeting to get something accomplished you just can’t take that step back, attack it instead and get to an end point.
Yes, some schools do increase the school time by an hour so for Poudre High School we’ll get out at around 4:30 or so instead of the regular time which is 3:10. There is a chance that we curve around this by waking up earlier by changing the school time, or just be willing/accepting enough to sleep later; to be considerate with everyone this will most likely be the case, and students would wrap up their homework on that Monday off. While some people believe the traditional school schedule is fine, through controversy and change, the shift would have Colorado or the Poudre School District a lot more money for future educational purposes, etc.
First off we must take a look at a recent study of statistics that were gathered which concluded that Brighton School District 27J serves 18,000 students and there is 100 Colorado public school districts that are trying to get the 4 day school week operated into their district to cut costs (Coloradoan). Dropping the Monday is already helping the districts save an average of $12,526 per student (Education Week). This can definitely benefit school gymnasiums, teaching material, and students surroundings. A confusing factor to the 4 day school week is that it is said that fewer discipline referrals for students are affecting students by 73% because they are more relaxed and in the zone, because they are more rested, which led to a fewer amount of equated classroom disruptions (Vittana).
Less school bullying, fights, and profanity will be minor to a certain extent. On the positive side there will most likely be more students that are more consistent turning in homework assignments, also more study time on the Monday off to go over notes and homework to get ready for a quiz or test. Furthermore, over a course of 2 years with this alternative schedule, it was announced that there was an increase in attendance, it was increased by 20% (Vittana).
Like mentioned before students will most likely have more time to know class material, and won’t fall back as much as in the 5 day school week. In addition from students having better attendance, student SAT scores increased by a good 60 or so points which are not bad at all. Before there was a range of scores between 840-1100 and when the change came scores started to range from 900-1060. From 840 to 900 isn't to crappy, the only thing is that with the full schedule few students did tend to score up higher to 1100 and during the 4 day schedule there was an increase in the minimum score but the highest scores weren’t as high as the highest scores from district when they had a full schedule. Through deeper insight, the controversy about school days would be beneficial to students that are older, not really to kids that are enrolled in middle school and under. As fitting as it’ll be for students in high school, the younger students would most likely feel left out from the day off.
This may sound bizarre but in Brighton District 27J the students in middle schools and in high schools start and end at the same time in the morning and in the afternoon. These schools start class at 8:30 AM and end at 4:32 PM (SD27J, 4 Day School Guide). As unnecessary it is for preschoolers and kindergartners they also have a 4 day school week!
As an IB Poudre High School student myself this would be highly fitting because there would be an extra day off for me to get some rest other than feeling stressed and rushed to finish assignments. This sounds great and all, but I am part of the PHS boys basketball team and it’s a struggle to keep up with class material, homework, and being a team player because everything gets in my head. It’s rough, student-athletes can relate!
Talking in the perspective of a more trustworthy person, principal of Stuart Middle School mentioned, “I hope we realize education needs to be better funded.” Not only is there an extra day off, but it’s helping out school districts to cut costs. This helps out the school by making it look more welcoming, academically superior, and admirable for recent and incoming students that attend the school. Although having this day off sounds like a great opportunity to take as a student, there is controversy going around about school extension each day by an hour from the 4 day school week. Which will, later on, lead to holiday date changes, and it eliminates early release from school and late starts.
Sadly everyone does enjoy their breaks from school, but this will also affect the days we have in the summer. Everyone enjoys summer and many people would rather just prefer having a full schedule than the 4-day schedule. Usually, it’ll be 180 school days that we as students attend in a year at school, with the 4 day school week that will be a condensed to 145 days that students will attend in the year. With the extension of an hour each day that condenses lectures given in class; it does sound like it helps but it actually, is making it a shorter period of time for students to learn the material that’s expected in the year. Parents are getting used to it to a 5-day work plan for the week and it’s a hard thing to change and adapt to working 4 days a week. Parents may argue that change wouldn’t be necessary because it can be problematic for their children's transportation, daycare, and most importantly it will cause more of a challenge for their sons/daughters to keep up with school lectures and tasks from this change. Sadly this can ruin students near future or even a parent's dominance in their job. It falls outside the normal parent work schedule which is 8 hours a day in a period of 5 days in the week. To further add from the chaotic factors that the changes in the school week bring; it’s mostly only applicable to the smaller school districts. It’s not really to fitting for the larger school district based communities.
“In Colorado, 31 of the state’s 176 school districts are currently using the 4 day school week”(Vittana). “These school districts are typically in isolated regions, are rural, and have a student body that is fewer than 500 students”(Vittana). This is making more and more parents, teachers, and administrators put more effort into doing all tasks in the 4 day school week which makes most adults want the 5 day school week back in return if the 4 day school week was implemented.
To finalize my insight over the topic of the 5 day school week changing and get used to a 4 day school week continues to keep my mindset straight in the middle from changing and keeping it the same. It’s one way or another, with a 4 day school week I would have a harder time getting homework assignments while playing for the basketball team. Not to mention but I already struggle but I do get the job done. Also, it would be a mess for my parents to get a consistent work schedule because like the majority their parents prefer working early in the morning and getting the rest needed in the afternoon, and maybe watch one of their sons/daughters game (basketball, soccer, volleyball, baseball, wrestling, football, etc).
With a full schedule, I like getting out of school at 3:10 because it means I have a good amount of time to finish homework and recharge energy after my basketball practices. It is a great idea though because Colorado is one of the lowest paid states, saving money from the different system does help out districts in the long run. There are the downsides, and there is also is there benefits to this.
Thank you for your time, I highly appreciate the amount of time that you took to look over my letter. The topic expanded my knowledge and taught me whether or not it’ll be effective to have a 4 day school week instead of a full schedule. Mostly, when the opposition almost at the end of the letter, made me notice that I had never thought about changing my views on the topic and continues to make me think differently. I hope this inspires you or others to possibly make changes, and if it’s not changed that is completely fine because I am leaning back and forward the more this topic comes into mind, and the more it is brought up.
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Four-Day School Week. (2021, Oct 13).
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First Semester in College
There is a little more than seven days left of my first semester ever of school and I will concede I am tallying as the days progressed. I am quite pleased with myself for making it to this point since it's been a harsh semester for me, which I'm certain all school first year recruits would state. I won't lie, the start of the school year was bad by any means. I'm almost certain I cried each and every day for the main month and half. I was, and still am, extremely achy to visit the family. I missed my bed, I missed my auto, I missed my family, and I even missed my activity that I had back home.
The plain first week, before classes had even begun, was the hardest. I have never been an outgoing person and I burned through the greater part of that week alone in my room, which was hopeless. Before I had even gone out on the morning of move-in day, I had an awful inclination. School had dependably been something that frightened me. I'm a shut-in and I get extremely restless when I am in new places. I burned through all late spring fearing August, fearing the day when I would need to leave my home.
I might want to state that everything is definitely better, now that I've been here for 3 months, yet that would be a lie. In any case, it would likewise be a mislead say that I feel a similar way that I did amid the main week. I wouldn't state that I appreciate each part of school, yet I have adjusted to it. Despite everything I haven't made that numerous companions all over are days when I stress that I won't have anybody to dine with, in light of the fact that it's the easily overlooked details like that that have the ability to agitate me. In any case, it hasn't been all terrible. On the off chance that there is one thing that has given me the inspiration to push through school, it's my classes. School is tied in with encouraging your instruction and making it conceivable to get a decent vocation later on. With the majority of alternate parts of school life getting me down, the craving to prevail in my scholastic is the thing that got me through. It is not necessarily the case that my schoolwork hasn't caused me any pressure, since it has, however it has additionally gave me a motivating force to remain.
While I didn't completely appreciate first semester, there were things that improved it. Since I arrived, I have conversed with my mother on the telephone each day. Once in a while our discussions were 5 minutes in length, some of the time they were 20, however it was decent to feel associated with home in that little way, regardless of whether it was simply something straightforward like her asking how my day was. Something else that has helped me get past the semester is joining Her Campus. Alongside acquainting me with a gathering of extremely cool individuals and getting me included more on grounds, it has given me a chance to do what I want to do: compose.
There was a point first semester when I truly couldn't see myself returning to school for the second semester. Two months prior I would've disclosed to you I unquestionably wouldn't be back. Yet, after a considerable measure of consideration, (soliciting each from my relatives their feelings and making an advantages and disadvantages list) I chose to at any rate remain at school for an entire year. I would not like to be that young lady who turned out poorly to school. I've gotten notification from numerous upperclassmen, at Albany State and at different universities, that the primary semester for rookie is dependably the most exceedingly terrible and things generally improve in the second semester. I seek that is valid after me and I am upbeat that I have chosen to stick around to check whether it is.
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First Semester in College. (2021, Oct 13).
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Topic: Physical Activity with Dementia
This article takes a look at sleep in persons with dementia and how exercise changes this. The article shows that it is common for these people to have sleep disturbances. This study compared the sleep quantity and quality between active and inactive dementia patients. This study did 40 telephone questionnaires to the caregivers of the patients who answered as proxies. Over half of the patients were able to qualify as active. When compared to their inactive counterparts’ active patients were more likely to experience appropriate sleep quantity and quality. These positive findings on physical activity and sleep with dementia warrant future studies to determine if a definite relationship exists. This is a correlational study and the association provides a foundation for future studies to explore the significance. This article is a good basis to warrant further research with randomized controlled trials.
This article looked at the association of physical activity with dementia and other subtypes. This was s systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. This included cognitive decline, all-cause dementia, vascular dementia, and Alzheimer’s. From all the studies 117410 patients were looked at with a highest follow-up of 28 years. Physical activity showed a positive effect on reducing risk and decline of Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and cognitive decline, but not for vascular dementia. Showed the most positive effect for Alzheimer’s, which is the most common of the dementia cases. There was no significant reduction in risk for vascular dementia; however, this could be because there was a very small number of patients in this category. Many self-reported questionnaires to obtain information on physical activity were used which could cause bias for the findings. More sound ways to obtain outcome measures should be done and structured interventions.
This study aimed at looking at the effectiveness of exercise interventions in older adults already suffering from cognitive impairment or dementia. This was a systematic review of 22 randomized controlled trials. The studies showed some positive effects on cognition, executive function, and attention with exercise. However, most studies showed that older adults with dementia had no positive effect with exercise on their cognition. The article stated that the studies on patients with dementia were underpowered and of poor quality. More studies should be done that focus on patients with mild, mod, and severe dementia. Other cognitive impairments should be addressed separately since it is likely that they would not respond to the interventions the same. The article finally states that the exercise routine should focus on aerobic, and long-term.
This article was looking at if physical exercise with music would improve cognitive function and ADLs in dementia patients over cognitive stimulation. 85 patients with mild/moderate dementia participated where half did music exercise and the other half did cognitive stimulation. The cognitive stimulation group would use small game consoles to do easy calculation, mazes, and mistake-searching in pictures. The interventions were performed once a week for 40 minutes for a 6-month period. Patients were assessed before and after the 6 months. For cognitive function, neuropsychological batteries were used to assess. Then for ADLs the FIM was conducted. The results of this study showed that both groups showed significant improvement in visuospatial function, psychomotor speed, and memory. For ADLs the music exercise group had significantly preserved function while the Cognitive stimulation group worsened. This study was done after they had done another study that looked at music exercise vs regular exercise. Where exercise with music showed more positive effects on cognitive function than in exercise alone.
This study was designed to examine the causal association with exercise and risk of developing dementia among older adults. This study was done in china as a longitudinal population-based study with a follow up duration of 9 years. This was done through a survey that included 7501 Chinese adults older than 65. It obtained regular exercise and other potential variables in this self-report questionnaire. Of these people, 338 developed dementia, after taking into account those who dropped out of the study. This study showed an association with the exercise and a decreased risk of dementia. One limitation of this study was it did not further differentiate dementia into Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia. These different diagnoses could respond differently to different exercise interventions. Further research should be done that separates the diagnosis and looks at them individually.
This study was a systematic review aimed at recommending training strategies to improve the functional capacity of older adults. The studies had to be about falls, gait, balance, and low-body strength. 20 studies were used that focused on multicomponent, resistance, endurance, and balance. Intervention programs that consisted of these ended up being the most affected for the elderly individuals. Studies that focused on strength showed greater gains in elderly with frailty of functional declines to begin with. Some did not gain much but this could be due to the exercise program not being intense enough for that individual. The article stated that in order to improve neuromuscular and cardiovascular systems of the elderly the intervention should include: Resistance training, functional resistance, endurance like walking/cycling, balance, and the programs should increase in volume, intensity, and complexity.
This study was an integrative review of literature to evaluate evidence of fall risk and fall prevention exercises in older adults with mild cognitive impairment and early stage dementia. This potential increased risk in falling affects their health and quality of life. 40 studies met the criteria to be either about fall risk factors or fall risk exercise interventions. The review showed an increased risk of falls in this patient population due to changes in gait, balance, and fear of falling. The intervention side of this review looked at exercises and multifactorial interventions that showed potential to reduce falls. However, the studies did not have strong design and therefore cannot provide evidence for recommendations for this population. This review shows a high importance in warranting early diagnosis and attention to this population do to the significant importance of fall prevention.
This study is a Randomized controlled trial that looks at the consequences of a standardized equipment-free exercise program and how it impacts elderly subjects for balance skills and pain perception. 92 subjects were tested, they were split into two groups, one an experimental the other a control. Fitness instructors ran them through standardized physical exercise program. The control group did not receive any exercise program. Both groups did the Berg Balance Scale and the Oswestry Disability index before and after. This article found that a 13-week standardized equipment free program can cause effective treatment for balance and pain perception. This would be a low-cost strategy because no equipment is required. The 13 weeks program included joint mobility, cardiovascular exercise, strengthening core stability, and proprioceptive training. A main limitation is the lack of standardized balance scores that distinguished between individuals who were trained or untrained.
This article was a systematic review that looked at the elderly population and falls. It focused on fall prevention and fall risk factors. Sarcopenia/frailty, weak muscles especially the quadricep; impaired sensorium, including visual, vestibular, somatosensory information disturbances; multimorbidity, like arthritis, diabetes, etc; vitamin D deficiency, which influences bone density, resorption, and muscles strength; polypharmacy, drugs that interact with each other and have side effects; home hazards, like stairs, lighting, rugs, and obstructed walkways. Fall prevention was also looked at. This included exercise programs that would have balance and strength training incorporated. Balance training showed the highest reduction in risk, but programs should include strength and walking. Home hazard assessment and modifications that is prescribed and done professionally is extremely effective. Vitamin D supplementation for those who are low because this can cause frailty. Polypharmacy interventions to try and reduce the number of drugs and make it more focused. Multicomponent interventions where 2 or more interventions are given based on fall risk assessment. Falls in the elderly are a major source of injury and mortality in older adults. Proper screening and recognizing risks followed by multiple interventions can help prevent further falls.
This article is a systematic literature review on studies that focused on exergaming and its application for elderly fall prevention. The most common devices used was the Nintendo Wii, and the Xbox Kinect. Training balance and promoting physical activity in the elderly has low adherence of conventional physical therapy. That is why new studies looking at ways to make it not only effective but enjoyable have emerged. 25 papers were reviewed, results showed that use of exergaming interventions improved physical and cognitive function in elderly. However, it is inconclusive if exergaming is more effective than traditional physical therapy and exercise. The exergaming technologies allowed a patient to create an interactive environment that was more enjoyable and engaging. Long term adherence is key as elderly will always decline and slowing this is important. A final point this paper made was that these gaming technologies are relatively inexpensive and can be an economical option for patients. Limitations included that many games had short bursts of movement followed by inactivity periods. A test protocol is needed to make a comparison from exergame interventions and conventional physical therapy.
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Topic: Physical activity with Dementia. (2021, Oct 13).
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Motivation of Physical Activity Amongst College Students in Sierra Leone
The study consists of self-reported measures, which could lead to potential problem and or biasness in informed judgement with respect to scoring, interpretation and reporting of the survey outcome.
However, there were many other uncontrollable factors, which could affect college students’ self-decisions and self-efficacy to be physically active such as the unaffordability and unavailability of recreational and leisure centers, facilities and equipment, lack of interest in physical activity venture and lack of instruction, which will also affect the outcome of the research.
The study was an exploratory and comparative survey, focusing on the objectives and not an experimental or field research and or case study survey, which mostly focuses on hypothesis for the outcome. Hence, could also affect the outcome of the research.
And that the study was not a longitudinal study, but rather a cross-sectional comparative survey of data collection, measuring, scoring and evaluation, which could also affect the outcome of the research and could not also be sufficient for any generalisation.
