Distraction Plate Fixation Post-Procedure Essay Example for Free

Distraction Plate Fixation Post-Procedure Essay Type III compression injuries o Require operative treatment if ? Intraarticular damage is significant ? Radial shortening is severe o Fixation with multiple Kirschner wires or plates is often necessary, and cancellous bone grafting is frequently required to fill impacted areas. Often a combination of open and closed techniques is necessary to satisfactorily treat type III fractures. Type IV avulsion fractures o Are usually associated with radiocarpal fracture-dislocations and are therefore unstable o Often the avulsed fracture fragments are so small that they can be repaired only with suture. o Secure reduction of the carpus to the distal radius can frequently be achieved only with Kirschner wires. Type V high-velocity fractures o Always unstable, frequently open, and difficult to treat o A combination of percutaneous pinning and external fixation is often necessary. Many of these fractures are so severely comminuted that open reduction is impossible. †¢ CONTRAINDICATIONS Severe medical comorbidities that prevent surgery EQUIPMENT †¢ †¢ †¢ Hand tray and hand table Small fragment and mini fragment set Technique-specific tray, as required ANATOMY †¢ The distal radius and ulna may be divided into three distinct columns. o The lateral and medial columns correspond to the scaphoid facet and lunate facets, respectively, of the distal radius. o The medial column is further divided into dorsomedial and volar medial parts. The ulnar column consists of the ulnar styloid and triangular fibrocartilage complex. ? ? Tears of the triangular fibrocartilage occur when the medial column of the distal radius, ulnar styloid, or both are intact. Distal radioulnar joint instability is associated with significant displacement of the ulnar styloid. TECHNIQUES †¢ †¢ †¢ Post-Procedure: Distraction Plate Fixation Post-Procedure: Volar Buttress Plate Fixation (Ellis) Post-Procedure: Volar Plating of Intraarticular Compression Injuries (Medoff) Post-Procedure: Distraction Plate Fixation POST-PROCEDURE CARE †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Immediately begin finger and other joint upper extremity exercises. If a splint was applied, it should be removed at 3 weeks. Percutaneous Kirschner wires should be removed at 6 weeks. Activities of daily living are allowed, but lifting should be restricted to 5 lb. Once union is achieved, remove the distraction plate and begin range-of-motion exercises. COMPLICATIONS †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Median nerve injury Reflex sympathetic dystrophy Malunion, nonunion Tendon rupture Infection ANALYSIS OF RESULTS Studies have demonstrated a high percentage of good to excellent outcomes for distraction plate fixation. OUTCOMES AND EVIDENCE Ruch et al reported good to excellent outcomes in 90% of 22 patients using this technique. Procedure: Distraction Plate Fixation Post-Procedure: Volar Buttress Plate Fixation (Ellis) POST-PROCEDURE CARE †¢ Immobilize the wrist and forearm with a plaster sugar tong splint for 2 weeks. †¢ †¢ Next, use a removable ball-peen splint, permitting gentle active exercises two or three times a day for the next 2 weeks. All immobilization is removed at 4 weeks and progressive motion continued until union is solid. COMPLICATIONS †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Median nerve injury Reflex sympathetic dystrophy Malunion, nonunion Tendon rupture Infection ANALYSIS OF RESULTS The use of buttress plating for the treatment of distal radius fractures have proven to yield excellent results when surgical intervention occurs early and care is used to obtain anatomic reduction of the fracture. OUTCOMES AND EVIDENCE †¢ †¢ Smith et al: 100% union rate with 71% excellent, 18% good, and 11% fair results. Odumala et al: No difference in development of median nerve symptoms in patients treated with prophylactic carpal tunnel decompression compared with those without decompression. Procedure: Volar Buttress Plate Fixation (Ellis) Post-Procedure: Volar Plating of Intraarticular Compression Injuries (Medoff) POST-PROCEDURE CARE †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Keep the extremity elevated at all times until postoperative swelling subsides. Beginning on the first postoperative day, remove the splint 2 to 3 times a day for rangeof- motion exercises. Allow clerical work at 2 weeks. Resistive loading is allowed when signs of radiographic union appear. COMPLICATIONS †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Median nerve injury Reflex sympathetic dystrophy Malunion, nonunion Tendon rupture Infection ANALYSIS OF RESULTS Studies have demonstrated a high percentage of good to excellent outcomes for the Medoff system. OUTCOMES AND EVIDENCE Medoff reported 20 good to excellent results in 21 patients with intraarticular comminuted distal radial fractures treated with the TriMed Wrist Fixation System (TriMed, Valencia, Calif. ). Procedure: Volar Plating of Intraarticular Compression Injuries (Medoff) PRE-OPERATIVE AND POST OPERATIVE CARE Care of Pre-operative Patient Nursing Diagnosis Knowledge deficit R/T pre-op care. Expected Outcome Patient/parent will verbalize understanding of pre- post-op care. Nursing Intervention 1. Implement pre- post-op teaching program. 