Response to Intervention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Response to Intervention - Essay Example The case study shows how response to intervention might work in preschools. Possible advantages, problem areas, and practice implications are discussed. The promise of a response to intervention (RTI) framework stems from its focus on prevention, empirically based and sequentially designed interventions, progress monitoring, and data-based decision making. Prevention is used in two ways: (a) long-term prevention of risk and (b) specific prevention of challenging behaviors through instructional and antecedent environmental interventions (e.g., Neilsen & McEvoy, 2004). Building on discussions of RTI as a broad-spectrum model (e.g., Batsche et al., 2005), one that encompasses variables to reduce social and academic risks, this article presents RTI as a potential method of answering preschool service delivery questions. Following a presentation of a context for challenging behaviors and a RTI model that includes strategies for addressing early risk indicators, a case study demonstrates its application in a Head Start setting. Advantages, challenges, and role implications are discussed. In the present use, challenging refers to inappropriate, disturbing, or harmful behaviors that might be pervasive social excesses or deficits, situational disturbances, low activity engagement, and episodic crises. Extreme challenges have included highly aggressive children with other characteristics such as minimal language and behaviors such as elopement (e.g., Tarbox, Wallace, & Williams, 2003). Most evident has been the amount of child risk, need for family support, and the deleterious effects on classrooms (e.g., Carr, Taylor, & Robinson, 1991). In the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA 04; IDEIA, 2004), these early challenges are variously referred to as emotional and behavior problems that might lead to serious emotional disturbance, possible characteristics of autism spectrum disorders, or inappropriate behaviors of children described as disabled that might require positive behavior interventions and supports. Internalizing, externalizing, or psychiatric classifications may be used. RTI provides a functional classification system that fits the challenges of young children and that may avoid inappropriate labeling (Barnett, Bell, Gilkey et al., 1999). Prevalence estimates for behavioral challenges show rates as high as 7-25% in preschool populations, with higher estimates in high-risk populations (e.g., Feil, Walker, Severson, & Ball, 2000; Qi & Kaiser, 2003). Waiting for children who are at risk to begin schooling is late for prevention and intervention as considerable research links early challenges to later serious problems of adjustment (e.g., Campbell, Pierce, March, Ewing, & Szumowski, 1994). RTI in Preschools and Head Start Foundations exist for RTI components in preschools, including systemswide early intervention, positive supports, and problem solving (IDEIA 04; Prasse, 2006). RTI principles might be applied generally in early childhood, but here we focus on a Head Start program because these programs serve children and families

The death penalty of Kasab Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The death penalty of Kasab - Essay Example A major ethical issue is whether the death penalty of Ajmal Amir Kasab was justified or not as several agencies of human rights and the leaders of several minority groups have asked this question against the decision or verdict of The Indian Supreme Court as according to them, death penalty cannot be justified in any case. The death penalty of Ajmal Kasab can be considered as one of the favorite debatable or argumentative topics. The article mentioned in the appendix is full of ethical issues as Ajmal Kasab killed innocent people without any reason only for the sake of terrorism and religion. On the other hand, human rights and the leaders of minority groups demanded mercy of Kasab for the sake of ethics and non-violence. Therefore, it can be considered as an ethical issue. Argumentative Analysis There are two different types of ethical theories regarding the source of value and integrity, such as non-consequential reasoning and consequential reasoning. The ethical issue in the death penalty of Kasab will be discussed through the use of the above mentioned theories. Consequential Reasoning It is true that ethical theorists or thinkers have criticized the effectiveness and justification of consequential reasoning as this ethical reasoning generally ignores the basic value of moral assumptions and categories. A consequential theory generally judges the wrongness or rightness of a particular action based on the consequences of a specific action.

