Social Development Theory Essay Example for Free

Social Development Theory Essay As a parent, I would agree more with Vygotsky’s theory concerning child development rather than Paiget’s. Though children do progress at different rates, I believe that they are capable of more learning at an early age than Piaget’s theory allows. Piaget also states that learning should supersede social development in all cases while Vygotsky’s theory allows for social development to be as important and in some cases more important than intellectual learning. While a child may be extremely intelligent, it will be difficult for them to function in society without having a strong foundation socially. Much of our society is based on social interactions and how well we as people handle ourselves in certain situations. A child who is not properly socialized will have a very difficult time knowing how to deal with their peers in a social situation. To ensure that my child has a very balanced background both intellectually and socially, I would first make sure that they attend school in a traditional setting, whether in a public or private school. Children need to learn, but they also need the company of other children and to be able to consult their peers concerning a shared experience. It is important for children to share in social activities as well as to be able to experience different things from each other and with other children. Another exercise would be to encourage my child to participate in a cultural activity such as dance classes, martial arts, or playing an instrument where they can receive personalized and community education, as well as team activity, such as a local sport. This would give the child a shared experience as well as a productive outlet to channel their energies and a positive adult role model outside of the family unit. Children should be socialized not only with other children but also with adults in a structured, formal setting that allows them to have a positive relationship with both adults and children socially. Works Cited Santrock, J. W. (2007). A Topical Approach to Lifespan Development, 3rd Edition. Dallas: McGraw-Hill.

Eudora Welty Essay Example for Free

Eudora Welty Essay The word determination is defined as, â€Å"the act of coming to a decision or of fixing or settling a purpose.† Will-power is, â€Å"the strength or will to carry out one’s decisions, wishes, or plans.† In the short story A Worn Path by Eudora Welty, the main character Phoenix carried out the meaning of these two words throughout the whole story. She had experienced many road blocks during her journey, but she did not let them stop her from reaching the goal she had at the time. In the story, Phoenix is a very old woman who needed to go to town to get medicine for her sick grandson. She overcame obstacles that were both physical and mental throughout the course of the story. Her courage and devotion to her grandson showed that she was willing to go the extra mile to make sure that her grandson was okay. This was not only because she cared for him, but because she loved him. Phoenix encountered many obstacles during her journey to town and one of them was getting through the thorn bush. As she was walking down the path her dress had got caught. A worn path: literary analysis Literary Analysis Arising out of the ashes the phoenix came back to life again. In Greek mythology the phoenix is the symbol for idealism and hope. It falls only to arise and live again. The main character of Eudora Weltys short story, A Worn Path, is much like this phoenix. She must overc Premium 508 Words 3 Pages Never give up: a character analysis of phoenix from weltys a worn path Never Give Up: A Character Analysis of Phoenix from Welty’s â€Å"A Worn Path† By STUDENT NAME Professor NAME CLASS NAME DATE Outline Thesis statement: In â€Å"A Worn Path† by Eudora Welty, Phoenix Jackson displays extraordinary perseverance in the face of difficulty, which ultimatel Premium 971 Words 4 Pages Analysis of a short story a worn path by eudora welty Analysis of a short story â€Å"A Worn Path† by Eudora Welty. Lit.1 Characters: Phoenix Jackson : Is the protagonist of the story. She is described in vivid colors, suggesting her lively nature: she wears a red rag in her hair and her skin is described as â€Å"yellow,† â€Å"golden† Premium 1151 Words 5 Pages Character analysis-a worn path A Woman of Amazing Character Will-power and determination plays a major role when it comes to people accomplishing goals and performing the tasks they are given. When a person possesses these two qualities they are motivated, focused, will not give up easily, determined along with many other thi Premium 907 Words 4 Pages Literary analysis on a worn path Literary Analysis on A Worn Path In A Worn Path by Eudora Welty, the protagonist Phoenix Jackson helps portray the theme that people will do anything for whom they love. Everyday people are going out of their way to make either a theoretical or literal journey to help someone they love. In the Premium 407 Words 2 Pages The Worn Path analysis In the story â€Å"A Worn Path†, there is a repetitive comparison between the main character and a mythological creature. The author Eudora Welty chooses Phoenix Jackson to symbolize through color, her appearance, behavior and overall journey a Phoenix bird. The author gives description to Premium 387 Words 2 Pages Literary Analysis of The Worn Path In the Worn Path, by Eudora Welty, the placement consorts with the time to create an environment which hinders Phoenix’s progress but reinstates dedication and persistence into her journey. During the establishment of the setting, the first description is, â€Å"It was December—a bright Premium 294 Words 2 Pages Worn path WORN PATH Eudora Welty brings the story, â€Å"A Worn Path†, to life through the use