Read Recite Review

| Read-Recite-Review†¦ Remember| A critical analysis; 3R Study strategy| | Nicole Turnbull| | | Transition to University Study – SSS021 Roy Sanders 13 March 2013 Transition to University Study – SSS021 Roy Sanders 13 March 2013 Mark A. McDonald, Daniel C. Howard and Gillies O. Einstein (2009). The Read-Recite-Review Study: Effective and Portable. A Journal of the Association for Psychological Science, Vol 20 No 4, 516 – 522.There are numerous strategies used by students for learning and recalling information from various sources of educational texts. The paper (Mark A. McDonald, 2009) provides evidence why the study strategy; 3R Read-Recite-Review produces mnemonic benefits that exceed those of note-taking and rereading. Two experiments were conducted, students were instructed to learn specific pieces of text using either; reread only (control group), read and take notes (control group) or follow the process of the read-recite-review strategy.The effectivene ss and efficiency of the study strategies were assessed by timing the time taken to complete the reading process and by comparing the results of immediate and delayed testing which utilised free call, multiple choice and short answers to check the amount of information retained. Experiment 1 required students to read factual, simple and short passages which proved that the 3R strategy was more effective using free call of information both immediately and delayed, however these benefits did not show in the results for both multiple choice nd short answer tests. Experiment 2 involved students reading longer and more complex passages, results supported those found in experiment 1. Additionally the second experiment found 3R beneficial over rereading for both multiple choice and problem solving. The results from both experiments concluded that the 3R strategy may promote a deep learning of materials, having benefits beyond improving retention. The study clearly demonstrated that the 3R strategy is an efficient and effective study strategy when used in a controlled laboratory setting.However, the study was unable to establish if the motivation level of students would weaken the processing benefits of the strategy. As Daniel, Howard and Einstein state if learners are in a more motivating setting and consequently are more conscientious in their study activities, would the effects of 3R be attenuated? The experiments were performed using psychology students who participated either as part of a course requirement or for money, however students in all fields of study utilise study strategies.The motivation of students is again questioned as the I believe the personal benefit would be greater in a real life setting as opposed to receiving a monetary value to participate with no personal impact from the result achieved. Therefore I think the study should be repeated using a range of students from various courses/fields of study, using more real life motivators. In additio n, I suggest testing the 3R strategy using spaced presentations of learning materials as opposed to information being presented in one sitting in order to test the effectiveness on longer term retention.

Leg Ulcers

Chapter One *A Brief Overview of a Venous Leg Ulcer *and the Assessment Process The nurse must have the skills and knowledge to identify a venous leg ulcer. Dowsett (2005) believes that it is important that nurses and other health care professionals look for the underlying cause of an ulcer. Whereas, the Royal College of Nursing (1998) has different views, and argues that, professionals who are fully trained in leg ulcer management should only be able to identify an underlying cause as it is easily mistaken that diagnosis of an arterial leg ulcer is made rather than venous which could cause serious treatment complications for the wound as well as the patient. There are major problems associated with a venous leg ulcer such as, pain, loss of mobility, financial implications and much more which will be discussed in chapter 3. Leg ulcers appear as shallow holes or craters in which the tissue underneath is exposed. They can vary in size, discolouration and depth (National Health Service Direct 2008) (NHS). The clinical factors of a venous leg ulcer are, lipodermatosclerosis (champagne bottle shaped leg) ,which is cellulites affecting the dermis and subcutaneous tissue (Finlay & Chowdhery, 2007), hyperpigmentation, derived red blood cells extravagated from dilated, leaky capillaries which produces areas of brown discolouration (Brown & Burns, 2007). Atrophic Blanche, where interspersed by visible engorged capillaries seen as tiny red dots just below the surface of the skin (Moffat et al, 2007). However before looking at the patients wound it is the nurses role to look at the patient holistically and find out past medical and family history as well as personal factor that could contribute to the condition (Moffat et al, 2007). There are essential details that the patient can tell the nurse about their ulcer and the factors that may contribute to this. Such factors are their full medical history these details should include varicose veins, diabetes, Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), previous leg surgery and any family history of leg ulceration (Dougherty and Lister 2004). The importance of this is that if a leg ulcer is diagnosed incorrectly, such as a venous ulcer being mistakenly diagnosed as an arterial one can have serious complications for the patient and causing further delays in the healing of the wound. Also the nurse must undertake baseline observations this includes, the patient’s weight, height, blood pressure (BP), oxygen saturations levels, temperature nd respiratory rate, and also the patient’s nutritional intake, urine samples and routine blood tests such as glucose and haemoglobin levels must be gained, as diabetes is present in approximately 5% of patients with leg ulcer (SIGN 1998). Murray (2004) also agrees with Dougherty & Lister (2004) & Bolton et al (2004) stating that that hyperglycaemia can have an e ffect in the wound healing process, as this can be linked with infection and decreased oxygen levels in the haemoglobin will slow down the healing process and go onto starve tissue. These factors are important to know as it plays a big part in the wound healing process. In clinical practice thesebasic observations are a vital part of information gained to ensure safer patient care and early recognition of deterioration. The key factor in order to gain a thorough assessment it is essential that the nurse must have is communication and listening skills not only for this purpose but also for a nurse patient relationship. Dealey, (1994) believes that fear is one of the most common experiences a human can feel and a patients illness release many fears, in which health care professionals are unable to identify when not allowing the patient to express their needs freely. If the patient has a full understanding of their condition they are more likely to comply with treatment regimes and have a more productive relationship with healthcare professional’s (Anderson 2006). The RCN (2008) states, that the nurse-patient relationship is founded on trust. The nurse patient relationship allows the conversation to flow easy in order to gain a holistic approach to the patients care. The Code (2008) also agrees that as nurses ‘we must listen to people in our care and respond to their concerns and preferences’. Much research has taken place regarding nurse patient relationships, McCabe (2002) carried out a study which aimed to explore and produce statements relating to the patients experiences of how nurses communicate. A qualitative phenomenological approach was used. This focuses on individual’s interpretations of experiences and ways in which they express them (Parahoo 1997), followed by unstructured questionnaires which were tape recorded and lasted for approximately thirty minutes. The results found that four themes emerged, these were, lack of communication, ‘attending’, empathy and friendly nurses. Therefore the conclusions were that in contrast to the literature, nurses are not good at communicating with patients, however nurses can communicate well if the task undertaken was a patient centred approach. Although research has taken place the limitations were that only eight patients participated, therefore this could reduce the validity and reliability of the study. Also with such a small sample the study could be used as a pilot study which could be replicated in the UK as this study was undertook in Ireland.

