Gender Differences in Early Years Sector

Gender Differences in Early Years Sector Chapter 3 – Literature Review Introduction: The aim for this literature review is to examine the literature on the selected topic of men working in the early years sector and to the objectives of this research by acquire knowledge, through familiarising myself with the literature on the area. The objectives of this research are, to critically analyse the literature on Gender balanced workforce within in the early year’s sector. To explore what are the benefits to children of a more gender balanced childcare service and to identify are there any disadvantages? To identify practitioner’s views on why men in Ireland are not choosing to work in the early year’s sector and to identify practitioner’s views on how to encourage men into the childcare sector and finally to explore issues parents may have, if any on men working in the early year’s sector. Background: For many decades there has been a division of gender within the labour force. Commonly with men found in well paid occupations that are, highly skilled and that involve heavy work such as the construction or transport industries with female workers, on the other hand, have been found in caring nurturing occupations such as childcare, nursing or social work (Garrett, 1987). At present men are a very small percentage of the early year’s workforce in Ireland. Sources of data on the early years workforce show that men are at around 1 percent of the early year’s workforce in Ireland. Considering the huge changes in Ireland over the last decade it is surprising that this figure hasn’t really changed over the last ten years. So it isn’t surprising that also at present men are a small percentage of the childcare trainees in Ireland. Data gathered from research in other European countries shows some differences but men are usually well below 5 per cent of the early years workforce (see Cameron et al, 2003). This data from Europe also shows that Denmark has the highest proportion in Europe of male childcare workers, in Denmark men are 8% of the early year’s workforce. Benefits of a more gender balanced childcare workforce: The early years sector is not only a big employer in its own right but the early years sector is essential to enabling parents especially mothers to take up employment in the workforce. The childcare sector is, therefore, important to the achievement of gender equality in the workforce of Ireland. Increased participation of mothers in the labour market reduces child poverty and improves educational outcomes for children (see Penn et al, 2004). An important element of early years care and education is to promote inclusion and valuing diversity a more gender balanced workforce contests stereotypes and shows gender equality to young children. In this way, it is seen to enrich the quality of childcare (see Cameron et al, 1999; Moss, 2000). It is expected that in practice males will bring diverse skills to the workforce, reflecting on their own gendered rearing. (Jensen, 1996) argues that the quality of childcare is improved for children because it exposes them to diverse styles of playin g, caring and instructing. The literature frequently states that such diversity enriches the range of children’s experiences while attending an early years’ service. It is proposed that children can benefit from seeing a male in a caring, nurturing and responsible role, particularly in terms of their relationships with others, behaviours and attitudes. (Daycare Trust, 2002), Furthermore Miller (1986) draws our attention to the fact that a conflict of identity can be experienced by both male and female teachers; between teachers’ roles as ‘nurturers’ and ‘carers’ on one hand, and on the other hand their professional role as educators (as cited in Drudy, Martin, Woods O’ Flynn, 2005, p.23). The literature suggests that male childcare practitioners can be positive male role models for children these benefits are mostly spoken about in relation to the benefits for children of lone mothers as cited in Cameron, 2001, (Jensen, 1996) suggested that ‘the presence of male childcare workers could go some way towards providing constant, positive male role models for these children, as some kind of compensation for what is missing at home’ this is disputed by Christie (1998) as cited in Cameron, 2001 p. 435 Christie argues that ‘this model does not explain how, why, or for whom, male workers are expected to compensate, or whether compensation is possible’. Christie goes on to state, it may be wrong to assume that a child lacks a ‘father figure’ or other type of role model simply because they do not live with their father. And that it may not be realistic to expect a male worker to fulfil this role when such expectations are not placed on fema le childcare workers. Furthermore Owen (2003) states, it is unclear whether males provide role models for children by being as he say ‘traditional’ males in a female environment, Owen questions is it by engaging in so called ‘male’ play activities such as sport, or by challenging stereotypes by taking on a more traditionally ‘feminine’ caring and nurturing role. Further evidence to support such claims is provided by Bricheno and Thornton (2007) who found no indication that children even saw their teachers whether they are male or female as role models (p.394). Even though the concept of men in childcare being role models may be weak, it is supported by parents, early years employers, and the general public (Daycare Trust, 2002). Every child is unique in their own individual way and has specific individual needs that need to be met in a responsive and appropriate manner by those who are caring for them. Children who are been cared for by Early Childhood Practitioners on a full-time basis within a pre-school setting are in their care for more than eight hours a day, therefore it is extremely important for Child care practitioners to meet their physical and emotional needs all the time in order to form close emotional bonds with children. According to Roberts (2010), childcare practitioners learn to recognize children’s emotional and physical cues and respond to them promptly and appropriately. By doing this she believed that practitioners allow for close emotional relationships to blossom (Roberts, 2010). As a result of these emotional relationships, Roberts (2010) also believed that they pave the way for children to develop healthily. This idea is highlighted by Benson et al (2009), who state that one of the most important contributors to healthy development is children developing close emotional relationships with a responsive and nurturing caregiver. Nowhere in this literature is it stated that gender affects the ability to care for a child. Barriers to men working in the early year’s sector: The literature suggests that main barrier to men working in the early year’s sector is the fact that there is such a low rate of pay and that childcare practitioners level of qualifications are not represented in their rate of pay as cited by RTE News online (18/2/2015), The association of childhood professionals said that over 25,000 people are working in