of the character Phoenix Jackson and symbols. This story detail’s an elderly Negro woman’s journey to town, on a mission of love. Phoenix Jackson, an elderly Negro women is frail, old, and Premium 914 Words 4 Pages A worn path essay 6 A Worn Path Detail of an elderly Negro womans journey from deep in the country to town, the while on mission of love. Phoenix Jackson, an elderly Negro women who is frail, old and has many handicaps, she lived during trying times and because of her race, faced many challenges while growing up Premium 862 Words 4 Pages A worn path: racial prejudice is rampant and out of control In the story A Worn Path, Eudora Welty shows an old woman living in a time period where racial prejudice is rampant and out of control. Phoenix Jackson is a grandmother whose only motivation for living is to nurture her grandson back to health. The strength of love may make people do or say unusua Premium 997 Words 4 Pages A worn path Eudora Welty’s â€Å"A Worn Path† is a story that emphasizes the natural symbolism of the surroundings. The main character in the story, Phoenix Jackson, is an old black woman who seeks out to find medicine for her sick nephew. This story contains a motif, which is the continuous walk Premium 1208 Words 5 Pages A worn path: the modern short story In the modern short story, Eudora Welty clearly develops Phoenix Jackson as a main character who indirectly manipulates other people. Phoenix, as the speaker in A Worn Path holds the status of an old Negro woman who continues the everyday cycle of life. Although, in reality Phoenix is an average h Premium 665 Words 3 Pages A worn path by eudora welty Ordeal of Devotion In A Worn Path by Eudora Welty an elderly African American woman named Phoenix Jackson picks a cold December day to make yet another perilous journey to a near by city to get medicine for her ailing grandson. On the way this ninety-year-old woman faces many obstacles, both natu Premium 985 Words 4 Pages A worn path essay 5 Eudora Weltys A Worn Path is a story that emphasizes the natural symbolism of the surroundings. As the story begins, we are introduced to our main character, Phoenix Jackson; she is described as a small, old Negro woman. I believe that the name Eudora Welty gives our main character is very symbo Premium 1346 Words 6 Pages A worn path: a tattered trail A Tattered Trail A Worn Path by Eudora Welty, is the tale of the unstoppable love and care of a grandmother for her grandchild. The main character in the story, Phoenix Jackson, is an old black woman who makes a long journey into town to get medicine for her ill grandson. Despite the many ob Premium 840 Words 4 Pages Eudora welty: worn path, visit of charity Eudora Welty The are only so many ways an author may sum up the course of a human life within just a few pages. Eudora Welty has the awesome talent of being able to do just this. In her stories Where Is the Voice Coming From, A Visit of Charity and A Worn Path, Welty uses the reoccuring th Premium 545 Words 3 Pages

Influence of Types of Play on Children

Influence of Types of Play on Children It is important to understand the different types of play and how they help childrens development in order to plan activities for children. This will help them to develop holistically. The Early Years Foundation Strategy says that play underpins all development and learning for young children (The Early Years Foundation Stage Practice Guidance p1.17 Crown 2008). Learning through play is a very important principle of Early Years education, staff must provide opportunities for all the types of play:- Imaginative Play Construction Play Home corner Lego blocks Dressing up Building towers Small worlds Physical Play Creative Play Examples: tricycles, Sensory Play Drawing and skipping ropes Water and sand play painting, crafts Children may play in different ways to what you expect, this doesnt matter, it shows their creativity. They may be running round outside in a superhero costume waving a sword they made out of a cardboard tube (physical + imaginative + creative), this helps them to develop holistically. Types of play for children ages 2 to 8 Physical This is any play with a focus which is physical. Children can be playing indoors or outside with balls, ride on toys. They can be climbing, running about or throwing and catching a ball. Physical play helps with motor skills, this gives more confidence. The children interact with each other when they are playing games outside, they learn the rules, how to negotiate, take turns, solve arguments, this helps with social skills. Resources needed To help with motor skills and co-ordination you would provide balls of various sizes, ride on toys and trikes, and skipping ropes, hula hoops. Space to play games like hopscotch, tag or football. For 6-8 year olds you could have a basketball hoop, inline skates and bikes. Example from nursery In my nursery setting the children play outdoors and there is equipment accessible for them at all times such as scooters. There are only two scooters which gives the opportunity for children to learn how to share and take it in turns to use the scooter. They must communicate with each other in order to ask if they can have a go on the scooter and have to wait their turn to use it, this improves their social skills and language. The scooters help to improve the childrens physical development greatly as the children have to be able to balance and use their legs to be able to move around the area on the scooter. They enhance the childrens gross motor skills. When the children are riding the scooters they can make their own decisions on where they want to go and think for themselves improving their cognitive development. Development through physical play may be affected if there arent enough resources available so children have to wait