2. Document response. 1. Remove nail polish, make-up. 2. Bathe and shampoo the night before surgery. 3. Betadine scrub to surgical area. 4. Dress in hospital clothing after scrub. 1. NPO as ordered. 2. Sign at bedside; NPO sticker on patient. Potential aspiration R/T general No aspiration. anesthesia. 3. Re-emphasize importance of NPO to patient and parent; empty water pitcher and glass from bedside; check crib for bottles. 1. Explain procedures. 2. Provide time for patient/parent to ask questions, express fears or concerns. . Offer reassurance. Potential alteration of vital functions R/T surgery. Normal parameters for patients vital signs established. 1. Obtain baseline assessment of all systems ; N/V status within 8 hours pre-op. Potential infection R/T surgical procedure. Infection free post-op. Potential anxiety R/T surgery. Decreased anxiety. 2. Assess V. S. within 2 hours pre-op. Care of Post-operative Patient Nu rsing Diagnosis Knowledge deficit R/T post-operative care. Expected Outcome Patient and family will verbalize and demonstrate understanding of postoperative care. Patient and family will cope effectively with surgical postoperative process. Nursing Intervention 1. Implement post-operative teaching program. 2. Document response. 1. Explain procedures. 2. Provide time for questions, expression of concerns and fears. 3. Offer reassurance. Potential anxiety R/T surgery, post-operative care. Potential respiratory Patient will not experience compromise R/T general respiratory compromise. anesthesia. 1. Assess breath sounds-HR/RR at least q shift. 2. Turn, cough and deep breathe q2 hrs. 3. Record vital signs. Patient will Alteration in comfort R/T verbalize/demonstrate relief surgery. rom pain. Potential neurovascular Patient will not experience compromise R/T surgical neurovascular compromise procedure. . 1. Assess for pain and medicate per protocol. 2. Reposition for comfort as ordered/prn. 1. Assess surgical site or affected extremity for color, capillary refill, sensation, temperature, pulses and active/passive ROM as ordered. 2. Document neurova scular status as ordered. 3. Report any neurovascular compromise to M. D. 4. Position extremity with elevation if ordered. 5. Apply ice or heat as ordered. Potential alteration in level of consciousness R/T anesthesia. Patient will exhibit appropriate LOC. 1. Assess LOC q shift. 1. Monitor I/O q hour with IV or foley. 2. Begin ice chips or clear liquids slowly as ordered. 3. Maintain IV fluids as ordered. 4. Call M. D. for catheter order if unable to void after surgery. 5. Assess GU status q shift. Potential alteration in bowel elimination R/T Patient will have BM by postanesthesia and postoperative day #4. operative immobilization Potential alteration in skin integrity R/T immobility. Patient will not experience skin breakdown. 1. Mobilize as ordered. 2. Administer laxative of choice or suppository for no BM after 3 days. . Assess GI status q shift. 1. Assess skin q shift. 2. Provide daily nursing care. Potential alteration in fluid balance R/T surgery. Patient will have adequate fluid intake and urine output. Medical Diagnoses: Impaired Physical Mobility, Acute pain, secondary to fractured left femur, ORIF surgery, Musculosketeal impairment Assessme Nursing Client Nursing *I Evaluation nt DX/Clin ical Goals/Desired Interventions/Actions/ Goals Interventio Problem Outcomes/Object Orders and Rationale ns ives Subjectiv Problem: Long Term: * Apply any ordered X Goal met. Continue e brace before Pt was intervention Impaired Pt will be able to mobilizing the client. able to s as listed. Pt Physical ambulate around ambulate Encourage screams Mobility the nurses’ Rationale: around pt to when station 2X by â€Å"Brace support and the continue the staff discharge. stablilize a body part, nurses’ use of attempts allowing increased station by braces and to move mobility. † (Ackley ; discharge. assistive the left Ladwig, 2008, p 552). Pt was devices lower able to after extremity *Increase complete discharge Pt demonstr ates difficulty with any movemen t of the left lower extremity . independence in ADLs Rationale: â€Å"Providing unnecessary assistance with transfers and activities may promote dependence and a loss of mobility. † (Ackley ; Ladwig, 2008, p 552). *Obtain any assistive devices needed for activity. Rationale: â€Å"Assistive devices can help increase mobility. † (Ackley ; Ladwig, 2008, p 552). R/T: Short Term: O bjective Pt states that his pain level is a 9 on a 10 point pain rating scale. is activity until he more than feels twice. Pt comfortable did not c/o. complain Encourage of any the pt to pain or continue his discomfort independen upon ce in ADLs ambulatio and c/o n. unnecessary assistance. Pt states â€Å"I feel like I’m finally getting back to my old self. † X Goal met. Pt able to fully complete passive range of motion exercises with assistance from the staff by the end of this shift. Pt did not complain of any pain associated with exercise session. Continue intervention