However, the study did not focus on the comparative relationship analysis between the two theoretical frameworks i.e. the self-determination theory (SDT) and the transtheoretical model (TTM), but rather focused on the comparative descriptive analysis. Hence limited in informed judgement.
CONCLUSION
Behavioural Regulation in Exercise (BRE)
That intrinsic motivation was the one factor that the majority of the participants interviewed or questioned from Njala University under institution responded to, whereas identified and external regulations were the least responded to regarding behavioural regulation in exercise, especially participants from Njala University. And that more females responded positively to identified regulation in contrast to their male counterparts who responded more strongly to external regulation. That majority of the respondents from Eastern Polytechnic and females under sex, responded more in favour of identified regulation for physical activity.
Motives for Physical Activity (MPA)
That the greater majority of participants mostly from Njala University responded more positively to competence motive for physical activity as another form of intrinsic motivation for self-determination regarding motives for physical activity. That females responded more positively to fitness motive for self-determination under extrinsic motivation regarding motives for physical activity. That greater majority of respondents from Eastern Polytechnic under institution and males under sex, clearly responded more to appearance motive and social motive respectively under motives for physical activity.
Decisional Balance Scale (DBS)
That greater majority of participants mostly from Eastern Polytechnic under institution and mostly females under sex, responded more to the advantages (pros.) regarding decisional balance scale for physical activity.
Physical Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale (PESES)
That greater majority of participants mostly from Eastern Polytechnic under institution and females under sex, responded more positively with higher values in overcoming barriers to do physical activity. That greater majority of respondents from Njala University under institution and males under sex, responded with lower values compared to their counterparts regarding physical activity self-efficacy in overcoming barriers to do physical activity.
Physical Activity Status (PAS)
That greater majority of respondents from Eastern Polytechnic under institution and males under sex recorded higher values regarding physical activity not enough under physical activity status (PAS). And that an outstanding number of them from Njala University and females agreed more to physical activity venture on the average either under mild physical activity venture (MPAV-1) practiced weekly, on weekdays or on weekends, under moderate physical activity venture (MPAV-2) practiced weekly, on weekdays or on weekends or under vigorous physical activity venture (VPAV) practiced weekly, on weekdays or on weekends.
IMPLICATIONS
Overview for Research Implications
This study was a cross-sectional comparative survey of two tertiary institutions (i.e. Njala University and Eastern Polytechnic) in Sierra Leone with sampled size of five hundred participants whose motivation for physical activity have been measured, scored and evaluated through self-reported questionnaire that was developed and structured as the research instrument for the purpose of data collection for motivation of physical activity amongst college students in sierra leone. However, in accordance with the results of the finding and discussions thereafter, the following implications are forwarded for teaching of college students to be physically active by choice and freewill, and for future researchers.
Practical Implications
Practical implications are very eminent and highly and likely needed for detailed and more comprehensive implementations to be carried out in the domain of motivation of physical activity amongst college students within the rank and file of internally-determined factors under intrinsic motivation i.e. autonomy for improved individual self-efficacy and also within the rank and file of externally-determined factors under extrinsic motivation i.e. heteronomy for improved individual self-efficacy through self-determination theory (SDT). Also very eminent and highly and likely needed for detailed and more comprehensive implementation to be carried out in the domain of motivation of physical activity amongst college students within the rank and file of advantageously – determined factors under motivation due to incentives for improved individual self-efficacy and also within the rank and file of disadvantageously – determined factors under amotivation due to counterincentives) for improved individual decision for physical activity under barrier self-efficacy through transtheoretical model (TTM) regarding motivation of physical activity venture either: . under mild physical activity venture (MPAV-1) undertaking or planning to undertake weekly, on weekdays and on weekends, . under moderate physical activity venture (MPAV-2) undertaking or planning to undertake weekly, on weekdays and on weekends or. under vigorous physical activity venture (VPAV) undertaking or planning to undertake weekly, on weekdays and on weekends of college students in sierra leone using the following strategies:
- To allow students make choices (autonomy) on their own regarding physical activity venture [mild physical activity venture (MPAV-1), moderate physical activity venture (MPAV-2) and vigorous physical activity venture (VPAV)] they deemed physically active in.
- To monitor why students deemed necessary to make externally-determined choices (heteronomy) regarding physical activity venture [mild physical activity venture (MPAV-1), moderate physical activity venture (MPAV-2) and vigorous physical activity venture (VPAV)].
- To understand the major role played by governmental and non-government organizations in promoting physical activity standards in course programmes under physical health education to nurture sustainable, competence and high participation.
- To institute mandatory programme in physical health education across schools (pre school, primary school, junior high school – JSS and senior high school – SSS) and tertiary institutions (technical & vocational institutes, colleges, polytechnic and universities) to help educate on the pros (advantages) of physical activity venture (PAV) at all levels of students before graduation to guarantee motivation.
- To provide physiological and psychological support that would encourage and motivate college students’ participation in sustainable physical activity venture (SPAV) either under mild physical activity venture (MPAV-1), under moderate physical activity venture (MPAV-2) or under vigorous physical activity venture (VPAV) in sierra leone.
- To develop theoretical as well as practical intervention aimed at maintaining maximum participation of students’ physical activity venture (PAV) either under mild physical activity venture (MPAV-1), under moderate physical activity venture (MPAV-2) or under vigorous physical activity venture (VPAV) particularly the initial entry into all levels of learning institutions in sierra leone.
Directions for Future Research Directions for future research will expand on the motivation of physical activity venture (PAV) based on the relationships and levels of self-determination theory (SDT) and the transtheoretical model (TTM) under behavioural regulation in exercise (BRE), motives for physically activity (MPA), decisional balance scale (DBS), physical exercise self-efficacy scale (PESES) and weekly leisure time exercise (WLTE) with an increased in sampled participants in sierra leone. In that light, examining results of the finding within the context of its limitations however, provides recommendation and or directions for future research.
That a very eminent and highly and likely needed detailed and more comprehensive research be carried out in the domain of motivation of physical activity amongst college students in sierra leone within internally-determined factors under intrinsic motivation i.e. autonomy for individual self-efficacy and also within externally-determined factors under extrinsic motivation i.e. heteronomy for individual self-efficacy through self-determination theory (SDT). Also very eminent and highly and likely needed detailed and more comprehensive research to be carried out in the domain of motivation of physical activity amongst college students within advantageously-determined factors under motivation due to incentives for individual self-efficacy and also within disadvantageously-determined factors under amotivation due to counterincentives for individual barrier self-efficacy decision for physical activity venture (PAV) through transtheoretical model (TTM).
That a detailed and more comprehensive research be carried out amongst college students (covering more number of respondents and tertiary institutions in sierra leone) focusing purposely on the comparative relationship between the self-determination theory (SDT) and the transtheoretical model (TTM) regarding motivation of physical activity venture either: under mild physical activity venture (MPAV-1) undertaking or planning to undertake weekly, on weekdays and on weekends, under moderate physical activity venture (MPAV-2) undertaking or planning to undertake weekly, on weekdays and on weekends or. under vigorous physical activity venture (VPAV) undertaking or planning to undertake weekly, on weekdays and on weekends of college students in sierra leone.
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Motivation of Physical Activity amongst College Students in Sierra Leone. (2021, Oct 13).
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The Clinical Competencies Within Neonatal Physical Therapy
“Neonatal physical therapy is an advanced practice, subspecialty area within pediatric physical therapy. Pediatric physical therapists need post professional precepted training and experience before providing neonatal care, due to the structural, physiological, and behavioral vulnerabilities of neonates” . Clinical competencies for neonatal physical therapy practice are outlined according to roles, proficiencies, and knowledge areas. The unique role of the neonatal physical therapist is highlighted as a postural control and movement specialist within behavioral, environmental, and family contexts in the NICU. “Due to the direct contact involving examination, interpretation, interventions, as well as multiple adjustments of procedures, and sequences to minimize risk to infants who may be potentially unstable, physical therapist students or physical therapist assistants would not be able to conduct these examinations” .
“Further validation of the neonatal physical therapy competencies through a nation-wide practice analysis could provide an expanded framework for neonatology fellowship programs and for delineation of the practice”. “With technological advances in newborn medicine, infants with very low birth weight or acute illness are surviving. Most medically fragile newborns requiring intensive care are transported to tertiary care centers for specialized neonatal services, including physical therapy”. Therefore, there has been an increasing number of requests for neonatal physical therapy in the intensive care unit, due to the expanding number of premature infant cases.
The first 28 days of post-partum is considered the neonatal period. “Full-term infants are born with physiologic flexion as described earlier, a prime example of muscle tone developing in flexor muscles before extensor muscles. This results in generalized moderate flexion in all positions of the neonate, prone, supine, held in sitting, vertical or horizontal suspension, and held in standing”. Additionally, babies who are preterm display a loss of physiologic flexion. Preterm infants have a lack of flexor tone, creating limbs and a trunk that is relatively extended.
This requires a neonatal physical therapist to intervene and perform assessments and prioritize a plan of action, in regard to rehabilitation and accommodation. “The areas most unique to physical therapy include assessment and treatment of movement and postural dysfunction and pulmonary hygiene”. Prematurity is a serious public health concern affecting 1 in 9 infants, amounting to approximately half a million infants per year in the United States alone. Complications of premature birth can include long-term developmental problems, learning disabilities, motor delays, visual perception and impairment, visual-motor problems, executive functioning deficits, and cerebral palsy.
“The purpose of this document is to provide the APTA with a policy statement that defines competencies for therapists practicing in the NICU. Competent clinicians may not have formal training in all of the knowledge areas listed. However, the competent clinician seeks training in her or his areas of weakness, does not attempt to provide service to a client when her and his knowledge is insufficient to recognize the risks, and refers infants needing service to a competent clinician”. The future trends seen in pediatric physical therapy includes a more important role for physical therapist assistants; this includes pediatric education for the PTA, supervision and utilization of the PTA, and delegation of the tasks in pediatrics. “Some considerations to take into consideration for competence regarding pediatric physical therapy is the developing child, background and theory, pediatric evaluation for the PTA, the role of play in therapy for children, orthopedic disorders of childhood, and disorders of the developing hip”.
Providing a family-centered approach models the proper behavior for a rehabilitative intervention. “It is through responding appropriately to infant cues during care that development of behaviorally beneficial neuronal pathways is supported in the infant through modulation of the infant’s neurobehavior” . In this type of setting, there are many factors that contribute challenging obstacles not only for the infant but also the development of the parent-infant relationship. “In the NICU, the infant is exposed to fluctuations in noise levels, temperature, light, and schedules of evaluation and care. The infant may endure noxious stimuli, painful procedures, pharmacologic agents, and too much handling at times” . Naturally, it is common for families to undergo slight separation due to feelings of anxiety, fear, helplessness, loss of control, uncertainty, and worry.
These feelings of family bondage being threatened can impact the parent-infant interaction to a degree. This is where the physical therapist can intervene and provide relationship-based care to the family by fostering the parent-infant relationship. “One model for doing this is the hope-empowerment model by which the physical therapist builds a therapeutic partnership through collaboration with the parent to assist with coping and foster empowerment”. Physical therapists have the unique opportunity to collaborate with parents through instruction and guidance regarding infant handling and positioning, suitable developmental activities, and acknowledgement of infant cues and behavior.
Another important role physical therapists have in the NICU are instructing parents on how to safely handle and position their young infants with skill and confidence. “Learning and practicing these skills with a physical therapist may increase a parent’s ability to participate in infant care, and proponents of family-centered care advocate that appropriate parental involvement will benefit the current and future health of the infant” . “The Infant Care Path for Physical Therapy in the NICU indicates that techniques for facilitating a calm state and motor organization are appropriate throughout the NICU stay, but should be adapted appropriately as the infant develops, the infant-parent relationship grows, and discharge approaches” (Campbell, 2013). “A caring approach and good intentions do not substitute for focused, precepted clinical training in the range of competencies outlines for infant-centered and family-centered care” .
“Family-centered care is the foundation of pediatric physical therapy. Since a child is dependent on a caretaker, we must address both the child and the caretaker when we interact with a child receiving physical therapy” . “Early studies showed that is was difficult to achieve this role based upon white middle-class families, and little attention was paid to social or ethnic differences. Additionally, enhancing parents’ involvement us based on the assumption that the parents can participate in formal processes and, when necessary, draw on the availability of due process of the law. Family-centered care processes are also central to the development of the individualized family service plan (IFSP), the required documentation for early intervention” .
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The Clinical Competencies within Neonatal Physical Therapy . (2021, Oct 13).
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Neurological Disorders Treated with Physical Therapy
Neurological Disorders are diseases of the brain, spinal cord, and the connecting nerves. There are six hundred diseases of the nervous system affecting one in six of the world's population suffers from a neurological disorder. Physical therapy helps improve mobility, independence, and several other beneficial skills; therefore, physical therapy is one of the best way to treat and manage a neurological disorder. “A neurologically trained physical therapist will evaluate and treat people with movement problems related to disease or injury of the nervous system”.
A therapist has the chance to help a patient regain some if not most of the functions that were lost because of an injury; therefore, enabling the patient to live independently again . Patients who at some point in their life suffered from a neurological disease or injury; it is extremely important for the patients to participate in physical therapy . However, if physical therapy is not done after a neurological injury patients may lose many functions, may be unable to perform certain activities, or may lose their independence . Physical therapy is a key role in rehabilitating patients with diagnosed neurological disorders.
According to the American Physical Therapy Association, neurological physical therapy has become a subspecialty . Research has shown that physical therapy can prevent neurological problems from progressing. Patients at different stages of their neurological disorder. For example patients that start having symptoms or motor loss therapy can maintain mobility, and minimizing symptoms, or prevent the onset of symptoms. When patients have an onset of symptoms, therapy can help regain movement. Finally, after their symptoms have subsided, therapy can preserve their skills and abilities (Alterg). A ten to fifteen minute exercise routine creates an awakening in the brain .
Physical therapy gives a patient the opportunity to return back to his independent life or as close as he can get to his old life.One neurological disease is a stroke. In stroke rehabilitation the average therapy session is between one and eight minutes to treat the upper limbs; resulting in an average of thirty-two repetitions of task oriented movements per session . Therapist use practice to address target behaviors such as the following: identifying suitable patients for exercises with a screening tool, provision of supplementary self directed exercises, including family, and monitoring adherence to the exercises . Practise is a paper based tool kit and meeting between the research and therapy team to ensure the tool kit is embedded into routine practice . Patients are categorized with a flowchart as green, amber, or red based on their initial assessment . Green patients have upper limb impairment and active movement and would safely be able to complete self directed exercises independently. Next amber patients have upper limb impairment and active movement but require assistance in exercises. Finally, red patients have either no impairment of active movement in their upper limbs and are not suitable for exercise .
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disease of the nervous system that is marked by tremor, muscular rigidity, and slow, imprecise movement, it chiefly affecting middle-aged and elderly people. It is associated with degeneration of the basal ganglia of the brain and a deficiency of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Physical therapist manage gait disorders with three key elements . The first element involves teaching the person how to move more easily and to maintain postural stability by using cognitive strategies . The second element helps with management of secondary sequelae affecting the musculoskeletal and cardiorespiratory systems that occur as a result of deconditioning, reduced physical therapy activity, advanced age, and combination conditions. Finally, the third element is the promotion of physical activities that assist the person in making lifelong changes in exercise and physical activities habits as well as preventing falls .
Physical therapy for people with mild to moderate disease could incorporate practice daily up to three weeks, until the motor skill is acquired (par.9). Burst of therapy then could be provided two to three times per year to promote retention of training . Physical therapists should therefore consider taking different approaches to strategy training according to their disease severity.Traumatic brain injury occurs as a result of forces exerted on brain tissue. Common causes of TBI are falls, car accidents, blows to the head, and battlefield injuries . A closed injury is movement of the brain that causes damage even though the skull is in tact . A penetrating injury is damage caused by a wound that breaks through the skull such as a gunshot wound or a puncture by a sharp object. A few physical symptoms are weakness or difficulty moving the arms, legs, body, and head . The affected person may have difficulty sitting, standing, balancing, walking, lying down, and/or changing position in bed .
Physical therapists help people with TBI regain their physical function, relearn daily tasks, and restore their fitness and wellness. If a TBI has occurred, doctors conduct imaging studies to determine the parts of the brain that are injured or if there is any bleeding or fluid build-up that could be pressing on the brain tissue . The physical therapist works with the patient, family, and other health care providers to develop goals and and individualized treatment plan to address the challenged and functional limitations associated with the injury . The factors to consider when planning a treatment plan are the patient’s level of consciousness and the injuries from which the patient has suffered . There are different level of consciousness in which a patient can be . In a vegetative state, a patient has some basic brain functions, such as eye opening, a regular sleep cycle, and breathing and digestive functions; however, the patients are unaware of their surrounding activity.