a long time for a go on a tricycle for example. This can be helped by sending children out in small groups so you have enough things for them to play on. Imaginative Children enjoy pretending, it helps them with their speech language and communication skills, their social skills, their identity. There are lots of different types of imaginative play:- Pretend play children make an object into something else, a ruler can be a wand for a magician. Role play using props, the children play act different roles they are familiar with such as Mummy Daddy, brothers and sisters, going shopping. Socio dramatic play a group of children play out scenes from real life such as taking their dog to the vet. This type of play is better for children with good language skills, children with English not their first language will not get as much out of this, they will need support from staff to help improve language skills. Superhero children dress up to act out their heroes from films they have seen like Toy Story, Shrek, Spiderman and Frozen. Small world using small animals, cars, toy soldiers children enjoy making up situations and manipulating the objects. They could act out a battle or be a farmer looking after the animals. Resources Plenty of dressing up costumes in different sizes Everyday items for baking, shopping at supermarket, Farm and zoo animals, miniature cars, toy soldiers Play house Example from nursery In the home corner we have used containers of real products that have been filled with coloured liquid or a substance that isnt dangerous for the children, such as a used Vimto bottle filled with water which has been coloured with purple food colouring to look like actually Vimto. There is also a washing up powder box filled with table salt as well as more everyday objects that the children will watch their parents handling. These resources give the children a real-life experience enabling them to use their imagination and creativity. They can also improve their fine motor skills as they pretend to poor drinks and serve food. Children can improve their communications skills as they talk to the other children and role play situations they have witnessed at home. These resources also help the children to enhance their social skills as they interact with the other children. Good language skills are needed for imaginative play so children will find it harder to join in if they have delays in language. Practitioners need to be aware of this so they can support the children with a different type of play which helps their holistic development. Sensory Experiencing how water, sand, play dough, gloop feel and what you can do with them helps with fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination. At the same time children are learning about texture and properties of materials, maths concepts of volume and shape. Resources Sand and water Play dough bought or home made Food mashed potato, pasta Example from nursery In my nursery, they have a sand tray which they have access to all the time. There are different objects in the sand such as stones, buckets, spades and miniature animals. The sand can be made into different consistencies, it can be completely dry with no water this allows the children to feel the sand between their hands and put it into containers and pour it out. When water is added to the sand it makes it malleable so the children can build sandcastles and other things with it. It promotes the child imagination and creativity. This type of sensory play is very relaxing for the children and is very good for children with disabilities, they can enjoy the feel of the sand on their hands. Sand play can advance a childs physical development, they use their upper bodies to handle the sand and play with the objects. They can dig, poor, scoop and grab the sand which also improves the childrens hand eye coordination. When children play in the sand they usually play alongside other children therefore this encourages their social skills. They must learn how to share the objects and get a space around the sand tray for themselves. Sand play also promotes cognitive development as the children are learning about the conservation of matter as they play with the sand, pouring it into different size and shape containers. Creative Creative play is when children make or create something, they use the resources you provide but it is important they choose what they want to do. This helps with fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, expressing and releasing emotions. They learn to manage frustration and how practising something helps you improve. When the child succeeds after they keep trying, they feel a lot of satisfaction. An example of this is making a necklace from beads. This requires good eye-hand coordination to thread the beads and patience if they keep falling off the elastic. The child learns to persevere and not give up. Also, they can help each other which develops their social skills. It is important for staff to not jump in to help, to encourage the child to keep trying. Resources Drawing and painting paper, card, paints, crayons, brushes Musical instruments mouth organ, kazoo, recorder, drums, small keyboard Collage materials glitter, textiles, glue, beads, feathers, string Junk for modelling boxes, tubes Modelling kits for 6-8 year olds Example from nursery In the nursery, there is a box with lots of recycled containers and materials such as, milk cartons, cardboard boxes, straws and lots more. The chldren can make whatever they want with the materials and they are given the freedom to do so. All the materials help develop the childrens creativity, they can experiment with the resources and use their imagination to think up ideas of what they want to make. When children handle the materials they are improving their fine motor