Ilya Repins Volga boatmen Essay Example for Free

Ilya Repins Volga boatmen Essay â€Å"Painting is a branch of the visual arts, in which color is applied to various surfaces to create a representational or abstract picture or design† (Vishny, 2003). A painting can represent an artist’s ideas or reflect the condition of a society. Some of the great masterpieces in art history include Peter Rubens’ The Battle of the Amazons, Frederic Church’s Heart of the Andes and Ilya Repins Volga boatmen. The Battle of the Amazons was painted by Peter Rubens during the Baroque epoch in 1616-1618. The painting employed the Flemish Baroque Style while the theme represented a battle scene from Greek mythology. It showed a violent struggle between Theseus (King of Athens) defense force and a group of women warriors commonly known as Amazons. In this graphical depiction of Rubens, he made use of strong dark colors of red, black and yellow that exemplified belligerence. â€Å"The glowing color and light that flickers across limbs and draperies gave a sense of movement and tactile strength† (Davison, 2006). For me, this piece of art showed that in a game of war nobody wins and everybody looses. No matter what the motivation or the cause of the conflict, war can’t still be justified because in reality lives are being taken and that is contradictory to human’s purpose which is to live. On the other hand, Frederic Church’s Heart of the Andes is a pleasant landscape illustration of a scenic view in Ecuador along the Andes Mountains. His delicate fusions of water, light and air and his seemingly infinite vistas emphasized an accurate depiction of an unspoiled and picturesque environment. This painting gave many Americans during the late 19th century their first glimpse of the tropics, which is rendered as exotic and as an underdeveloped terrain (Smith, 1989, pp-1-2). I think that the â€Å"Heart of Andes† reflected the artist’s love for nature. Meanwhile, Ilya Repins Volga Boatmen is a painting about bargemen which were called â€Å"burlaki† harnessed together along the shoreline of Volga River in Russia. Repin was able to convincingly depict the status of the working class during that period. He treated the main elements of his painting with dark colors to represent weariness, melancholiness and captivity which is contrasted by the light yellow and blue hues that showed nature’s beauty. Furthermore, Volga Boatmen became the model for mid-20th-century Soviet socialist realism that honestly and realistically demonstrated the social condition of Russia during that period (Davison, 2006). These three art works are representational paintings. The Battle of the Amazons, Heart of the Andes and Volga Boatmen represented a particular event, a definite place and a specific social condition. Ruben, Church and Repin used the same medium but they pointed out three different views. In the case of Ruben, he gave a glimpse of the Greek mythology, which is a commonly used theme in the Renaissance era, to his viewers. Beneath the nudes, animals and mythological creatures, issues on the effects of war and subordination of women were raised. For Church, he used his artistry to showcase an unspoiled landscape and stressed that places like this do exist outside their own backyard. The natural effect of the painting gave its viewers an organic feeling which is in opposite with Ruben’s somber depiction of the Battle of the Amazons and Repin’s gloomy rendition of the Volga Boatmen. Meanwhile, Repin showed in his painting his advocacy for socialist realism. He depicted a social scene with a realistic detail to impart to his viewers his social conviction. Overall, these paintings may differ in subject matter, color or styles but the only common thing in these masterpieces is that these are not only art works but are also considered as historical documents that tell a story of a certain period or time. More so, these paintings exude a serious mood with the common theme of battle. It is seen mostly in the small detailed elements that were carefully placed by the artists in their respective paintings. In the Battle of the Amazon, the use of dead nudes dramatizes the plight of women against the Greek men. The painting emphasized the social status of women as inferior to men but the battle scene depicted the attempts of the amazons to prove to the Greeks that they are not weak. Meanwhile, in the Heart of the Andes, it shows a different kind of battle. The presence of the white cross and open-root tree on the riverbank suggests the vulnerability of the environment. Church intended this element to show the fight to preserve and protect the pristine beauty of nature from the opportunist hands of man. As for Repins Volga Boatmen, the sea elements on the shoreline accentuates the barrenness of the place that heightens the unfavorable condition of the boatmen. This painting represents the conflict between workers and the upper class. It shows the class struggle of the masses against the privilege. References Davison, B. (2006). A Painting Critique: The Battle of the Amazons, Heart of the Andes, and Volga Boatmen. Associated Content Inc, pp. 1-2. Retrieved February 23, 2008, from http://www.associatedcontent. com/article/93533/a_painting_critique_the_battle_of_the. html. Lerkins Global Ltd. (2003). Rubens, Peter Paul The Battle of the Amazons. Retrieved February 23, 2008, from http://oldmasterpiece. com/rubens,peter,paul,the,battle,of,the,amazons,738. html? PHPSESSID=ed5695e80ea4b61861f84e53e04b9c7a Smith, R. 1989 October 30. Review/Art: Poetry and Showmanship of Frederic Church. New York Times, pp. 1-2. Vishny, M. (2003). Painting. Microsoft Encarta Reference Library. Microsoft Corporation.