the early years sector where the typical income is less than â‚ ¬11 an hour. Marian Quinn the associations chairperson stated that the situation is unsustainable because young people are choosing better paying careers instead of the early years. Furthermore the Irish Examiner (3/1/2015) argued that Representative bodies have been flooded with accounts of workers, qualified to degree level and with many years of experience, earning just â‚ ¬18,000 per annum. For a male who is the bread winner of a family this would not be sustainable Research by the Daycare Trust (2003) stated that nearly half of over 2000 adults that w ere interviewed said that better wages would encourage more males to work in the early years sector. Not surprisingly (Drudy, Martin, Woods et al., 2005,) found that In an Irish study of school-leavers and student teachers ‘low pay† was given as a primary reason for fewer males in primary teaching. Another prominent barrier to the lack of males working in the early years sector is the it is a female dominated sector and the notion that it is women’s work, it is easy to understand that being in a minority may be an uncomfortable experience, and data suggests that this could be one of the key issues discouraging men from working in the early years sector. Historically, early childhood education has been seen as synonymous with caring for and nurturing young children and, consequently, continues to be widely regarded as ‘women’s work’ (Murray, 1996, p.368). Furthermore Daycare Trust (1999) posits that â€Å"Childcare staffs are overwhelmingly women and are strikingly badly paid compared with other caring professionals despite the commitment and professionalism which exists within the industry. Staffs have poor conditions of work and do long hours with little access to training or support. Morale can be low and the best often leave for better prospects e lsewhere.† Interestingly Cameron (2001) acknowledges and asserts that if early childhood work was re-examined, with ‘higher professional status and a higher rate of pay, it could be expected that there would be more male employees, fewer men in the token, isolated situation, and possibly less reason to move on quickly’ (p.444). Many Childcare positions are part-time and this also causes a barrier to males seeking employment in the early year’s sector. At the same time, the availability of part-time employment in the sector suits many women in the sector, a number of who work in childcare while their children are young. This motivation has been found to be particularly strong among childminders, who work on a self-employed basis (see Mooney et al, 2001ab). The high proportion of part-time jobs in the sector is thought to deter men and that they are more likely to seek full-time employment. According to Cameron, (2004). it is also evident that the men that do work in the early year’s sector are more likely to be found holding positions with older children in positions such as after school care rather than working with babies and younger children, This has been explained with reference to men’s preference for working with older children and choosing roles in education more so than caring roles. What needs to be done to increase the numbers of men working in the early year’s sector? As cited by Fine-Davis, et al (2005) highlights that there has been extensive backing for men to consider childcare as a career this was made clear by the European Commission (1992) which called on Member States to encourage and support increased participation by men in the care and upbringing of children. This theme was again encouraged in the White Paper on European Social Policy, A Way Forward for the Union (European Commission, 1994), and by the European Commission Network on Childcare (1990). It was found that despite the unquestionable support for increasing the number of men working in the childcare sector, the recruitment of men into the childcare field has not gained momentum. It has been suggested that particular attention should be focused on recruiting men into this area of childcare but as discussed earlier the barriers such as rate of pay, the lack of professional status associated with the profession and the current lack of males currently employed within the sector ar e barriers that need to be overcome before the possibility of men entering the early years workforce. Cameron, (1997) states that â€Å"It would appear from the example of Danish childcare centres that where the work has been re-evaluated as valuable, and as appropriate for a mixed-gender workforce, the perception of ‘mothering and childcare equals low value work’ no longer holds as a principal motivation for employment in childcare work† (1997a: 64-65). Fine-Davis, et al (2005), also suggests that it is evident that males will not be attracted to the field unless the salaries increase. At present Irish parents are paying some of the highest childcare fees in Europe, this isn’t because Ireland has the most costly childcare in Europe, but because the Irish government invests such a small percentage of GDP. Research also found that many early years’ employers acknowledge that the barriers to recruiting men into the early years sector are significant but they do not see that it is their duty to encourage men into the early year’s sector, but that responsibility lies with the Government, that the government needs to encourage this through advertising or through services such as careers education and guidance (see Rolfe et al., 2003). As cited by RTE News online (2015) Professor Noirin Hayes stated that the current investment in childcare of 0.1% of GDP compared to our European counterpart’s investment of 0.7% is not appropriate, addingchildcare was not a business but a social service and that needs to be recognised. Furthermore to this as cited by the Irish Times (2015) Chief executive of Early Childhood Ireland,Teresa Heeney, said crà ¨che workers that are qualified to degree level 7 or level 8 with many years of valuable experience are being paid as little as â‚ ¬18,000 per year. Furthermore the Irish times also cited Marian Quinn (Chairperson of the Association of Childhood Professionals) she said,â€Å"We are losing many qualified, and skilled experienced and knowledgeable people who can at afford to remain in the profession of childcare. Things need to change on a government level for it to have any impact on the barriers to men working in the childcare sector. â€Å"Equal opportunity needs to be a two-way process, as women move into male dominated areas and are encouraged to aspire to management positions, men should be encouraged into childcare and education, so that male participation becomes the norm rather than the exception.