skills as they are using their muscles in their hands to cut with scissors, and use their fingers to stick things together. Construction Children enjoy putting things together such as jigsaws, wood blocks and constructing things for example lego/duplo. They can make dens from sheets over chairs or out of large boxes. This helps with hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, how things work. Building a tall tower gives a sense of achievement this helps self-esteem. Resources Jigsaws, bricks, model aircraft and trains Different sizes of cardboard boxes Example from nursery In the outdoor space of my nursery they have a construction area with large coloured plastic bricks. The children can build towers and walls and knock them over and rebuild them. Playing with the bricks gives the children a good opportunity to advance their social skills and communication as they cooperate to build a tall tower. They must be able to share the bricks with the other children and take it in turns to build what they want to. They use their gross motor skills to place the bricks on top of each other and as the tower gets taller they have to reach up to place the bricks on top. If another child knocks down their tower, they have to learn how to express their emotions of anger, frustration, upset and assert themselves to tell the child not to do it again. Case Study 2-8 year olds In The Secret Life of 5 year Olds TV programme Jude struggles with being on the losing team when they are doing an obstacle course challenge. The winners get some chocolate and he wants some as well. He thinks it isnt fair that only the winners get the chocolate, he gets very upset and angry and cries. He asks his friends to get it for him. At first they try but it annoys the other children so they stop playing with him. Jude isnt able to control his emotions and accept he lost. He cant put himself in their shoes to see their point of view. The teacher sees that Jude needs her help and support to manage his emotions. In the next episode she takes him to one side and quietly supports him, she explains a better way to react. This enables Jude to behave differently the next time, he has developed his social and emotional areas of development. In the next task he shows that he has learned how to manage his feelings when he loses because he says Well done to the winning team (episodes 1 a nd 2 Channel 4 Nov 29th and Dec 6th 2016). The other children want to play with him more because he isnt having a tantrum. Sometimes you have to get involved to help a child develop to the next level. If the teacher had just left Jude to carry on getting angry, he would have lost his friends and not learnt a better way to lose. Types of play for children ages 0 2 Play is different for babies, they learn through their senses. Also, they need a lot more interaction and supervision from adults. Treasure basket Elinor Goldschmied had the idea for Treasure Baskets. This is an activity for babies who can sit on the floor unsupported and grasp objects. Lots of natural objects are put in a low basket that a baby can reach into. The adult is nearby to supervise in case the baby tries to put things in her mouth. Kathy Brodie says No plastic! (KathyBrodie.com) She means that you should provide natural resources with lots of different shapes and textures. Toys are smooth and plastic so the baby wont learn much from picking one up, they are too young to do much more than touch, smell and taste at this age. It is important to let the baby choose what to explore, the role of the adult is to supervise so the child is safe and to reassure them by being nearby. The objects can include things which are light or heavy, rigid or squishy, warm or cold. Lots of variety stimulates the babys senses, this helps development in the brain, new neural connections are made. Using the treasure basket helps develop hand-eye coordination, it also helps the baby get stronger muscles. The activity could last as long as 45 minutes depending on the childs interest and concentration. If they put things in their mouths you need to clean them before another child gets the basket. Review the contents regularly and change the objects to keep the babies interested. Example of resources Low sided basket with about 30 objects in Natural fir cones, pebbles, shells Wood spoons, pegs, wooden curtain rings Metal bells, whisk, small pan, teaspoon Others pot pourri bag, soap, fabrics, hairbrush, mirror, lemon Heuristic Play This is for older babies and toddlers, they want to find out what they can do with objects, not just touch them like the babies. As well as the objects from a treasure basket, you can add man-made things so the toddler can widen their exploring. Bigger objects can be used as the children can stand up, they have more control over their movements. This is a child-directed activity like for the treasure baskets, adults just supervise, they dont get involved unless there is a danger or the child invites them. In communityplaythings.co.uk Helen Huleatt says When toddlers make an enjoyable discovery for instance when one item fits into another, or an interesting sound is produced they often repeat the action several times to test the result, which strengthens cognitive development as well as fine muscle control and hand/eye coordination. Heuristic play needs a clear space for the objects and children, objects are grouped into types for example, all the tins in one group, the fabrics in another. The role of the practitioner is to set out the area then sit quietly nearby. At the end of the session the children can help to clear away, they can develop cognitive ability by sorting types of objects or colours into boxes they came out of. It is important to choose the right time for this activity, if the children are tired, they cant concentrate