Person Vs Human: What Makes A Man?

Person Vs Human: What Makes A Man? What makes up a man? This is the philosophical question mainly explored in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, entitled The Measure of a Man. In this episode, a formal hearing is held to debate whether or not Lieutenant Commander Data, an android who has been a long-time member of the Star Fleet, has the right to refuse undergoing a risky scientific experiment. The scientist who wishes to perform the procedure, named Bruce Maddox, claims that Data is not entitled to the right to refuse because Data, simply put, is a piece of technology. As a result, he claims that it would be absurd to entitle a thing to the same rights that a human being has. On the other hand, Captain Picard, a fellow crew member who sees Data as an equal, argues otherwise. He states that despite how Data technically isnt human, he is entitled to the same rights because he demonstrates the core qualities of human being, such as intelligence and self-awareness. A difficult decision must now be made: to all ow Data to refuse the procedure by acknowledging that he has the right to be regarded as a sentient being like a fellow human being, or to simply see Data as a piece of property without any rights and all of his human-like acts as being mere imitations and a complex system of if-then clauses. Though Data, being an android, is obviously not a human being, the episode ultimately raises the question of to what extent must an individual, or even a piece of technology, exhibit to be seen as an equal-a level that we, as human beings, recognize in each other? Captain Picards arguments focus more on how Data is a person rather than how he is not a biological human being, and that persons maintain certain rights. Commonly, most people today use the terms human and person interchangeably. However with deeper examination, it can been acknowledged that a person and a human being are not entirely same. A human being refers to people in a more a biological sense; being a human being merely implies that you are of the species homo sapiens. On the other hand, being a person signifies that you are a sentient being with a level of conscience. As a result of demonstrating these qualities, a person is to be regarded as one who is entitled to certain rights, a level of moral respect, and, ultimately, a right to life. And since being a person is different from being a biological human, it can be assumed that anyone, even an android such as Data, may be entitled to the rights that a person has; just because of the fact that one is not a homo sapien does not mean he is disqualified from the holding the moral respect a person deserves. Furthermore, it should be noted that not all human beings are persons, for an individual must have a level of rationality or consciousness to be regarded as a person. Maddox points out that a debate would not be taking place if it had been a computer or a toaster that had refused to undergo the procedure. But he failed to consider the fact that a toaster or a computer does not maintain a level of rationality or consciousness, hence not entitling it to the moral rights that a person is accorded with. Things that have failed to demonstrate these qualities, including certain human beings, are not viewed as persons, hence not entitled to these rights. For instance, a boy who is stuck in a permanently vegetative state and does not demonstrate any signs of brain activity may be regarded as a human being, but not a person. As a result, if it were decided that he would euthanized, there would be as much uproar as there would be if it had been boy had been severely injured, but still consciou s, because he would still be regarded as a person. Hence, it becomes evident that being human is not what determines whether or not someone like Data is a person, but the level of consciousness that one, whether he is a human or android or Klingon, exhibits. Captain Picard argues that it does not matter that Data is an android because the species of an individual does not determine his personhood. During his argument, Picard states three characteristics that determine whether or not an individual is to be regarded as a person: intelligence, self-awareness, and consciousness. The trial ends in Picards favor because Data demonstrates to a degree all of these traits, and the fact that Data is an android does not work against his favor. It is ruled that as a result of demonstrating these characteristics, Data is ultimately deserves the moral respect that every person does. Conclusively, it becomes clear that being human does not automatically entitle an individual with the rights of a person, but the level of rationality or consciousness.