† (Thurtle et al, 1998: 632) Parents views of a more gender balanced early year’s sector: The literature suggests that parents recognise the benefits of a more gender balanced early year’s work force as cited by Cameron et al, (1999) some parents believed men and women had different skills in childcare, with men more able to engage in physical and fun activities, and women seen as more skilled in caring, nurturing and planning. But unfortunately the stigma of it being women’s work and the pre-conceptions that it is not a role suited to males still prevails. Even though parents and the general public mostly support the employment of more males in the early years sector, mainly on the grounds that males provide positive role models, there is also an element of concern identified through research from parents, college lecturers and the general public about the possible abuse from male practitioners (Thurtle and Jennings, 1998; Cameron et al., 1999). Penn and McQuail,1997concour with this stating that the topic of sexual abuse is undoubtedly a most important iss ue discouraging men from seeking employment in the early years sector. Male practitioners working with young children have reported being probed on their motives, and mistrusted of having perverse sexual intentions but there is no research out there that support any of these concerns and furthermore research by the Daycare Trust (2003) found that, although 77 per cent of participants, who included parents of children attending early years services, were in favour of more males working in the sector, 57 per cent said that one of the key barriers to men’s employment was the risk of paedophiles working with children’ and 56 per cent agreed that ‘people could be suspicious of a man working in childcare’ Owen, 2003 argues that this is somewhat unexpected given that cases of sexual abuse in early years sector are exceptionally rare, and that they do not all involve men. Conclusion: In concluding this literature review on men working in the early years sector it is evident through the literature that there are strong beliefs in the benefits of a more gender balanced early years workforce for the children and the workforce of the sector. Majority of the literature on the topic of men working in the early year’s sector seemed to focus on the range of perceived benefits, with particular focus on the benefits to children that attend early year’s services, but there was also a small focus on the benefits to the workforce and for the men that work in the sector. As cited by Scott and colleagues, research in the area of employment in the early year’s sector has focused more on the role of the sector in enabling women to participate in paid employment (Scott et al, 2000). The literature on the barriers to men working in the early years sector was also examined here we found how pay and the lack of professional status were the main barriers to men wo rking in the early years sector. Following this we explored the strategies that were researched on ways to encourage men to see the early year’s sector as a viable career prospect it was discussed that more would have to be done on a government level for any changes to be prompted. Finally the area of the views of parents was explored in this section it came to light that parents did see the benefits to a more gender balanced early year’s workforce but that some parents still had concerns when it came to the safety of their children. It also became very clear throughout the process of this literature review that because of the small percentage of men employed in the early years and the fact that there are very few examples of a mixed-gender workforce, these have not been examined empirically. The researcher was unable to source studies which explored the benefits of a mixed gender workforce through empirical research. Rather, the benefits identified are largely indicative and based on anecdotal evidence. The researcher also noted a lack of research or studies carried out on this area in Ireland. Thus forming an important research agenda for the future, it suggests a need for focused research on mixed gender workforces in childcare, to more accurately identify the benefits to children, parents and the workforce in Ireland.

My Diary Essay

My life is a sea of endless hardship. Struggling to open my heavy eyes, I began my busy day. After finishing my routine job drowsily before the first lark awaked, I had to clean the grand villa inside and out, finish washing piles of dirty clothes and prepare breakfast for the whole family. One after another, they got up and went downstairs, wearing tired expressions on their faces, as if they had done household chores for a whole night instead of sleeping comfortably in the soft and warm bed. I smiled a smooth smile towards all of them, although I wanted to tear at them in the deep bottom of my heart. All of them ill-treat me, including my mother, who is my dear mother, but my master now. Since she divorced with my father, my carefree childhood has become a piece of bittersweet history covered with dust. This grand villa is like a crystal palace to others, however, it is the hell full of misery to me. â€Å"God Damn! You fool must have shirked on the cleaning†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Peter, the son of my mother and her present husband, found a dead fly lying in a tiny corner of the washroom and jumped with anger. Before my explanation and realization, he gave me a slap on the cheek. In the mist of my eyes, I caught a slight smile on my mother. On the way to market, I came across my father. Spontaneously, I was surrounded by the sea of warmth and kindness, I burst into tears and poured out the bitterness of my life. †Please! Please let me leave that castle of misery, Dad! I would like to be with you no matter how poor you are†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My beloved dad stroked my hair without saying anything. I could feel his slight tremble and waves of love, which I had almost forgotten as time passed by. Suddenly, he said to me earnestly: †You have been a lady of 20, old enough to take your own responsibilities. Life belongs to you, and no one can offer you a real help except yourself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  †¦ I woke up, only to find the whole room was still buried in endless darkness and it was just a dream! I struggled to sit on and took a deep breath. My terrible life in the nightmare showed continuously in my mind, together with my father’s words. With trembling hands I wiped the stream of sweats and tears on my face. Luckily enough, I live a life of ease in reality. Under considerate cares of my parents, I am enjoying a more comfortable life than my peers, without worrying about almost anything. My parents and I have been living harmoniously and peacefully since my memory started. However, as time passes by, I am used to taking their loves and cares as granted. Only at that moment did I realize how happy I am. By comparing my dream with the reality, I found myself as blissful as a little princess. Moreover, I would like to thank the nightmare for giving me some experience and understanding on tragedy. No one wants to be involved in a tragedy, but when it falls into our lives unexpectedly, we should try our best to challenge and conquer it. I wish tragedy will be a permanent stranger to me, but I am fully aware that it is impossible. Everyone’s life is bridge from the cradle to the grave and it is full of barriers and thorns. But no matter what happens, I will keep in mind what father said in my dream and face challenges with pride and courage.