very well. Observing what the children interact with and how they use the objects will mean you can develop these interests in other types of play. For example, if you notice a child who enjoys sorting things by colour, you could help them to learn the names of the colours in a construction activity with different coloured bricks. Supervision is important to ensure the children dont put things is their mouths or break things causing sharp edges. Staff need to be near enough to intervene but not distract their concentration. If a child doesnt seem to be interested, they may be tired or hungry, there may not be enough objects to attract them. Example of resources Objects from the treasure baskets can be used Cotton reels, buttons, fabrics Containers of different shapes and size, made of different materials Tubes for pushing things through, cardboard boxes Peek a Boo and Hide and Seek Babies enjoy games like Peek a boo. As well as being fun it helps them to learn about object permanence. At first when something is out of sight a very young baby will think it no longer exists, they are surprised when you peek out. By about 4 or 5 months old babies know an object still exists even if they cant see it, they start to anticipate seeing you. Older babies and toddlers like playing Hide and Seek, especially when the adult pretends they cant see them. The game encourages children to develop problem-solving skills by finding a place to hide or looking for everyone. They improve physical ability by running about looking for a hiding place to squeeze into. They develop social skills by taking turns Resources Provide small spaces where children can hide Roll a ball Roll a ball helps a young childs holistic development. They develop hand-eye coordination and balance by rolling the ball, they learn about taking turns which develops social skills; their communication skills develop by listening to an adult talk about the activity. Resources Different sized balls Case study 11 months old The baby I have been observing plays Peek a Boo with her Mum. Her Mum said at first she got upset when she hid behind her hands but slowly she realised her Mum was still there. When I watched, the baby was laughing and smiling. She wanted her Mum to keep doing it. This game helped the baby to understand that when her Mum leaves the room she will come back so she doesnt get upset and cry for her. A strong attachment is very important for young babies to develop so they need to learn this as soon as possible. Resources to support play and learning A good variety and amount of resources are needed to support children If they are good quality they will last longer, there is less chance of the children being injured. All resources need to be safe for children to use, they have to have the safety marks to show they have been tested and are safe. These are the CE mark, the Lion mark and the Kite Mark. Each age group and ability/stage of development will need its own resources. Too many toys limits creative and imaginative play so provide lots of blocks, shells and containers instead of actual toys. You need somewhere to store them all so if you put them in boxes the children can play with the boxes as well. Older children might have particular interests for example dinosaurs so you could provide a set of different types of dinosaurs, books about them, and clay for them to make models. The 6-8 year olds could make a video using their models this would help their ICT skills as well as language skills. They would improve their fine motor skills by modelling and work together to make the video, improving social skills. Another thing is about different cultures and religions. If you have children from another country, like asylum seekers, they will do things differently so you must provide resources that they recognise. This could be dressing up clothes from other countries or different play foods for the home corner. Dolls should be of different colours so a black or asian child can identify with them. Books should show children from different races and cultures being heroes, not just white children, this helps them to have a positive sense of identity. As the children grow and develop the way they play changes, it depends on the individual child. Play is more social for 4 year olds than 2 year olds because their communication skills are better, they play cooperatively, they are more imaginative. 2 year olds need supervision to ensure safety and help them engage in play but 5- 8 years olds are very independent compared to 2 year olds, they dont want adults getting involved except to sort out problems. Older children like board games, they understand rules and taking turns whereas toddlers dont have the cognitive abilities. They are not good at sharing, they think if they want something they should have it. Research on successful outcomes of Early Years provision both in the short term and for later success in school and as adults has pointed to some general guidelines. The best outcomes for childrens learning occur where most of the activity within a childs day is a mixture of: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ child-initiated play, actively supported by adults à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ focused learning, with adults guiding the learning through playful, rich experiential activities. (Learning, Playing and Interacting 2009) If children only do free play then some areas of development and skills can get missed out. They may keep repeating the same activities so they dont learn anything new. If adults direct all their play it is less fun and prevents them gaining independence, it is better to plan a range of activities and opportunities during each day or week, this ensures their needs are met. Children aged 0-2 benefit more from adult-initiated play