Essay --

Philip Covarrubias Covarrubias 1 Fire 100-30 Friday 1300-1550 12-06-2013 Communications Center My name is Philip Covarrubias, and I’m going to be talking about the communications center. The Communications center, a facility where dispatchers work, is the place where most emergency agencies receive 9-1-1 calls for emergency assistance, such as the fire departments, police departments, and EMS agencies. There are many communications centers throughout the United States and in other countries. In the United States, they are divided by counties. Depending on how large the county is, it will determine how many facilities will be running. In every communications center dispatchers work with a computer system called computer-aided dispatch (or CAD for short). Dispatchers started working with these computers in the early 1970’s, and as they became more known, agencies began adopting theses computers. The function of the CAD system, using the enhanced 9-1-1 system, is to quickly find the lo...

Liberalism in Zambian Governance

Every country worldwide is ruled with certain rules and regulations which whether accepted or not by the preponderance, are still accepted as right. Thus, the aim of this essay is to elaborate on the various forms of liberalism, discuss on each of them, and explain while giving clear examples which one of them has been prominent in Zambia from 1991 to present day. It will begin by defining the main concepts; then the forms of liberalism shall be presented and discussed. Thereafter an analysis of which form of liberalism has been pursued by the Movement for Multiparty democracy and the Patriotic Front in the ruling of the country of Zambia shall follow. A conclusion will then be drawn from the main body. Liberalism has been explained or defined in many ways. It comes from the word liberal, which implies freedom. Therefore if incorporated in the aspect of human life, liberalism means an ideology that advocates for gradual reform in the different aspects of a human life, for instance, social, political and economic aspects. According to Doyle (1986:2), â€Å"liberal resembles a family portrait of principles and institutions, recognizable by certain characteristics, for example, individual freedom, political participation, private property, and equality of opportunity. † From generation to generation, different forms of liberalism have emerged due to various reasons. Classical liberalism is said to be perhaps the oldest form of liberalism, which according to historians, emerged in the 16th, and 17th century though became prominent in the late 19th century. Some of the major pioneers of this type of liberalism were John Locke, David Ricardo and Adam Smith. Classical liberalism hence is said to uphold a French ideology laissez-faire which literally means â€Å"to allow. † When applied to classical liberalism it advocates for non-state participation in the affairs of its citizens, (www. cambridge. org). To sum it up, classical liberalism advocates for â€Å"limited government, protection of personal freedoms, and free markets, they rely on rules of thumb derived from experience,† the Policy (2009:15). Classical liberalism has been criticized heavily that it only benefits the few elite. This led to the emergence of Social liberalism in the mid 19th century. The word in the center of social liberalism is â€Å"equity†. This is where each individual has equal opportunities in society and benefits equally from the economic activities of the state. There is common ownership of means of production and goods are produced not for private profit making but for the benefit of society. Thus, in summary, Social liberalism advocates for equal opportunity, for self realization by the citizens and improvement in social status of everyone with the state as the major player. It is said to be â€Å"committed to individualism but includes protecting individuals from acts of omission as well as commission,† the Policy (2009:16). Another type of liberalism is Political liberalism which focuses on the freedom of citizens in the participation of political activities without interference or hindrance by the state. This type of liberalism was mainly pioneered by John Harsanyi and John Rawls, (Policy, 2009). According to the Policy (2009:4), political liberalism emphasizes that â€Å"everyone has an equal opportunity to hold political office and to influence the decisions made in the political sphere. Green liberalism is liberalism with a notion of sustainable growth. It focuses on preserving the environment even in the midst of growth. Steinberg (2012:1) emphasizes that â€Å"green liberalism is the idea that market forces combined with individuals all doing their part can save the planet. † Though supported by many, this type of liberalism has be en criticized that it is not logical in that for development through liberalism to occur, nature or primary goods are involved hence their exhaustion is inevitable. Neo-liberalism, another form of liberalism, is regarded as a re-introduction of liberalism. Various proponents and scholars have alluded that Neo-liberalism was first coined by the German economists who were trying to compare it with classical liberalism. Boas and Gans-Morse (2009), clearly state that neo-liberalism is both in rejection of laissez-faire policies and emphasizes on humanistic values. Neo-liberalism supports free market trade, private capitalism and private property while it reproves government intervention or interference. This type of liberalism is likened to classical liberalism though it â€Å" goes even further than classical liberalism in that its ultimate goal is to create a world where political action is governed entirely by the free market, so that all decisions are unbiased and fair,† (www. ehow. com). The