Environmental Justice: Raising Awareness Essay -- Argumentative Persua

Environmental Justice: Raising Awareness The Discovery of Environmental Racism The majority of the U.S. population is not aware of the problem of "environmental justice." Most people would not even know what the term means if they heard it. In this paper I will write about the discovery of "environmental racism" in the early 1980s and report what is known about it today. I will then argue that making the general public aware of the problem is a crucial step towards environmental justice. The discovery of environmental racism can be traced to the plan of a new PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls) landfill in a predominantly black community in Warren County, North Carolina, in 1982. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gives the following "background information" on PCBs (1): PCBs have significant ecological and human health effects including carcinogenicity (i.e., probable human cancer causing or promoting agent), neurotoxicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, immune system suppression, liver damage, skin irritation and endocrine disruption. These toxic effects have been observed from both acute and chronic exposures to PCB mixtures with varying chlorine content. PCBs do not breakdown readily in the environment and are taken into the food chain by microorganisms. PCBs are then biologically accumulated and concentrated at levels much higher than found in the surrounding environment thus posing a greater risk of injury to human health and the environment than might be imagined. The already poor and disadvantaged community considers the addition of a toxic waste dump unacceptable; residents oppose the landfill by organizing protests that "some have termed the largest civil-rights demonstration since the 1960s... ...ental Justice Advisory Council (1998). Homepage. http://es.epa.gov/oeca/oej/nejac/ (31 Oct. 1998). 11. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (1998). Homepage. http://www.niehs.nih.gov/ (31 Oct. 1998). 12. Office of Minority Health (1998). Office of Minority Health Resource Center. http://www.omhrc.gov/ (31 Oct. 1998). 13. National Law Journal (1992). Unequal Protection: The Racial Divide in Environmental Law. As quoted by: Bullard, R. D. (1993). Residential apartheid in Urban America. Earth Island Journal 8, 35-36. Retrieved October 31, 1998 from the World Wide Web: http://insite.palni.edu/ 14. Environmental Justice Resource Center (1998). Homepage. http://www.ejrc.cau.edu/ (31 Oct. 1998). 15. Markowitz, G. & Rosner, D. (1998). Pollute the poor. Nation 267, 8-9. Retrieved October 31,1998 from the World Wide Web: http://insite.palni.edu/

Old Age in An Old Mans Winter Night and Follower Essay -- Robert Fros

Old Age in An Old Man's Winter Night and Follower This poem has a very direct title which intices the audience to find out more and is very similar to that of a Hollywood movie and uses plain language. From the 1st line we can see the boy’s possessiveness of his father from the words â€Å"My† we also know it is referring to the past from the tense of the word â€Å"worked† we also find out that he works on a farm. In the next 3 lines we can see the poets admiration for his father by the way he talks about the size of the man â€Å"globed like a full sail strung† and his strength. We see that his father was a real expert at his job by the way he can control horses with his tongue, heaneys intention was to show us the mans expertise and how he was in full control, it also shows us how hard the horses were working for him. In the next stanza on the 1st line Heaney calls his father â€Å"an expert† then pauses for affect to let it sink in, this is to show us the mans power and also the pure admiration from his son. In the next 2 lines we are again told about how good he was at his job â€Å"sod rolled over without breaking† the language which is used almost makes it seem effortless for the man. In the next stansa we see Heaneys use of enjanment with a run on line â€Å"Turned around – And back into the land† which reflects the movement of the plough. In the 3rd line we can see his father â€Å"narrowed and angled at the ground† using only his skill, not instruments, this makes him appear very wise and we can see that the boy is once again admiring his skills. In the next stansa we can see how the boy is clumsy in comparison to his father â€Å"I stumbled in his hobnailed wake† we also see his clumsiness from the word â€Å"fell† in the... ...the old man and his quality of life. After reading both poems we are given 2 different views on old age by 2 different poets. In Robert Frosts a lot of pity is felt for the old age and the poet seems to be very concerned about the quality of life being lived by the old man, he sympathises with the loneliness and feels sorry for the old man. Heaney seems to have a quite a different view on old age and we almost feel as if he is annoyed at his father for not being able to care for himself now, he is frustrated that the man whom he always looked up to has now become frail and now follows him around opposed to when he was a child. Out of the 2 poems I prefer Robert Frosts â€Å"An Old Mans Winter Night† as I believe that it has much more meaning to it and it really gets into the life of the old man and gets sympathy from the reader and gets them involved.