than 2-8 year olds. This is because the older children have developed a lot further, they need less help. Older children like to make up their own games and decide what to do. If they are offered the same resources, the younger and older children will use them differently. Babies and toddlers enjoy water play because it feels good, they can splash about, it is relaxing. They develop fine motor skills using buckets and spades. However, older children play with water in a different way. They like to measure out different amounts, see what sinks and floats. They will do experiments to test out ideas or use water in role play. Conclusion Supporting childrens learning and development through play and activities is the best way to develop the child holistically. Children are unique, they develop at different rates, practitioners must observe all the time so they have a good understanding of each child and their interests. They can plan a range of opportunities to help them develop more and provide resources the child will enjoy, also to provide a challenge so they develop. References The Early Years Foundation Stage Practice Guidance 2008 p1.17 Crown Learning, Playing and Interacting: Good Practice in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2009 p5 Department for Children Schools and Families Crown 2009 http://www.kathybrodie.com/articles/treasure-baskets/ accessed 11/12/2016 www.communityplaythings.co.uk/learning-library/articles/heuristic-play accessed 11/12/2016 Bibliography http://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/8-Reasons-Why-Playing-in-the-Sand-Is-Good-for-Kids-/10000000177634049/g.html Tassoni, P. A parents guide to treasure basket and heuristic play (2015) Nursery World p30-32 Tassoni et al 2014 Pearson Education Limited, Harlow

Baby Violence :: essays research papers

Babies, Frustration, Anger, Death Recently in the news paper in the York area an old distance friend of mine Travis Laughman is accused of beating his girlfriends baby Kellen Koller 2. Kellen Koller died at Hershey Medical Center. My first reaction was â€Å"I can’t believe this.† â€Å"It can’t be him!† I couldn’t come to terms to hear that an old friend of mine was a murder. Many young parents have a hard time with a crying baby. Not be able to get them to stop so frustration sets in. There are many cases where young parents are so overwhelmed and are exhausted and they just click and start to take there anger out of there babies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Yes, Travis is an old friend of mine, but I believe that he should serve his life in prison for killing his girlfriend baby. I know people think it sick that young parents beat there children to death out of frustration, but you have to think of what is going on in the situation. Babies can be very overwhelming and make you go crazy. When a baby starts to cry and will not stop and you try your hardest to stop it from crying a person my just click and not know what is going on. They just wanted to get the baby to stop crying. I personally don’t have any children, but I know it is an awful sound to hear a baby cry. I get frustrated in a restaurant when I hear a baby cry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I believe that this issue could be resolved if there would be a help line to help you threw a time when you have a crying baby that will not stop from crying. I am sure that there are help lines like that, but I wish people would use them. Also I think that the men and women who have killed their son or daughter may have a pass of being abusive or have anger problems. I know for a fact that Travis had anger problems.

Responsible Fates Essay -- essays research papers

In the play Romeo and Juliet and the musical Wet Side Story, the two pairs of lovers were part responsible for their tragic fates. First, Romeo’s and Juliet’s families were enemies. In comparison, Tony and Maria of West Side Story were practically apart of gangs that were enemies as well. Second, both couples knew they shouldn’t have been together especially if they had to hide it. Third, Romeo and Juliet gave up hope when they committed suicide. Last, the couples knew their situations would be dangerous and would cause more feuding than there already was. To begin with, the Montagues and the Capulets were enemies and so were the Sharks and the Jets. In modern day life, one would not even think of speaking to a girl or boy if it is known that the person is of enemy blood. That would be a...

Learning from Helen Keller Essays -- Helen Keller Deaf Blind Essays

Learning from Helen Keller Facilitated Communication Institute Helen Keller is probably the most universally recognized disabled person of the twentieth century. (Others such as Franklin Roosevelt were equally well-known, but Keller is remembered primarily for her accomplishments which are disability-related.) Those of us who have grown up in the last half of this century have only known Keller as a figure of veneration. We know her primarily through popularized versions of her life such as the play "The Miracle Worker," or through her autobiographical works such as The Story of My Life (Keller, 1961 [1902]) and The World I Live In (Keller, 1908). Most of us have come away with the image of a more-than-human person living with the blessed support of an equally superhuman mentor, Annie Sullivan Macy. There is little wisdom, however, to be learned from the stories of superheroes. It is from observing the struggles, losses and compromises in both Keller and Sullivan's lives that we are likely to find parallels to the everyday experiences of ourselves and our friends. Dorothy Herrmann's recent biography of Keller, Helen Keller: A Life (Herrmann, 1998) creates a much more complete picture of the costs of Keller's celebrity and iconic status, and