During this phase the physical therapist helps with positioning the patient and uses equipment that will ensure proper posture and flexibility therefore reducing the likelihood of bed sores, and encourage responsiveness to the environment. In a minimally conscious state the patient starts showing beginning signs of awareness, but the responses are often not steady . During this phase the physical therapist helps with stretching,and positioning, while working with the patient to increase consistent responses to commands for movement and communications . As the patient becomes more conscious and able to more actively participate in physical therapy, the therapist will use a combination of exercise task specific training, patient and family education, and different types of equipment to help the patient improve .
If limitation prevent the return to preinjury activities, a physical therapist can help improve and master the use of equipment such as an ankle brace, a walker, or a wheelchair . Cerebral palsy is a condition marked by impaired coordination and/or other disabilities, typically caused by damage to the brain before or at birth. CP symptoms will appear by early childhood, and they include exaggerated reflexes, floppy or rigid limbs, and involuntary motions. Physical therapy can improve motor skills and can prevent movement problems from getting worse over time; therefore, implements strength and flexibility exercises, heat treatment, and special equipment can give children with cerebral palsy more independence . In order the keep the body strong and flexible therapy is used to improve mobility to prevent future issues such as contractured and joint dislocations . Therefore, therapy can improve the following coordination, balance, strength, flexibility, endurance, pain management, posture, gait, and overall health. Exercises vary each having its own benefit for each type of cerebral palsy.
For spastic cerebral palsy therapy can reduce muscle tension and jerky movements, and stretching can even relieve stiffness over time (par.5). For athetoid cerebral palsy therapy can increase muscle tone and gain control over their movements. Finally, ataxic cerebral palsy therapy can improve balance problems . There is also tailor treatment based on the location of the movement issue. A therapist has to evaluate the child’s movement problems to create a treatment plan, then a combination of exercises, muscle relaxing techniques, and special equipment is used to improve movement . Exercises are geared toward treating either high or low muscle tone . High muscle tone causes stiffness and spasticity, and low muscle tone causes to much flexibility and weakness in the muscles . Strength training exercises are used to increase muscle tone in people with athetoid cerebral palsy . Then, flexibility exercises and massages are used with spastic cerebral palsy to help improve mobility and prevent painful muscle tightening that could require surgical correction .
Special exercises are also used to help with walking, posture, transitional movements, and sensory impairments . Therapy changes with the patient’s needs; for example, therapy for toddlers focuses on playtime; this helps them overcome the reluctance to touch their face or practice certain movements that are necessary for learning and physical development . Young children ages five to twelve receive therapy help ensure they grow in a way that is conducive to their motor function and instills healthy habits and a proactive mindset . People suffering from a neurological disorder look to physical therapy to treat and manage their disorder while also improving their mobility, independence, and flexibility. Physical therapists will use several exercises to treat and manage neurological disorders. Stroke, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, and cerebral palsy limit a patient’s life by affecting the body’s nervous system. Therapy can ease patient’s life and help them regain some of their independence.
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Neurological Disorders Treated With Physical Therapy. (2021, Oct 13).
Retrieved November 3, 2025 , from
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Literature Review of Health Behaviors and Academic Success in Greek Communities
College is a time in life where young adults create and maintain health habits away from their pre-established health behaviors of home. Most college students make their own health decisions, make new friends, have peer pressure to participate in risky behaviors, and stress about school which can cause sleep troubles, irritable mood and many other issues that affect the health of students . For an estimated 1 million current students and roughly 9 million alumni the transition from home to college also includes membership in sororities or fraternities. However, students that make the choice to join a sorority or fraternity are not only subject to additional stress but also a community that has a reputation to participate in risky health behaviors. The idea that Greek members take more health risks is just a societal observation and a review of research is necessary to understand the difference in health behaviors and academic success between Greek communities and the rest of the student population . This review of research will not include Greek organizations that are merely student groups with greek names like academic societies, career specific groups or “social groups” that are not regulated or recognized by their university.
The two questions that this review will address are:
- How much more likely are Greek students to participate in risky health behaviors or experience health issues?
- Does being a member of a Greek Community improve or decrease student success?
Alcohol Use
The topic that has the most research and concern surrounding it in Greek communities, is the use of alcohol. In terms of alcohol use, one study’s results showed that greek members drank more alcoholic beverages on a typical drinking day and engaged in heavy episodic drinking more frequently compared to non-Greek members . Additionally, increased binge drinking was particularly prevalent in greek affiliated seniors and was seen in members in both sororities and fraternities . There was strong evidence to conclude that the higher rates of alcohol use were not a result of gender differences and were not affected by previous drinking habits in high school, and rather a result of socialization and acclimating to a culture that already exists.
Another study that looked at the perceived drinking norms in Greek life found that fraternity men in their first year reported a higher average number of drinks per week and that the relationship between perceived pledge class drinking behavior and alcohol dependence was significantly stronger for men than for women. Additionally, the study found that the relationship between alcohol use, (current and future) alcohol-related negative consequences and dependence symptoms was stronger for women than for men. This means while men report perceiving their chapters drinking more often, women perceive more negative consequences and dependance symptoms as a result of drinking. It is important to note that this study was focused on perceptions of alcohol use, negative consequences, and dependance symptoms within their peer group.
A study looking at the role of Greek organizations in determining both drinking habits during college and the years after graduation states that heavy drinking associated with collegiate Greek involvement, generally, does not lead to sustained heavy drinking later in life and that the social environment of Greek houses is an important determinant of the heavy drinking associated with collegiate Greek involvement . Moreover, leaving college decreases heavy drinking relatively quickly, within the first three years after graduation, which suggests that leaving the sorority and fraternity environment is an important determinant of drinking habits. These results are important because they reveal that Greek affiliation does not have lasting effects on the alcohol use of member after their college years. The issues greek organizations face are the result of norms which can be improved to be healthier.
Another study looked at the use of protective behavioral strategies (PBS) among Greek members. PBS are harm reduction approaches, rather than educational or abstinence methods, that utilize promotion of behaviors designed to decrease alcohol-related harm and minimize blood alcohol concentration, such as pacing the speed at which one drinks. In other studies, PBS has been proven to decrease the negative consequences of drinking and create a healthier attitude. The study found that fraternity and sorority membership was associated with less PBS utilization and more experiences of alcohol-related consequences. Additionally, Killos and Keller (2012) asserted that there are two types of fraternity and sorority drinkers and that these groups employ different forms of PBS. For example, low-quantity drinkers typically use strategies designed to minimize number of drinks consumed , while high-quantity drinkers are more likely to employ strategies designed to minimize harm. These strategies that prevent negative consequences of drinking are vital to encouraging a healthy drinking culture in Greek communities given the previously stated research that finds Greek communities foster a culture of heavy drinking.
Tobacco and Other Drug Use
While alcohol receives the most fame as a health issue in greek communities on college campuses, the health behaviors involving tobacco products, recreational drugs, pain relievers and stimulants should not be overlooked. According to a thirteen institution study, greek affiliated student are more likely to be current smokers and smokeless tobacco users compared to the non affiliated student population. Greek members develop and maintain habits of tobacco use early on in their college career, but unlike alcohol, these college habits can lead to lifetime habits. In a study of eight colleges, the most commonly indicated factor for tobacco use is fraternity or sorority membership, second only to being friends with people who smoked . Greek affiliated smokers do not smoke more cigarettes per day than non Greek affiliated smokers.
However, this research may be misconstrued by the fact that some sorority and fraternity members differentiate between “being a smoker” and “only smoking at parties” or “only smoking when drinking”. In fact, one study stated that most fraternity men said that smoking was only acceptable while at a party and while drinking, and that outside of that context smoking was not acceptable . The wording in the surveys that studies rely upon may not reflect this difference and affect how students answer, as the surveys commonly ask about behavior in the last week which may have included a party environment. It is estimated that only 10% of Greeks are actual smokers while 60-70% are social smokers or party smokers .
Greek affiliated students, particularly men, reported more habitual and recent use of marijuana and other drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy, non prescription stimulants and hallucinogens . A 2005 study looking at the use of prescription stimulants such as Ritalin, Dexedrine, and Adderall, reported that greek students drug usage was higher than non members’ usage . A 2014 study showed that fraternity members were slightly more likely to report marijuana use . Being a fraternity/sorority member is considered a risk factor for using a hallucinogen called Salvia divinorum with other risk factors being male, white and other risky alcohol and drug use .
There is also evidence that sorority and fraternity members’ rates of drug use increase even further when they live within the chapter house . Research also gives a glimpse into why drug use rate are higher with greek communities, particularly when it comes to prescription stimulants. Interviews with fraternity men found that the majority of first-time uses occurred during times of high academic stress during the semester . Prescription stimulant users justify their use by saying that they reduce fatigue, increase comprehension and improve memory and focus. These perceived academic benefits combined with easy access and lack of health related information of the effect of these drugs make fraternity members more likely to report use of these stimulants.
Body Image and Eating Disorders
Overall, the literature concerning eating disorders and body image are conflicted, with some studies saying that sorority and fraternity members are more likely to develop an eating disorder or have an unhealthy body image and other studies that state that these rates do not differ from rates found in the total student population. One study found that there were no differences found between Greek and non-Greek members on eating behaviors, number of caffeinated beverages consumed, and number of hours spent exercising. However, Greeks reported sleeping significantly more than non-Greeks. However, studies do agree that greek students do feel more pressure to be perfect, and this expectation can have an effect on body image and eating and exercise habits. Fraternity and sorority members are more at risk for using unhealthy means to achieve perfection such as diet pills, intense dieting or smoking to lose weight . While many studies focus on the cause and effect of greek membership on body image and disordered eating, one study suggests that sororities might be environments that foster these behaviors and women who are “predisposed to body objectification and more susceptible to social pressures may be attracted to sororities”
Academic Success
Research seems conflicted on if greek membership has no effect on GPA, other academic factors or if membership decreases academic success. A 2004 study suggests that fraternities and sororities do not promote an anti intellectual culture as first year and senior greek students were equally as academically engaged as their non greek peers. In one study greek members were equal with their non affiliated peers in academic factors such as “time spent with faculty members, time spent preparing for class, number of books read, number of essay exams completed, and number of term papers/written reports completed”.
Other measures of academic involvement such as library use, time spent writing, and use of math and science reasoning were also comparable with non greek students. Additionally, greek members had the same likelihood as attending social, cultural and political events . This same study found that greek membership had a relationship with decreased semester grades in senior year . However, a 2003 study showed opposite results, as it reported that educational benefits of greek memberships were greater for seniors than first year students and that seniors are more active and collaborative in the classroom as well as interact more with faculty members . Additionally, research on the effects of greek membership on GPA and overall college satisfaction differs between sorority and fraternity membership.
For females, sorority membership shows an increase in both GPA and college satisfaction, which may increase retention and graduation rates. On the flip side, men in fraternities report higher college satisfaction, but lower grades . Many studies find that fraternity and sorority members show increased volunteerism, feelings of civic responsibility, willingness to donate to charities, involvement in student organizations, and overall campus involvement in terms of hours per a week spent on these activities .“Overall, the research of educational benefits or shortcomings of [fraternities] and sororities are inconclusive, however the research is somewhat limited and individual campuses differ depending on the size, culture and administrative leadership” .
Safe Sex Practices, Sexual Aggression and Rape
Research on sensitive issues such as safe sex practices and rape can be difficult to conduct and results could be misleading because research relies on self-reporting . A review of research from 1996 to 2013, shows a positive relationship between sorority membership and sexual assault but the cause of this relationship is unclear. Some studies relate this relationship to higher alcohol consumption, close relationships with fraternity men and living in close proximity to a college campus, but they speculate there are more factors that are unknown. . “Mohler Kuo, Dowdall, Koss, and Weschler (2004) publicized the staggering statistics that sorority members were 74% more likely to experience rape than were other college women and those who lived in the sorority house were three times as likely to experience rape as those who lived elsewhere.
Considering the link between frequent contact and relationships with fraternity men with sexual assault, one study found that 52% of fraternity men self-reported being sexually aggressive in the past year, compared with 36% of non fraternity men . This causes researchers to ask why fraternity men seem to be more sexually aggressive and research has found the main predictor to be rape myth beliefs.
Higher rape myth belief (rape-supportive beliefs) is usually associated with fraternity members’ use of degrading images of women, violent “pornography, sexual ideology, masculinity, and degrading initiation and hazing rituals” . One study suggests that the reported feelings of being unsafe at fraternity parties not only stems from higher perceptions of risk of sexual assault but also sorority women use of fraternities as a party environment. Men are in control of the environment including party themes (which can be manipulated to be degrading to the women who attend
. Expectations for sex are “intensified by men’s position as hosts and women’s as grateful guests” . This environment fosters high alcohol use which in conjunction with party themes and rape myth beliefs creates a dangerous culture . However, there is research to support that fraternities as a whole are not the problem as there are high risk fraternities and low risk fraternities. Theses differences in risk exist within and between campuses and those that were low risk do not differ from nonmembers in support of rape beliefs or sexual aggression. This shows that the mentality towards women and rape in high risk fraternities can be changed to create a safer and healthier community.
When looking at safe sex practices, research shows that there is no significant difference between sorority and fraternity members and nonmembers in use of birth control and condoms or in number of sexual events. Additionally, greek members do not have higher rates of reported STDs but this non-?nding may re?ect the fact that most college students do not have tests performed frequently for STDs, and that many STDs are asymptomatic. .
Conclucion
Although much of the research on greek communities is difficult to apply broadly as they are often single institution studies, the literature finds many benefits and problems with fraternity and sorority membership. Benefits include higher likelihood of graduation, increased hours spent in community and campus involvement and gains in socially responsible leadership. However, there are many health behaviors that should be improved such as alcohol use, tobacco and other drug use, GPA, and sexually assault rates. Many studies suggest that university and individual chapter advisors should work together to create programs that will focus on improving health behaviors and student academic success that will make greek communities healthier.
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Literature Review of Health Behaviors and Academic Success in Greek Communities . (2021, Oct 13).
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Academic Teaching does not Prepare Students for Life
School systems today seem more focused on test scores and college credits rather than teaching resume building or taking out a loan. Due to this, many students leave high school lacking basic and necessary life skills. This has left several young adults at higher risk for weight gain, financial instability, and the incompetence to properly communicate. In order to maintain a more stable and sufficient society, high schools should require students to take life skills courses, making life skills courses a mandatory part of the curriculum.
Kids who do not know how to cook tend to eat out more. Most food that is affordable today is packed with excessive levels of preservatives, sugars, sodium, and many other unhealthy substances. I have seen this lead to weight gain and negative long-term health effects, such as gluten intolerance. In today’s society, fast food is a major cause of American obesity, and fast food is a typical go-to source of fuel for young adults who are uneducated on how to cook. My good friend Sullivan, who recently left for college, was incapable of cooking a proper meal. He ended up going out to the closest fast food chain by his dorm room every day for three weeks, causing him to gain 15 pounds before he realized he needed to learn to cook. Gaining that much weight in such a short period of time is bad for both physical and emotional health. Eating out can get expensive and, on average, is more expensive than cooking at home. This pattern of eating out could potentially lead to financial issues as well.
In today’s society, teenagers are not taught how to manage their money and balance their checkbooks. Most of my fellow peers do not even know what a checkbook is. Young adults are expected to know how to do all of these small yet significant things by the time they graduate and move off on their own, but when did they have time and whose responsibility was it to teach them? A close friend of mine’s parents were not taught how to manage their money at a young age and now live paycheck-to-paycheck working multiple occupations just to put food on the table. Financial instability occurs frequently amongst society, when adolescents are not taught at a reasonable age how to oversee their finances, they can suffer long-term anxiety and hardships. If financial skills were a part of the mandatory curriculum, this family would have had a more relaxed life, not stressing the high risk of bankruptcy.
Another problem with the academic teachings in school systems are the focus of mandatory requirements instead of enhancing the importance of social interactions. Even when life skills classes are offered as electives, most students cannot fit them into their schedules. I take mostly college classes. I feel pressure to take these high-level courses because in today’s society, if I choose to take a more relaxed schedule, I will fall behind. In high school, students are pressured into scoring well on standardized proctored exams in order to advance. But, does teaching about the square root of pi truly promote a majority of student’s functionality in the real world? Educational systems focus more on a GPA and a class rank than they do on the basic knowledge of social skills. Being able to communicate verbally is an extremely vital part of today’s growing communities. Students today spend more time cramming for exams and mindlessly reading textbooks than they do absorbing and engaging in everyday conversations. To fully succeed in life, you must know how to properly communicate, how to solve problems in efficient ways, and how to make logical decisions.