Educational Studies (Primary) with Art Essay

‘Art is a time traveller; art is an omnipresent teller of story. It’s more effective than CNN, the BBC and Sky News put together. Art is all the poems read, at all the funerals and weddings that happened, on every day of every year of your life, from every class, gender and sexuality of human being. The freedom to write is a sign of a free society. Art is the greatest symbol, the greatest expression of freedom. No wonder writers are a threat to repressive regimes; it’s because of the greatness and importance of books. Art bridges the gap between the spiritual world and the physical one; at times of great need, trauma, loss, celebration, union, hope, introduction, we need the bridge, we need art. It’s why there is song, it’s why there is poetry, it’s why there is dance, and it’s why there is music. What can art do? Art can save lives; people need the bridge over their troubled waters, because art is life. This is not an exaggeration; take away those songs those poems, paintings and music and leave citizens bereft of expression. Art offers a quality of life and of experience, a fundamental  power of art is to articulate. If aliens visited us, they would get a truer representation of the human being through art than through anything else. Art is as close to the environment as human beings can get. What art can do is what it does. I have seen homeless men and women speak, who have not spoken before, due to some unspeakable trauma. I have seen poems bring the invisible into focus on national radio. I have seen crying children smile. I have seen poems change lives. It’s why poems are read at weddings, funerals, births, on royal occasions and personal occasions, when soldiers are at war, and in peacetime. We turn to art because it is the greatest expression of humanity avail able to all.’ (Sissay, L., 2010) The essence of good art teaching is to harness the creative ability, which is already part of every child. We are catalyst, enquirer, developer and delegator to the creative young minds we try to teach. (Barnes, R., 2002, p.180) This art assignment will analyse a piece of work by chosen artist Judy Pfaff and her role in my project called ‘Dancing at the edge of chaos’, aimed at KS2 children, which consists of four developmental workshops, with the theme of ‘installation art’. (Appendix A-D) Judy Pfaff was born in 1946 in London, England. Her impressive career spans more than thirty-three years of making art across the globe. She began as a painter at Yale, but soon became recognised for her highly original sculptures laden with emotional impact. Pfaff explores space and matter and all that lies between painting and sculpture, two dimensions and three dimensions. Her work is laced with an intense physicality and exhilarating sense of chaos that continues to evolve throughout her art. Besides the ambitious sculpture installations for which Pfaff is renowned, she is a talented engineer, builder, welder and fabricator who tackles huge projects hands-on from start to finish. Her repertoire includes drawings, collages, prints and mixed media constructions, as well as highly complex multi-layered prints. Her prints incorporate collage elements and cut  papers. She employs a variety of media including photogravure (a method of printing high quality images in large editions, using photographic and etching techniques) encaustic (hot wax painting), lithography (a method of printing that used from a flat stone or metal plate with grease and water) silkscreen, woodcuts and more. (The College of Saint Rose, 2009) The artist has presented more than one hundred and fifty solo exhibitions and has participated in more than two hundred and fifty group and traveling exhibitions in the United States, Europe and South America. Pfaff has influenced younger artists either whom she has taught over the years or who have seen her work in hundreds of venues throughout the world. Pfaff sums it up: ‘†¦you should be allowed to test murky, unclear, unsure territory or all you have left are substitutes that signify these positions. Having it all together is the least interesting thing in art, in being alive.’ (Prince, S. E., 2008) The piece of art I have chosen as a starting point for four-lesson scheme of artwork is Judy Pfaff’s â€Å"N.Y.C- B.Q.E†. (Appendix E) Judy says, I think there’s always a melancholy in the work, though everyone has always thought of my work as being very happy, or jaunty, or- what’s that word I get- an explosion in a glitter factory. There’s always something that seemed carefree, easy-going. I can hardly remember that. I mean I can have a good time and I can be light-hearted. But there’s another quality that will get in, especially with the latest works. (Art 21, 2001) I found artist Judy Pfaff extremely inspiring because she has created huge amounts of diverse artwork throughout her career. She is a very ambitious artist with vigorous vision, which is echoed through her highly intense sculptures. Her work is never just about a particular element such as abstract form, rather an environment to be explored and experienced. Her  style of work links well with the project because the idea was to encourage the children to be spontaneous and to develop a skilful, yet sensitive use of materials, rather than just filling the space without a narrative. This element of extemporaneity and walking into a space and not knowing what will happen is exactly how Pfaff likes to work. Her installations are not simply just about scale and even though they appear to be quite chaotic, Judy plans with her assistants to figure out what they want to do with materials they haven’t worked with before. Assistant Ryan Muller at Judy Pfaff’s studio in Tivoli, New York talks about what he has learnt by working with Judy, As an artist myself, she has taught me a lot just about working on scales and persevering. She is in the studio constantly. She said a lot of her work gets done after we all leave. A lot of us will always be making theses images for her to work with; twisting the steal and giving her imagery to use and then when everybody has gone she has processed it all. She is in love with her work and that is inspiring. (Art 21, 2011) Despite Judy Pfaff’s set of diverse skills, to create one of her impressive installations involves a team of very skilled individuals. I was able to adapt some of the processes Judy Pfaff uses to create her installations, to be suitable for KS2 children, by planning activities which are accessible to them, so they could do the cutting, constructing, building, gluing, joining and engage with materials they had not used before, in a safe and stimulating environment. Once the children had been introduced to Judy Pfaff and some of the methods used in installation art, they were able to start straight away with experimenting with materials and creating their own installations. It was important to pitch the activities at the right level in each workshop, including starting small and building up to working on a large scale, all the time building their confidence and skills with the materials. All the materials I chose were easy to get hold of such as the