of the tensions present in her life-long relationship with the woman whom she always referred to as Teacher. In this paper, I will discuss two important themes from Helen Keller's life in terms of their implications for those of us who are also part of a community of people engaged in the enterprise of finding their voices in the world. The "Frost King" Incident Helen Keller was born in Alabama in 1880, and became deaf and then blind following an illness when she was 19 months old. Annie Sullivan came to Alabama to work as Helen's teacher in March, 1887. Scarcely a month later, on April 5, 1887, came the well-known moment at the water-pump, where Helen first associated the objects she experienced with the words being spelled into her hand. Within the next year, Helen began keeping a journal, and was studying the poetry of Longfellow, Whittier, and Oliver Wendell Holmes. By the time she was ten years old, Helen Keller was literally world-famous. As early as October, 1888, she was writing letters such as the following one to Michael Anagnos, the director of the Perkins' School for the Blind: Mon cher Mon... ...in facilitators, for administrators who provide access to enriched staffing resources, and for allies involved in connecting an individual with his or her broader community. The world will never see another Helen Keller. Those visible people with disabilities of our generation do not stand alone and unique -- increasingly, they are powerful members of a powerful community, in control of those who support them rather than controlled by them. Those of us who are supporters and allies of facilitated communication users can play an important role in helping our friends come into possession of their power and full citizenship in our community. The most powerful acts -- and often the most complicated and painful ones -- by which we can support movement in this direction, are those acts by which, a piece at a time, we become less and less indispensable. REFERENCES Herrmann, D. (1998). Helen Keller: A Life. New York, Alfred A. Knopf. Keller, H. (1961 [1902]) The Story of my Life. New York, Dell. Keller, H. (1908). The World I Live In. New York, Grosset and Dunlop. Shevin, M. (1993). â€Å"Editorial: Who are our Phyllis Wheatleys?† Facilitated Communication Digest 1(3): 1-2.

Diabetes Type II

Diabetes is a condition characterized by individuals having elevated levels of blood sugar resulting from the body not producing sufficient insulin or the body cells not effectively responding to the insulin already present in the body (Kilvert & Fox, 2007). Insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreases, enables the body cells to take up glucose and oxidizes it into energy (Zieve & Wexler, 2009). Lack of this glucose uptake by the body cells will result to the accumulation of glucose in the blood, a condition known as hyperglycemia (Kilvert & Fox, 2007).Hyperglycemia leads to a number of other serious complications. In type II diabetes also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) results from the body cells becoming resistant to insulin or the insulin that is produced in the body is insufficiency (Kilvert & Fox, 2007). The onset of diabetes type II can be characterized by individuals having general weakness, chronic fatigue, malaise and lethargy. Frequent urination i s not unusual and individuals often complain of excessive thirst.Excessive movements in the bowel and unexplained weight loss have been observed among individuals afflicted by the condition (Mayo Clinic, 2009). The individuals suffering from diabetes type II start having blurred vision caused by the alteration in the shape of the lens due to osmotic factors chiefly the elevated levels of blood glucose. Frequent thirst leads to the affected individual taking a lot of fluids. Diabetes type II is known to be a genetic disease although medical causes have been explained (Kilvert & Fox, 2007).There is an observation of an increased risk of developing diabetes type II in families where the parents have the disorder. A mutation in the gene known as the Amyloid Polypeptide gene lead to the early signs of the condition and makes the progress to a more severe diabetes type II condition possible (Kilvert & Fox, 2007). Apart from genetics, the condition can be caused by an alteration in the met abolism and deranged cell processes. Environmental factors have also been blamed to cause diabetes type II particularly some diets and weight (Zieve & Wexler, 2009).Some drugs have been identified to increase the risk of diabetes type II such as the thiazide diuretics, which inhibit the secretion of insulin because of the hypokalemic condition they cause. Thiazides also increase the insulin resistance due to elevated levels of mobilization of free fatty acids (Mayo Clinic, 2009). Other drug agents that can be blamed for drug induced hyperglycemia include beta blockers, somatropin, protease inhibitors, phenothiazines, flouroquinolones, corticosteroids, antipsychotics and calcium channel blockers. Treatment of Diabetes Type IIThe immediate objective of treating diabetes type II is to reduce the elevated levels of blood glucose while the long-term goal of diabetes treatment is the prevention of diabetes-related conditions, which arise after individuals have developed the complication. Diet and exercise remain the primary ways of managing diabetes (Ligaray & Isley, 2010). The afflicted individuals should be able to accurately test and record their levels of blood glucose. The knowledge on what to eat and what medications to use should be well known by people suffering from the disease. The patients should get important information from their doctors.Individuals with diabetes type II are recommended to eat at the same times every day and their meals should be consistent in terms of the type of foods