On the contrary, many people feel strongly that schools are only meant to prepare their students for college, while the responsibility of teaching life skills should fall to parents or legal guardians. The states and public school systems are resource constraint and cannot be expected to do everything for their students. Schools were designed as academic institutions and are therefore serving their purpose. Parenthood, as believed by many, involves attempting to prepare your child to become functioning and independent members of society.
However, with busy work schedules, parents are not always available to be teaching their children these imperative life skills. The majority of students are at school longer than they are at home. As a result, students would benefit from learning life skills during school hours.
In this world, school systems focus more on the content that will help students pass exams rather than what will actually help their students succeed in life. Students are taught so much academia in such little time, but end up forgetting it all because it has no importance in their day-to-day lives. Implementing basic life skills with teachings could create a more understanding, stable and proficient society. Knowing basic life skills can help an individual find balance, succeed and become capable of taking on additional new and challenging tasks.
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Exploring Northern Territory – Alice Springs and Uluru
The vast land of Northern Territory is unodubtedly a great insipration for travelers. Visitors will certainly head to Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs, the most populated areas and important points of interest. However, these ancient lands inhabited by Aborigines tens of thousands years ago still preserve wide range of the Aboriginal culture and over 80 different languages that people still speak. What you should certainly do is to learn about the unique wildlife, local history, Indigineous art and culture with mystic ancient stories.
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Places To Visit In Alice Springs
Alice Springs is a good starting point for you Northern Territory adventure. MacConnell Ranges and the outback around the town will help you feel the true Dreamtime spirit of Mparntwe, the Arrernte (local people) name for the town. Try to connect with land the way the Arrenrnte people do. The Alice Wanderer bus will take you across the town to unocover historic sites of the first settlers.
In hot desert climate, cool interior of numerous museums in Alice Springs is undoubtedly tempting. Certainly, this is not the reason you will visit them. They offer a great insight into different aspects of Australian life. In the Museum of Central Australia, you can learn much about the evolution of the flora and fauna on the continent.
The Central Australian Aviation Museum displays historical airplanes as well as the planes that the Royal Flying Doctor Service used to reach the most remote patients.
Women’s Museum of Australia will help you understand the challenges the women in the area had to face. You can learn about educational challenges for school children in these remote areas at the School of the Air Visitor Centre.
Aboriginal art galleries are a treat no matter whether you are an art-lover or not. Nobody can resist the impressive colorful designes. These are also the places to chat with local Indigenous artists. You should certainly visit Araluen Arts centre in Alice Springs and see contemporary Australian and Indigenous art.
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Northern Territory For Families
Alice Springs Desert Park reveals the variety of wildlife right in the city. Just a ten-minute drive from the city centre will enable you to spend time with dingoes, red kangaroos, emus, thorny devils and birds of pray. Kids will also learn about poisonous snakes and other interesting reptiles in Alice Springs Reptile Centre. What can be more fun than seeing various lizards, an olive python and Terry the saltwater crocodile?
Your kids will never forget a visit to an aboandoned joeys sanctuary near Alice Springs. These baby kangaroos found by the roadside live in The Kangaroo Sanctuary where you can see the little creatures wrapped in blankets and feed them.
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Visiting Uluru
The stunning rocks of Uluru or Ayers Rock is worth all the effort of traveling to the land Down Under. The gigantic formation are believed by Indigenious Australians to be the centre of all Dreaming. Ulru is UNESCO World Heritage listed site, for both ecological and cultural value.
You can fly direct to Ayers Rock Airport and stay in a hotel in Ayers Rock Resort. Instead, you can take a bus from Alice Springs. You will understand the Red Centre better if you hire a car and drive from Alice Springs.
Grown-ups and kids will enjoy this extraordinary place alike. However, don’t expect to climb the spiritualy significant rocks of the Anangu community. You can just circumnavigate it on foot. There are Rangers Walk and Mala Walk. You can also take a camel-train tour to witness the most mangificent sunsrises and sunsets with light glowing across Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit Kata Tjuta, another impressive rock formation.
The man-made wonder the Field of Light is still waiting for you by the end of 2020 – one of the largest light installations in Austalia ever.
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Hidden Gems In The Northern Territory
Outside the town you will admire spectacular landscapes and take a ride to remote communities. Riding a bike to Simpsons Gap, a working cattle station, a kamel trek across sand dunes of the Simpsons Desert, driving along Tanami Track and visiting sites near St Teresa, a small Aboriginal community are some of the activities.
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Where To Find Accommodation?
It is easy to find accommodation that best suits your style and your planned expences. You can choose between luxury hotels and budget-friendly hostels.
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What To Eat?
You will find excellent dining options. You should try Barramundi, a tasty fish, Mud crabs, crocodile meat and soda bread. If you like something sweet, try kakadu plum jam, quandong (local peach). Have a cup of Bush tea or Paul’s Iced Coffee.
- Useful Tips For First-Timers to the Northern Territory
- It would be nice to buy local clothes and art to help the local community.
- Look at the weather forecast carefully and take appropiate clothes.
- You should drink enough water, especially if you spend time outdoors.
- What Is The Best time To Visit The Northern Territory?
Northern Territory is divided into two climate zones. Central regions with Alice Springs are dry and visitors can expect the average of 20oC – 35oC in the summer months and 3oC – 20oC in the winter.
- Public Transportation In the Northern Territory
You can easily reach the area by frequent flights from the coastal cities. Having arrived, you can use inter-city bus services to travel across the country.
Conclusion
Visiting Northern Territory will certainly be one of the best experiences of your life. So why don’t you start packing right now?
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Academic Accommodations for Specific Learning Disorders
Adults with SLDs in higher education are more likely than their peers to encounter problems understanding lectures and performing well on assessments, experience greater anxiety as a result and are at greater risk of discontinuing study . Education providers are legally mandated to make “reasonable adjustments” that ensure students with disabilities such as SLDs are able to participate “on the same basis as a student without a disability”. Academic accommodations are one such adjustment that benefit students with SLDs and involve modifications to the way students are required to learn or be assessed. Given reading disorders are the most prevalent of the SLDs , this review will summarise the main accommodations recommended for these disorders, as well as considerations surrounding their use.
Additional time in exams is the most common accommodation granted for SLDs . For students with a reading disorder, additional time is granted to ensure their exam performance reflects the construct the exam is designed to assess (e.g. their understanding of philosophy), rather than their reading ability. While additional time on tests has been shown to benefit people with reading disorders , like many accommodations, it is not free from controversy. Some argue, for example, granting additional time to students with SLDs is unfair to others, as other students have also been shown to benefit from additional time, a finding which suggests additional time may provide advantages beyond merely compensating for learning impairments .
There also remains controversy over exactly how much time should be granted. A general rule of thumb of time and one-half to double time has been identified as a valid starting point . Others argue only 25% additional time is required . Given the considerable variation in the time students with SLDs take to complete tasks , others have recommended a more idiographic approach that considers four key factors: the typical amount of time the client takes to complete a task compared to what’s considered average, the characteristics of any given exam, the client’s individual academic and cognitive presentation, as well as any other limitations or contextual factors evident in their clinical history.
Read-aloud accommodations that transform text into audio are another common accommodation recommended for people with SLDs . While studies have shown text-to-speech translator software can benefit students with reading disorders, a recent review found only a small effect size of these aids overall and called for more empirical studies to evaluate their efficacy . Support tutors are another more intensive option that has been shown to benefit people with reading disorders . Tutors work with students to help them develop optimal ways of studying given their individual difficulties.
In summation, providing academic accommodations to people with SLDs in higher education is crucial to ensuring they have the same chance of succeeding as their peers. This said, there remain valid concerns about the appropriateness of certain accommodations and clinicians need to be careful to make reasonable recommendations that are sensitive to the individual needs of the client and the empirical efficacy of any accommodation being considered.
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- McLoughlin, D., & Leather, C. (2013). The Dyslexic Adult: Interventions and Outcomes – An Evidence-based Approach. UK: BPS Blackwell.
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- Perelmutter, B., McGregor, K. K., & Gordon, K. R. (2017). Assistive Technology Interventions for Adolescents and Adults with Learning Disabilities: An Evidence-Based Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Comput Educ, 114, 139-163. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2017.06.005
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The Practice of Academic Advising: an Inquiry of Supervisors’ Perception of Graduate Writing
Academic writing is one of the most important tools in human history and it is the backbone of cumulative knowledge. The status of academic writing in Turkey is a problematic area, in this respect, there are meaningful improvement points in terms of uniqueness . Even though the quantity of works increases through the years, the lack of quality is still an issue. The reason behind it, is the problematic relationship that constructs with writing itself. This concern isn’t only related to the Guidance and Psychological Counseling department, but all fields.
Actors of writing can vary and some of them are masters and Ph.D. students. These graduate students have a unique role in ensuring continuity of academia with their graduate writings. In that sense, supervisors of graduate students have an important part in this process. Understanding the attitude and thought of supervisors can be a significant contribution to the solution of the problem. The aim of this study is to understand the viewpoints, thoughts, and experiences of supervisors towards the graduate writing process.
Literature Review
In the field, there are different methods of teaching writing. Also there are certain debates and various researches about the academic environment. Because of that in this literature review first I mention the teaching writing methods and the genre, then I will continue with some researches about academic environments.
On Teaching Writing and Genre
In analyzes the effect of process and product writing in Malaysian schools. As they tell, the product approach, most used approach among others. In their work teachers mention, they do not prefer the process approach because of its workload. Also they mentioned that merging both of them is useful for students’ skill levels .
At the work of Chunling & Guoping (2009) they use a process approach in both minimal and maximal control of the teacher, in the use of teaching writing. While both groups have significant improvement, the control group shows less improvement.
Badger and White (2000), explains the product, process, and genre-based approaches in the teaching of writing. They emphasize that a product-oriented approach based on knowledge, the form of language also heavily relies on the teachers’ materials. The student basically copies the teacher. When it comes to the process approach, it is based on lingual skills and writing skills. Also it can ignore the context. Lastly, the genre approach, it has product approach resemblances. In the genre approach, we see that, even though learning by imitation occurs, also understanding for executing the regulations is important as well .
When it comes to the matter of genre, Carolyn R. Miller (1984) argues “I will be arguing that a rhetorically sound definition of the genre must be centered not on the substance or the form of discourse but on the action it is used to accomplish.” . Furthermore, she gives genre as “typified rhetorical actions based in recurrent situations”. Also she naturally emphasizes the social side of the genre like she says “number of genres currently in any society is indeterminate and depends upon the complexity and diversity of the society.”
Rhetoric as a subject and the relation to writing is not a new topic for academia. According to Zerba argues in her work about Aristotle’ Rhetoric, “Thus Aristotle’s explicit endorsement of the model in the introductory chapters of his Rhetoric is expected: he claims that the aim of rhetoric is to show the facts, ‘what is or is not, what has or has not happened.’ ”
In Dewitt’s study, she criticizes, tying up the genre to the product base concept that is more relevant to reading than writing. Dewitt tries to bring a new view to the genre and she found the old view problematic. Old view limits the author in terms of sameness and obliged the authentic authors to cross the line. In her new view, the genre is dynamic rather than static, in her words:
In sum, genre is a dynamic response to and construction of recurring situation, one that changes historically and in different social groups, that adapts and grows as the social context changes. This new conception of genre has managed to overcome several dichotomies in our understanding of language use and writing.
In Research Environments
McAlpine and Amundsen (2011) ”Regardless of your country of origin, you have likely heard concerns being expressed about doctoral education”. It seems Motta-Roth as an academician who has similar problems with her students and she finds the solution by opening an academic writing course . In her course, students look for context, text, the relation between them, genre and they start to create . In the implications section, she argues “Novice writers can be educated to develop an academic identity by helping them to decide what to write, to whom, and for what purpose.” .
In the interviews, McAlpine and Amundsen made, with doctoral supervisor and they argue that:
Traditionally, the focus of doctoral programs has been to prepare researchers and, in North America, often to prepare them to teach undergraduates. However, we see no evidence of preparing individuals for supervision or for academic career development more generally. While addressing the present needs of pre-tenure academics is essential, rethinking doctoral pedagogies would also appear important.
Paré emphasizes the deprivation of knowledge about the rules of academic writing itself (p.66). Also, he argues that most of the supervisors have no proper preparation for this specific duty . Also Paré, Starke-Meyerring, and McAlpine draw attention to the Ph.D. period, people can not experience a clear process, instead they learn by making mistakes without directions.
Methods
This is qualitative research. To understand the phenomenon of graduate writing I did an in-depth interview with one of the main actors in graduate writing. During the process ? use a semi-structured interview form and record them.
Participants
The academicians come from different departments of education with different years in the field, respectively. Thus some of the academicians have a few advising experiences to graduate level, while some of them are much older in this regard. I made 10 interviews with academicians of faculties of education. In a total of interviews, I visited 2 universities in ?stanbul about related issues of this study. The supervisors in this research are from the following departments: 1 Guidance and Psychological Counseling, 1 Special Education, 1 Elementary Teacher Education, 1 Turkish Language Teaching, 1 Social Studies Teacher Education, 3 Mathematics Teacher Education, 1 Science Teacher Education, and 1 Chemistry Education.
Instrumentation and Procedure
I use semi-structured interview forms from Ziya Toprak’s research “Academic Writing and The Experiences of Graduate Students and Supervisors/Advisors: The Case of Educational Studies” for conducting in-depth interviews. Academicians who accept interviews also sign “Information Consent Form” for confidentiality and their consent. I made interviews with volunteer supervisors who accepted my interview proposal. Interviews are face to face and recorded with a voice recorder app. After I made the interviews, I formed the transcriptions, I used content analysis by creating codes for labeling the contents in transcription and finding mutual themes. Analyzes made in MAXQDA 2020.
There are 19 questions in the form and these are their department, study of the field, academic area of interests, how much of their work is with graduate-level students, and the approximate number of thesis they supervised. After that, there are questions about students “How do they decide on students?” and “Do they take any part of the subject selection and how?”. Then, how do they define their own supervision practice?”.What do they take heed of when they give feedback? Are they reading all of the thesis and what kind of feedback do they give and which frequency?
Afterward 2 questions about the mechanism of the process. What is the function of the Thesis monitoring committee? What do they think about bureaucratic necessities? The remaining questions are about writing. Do their programs give courses about academic writing? In that sense, the courses in their program are effective in terms of academic writing? Lastly we talk about their viewpoint toward academic graduate writing. I asked about what are the characteristics of graduate writing and what their definition is. Are writing and research related topics? What is the connection? Where do you put the writing in the thesis process? Lastly, what do you wish to change in academic writing and academy?
Results
This study aims to understand the supervisors’ thoughts and attitudes toward graduate writing. For this purpose, the qualitative structure is used with the methods that are seen in phenomenological researches. Study results in this section gathered by reading the prepared transcriptions repeatedly for showing the common themes in interviews.
I asked the supervisors “Do students have a course about academic writing?”. Except for one interview, I see that they don’t have a special course about that. Also when I asked them “Is there a relationship between writing and making research?” the majority of them give positive answers.
In conclusion, at the research I conduct, I made in-debt interviews with various academicians who supervised graduate students in master and doctoral level. They are from different departments of education faculties. Their advising styles vary from supervisor to supervisor. According to my in-debt interviews Even though most supervisors emphasize the relation between making research and writing, it seems that in graduate programs of education faculties have suffered the absence of academic writing programs. In addition, it looks like the majority of feedback is far from the writing of the graduate students, in terms of relevance.
According to in-debt interviews I conducted, as a result, we see that:
The majority of the supervisors who worked with graduate students emphasize the relation between writing and making research. Still, the majority of the programs don't have a course for academic writing. In total, the majority of the feedback given by supervisors is more relevant to the structure of the thesis than the writing of graduate students.
Discussion
We see that lack of academic writing in educational faculties is a widespread problem. Contradictory most of the academicians accept the inevitable relation between writing and research. Lastly and unfortunately, the majority of supervisors focus on the form of the thesis rather than the writing itself.
In line with this research lack of education about academic writing and quality of theses in Turkey, show consistency together. Also according to feedback types of supervisors, we can say the product-based approach more adopted by the supervisors of today. Even so, we can see the academicians internalize the importance of writing and see the problem.
Product-oriented feedback without process based teaching is not helping the graduate students in terms of gaining identity as an author. This situation just teaches them the limitations of their creativity. Graduate students of today are the supervisors of tomorrows. Because of that, the problems of today are carrying bigger concerns. So the solutions to these problems are the biggest necessity.