Factors That Influence Learning

TASK 18 – Outline the factors that influence learning. Learning is influenced by many factors such as attention, motivation and emotions as well as by learner characteristics like prior knowledge, cognitive and learning styles and intellectual capabilities. The following list shows a number of other factors that may also have a bearing on a pupil’s capability to learn: * Family * Culture * Gender * Impact of peers * Subject content * Teaching style * Learning skills * Recognition of need to learn * Past experiences of learning * Personal learning styles * Range of opportunities Awareness of the learning process * Barriers to learning * Rewards and punishments All these factors have an impact on the quality and quantity of learning for the pupil. For example: * Where cultural background encourages the experience of different learning opportunities then the pupil will have more opportunities of developing effective learning skills. * Not all pupils acknowledge the value o f learning. If a pupil has low-level skills, they may deny the importance of learning as a defence mechanism to prevent exposing themselves or the reason might be a lack of family or peer support for learning. Some pupils might be very much influenced by their peers, either having their own learning experiences enhanced or discouraged by peers. * If a pupil encounters a teaching approach that does not match their own learning style, they may be put at a disadvantage. * A productive and effective learning experience will encourage learning skills, which enables that pupil to successfully learn in other contexts. * Facilitators of learning might not provide effective rewards for learning, such as attention and praise.If the young person relies on rewards such as money or gifts for motivation then they will have difficulty learning in a non-reinforcing environment. Factors that may hinder learning for pupils with special educational needs may be attitudinal, organisational or practical . Natalie Levy Student no: SH34604/DLC Assignment no: 6 Page no: 2 Outline the principles of educational inclusion. Schools and teachers are now required to provide equality of opportunity for all children: * Boys and girls * Children with SEN * Children with disabilities Children from different social and cultural backgrounds * Children from different ethnic groups (including traveller’s, refugees and asylum seekers) * Those from diverse linguistic backgrounds The Government is committed to promoting the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities into mainstream schools that recognise and celebrate human diversity. Under UK legislation, educational institutions are required to ensure that no learner is prevented from participating fully in education or disadvantage because of factors such as: * Physical, sensory or cognitive impairment Ethnic or social background * Gender Inclusion of children and young people with special educational needs is a key principle of current educational policy and practice. Inclusion is a process by which local education authorities, schools and others develop their cultures, policies and practices to include pupils in mainstream education. Principles of an inclusive education service: * With the right training, strategies and support nearly all children with special educational needs can be successfully included in mainstream education. Schools, LEAs and others should actively seek to remove barriers to learning and participation. * An inclusive education service offers excellence and choice and incorporates the views of parents and children. * The interests of all pupils must be safeguarded. * All children should have access to an appropriate education that gives them the opportunity to achieve their personal potential. * Mainstream education will not always be right for every child all of the time.Equally just because mainstream education may not be right at a particular stage it does not p revent the child from being included successfully at a later stage. The National Curriculum Handbook for primary teachers and the Handbook for secondary teachers in England incorporates a statutory inclusion statement on providing effective learning opportunities for all pupils. It outlines how teachers can modify the National Curriculum programmes of study to provide all pupils with relevant and appropriately challenging work at each KS.It sets out three principles that are essential to developing a more inclusive curriculum: * Setting suitable learning challenges * Responding to pupils diverse learning needs * Overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils. Natalie Levy Student no: SH34604/DLC Assignment no: 6 Page no: 3 Explain the importance of attitudes, skills and resources in the achievement of successful educational inclusion. Sometimes for children with special educational needs and disabilities, obstacles can stand in the way of them getting/achieving the right education and support.Factors that can affect success: * Special education professionals should work in partnership with parents and take into account views of parents in respect of their child’s particular needs * Special educational provision’s should take into account the wishes of the child concerned, taking into account their age and understanding * The culture, practice, management and deployment of resources in school should be designed to ensure all children’s needs are met * Interventions for each child should be reviewed regularly to assess their impact, the child’s progress and the views of the child, their teachers and their parents * LEAs, schools and settings should work together to ensure that any child’s special educational needs are identified early * LEAs, schools and settings should exploit good and best practice when devising interventions * There should be co-operation between all the agencie s and a multi-disciplinary approach to the resolution of issues Depending on the school setting the teaching assistant may play a vital role in supporting the children with SEN. The tasks that a teaching assistant may help with might include helping pupils with reading difficulties, supporting speech therapy programmes and helping pupils to access the curriculum. Explain the importance of encouraging independent learning when promoting educational inclusion.Independent learning concentrates on the creation of experiences and opportunities that help students to become self-reliant, self-motivated and lifelong learners. Independent learning focuses on the individuals need for independence and active participation in their own learning, both in school and in society. Independent learning is important because it is part of an ongoing, lifelong learning process that stimulates deeper thinking and reflection and promotes the continuing growth of students’ abilities and strengths. I ndependent learners develop the attitudes, knowledge and skills needed to make responsible decisions and take actions dealing with their own learning.Teaching staff can help students take responsibility for their learning by providing opportunities and strategies for learning independently and by encouraging pupils to initiate and actively participate in their own learning. Learning is an interactive process among pupils and between teachers and pupils. Pupils engage in learning activities as individuals who are interdependent with other individuals in the classroom and wider society. Students will move towards independence in varying degrees, depending on factors such as age, skill level and ability in a particular subject. Natalie Levy Student no: SH 34604/DLC Assignment no: 6 Page no: 4What support can a teaching assistant provide to a pupil with special educational needs? As a teaching assistant there are three aspects in fostering Independent Learning. They are: * The learning environment created by the staff * The relationship established between teacher and learner * The teaching and modelling of skills needed for independent learning A teaching assistant can play an important role in providing a supportive environment that encourages pupil motivation, self-confidence, interest and desire to learn. It is important that the teaching assistant, in order to promote independent learning, knows their students well and should reflect upon their pupils learning processes.In order to help the students succeed as independent learners, the teaching assistant needs to anticipate difficulties and offer support at crucial intervals. The teaching assistant must develop a good understanding of their students’ strengths and weaknesses (socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically) their exceptionalities, their health and their cultural backgrounds. The relationship between the teaching assistant and learner should foster increasing learner responsibility , meaning that as the student grows in maturity and understanding, they are able to take on greater responsibility for their own learning. An important aspect of the teaching assistant’s role is the teaching and modelling of skills needed for independent learning.The attitudes, skills and knowledge of independent learning will be fostered in students through ways in which the teaching assistant organises the classroom and instructs the student. * Teachers should utilise instructional techniques, strategies and approaches based on collaboration between learner and teacher. This will encourage student participation, both in determining goals and in monitoring the learning process. * Teachers should use approaches that foster student self-confidence and empowers students to take responsibility for their own learning. * Students should be taught activities which facilitate the transition to independence through modelling, demonstration and direct instruction of learning skills.Th ese should then be followed by practice opportunities provided by the teaching assistant, who in turn monitors the students’ progress towards their goals of independent decision making. * The teaching assistant should share with students what is being done and why an activity is useful. The goal is that learners will eventually make their own decisions, connect what they already know with what they are learning, make judgements and inferences, apply new ideas and derive pleasure from learning. The teaching assistant’s role is to be a patient facilitator, showing students how to learn independently, encouraging them, providing feedback and supporting their efforts.These are all crucial factors in providing a learning environment which fosters independent learning and which motivates students to pursue independent learning skills. Natalie Levy Student no: SH34604/DLC Assignment no: 6 Page no: 5 List the stages of the statementing process. Children with SEN who attend mai nstream schools are placed on the SEN list in line with this guidance: * If they require provision which is different from, and additional to, that made for most pupils (â€Å"schools action†) * If the pupils fail to make adequate progress, further provision is to be made (â€Å"schools action plus†) The special educational needs of the majority of children should be met effectively through School Action and School Action Plus. In a small number of cases, where the child is still a ignificant cause for concern after intervention in School Action Plus, the school will ask the LEA for a Statutory Assessment. This involves the LEA, working co-operatively with parents, the child’s school and other agencies, where appropriate. The LEA will seek evidence from the school that strategies and programmes implemented over a period of time have been unsuccessful. The LEA will need information about the child’s progress over time and clear documentation on the childâ €™s SEN and the action taken to deal with these needs. They will then decide whether a statutory statement of the child’s educational needs is necessary. Statutory assessment does not always lead to a Statement of Special Educational Needs.The LEA then looks at the statement request. It may be that a certain child’s needs are very significant and complex, in which case the LEA will carry out a multi-agency assessment and then, if appropriate, provide a Statement of Special Educational Needs. A Statement of Special Educational Needs is a legal document that sums up all the advice gathered during the Statutory Assessment. It sets out what the child’s special educational needs are and the special educational provision required in order to meet them. It names the school where this provision is to be made and any other non-educational needs and provisions affecting arrangements at school.This will be reviewed at least every year but can be more frequent if profes sionals working with the child or the parents identify further concerns. A Statement of Special Educational Needs is split into six parts: 1. Identifies the child or young person and those with parental responsibility. 2. Identifies the needs of the child or young person. 3. Identifies the provision required to meet the needs as described in Part 2. 4. Names the school where the child or young person will be placed. 5. Identifies health needs 6. Determines what provisions are needed to meet those health needs. The provision required will normally be quantified in terms of hours of provision and staffing arrangements in order to meet the changing needs of the child.The school must provide: * Appropriate facilities and equipment, staffing arrangements and curriculum * Any modifications to the application of the National Curriculum * Appropriate exclusions from the application of the National Curriculum and changes needed to maintain a broad and balanced curriculum. Natalie Levy Studen t no: SH34604/DLC Assignment no: 6 Page no: 6 All children with a statement should have short-term targets, set out in an IEP, prepared by the SENCO with the support from the external agencies and the class teacher. Throughout the process, local authority officers work with parents to reach agreement about the content of the statement.Where the LEA declines to provide a statement, the school may request a reassessment after six months. Parents also have the right to appeal against the decision to the SEN tribunal. List and explain the broad content of the SEN code of Practice. The SEN Code of Practice gives practical guidance on the fulfilment of functions under part 4 of the Education Act 1996 to local authorities, the governing bodies of maintained schools, settings in receipt of government funding to provide early education and to those who help them, including the health services and social services. It also provides general practical guidance to such settings about the provisio n of nursery education to children with special educational needs.The Code of Practice provides a framework for developing strong partnerships between parents, schools, LEAs and health and social services. It promotes a consistent approach to meeting children’s special educational needs and places the rights of children at the heart of the process, allowing them to be heard and to take part in the decision making process wherever possible. The focus is on ensuring that SEN are identified as quickly as possible. The code sets out five principles: * That children with SEN should have their needs met * That their needs will normally be met in mainstream schools * That the views of children should be sought and taken into account * That arents have a vital role to play in supporting their children’s education * Those children with SEN should be offered full access to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum in the