s as listed. Continue to assess pain using the 10 point pain scale q4 hrs or PRN. Continue to provide pain control and treat as needed. *Assess the pt’s pain Acute Pt will perform by using the 10 point pain, passive range of pain rating scale q4 hrs secondary motion exercises or PRN. to by the end of this fractured shift. Rationale: left femur â€Å"Single- item ratings of Pt pain intensity are valid grimaces ORIF and reliable as during surgery measures of pain any kind intensity. of motion Anxiety or â€Å"The client’s report of movemen Musculosk pain is the single most t of his eteal reliable indicator of left lower impairmen pain. † extremity t (Ackley ; Ladwig, 2008, p. 604-605). AEB Pt’s ORIF *Before activity, treat Grimacing surgery pain. during movement Rationale: or activity â€Å"Pain limits mobility and is often Pt complaints about pain and discomfort Pt pain rating of 9 out of 10. Surgery that is 2 days postop exacerbated by movement. † (Ackley ; Ladwig, 2008, p 552).

The Social Worker: Addressing Social Exclusion Essay

The Social Worker: Addressing Social Exclusion Essay The aim of this essay is to discuss the role of the social worker addressing social exclusion and discrimination along with the impact it has on individuals, groups and communities. I will also discuss my understanding of anti-oppressive practice and ethical issues within the Welsh context, and the issues social workers will face daily throughout their profession. To allow a social worker to carry out their roles and responsibilities they will need to understand the meaning of social work itself, Social work is the purposeful and ethical application of personal skills in interpersonal relationships directed towards enhancing the personal and social functioning of an individual, family, group or neighbourhood, which necessarily involves using evidence obtained from practice to help create a social environment conducive to the wellbeing of all (Pierson 2010 p494/495). A social worker needs to have knowledge and multiple skills to carry out their complex roles within society. One of those areas social workers will face within their professional role is social exclusion and discrimination. Social exclusion happens to a minority of people in society and those who suffer from social exclusion have different life experience and opportunities from other people. Pierson (2002,p18) defines social exclusion as a process that deprives individuals and families, groups and neighbourhoods of the resources required for participation in the social, economic and political activity of society as a whole. There are many contributing factors that can cause someone to face social exclusion or discrimination, social workers will need have an understanding of peoples life experiences, using a holistic approach, be able to listen, communicate with all service users in an appropriate manner and work in partnership with service users so they do not discriminate. Social workers also need to be mindful that Wales is now a multi-ethnic society and will be challenged with ethical issues and their dilemmas, such as languages, religion and other areas. According to the Welsh statistics 2009 Wales have a population of 2,875,700 of which 29.800 are mixed race, 52,700 are Asian or Asian British, 18.600 are Black or Black British and 22,600 are of other ethnic groups (http://www.statswales.wales.gov.uk/TableViewer/tableView.aspx accessed 26th October 2012). Those that are most at risk of social exclusion are children, older people, disabled, and unemployed, but the most significant factors are poverty and low income. Those living in poverty are vulnerable in a number of different ways. We know that they are more at risk of poor health and poor educational attainment, have lower skills and aspirations, and are more likely to be low paid, unemployed and welfare-dependent (Huw Lewis AM 2010 p2). Poverty is seen in different approaches, absolute, relative and consensual. Thornes, P (2007 p77) defines absolute poverty as not having the very basic means to live adequately. Relative poverty as a measurement of poverty based on working out the income needed to attain the accepted standard of living in a society and consensual poverty as whether or not people can afford a series of items which most people, when questioned regards as necessities. Between 2005-2008 an average of 32% of children in Wales was living in relatively low-income households. There has been a general downward trend, but the two most recent figures show an increase on the previous years.   