cardboard boxes and wooden blocks, safe to use and stimulating enough for the children to engage with. The installation â€Å"N.Y.C – B.Q.E† is so complex  with so much to see; I found it enabled me to plan for many different art activities because it has so much scope. Pfaff’s dynamic, energetic, large-scale works incorporate many different media. However, I chose to gear the project to the handling materials aspect and getting the children involved in very hands on activities using their senses. Viktor Lowenfield, one of the great innovators in the field of art education, said, in his book Creativity, Education’s Stepchild: A Sourcebook for Creative Thinking: Creative persons, we find, are among other things unusually sensitive to what they see, hear, touch, etc. They respond rapidly to the â€Å"feel† and grain of a piece of wood, the texture and flexibility of clay, things often hidden. On the 28th October 1988 Angela Rumbold presented a speech to the ‘National Association for Education in the Arts’ whereby she said, Art, especially the teaching of it to young children, can enrich life by bringing to our attention the quality of such enlivening experiences. Through art, children can retain that sense of wonder and delight which all too easily becomes lost as later concerns of adult life take over. Without art and design, we lose the freedom to express out innermost thoughts and fears. Children’s knowledge and understanding of artistic and historical moments would be limited to the gamut to which their home life exposes them. (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, 1989) I wanted the children to experience some hands on building and constructing using a range of three-dimensional objects. â€Å"N.Y.C – B.Q.E† gives you a strong feel of being on the beach and by the sea, with light and life moving all around you which was my inspiration for the 30ft sandpit, which the children explored and created installations using more natural materials in  the third workshop. Pfaff’s work is full of life and inspired me to be quite ambitious with the planning, as I wanted to include a wide range of activities, which involved the children being actively engaged with materials and taking responsibility for decisions. My aims involved developing the children’s knowledge and understanding of colour, texture, space and composition by providing them with first hand experiences of experimenting with materials, investigating how it can be used and challenges where the child’s thinking and planning can clearly be seen. According to Margaret Morgan, County Art Adviser for Suffolk, ‘Experience and discussion of natural and manmade stimuli is crucial if the children’s awareness of form, feel, texture, pattern, weight and temperature qualities is to develop.’ (Morgan, M., 1988, p.82) Planning: central to all effective teaching, whatever the subject, is planning, asking the important questions such as, ‘What do I want the children to learn in this session? How can that learning be best achieved?’ Clear, appropriate learning intentions, setting yourself and the children challenging, engaging and achievable targets, reliant on an understanding of the children’s needs and abilities and the resources available, is essentially what teaching is all about. (Skelton, T., & Joy, E, 2001) While I was planning I drew inspiration from the key elements inherent to art education, which Margaret Morgan recommended in her book, ‘Art 4-11’: * Sensory experience: during the four workshops, the children used their senses to explore different types of materials and build installations in different environments. They carried out activities concerned with ‘feel’ and ‘touch’, which together will raise their visual awareness and the exploration of form, space and texture. * Ability to work independently and develop ideas, isolate problems and deal with them: In the last workshop the children were in charge of a particular area to set up ready for the  final exhibition. They had the responsibility of arranging an installation to make it fit with another in the setting. During all four of the workshops, the children were continuously developing ideas through practical handling of materials. * Practical experience and awareness of the potential line, shape, colour, pattern, texture, tone and form; of tools and materials and media; and of communication by graphic means: This was one of the most important outcomes for the children to achieve by the end of the project, as throughout they were handling a range of tools and materials in order to raise their awareness of their qualities and how they can be used in art. * Ability to enjoy and respond critically and intelligently to art and design forms, past and present: The children were introduced to the notion of installation art in the first workshop, where they were asked to share their immediate responses to it and explored how it was made and what it was made from etc. They also engaged with the work of Judy Pfaff and were asked some questions about their reaction to it and how it made them feel, what it made them think about and what it represents to them. The children also kept sketchbooks throughout and were asked to make comments about anything to do with the project, to encourage them to reflect on their own work and any particular skills they learnt. * Ability to use language in describing processes, developing discussion and evaluating ideas: Throughout the project the children were encouraged to discuss their ideas and what they were doing during the process of developing their work; by revisiting the element of space and composition, I hoped to expand the children’s vocabulary surrounding installation art and the features that were dominate in Judy Pfaff’s work. They also engaged in discussions within their groups when selecting materials and constructing their installations. (Morgan, M., 1988, p.110) Pfaff enters an exhibition space not knowing exactly what will happen. She must rely on her knowledge, skill, and experience to carry her through; this ethos was one I wanted the children to try and adopt, so when it came to the final exhibition they would feel confident enough to make a installation out of a new set of materials. The design of Pfaff’s ‘N.Y.C – B.Q.E’ opens the doors to many different possibilities for activities for KS2 children  because there are many aspects that go into her installations; I was able to discuss the use of colour, texture, space, and arrangement in Judy Pfaff’s work and how the children incorporated these elements into their own work. In every workshop I shared the image ‘N.Y.C – B.Q.E’ because I found it so cluttered and detailed; every time I looked at the image, I saw something different. Therefore I tried to encourage the children to study the image and stimulate fresh ideas and build up their language in art. Margaret Morgan states that the teacher should try to encourage children to look at, touch and feel items. (Morgan, M., 1988) This is exactly what I wanted the children to do throughout all the workshops to help build up skills and extend their experience of handling materials. As the workshops progressed, the aim was to try to