foundation stage and later years. The Code sets out guidan ce on policies and procedures aimed at enabling pupils with SEN to reach their full potential, to be included fully in their school communities and make a successful transition to adulthood. It recommends that schools adopt a graduated approach to match provision to children’s SEN so that, where necessary, increasingly available specialist expertise can respond to a child’s individual needs if they do not make adequate progress.The Code also provides advice on carrying out statutory assessment of a child’s SEN and of making and maintaining a statement of SEN for children with severe and complex needs, this would include carrying out annual reviews of statements and planning for young people with SEN when they make the transition to college, training and employment. The Code emphasises the importance of involving children and parents in decision-making and of effective multi-agency, to combine services around the needs of the children and their families. List and explain the broad content of the LEA and school SEN policies. The responsibility of the LEA in respect of SEN is to: Natalie Levy Student no: SH34604/DLC Assignment no: 6Page no: 7 * Plan its overall special educational provision and review it periodically * Assess those pupils whose special needs may require a Statement of SEN * Ensure that the provision specified in the Statement of SEN has been made available * Initiate annual reviews of every Statement of SEN * Monitor the performance of its maintained schools and Support Services * Identify, assess and make provision for all pre-school children who may have special educational needs The LEA also has a duty to consult with schools, Health and Social Services and voluntary organisations over its SEN Policy, which it must publish and keep under review.Regulations require that the LEA must publish information on the arrangements they make for children with SEN in general. The policy covers all pupils and young people between the a ges of 0 – 19 who may/will experience some form of difficulty in their learning which may arise from a variety of factors, including those relating to the pupil or young person themselves, their learning environment and their social environment. The policy model has three key elements: * Philosophy – Relevant basic details. * Principles – Broad guidelines. General statements derived from the beliefs which can be interpreted by policy users to guide. * Procedures – Practical details.Operating routines and actions derived from the principles which cover the most common areas of policy application or critical events. Updating of the policy and evaluation of its implementation will be undertaken through annual review by the LEA’s SEN Management group, with due reference to SEN initiatives contained within the Education Development Plan and associated planning documents. The school SEN policy is a document that gathers together, in one place, all LEA gu idance and information on all aspects of special needs and inclusion. This includes Special Educational Needs and also many other issues to do with the management of inclusion in schools. It is intended as a management tool for senior managers in schools as well as SENCOs.The framework for the Special Educational Needs policy is provided by: * The United Nations convention on the Rights of the Children (Salamanca Statement) * The Children Act 1989 * The 1994 Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (revised 2002) * The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 * The Education Act 1996 * Key DfEE regulations and circulars on the organisation of special educational needs * The Green Paper â€Å"Excellence for All† 1997 and the DfEE Programme of Action 1998 * The Schools Standards and Framework Act 1998 * The Human Rights Act 1998 * The SEN Code of Practice (Draft) 2000 * The â€Å"Quality Protects† Management Action Plan * The SEN and Disability Act 2001 Natalie Levy Student no: SH34604/DLCAssignment no:6 Page no: 8 TASK 19 – Research the responsibilities of all teaching and support staff for learners with special educational needs in a local school to you. Responsibilities and roles of staff/agencies from the school in which I am based. Class teacher: * Should always be aware of any children who are already on the SEN register. * Make sure time is made available for Termly and Annual Reviews. * Attend INSERVICE training. * Attend regular meetings with the SENCO. * Take account of different needs when planning. * Take into account the feelings of, wishes and knowledge of parents. * Maintain a class SEN file which is to be stored securely. Maintains confidentiality at all times. * Seek advice from the SENCO on strategies which might be used to help the pupil. Teaching Assistants/Learning Support Assistants: * Work on a one-to-one basis where necessary. * Allocated time to work with children at School Action and School Action Plus. * Attend INSERVI CE training. * Attend regular meetings with the SENCO. * Have a minimum of 20 hours per week to support children with SEN. SENCO: * Provide professional guidance to staff with the aim of providing high quality teaching. * Has an overview of provisions made for pupils with SEN. * Liaises with teachers, TA’s and multi-agencies when necessary. Ascertains which stage each child is operating at and reviews when appropriate. * Keeps an updated confidential register. * Arranges review meetings with parents/teachers. * Updates teachers on SEN children and explores/discusses current initiatives. * Responds to specific requests from teachers and other multi-agencies * Visit nursery, pre-schools and secondary schools to help with integration when moving in or on from our school. * Store SEN information securely and in an orderly fashion ensuring easy access. * Share information with the Head Teacher/teachers/TA’s where appropriate. Educational Psychologists: * Performs formal psy chological testing. Assess results and determine whether a child has special educational needs. * Give advice to teachers/TA’s in relation to particular pupils (requested through the SENCO) * Runs INSERVICE training on particular needs. * Carries out intervention work such as counselling, behaviour management and student study skills. Natalie Levy Student no: SH34604/DLC Assignment no: 6 Page no: 9 Speech and Language Therapist: * Assesses the extent of the problem. * Makes a diagnosis of the problem. * Liaises with the SENCO/teacher/parent on the best programme of care for the child. School Nurse: * Carries out various hearing/sight tests. * Inform staff in the school setting of any particular health requirements. Trains staff if injections or other medical procedures are required. * Consult/refer to a doctor if they think other professional may be required in the care of the child. Peripatetic Teacher/Support Worker: * Assess and test the child. * Offer advice and guidance to teachers/TA’s. * Advises on specialist equipment when/if needed. In the school setting where I am the school will also contact other settings who offer OUTREACH services if there is a need. Outline the purpose and use of at least two different resources and two pieces of specialist equipment for learners with special educational needs that might be available in schools. Pupils with poor vision may have difficulty in using a normal computer.However there are a number of techniques that can be applied to assist pupils. Touch typing skills often make it possible to use a computer more effectively. They are particularly valuable for partially sighted and blind computer users as they remove the need to constantly look between the keyboard and the screen. Drills are used to practice each key and sequence of keys until the whole alphabet is covered. Large print keyboard stickers will help a pupil identify where the keys are, they are a learning tool rather than something to be re lied upon. These are available in different colours and styles. Many people with no usable vision, may find it useful to operate their computer by voice (known as voice in-voice out).The users speak and the software recognises what was said and types it into the computer. This means that: * Words are correctly spelled. * The user’s flow is not interrupted by having to stop and worry about spelling. * The need to type or hand write is removed – this is also helpful if the user is also dyspraxic. Speech output is also used. This means the user does not need to be able to see the screen to use a computer. Software called a screen-reader can intelligently send all information to a voice synthesiser such as what is being typed, what has been typed and menu options. Natalie Levy Student no: SH34604/DLC Assignment no: 6 Page no: 10Pupils with very poor motor skills will often struggle with normal computers as well. They may find it hard to relate the movement of their hand on the mouse to the movement of the cursor on screen. In these instances it may be that a trackball or joystick is easier to use. A normal keyboard has over 100 keys and can sometimes be very confusing to the user; again key stop stickers could be used. Lowercase keyboards can be used (a standard keyboard but in lower case only) and also overlay keyboards (touch sensitive membranes which slide over the top of a normal keyboard and determine the functions of the keyboard). All of the above are available in the setting where I am and make it easier for the user.They feel confident using computers and can also join in mainstream ICT lessons. Explain the contents and purpose of an individual education plan and explain how a teaching assistant could contribute towards achieving its aim. The Individual Education Plan (IEP) is a planning, teaching and reviewing tool. It should support the process of planning intervention for an individual pupil with SEN. IEPs should be teaching and learning plans setting out â€Å"what, â€Å"how† and â€Å"how often† particular knowledge, understanding and skills should be taught through additional or different activities from those provided for all pupils through the differentiated curriculum.Wherever possible pupils should be involved in setting their own targets for the IEP, in agreeing and implementing appropriate strategies and evaluating the outcomes. IEPs should: * Raise achievement for pupils with SEN * Be seen as working documents * Use a simple format * Detail provision additional to or different from those generally available for all pupils * Detail targets which are extra or different from those for most pupils * Be jargon free * Be comprehensible to all staff and parents * Be distributed to all staff as necessary * Promote effective planning * Help pupils monitor their own progress * Result in good planning and intervention by staff * Result in the achievement of specified learning goals for pupils with SEN IEPs should focus on: Up to three or four key individual targets set to help meet the individual pupil’s needs and particular priorities * Targets should relate to key areas in communication, literacy, mathematics and aspects of behaviour or physical skills * The pupil’s strengths and successes should underpin targets set and the strategies used Though not included in the IEP teachers should always refer back to the pupil’s Individual Pupil Record to get information on their baseline or entry level assessment as well as information about the pupil’s particular needs and current strengths. This profile should also include information regarding the pupils needs in relation to general strategies such as: Natalie Levy Student no: SH34604/DLC Assignment no: 6 Page no: 11 * The short-term targets set for or by the pupil * The teaching strategies to be used * The provision to be put in place * When the plan is to be reviewed * Success and/or exit criteria * Out comes (to be recorded when IEP is reviewed) Success criteria in an IEP means that targets have been achieved and new targets need to be set, whilst exit criteria means that not only have targets been achieved but that an IEP may no longer be required.Teachers should always aim to talk to pupils about their IEPs in a quiet place away from the rest of the class. A teaching assistant can contribute towards achieving the IEP aims by: * Providing a positive caring and learning environment that promotes improved self esteem and confidence * Supporting the child on a one-to-one basis in the area of disability e. g. reading, writing * Providing a quiet place to work * Keeping instructions direct and simple, one at a time. Repeating and rephrasing instructions where necessary * Providing visual cues and peer mentoring * Providing consistent and ongoing clarification * Teaching the child â€Å"strategies† not just facts Reducing working time and expectations initially to ensure the chi ld is successful * Trying to ensure that there is a good partnership between home and the school setting and keeping parents informed as to how they can support their child at home. Describe how you might carry out a case study for a learner with special educational needs and what information it should contain. To carry out a case study for a learner with special educational needs the objective is to portray: * How the learner’s needs are identified * The learning experiences and provisions in place for them * The levels of satisfaction, appropriateness and challenge for the learner * The learning impacts and outcomes for themIn a case study I would need to conduct a range of interviews with: * The individual learner (except in the case of a very young person) * Relatives or friends who might have a perspective on the learners experience and development * Those directly providing the learning opportunities at an operational level (tutors, teachers etc) this would usually incl ude local authority representatives. Questions I may need to ask are: * How are the learner’s needs identified and what learning experiences are in place for them? * Are the learner’s satisfied and challenged? * What are the learning impacts and outcomes for them? Natalie Levy Student no: SH 34604/DLC Assignment no: 6 Page no: 12Where a pupils’ learning has been supported, helped or promoted by local authorities already, my report should identify the nature of the learning experiences, the outcome derived by the individual learner, the factors contributing to the effectiveness of the learning opportunity and key factors that contributed to the success. Alternatively, where a pupil has not been supported, helped or promoted I should include in the report the key factors and barriers affecting achievement. My report should draw out key messages for local authority staff, schools and other organisations and individuals concerned with successful learning. In short a case study should include: * The relevant characteristics of the learner * How his/her learning needs were identified, or the learning opportunities were accessed * Standard of achievement * Quality of access to curriculum * Support available Quality and effectiveness of support * How well providers work in partnership * Barriers that prevent the learner accessing appropriate curriculum and support * Key factors and barriers affecting the achievement in these outcomes * Progress made * Examine and illustrate the distinct role and contribution of the local authority leadership in promoting and ensuring learning * Key issues for action * The next steps or future developments both for the learner and local authority and other providers who may be involved. Design a brief that could be used to advise school staff of the guidelines in confidentiality in an imaginary school. See attached document.