Social workers will need to have an understanding of the impacts that social exclusion and discrimination can have upon a service user and their families. For this to happen social workers will need to be able to identify areas that cause social exclusion, be able to investigate and what actions will need to be taken to address it. The Welsh Government have put in place a number of policies, strategies and initiatives to fight against poverty and social exclusion which have impacted on those that live in Wales. These include Child Poverty Strategy for Wales, Flying start, Child tax credits, Winter fuel allowances, plus many more. Over the past ten years in Wales, overall poverty has fallen by three percentage points, compared with two percentage points for the UK as a whole. However, the extent of poverty for all groups in Wales (apart from older people) is slightly higher than for the UK as a whole. (Huw Lewis AM, 2010). Since social exclusion is a process we must be mindful that there could be hidden barriers involved which in turn will affect others areas of their lives, it will be like a domino effect. So in order for social workers to address social exclusion they need to have a holistic view of the service users, and consider any hidden barriers this will enable them to have an overall view of how the service user has lived up to date, what potentially triggered social exclusion and how to redress the situation. To enable good practice the social worker should be working in partnership with the service user where a trusting relationship can be built. Both sides will need to listen and engage with each other so needs can be identified and addressed, whist doing so social workers needs to be empowering the service user and practise in an anti-discriminatory way. Once the needs have been identified the social worker needs to understand how the impacts can affect the service users, their families an d their lives. Social welfare practitioners have a key role to play in terms of working directly with children, young people and families to help them improve their circumstances and mitigate the worst excesses of poverty and social exclusion. (Williams 2011). People can become socially excluded and discriminated against through poverty, isolation, lack of life opportunities, lack of education, availability of resources such as health and public transport, employment, living environment, demography, social participation and economic resources. The effects upon a service user and their families can be devastating, it can lead to service users losing their dignity which can then lead to low self-esteem and lack of confidence. People can then feel powerless, and that their voice is not being heard and become disempowered. People who are in poverty are in a cycle of deprivation and once in this cycle find it very hard to get out of because of the domino effect. They may be in poverty due to low income or unemployment. Unemployment is a major risk factor for low income in Wales, that risk rising from 5% for a full-working family to over 60% for a workless one. Even when another adult in the family remains in work, the familys risk of low income still rises to 25%. (www.jrf.org.uk/publications/monitoring-poverty-wales-2009 accessed 27th October 2012). Children who live within these household will also suffer the impacts of social exclusion and discrimination which have become a great concern for Governments. Research confirms the negative outcomes for children associated with poverty, including poor health, low self-esteem, poor educational achievement and homelessness. Outcomes associated with child poverty are mortality, accidents mental illness, suicide, child abuse, teenage pregnancy, homelessness, low educational attainment, smoking and morbidity (Bradshore and Mayhem, 2005). People who are unemployed also face the stigma of society, being classed as lazy and scroungers, so in turn are being discriminated against. We should be mindful that there are people who are claiming benefits due to ill health, being a lone parent with no social network available, been made redundant or the fact is there simply isnt any jobs available. Although the Government have implemented initiatives such as Free swimming, free Breakfast Clubs Schemes Free School Lunch (eligibility criteria must be met) in a number of schools, Genesis Wales and Child Poverty Expert Groups. There are people also being excluded due to the area in which they live, especially if in rural areas where the transport is less scarce, health provision is harder to access and resources are less available. Poor public transport networks in rural areas results in higher levels of car ownership. Consequently, poorer households are likely to spend a higher proportion of their income on transport than urban counterparts, and access to private transport remain a problem for many people. (Williams, 2011). Older people can become excluded due to isolation which could have a knock on effect to loneliness or health issues such as depression, they may not have family around or been moved into a residential home. Activities such as day centres or community activities may be hard to access or lack of transportation maybe an issue. Low income is rising in older people, despite initiatives such as Winter Fuel Allowances, concessions on TV Licences and public transport and Pension Credit according to figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), 26 per cent of people of pensionable ages in Wales were on low income households in 1996/97 compared to 18 per cent in 2008/09 (Francis, 2010 p59). Poor housing also causes social exclusion for people in society as its impact can have an impact on someones life. living in poor quality housing impacts significantly on quality of life, e.g. by contributing to poor physical and mental health, increasing spent on keeping warm ect.