In that sense, unique academic writing courses that carry the needs of departments specifically are the most important requirement. Expecting quality to the people who do not take specific education is a contradictory situation. Number of master and doctoral students who have to learn like trial and error might decrease in that way. Also this can be able to fasten the feedback process. For the students, that kind of academic course also has the potential to understand the academic environment. They would be more conscious around them. Thus their academic identity developed as an academic writer and they will have higher chance to create more authentic works
Last but not least, the relation between writing and making a research is an important topic for understanding the role of the author, because even though literature is for reading we shouldn’t forget literature is authors’ works. Agreement between reader and author can be changed according to time, culture, and context. Because of that, these rules are for these 2 subjects, not for bookshelves. For that reason the identity of the authors and their ability to write, matters. So feedback should be more related to writing rather than form of the text. In addition to that authors should understand the context they are in, but they shouldn’t be restricted by them.
Throughout research I was curious about the reactions of academicians towards deficiency of academic writing courses. For further research, the coping methods of academicians can be valuable for research. What are they doing specifically for enhance the writing of students in other courses? Also as a limitation, this research can be expanded through other faculties. In addition to that comparison between young and old academicians would be valuable in terms of seeing any possible change in methods.
At last, this research was made for understanding the phenomenon of graduate writing. For this purpose I made interviews with supervisors to understand their perspective. Result of it I observe consistency between the situation in Turkey and possible reasons for it. So according to problems I see, I also realize possible solutions.
References
- Ayd?n, G., & Baysan, S. (2018). Perceptions of postgraduate students on academic writing skills: a metaphor analysis study. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 14(2), 212-239.
- Badger, Richard & White, Goodith. (2000). A process genre approach to teaching writing. ELT Journal. 54. 10.1093/elt/54.2.153.
- Chunling, Sun & Guoping, Feng. (2009). Process Approach to Teaching Writing Applied in Different Teaching Models. English Language Teaching. 2. 10.5539/elt.v2n1p150.
- Devitt, Amy J. (1993) Generalizing about Genre: New Conceptions of an Old Concept. College Composition and Communication, 44:4, 573-586.
- McAlpine, L., & Amundsen, C. (2011b). To Be or Not to Be? The Challenges of Learning Academic Work. In L. McAlpine & C. Amundsen (Authors), Doctoral education: Research-based strategies for doctoral students, supervisors and administrators (p. 2). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.
- McAlpine, L., & Amundsen, C. (2011a). New Academics as Supervisors: A Steep Learning Curve with Challenges, Tensions. In L. McAlpine & C. Amundsen (Eds), Doctoral education: Research-based strategies for doctoral students, supervisors and administrators (p. 52). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.
- Miller, Carolyn. (1984). Genre as Social Action. Quarterly Journal of Speech 70. 151-167. 10.1080/00335638409383686.
- Motta-Roth, D. (2010). The Role of Context in Academic Text Production and Writing Pedagogy. In C. Bazerman, A. Bonini, & D. Figueiredo (Eds), Genre in a changing world (pp. 317-318). West Lafayette, IN, Colorado: Parlor Press and the WAC Clearinghouse.
- Paré, A. (2011). Speaking of writing: Supervisory feedback and the dissertation. In L. McAlpine & C. Amundsen (Eds.), Doctoral education: Research-based strategies for doctoral students, supervisors and administrators (pp. 66-71). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.
- Starke-Meyerring, D., Paré, A., Artemeva, N., Horne, M., Yousoubova, L., Paré, A., … McAlpine, L. (2011). Knowledge and Identity Work in the Supervision of Doctoral Student Writing: Shaping Rhetorical Subjects. In Writing in Knowledge Societies (p. 217). Fort Collins, CO: WAC Clearinghouse. Retrieved from https://wac.colostate.edu/docs/books/winks/winks.pdf
- Thulasi, Sarala & Hj Salam, Abdul Rahim & Ismail, Fauziah. (2014). Comparative Analysis of Process Versus Product Approach of Teaching Writing in Malaysian Schools: Review of Literature. Middle East Journal of Scientific Research. 22. 789-795. 10.5829/idosi.mejsr.2014.22.06.21943.
- TOPRAK, Z. (2017). Türkiye’de Akademik Yaz?: ?ntihal ve Özgünlük. Bo?aziçi Üniversitesi E?itim Dergisi, 34 (2), 1-12. Retrieved from http://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/buje/issue/37026/424743
- Zerba, M. L. (1990). Aristotle's Rhetoric: Theory, Truth, and Metarhetoric. UC Berkeley: Department of Classics. Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3mt6v449
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The Practice of Academic Advising: An Inquiry of Supervisors' Perception of Graduate Writing. (2021, Oct 13).
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Academic Readiness and Ability Grouping
1. Intro: Academic Readiness
When I first came to my current district I was introduced to the term, “academic readiness.” At first it seemed like a great philosophy and a major part of the district approach to personalized learning. The idea is to assign students to teachers and classes (K-8) based on their current academic readiness. The question is then, what determines academic readiness? Academic readiness in the Johnson Creek School District is determined by triangulating three different student data points. By using multiple sources of data, the homogeneity of groups can be reduced .
The first piece of data that is analyzed is the student’s MAP scores. The MAP Test is an adaptive test that students take on a computer. Questions are randomly given to students based on the success or failure of the previous question. This helps then identify more accurately where each individual student is currently performing in specific subjects/ standards. As students continue to move through our district this is also looked at as progression over time vs. their latest score. Students in the Johnson Creek School District take the MAPS Test three times per year (Fall, Winter, & Spring). The second piece of data is the student’s latest Forward (Wisconsin’s Standard Exam) exam score.
The Forward Exam is given to students in grades 3-8 (10th grade takes the social studies portion) between the middle of March and early May. The final piece of data is collected from the teachers’ assessments and the student’s proficiency profile (SPP). The SPP is a graphical and text reporting tool on the level of proficiency students have shown in the course and grade standards. The SPP also functions as the student “report card” and used to communicate with parents. The director of teaching and learning along with the teachers then begin the process of placing students into sections based on this information regardless of age . The use of standardized assessments and subjective teacher input is consistent with other research on the topic of how schools determine to group students into particular ability levels .
As a result, a student in the elementary could be placed into a fourth-grade math block but would have been in second grade if they were placed according to age. The same could be said for a thirteen-year-old eighth grade student that is placed in a Historical Literacy block that is working on sixth grade standards. This in theory sounds legit. Meet students at their current level to avoid confusion, frustration, and poor behavior. In an attempt to help all students does academic readiness grouping lead to the exact opposite and harm our students?
At first, I thought that this was a forward-thinking idea, but after a few years in the district have started to believe that this is ability grouping masked under a different title. Over the years it has somehow connected itself to be a function of “personalized learning” and even necessary for this style of teaching and learning to occur. One cavoite of academic readiness grouping is that students can move freely between sections as they improve or develop gaps. The problem is that I have not seen this happening on a regular basis and most students do not change their current levels at an increased pace. In my study I will be following a cohort of students on their path through our district to determine exactly how often this transition occurs. Students that are grouped in primary grades typically graduate from high school in general or vocational programs, demonstrating that the movement between levels is stagnant .
2. Effects of Ability Grouping
Critics of ability grouping point to the inequities that are created intentionally or by accident when determining groups . Too often when schools decide to group students based on ability the lower level student groups are over represented by minority and low SES students . This also brings into question the lawfulness of using ability to place students in specific groups. The problem is the lower groups have not shown evidence of closing the achievement gap. In fact, some studies have determined that the curriculum, expectations, and teacher quality are not equal between high- and low-level groups.
Brown v. Board of Education determined that “separate-but-equal” was not equal. Could schools that are using academic ability to group students be at risk of a law suit? To date the only successful challenges in court have been in cases where racial inequities have been determined based on the grouping (Oakes, 1983). This may be due to research describing situations where the higher-level group has also dropped in their achievement scores. To add even more uncertainty on the issue of achievement in ability groups other studies have challenged that the group students are assigned to has little to do with the level of success students obtain. They have found that the controlling factor in these cases is the teacher’s perception of the ability of their classes (Ellison & Hallinan, 2004). Research also suggests that achievement gaps could be closed within ability group models if instructional content and instructional discourse were improved in the middle and lower tracked courses .
3. Students’ Experiences
How many times in education do we consider how the student feels about educational policies that shape their entire academic experience? It is typically the adults that make all the decisions with no input from the students that are living through it. In my case students do not have a voice in what group they are in and to some extent neither do their parents. As a district it has been sold to the parents that their child’s group has been determined through objective data and it is in the best interest of the student to meet them at their academic readiness. To date no parents of challenged the system. Studies that have examined the student perspectives in terms of ability grouping have mainly done so to create a pro or anti view of school from the student perspective . Little attention has been paid to the effects on subject understanding as a result of the student’s feelings (Boaler, Wiliam, & Brown, 2000). Boaler (1997) discovered that nearly one-third of the highest ability grouped students suffered from their placement because the expectations were too high, and the pace was to fast. Students in the low tracked classes felt the exact opposite as they believed the teacher set very low expectations for them. Brining back into question if the way students are grouped determines their success or the perceived ability of the students by the teacher and his/ her level of expectations as a result of those presumptions. Self-esteem is also lowest among students in the lower-track (Oakes, 1983). The low expectations and low self-esteem have supported findings that students in lower tracks have had frustrating effects on their college plans, more so than the intellect and grades (Oakes, 1983).
4. Perceptions and Attitudes of Parents
Parents can control a lot of what goes on in a district. Often a few parents will serve as board members on the community’s school board. This allows for direct influence over the administration and policy setting within a district. As a result, their influence can shape many aspects of what a school district decides to do in terms of curriculum, policy, programs, etc. As a parent you want what is best for your kid in every situation. In school if that means placing them into a high achieving math class where their intellect will be pushed, and they will be surrounded by other students just like them, most would not argue the placement. In these types of circumstances, parents of students grouped in the high-level track support the use of ability grouping because they believe it is in the best interest of their child (Ansalone & Biafora, 2010).
Ansalone and Biafora (2010) asked parents if the practice of ability grouping should be stopped and an overwhelming majority (81.6%) of the responses disagreed or strongly disagreed with this idea. Even though parents who were in lower tracked groups themselves reported this experience had a lasting negative consequence to their life (Ansalone & Biafora, 2010). Proponents of ability grouping assert that this allows for efficient student learning (Ellison & Hallinan, 2004). In fact, parents in Ansalone and Biafora’s (2010) study believe that ability grouping is beneficial to their student no matter what group they were placed in.
The two guiding questions explored here were:
1) Do you believe your child has been helped or hindered by ability grouping;
2) Do you as a parent prefer classroom environments where your child is are placed with peers of equal ability or mixed ability?
The data demonstrate, unequivocally, that parents in this study view ability grouping for their child in a positive light regardless of track level placement. When asked whether tracking has helped or hindered, 81% of the parents with children placed in special education classes report tracking has been “helpful.” An even higher percentage (90.3%) of parents with children in remedial coursework stated such a placement has been helpful. And, nearly all (98.6%) of the parents whose children were placed in gifted/ honors/ talented programs responded “helpful” .
5. Why Schools Group by Ability
Schools from across the country and world have gone back and forth over the decades regarding ability grouping in their schools. In 1950 almost, every school in the UK was ability grouped, stemming from the idea that students had fixed levels of ability . Public schools in the United States have been ability grouping for much of the twentieth century. But why would schools still consider ability grouping today? Most of everything I have read suggests that ability grouping only supports the development of the high-level groups and is detrimental to the low-level groups . Strong willed parents have significant influence on what policies are created and supported within a school district. Those with economic/ political power within a district can sometimes force the direction schools take on the issue of ability grouping . As a result, the powerful elite whose students are likely to benefit from this policy have no issue with a program that may not support all students.
This then suggests that school administrators must choose between what is right for all students or playing politics within their position. Ansalone and Biafora (2010) argue that even with the knowledge of negative research findings principals chose to use the practice of tracking to deal with declining enrollments and the disparity of learners in their schools. In some states open enrollment has led some administrators and schools to offer ability grouped courses or classes just to stop the flow of high-level students to neighboring districts that may be deemed more academically rigorous or have received a better rating on the school report card .
In the early 2000’s I actually went through a graduate program centered around differentiating instruction for at-risk learners. This was a time period that loved the word “differentiate”. Professional development in districts and schools seemed to center around this word and concept. How else could we make sure all kids learned if they were all at so many different levels within one classroom? Now, the hot word/ phrase in education is, “personalized learning”. What is personalized learning? The answer to that very question is at the heart of so many current debates because many schools have developed their own version of what that means and sell it to their stakeholders as personalized learning.
Everyone wants to personalize the learning for today’s students. In Johnson Creek we have decided to ability group to accomplish the task of personalizing the learning for all students. Why would you just differentiate? It is a lot easier for teachers if we can group them by ability before they even come into the classroom. For this reason, teachers have also been found to support ability grouping in schools . The challenge of managing a large classroom full of diverse learners is simplified when you group for ability. A teacher can now go back to the “teach to the class” method and not leave students behind and bore others in the process. Although, teachers do not believe the ability groups they are teaching benefit their students academically they find comfort in not having to manage the intensity of a large group of diverse learners (Ansalone & Biafora, 2010).
References
- Abdazi, H. (1985). Ability grouping effects on academic achievement and self-esteem: who performs in the long run as expected. Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 79(No.1), 36-40.
- Abadzi, H. (1984). Ability grouping effects on academic achievement and self-esteem in a southwestern school district. Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 77(No.5), 287-292.
- Ansalone, G., Biafora, F. (2010). Tracking in the schools: perceptions and attitudes of parents. Race, Gender, & Class, Vol. 17(No.1-2), 226-240.
- Boaler, J., Wiliam, D., Brown, M. (2000). Students’ experiences of ability grouping-disaffection, polarization and the construction of failure. British Educational Research Journal, Vol. 26(No.5), 631-648.
- Byers, L. (1961). Ability grouping-help or hindrance to social and emotional growth?. The School Review, Vol. 69(No.4), 449-456.
- Burris, C.C., Welner, K. (2005). Closing the achievement gap by detracking. The Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 86(No.8), 594-598.
- Ellison, B.J., Hallinan, M.T. (2004). Ability grouping in catholic and public schools. Catholic Education, September, 107-129.
- Gamoran, A., Nystrand, M., Berends, M., LePore, P.C. (1995). An organizational analysis of the effects of ability grouping. American Educational Research Journal, Vol. 32(No.4), 687-715.
- Oakes, J. (1983). Tracking and ability grouping in American schools: some constitutional questions. Teachers College Record, Vol. 84(No.4), 801-818.
- Oakes, J., Wells, A.S. (1996). Doing the right thing: the struggle to “detrack” secondary schools. California English, Vol. 2(1), 10-13.
- Robinson, J.P. (2008). Evidence of a differential effect of ability grouping on the reading achievement growth of language-minority Hispanics. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Vol. 30(No.2), 141-180.
- VanderHart, P.G. (2006). Why do some schools group by ability? Some evidence from the NAEP. The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Inc., Vol. 65(No.2), 435-462.
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Academic Readiness and Ability Grouping. (2021, Oct 13).
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Analyzing County Consolidation in Kansas through Central Place Theory
Introduction
The state of Kansas has a total of 105 counties, ranking 6th in the total number of counties out of all 50 states (American Fact Finder, 2017). However, when it comes to population, Kansas is 35th overall with a population of 2,913,123. Given the state population, Kansas has an abnormally large number of total counties when compared to the correlation between counties and population in other states. This can be seen when comparing Kansas to California. The state of California ranks first in total population out of all 50 states with a population of 39,536,653. However, California only has 58 counties. That’s nearly 14 times the population of Kansas with almost half the total number of counties. If there was a constant correlation between population and total number of counties, the state of Texas would theoretically have ten times the total number of counties in Kansas since the population in Texas is almost ten times the population in Kansas. However, with only a little more than two times the total number of counties in Kansas, this comparison clearly demonstrates the exceptionally large number of counties in Kansas given the population. As a result of this unique relationship between counties and population in Kansas, the possibility of county consolidation comes into play.