Organizational Development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Organizational Development - Assignment Example Its use is to solve problems within the organization or as a way to analyze a process and find a more efficient way of doing it. This study entails to discuss the importance of clarifying the organizations issue and determining the OD team members besides discussing what to consider when selecting an OD practitioner. Since in every organisation there must be a set of problems attached to it, the desire to achieve should be the managers’ drive towards achieving Organizational Development. The initial processes in the OD practice are vital in that they help to define organisation’s problems and opportunities for improvement as well as design meant to resolve predicaments collaboratively. For better results, views of all members should be greatly valued (Cumnings & Worley, 2009). In the diagnosis stage, both organisational members and agents of change should be involved in finding determinants of the current success and defining new instruments of realizing extra development. This improves the organisational effectiveness, innovativeness and competitiveness in the entire market. The process makes out the areas of institutional operations where change is required. Organizational development simplifies the process of developing effective change management programs (Cumnings & Worley, 20 09). Discovering the present realities, considering future possibilities, evaluating, and prioritizing alternatives for change should drive the managers desire to choose an OD practitioner (Rothwell et al.

Qatar sporting legacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Qatar sporting legacy - Essay Example Qatar in a bid to bring out some probable strengths, weaknesses and challenges that characterize the Qatar environment in relation to hosting the FIFA 2022 World Cup. Political: The political aspect of PESTEL analysis evaluates the impact of government policy on a particular business undertaking. Sporting activities of the stature of the FIFA World Cup require the consideration of political stability primarily for security of both the players and the fans, and to ensure that the activities proceed with no interference. Qatar has enjoyed a rather stable political stability. Qatar gained independence from the British in 1976 and has not experienced any major political conflict from within or with the surrounding neighbors Saudi Arabia and Bahrain except for the coup attempt in 1996. The coup attempt surprisingly consolidated the government’s popularity after its failure (Cordesman 2007, p.148). The only political threat in Qatar is an uprising similar to the uprisings observed in the other Arab countries such as Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. Before the revolution, Libya was among the key contenders to host the African Cup of Nations 2012. The revolution made it impossible (Gonzalez 2008, p.36). Such an occurrence in Oman or even the probability of such an occurrence might drive away potential organizers of a sporting event and sports tourists for security reasons. Qatar is relatively a religious tolerant country in the region and this tolerance has drawn frowns from Muslim extremists in the regio n who might want to retaliate. In 2007, Qatar allowed for the construction of the first Christian, Hindu and Muslim Churches in the country. However, since 2007 the country has not faced major violent oppositions which imply that the country can still survive as a tolerant country in the midst of extremists. Currently, the government of Qatar has taken significant steps to market the country as a tourism destination and it is obvious that the government will welcome a move

Argument Paper#1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Argument Paper#1 - Essay Example e method through which the government and the policy makers can increase and encourage others to donate organs is by paying donors and their family members for donations either by paying them in hard cash or providing them with benefits that have a monetary value such as tax credit or a better retirement plan. There is a heavy debate amongst policy makers about whether to use monetary incentives to promote organ donation or not. There are several reasons due to which opponents of monetary incentives are against this method, but the proponents have a very solid case to defend the position of using monetary incentives. Selling of organs should be encouraged and should be legalized in order to save important lives, in order to make organs more accessible and to decrease the healthcare cost of the government. Selling of organs should be legalized by the government if it wants to save significant lives that are waiting on the list of receiving organ donation. A huge number of people who are waiting for the donation are those who belong to the youth category of the society. This section of the society is very essential for the better future of the society. Siegel in his article has stated that there are young and healthier individuals who are waiting for a donation (Siegel, 2011). If selling of organs is legalized, it will encourage living people to donate their organs and it will even encourage people to get themselves registered for donating their organs after their death. This in turn will help in saving several young individuals who are healthy and can contribute to the society in a healthy manner. Legalizing sale of the organs will increase the accessibility of the organ donation amongst those who cannot afford to purchase organs. Currently there is a black market of organ donation and in this black market a huge number of organs are being sold at very high prices which are only accessible by those who belong to high income earning groups. At the same time there

The Lynching of Persons of Mexican Origin in the United States Essay

The Lynching of Persons of Mexican Origin in the United States - Essay Example They formed organization among Mexican Americans in the Southwest of United States. A number of local southwest social and political clubs were mainly comprised of both Mexican Americans and Mexicans that united and formed the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). LULAC played a significant in establishing how Mexicans racial identity was derived from their class status and how whiteness played a role in racial and class construction in the Southwest. The leaders voted to limit membership in the organization to U.S. citizens, but half of the members left the conference in protest. However, the LULAC had significant success helping the Mexicans Americans fight for their identity. Carrigan and Webb (412) indicate that the LULAC was the regional equivalent of the national association for the advancement of Colored People (NAACP). It financed a couple of anti segregation and antidiscrimination cases that were brought on behalf of Mexicans Americans in California, Texas and Ne w Mexico. It derived victories in education and jury selection identity. Meanwhile, parents of migrant children won a suit against a California school district for segregating Mexican American and Mexican children from whites. These children travelled miles by bus to attend Mexicans schools in other school districts because it was illegal to attend white neighborhood schools. The origins of this case were due to inconsistency of the binary racial logic of the United States and the racial complexity of the Mexicans based on their unique claims to white identity. Meanwhile, Americans Mexicans fought for their identity by presenting their claims in jury hearings because they were discriminated against as a class. Discrimination indicated there was a lack of their jury rolls in United States. Although they fought for their rights, the discrimination cases indicated that abstract identity was itself internally fractured by class difference. Carrigan and Webb (415) indicate that the fight for identity revealed what is referred to as whiteness and the social construction of Mexicans in Southwest. Mexican Americans were legally referred to as Whites due to the treaty obligations with Mexico that allowed Mexicans to become United States Citizens. The federal laws practiced at that period required that an alien to be White he or she was supposed to become United States Citizen. Thus, the government of Mexico and the U.S department of state forced the United States census Bureau to reclassify Mexican as white. In the Texas school desegregation case, the Jury ruled that Mexican children could not be segregated on the racial basis but it allowed segregation based on linguistic issues or migrant status. Institutions that are controlled by dominant groups have established the legal definitions of a racial group and force them to adhere to their status quo. Thus, the law in United States considered racial group identity when such identity was based on exclusion and subordinat ion of Mexicans. For instance, the Texas court ruling that imposed a definition of Whites on Mexicans Americans and caused them to protest against segregation as a district group in the Southwest. Meanwhile, the court rejected the Mexican American claims for class representation in a class action suit demanding for equal education opportunities. Despite Mexican Americans being legally constructed as white, this status had only marginal