they choose to eat (Ligaray & Isley, 2010). The adherence of the meal intervals and the type of foods eaten help prevent the increase or decrease in the levels of blood sugars. Individuals can plan their meals by eating the right quantity of foods, choosing healthy foods and eating the meals at the required time. Another aspect is the weight management. It has been observed that some people after cutting weight can stop taking medications even when they still have diabe tes.In extreme overweight individuals, bariatric surgery may be recommended. Gastric bypass surgery and laparoscopic gastric banding are some of the weight reduction procedures that can be recommended in the management of diabetes (Ligaray & Isley, 2010). For diabetics, regular physical exercise is imperative (Mayo Clinic, 2009). It has been observed that aerobic exercise carried out regularly can help reduce the levels of blood sugars without the need of any medication. Exercise help to burn any excess fats and calories and therefore individuals with diabetes can easily manage their weight through exercises.Blood pressure and blood flow, which may be seen as a problem in diabetes type II can be improved (Mayo Clinic, 2009). Exercise decreases the insulin resistance in body cells without necessarily having any body loss. The body’s energy level is also said to improve with exercise and the ability to handle stress as well as lowering of tension are some of the benefits of exe rcise. When all the options of exercise and diet have failed, individuals may opt for medications that are prescribed by physicians. The drugs acting against diabetes function to lower the blood sugar levels in a number of ways (Ligaray & Isley, 2010).Physicians may prescribe for patients more than one type of medication because of the different modes of action of the different agents used in diabetes management. The drugs are also prescribed along with insulin when it is required. The drugs used in diabetes treatment are either given intravenously or orally. For instance, biguanides sold as metformin is used to decrease the hepatic production of glucose (Mayo Clinic, 2009). The rationale of biguanides is to make the fat cells, hepatic cells and the muscle cells to absorb more glucose from the bloodstream hence lowering the total blood sugar levels.Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors are also important agents that lower the carbohydrate absorption from the digestive tract. This lowers the glucose levels especially after the meals. Sulfonylureas help in triggering the pancreases to produce more insulin and they are administered by oral route (Ligaray & Isley, 2010). Other agents used in diabetes management include the thiazolidinediones, pramlintide and exenatide and meglitinides. Insulin is only prescribes to patients who fail to respond to other methods of disease management such as diet monitoring, exercise and other medications (Mayo Clinic, 2009).In addition, insulin may be recommended for individuals who have poor reactions towards other medications used. Usually, insulin is injected under the skin by the use of an insulin pen device or a syringe. Insulin is never administered orally as proteolytic enzymes in the stomach may act on the hormone hence affecting the efficacy. In diabetes type II, the body cells fail to respond effectively to insulin even when it is present (Ligaray & Isley, 2010). This is typically seen in type II diabetes mellitus where the resist ance is cause by post-receptor derangements.Post-receptor effect implies that the insulin is sufficiently produced but the cells which should physiologically respond to the molecule have a problem recognizing the insulin (Ligaray & Isley, 2010). There is a general observation that the increased glucose production in the liver particularly in inappropriate times contributes to the inability of the body cells to respond to the ligand, insulin (Ligaray & Isley, 2010). This process, the conversion of glycogen to glucose affects the insulin level, which is important in hepatic function.The reduced insulin-dependent glucose transport especially in muscles and adipose tissues also contributes to the problem of diabetes type II. Similarly, there is an impaired function of beta-cells in the early phase of insulin release following the hyperglycemic stimuli. Diabetes type II is a condition which not only affects the regulation glucose levels but also other important body systems such as the i mmune system, renal function, reproductive system and cardiovascular system are largely affected (Kilvert & Fox, 2007). The immune system is hampered among the individuals suffering from diabetes type II.This can be seen in situations where diabetic individuals take a longer healing from the wounds and minor surgical incisions. The incidences of coronary artery complications as well as the arterial diseases are common among the individuals suffering from diabetes type II (Zieve & Wexler, 2009). Renal failure can be the most disturbing complication of diabetes type II where individuals may require dialysis for blood purification (Mayo Clinic, 2009). Diabetes type II has also been identified to be causing erectile dysfunction which can be a major problem in marriages.In general, diabetes type II is a problem which affects a number of body systems and leaves the affected individual and the family members and friends with a great burden. It is a condition of economic importance and effe ctive approach should be directed to its prevention and treatment. The social aspect of the patients and those close to them is affected. Although medications have been developed to manage the condition, effective treatments have not been developed, which can completely treat the problem. This calls for extensive research to come up with ways to manage diabetes type II.