Purpose of Report
This report will analyze the positive and negative effects for both scenarios of county consolidation in Kansas. The first representation would be a no-action scenario, leaving the counties the way they are currently organized, and the other scenario is consolidating the current counties in desire of a smaller total number of counties. There have been numerous studies and reports regarding county consolidation in the past. For instance, in Dr. Burger and Dr. Combs 2009 study of county consolidation in Nebraska, it is asserted that “The pros and cons of consolidating services have been debated for decades” by referencing an argument from 1952 in favor of consolidation due to the decreased spending that would result from removing duplication (Burger and Combs, 2009). This study will not focus on defending one stance against the other, instead, this study will remain neutral and simply report the findings for both scenarios by analyzing the effects through a fresh and different lens; central place theory. The main goal of this report is to provide the reader with the necessary information to aid in a complete grasp and understanding of all aspects present when considering and evaluating the most significant effects of county consolidation.
First, I will introduce spatial analysis; a method for analysis in geography that aims to illustrate patterns of human behavior and spatial interaction through location, accessibility, connectivity and time. This will lead us into Central place theory and I will explain how this theory will help us better understand the effects of county consolidation. We will then look into the overall substantial positive and negative effects of county consolidation. Finally, we will come full circle and ask ourselves if we fully understand the consequential ramifications from both scenarios.
Overview of Spatial Analysis and Central Place Theory
In geography, spatial analysis seeks to provide us with a better explanation of the way humans behave by analyzing geographic data. It is important to note that while spatial analysis offers a unique system for analyzing data, the current research is based on a multitude of factors where many intricate issues are still present and can be difficult to clearly define and resolve. Spatial analysis accounts for a number of more specific theories and models such as location theory, the bid rent theory and central place theory.
Central Place Theory
Central place theory is a geographical theory that explains the size and distribution of central places or settlements within residential systems. This theory is the work of Walter Christaller, a German geographer who first introduced the theory in his book Central Places in Southern Germany, published in 1933. Central Place theory essentially seeks to depict the control that a central place can have on the area of a market, how settlements locate in relation to one another and why some central places operate as towns, villages, or cities. As asserted by John B. Parr, Emeritus Professor at the University of Glasgow and Honorary Professor at University College London, “the general lack of acceptance of central place theory (sometimes verging on outright dismissal) stems from the fact that it was frequently presented as a general theory of the urban system, as opposed to a partial theory that might have formed a valuable component of a broader theoretical framework for understanding such a system. As a consequence, central place theory became exposed to considerable criticism, not all of which may be considered justified.” (Parr pp. 151). When considering the establishment of the theory itself and the criticism that has followed, it’s evident that the theory requires further development and explanation to be the sole basis for analysis of any matter in geography. With that being said, central place theory still offers many beneficial aspects to contribute in part to full analysis of many geographic concerns.
In Central Place Theory, the main purpose of a settlement is to provide goods and services and make them available to the surrounding market area. These areas are typically centrally located and as a result can be called central places. Naturally, settlements that provide goods and services in a larger capacity are higher-order central places. On the other hand, smaller market areas are lower-order central places, but they provide goods and services that are purchased much more often than higher-order goods and services. Higher-order central places are distributed more broadly but smaller in number than low-order places. The sphere of influence is used to describe the area influenced by the central place.
The two key components of this theory are range and threshold (which can be seen in figure 1). Range addresses the distance a person is willing to travel for a product. The threshold is the minimum number of customers needed to support a business. In addition to these components, the theory has the following assumptions. The first assumption is that there are no topographic barriers, next, the population is evenly distributed and last, the tastes, demands, income, and behavior of all people are the same.
In his theory, Christaller utilizes three principles that represent different central place arrangements. These arrangements form a hexagonal grid as we will see in the following figures. First, we have the marketing principle. The marketing principle is focused on the minimum number of centers required to service an area. To do this, the lower-order central places such as villages (See Fig. 2) are located in the corners of the hexagons. Each higher-order area gets one third of each satellite area, resulting in six satellite centers surrounding the higher-order center. Ultimately, from this model, the higher-order centers provide service for three times the area than the lower-order centers.
Next up is the transport principle. This principle deals with minimizing the length of routes connecting central places. The transport principle is most relevant when transportation holds a strong influence over the location of central places. In this scenario, central places will fall on a single route between two areas of high importance.In the hexagonal model seen in figure 3, the shortest connection is achieved through use of the edges of the hexagons. Higher-order places are connected through the transportation lines while the lower-order places are halfway between. Essentially there is more distance between higher-order places than there is between lower-order places and there are six routes dispersing to and from each higher-order place.
The last principle we will discuss is the administrative principle. This principle primarily comes into play when the primary force for organization is administrative services. In this model, the higher-order centers and their corresponding areas including the six neighboring central place are all bunched together. Essentially, (as illustrated in Fig. 4) the smaller regions market areas are completely contained within the larger settlements market area. As a result, the higher-order corresponding region is significantly larger than the region produced from the previous two principles.
History of Kansas Counties
The Kansas Territory was organized in 1854 and officially became the 34th state on January 29, 1861. The state of Kansas is currently comprised of 105 counties. Twenty-eight other counties have existed but are now defunct due to name changes, reorganizations, or mergers and splits. Counties in Kansas are named after Indian Tribes, Presidents, Civil War Soldiers, and more. The counties named after Civil War soldiers are mostly located in central and western Kansas (Kansas Counties, Kansas Historical Society). The majority of counties in Kansas were originally established to serve a largely rural population. Given the growing trend of rural to urban migration, the majority of these counties are impacted. For the sake of adjusting and adapting for what’s to come in the future, county consolidation has appealed to many as a means to establish a more efficient use of resources in order to adequately improve available services.
In recent history, there was a short-lived effort to carry out this consolidation. In 2009, Chris Steineger, a Kansas democrat introduced Senate Bill No. 198 which aimed to consolidate the 105 counties in Kansas down to only 13 (Kansas Senate Chamber, Steineger). The bill received very mixed reactions. In the end, the bill died in committee in 2010. A very small amount of people may believe that consolidation might be effective and beneficial but consolidating 105 counties down to no more than 13 is far-reaching and too drastic. Others are absolutely for or against any serious consideration for consolidation. Overall, it seems that neither side can find common ground on this issue. As you will see below, we will discuss common examples of the specific arguments for or against consolidation and analyze these concerns through multiple connections to the aspects of central place theory.
Significant Effects of County Consolidation
County consolidation has its advantages and disadvantages. Combining resources and local government can effectively reduce unnecessary duplication and result in the formation of stronger and more capable economies. Alternatively, it can result in the loss of government jobs and increase the distance that residents travel to the nearest courthouse.
Some residents may be concerned that the loss of their county seat from consolidation would result in an economic loss for the county. In reality, reduced employment is a probable effect. A counter-argument to this stance is that the main role of local government has never been to provide jobs, therefore, we shouldn’t rely on it for employment. Additionally, some even see a positive effect from less government jobs. This positive effect is decreased tax. The fewer the government employees, the more money the taxpayers get to keep in their pockets. More money in taxpayers’ pockets leads to more spending which leads to the creation of more jobs. Elaborating further on this possible positive outcome, we can see a connection between how the creation of more job openings will help maintain population and even increase it. This result can help smaller areas increase their population and eventually become capable of meeting the threshold for the establishment of new businesses in the future.
Hitting on the next concern, residents may be worried that if the counties consolidate, they will have to travel a much further distance to the nearest courthouse in order to take care of their business. This concern directly relates to one of the key components in central place theory; range. Additionally, we can see the obvious connection to the transport principle in central place theory as well. Others might argue that there are plenty of alternative ways to handle business without having to travel to a distant courthouse such as online services or the mail.
In addition to the concern of increased travel distance for specific services, such as those from a courthouse, residents who live in rural counties may share the concern of decreased quality of service. In many rural counties, you can renew your driver’s license in the county courthouse. That one courthouse is typically the only driver’s license bureau for the county’s entire population. For example, in Greeley County, a rural county in KS with an estimated population of 1,249 in 2017 (Population in Kansas, by county), you can renew your driver’s license in the county courthouse. The concerning factor is when we consider the number of driver’s license bureaus available to residents of a more densely-populated area such as Johnson County, KS. This county has an estimated population of 591,178 in 2017 but just three locations available to complete the required exam for driver’s license renewal (Kansas Department of Revenue). Simply put, Johnson County has more than 470 times the population of Greeley County but only has three times the locations for driver’s license renewal. This clearly disproportional relationship can cause absurdly longer waiting times for something as simple as renewing your license.
Conclusion
This report utilizes the valuable principles and key components of a commonly dismissed theory in an effort to go against the typical focus of supporting or defending one stance against the other and, instead, evaluate the effects of county consolidation in a new manner while remaining neutral. The unique analysis in this report provides a basis for an improved conversation between individuals with opposing views. From the marketing principle to the transport or administrative principle in central place theory, we now have a comprehensive understanding of the theory itself to aid in part to an improved dynamic outlook on county consolidation.
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10 Strangest Places to Visit Around the World
Chernobyl, Ukraine
After the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, the city was completely evacuated from the population and no one has lived there ever since. You can see empty apartments, schools and empty and forgotten gardens for decades. Of course there are now many tourism companies inhabiting these buildings and organizing tours around the city, so be sure to choose a smart tour that enables you to see the city for what it really is. And do not worry, the city is completely safe now, as the amount of radiation in Chernobyl will not cause you any harm. So much so that you can stay in the city for a week without hurting your body.
Kin Shi Huang Tomb, China
You will feel goose bumps and dread once you enter this place it is very large and full of dignity. Pottery warriors (illustrated) are part of this place, which has yet to be fully excavated. It is said that there are more than seven thousand fighters, each one of them is different.
Kauai Monster Café, Tokyo
Although this place does not bear much of the historical significance of Ken Shi's tomb and strangeness like Chernobyl, visiting the Kauai Monster Cafe will be a unique memory during your visit to Tokyo. This cafe is characterized by its bright and bright colors, in addition to delicious sweets and drinks. Every dish you order comes with unique, colorful (edible) decorations. This makes everything at Kauai Monster Café 'striking.'
Hobbit village,New Zealand
If you are a Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit movie-lover, You are sure to be a perfect home for the little hobb creatures in nice homes under the green hills.. But just imagine that you can go to the hobbit village by yourself! In fact, you can. houses Hobbitspecially made for Lord of the Rings films are still available. Thus, you can try what the hobbit feels! Unlike Harry Potter tours, you can actually live in these homes.
Dracula's Palace, Romania
Did you know that Dracula's Palace was recently put on sale? You could own that palace for $ 80 million. The real name of the palace is the Bran Palace and was built in 1212. The palace derives its name from its owner, Vlad III Dracula or Dracula, the king of piles, who is famous for placing the bodies of his enemies and his people on huge arrows placed around his region.
Pit Bull, Oregon (USA)
Today, rock visit is not unique at all. But in extreme weather conditions, a bull's pit is filled with water that flows with great force. Although the view is impressive, we recommend that you view it from a safe distance.
Lake Hillier, Western Australia
You may not be a fan of pink, but be sure to visit this lake will be one of the most beautiful memories in your life. This lake was discovered in 1802, and it is clear that the lake waters are pink all days of the year. The reason is the presence of algae-loving salt and pink bacteria known as Halo bacteria. The high concentration of salts in the lake waters makes it a suitable place for these delicate creatures to live. Hence, this pink lake formed in the middle of the island on the coast of the Recirche Archipelago, the
Hand in the heart of the desert, Chile,
although it is not considered as historical as a Ken Shi tomb, or as natural as a Hillier lake or ox pit, this hand implanted in the middle of the Chilean Atacama desert sands from One of the important landmarks in the region. This hand is located 46 miles south of the nearest city, where it was carved by the artist Mario Irarazapal, who carved another hand on the Brava Beach in the city of Puente del Este in Uruguay. Although it is easier to reach the beach hand, watching it in the middle of the desert is a completely different experience.
Red Shore, Panjin, China
This entire sea is covered with what is known as 'Sweden' and it is a kind of seaweed that turns bright red in the autumn (such as leaves). Usually, this beach does not receive visitors because it is an important part of a nature reserve dedicated to migratory birds. But a small part of the beach, which is about (30 km from the city of Panjin), is designated for tourists who have to use a long wooden stick to be able to walk along the beach.
Cat Island, Japan
If you are a cat lover, we don't think there is a spot on the earth that is occupied by cats with such density. The population of the Japanese island of Tashirojima is only about 100 people and about 1000 cats and cat. Initially cats were brought to this island to protect silkworms from mice. However, the rate of reproduction of these cats has become out of control, and therefore the population of cats has exceeded the human population by 10 cats per person. By the way, there are no dogs on this island.
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Aftermath of the Florida Oil Spill
Florida is known for its beautiful landscapes and even more beautiful beaches. Lots of people see it as a wonderful place to go for vacation, but what if something was to happen to these beautiful places. What happens to these places when something like the BP Deep Water Horizon oil spill occurs? The spill created many problems and hurt a lot of living things both under the sea and over the costal lands. Why did the spill happen, what were the results from it, and how was justice served?
The spill could have happened hundreds of ways but what really happened? Drilling is extremely dangerous on all levels, “Oil and gas are often found far away or under the sea” and the fresh content of the well can be dangerous and cannot be transported until the crude oil and gas is separated (“How do we”). When drilling workers monitor the drill-pipe pressure to make sure there is not a kick in the system, which can lead to deadly occurrences like explosions (128). Drill-pipe pressure can go up or down because of a little” harmless thing”, but any unexplained change in pressure should always be checked (128). No matter what, “The crew should shut down the pumps and monitor the well to confirm it is static; if they are unable to do so, they should shut in the well until the source of the readings can be determined”(128).
A fairly routine test was being done and the pumps were shut down for 6 minutes, but in those six minutes drill-pipe pressure went up by 250 psi when it should have stayed constant or gone down (130). No one noticed the changes and the pumps were turned back on. About 15 minutes later a significant pressure difference was noticed between the drill pipe and the kill line; the pumps were turned off, but the pipe pressure increase by 550 in about 5 minutes (130-131). It soon resulted in a kick, and drilling mud began spewing out.
The first action taken was to send it through the diverter system which should have solved the issue, but more complications started happening. It ended up being too much of a load on the system the “rig blew up 50 miles off Louisiana in April” (“In Gulf Spill”). A witness description to the event was likened to “a 550-ton freight train hitting the rig floor” (132). With so much oil and gas together, “Ignition and explosion were all but inevitable” (132). The Tampa Bay Times refers to Assistant Attorney General Breuer statement on the tragedy; he says it “resulted from BP’s culture of privileging profit over prudence” (“In Gulf Spill”). The causes of the explosion were due to tiny overlooked missteps.
The results of the oil spill were new legislation and lots of problems. In regards to safety, “The Obama administration ordered a number of safety and regulatory reforms in response to the deaths of 11 workers on the Deepwater rig and the release of more than 200 million gallons of oil” (“Oil Spill Dangers”). The reforms list some of the measures taken to make rig drilling safer. These measures include demonstrating “they can deal with a worst-case blowout,” “Wells and casings must have stronger designs,” and “require that rig operators be better trained” (“Oil Spill Dangers”).
Some of the problems that came along with the spill would possibly scar you for life if you witnessed them first hand. The spill affected many coastal states and even after the well was capped in July, “it was still washing ashore in some parts of Louisiana” (“Local Scientists look”). There were a lot of devastating effects that came from the spill. One of the biggest effects was “the spill caused the closure of 88,000 square miles of federal waters to fishing” (“Oil Spill Dangers”). Hundreds of miles of shore needed cleaning, tar mats are still being found today, lots of dead dolphins washed up, and findings of diseased fish and dead deep-sea coral (“Oil Spill Dangers”). Could you imagine being a child and instead of a beautiful beach, you see a bunch of dead dolphins? Lots of bad things happened but some good things to.
What happened to BP after causing so many problems?
The Deep Horizon oil spill happened over 8 years ago, but it still haunts us. The rig blew up, which killed 11 men, and caused oil to go everywhere; It caused huge environmental problems, including a horde of dead dolphins on beaches, and BP paid “the biggest criminal fine in U.S. history” (“In Gulf Spill”). This spill was a bad thing and brought many pains, but it did help ensure a safer journey onwards with new legislation. I hope today’s rig corporations and workers will take this event into consideration, and that they will pay more attention to the little details.
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You Will Forever Remember your Holiday in this Place
Panama is one of the most beautiful locations in the world. In fact, it is visited by almost 2 million people a year and it is known as the bridge between the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean. One can travel from one ocean to the other by just an 8 hour trip on a boat through the Panama Canal. Although going to the Panama Canal is an amazing experience, this is not the only place worth visiting in Panama. Luckily, Panama has a variety of attractions not only for visitors but for locals as well, ranging from the high mountains of Boquete to the stunning beaches of San Blas. Boquete, The Causeway Amador, and the beautiful San Blas Islands are just 3 of the many memorable and amazing places to visit in Panama.