Schoenberg and Stravinsky Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Schoenberg and Stravinsky - Essay Example Arnold Schoenberg and Igor Stravinsky thrived during this period and were greatly influenced by the aforementioned events. Their works were regarded as under the 20th century musical style which is characterized by the extreme utilization of chromatics and dissonances. Both composers explored different compositional styles and their innovations fundamentally affected latter composers and shaped the course of 20th century music. Their early works followed strict classical way. Examples of these are the string quartet composed by Schoenberg in 1897 and the Stravinsky's symphony in E major. In 1907, Arnold Schoenberg totally abandoned composing under the traditional tonal system. He proposed his new innovation the twelve tone system, a system which used tone rows as a basis of musical compositions (Lebrecht 63). This new twelve tone system is now regarded as a compositional style which is highly mathematically oriented. However, this new compositional style introduced by Schoenberg brought about a division between the followers of the two composers. The group who favored the preservation of some type of tonality became adherents of Stravinsky, while those who adopted of the twelve tone system became the followers of Schoenberg. Schoenberg used twelve tone system to their extreme while Stravinsky used a more diatonic and tonal idiom. Though they have a different perspective and compositional style, some of their works have some common characteristics. Their compositions both possess the style of neoclassicism, that is, music having transparency and clarity in the presence of dissonances. Examples of these are Schoenberg’s five piano pieces (Lebrecht 194), Op. 23 No. 1 and Stravinsky’s Histoire du soldat (Lebrecht 169).

In cold blood pt.2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

In cold blood pt.2 - Essay Example They are lodged in separate jail cells in the same building. During the course of next rounds of questioning, the evidence is put forth. The sets of footmarks taken at the scene of crime are similar to those of two pairs of shoes in the possession of the two accused. In panic, Dick breaks down and names his friend of the murders. The people of Holcomb take the developments of the case leading to the arrest of two men stoically. They have doubts whether they are to be blamed for the murders exclusively. Truman Capote writes about their mixed feelings, â€Å"Some day they’ll get to the bottom, and when they do they’ll find the one behind it. The one wanted Clutter out of the way. (231) Once the detectives succeed in creating confusion between the two accused on the basis of the evidence in their possession, they have achieved the obvious. Both the accused become suspicious about each other and wish to save one’s own skin and escape from the clutches of law. Look a t the plight of Perry en-route to Garden City when Dewey, the Chief Investigator, mentions to him the episode of the bicycle chain killing. In cold†¦.2 Perry concludes that Dick has made a clean slate of the issues. He panics and makes a detailed confession and avers that of the four Dick is responsible for two killings. The sequence of events was: The duo reached River Valley, being sure that Clutter kept a safe with 10 thousand dollars.

Piece Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Piece - Essay Example It is the hope of this author that by analyzing composer/performer as well as the piece in question the reader will gain new appreciation work the performer/composer as well as his overall contribution to the field of music. Born December 16, 1770 Ludwig van Beethoven came from something of a musical family. Beethoven’s grandfather Lodewijk van Beethoven was a lifetime musician and was even employed as the court musician in Cologne for a period of time. Likewise Beethoven’s father, Johan worked as a tenor and frequently gave both violin and adolescence as a means of substituting his meager income. As a result of this musical family, it was Johan who gave young Ludwig is very first music lessons. Unfortunately, Johan was a difficult task master; oftentimes forcing the young Beethoven to practice for hours on end. This was not done due to the fact his father was necessarily cruel but rather due to the fact that Johan Beethoven had seen the amazing success that Leopold Moz art had with his son Wolfgang. Hoping to exploit his own son as something of a child prodigy, Beethoven set out on a series of performances at the tender age of seven. One can argue that one of the most formative experiences that Ludwig van Beethoven had was with regards to his times and studying under the tutelage of Joseph Haydn. While in Bonn, Switzerland, Beethoven met Haydn. One of the most fascinating aspects of Beethoven’s musical career was that he did not intend initially on focusing all of his efforts on composition. Rather, he set out master musical theory, the performance of several different instruments, and musical counterpoint. Accordingly, the reader easily see why he was both an accomplished composer as well as a virtuoso musician (Melia 294). This background as both a performer and composer doubtless helped Beethoven to integrate with an understanding of what he was ultimately requesting the musicians do with them all of his compositions. As a means of not o nly understanding the mechanics and theory of the music but also the mechanics playing these instruments, Beethoven was able to integrate on a more personal level with his symphony orchestra as well as the individual musicians who were responsible for relating his concepts and ideas into the mood of the music Once Ludwig began composing and publishing his compositions, Beethoven experienced an astounding level of initial success. This success lasted well up until the year 1809. At this point, Beethoven was suffering from the effects of hearing loss. Due to the fact that a keen sense of hearing was required in order for any composer to incorporate the many different instruments that a Symphony relies upon, his ability to continue to earn money through the composition process was severely reduced (Knapp 291). As with many young prodigies, the latter half of Beethoven’s life was not nearly as bright or promising as the first half. Ultimately, Beethoven became reliant upon the ge nerosity and sponsorship of a range of individuals within various positions of wealth and power within Europe. Although this approach allowed Beethoven to meet his physical needs, the level and extent to which the support be counted upon was highly uncertain. Eventually, Beethoven came to rely on selling the

Answer the questions in Bold Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Answer the questions in Bold - Essay Example Some of the major barriers to maintaining quality care and patient safety in hospitals include the difficulty of coordinating multiple services for a single patient, sociocultural challenges related to accessing services, and limited insurance coverage. Any of these factors can reduce the likelihood of providing the right care at the right time for the right person, and therefore damage the quality and safety of patient experiences. A variety of strategies can be developed to address these, and other, barriers (De Vos, 2009). The integration of services must be streamlined, and specialized information technology systems could provide the flexibility that professionals need to remain connected as a clinical team, rather than individual providers. Sociocultural issues need to be addressed at a higher level of consideration, such as during the development of health care policies and public awareness strategies. Economic barriers like insurance availability are highly contingent on influ ences above the health care system, and may require government reform procedures to be eliminated. In the United States, hospital accreditation is conducted by independent associations like The Joint Commission. The process is based largely on patient safety, with significant attention given to quality care delivery. Other factors including financial and insurance considerations should be addressed as well. However, the relationship between accreditation and patient experience has been challenged (Heuer,