(Stirling, 2010 ). Overcrowding, inadequate heating, dampness within the home can also cause health issues for service users. Debt/credit also plays a big part in social exclusion, anyone who is in poverty will be faced with financial problems and again like a domino effect people borrow from one to pay another. And those who borrow are likely to borrow off high interest rate lenders because they have not got a good credit score, which in turn gets them deeper into debt and more difficult to get out of. Those who have a disability also face exclusion and high risk of poverty, they are discriminated against through lack of employment, shops, building, schools and transport still have restricted access, Part of a social workers role is use an anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory approach when working with service users, this means considering their experiences, who the service users are as a person, such as their gender, if they have a disability, their race, and values. The way we communicate with service users is vital, engaging and working in partnership. We must focus on peoples strengths as well as weaknesses and empower service users to have choices, knowledge and encourage decision making whenever appropriate. The more people become involved in determining their own destiny, the higher will be their self-esteem. They grow in confidence. And when group members learn that knowledge is power, they demand to know, to be kept informed, to be given information (Howe, 2009 p149). To work in an anti-oppressive way we must work in an ethical way, we must respect and value service users whilst ensuring we protect the vulnerable. As social workers we should be treating each service user as an individual with individual personal and social needs working in an empowering way so they can develop their own potentials. Social workers must be open and honest with service users to gain trust and relationships, this will enable both parties to work in partnership. Social workers will come across barriers they must be competent in overcoming, for example, language, we must allow any service user to use their preferred language, and this could be Welsh or any other language. If you cannot speak the language yourself then find an alternative way to communicate such as through a translator. Other barriers may include demography, available resources, religion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. From all the above information we can see social exclusion, discrimination and poverty can play a part in many lives of people living in Wales. Even though Welsh Government has implemented policies and initiatives to eradicate these issues, people in Wales are still suffering the effects and impacts . Despite both the UK and Welsh governments commitments to the eradication of child poverty and support for this aim across all political parties and a range of policies and programmes to achieve this goal, statistically, child poverty in Wales remains stubbornly high. In order to meet the Welsh Governments target or eradicating child poverty by 2020, the rate of child poverty in Wales would have to fall four times as fast over the next 10 years as it has over the last 10 (New Policy Institute, 2011).(Williams, 2010). Overall I personally dont think we can eliminate social exclusion and discrimination because whatever Governments gives, they always take back in other areas. Here is just one example, LOW income families in Wales face losing an average  £74 a year in support to pay their council tax bills, a study warned yesterday. Cuts of 10% will be passed on to claimants when the UK Government transfers responsibility for council tax benefit to the Welsh Government from 2013. The support is more widely claimed than any other means-tested benefit with 328,000 recipients in Wales. The move will slash the benefit by more than  £24m across Wales. (www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2012/06/22/low-income-families-in-wales-face-74-council-tax-benefit-cut-says-report-55578-31235972/ acessed 27th October 2012). I also feel society can play a big part to exclusion, many are still ignorant to diversity and can, directly and indirectly, discriminate certain groups of society. References Howe, D. (2009) A Brief Introduction to Social Work Theory, Basingstoke: Palgrave Lewis, H, (2010) Poverty and Social Exclusion in Wales, Blaenau Gwent, Bevenfoundation Pierson, J and Thomas, M. (2010) Dictionary of Social Work, Berkshire: Open University Press McGraw-Hill Walker, H. (2008) Studying for Your Social Degree, Exeter: Learning Matters Williams, C. (2011) Social Policy for Social Welfare Practice in a Devolved Wales (2e). Birmingham: BASW British Association of Social Workers LTD (www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2012/06/22/low-income-families-in-wales-face-74-council-tax-benefit-cut-says-report-55578-31235972/ accessed 27th October 2012). (www.jrf.org.uk/publications/monitoring-poverty-wales-2009 accessed 27th October 2012). (www.statswales.wales.gov.uk/TableViewer/document.aspx?ReportId=14038#_5._Income_Poverty