build the children’s confidence and experience so more interest would build up during each activity. In all of the workshops, it was important the children used all their senses to explore the range of materials, so they could experience the materials and gain insight into their qualities, which would impact their decisions of choosing particular materials and design choices for their installations in the later stages. Throughout the project, the children were faced with all sorts of challenges such as painting, drawing, modelling, construction and textiles. My approach was to section off part of the hall, ensuring adequate space for each group of children to work with a collection of acquired items with potential for construction such as bricks, wood blocks, rope, plastic, metal etc. The children were introduced to the materials and reminded about the need for safe handling and mutual sensitivity. I reminded the children to respect each other and the things they had. The very nature of the range of materials continually triggered new ideas and associations such as creating homes in an imaginary environment, when the children were using the cardboard boxes and woodblocks. In addition, this approach provided the children with valuable experience of the potential usage of materials, an understanding of appropriate qualities and the importance of safe handling of tools and equipment. According to Rob Barnes, who presents many current and important issues in art education in his series of books called ‘Teaching art to young children’ states, ‘Expressing feelings and ideas in a visual way is a question of making judgements about things like colour,  scale, texture, shape and drawing.’ Children need to experience using and handling materials in order for them to understand their qualities.’ (Barnes, R., 2002, p.160) Some of the skills and tools involved in the project, such as joining using glue guns, cutting using Stanley knifes, experimenting with materials and their potential usage, arranging different types of metals and objects through trial, error and success which varied in weight and textures, taking responsibility for creating a sketch book, using the HD cameras and editing films using ‘I-movie’ on the MacBook pro’s and working in large scale groups meant it was more suitable for KS2 children. In comparison to the expectations in art and design of children in KS1, the activities seem to be a step higher in all areas. The National Curriculum states, in ‘Investigating and making art, craft and design’ in KS1 the children are expected to represent observations and make artefacts whereas in KS2, this develops into using a variety of methods and approaches to communicate observations, ideas and feelings and as the children were developing their creativity through more complex activities, increasing their critical awareness of the purpose of installation art and evolving their confidence in using materials and processes to communicate what they see, feel and think, these learning objectives seemed more appropriate. (DfEE, 1999) ‘N.Y.C – B.Q.E’ is a perfect example of Judy Pfaff’s controlled chaos in her artwork. Judy Pfaff controls the chaotic look to her installations. However, the chaos of all the qualities in her installations look like they may have all just been arranged in an attention-grabbing way but there is a reason behind all the commotion. This concept inspired the title for the project: ‘Dancing at the edge of chaos’. I tired to emphasise this idea of ‘controlled chaos’ when I presented the children with a random box of materials to have a go at making an installation, in groups. The children’s starting point would have been quite chaotic because all objects and materials started in a heap on the floor; the challenge was to arrange them into a visually exciting installation, some of which they might not have worked with before. Rob Barnes highlights, When children or teachers are involved in the process of making choices, they are inevitably manipulating thoughts and ideas. It takes little imagination to realize that one of the rewards of teaching art is to become just as interested in what children discover as they are. (Barnes, R., 2002, p.194) The main focus of the project was giving children the opportunity to handle and explore a wide range of materials, which they might not have used in a creative manner before. Michael Boyd, Artistic Director of the†¨Royal Shakespeare Company says, No child can absorb a fine culture of art without seeing a great deal of it and doing enough of it to realise some of the processes involved. Art is one of the antidotes of life which becomes increasingly busy and exhausting, yet far less humanly productive or satisfying. (Arts council England, 2010, p.7) Introducing the children to installation art allowed for the materials to be used and handled in a more stimulating way just like artist Judy Pfaff. Judy Pfaff has worked with an eclectic and unusual range of materials and moves back and forth easily between two and three-dimensional work, creating art that is complex and unique. These dynamic, energetic, large-scale works incorporate many different media. It was important to create opportunities for the children to see how Judy Pfaff might have constructed her work and manipulated materials and to raise their awareness of the different processes used in her work. Pfaff’s working process is spontaneous and highly physical. Throughout this project, the children have been encouraged to be very expressive with their thoughts and feelings, so they create work that is personal to them. Peggy Davison Jenkins, author of Art for the Fun of It, has said, Creativity is not so much an aptitude as an attitude.   The meaning and significance of each stage of scribbling still needs to be further studied. One thing is clear: children need to produce their own art, and they don’t benefit at all from completing adult -made projects. When pushed to do something they are not ready to do, they suffer by stifling their own needs. (Jenkins, D., P., 1980, p.70) I have tried to emphasise that the development of the work is just as important as the final piece because the children are constantly evolving their skills and making the work is all part of the experience. According to writer and poet Blake Morrison, Art can do many things: entertain, instruct, console, inspire, enrage, transform. It teaches us things we can’t be taught in any other way and makes us see things we wouldn’t otherwise see. It slows us the illusion of escaping our daily lives while simultaneously taking us deeper inside ourselves. (Arts council England, 2010, p.20) Educators are aware that children have different learning styles, a concept which has had a profound impact on thinking and practice in education, developed from Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligence. (Learning Styles Online, 2012) In art, the teacher will discuss concepts verbally, write information and draw illustrations on the board, and allow children to manipulate materials; therefore every kind of leaner should be able to access the concepts being presented. ‘The arts have an important role to play in refining our sensory system and cultivating our imaginative qualities.’ (Barone, T., & Eisner, W., E., 1988) In short, art enlarges the imagination and allows us to experience the qualities of sound, sight, taste, and touch increasing children’s perception in the arts, rather than simply recognising them. Susan Striker has written an array of books, which discuss the positive influence of a child’s artistic growth on their  intellectual and emotional development, and offering activities to facilitate artistic skills. She highlights that ‘Children are developing visual impressions when they read, and verbal and symbolic skills when they draw, paint and sculpt.’ And later argues, ‘A child who is exposed early to positive creative art activities, and who is allowed to develop freely and naturally, will take to writing very easily when the time comes.’ (Striker, S., 2001) Councilor Mick Henry, Leader of Gateshead Council speaks about why art is important to him: Art has the ability to change and improve lives. This could be through taking part in a single art workshop session and making something for the first time, being at a concert by your favourite performer, or band, walking in the park and encountering a beautiful sculpture, or visiting a museum or gallery and seeing something precious or unexpected. Any of these simple activities can be transformational for the individual concerned. †¨ (Arts council England, 2010, p.12) Creative activities confront how we feel about things. Expressing a mood, emotion, or temperament through art becomes as valid as responding to another person, a moving sight, or a meaningful experience. Both responding and expressing through art puts us in touch with qualities which are part of what makes us human.

How Baking Soda Works - Cooking Chemistry

How Baking Soda Works - Cooking Chemistry Baking soda (not to be confused with baking powder) is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) that is added to baked goods to make them rise. Recipes that use baking soda as a leavening agent also contain an acidic ingredient, such as lemon juice, milk, honey or brown sugar. When you mix together the baking soda, acidic ingredient, and liquid youll get bubbles of carbon dioxide gas. Specifically, the baking soda (a base) reacts with the acid to give you carbon dioxide gas, water, and salt. This works the same as the classic baking soda and vinegar volcano but instead of getting an eruption, the carbon dioxide fizzes to puff up your baked goods. The reaction occurs as soon as the batter or dough is mixed, so if you wait to bake a product containing baking soda the carbon dioxide will dissipate and your recipe will fall flat. The gas bubbles expand in the heat of the oven and rise to the top of the recipe, giving you a fluffy quickbread or light cookies. Waiting too long after mixing to bake your recipe can ruin it, but so can using old baking soda. Baking soda has a shelf life of about 18 months. You can test baking soda before adding it to a recipe to make sure its still good.

Free Essays on Douglass And Jacobs As Heroic Slaves

Douglass and Jacobs as Heroic Slaves The autobiographical stories of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs tell the stories of two strong willed characters who fight for their God-given right for freedom. â€Å"The man who would one day be known to the world as Frederick Douglass transcended the oppression of his childhood to become one of the most forward-thinking social reforms of his age. An intellectual and political leader, Douglass harnessed an ever-increasing public profile to promote and defend the causes of full civil rights for all men and women, be they black or white† (Kester-Shelton). In Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and Douglass’ The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, an American Slave, they fight through the sexual, physical and mental harassment brought forth by slavery to dehumanize them and make them think and feel they were not equals to the white race. These heroic and courageous characters show that even when confronted with great adversity the human spirit can overcome. Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass took many risks in writing their stories with the hope that it would help other slaves in similar situations. The horrid things that the characters had to witness and experience would hopefully disgust and anger the reader, causing them to want to take action. Despite the potential trouble it could bring upon them, Douglass and Jacobs included the names of their masters and mistresses in their stories. Douglass also used his own name, though Jacobs used the name Linda Brent, not so much to cloak her name for being a woman speaking publicly, but because of the â€Å"disclosure of her history of sexual harassment, seduction, and unwed motherhood† (Castronovo). At fifteen she was doing all she could to resist the persistent sexual advances of her master, Dr. Flint. â€Å"I wanted to keep myself pure†¦ but I was struggling alone in the powerful grasp of the demon Slavery; and ... Free Essays on Douglass And Jacobs As Heroic Slaves Free Essays on Douglass And Jacobs As Heroic Slaves Douglass and Jacobs as Heroic Slaves The autobiographical stories of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs tell the stories of two strong willed characters who fight for their God-given right for freedom. â€Å"The man who would one day be known to the world as Frederick Douglass transcended the oppression of his childhood to become one of the most forward-thinking social reforms of his age. An intellectual and political leader, Douglass harnessed an ever-increasing public profile to promote and defend the causes of full civil rights for all men and women, be they black or white† (Kester-Shelton). In Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and Douglass’ The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, an American Slave, they fight through the sexual, physical and mental harassment brought forth by slavery to dehumanize them and make them think and feel they were not equals to the white race. These heroic and courageous characters show that even when confronted with great adversity the human spirit can overcome. Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass took many risks in writing their stories with the hope that it would help other slaves in similar situations. The horrid things that the characters had to witness and experience would hopefully disgust and anger the reader, causing them to want to take action. Despite the potential trouble it could bring upon them, Douglass and Jacobs included the names of their masters and mistresses in their stories. Douglass also used his own name, though Jacobs used the name Linda Brent, not so much to cloak her name for being a woman speaking publicly, but because of the â€Å"disclosure of her history of sexual harassment, seduction, and unwed motherhood† (Castronovo). At fifteen she was doing all she could to resist the persistent sexual advances of her master, Dr. Flint. â€Å"I wanted to keep myself pure†¦ but I was struggling alone in the powerful grasp of the demon Slavery; and ...