Sleep and Time Essay Example for Free

Sleep and Time Essay Reasons why I should not fall asleep on duty. If I was to get called to a traffic accident or a domestic dispute I would not be able to respond because I would be asleep. Therefore I would not be able to complete my duties as a military police officer. Being a military police officer I should up hold the standards and the law appointed to me by the United States army. If I was asleep during an active shooter event that may take place at a bank or maybe the commissary, possibly even the PX in Hainerburg housing I would not be able to respond accordingly do to my current state. Being a military police officer means that I will be discipline physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my officer tasks and duties. For instance if I was asleep on shift and there was a bomb threat at the generals quarters whatever patrol I am I would not be able to respond accordingly to the situation. This could lead to possibly danger for patrols that are in the area. Say I am patrol 2-1 and a bomb threat is at the general’s quarters. Mohawk would call patrol to 2-1 to the scene and along with the patrol supervisor 2-0 to handle the scene and secure the area making sure that no civilians are in the area within a hundred feet of where the possible bomb threat is. On top of the bomb threat being in the generals quarters there is also an active shooter going on in the commissary. Then a bank heist occurs at Andrews’s federal credit union bank. People would be counting on me to be awake and to fulfill my military task and duties while patrolling the clay kasern area. Patrols 2-5 along with the patrols 2-4 would need backup and assistance at the generals quarters for the bomb threat and the bank heist at Andrews federal credit union. Patrol 2-3 and patrol 2-2 would most likely respond to the active shooter in the commissary. But if everything was handled and taken care of at the generals quarters and or Andrews federal credit union. Patrol 2-2 and patrol 2-3 needed assistance I patrol 2-1 would not be able to assist them. Being asleep during shift is no laughing matter, this is also a serious crime and you can be issued an article 15 for your actions. Another reason why not to fall asleep during shift is because if youre asleep during shif t and your battle buddy pulls up beside you to relieve you from duty he could just be a Blue Falcon, take a picture of you, and show your leadership. Reasons behind falling asleep during shift is due to the fact of not going to bed at reasonable times and or being exhausted from recent activities the night  prior. Falling asleep during shift is not the right answer. The right answer is to get out of your patrol vehicle and to stay active within the community and housing area that you may be patrolling at that time. If I was asleep on shift and there were kids play across the street and say one of them got injured or even taken from some kidnapper. Since I would be unconscious I would not be able to perform my military police duties and subdue the kidnapper using my police skills and levels of force. Let’s say that batman is real. If I was asleep during something important within the streets of Gotham, and we got a call because the joker was robbing a bank. I wouldnt be able to assist batman or my fellow military police officers with the apprehension of the evil villain, The Joker. All of this occurred because one day one guy thought he could do what no one else thought they could do or get away with sleeping on shift.during a crisis of up most urgency for that matter. Sleeping at work can lead to death. Possible security breaches can occured and people can be in danger. If I was walking down the street one day, Then I see a stranger, he might come up and ask me what I want to be, and I’ll tell him that I am a military police officer sworn to assist protect and defend the post and community from evil. This also ensures people that I am not a bad person because I help people. But it can all be thrown away if I fall asleep on shift and don’t do my job. According to Wikipedia Sleeping while on duty or sleeping on the job refers to falling asleep while on the time clock or equivalent, or else while responsible for performing some active or passive job duty. In some workplaces, this is considered gross misconduct and may be grounds for disciplinary act ion, including possible termination of employment. In other types of work, such as firefighting or live-in caregiving, sleeping at least part of the shift may be a part of the paid work time. While some employees who sleep while on duty in violation do so intentionally and hope not to get caught, others intend in good faith to stay awake, and accidentally doze. Sleeping while on duty is such an important issue that it is addressed in the employee handbook in most workplaces. Concerns that employers have may include the lack of productivity, the unprofessional appearance, and danger that may occur when the employees duties involve watching to prevent a hazardous situation. In some occupations, such as pilots, truck and bus drivers, or those operating heavy machinery, falling asleep while on duty could put  lives in danger. The frequency of sleeping while on duty that occurs varies depending on the time of day. Daytime employees are more likely to take short naps, while graveyard shift workers have a higher likelihood of sleeping for a large portion of their shift, sometimes intentionally. A survey by the National Sleep Foundation has found that 30% of participants have admitted to sleeping while on duty. More than 90% of Americans have experienced a problem at work because of a poor nights sleep. One in four admit to shirking duties on the job for the same reason, either calling in sick or napping during work hours. Employers have varying views of sleeping while on duty. Some companies have instituted policies to allow employees to take napping breaks during the workday in order to improve productivity while others are strict when dealing with employees who sleep while on duty and use high-tech means, such as video surveillance, to catch their employees who may be sleeping on the job. Those who are caught in violation may face disciplinary action such as suspension or firing. Some employees sleep, nap, or take a power-nap only during their allotted break time at work. This may or may not be permitted, depending on the employers policies. Some employers may prohibit sleeping, even during unpaid break time, for various reasons, such as the unprofessional appearance of a sleeping employee, the need for an employee to be available during an emergency, or legal regulations. Employees who may endanger others by sleeping on the job may face more serious consequences, such as legal sanctions. For example, airline pilots risk loss of their licenses. In war time in the United States, if a sentry falls asleep on duty, he may face the death penalty under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. During the Korean War, a soldier was sentenced to 10 years of hard labor for falling asleep at his post, but was freed early following a reversal by the Court of Appeals. In 1968, New York police officers admitted that sleeping while on duty was customary. February 2008 – the pilots on a go! airline flight were suspended during an investigation when it was suspected they fell asleep mid-flight from Honolulu, Hawaii to Hilo, Hawaii, re sulting in their overshooting Hilo Airport by 15 miles before turning around to land safely. Air traffic controllers in October 2007 – four Italian air traffic controllers were suspended after they were caught asleep while on duty. March 2011 – the lone night shift air traffic controller at Ronald Reagan Washington National  Airport fell asleep on duty. During the period he was asleep two airliners landed uneventfully. In the weeks that followed, there were other similar incidents and it was revealed that other lone air traffic controllers on duty fell asleep in the towers. This led to the resignation of United States air traffic chief Hank Krakowski and a new policy being set requiring two controllers to be on duty at all times. Bus drivers in March 2011 – a tour bus driver crashed while returning from a casino in Connecticut to New York City. Fifteen people were killed and many others injured. Though the driver, who was found to be sober, denied sleeping, a survivor who witnessed the crash reported that he was speeding and sleeping. Police officers/s ecurity guards in December 1947 – a Washington, D.C. police officer was fined $75 for sleeping while on duty. October 2007 – a CBS news story revealed nearly a dozen security guards at a nuclear power plant who were videotaped sleeping while on duty. December 2009 – The New York Post published a photo of a prison guard sleeping next to an inmate at the Rikers Island penitentiary. The photo was allegedly captured on the cell phone camera of another guard. Both guards were disciplined for this action, the sleeping guard for sleeping and the guard who took the photo for violating a prison policy forbidding cell phones while on duty. The inmate was not identified. Other instances have occurred in March 1987 – The Peach Bottom Nuclear Generating Station was ordered shut down by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission after four operators were found sleeping while on duty. Other cases have occurred where people have fallen asleep at work like these air traffic controllers. According to CNN Travel a NTSB air traffic controller was suspended for failing to respond to two planes heading into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has told investigators that he had fallen asleep, according to the National Transportation Safety B oard. The controller, a 20-year veteran, indicated that he had fallen asleep for a period of time while on duty, according to a statement released Thursday by the safety board. He had been working his fourth consecutive overnight shift (10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.). Human fatigue issues are one of the areas being investigated, the statement read. Federal Aviation Administration chief Randy Babbitt said earlier Thursday that the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident and that the air traffic controller has been suspended from all operational duties. An FAA  official speaking on background said the controller was given a drug test after the incident. The official said the drug test was standard procedure and did not know the results. NTSB: Controller fell asleep and people ask how safe are air traffic control towers? The situation began at 12:10 a.m. Wednesday, when an American Airlines plane attempted to call the tower to get clearance to land and got no answer, said Peter Knudson, a spokesman for the safety board. The plane had been in contact with a regional air traffic control facility, and a controller at that facility advised the pilot that he, too, had been unable to contact anyone at the tower, according to a recording of air control traffic at the website liveatc.net.1012, the controller said, using the airlines flight number, called a couple of times on landline and tried to call on the commercial line, and theres no answer. â€Å"The tower is apparently unmanned. â€Å"Apparently asked why by a pilot, the controller later responded, Well, Im going to take a guess and say that the controller got locked out. Ive heard of this happening before. Fortunately, its not very often, he said. Knudson said the plane landed without incident in a situation termed an uncontrolled airport. About 15 minutes later, a United Airlines flight also failed to reach the tower but landed without any problems, he said. After that, the controller in the tower was back in communication. Knudson said one contr oller was staffing the tower at the time this occurred. The controllers admission that he was asleep during the landing emergency underscores concerns about the effect of fatigue on under slept controllers at work. In 2007, then-NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker wrote in a letter to the FAA that four plane incidents provide clear and compelling evidence that controllers are sometimes operating while fatigued because of their work schedules and poor use of rest periods. That fatigue has contributed to controller errors, Rosenker wrote. The incidents cited by the NTSB were: On March 23, 2006, an incident in which a Chicago air traffic controller cleared a plane to take off from a runway on which, 15 seconds earlier, he had cleared another aircraft to cross. The pilot of the departing plane stopped when he saw the other craft in the taxiway intersection. The controller told investigators he had slept only four hours during a nine-hour break between shifts. In an August 19, 2004, incident a Los Angeles controller cleared one passenger jet to take off and another to land on a runway at the same time. The pilot in the landing  aircraft noticed the other on the runway and pulled his plane up 12 seconds be fore they would have collided. The controller said he had slept five or 6 hours before coming to work. On September 25, 2001, an incident in which a Denver air traffic controller approved a request from a cargo plane pilot to take off from a runway that had been closed for construction. The aircraft came within 32 feet of hitting lights that had been installed in the construction zone. The controller said hed slept only two hours between work days. On July 8, 2001, an incident in which a Denver controller cleared one passenger plane to cross a runway where another was about to land. The landing pilot hit the brakes, stopping 810 feet from the other plane. The controller said he had worked three shifts in two days. Of the most recent incident, Babbitt said, In my 25 years as a professional airline pilot, Ive never seen anything happen like this. â€Å"I am outraged by it, Babbitt said. Were going to make sure something like this never happens again. Babbitt stressed that, because of a backup system, neither plane was out of positive radar contact, nor were they out of communication with the FAA, thus allowing both to land safely. â€Å"That said this should not have happened, Babbitt said. We should not have had this gap in communication. We had to rely on a backu p system, which shouldnt have happened. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood ordered the FAA on Wednesday to schedule two controllers on the overnight shift. It is not acceptable to have just one controller in the tower managing air traffic in this critical air space. I have also asked Babbitt to study staffing levels at other airports around the country, he said. Knudson said its not uncommon for planes to land at uncontrolled airports. He said control towers at some fields across the country shut down for the night, and planes still land. However, he could not comment on whether that practice was ever used at Reagan National. The American Airlines flight, which was coming from Miami, had 91 passengers and six crew members aboard, airline spokesman Ed Martelle said. The United Airlines flight was arriving from Chicago with 63 passengers and five crew members, spokeswoman Megan McCarthy said. American Airlines had no comment on the situation, saying it was leaving it to the FAA to handle. United Airlines noted that the National Transportation Safety Board is reviewing the incident, and McCarthy said the airline is conducting its own review. So even after all of these discussions and people’s arguments some say that  they sleep because it is customary and some say it’s because of not enough sleep but the truth is, is that it’s all wrong. Falling asleep on duty as a patrol is very bad and you should not do it. It can cause a lot of trouble and for no reason. Main things people have to worry about are staying awake and staying alert and ready to complete their jobs that they have to do. Most people don’t realize how people can fall asleep but it’s all too easy which sucks because the easier something is to do, the easier it is to do it often. I personally don’t like that I get tired but I fight it by staying active and doing things to take up time will working. I try to do walking patrols frequently and take short breaks outside my vehicle to stretch out and stop feeling cramped in my patrol car. Being asleep on duty is not a good thing because it can get you in trouble and being in trouble is never a good thing. It leads to not being trusted, not included in certain events, and no one wants to be around a trouble maker. Staying awake and focused on the tasks ahead is a great way to stay out of trouble and not asleep. Staying awake on shift is important in so many ways and for some people it’s hard to believe that it’s just that important. In Japanese culture it’s actually a good thing if you fall asleep at work because it s hows people that you are just sleeping because all the hard work you have been doing. There are rules to this though. One rule is you must sit up and look engaged (despite the fact that youre asleep). It must appear that you could wake up at any moment and do something great. Second rule it’s easier to get away with if youre the boss. Sleeping at work is a sign of confidence — it shows youre indispensable to the company and can get away with it. Junior staff can also get away with it because no one notices them. If this was the case for everywhere my life would be great. But alas†¦ it’s not so don’t sleep on shift. Sleeping on duty is just as bad as sleeping with a tiger that will eat you. If you wake up with the tiger and it’s going to eat you well you’re pretty screwed. Just like if you wake up to your leadership in front of you†¦. You’re pretty screwed. If life gives you lemons†¦.. Squirt them in your eyes so you can stay awake for shift. Then think about how much better off you will be now that you’re not in trouble. Staying awake on shift is crucial to surviving through your day. If you don’t stay a wake you can cause bodily harm to yourself because you will most likely be getting dusted off out back for your actions. Other ways of punishment for sleeping is writing  a RBI the most spectacular punishment ever known to man. If there can be only one man left standing between a RBI and getting corrective action the RBI will always win. Thus why you should never fall asleep during duty hours because it’s very bad. If you’re falling asleep while driving you’re definitely in the wrong and you need to pull over. Don’t try to be a hero and fight through it. Instead get out and wake up for a bit because that’s a million times better than crashing your patrol vehicle. After doing some research I’ve found out ways that can help me stay awake during work. Listen to music thats energizing to you. If possible, dance or sing along, even if you just bob your head or hum. Music thats irritating or jarring may keep you awake better than music thats familiar. Just do your co-workers a favor and remember to use headphones! Listen quietly instead of loudly. Its a common misconception that blasting music loud will help keep you awake. Actually, turning the music down to a very low l evel is more effective. It forces you to try to listen closely in order to hear the instruments, lyrics, and percussion. If youre having difficulty discerning the lyrics, then the volume is just right, because this means your minds working. Expose yourself to bright light, preferably, natural daylight. Your bodys internal clocks are regulated by your exposure to sunlight. This means you can trick your body into believing it should be awake even when it feels tired. Step outside, even just for a bit. If you can step outside (even on a cloudy day) or look out the window for a full minute, youll be more alert. Work the artificial lights. Even if youre in an environment where theres artificial light, brighter is better. Wherever you