Leadership in The Once and Future King :: Once and Future King Essays

The Once and Future King  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Leadership In The Once and Future King T.H. White conveys his personal thoughts on leadership through the help of Merlin, and Wart's transformations. Through each transformation Wart experiences different forms of power, each being a part of a whole idea on how a leader should act.   He must piece together these ideas for the definitive way he should rule as king.   In order to teach Wart,   Merlin transforms him into several different forms, a fish, hawk, ant, goose and a badger.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "‘I wish I was a fish,' said the Wart." (p.45) At that, Wart's first transformation plunged him and Merlin into the castle's moat. They proceeded to meet the largest fish in the moat, who is the ruler. This fish took what he wanted because of his size. In a speech about power, he told Wart "Might is right," and might of the body is greater than might of the mind. Because of the way the fish-king ruled, his subjects obeyed him out of fear for their lives. Wart experienced this firsthand when the fish-king told   him to leave. He had grown bored of Wart, and if Wart didn't leave he would've eaten him. The king used   his size as his claim to power, therefore his subjects followed   him out of fear.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Wart's next transformation into a hawk   he soared into the castle's mews. All the birds in the mews had a military rank. Their leader was an old falcon, who was kept for show. The birds who ranked below the falcon, held her in highest regard because of her age. She applied her power over the other birds with no concern for their lives. In one instance, Wart is ordered to stand next to the cage of a crazy hawk who almost killed him. On the other hand, her age brought   respect.   The falcon was much older than the others because she had   not been released once she outlived her usefulness as a huntress.   Her age and attitude allowed her to maintain a powerful grip over all the birds she ruled through fear and respect.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Next, Wart was transformed into an ant and posted within an ant colony. There was a single leader of the ants, and she was the only thinking individually in the whole nest.

Speech Understanding Software -- Essays Papers

Speech Understanding Software In the past computers were completely impractical and never thought to be used for personal reasons. Today computers are a common household item easily accessible to anyone. In the future the computer will be even more focused around the user creating less work for the user. This future will be made possible through Human Centric computing. Human centric computing will make computers easy to work with. The main focus is to create a world where computers are everywhere and easy to use. One method of creating a more human interface is by implementing speech understanding software. This software is already improving at an amazing pace. Most reviews of speech understanding software I've read are highly critical about the speech understanding products. However in most personal reviews of the software people who have been using the currently available software are happy with the products. I think a big part of the problem is our expectations, and most people who have tried speech understanding products have succeeded to understand how the products perform once they are past the initial stages. One application for speech understanding software is the type that works with electronic documents. The User speaks into a microphone and the software translates the sounds into text on-screen. The text can then be saved into a file. That actually can work pretty well, but it still has a lot of weaknesses. Most people who use speech understanding software today don't use it to dictate letters and reports but to control computers, programs, and to process information online. A prime example of how efficiently speech-understanding software is working for those who need information from the Net is Tellme (1-... ...t also understand free flowing speech of multiple languages. Humans will be able to communicate with computers the same way they communicate with other people. When someone will need to ask for a document he or she will simply tell the computer what is needed without having to know where and how the information is stored. Users will be able to specify the information they want without having to go through fixed sets of choices. Computers and users will engage in interactive conversations, allowing the user to retrieve the needed information in a small number of steps. This process will not be restricted by a limited vocabulary, training, or any unneeded pauses. This will take the place of using keyboards and mice to communicate with a computer and will allow the user to be able to deal with the task at hand more efficiently and accomplish goals in a matter of minutes.

Are Character Traits Reliable?