Neo-liberal policies were and still are widely advocated by International Monetary Fund and World Bank, (struggle. ws). The policies advocated by Neo-liberalism have been criticized in that there is usually unequal distribution of development within a country. Privatization measures are said to benefit the foreigners more than the local people. Even though the IMF and World Bank emphasize that these measures would help improve the welfare of the vast majority, it has been argued that privatisation is characterised with corruption, trade is controlled by the super powers which has seen to the market being populated with cheap imported goods and hence discouraging local producers. These policies are said to only benefit the few elite, (Simutanyi, 2009). Zambia is a landlocked country in the southern part of Africa which after being colonized by the British, gained its independence in 1964. After independence the country had its first president Dr Kenneth Kaunda, leader of the United National Independence Party who according to scholars saw to the rise of autocracy in the country. Thus the country was turned into a one-party state where the state controlled a major part of the economy. Some of the characteristics of Kaunda’s rule include â€Å"a system of terroristic police control; control of all means of effective mass communication, control of all means of effective armed combat,† (Phiri: 2001,2). Since the main aim of the government was to ensure equity, therefore it can be right to say that during that time, Zambia was under Social liberalism, (Simutanyi, 2006). Due to the many shortcomings of the UNIP government for instance the food riots, foreign debt, economic decline and social disintegration, the Multi-Party Movement for Democracy which was headed by Fredrick Chiluba took over leadership and adopted the Neo-liberal policies. There was â€Å"independent rational attitude, free expression and the promotion of private self-interest over general system,† (www. ambiastruggle. com). Sorabjee and Bourne (1996:27), stated that when MMD was elected, there were major changes in the country such as â€Å"privatisation or liquidation of state enterprises, the relaxing of import controls and of investment regulations and barriers, removal of subsidies and other protections, and freer regime in agriculture and manufacturing. † These policies were â€Å"implemented lar gely at the insistance of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank,† House (1991:2). Since the economy was and still is mainly dependant on the mining sector, many mines were privatized so as they can be more productive and efficient. According to Simpere (2010:7) â€Å"under the influence of its lenders especially the World Bank and following the election of a new government in 1991, Zambia decided to dismantle and privatize its mines. † The mines were not the only state-owned enterprises privatized but many other companies, approximately two-hundred and sixty three (263) companies were taken over by foreigners. This happened between 1994 and 2004, which was predominantly during the reign of the MMD precisely Chiluba and Levy Mwanawasa, (Simutanyi,2006). There was also the liberalization of foreign exchange and import. â€Å"Since late 1991, Zambia has fundamentally changed its trade and economic policy. The trade regime has been considerably liberalized and there has been substantial decentralization and deregulation in other spheres of economic activity,† (www. wto. com). The dominance of neo-liberal economic programs in Zambia promised fast and sustainable economic growth, where Adam Smith’s invisible hand comes in play that the majority of the poor would benefit, (Zambian Economist, 2007). Thus the MMD fully adopted the Neo-liberal policies and the government enacted economic and political liberalism in the country. The Patriotic Front led by President Michael Sata is the current party in government in Zambia. It was elected into power in 2011 during the tripartite elections held in Zambia. It is not clear whether the state under the current government is undertaking a neo-liberal type of governance or a socialist. Some spectators have argued that due to the move of the Patriotic Front to join the Socialist International, the country seems to be heading into the direction of a socialist state, (www. zambia. com). Even though this is so, the Patriotic Front government has corrected the misunderstanding that they shall continue to advocate for socio-economic liberalism spearheaded by neo-liberal policies as was stated in their manifesto, (m. lusakatimes. om). Nothing much has, in reality changed during the past twelve months of the Patriotic Front’s rule as compared to the twenty year rule of the MMD. Companies are still privatized, trade liberalism still exists, democracy still prevails and the existence of property rights exists as well. The country of Zambia still values the foreign investors and their relationship with other capitalist societies with whom they enjoy the benefits of trade liberalism. Therefore, neo-liberalism as proven above has been the dominant type of liberalism in Zambia from 1991 to present day. Even with the consequences of neo-liberalism such as increase in the poverty level, increased debt, uneven development, Zambia continues to boast of being one of the most liberalized states in Southern Africa. In conclusion, liberalism has been a major player in determining the role of the state in Zambia, hence among the many types of liberalism Neo-liberalism has been adopted by the country of Zambia to spear-head its development. What is not certain is, if it were not for the government being pressured by the IMF and the World Bank, would it have, on its own adopted the neo-liberal policies or it would have continued as a social state?