First, the home to coffee plantations, Boquete, located in western Panama in the province of Chiriqui. Formed by green mountain highlands, Boquete is the coldest region of Panama. It also gives place to Panama’s highest point, one thousand two hundred meters above sea level, El Volcan Baru. Due to its cold weather, Boquete is the perfect place to go strawberry picking during the day or eat strawberries at popular markets, such as “Fresas Mary”, known for its delicious desserts all involving strawberries. Another fun activity for all ages is canopy, zip-lining above rivers and waterfalls. One of the canopy’s cable stretches five hundred meters and borders National Park La Amistad and The Volcan Baru.
The San Blas Islands is another place that can not be ignored if traveling to Panama. The San Blas Islands is an archipelago composed of approximately 365 islands and cays. It is the perfect place to get a glowing dark tan, or go snorkeling with colorful fish, and do not forget the classic picture with the many starfishes this island gives home to. It is also the ideal place to explore different cultures, while enjoying all the stories told by the Gunas, the native Americans living in San Blas. Guna’s are known for their colorful molas, a bright textile art used on Guna women’s blouses. The region is well known for its fine sand, flawless glass waters, and beautiful scenery.
At last, a place one may not miss is The Causeway Amador. It is a group of four islands artificially linked with rock extracted from the creation of the Panama Canal. One can get there in a 20 minute drive from the heart of City. The Causeway is well known for its more than thirty restaurants of all types, from classic Panamanian food, to its ice cream parlors. Panama’s popular museum called The Biomuseo is located here, known for its amazing architecture and impossible to ignore shape; It was created by architect Frank Gehry and revolves around Panama’s natural history. Due to its long wide sidewalks, the Causeway Amador is perfect for walking, bike riding, and skating. After a long sunny day at The Causeway Amador, one may not miss Panama’s famous “raspados”. Raspados are Panamanian snow cones made with a metal scraper and a huge piece of ice. After the ice is scraped and in the cup, it is topped with colorful juices and condensed milk.
Panama is definitely an unforgettable destination, but places that would surely provide a great time are Boquete, with it great mountains, The Causeway Amador, with its delicious restaurants, and the stunning San Blas Islands, with the ability to make one feel as relaxed as ever. Do not let Panama's size fool anyone, it may be small, but it has all it is needed, no doubt of that.
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14 Places Germs Can Lurk in the Hospital
While we like to think of hospitals as antiseptic places where germs are not allowed to thrive, the reality is that no matter how sanitary a hospital may appear it is always possible to pick up an infection while undergoing medical treatment. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 3% of hospital patients may contract a hospital acquired infection each day. Such infections can lead to increased hospital time, prolonged recovery time, and in some cases, time spent in the intensive care unit. For very young, elderly, or otherwise compromised patients, an additional infection could even risk death. If you find yourself in the hospital, watch for these areas where germs can lurk, and take precautions to protect yourself and your visitors.
- Hands One of the most common ways bacteria are transmitted from one person to another is through touch. The gloves that healthcare professionals wear when working with patients protect the worker from germs, not the patient. It is reasonable to ask that your doctors, nurses, and healthcare aids wash their hands before pulling on their gloves, as anything that was on their hands before they touched the gloves has now been transmitted to the outside of them. Don’t be afraid to remind your medical team and your hospital visitors to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water upon entering your room.
- Floors The American Journal of Infection Control has published a study reporting hospital floors can be contaminated with pathogens such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), and Clostridium difficile. Since Clostridium difficile is not killed by alcohol-based hand sanitizers, make sure your nurse or hospital visitors wash their hands with soap and water after picking up any items from the floor. Wipe down dropped items such as cell phones, and do not place items such as your purse or overnight bag on the floor. If the hospital provides you with non-slip socks to wear during your hospital stay, be sure to ask for a clean pair each day.
- Wheelchair Wheels Since hospital floors can be a breeding ground for germs, be wary of any objects that come into contact with them, such as the wheels on the wheelchair used to transport you from one area of the hospital to another. Wash your hands with soap and water after a ride in the hospital wheelchair, or if this is not possible, use hand sanitizer.
- TV Remote/Call Button Items that have been handled by others, such as the television remote/nurse call button on your hospital bed, may harbor germs. In fact, a study at the University of Arizona found hospital remotes to be the most bacteria-ridden items in patients’ rooms. Although some hospitals have begun using sealed television remotes to prevent spread of germs, not all do. Pack some bleach-containing wipes in your overnight bag to wipe down that remote before using it.
- Bed Rails The rails on your hospital bed may not be as clean as you might hope. According to the National Institutes of Health, disease-causing bacteria can survive on hard surfaces for months. Since bed rails are high-touch items manipulated by both patients and healthcare personnel alike, you may want to wipe them down with disinfectant wipes containing bleach.
- Telephone The bedside telephone in your hospital room is another object that may harbor bacteria. These phones are handled often by patients, visitors, and healthcare workers. To avoid the risk of catching a bug, consider wiping down the telephone with a disinfectant wipe before using it and keep those extra germs at bay.
- Door Knobs Door handles are notorious places for germs to hide, given the number of times they are touched by people entering and exiting a room. While some companies are working on hospital door handles that sanitize your hands as you use them, until such handles become commonplace you will want to wash your hands after entering or exiting a room and ask your guests to do so as well. To properly wash hands, be sure to lather your palms, the backs of your hands, between each finger, and under the fingernails. Spend at least twenty seconds scrubbing your hands before rinsing well under running water.
- Elevator Buttons There’s no way around it, if you want to take an elevator you are going to have to push a button. Elevators are in constant use by doctors, nurses, patients, and visitors. Any germs on the hands of the hospital population that have been picked up from other places in the hospital can be transferred to the elevator buttons. You may want to carry clean tissues for pressing elevator buttons and dispose of the tissue after using. Frequent hand washing is the best defense against MRSA and other pathogens that can lurk on these buttons.
- The Air Another way that pathogens are transmitted from one person to another is through the air. You may want to bring a face mask along to the hospital, especially if you might find yourself with a hacking, coughing roommate. While some masks only filter out allergens such as pollen or dust mites, you will want a germ-filtering mask that is able to keep microscopic bacteria and viral agents out of your airways.
- IV Pole The very IV pole that helps deliver life-saving medicines and fluids can be harboring dangerous bacteria. Since the metal IV pole is another highly touched, hard surface item handled by both healthcare personnel and patients, it is another place that can entertain disease causing bacteria such as MRSA and VRE. The very best defense against these bacteria is frequent hand washing and insisting that your caregivers wash their hands before touching you. .
- Privacy Curtain The privacy curtain that surrounds your hospital bed is an innocent-looking item that can harbor a surprising number of germs. These curtains are pulled back and forth as doctors and nurses seek to give patients some semblance of privacy for exams, treatments, and procedures in the hospital room. They can be pulled by visitors in shared rooms trying to give a roommate some sense of personal space, or they can be pulled shut in an attempt for solitude and rest. The more these items are touched, the more the risk of contamination. Hand washing with soap and water is the best way to prevent transferring germs from the privacy curtain to you or your visitors.
- Bedside Tray The rolling cart that swivels over your bed to hold your meal tray can hold more than just your water cup and dinner plate. Since this is another item that is handled by many people, from healthcare workers to patients, it is also an object that may be home to illness-causing bacteria or viruses. Don’t be afraid to wipe down the cart with a disinfecting wipe and ask others to wash their hands before handling it.
- Faucet Handles We all know that germs reside in bathrooms, but any sink faucet can harbor germs whether or not it is located in a restroom. Since faucet handles are hard surfaces touched by many different people, they are another place where germs can be transferred. To make the most of your hospital visit and ensure you don’t contract any additional healthcare issues, use a paper towel to turn the faucet handle after washing your hands or using the water.
- Armrests on Furniture Chairs and other pieces of furniture are items that might not get a good disinfecting all that often. Given the number and variety of people that may use hospital furniture, it might be a good idea to give them a quick wipe with disinfectant to prevent transfer of bacteria such as MRSA or VRE.
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The 5 Best Places to Retire Around the World
Have you thought much about your retirement? Many active seniors are finding a new lust for life by retiring in another country or even owning a second home there to escape from the ordinary as they see fit and explore another way of life.
Island countries in the Caribbean might come to mind as affordable destinations to unpack for retirement, however they aren’t the only places you’ll find where you can spend your golden years without going broke.
These are the 5 best places to retire around the world.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Our neighbors to the north are a welcoming bunch, particularly in Ottawa. Consistently ranked as one of the best places to live in Canada, it has all the things most retirees desire. As the nation’s capital, it has many conveniences and attractions that make it a good place to call home full time or even seasonally. Many parks and greenspaces are available for outdoor recreation along the two rivers. There are also numerous museums and galleries. This is the place where the Canadian Tulip Festival is held every spring, a tradition that’s been going on since 1952.
Even just outside Ottawa, there are smaller communities that have rapidly-rising real estate values without losing out on the quaintness of the small town feel. Wherever you choose, you’ve got a great place to retire for around $1,500 per month.
Mazatlán, Mexico
Nestled halfway down the Pacific coast of Mexico is Mazatlán. This beautiful beachside retreat has been refurbished to recapture the historic center of the city, retaining its old world charm while giving it just the kind of modern conveniences it takes to make you happy. While conveniences abound, the beaches here are mostly deserted, allowing for that perfect peace and quiet. Plaza Machado has many bustling cafés and delightful restaurants while along the eastern border of it, Calle Carnaval awaits, a pedestrian-only avenue.
Another thing that makes Mazatlán so enticing is that you can drive there from the continental US. Access is easy from Highway 15D coming from the Arizona border and only a short plane ride from Phoenix at 2 hours. There are many expats living here so you won’t feel completely isolated, however the welcoming Mexican culture will have you feeling like family in no time, all at an estimated $1,400 monthly.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Thailand is one of the most affordable countries in Asia. It’s an exotic location, something the adventurous retiree can appreciate. While Thai culture is a bit traditional, the growing expat community, particularly in Chiang Mai, makes it fun and busy. You’re likely to make friends from every corner of the world, all of them looking to live a new and exciting life while being welcomed in by the locals.
Eating well in Chiang Mai is another reason to live here. The food is delicious and fresh, and incredibly cheap. You’ll also have the advantage of hundreds of beautiful Buddhist temples to explore daily and plenty of opportunities for an active lifestyle. You can estimate roughly $1,300 monthly for the cost of living.
Algarve, Portugal
A popular yachting destination, the Algarve is filled with cute whitewashed houses and cobblestone-paved streets. The stunning Atlantic coastline beckons, making this shimmering oasis the perfect place for retirement for those that love beach life and golfing. Best of all, it’s much more affordable than other ritzy locales and it has the charm of the old world lifestyle.
You’ll want to consider Silves in the valleys along the Arade River. It’s warm here year-round, so if you like summery weather, this is the place for you. Lagoa is a bit smaller and closer to the ocean. There are many other places you might want to consider in the Algarve of Portugal, all of them filled with friendly people and tasty Portuguese cuisine. The cost of this understated opulence should run you a very affordable $1,800 a month.
Abruzzo, Italy
Think Italy is out of budget? Think again! Abruzzo is a delightful region in central Italy that is much more affordable than Umbria or Tuscany and gives you both sparkling coastline and mountains to enjoy. If you enjoy being active, you can snow ski and swim here with ease, sometimes even in the same day. Plus, Abruzzo puts you close to the rest of Europe so you can jet off to other destinations for incredibly low-cost airfare.
The old world style here is a prime reason to choose it, yet you’ll find modern conveniences waiting for you. Italy, as it turns out, has some of the best healthcare available in the world today. The cost of living is remarkably low too, even being just an hour train ride outside of Rome. For those that love Italian food and wine, culture, and hospitality, choosing Abruzzo is a splendid choice for retirement, one that costs roughly $1,500 per month.
Now that you’re retiring, you’re going to have the chance to enjoy your time. Make your money count for you by choosing places around the world to retire that make living easy, affordable, and unique. You can feel like you’re on vacation every day at these beautiful locations. Or if you’re not quite ready to give up American life for good, you can always purchase a second home in one of these locations and spend your favorite time of year there.
Who says you have to retire to Florida when you can have the world instead?
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The State of Academic Program Review Guidelines and Instrumentation in Public Institutions
While academic program review (AGR) is a best practice for ensuring academic quality, institutions are moving to make the process more robust by qualifying guidelines and instructions about the process in order to use results for more strategic purposes such as demonstrating impact. Backlud et al. (2011) notes that the American history of academic program reviews is grounded in the assessment and accountability movements started in the 1970’s and 1980’s, with state legislatures requiring assessment-centered models to demonstrate effectiveness. The Council of Graduate Schools (2005) notes the purposes of academic program review: “quality assurance, quality improvement, accountability, identification of strategies for improvement, and information collection and synthesis to facilitate prioritization of resources”.
Multiple step models are evolving that describe a robust self-study process as involving internal and external expertise to collect and examine evidence that reflects practices, processes, policies, and effectiveness, in response to guidelines or standards such as the Council for Advancement of Standards in Higher Education’s (n.d.) seven step model. Typically in the most progressive models, after data analysis, actions and strategic planning should allow the academic unit to track changes and demonstrate how it will further its goals. Field specific models, such as those of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP, 2017), National Communication Association (NCA, 2009), and the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC, 2016), are being increasingly used to standardize guidelines, recognize excellence, convey expectations for continuous improvement, and advance the field in teaching, learning, and assessment areas. For academic programs not accredited under a field organization, the expectation of a robust process is expected by regional accreditation bodies, such as the Higher Learning Commission (HLC, 2018), Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE, 2015), and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS, 2018), amongst others.
While data elements of a program review may be benchmarked to gauge comparative progress, the collection of program review data points is difficult to compare due to the complexity of data types and purposes for gathering data; the National Higher Education Benchmarking Institute (n.d.) recommends a mixture of over 150 quantitative and qualitative types of data to capture credited program quality and accurately assess needs and priorities. Given institutional and state system pressures, such as a need to justify program continuance, and influences that make each institutional program review process unique, overall measures may also not provide an accurate reflection of program quality due to time, population, and local factors.
The objective of this study was to analyze differences between materials related to academic program review as posted on institutional websites in order to describe the current state of practices. Overall analysis as well as analysis by institutional type allowed frequency percentages to argue each element’s inclusion as best practice in implementation. A systematic literature review examines aspects of program review in terms of their recognition as important components. Hopefully, this literature review identifies gaps in program review research that have prevented empirical study from forwarding effective evaluation and identification of best practices.
Literature Review
A cyclic academic program review is a focused method for gathering evidence of programmatic practices and policies including inputs, outputs, processes, and mapping between each in a continuous improvement framework. For some institutions and academic field organizations, program review processes are still being formalized, usually to promote accountability, legitimacy and promote effective change . Increasingly, field literature is advocating for strong connections between program review and strategic planning in order to impact institutional efficiency . In addition, stakeholders are increasingly advocating for alignment between accreditation standards and academic program reviews to foster resource efficiency and directed action (Bowker, 2017). Perhaps the strongest arguments for deploying academic program review is made by those who have conducted empirical studies linking academic program review activity to policies and practices such as curricular improvements, staffing realignment, support for an outcomes-based assessment model, and unit restructuring , and institutional impacts such as increased transparency, accountability and productivity .
Benchmarking efforts as part of the program review process are historically low ) with Deming and Figilo noting stakeholder difficulty in identifying benchmark categories and scope. Current communications from regional accreditation bodies still provide instruction on basic benchmarking standards for use in academic programs or allowing institutions to explore benchmarking as a quality improvement initiative , so it is clear that the development of a rich set of metrics is still ongoing for a significant portion of institutions. For institutions, the number of empirical studies exploring effectiveness of academic program review (APR) is low; only 15 directly related recent studies were found to support the current study, although particular elements of APR, such as outcomes assessment, are better studied and literature offering guidance is widely available with most field accrediting bodies now publishing guidelines or standards and offer training to assist programs in their accreditation efforts. Still, the selection and weighting of evaluation indicators is difficult; Praslova used this contention as a justification to adapt by adapt Kirkpatrick’s organizational training evaluation framework.
An important predecessor to this work is Ewell, Paulson, and Kinzie’s comprehensive study of program level assessment practices in two and four year institutions; findings indicated that for both accredited and non-accredited programs, assessment results were used for program review activity more than any other category, including improving curriculum and instruction. Conclusions from that study revealed the importance that field assessment expectations and internal improvement interests have on assessment practice including the range and frequency of use of assessment practices related to program reviews.