Amanda Thomas Philosophy 103 November 19, 2012 Paper No. 2 In the book â€Å"Experiments in Ethics† by Kwame Anthony Appiah he states that â€Å"Individual moments of compassion and honesty makes our lives better, even if we are not compassionate through and through†. (Appiah 70) He also continues on to say that â€Å"[w]e can’t be content with knowing what kind of people we are; it matters, too, what kind of people we hope to be† (Appiah 72). He discusses the relationship between moral philosophy and  scientific research.He used some research experiments such as Milgrams and The Good Samaritan to further explain this quote. During these discussions he explains the difference between situationist and globalist/virtue ethics. Situationists are people who feel that what predicts behavior are situational factors instead of character traits. Globalists disagree with that statement and argue that character traits predict behavior. They also propose that good actions are defined as those done by people with the proper virtues and that virtues exist as part of individuals’ character makeup.A variety of psychological studies doubt these premises. The main issue is whether we have stable personality and character traits. Appiah uses modus tollens to give a logically from of the situationist argument. If the juice is made with sugar, then the juice is sweet. The juice is not sweet. Therefore, the juice is not made with sugar. One premises using modus tollens that a situationist could agree on is that if virtue ethics is true, then character traits predict behavior. Character traits don’t predict behavior; therefore virtue ethics is not true.Appiah takes the Milgram experiment to rule out certain strong forms of virtue ethics. He notes that virtue ethics can still serve as a guide to life, defining the ideals that should serve as our aims, even thought we rarely live up to them. Moral psychology imposes limits on the kind of peo ple we can become. Appiah uses a phrase that is, of course, necessary to consider in combination with the quote just mentioned, which is this â€Å"We imperfect creatures †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Appiah 53). Darley and Batson’s ‘Good Samaritan’ study was conducted by viewing helping behavior in which students at the PrincetonTheological Seminary were asked to make individual presentations on the story of â€Å"The Good Samaritan†. The accomplice was slumped in a doorway in need of help. Unrushed seminarians helped the accomplice over 60% of the time. When seminarians were told beforehand that they were late for their presentation the helping rate dropped dramatically. Appiah accepts that if the situationist case is as right, then globalism needs to be rejected. However, he argues that virtue ethics can live on even with the end of globalism, or at least he argues that virtue still matters in a world in which situationist lessons are learned.We hope to develop cons istent character traits and to obtain a highly assimilated character, the efforts of attempting to behave in ways show that virtues is one that is worth making. It makes our lives better if we help others a bit more when we are in a hurry than we would if we were unconcerned about attempting to obtain the virtues. He also feels that one can take and embrace the truth in both virtue ethics and situationist by putting people in situations where their virtue is maximized. He feels that the premises aren’t necessarily all true.Appiah believes that experimental research has an even deeper connection to morality. To some extent, we have to trust our gut feelings when determining what is right and wrong. He states in Chapter 1 that â€Å"The conjunction of virtue ethics and situationism urges us to make it easier both to avoid doing what murderers do and to avoid being what murderersare. †I believe that Appiah’s view on virtue ethics and situationist is true. Character traits aren’t completely reliable and certain character traits can help determine how you act in a certain situation but, also certain situations can completely dismay your character traits.

Appendix H

Associate Level Material American Rangelands and Forests Part 1 Choose either a rangeland or a forest of the United States and describe current federal management strategies. Explain federal efforts to manage these lands sustainably by completing the chart below. |Rangeland or Forest Location |Brief History of | | | |Rangeland or | | | |Forest | |Research and identify the effects of |Review environmental websites and journals. |Month 1–3 | |air pollution. | | | |Document the sources of air pollution and both environmental and health| | | |effects of air pollution. | | | | | | | |Document video interviews of environmental researchers and | | | |facilitators. | |Develop an education program about |Develop a presentation about why this program is needed and include air|Month 1–3 | |air pollution effects. |pollution’s ill effects, the lifestyle changes that will be required, | | | |and the benefits and challenges of change. | | |Schedule a presentation day and time. |Attend a monthly HOA meeting to present the benefits of the program. |Month 4 | | | | | |Request that the HOA board add the presentation to the following | | | |month’s agenda. | | | | | | | |Document the audio and visual equipment needed for presentation and | | | |layout of the room. | |Identify and invite community |Tally the number of homes in the community. |Month 4–5 | |participants. | | | | |Create and distribute flyers to homes announcing the next HOA meeting | | | |and the educational program that will be introduced. | | Blank Sample Action Plan Action Items |Action Steps |Timeline | |(in order) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Add more rows if needed | | | References Corporation for National & Community Service. (n. d. ). Sample sustainability plan. In Toolkit for program sustainability, capacity building, and volunteer recruitment/management (Section 4). Retrieved from http://www. nationalserviceresources. org/filemanager/download/online/sustainabilit y_plan. pdf.