Women in the Odyssey

Women in The Odyssey After following an epic that revolved so completely around men, The Odyssey has quite a lot of female roles. True, the ancient Greeks had a better androgynous balance than other civilizations, and this is reflected very clearly in The Odyssey. Femininity has not only a bigger role in this epic, but it seems as though it is honored with its own unique power. This is shown in characters like Circe and Athena, but also subtextually in the many female weavers throughout the story. Overall, women and feminine power have a very influential role in the plot of the Odyssey.Let us begin with the obvious female powers in the immortal goddesses and nymphs. As far as the Olympian Gods, Athena is by far the most involved, regardless of gender. This is made very clear, for example, we see Telemachus preparing for his journey, â€Å"When they had made fast the running gear all along the black ship, then they set up the mixing bowls, filling them brimful with wine, and poured t o the gods immortal and everlasting, but beyond all other gods they poured to Zeus’ gray-eyed daughter. † (2. 430-433) Also, Calypso and Circe play the role of â€Å"Women as Temptress† which greatly hinders Odysseus’ journey.Circe especially has those powerful witch qualities that the uses specifically against the male gender. Luckily, however, she learns compassion for Odysseus and the crew in general. Thus she becomes not only kind but actually a very helpful component in the overall voyage. Calypso needed more convincing about releasing Odysseus, but afterwards she also became somewhat helpful. Other helpful supernatural women appear such as the water nymph, Ino, who saves Odysseus from drowning on his way to the Phaecians. Already we see a huge increase in female importance and their affect on the plot.One of the biggest reflections of ancient Greek culture is the amount of weaving done by the women. However, I think that the images of weaving in the Odyssey have little to do with making a cultural point. In Greek mythology, everyone’s destiny was weaved by the Fates. I think that because of that, weaving has many connections to destiny. This even transfers into the literal sense, from baby blankets to death shrouds. Thus, the women in the epic who are seen weaving are technically weaving the destinies of the characters of the story.Let’s start with Penelope, for her image of weaving is very specific. She weaves by day and â€Å"by night, with torches lit beside her, she would unravel all she’d done. † (2. 106-107) This represents the fact that she keeps her life monotonously the same, and refuses to allow her life/destiny/weaving to progress. We see another very interesting image of weaving with Helen. She is making her yarn, which the preparation work before the actual weaving. To me this means that she was the one who informed the destinies before anything even took place in the Odyssey.Her decisio ns before and during the Iliad were her major contributions, as she set the stage for the female weavers of the Odyssey. These weavers also include Calypso and Circe, who we have already decided are major parts in the book. There are a few more women in this epic who really deserve to be mentioned. Two of them are Phaecians, Princess Nausicaa and Queen Arete. Nausicaa, inspired by our goddess Athena, really helped Odysseus. In her curiosity and level-headedness, she helped Odysseus return to her palace and find the help and support he needed to return home.Once he arrived there, he met with Arete, and it was she who Odysseus chose to plead hospitality, â€Å"flung his arms around her knees,† (7. 167) instead of her husband (the king). From the moment I read this, I thought that Arete must be a very powerful and respected woman, especially if she has power over decisions like that. Another woman I found very influential was Eurycleia. She practically raised both Odysseus and T elemachus, making that bond/parallel between father and son even clearer. She is also the only person to recognize Odysseus before he meant to reveal himself to her.However, when she saw his unmistakeable scar, she â€Å"let his foot fall, down it dropped in the basin-the bronze clanged, tipping over, tipping water across the floor. † (19. 530-533). This uninherently shows her wisdom and compassion at an old age. Another (somewhat graphic) image of women in the Odyssey is the maidens that were hung across the rope by their faces at the end of the battle. This shows the flipside of feminine power, as these are the women who didn’t advocate for themselves or their masters in the least, but decided to live a lazy life of gluttony and pleasure instead.The last woman I would like to mention is Odysseus’ mother, Anticleia. We only get to see her as a shadow, which is the least powerful state of any woman throughout the epic. However, she still stirs a deep emotional r esponse out of Odysseus, which, in turn, most definitely affects the actions he takes and thus the plot as a hole. Overall, I think that women play a very inspiring role in this epic. The show us time and time again that each of us is powerful enough to help write or own destinies, and to be cooperative components in the lives of others.We see again that compassion trumps hatred, and that being helpful is better than being selfish. Setting someone you love free can not only just turn out for the best, but it also might just be what needs to happen in the fate of their life. How different would the story be if Odysseus wasn’t eventually allowed to leave Aeaea or Ogygia? So in conclusion, the women of the Odyssey show us to be present and compassionate in our lives, because who knows? You may just have a lasting effect on the life of another.