Program review as a process
Similar to AGR purposes, numerous stakeholders illustrate that their understanding of a AGR process that represents best practices is to be objective (Dee & Heineman, 2016; Small, 2015), rigorous or systematic (Lopez, et al., 2016; Shambaugh, 2017), action-based (Coppard, et al., 2015; Henry, et al., 2014), and reflective of qualitative and quantitative data (Henry, et al., 2014). Field literature and portrayals seem to agree that the process usually involves the institution setting a purpose, stating requirements, and holding stakeholders to a schedule and framework, such as collecting data and gathering input for a self-study (Cornell University, n.d; Hanover Research, 2012; University of Texas at Dallas, 2016). Reported outcomes are expected to reflect analysis with Ryan (2015) suggesting that commonly assessed items including learning design, content and pedagogy in a feedback-heavy framework with emphasis on faculty-student interactions. Finally, the field seems to recognize that recommendations, strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities be identified with internal review to foster stakeholder engagement and external review to validate findings. In fact, the data-driven aspect of AGR may serve as one of its most important processes especially given faculty concerns about their voice in the decision-making process (Schoepp & Tezcan-Unal, 2016) and the charge of implementing actions based on data (Schoepp & Benson, 2015).
Field literature seems to suggest that process-related elements of program review still lack best-practice models and recommendations with findings from Wickham (2017) that ownership and alternative use of data are issues in some sample populations and from Nicholson (2011) that learning or educational theory are infrequently linked to improvement processes.
Stakeholder involvement
Bresciani (2006) notes that higher education’s adoption of continuous quality improvement practices which may have had the unintended effect of isolating faculty from processes despite accrediting body efforts to expect or require their participation. With the shift in focus to an expectation that student outcomes are central to academic assessment (Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (CRAC), 2003), stakeholder involvement has moved from best practice to expected demonstration of nuanced involvement at all process stages (CRAC, 2004), that is increasingly expected to address intellectual, interpersonal and psychological domains (Young, 2018) for broader ranges of stakeholders (Robinson & Demeter, 2017).
Program evaluation criteria
Several field theorists have put forward potential criteria for evaluating academic programs. In an update from his 1999 seminal work, Dickeson (2010) suggests ten (10) evaluation criteria, which receive representation in some form in this study’s coding form that as discussed in the methodology section. Wells and Wells‘s (2011) ten (10) criteria are also well-represented in this study with the expectation of two specific criteria that were considered but excluded due to lack of findings: per student costs were not typically presented and while graduation rates were presented, many institutions did not clearly present rates in terms of commonly noted 4 year, 5 year, 6 year time frames. In addition, performance funding formulas are having an impact on the mechanisms that higher education uses to addresses budget allocation (Dougherty & Reddy, 2013), so field discussion indicates that impact indicators will have an outsize effect on determinations.
In conclusion, reviewed literature makes clear that due to the complexity of analyzing and benchmarking quantitative and qualitative data sets, academic program review effectiveness is best examined through the effectiveness of its elements particularly those that reflect outcomes assessment and data-driven decision making.
Methodology
Content analysis is deployed in this research as a robust methodology of qualitative studies, for its flexible way of discovering patterns in data manifestations (Stemler, 2015) and has been widely used in research relating to presentation of education settings (Leach & Ramachandran, 2018). In particular, we collected data about 53 independent program review processes that represented a diversity of regional settings in small, medium, and large sized community colleges, state colleges, and universities of the American public education system. Very large public institutions were excluded from the study due to pilot findings and field literature (Audretsch, 2014; Geiger, 2017; Johnson, et al., 2016) that suggest that the independent structure of individual colleges with their inherent research structure and robustness of funding including commercial and technological partnerships means that APR will reflect strategic development of the college unit instead of the institution.
Therefore, to maintain focus on institutional strategic development the convenience sample consisted of public institutions of six states representing United States regional categories with the listing culled from the appropriate state department of education, deploying a convenience selection of three institutions from each institutional category of associate-degree granting, bachelor-degree granting, and masters-degree granting. Inclusion in the sample mandated at least one relevant finding; therefore, findings presentation will be in terms of prevalence. All materials collected were from public areas of institutional websites in order to inform discussion on transparency of the process.
As Volkwein (2010) confirms, most higher education institutions have a APR system in place, however, the materials guiding that process may not be public, hence the need for convenience sampling method. Although search terms involved ”program review”, “self-study”, and extensive searches of Academic Affairs pages, the scope of this investigation also included degree, and major reviews, as long as it was clear that the review was a comprehensive study that included outcomes assessment and was intended as a review that considered program viability, not just an evaluation of departmental effectiveness. Consensus between raters confirmed that each evaluated artifact was within the defined scope of the study. Each coder was assigned to independently code each site; interrater reliabilities were calculated with an average of ? = .70 (Stemler, 2004). Inclusion of prevalence findings presented in the next section were contingent on the level of agreement between coders.
The coding instrument developed through three iterations: the first version developed in response to the literature review findings and the second developed to adapt to a pilot study of six program review processes culled from institutions of the reviewer’s home state. The end of the pilot study yielded the final instrument which reflects active findings of the field. Items on the coding form included categories about the purpose of the program review, designated roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, related timeline information, provision of a program or departmental vision or mission, and information regarding review of past recommendations.
The form also sought information about program student learning outcomes, program description and history, program goals, outcomes, and curriculum mapping. Other items on the form sought program demographics such as enrollment, student diversity, faculty profiles as well as information about faculty research and advising interests. A category of effectiveness indicators relating to budget, benchmarks, resource allocation, facility, staffing, and technology adequacy was also cataloged. Finally, program strategic and action planning, overall functioning, leadership and policy development, and use of indirect measures formed categories. A meta information section sought information about internal and external reviews, scheduling, sponsorship, and portfolio requirements. Most ratings were dichotomous (required or not required), with significance calculated from the frequency. Two coders, a research professional, and a student trained how to use the coding instrument completed the evaluation of program review information.
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The state of academic program review guidelines and instrumentation in public institutions. (2021, Oct 13).
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Academic Purpose of Health Care in Health Economics
My decision to pursue a PhD in Health Policy in the Health Economics track at Stanford University and enter academia stems from my academic and professional experiences in the fields of economics and policy, my personal experience as a woman from India growing up with a chronic illness, and my unwavering commitment to help those who are most affected by social stratification and weak policy mechanisms.
I was born with a rare form of chronic pancreatitis, a genetic illness endemic to India. Growing up with a chronic illness, I have constantly struggled to not let it affect my education or mobility. I am able to do this to a large extent because I belong to a relatively higher socioeconomic class, have a supportive family and community, and was able to get early access to preventive and post-operative health information. Having worked in international development for most of my adult life, I have come to realize that my initial endowments in terms of wealth, education, and geography within India have reduced the burden of my illness significantly. This is not the case for a vast majority of people in the developing world who are trapped in a cycle of poverty, which is both a significant cause and effect of poor health.
Delivery of health information is an impactful and direct way to improve health outcomes, yet there is mixed evidence on the most effective targeting and delivery mechanisms. Behavior change in developing countries is significantly influenced by the person providing the information, the tendency of people to align their choices with those of their peers, local beliefs, and traditional knowledge. Additionally, targeting this information to the most vulnerable populations presents its own challenges and often health policies can inadvertently exclude these marginalized groups. The focus of my research is to understand the constraints and determinants of health behaviors, and advance the use of effective targeting and information delivery to improve these behaviors.
My interest in the role of the community in targeting health policies arises from my work at Georgetown University where I contributed to academic research for the first time while working with Professor Andrew Zeitlin on the evaluation of the Second Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF2). As a result of my extensive work on NUSAF2 and my familiarity with the dataset, I was given the opportunity to study the effectiveness of community based targeting under this large scale asset transfer scheme for my graduate thesis. I created a measure of welfare by adopting the methodology used for Uganda’s poverty index and tested factors related to errors of inclusion using a model that drew upon Alatas et al. (2010) . An interesting result of my analysis was that the community uses criteria that are very different from conventional measures of poverty (in terms of consumption and assets) while deciding who is poor and who isn’t. This sparked an interest in me to further understand how community members form their beliefs about their neighbors, and how it influences policy outcomes.
I had the opportunity to study social networks in the context of caste and affirmative action, and information diffusion and aggregation, while working with Drs. Arun Chandrasekhar and Emily Breza at J-PAL South Asia. I managed the implementation of a field experiment on networks across 240 villages in the context of the Indian demonetization policy of 2016 that varied the delivery of information about the policy and measured the quality of the information aggregated . During this time, I also ran pilots testing an extension of the DeGroot Model which studied social learning under varied initial signals . This work exposed me to the nuances of social networks analysis and I acquired a refined understanding of how social learning mechanisms work in developing countries. Conducting several qualitative interviews and observations analyses on these projects also illuminated the prevalence of caste-based segregation in Indian village communities and the attitudes and perceptions around it.
At the Stanford Center for Health Education (SCHE), my co-author and I are currently studying the effect of social learning on the adoption of positive health behaviors through a large scale quasi-experimental design with Noora Health - a not-for-profit based in India - which provides information on ante and post-natal care to new mothers through training sessions in rural hospitals. While there are significant benefits to learning through peers over learning individually , we are seeking to understand frictions in the aggregation of information through social learning . For instance, during interviews and focus group discussions during field visits to rural Karnataka (India),
I learned that family dynamics and the role of the mother-in-law in particular play a significant role in the take-up of practices by the new mother. To closely understand social learning mechanisms in these settings, we are testing the use of Whatsapp groups (a mobile-based messaging platform) to vary the seeding of health information within the family. We will also leverage community level networks data and hospital records to test which targeting units are most effective for the take up of healthy practices in the community - the mother, the family, or the community health worker. Additionally, we will explore heterogeneity in effects by examining differences by subgroups like caste and religion.
While I have developed a strong foundation in economic theory and empirical approaches during my undergraduate and master’s programs, I believe the Health Policy program at Stanford University is the ideal place for me to expand my training and application into the domain of health economics. I have consulted with Drs. Alsan and Miller to enhance our work at SCHE and their inputs have already helped frame the research I am currently pursuing. I would welcome the opportunity to work under their mentorship. In particular, Dr. Alsan’s work on understanding the historical and socioeconomic factors affecting the health and health-seeking attitudes of a population, and Dr. Miller’s work in understanding the role of behavioral factors like the motivation of health workers would provide me the insight and guidance necessary to bring my research to fruition.
I also wish to learn what policies and health systems have worked in the domestic case from Drs. Baker and Bundorf in healthcare financing and technology adoption and apply this to a development context. The opportunity to pursue my doctoral studies at Stanford particularly appeals to me as I would like to continue working on ongoing projects at SCHE as well as leverage the working relationships I have established with academics across the schools of Economics and Medicine. Additionally, based on my conversations with Dr. Baker and current graduate students, I am eager to be part of Stanford’s academic community and produce collaborative research with its outstanding faculty and peers.
I firmly believe that long term improvements in health outcomes are only possible through sound policy and effective targeting. I wish to contribute to the growing body of academic work in health policy by exploring new methodologies, closely studying the determinants of health behaviors, and applying it to real-world challenges in developing countries.
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Academic Purpose of Health Care in Health Economics. (2021, Oct 13).
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Miami-Dade: Plan to Create One of the Planet’s Best Vacation Destinations
Recreational facilities are defined as those amenities that provide for relaxation, rest, exercise, activity, enjoyment, education, or opportunities for leisure and community support that enrich the quality of life. These include, but are not limited to, parks, trails, boat ramps, piers, marinas, athletic fields, playgrounds, and community centers. Recreational areas may include any type of activity in which residents or visitors may participate. Activities include hiking, bike riding, boating, fishing, swimming, sunbathing, picnicking, playground use, or participation in sports. Miami-Dade County is one of the world’s most popular vacation spots. Though destinations often are said to offer something for everyone, the Miami area does indeed offer multiple enticements for everyone. Miami-Dade County has a rich arts district as well as night life and premier shopping. Other recreational opportunities include; beaches, fishing, boating, and sports events.
The county services approximately 25 million people per year, who use parks, attend events and participate in programs. One of the leading parks systems in the country, Miami-Dade Parks offers families nurturing, stimulating recreational opportunities. Today, it is the third largest park system in the United States, and along with 270 parks, more than 13,00 acres of land, six golf courses, six marinas, 10 miles of beaches, and attractions like Zoo Miami, attracts millions of visitors each year.
The ROI is defined as all recreational lands and facilities within the County that would be affected either directly or indirectly by the project. This includes recreational areas where structure or fill is being placed for storm surge barriers, floodwalls, pump stations, natural and nature-based features, or other measures or activities associated with the project, including all areas that are filled, graded, cleared, excavated, or otherwise converted to another use as, or that will result in limited recreational use, as a consequence of the construction of the measures. It also includes areas indirectly and/or temporarily adversely affected by the project, such as by means of construction activities.
Framework
Miami-Dade County has a Parks and Open Space Master Plan. The plan envisions that great parks, public spaces, natural and cultural areas, streets, greenways, blueways, and trails can form the framework for a more sustainable community. The plan is integrated into the overall fabric of the community and helps to create the kind of place where residents want to live, employers want to do business, and tourists want to visit. This vision is a collaboration of city, County, state, and federal park agencies working together to create a more livable Miami-Dade County through a vision that includes great parks, public spaces, natural and cultural areas, greenways, water trails and streets.
The goals of the Master Plan include:
- Every resident in the County can walk (within five minutes) to a central neighborhood park and civic space for picnics, special events, informal play and socialization.
- Every resident can safely and comfortably walk, bicycle, or take transit to community parks, recreation centers and special use/sports facilities.
- Parks provide for a balance of active and passive uses.
- The County Parks Department works with every municipality and the school district to provide public access to schools, city parks and County recreation areas.
- Equitable public access is provided to lakes, beaches and other major natural features.
- Conservation areas and critical habitat are protected from over-use and negative impacts.
- An interconnected network of shaded and safe bikeways and trails connect to parks, neighborhoods, schools, employment centers, civic buildings, and other community destinations.
- Existing streets are transformed into tree-lined boulevards and parkways that define the County's urban form.
- Bus transit is provided to every park and civic site.
- Public art, signage and cultural/historical exhibits are integrated into every park and public realm/infrastructure project to 'tell the County’s story' and to create a sense of place.
- The County's significant cultural and historical sites are protected, maintained, and promoted.
- Park improvements are used as catalysts for neighborhood stabilization and/or redevelopment.
- Parks are designed to reduce energy and water consumption, and to serve as models for sustainable development countywide.
- Parks are designed to be flexible in order to accommodate ever-changing recreation trends and demographics.
- Residents of surrounding neighborhoods are engaged in the planning and design of each park.
The principles of the Master Plan include:
- Every element of the County, including neighborhoods, parks, natural areas, streets, civic centers and commercial areas, should be connected without regard to jurisdiction.
- Beauty
- Every public space, including streets, parks, plazas and civic buildings, should be designed to be as aesthetically pleasing as possible, and to complement the natural and cultural landscape.
- Access
- Every resident should be able to safely and comfortably walk, bicycle, drive and/or ride transit from their home to work, school, parks, shopping and community facilities.
- Equity
- Every resident should be able to enjoy the same quality of public facilities and services regardless of income, age, race, ability or geographic location.
- Sustainability
- Every action and improvement of the Park System, including facilities, programs, operations and management, should contribute to the economic, social and environmental prosperity of the County.
- Multiple Benefits
- Every single public action should generate multiple public benefits to maximize taxpayer dollars.
Miami-Dade County Parks is supported by The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade a non-profit 501(c)3 organization supporting the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department's efforts to further develop Miami-Dade County's world-class parks system for residents and visitors. Its mission is to create a healthier, more livable and sustainable Miami community by ensuring the implementation of the Parks Open Space Master Plan and the development of year-round park and recreation programs for local children, adults and people with disabilities. Miami-Dade Parks now manages more than 13,500 acres and has more than 280 parks, recreational facilities and greenways. It continues to provide outstanding recreational facilities and programming to more than 2.5 million residents and visitors, making it one of the nation’s largest and busiest leisure service agencies.
A three-time national Gold medal winner for excellence in Parks administration, it is the only municipal park system of its size to be awarded National Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation and Open Space Agencies.
Heritage Parks
Parks are significant assets of a community's heritage. They are places of social and cultural gatherings, places of nature's beauty and places where we simply play.
In Miami-Dade, we have 75 years of parks that have enriched our lives and environment. Miami-Dade Parks is proud to preserve that heritage. We have designated seven parks that have played a vital role in this community's history, environment and recreational and cultural experiences.
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Miami-Dade: Plan to Create One of the Planet's Best Vacation Destinations. (2021, Oct 13).
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