Lengthening the School Day

Introduction Let me tell one of my experiences while in school. It was at exactly 3:15p.m when the physics teacher came into class. Normally the class ended at exactly 4:00 p.m.The entire lesson was quite interesting and I knew given a question on the topic I would answer it within seconds. The 4 o’clock bell rang and my mind switched to the soccer game we played the previous day. Despite the red group beating us, I knew our time to revenge had come. The teacher just assumed that he didn’t hear the bell ringing. He continued talking and talking. I realized that no one was paying him attention. Zen was busy   looking at his watch confirming the time, there were some noise in the class, books falling down ,a yawn etc.These were signals to the teacher that learning time was over, we were tired and needed a break. Finally I summoned courage and informed the teacher that time for the lesson was up.After giving me a good lecture on importance of learning, he left. There was a sigh of relief and students rushed out of class some to play soccer, swim and some to hang out. Leaning In Informal Settings Hours spent outside school and classroom setting have large impacts on high performance and social development of the students. Many people have questioned whether time outside class can boost their grades. My answer is –yes it does. Contrary to what many people beliieve, much learning takes place in outside school settings like home and the community. Hours spent outside school give a good chance of reinforcement of what is learnt in the classroom. Time Spent With Parents Parents for instance play a bigger role in student’s achievement. When parents spend time with their children, they supervise their school assignments ensuring that it’s well done. For example, my father used to check all my books after school. This made me pay attention during class time because I knew I had to explain to him why I failed some sums like in arithmetic. They do show the children their love and ensure they eat well balanced food and are generally healthy. By telling them their expectations, they reinforce high performance of the students. They share their own past experiences and provide information on how the students can access resources like libraries. They provide a link with relatives or people who have excelled in studies. All these are done outside classroom and automatically lead to high student performance. This is because the time the students are in school they will have maximum concentration due to their good health. Children learn from museums, libraries and theters.Incorperating community, family partnerships in students learning leads to greater student achievement than adding those extra learning hours in class. Sports Many times parents, guardians and even teachers think that time spent by students in sports hinders high achievement by the students. This is not true.Reseach shows that students participating in sports score higher grades than the non participating ones. Those who are always in class reading books without engaging in sports don’t score highly in tests .While many people argue that participation in sports hinders maximum concentration in studies, this is not true. Balanced participation leads to greater achievements than extending learning time for students. Good Planning Research shows that when teachers are given enough time to teach they produce better results than ‘too much time. In this case, adding an extra 2 hours to learning time is too much time. The teachers are in a position to plan their lessons well and teach effectively than adding them an extra 2 hours. Teachers can use power point handouts and small group tutorials which are more effective than too much classroom learning. Teachers can minimize time spent in school by giving group assignments . This makes students share ideas hence minimize the time used. This is very effective and improves average mean score of the school teachers go straight to the point unlike extra hours which give room for story telling and idle talk. This happens that the teachers can easily miss classes knowing they have extra time to teach. My argument is that teachers can accomplish much within time given than adding more time. Poor Concentration The human mind works well when fresh. Adding extra hours for instruction will mean that students are taught while exhausted. This will mean there is less concentration and retention of what is read. A teacher who teaches when he or she is tired will not deliver the knowledge efficiently. My experience illustrated in the introduction gives a clear picture of this. At the end of last lesson in school the mind deviates to other things like sports. Remember all work without play makes Stacy a dull girl. Extending learning hours will mean there will be dull students in class. Assignments When students are given much time to do assignments, they do a shoddy job. Ninety nine percent will never finish the work when given extra time. This means there is no need of adding the extra 2 hours to the school day as it will automatically lead to poor student’s performances. While in elementary school, Helen’s geography teacher used to give them assignments and add them extra hour to finish. It turned out that the students never used to finish the work despite the extra time given. When the teacher gave the same assignments to other students in another school she was teaching part-time, it was done well though no extra time was added. The assignment in the part –time school was well tackled and handed in on time. Over Depending Of Students on Teachers Adding extra learning hours will mean spoon feeding the students .This can be quite tiring to teachers .In any learning, it is good for teachers to give students room for personal research and study in much more relaxed environment. It is good for teaches to let students discover some things for themselves than spoon feeding which makes students easily forget what they were taught. Spoon feeding is not good for development of future scholars. It is not logical to add an extra 2 two hours to school day for greater student’s achievement. Instead of excelling, it will lead to decline in scores. Conclusion Contrary to what many believe, learning does not just take place in formal setups but also in non formal setting. This includes the family, which plays a bigger role and the community at large. Out of school experiences contribute much to student’s performance. The after school time spent by students with parents puts tremendous reinforcement to their achievement. Adding extra time will lead to poor concentration, poorly done assignments and inefficient teachers. So why want to do something poorly within much time, when you can do it better in little time?