International business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

International business - Essay Example This report aims at discussing why certain overseas businesses have a decentralized operations systems while the other follows a more centralized form. There have been several debates and discussions on this topic and the reasons why companies choose different forms of organisational structures in different places. To understand this better it is essential to firstly understand the meaning of decentralised and centralised forms of organisational operations. This will lead various factors that allow companies to choose the different style and also how the two differ in the case of different companies. There have been numerous debates and discussions in regards to the definition of ‘Decentralization’, and in a number of events this term has been mixed with ‘devolution’ or ‘delegation’. In the case of multi national companies and their operations, decentralization can be taken to mean the decision making rights or responsibilities, i.e. away from the centre and spread out across the various locations. Decentralization of a business operation simply means that the operation of every location is separate and based on the needs of the particular location. Here the main managers and heads of the company for each location are held responsible for the strategies, plans and operations of the particular location. In simpler terms the process of decentralization involves the decision making process and authority of the firm to a larger number of actors rather than a limited few in the central office. Operations in these kinds of companies are decentralized and the management for each area is different. Hence a decentralized management allows the company to perform better in the various regions and ensure that the company works in accordance with the region, culture, values and ethics. Also if the operations are tailor made for the

Impact of climate change in Arctic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Impact of climate change in Arctic - Essay Example The rapid diminishing of sea ice in prolonged summertime is also expected to open up the Arctic for ships and other sea vessels. It is against this backdrop that this paper analyzes how these prospects will impact on the geopolitics of territorial claim that may emanate from these discoveries. According to the National Research Council, climate change poses profound impacts on natural and human systems on the globe. Impacts of climate change are creating concerns for multilateral and bilateral relations, as well as, human, national and international security (56). Changes in sea level, temperature, precipitation patterns and in other elements of the ecosystem adds additional stress to food security, energy, water and other natural resources that support livelihoods (7). In terms of security, climate change poses direct impacts on military operations and regional strategic priorities (8). Therefore, climate change potentially disrupts international relations by posing negative impacts on specific resources and assets (9). The implications of climate change on international relations have begun manifesting in the Arctic region. Based on projections from the National Research Council, warming in the Arctic region has accelerated in intensity than in any other region on the planet (8). In the same vein, Lemke and Jacobi have projected that warming in the Arctic is double the global average since 1980 (7). Regions in the Arctic are already experiencing the effects of this intensified warming. For instance, warming has disrupted the livelihoods of many communities residing in the Arctic, with entire villages at verge of relocation (National Research Council 10). The freezing and subsequent thawing of ice in the Arctic is disrupting infrastructural developments and transportation systems in the region. Additionally, evidence has shown that freezing and thawing of ice has changed the range, diversity and distribution of vegetation and animal species (Turner and Marshal 8). What is worrying many scientists at the moment is the fact that warming and climate change-related impacts in the Arctic are occurring more profoundly and rapidly than had been predicted. For instance, sea ice in the Arctic Ocean and in connecting seas has diminished by more than 30% since 1979 (Turner and Marshal 9). Previous study models had indicated that the summer of 2100 will render the Arctic ice-free. However, recent models have predicted that this will happen as early as 2035 (National research Council 12). The rapid loss of sea ice in the Arctic has amplified human activities within the region. Furthermore, this loss has generated a lot of interest in and unease about the future of this region. Mounting interest in the Arctic region has been influenced by the perceived benefits that will follow the diminishment of sea ice (Takana 99). Implications of Climate Change in the Arctic Warming, melting, thawing and subsequent diminishment of sea ice in the Arctic has enhance d human accessibility to the region (Kraska 45). For instance, this diminishment could see an increase in commercial ships navigating the two trans-Arctic seaways; the Northwest Passage and the Northern Sea Route (Zellen 5). Accordingly, states have begun updating international guidelines that currently govern ships and other sea vessels navigating the Arctic waters (Kraska 46). Increases have