Importance of Art Education during Childhood Essay

Since more than two decades researchers have been discovering affirmative relationships between arts education and cognitive improvement in children. Gardner (1983) has claimed an affirmative relationship between arts and intellectual (Clark & Zimmerman, 2004). There are multiple advantages of arts education that range from the improvement of vocabulary and math competence, to the improvement of spatial reasoning. Today arts education is given much more importance than previously, when it was thought to be a lot of fluff. Art is not simply an extra subject in education; it is necessary to learning. When students learn about the visual arts, they get a view of the rich and fascinating world around them. This teaches them theirs as well as others history and customs. Art leads to a cultivation of expressiveness, imagination and originality along with critical thinking and analytical competence. It has been stated by the art educators that children as young as three years of age consistently use their imagination in different ways (Golbeck, 2001). The children studying about art expand their capabilities to consider meanings and to make assessments and decisions. Through comprehending and creating art, a student can learn how to work collaboratively with others and also how to put in effort to attain an objective. Also, art education helps in making a major contribution to the enhancement of the child’s capabilities to tackle with the abundance of visual indications obtainable to him and to comprehend and utilise these visual indications (Anway & McDonald, 1971). The enhancement of such competencies and qualities allows for making children better learners along with helping them to feel good; that is, it creates self-worth. It is a world where concepts and data are usually conveyed visually, and the children are required to learn the way they can consider and ascertain the sense of the pictures and also how they can use them so as to convey their own concepts. These talents and qualities are considered essential for individual success as well as America’s improvement.   In spite of this several schools have reduced their budget in art programs since the last decade and this has resulted in some schools providing with almost no art education (Prentice, 2000). These schools are not offering their students with the chance to improve their talents that are so essential if they are to succeed in a competitive fiscal setting in such an ethnically varied, visually adjusted world. Teaching Art Enid and Laura Zimmerman say that there are three standpoints of art teaching that have affected art education for youngsters since the last five decades. The first point is that a child’s piece of art is an expression of the natural internal procedures of improvement. The second point is established on a cognitive improvement attitude, and it concentrates on children’s building of general knowledge concerning the world. The third point is that art education leads to a promotion of self-improvement in order to allow the children to absorb themselves relative to the community they live in. According to Gardner (1980) when adults offer the youngsters with the kit, materials and support, their natural art capabilities develop. The adults should not be directly interfering with the children so as to develop their natural capabilities (Schaffer-Simmern, 1948). Infants and preschool children rather prefer to explore colors, feel and type of materials and express thoughts, concepts and insights. These are fine objectives for them. They value the procedure more than the end result. After completion of the work by a child, the teacher or parent should talk to him about it instead of simply praising him. This allows for learning more about the artwork and how the child thinks. Also, the instructor can put down points on paper and, if the child allows, fix it to the child’s work. Plus, the artwork should be dated. That allows the instructor to keep a track of the youngster’s improvement. Visual arts can be a source of advantage to children of all ages. From a kid’s first rate motor skill development to a teen’s expressive enhancement, the arts can prove to be a much efficient training and managing means. A person does not have to be absolutely knowledgeable on each and every procedure or have to purchase extremely costly equipment in order to bring in the arts to a kid’s life. Straightforward product selection and child focused examination can direct initial creative attempts. Children’s Motivational Beliefs about Art Art classrooms offer with distinct motivational tests. Even though kids usually take pleasure in the hands-on exercises which are part of most of the curriculum and they without reluctance involve themselves in the delegated projects, it is quite often hard to get them to put in all their efforts, to make their â€Å"hurried production† more detailed and improved. Many a times young students are overheard talking about who is good at art and who is not, which is mostly themselves. Usually with age kids become pessimistic concerning their art capability (Flannery & Watson, 1991; Gardner & Rosenstiel, 1977). The necessity of motivation in order to maintain children’s interest in art is accentuated by the usual weakening in self-esteem and interest in art which the kids start displaying during middle childhood. This weakening is linked with the children’s idea that their production should fulfil the principles of traditional practicality and that they do not possess the abilities of accomplishing this (Flannery & Watson, 1991). Nevertheless, comparable deteriorations in self-assessments of capabilities are commonly perceived in various subjects (Stipek & Maclver, 1989), and also the progressive weakening of student’s encouragement as they advance through school. In goal theory the advice is implied that teachers motivate students to follow individual imaginations of mastery more willingly than to work to impress outside assessors. This is a problem for regions like visual art where students should bear in mind the ultimate receiving of their performance (imaginative production) by an audience even as they try to focus on self-enhancement and mastery. This matter poses a problem to the art teachers who should make every day choices concerning the degree to which they will try to motivate students by emphasizing grades and the chance for exhibit of work. Art teachers are also caught up with the fact about whether art contests raise children’s concentration on spirited performance to the disadvantage of their assignment involvement and ability improvement. Parents and Art Education Parents can help their children in art education and not just rely on the institutions. They can encourage the children’s involvement in art when at home which can be done by encouraging art programs in the nearby society and also by assisting in making a decision as to how the school can teach the art. Parents can also turn out to be important speakers for developing art programs at schools. Parents can work along with the school staff, with the members of art societies, and also with other people. In this way they can ensure that art is being given a significant position in their children’s education plus in the society. There can be PTA meetings held that would emphasize on the importance of art education. In this way parent awareness concerning art education will be built. A very significant step that parents, and even rest of the people, can take is to back up education leaders and officers so as to sponsor the addition of art education in the syllabus. Every person can lead to a difference if he contacts these persons.