work, see if you can replace the light fixture or add a lamp that will brighten your workspace. Chew ice. If you chew ice, its almost impossible to fall asleep. The chilling temperature keeps the brain on its toes, even while you are driving late at night, exhausted, and what you really want to do is fall asleep. Chewing anything, even if its just your pen or pencil, causes your body to think you are about to eat. Your body will prepare for food intake by releasing insulin, which will make you m ore alert. Splashing cold water on your face helps out a lot. If its a little cold, take off your sweater or jacket so you stay on the chilly side. Open a window or put on a small fan, pointed at your face. The reason your body responds the way it does to cold is that its prepping itself to work to keep you warm. Your body needs to  regulate your internal temperature to keep all of its organs functioning. So if it detects ice or extreme cold, it will work to keep itself awake longer. Use your sense of smell. A pungent scent — good or bad — can make you more alert very quickly. Aroma therapists often recommend essential oils of the following plants to stimulate the nervous system and reduce fatigue. Open the bottle and take a big whiff of the following when youre feeling drowsy: Rosemary, Eucalyptus, blue gum, Peppermint, Coffee. Beans or brewed, both work: a study has shown that simply smelling coffee can awaken a person. Of course, not all of us have essential oils stored in our file cabinets. Using hand lotions or burning candles with these same scents could help. Herbs like rosemary and peppermint can often be found fresh or dried at a grocery store; for a little pick-me-up, take a pinch and roll it between your fingertips and smell it. Eat healthy. Eating can help you stay awake, as long as you avoid a full stomach. As most of us know, eating to excess often makes us sleepy, so dont eat a full pizza or that 12 oz. steak during lunch. Munch on snacks all day rather than having a big meal. The key is to not get a spike of sugar intake (followed by the inevitable crash). Predictably, the same goes for caffeine: break your coffee, soda, or energy drink consumption down into small doses. Avoid breakfasts that are high in carbs (muffins, toast, pastries, bagels, etc.). Youre giving your body a reason to crash at about 11 AM because it gets a sugar spike early on. Put a small handful of sunflower seeds in your cheek and crack them open one at a time, using only your teeth and tongue; this will require just enough active thought and tongue movement to prevent you from dozing off, and the salt of the sunflower seeds is invigorating and stimulating; spit out the sunflower husks into a paper cup as you go, as quietly as possible so as to not disturb others around you. Try stretching. Stretching and twisting your body can help improve blood circulation, which helps keep you awake. Rolling your head/neck for about 20 seconds can help as well. Use acupressure and Massage any of th e following points to improve circulation and ease fatigue: The top of your head. Lightly tap it with your fingertip or use a scalp massager. The back of your neck and Back of your hands. Right between the thumb and index finger is best. Just below the knees and also the Earlobes. Try simple exercises like jumping jacks, push-ups, crunches, and squats. Dont push yourself like you do in the gym; instead, just exercise enough to get your  blood flowing and keep your coworkers from noticing your strange behavior! Stay on your feet as much as possible. If youre sitting most of the time, get yourself up every 20-30 minutes. If you need any motivation to stand more of the time, consider this: people who stay seated for less than three hours a day add almost two years to their life expectancy. If you have to sit down, get the most uncomfortable chair you can find. Try not to sit in anything that will make you sore if you stay there. Make sure the back is upright, forcing you to sit up very straight. Dont allow your head to rest on anything — your hands, the desk, the wall. Take a short walk. Some people take a short walk to re-energize them. Its generally thought to be a good distraction, especially if youre sitting in front of a computer screen all day long. Studies show that taking short breaks from work actually helps your productivity. So if youre worried about missing that deadline, dont stress! Walking breaks will help you. (You can let your boss know.)Take a power nap. If you have the time, sleeping for just 15-20 minutes can increase your alertness by leaps and bounds if you have a cup of coffee (or any other form of caffeine) right before you fall asleep. The caffeine will take about 20 minutes to begin working, so you shouldnt have any trouble falling asleep right away, and youll wake up refreshed. Sleeping just 20 minutes helps activate the right hemisphere of the brain, which is responsible for processing and storing acquired information. Have a regular bedtime and a healthy diet. Brains benefit greatly from schedules. If you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even the weekends, your brain know when its time to sleep and fall into a pattern. Getting proper nutrition will also ensure that your body has the proper energy throughout the day without having to resort to naps for extra strength. How much should you sleep to ensure that youre properly rested? Adults need anywhere from 7-9 hours of sleep per night. If you are pregnant or older, you may need even more sleep, anywhere from 10-11 hours. Some recommend going to sleep with your curtains halfway open. The early morning sunlight will send signals to your I’m gay body to slow production of melatonin and start production of adrenaline, making it easier to wake up. Focus your mental powers. It sounds hard, but dont let your mind go into the fuzzy stage. When your mind starts to go blank, think about something, whether its a joke, a movie, or anything else to keep your mind working. Even thinking  about something that makes you mad can be extremely helpful. Unless theyre drinking, you typically dont see an angry person abruptly fall asleep. Falling asleep down range used to be punishable by death and also it can get you in a lot of trouble and can get your squad or team or platoon or company or somebody else’s team squad platoon or company killed and then you’re done for because you’re dead. If you were to fall asleep while as the gunner position in your vehicle you are at risk for attack and put everyone’s lives around you in danger. If there was a n attack you would most certainly die or worse someone else might die and that would be on you. Sleep can be just as important to your mission as having enough food, water and ammunition. Although it may not always be possible to get a full night’s sleep while you’re deployed, developing healthy sleep patterns and habits can help build your resilience, improve your ability to deal with necessary periods of sleeplessness and prepare you to perform your best during a mission. Getting enough quality sleep is especially important for leaders making decisions critical to mission success. Sleep is a biological need – like air, food, or water – and is critical for sustaining the mental abilities needed for success on the battlefield. The average adult requires seven to eight hours of good quality sleep every 24-hour period to sustain operational readiness. Sleep is also incredibly restorative. It helps the body repair itself, it builds resilience by boosting the immune system and it gives people a foundation to help them tackle their tasks each day. Getting enough regular sleep will also improve learning, memory and performance. When you donâ€⠄¢t get enough sleep, it can be harder to perform your best on the battlefield. For example, lack of sleep may result in: Slower reaction times, Poor concentration, weakened immune system, Negative moods and lack of motivation, impaired memory and judgment. When being deployed having sleep is very important and people depend on you to get the job done. Doing PT before shift also comes in as a factor of why people may be sleepy before shift. Doing PT is energizing but also can be very tiring at the same time. Doing your best to not fall asleep on shift is important enough. But on top of that you have to worry mostly on your mission at hand. That is staying focused and getting to calls and responding with all the training that you have received over your time in the army. Since I’ve only been in for 9 months I’m still pretty bad at all this so I’m sorry for falling asleep. I  honestly think I suffer from sleep apnea. It could also be that I’m narcoleptic which is pretty bad. If you were to talk to people back home about how much I sleep they would say that they were surprised that I wasn’t in a coma. I use to sleep standing up at my job at Winn-Dixie as a cashier. It was only a few times but still it h appened. I use to come home from school and sleep till about 10pm and I got home at 4pm. I had a bad problem with doing my homework with this problem. I’m sorry I fell asleep SGT P. I know I’m not the best soldier but I try not to mess up and get yelled at. I’m mostly quite all the time just so people can just over look me and try not to notice me. I feel like I shouldn’t be where I’m at sometimes because the way people talk to me. I guess it’s just a normal PVT thing so I always just let what people say to me not try to affect my day or what I’m doing. Falling asleep is stupid and is very much punishable by Article 15. I need to keep trying to get squared away with everything so that maybe one day I can just be a squared away soldier that you don’t have to worry about. Joining the army has changed who I am today and I’m so thankful for that. I had to right an RBI in basic and it was about fraternization I know what you’re thinking I surprised it’s not about sleeping but when its really comes down to it we all mess up and we are all sorry about it and I’m going to try my hardest to not mess up again. I would end it here but I have 2000 more words so I’m just going to keep going and talk more about the army and my goals from here on out and why I shouldnâ€⠄¢t sleep. 10 amazing reasons why you should not sleep on shift/work/duty. #1 you can’t provide covering fire or any kind of fire if you are passed out sleeping in your cot back at the fob when you should be helping your battle buddies out and not being a blue falcon. #2 when you’re working the road you need to be awake to respond to calls and to be there for the people that live in housing if they need you. It’s your position so don’t mess it up and maybe you will get a high five at the end of shift. #3 If you are trying to be the best then it doesn’t help to get totally shit faced the night prior to coming into work and not being able to handle it. This leads to people being angry and disappointed. #4 you can literally get people killed by falling asleep. #5 says you have watch tower duty when you’re deployed and you fall asleep and the base gets ambushed. Once everything’s said and done you might as well hope that you’re dead because yo u’re going to be in some deep shit. #6 if a little girl comes  up to the car and tries to get help and she sees that your asleep she might get kidnapped because she was lost and needed help and you couldn’t provide for her. #7 if there was a fire and a pregnant mother was trapped in the house still the fireman is all busy and you’re the only one left to help. Looks like there are 2 lives that you will always have on you conscious because you weren’t there to save the day. # 8 when Mohawk calls you to the desk and he has some cases to do you won’t be able to respond because your asleep way to go.#9 If you were asleep on duty and your co-workers call you back for something you won’t be able to come cause your asleep. The sad thing about it was they were throwing you a surprise birthday party and now your just a sad disappointment to them all.# 10 last but not least you let yourself down and that should mean something to you so shame on you if it doesn’t cause you’re a really horrible person. Working shift has its ups and downs mostly its downs. A shift worker is anyone who follows a work schedule that is outside of the typical 9 to 5 business day. In the past few decades the United States has become increasingly dependent upon shift workers to meet the demands of globalization and our 24-hour society. From a competitive standpoint, shift work is an excellent way to increase production and customer service without major increa ses in infrastructure. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, millions of Americans are considered shift workers, including doctors and nurses, pilots, bridge-builders, police officers, customer service representatives and commercial drivers. However, while shift work does create potential productivity advantages, it also has many inherent risks. Some of the most serious and persistent problems shift workers face are frequent sleep disturbance and associated excessive sleepiness. Sleepiness/fatigue in the work place can lead to poor concentration, absenteeism, accidents, errors, injuries, and fatalities. The issue becomes more alarming when you consider that shift workers are often employed in the most dangerous of jobs, such as firefighting, emergency medical services, law enforcement and security. Managers and policy makers who are responsible for writing and enforcing rules regarding employee work hours must address the specific issues of a 24-hour work force in order to succeed and benefit from such a labor force. Although addressing these issues may require some investment up front for training and other measures, the bottom line is that improved sleep in  workers may lead to improved productivity. In fact, to ignore the needs of the shift worker is reckless and irresponsible when you consider that billions of dollars in yearly costs, thousands of deaths, and some of the most notorious of modern catastrophes such as the failure of the Space Shuttle Columbia and the crash of the Exxon Valdez have been attributed to human fatigue. According to the International Classifications of Sleep Disorders, shift workers are at increased risk for a variety of chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases. Whether this is related to the fact that shift workers are awake and active during the night hours or because they tend to get fewer hours of sleep overall than traditional workers is not known. Also, shift workers often miss out on important family and social events due to their work schedules. Most managers recognize that understanding and addressing these issues improves employee morale, performance, safety and health, and can dramatically improve the bottom lin e of the company. People who work in the transportation industry face some of the most serious challenges. They battle fatigue because of their irregular sleep schedules and endure long ted  ious hours at the controls or behind the wheel. In fact, research suggests that driver fatigue behind the wheel caused by sleep deprivation is one of the leading safety hazards in the transportation industry. According to the International Classifications of Sleep Disorders, shift work sleep disorder is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder. Circadian rhythm refers to the ~24hr rhythmic output of the human biological clock. It is considered a disorder because of the frequency with which people suffer from sleep disturbance and excessive sleepiness in trying to adapt to a shift work schedule. The main complaint for people with shift work sleep disorder is excessive sleepiness. Other symptoms include: Insomnia, Disrupted sleep schedules, reduced performance, Difficulties with personal relationships, Irritability/depressed mood. Unfortunately, treatment for shift work sleep disorder is limited. Both behavioral and pharmacological remedies can help alleviate symptoms. Some research indicates that the body may never fully adapt to shift work, especially for those who switch to a normal weekend sleep schedule. But there are ways of getting adequate sleep while doing shift work. For some shift workers, napping is essential. It can be extremely effective at eliminating fatigue-related accidents and injuries  and reducing workers compensation costs. Although most employers do not allow napping in the workplace, a ban on napping may soon prove to be a legal liability. Thus, efforts to make workplace policies nap-friendly may soon gain popularity as the issue increases in global significance. I strongly agree with a nap friendly work place. Although not everyone who works odd hours has shift work sleep disorder, a lot can be at stake. People with shift work disorder have higher rates of absenteeism and accidents r elated to sleepiness than night workers without the disorder. Memory and ability to focus can become impaired, and shift workers who are sleep-deprived often get irritable or depressed, says Wesley Elon Fleming, MD, clinical assistant professor at Loma Linda University and director of the Sleep Center Orange County in Southern California. Their relationships and social life can suffer, too. Shift workers also face potential health problems, researchers have found. Overall, those who work night or rotating shifts seem to have a higher risk of ulcers, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease. Nearly everyone has days when they feel sleepy. But for some people, excessive sleepiness actually gets in the way of daily work, childcare and even leisure activities. This is known as hypersomnia, recurrent sleepiness that makes people want to nap repeatedly, even at work. Not surprisingly, the problem of daytime sleepiness usually starts at night. Even missing just a few nights’ sleep, or not getting enough uninterrupted sleep, can slow you down and sour your mood. People who have problem sleepiness are often advised to go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including on weekends. But randomly setting an ideal bedtime can lead to more frustration if you suffer from insomnia and already have trouble falling asleep. Another approach to getting into a consistent schedule is to try going to bed 15 minutes earlier each night for four nights. Then stick with the last bedtime. Gradually adjusting your schedule like this usually works better than suddenly trying to go to sleep an hour earlier. Regular mealtimes, not just regular sleep times, help regulate our circadian rhythms. Eating a healthy breakfast and lunch on time rather than grabbing a doughnut and coffee in the morning or a late sandwich on the run also prevents energy deficits during the day that will aggravate your sleepiness. Plan to finish eating meals two to three hours before bedtime. If you do all of this you should be feeling good for work and get a good  night’s sleep. Many times have people done stupid things and gotten away with them. It just so happens I wasn’t so lucky and I had to write this paper on why I shouldn’t sleep at work. I have looked up reasons why not to and people’s ideas on how to even stay awake for work. I’ve talked about what a bad person you are for doing and when you do you put everyone around you in danger and their lives. I’ve given some pretty detailed stories of other people that fall asleep at work as well. Putting all of this in one paper is really long and hard and very, very tiring. I again am super sorry for falling asleep during shift and I know now from so much research that it is an issue not only for me but for many people across the world. I promise that I will use some of these techniques I have learned to stay awake on shift and to never be looked at as the guy who fell asleep. I don’t want to be a disappointment to you any longer and I hope that we can move past this and move forward as a best as possible so we can still be an efficient team. Along with Birdwell.

A Financial Study Of Qatar Airways Tourism Essay

A Financial Study Of Qatar Airways Tourism Essay Qatar airlines which ranked amongst one of the best airline in the Gulf States lacking behind Emirates airways has been known to occupy second fiddle. The company recently has launched series of bold steps to re-position it from a second choice airline company to the number one competing head to head with the emirates in the business class segment of the market. Some of the activities include aggressive not only in its growth strategies, but in building its reputation and brand awareness. It places the highest priority on providing customers with the best service and unique accommodations and types of service provided. To do this, it has formed alliances with several different organizations to provide improved and unique services. For example, Qatar Airways has signed an agreement with Showtime Arabia and its new 560 satellite television systems. Qatar Airways is the launch customer for the Tailwind 560, and the service offered through the Tailwind 560 makes it the first internatio nal airline to provide passengers with live television across multiple regions. Introduction Today, the involvement of Middle Eastern airlines in extra-regional operations varies, but is already comparably high. Emirates is offering 82% of its seat capacity on extra-regional services. Most other important carriers from the region like Etihad Airways (74%), Qatar Airways (66%) and Gulf Air (54%) also operate more than half of their seats on extra-regional flights (AEA, 2006). Air France (26%) and Lufthansa (23%) show that the share of extra regional offer for European network carriers is considerably less, indicating that these carriers have stronger domestic markets. It has also projected the following for its financial year outlook. Qatar Airways aims for 40% jump in revenues, says CEO Akbar Al Baker. Defying the global financial downturn, Qatar Airways is expecting to record a 40 per cent increase in its revenues in its current financial year ending March 31, 2011 over the last year, according to the Doha-based airlines chief executive officer.We are targeting a 40 per cent increase in revenues for this year, which is slightly over the increase in the airlines capacity of around 30 per cent. Qatar has also come up with balance marketing Mix to as to shift from competitor of Emirates to main player in the airline industry in the Gulf region. The Airline Industry and The Challenges The commercial aviation industry has been characterized by a cyclic nature since its inception. During times of economic prosperity, passenger traffic demand grows and airlines seek to add capacity to meet that demand. Conversely, during economic downturns, airlines respond to decreased travel demand through cancelling flights, grounding or selling aircraft and generally shrinking capacity. By 2005, a new wave of brash exuberance was experienced in the airline industry, and aircraft orders skyrocketed fourfold, year over-year, to record levels of more than 2000 units, split fairly evenly between Airbus and Boeing. (See Fig. 1.) A sizable portion of aircraft buying originated with airlines based in the Gulf Region. Traffic growth in that region of the world was strong, and carriers like Emirates, Etihad and Qatar began placing large aircraft orders, often in duals of one-upmanship at various air-shows such as Paris, Farnborough and Dubai. The airline industry has been bedeviled in the recent times by economic downturn, skyrocketing fuel costs, perceived threat of terrorism, the potential outbreak of the bird flu virus and massive insurance premiums the international airline industry faces an uncertain, deregulation that has hit major industrialized nation airlines and challenging future. North America is second largest of the four regions examined, with 2827 orders, but with over 80% of these orders being placed for narrow-body equipment (generally 100-200 seats), most of which are destined to join the fleets of LCC airlines in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Europe is the third largest region, at over 2600 orders, also heavily weighted dedicated to narrow-body purchases (70%), again to a large extent ordered to increase the fleets of growing LCCs such as EasyJet and Ryanair. The Middle East is the fourth largest region examined, and though aircraft orders number just over 400, a key distinction from the other r egions is that more than 60% of these orders are for twin-aisle widebody (200-400 seats) and Very Large Aircraft (greater than 400 seats, such as the Airbus A380), as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 1. Aircraft orders of Gulf States: 1995-2007. Source: www.airbus.com, www.boeing.com. Fig. 3. Airbus A380 orders by region. Source: Airline Monitor, November 2007. Situation analysis Company analysis Qatar Airways is the national airline company of Qatar which one of the fastest growing airlines in the world. Since its re-launch in 1997, Qatar Airways has achieved staggering growth in fleet size and passenger numbers. From only four aircraft in 1997, the airline grew to a fleet size of 28 aircraft by the end of 2003 and a milestone 50 by October 2006. Today, the airline operates 68 Boeing and Airbus aircraft. By 2013, the fleet size will almost double to 110 aircraft. Qatar Airways currently has more than 200 aircraft on order worth over US$40 billion for delivery over the next few years (www.linkedin.com). Currently, Qatar Airways has a fleet of 87 aircraft serving 92 destinations worldwide. The company employs more than 15,000 employees across Far East, Middle East, Central Asia, Europe, the Africa, North America, South America and Oceania. Qatar Airways vision is to invest in and maintain, a growing fleet of young and modern aircraft flying to key business and leisure destinations worldwide. Furthermore, companys mission includes safety first, customer focused, culturally aware and financially strong. Moreover Qatar Airways set up its goal which is to be a worlds top airplanes company. Competitors Qatar is strategically located in the Gulf States. It has become one of the business hub and stopover. Its airline industry, has come under increasing competition from competitors such as Emirates, Etihad, Bahrain airlines. Airlines in the Middle East currently account for just 9% of long haul capacity worldwide, but are responsible for about 25% of all global long-haul aircraft deliveries over the next decade (Flanagan, 2006). Dubai-based Emirates Airlines is the largest buyer, with approximately 70% of all new long-haul aircraft orders in the Middle East the airline is planning to more than double its all-wide body fleet capacity by 2012 (Flanagan, 2006). Once all these aircrafts are in use, Emirates Airlines will be the worlds largest long-haul carrier. Other airlines in the region with sizable wide body aircraft orders include Qatar Airways with an order book of about 140 wide-body aircraft and Etihad Airways with about 20 aircrafts pending delivery. Whilst aircraft orders of Gulf carriers represent real fleet expansions, aircraft orders placed by incumbent carriers are mainly used to replace existing capacity (Fig. 1). Overall, aircraft orders by Middle Eastern carriers are valued at 40 billion US D (list prices). Middle Eastern carriers are building their growth strategy on wide-body aircraft that offer expanded range, enhanced passenger comfort, and improved operating economics. These aircrafts will help Middle Eastern carriers to mitigate the likely ongoing slot shortages and congestion problems experienced at some airports. New-generation aircraft are fundamental to the development of long-haul hubs in the Middle East, allowing the carriers to remain competitive by keeping unit costs low (OConnell, 2006). Qatar airways just like other airlines in the Gulf States is part of the government strategy to diversify its revenue base, economies, commerce, tourism and global transport importance. The airline has a rich mission statement which is Excellence in everything we do. According to a survey carried out by Pearce and David (1987) to analyze the mission contents of airline companies, the mission, it showed that Qatars mission statement is one of the best in the world. Amongst 9 points, it has 6 points. Fleet expansion plans of Middle Eastern carriers (as March 2008). Source Journal of Transport Geography 18 (2008) 388-394 Collaborators (worldwide partners, codeshare) Code sharing or codeshare is an aviation business term for the practice of multiple airlines selling space on the same flights, where a seat can be purchased on one airline but is actually operated by a cooperating airline under a different flight number or code. The term code refers to the identifier used in flight schedule, generally the 2-character IATA airline designator code and flight number. Qatar Airways is proud to be codeshare partners with some of the worlds premier airlines such Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, BMI, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, US Airways and United Airlines which indicated as Star Alliance. (Qatar.com) Climate Macro environment (PESTLE analysis) PESTLE Analysis which is an acronym of Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, is a tool that aids organization make strategies by helping them to understand the external environment in which they operate now and in the near future. Below is a tabulated External analysis in which Qatar air line operates. Political Looking at both the demand and the supply side of Middle Eastern aviation growth, it becomes clear that the development has both a demand and a supply side impetus to it. The rise of carriers from the region has become possible due to the overall increase in demand for air travel. Additionally, traffic has already been diverted from the established carriers. However, there is also another side to the growth process: Induced demand. This is because of political stability in the Gulf region not only in Qatar. Economic Domestic demand benefits from the topography of the Gulf countries, which favours travelling by air for intra-regional transport. Furthermore, a high per capita income that is still increasing quickly, offers a base for a strong aviation industry. But there are socio-economic constraints, limiting both domestic leisure and business travel potential. Also, wealth is unevenly distributed, with an estimated proportion of 20% to 45% of the population living below the poverty line (AEA, 2006). The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar have a combined 5.5 million people which is only about the population of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. With more people living above the poverty line, the airline industry has a bright future. Social UAE lies in the heart of the Middle East (ME) and is one of the worlds fastest growing economies with a per capita income of US$31,000 (IMD, 2005). Worldwide, in 2006, the ME Travel and Tourism economy was ranked number nine in terms of absolute size (US$150 billion) and is expected to grow to US$280 billion by 2020 (WTTC, 2007a; Husain, 2007a). UAE ranks 18th in the world and number one in the Arab world, according to the global tourism competitiveness report by the World Economic Forum (Rahman, 2007a, b). Global Futures and Foresight, a British think tank expects the investment in tourism and infrastructure for the ME to be about US$3 trillion by 2020, with current investments standing at US$1 trillion which is much higher than what is considered current global expenditure (Husain, 2007a). Non-oil revenues contribute 63 percent to the GDP (UAE Interact, 2007a). Abu Dhabi contributes 59 percent to the GDP of UAE (56 percent which is oil dependent). Qatar strategy is to feed from the Dubai market. Technological Delays, cancellations and diversions are the most visible evidence of the effects of these disruptions on the airlines. Generally, each of these results in aircraft and crews being out of position relative to planned itineraries. Passengers are inconvenienced as arrivals are delayed and scheduled connections missed. As a result, an airline may become responsible for the cost of alternate transportation, lodging, food and, if the delay is sufficiently long, a cash payment to compensate the traveler for any inconvenience. Qatar has achieved great technological feat to avoid such delays unless when the flight is at their hub and they are expecting some flights to make do. Legal Qatar airways is a signatory of open skies agreements. Between 1990 and 2003, the United States implemented a series of Open Skies Agreements, providing a unique opportunity to assess the effect that a change in the competition regime has on prices. In our sample, Open Skies Agreements reduce air transport costs by 9% and increase by 7% the share of imports arriving by air. Those results hold for developed and upper-middle-income developing countries but for lower-middle-income and low-income developing countries Open Skies Agreements do not reduce air transport costs. SWOT analysis SWOT analysis helps to explore the internal and external environmental factors affecting Qatar Airways and hence enable us to make strategic decisions (Aaker, 2005). The recommended strategies that would be adopted in this paper would be based on the on the SWOT analysis of the company. SWOT analysis for Qatar Airways STRENGTHS WEAKNESSESS The only 5-star ranked middle eastern airline Over 90 Destinations Worldwide Codeshare partners with most of the worlds premier airlines Qatar Airways profits from the very low charges at its home airport High ticket prices Young airlines which established in 1994 Operation costs is very high due to investments on airport reconstructions and buying high-class aircrafts OPPORTUNITIES THREATS Qatars favorable location for business The new airport is scheduled to be operational from the end of 2011 Qatar holds a major asean and international sporting activities, recently Qatar won bidding to host FIFA World Cup 2022 . Investing on Environmental Studies (first commercial flight with GTL Jet fuel- without particular emissions in 2009) Unstable political environment of neighbourhood countries High risk of terroristic activities Strong neighbouring state competitors (Emirates Airlines, Gulf Air) Qatar Airways has over 200 aircraft pending delivery with the orders worth more than US$40 billion by Boeing. Company objectives Marketing objectives To help drive their expansion in the UK and internationally, Qatar were looking for an opportunity that would deliver the right audience and broad coverage with year round presence. While Qatar and their agency Starcom were looking at various weather opportunities available in the market, we were convinced that the breadth and depth of our offering via the award winning Sky News would make it a clear winner they agreed. The campaign comprised of 5 different viewing platforms allowing Qatar to reach Sky News desirable and affluent audience via multiple touch points. Coverage also included Sky News International, driving the brand into over 70 million homes and 1 million hotel rooms worldwide. The relationship has now spanned over 4 years with a new 2 year extension just agreed. Objectives Grow brand awareness and perception in the UK and internationally Raise awareness of Qatar as a premium 5-star airline Communicate the quality of the Qatar service Increase share of voice against the competition http://www.skymedia.co.uk/Audience-Insight/Case-Studies/qatar-airlines.aspx Financial objectives Qatar Airways aims for 40% jump in revenues, says CEO Akbar Al Baker. Defying the global financial downturn, Qatar Airways is expecting to record a 40 per cent increase in its revenues in its current financial year ending March 31, 2011 over the last year, according to the Doha-based airlines chief executive officer.We are targeting a 40 per cent increase in revenues for this year, which is slightly over the increase in the airlines capacity of around 30 per cent, Akbar Al Baker, told Emirates Business. He added that the airline will experience a similar capacity increase in the following year. Marketing segmentation and target market Geographic Segmentation: Qatar Airways is currently operating in most of the regions of the world. They are presently hoping to expand their routes to include the south pacific routes of Australia and its neighboring countries. Qatar Airways is a dynamic, high service carrier, which utilizes the geographic location of its Middle Eastern hub to link 72 international cities. See the companys website for more information. Target Market Product Differentiation: Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer, stated, By offering a variety of entertainment options, we are able to differentiate our passenger service through live entertainment programming while also setting new standards of comfort to ensure we are the airline of choice (Rockwell Collins, 2005, p. 1). Some of the features of differentiation are: Biggest and best business class in the Middle East Interactive Audio, Video on Demand Entertainment System Largest personal TV screens in the Middle East Electronic seat controls In-seat back massage First Middle East airline in First Class with flat beds. Current Marketing Mix (Ansoff product mix 4Ps) Product Strategy using Ansoff product mix: Services is defined as involving one party offering something that is essentially intangible and where the interaction does not result in ownership of anything (Kotler, 2008). Applying Ansoff product grid matrix, it can be said that Qatar airlines is still in market penetration. This is because the airline as was shown in the introductory section of the work, has projected the number of aircraft it wish to buy before 2012. The attributes of a company in growth stage of company life cycle is expansionary qualities. The attributes of market penetration strategy in which Qatar airways are using include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Maintain or increase the market share of current products this can be achieved by a combination of competitive pricing strategies, advertising, sales promotion and perhaps more resources dedicated to personal selling As part of this growth plan, Qatar Airways will extend its route network to 50 destinations by the end of 2003. It has recently added Manchester and Rome to its increasing route network. It will soon be adding Shanghai, Seoul and Tripoli to its route network. (Airhighways Magazine, 2005, p. 1). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Secure dominance of growth markets. Qatar airlines have been known to dominate the ever busy African- Middle east air routes. The company always has some flights available from any part of Africa to the Gulf States. The topology of the area has encouraged the airline to operate in product penetration strategy of Ansoff product grid. Its sparsely populated area has encouraged travelling by air for intra-regional transport. Furthermore, a high per capita income that is still increasing quickly, offers a base for a strong aviation industry. But there are socio-economic constraints, limiting both domestic leisure and business travel potential. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Increase usage by existing customers for example by introducing loyalty schemes .A market penetration marketing strategy is very much about business as usual. The business is focusing on markets and products it knows well. It is likely to have good information on competitors and on customer needs. It is unlikely, therefore, that this strategy will require much investment in new market research. There is no evidence that Qatar airways is investing on market research because they are not expanding into unknown routes such as Kula-lumpur Sydney route. Pricing Strategy: Going-rate-pricing strategy Presently Qatar airline practice what is called Going-rate-pricing strategy. The market leader in the middle- east airline industry remains Emirates. Qatar charges its fare based on the price of Emirates which is slightly higher. This is because being the market follower, Qatar does not need to disturb the established market dynamism because it might not be able to compete on the same level with Emirates. Comparing the price of Qatar and Emirates, on the same route of Kuala-lumpur (Malaysia) Johannesburg ( South Africa): Price of Qatar Airways on 21st Nov returning on 23rd Dec from Kuala-Lumpur to Johannesburg Price of Emirates on 21st Nov returning on 23rd Dec from Kuala-Lumpur to Johannesburg Promotion Strategy Qatar airlines are not practicing product differentiation but it is practicing promotion differentiation. According to its chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker he said that Qatar By offering a variety of entertainment options, we are able to differentiate our passenger service through live entertainment programming while also setting new standards of comfort to ensure we are the airline of choice (Rockwell Collins, 2005, p. 1). Some of their promotion strategies are as listed below and experienced by its passengers are as Biggest and best business class in the Middle East Interactive Audio, Video on Demand Entertainment System Largest personal TV screens in the Middle East Electronic seat controls In-seat back massage First Middle East airline in First Class with flat beds Qatar has engaged the services of Global media industries to help spread the good news. Such TV, Corporate Videos, BBC Campaign to position it as a premium carrier, CNN testimonials from airline staff, Sky News reports as a sponsor of the weather service and Sponsors a travel show through Al-Jazeera. Qatar is a major sponsor of high profile sporting activities such as World Tourism Day, World Travel and Tourism Council Summit, World Economic Forum, Leading International sports events. Qatar airlines was the official sponsor of 15th Asian Games, Doha 2006. The company has come up with a new product called Flying Oryx Newsletter that it distributes to travel agents. The newsletter is also available through its websites. More links could be established to the newsletter through the Internet. The airlines also give away products to passengers that promote the logo of the Burgundy Oryx and Taking you personally, such as watches, computer mouse and hand towels. .Place Strategy: This places a little impact on the business strategy of Qatar. Qatar airways like any other airways have developed a system of getting their ticket. Unlike the normal businesses, whose distribution channel goes from the manufacturer wholesaler-retailer-consumer. The normal business cycle Qatar airline and other airways are from the airline operators to consumers when online booking is done or through traveler agent. Airline operator Airline operator Manufacturer Wholesaler Travelling Agent Consumer Retailer Consumer Consumer Traditional Supply channel Online booking channel Intermediary booking channel Marketing Implementation Budget (short long term projections) Qatar airlines being a government company operates a closed system whereby no one knows their financial projections. But based on Boeings Economic Overview fort the next 20 years, the company predicts an overall economic growth of the international airlines industry will be at 2.9%, the international growth in passenger traffic will be 4.8%, and the largest area of growth will be in cargo at 6.2%. Although the industry will still face highs and lows, which is inherent, the Boeing report says that the long-term outlook is that of positive growth. Part of the factors of positive growth are globalization, increases in international trade, growth of GDP, the liberalizing of regulations in various countries to allow more access and services. World GDP growth is at 2.9% and this is one of the major factors for the growth in the airlines industry. According to that same report, the GDP growth in the Middle East is 3.6%, and growth in the passenger traffic is estimated at 5.5%. Of course, th is growth in higher in regions where the GDP is higher. Other factors affecting increased growth in the Middle East are increasing populations and the belief that oil costs will be sustainable long-term. Integrated Marketing Plan Low cost Qatar airways have the leverage to engage in more competitive prices that what they are offering presently. They should borrow a leave from what Qantas did. Qantas came up with a low cost carrier called JETSTAR. The low cost strategy can compete in the low cost flight category of the airline industry while the parent company keeps their normal standard. Alliances Qatar airways have the brand image to form strategic alliances with many similar airlines where they can get the benefits of economics of scale. This might come in the form choosing one airline company in the continent to form a loop. They might borrow a look from what Singapore airlines deed as shown below. Singapore Airlines Air New Zealand Star Alliance Diners Club Avis Singapore Airlines alliance network; strategic alliance, follower ( Kotler Pg 812, 2008) Reduction of booking agents Commissions and other incentives to sales staff add to the operational cost of the company. These costs either passed on to the customers or absorbed by the organization lowers the margins of the company. The company should come up with a structure of appointing GSA (General Sales Agent) in major cities and towns. They might even pass it to the post office to sale for them since they post office has their fixed cost already running. Web Friendly Site The company should as a matter of urgency design a friendly user web site. Their current web site is not user friendly. They should borrow a cue at Airasia website. Airasia website is fast, user friendly and updates every minutes. This has greatly encouraged customers to use the web more frequently than physical office space thereby limiting people or place contacts to the barest minimum. Conclusion For Middle Eastern players, there are three potential sources of passenger demand. Firstly, domestic demand originating in the Gulf region can add to fill fleets and airports. Secondly, demand can arise from foreign passengers that are bound for Middle Eastern countries may they be leisure or business travelers. And thirdly, stop-over travel that is using the Middle Eastern airports as hubs and that is heading for destinations beyond the Gulf countries can be a source of demand. These factors are favorable to Qatar airlines. However, responding to the growth processes in the Middle East only by cutting costs is an insufficient strategy for the incumbent players. Pricing systems, for example, have been developed in decade-long processes and are difficult to copy. Other important fields and assets for reaction are strategic networks and co-operations, frequent flyer programs and booking systems.