Academic skills Essay Example for Free

Academic skills Essay Academic skills are also very much emphasised in Singapores educational policy as our government values meritocracy. Achieving academic excellence is top priority for all school children in Singapore. Hence, many parents are still not in favour of a play-centred curriculum, as they fear this will not help their children to achieve academic success. With ranking of schools performance and learning outcomes; teachers and parents are compelled to neglect play in favour of more school-like activities. Similar to the American context as mentioned earlier, Singaporean parents send their children to many enrichment activities to help them to be outstanding in academic studies as well as extra-curricular activities such as music and golf lessons. As a result, children are much deprived of free play. Many children have not acquired the art of making friends and even the ability to make friendly contacts (Tan et al, 1997) The foregoing examples demonstrate that parental perspectives, socio-economic status, cultural factors, and educational policies are some issues that could negate the value and importance of play to childrens development and be viewed as having no real educational experiences (Leong Bodrova, 2003, pp. 5). On the contrary, Hughes (1999, p. 109) advises that play is very often the context in which the needs of a growing child are developed and enhanced. It is vital to the development of all facets of the young child personal awareness, emotional well-being, socialisation, communication, cognition, and perceptual motor skills (Hughes, 1999, p. 62-64, 68-69, 81-109 111). There are numerous play processes that help develop these many facets in the young child. Infant games such as peek-a-boo, making funny faces in front of a mirror, and water play in bathtub promote adult-child relationship. Playing also encourages and strengthens awareness of self and others; thus, it facilitates the development of a childs image of himself and others. Indeed, they are not meaningless play especially when adults play with children, the latter will find adults more fun to be with; it is easier to form attachment that leads to securely attached children. Secure attachment is vital to the growing child: it gives him trust and confidence in his environment; it enables him to venture, explore, and learn about his surroundings (Hughes, 1999, p. 196-197, Gonzalez-Mena Eyer, 2001, p. 77-79). Therefore, open-ended materials such as blocks enable the child to exercise spatial awareness concepts, perceptual skills, eye-hand coordination as well as pretend play and creative imagination (Van Hoorn Nourot, p.255-256). Children use mathematical skills and science concepts and ideas to further expand their creativity in their construction with blocks; they will add details and complex structures to their block play (Isenberg Jalongo, 1997, pp. 275-277). Children make use of their bodies and motor skills to move and stack up blocks that is beneficial to their physical development and strategic planning. Much creativity, divergent thinking, and cognitive skills are developed as children engage in pretend play. Thus, children should not be viewed as just playing. Their minds and thoughts are actively involved as they prepare their own scripts and collaborate to direct their play. They plan, negotiate roles and actions, agree and remind each other about the rules they have made. During pretend play, children get to practise their social skills. For instance, when children are unable to agree to play hospital or grocery store, they compromise by combining both. Hence, children play and learn to problem solve (Leong et al, Mar 2003, Rogers et al, 1998).

Investigate the Osmotic Point of Equilibrium in a Potato :: GCSE Biology A2 A-Level Coursework

Investigate the Osmotic Point of Equilibrium in a Potato The following Passages are information which I have managed to find when researching the topic of Osmosis: - The cell membrane controls the movement of substances going into and out of the cells. The cell therefore controls the Chemical composition of the internal environment of the cell. It does this in two ways; Passive Process - this does not require energy Active Process - this does require energy to occur This works in principle which diffusion in which molecules and ions in a solution move from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration resulting in the equal distribution of molecules. Cells membranes are selectively or partially permeable, this means moving the membrane allows certain molecules to pass through it moving freely down the concentration gradient but not others. Osmosis The cell membrane is partially permeable in that it allows some molecules to diffuse rapidly but slows the passing of others. The glucose molecules try to diffuse to the outside but cannot get through the membrane because the pores are too small. The water molecules diffuse trough the pores down the concentration gradient. This membrane- controlled diffusion of water molecuse is controlled by osmosis, it can works both ways so that it can pass into and out of the cell. Osmosis and Diffusion If water is withheld from a flowering plant, the flowers wilt. If bacterial cells are placed in concentrated salt water solution, they collapse and die. Human red blood cells placed in fresh water expand and burst. These are examples of the effects of osmosis, the process by which water passes through a cell membrane. Osmosis is possible because of the constant state of motion that exists at the atomic and molecular levels of matter. Specifically, in liquid solutions, molecules of solute (the dissolved substance) and solvent (the substance, usually liquid, in which the solute is dissolved) move about randomly, spreading from regions of high concentration into regions of low concentration. This process is called diffusion. If a cell membrane allowed an equal passage of solute and solvent, diffusion through the membrane would lead to a cell whose internal composition would be identical to its environment. This does not occur because the cell membrane is differentially permeable, or semipermeable-that is, it is permeable to some molecules but not to others. Water molecules (and dissolved gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide) pass through the membrane much more readily than dissolved solid solutes, such as sugar and salt (see Cell, "The Cell Membrane"). If the environment is hypertonic (having a higher concentration of solute than the cell), water diffuses out of the cell.

English and English Literature Coursework Dubliners Essay

â€Å"These stories are all about escape and how characters are unable to escape.† In the light of this quotation, I am going to discuss Dubliners, with close detailed reference to two of the stories, â€Å"Eveline† and â€Å"The Boarding House.† There are many similarities between these two stories, as well as contrasts. In â€Å"Eveline,† her father is a drunkard and is also the head of the house, whereas in â€Å"The Boarding House,† Polly’s father, â€Å"was a shabby stooped little drunkard† who lives separated from his family. Polly’s father has been cut-off from her life, and Eveline’s mother is dead. The similarity here, is that each child has had one of their parent’s cut off from a period of their life. Eveline wants to escape to Buenos Aires, to get away from her poverty in Dublin. Mr Doran wants to escape from the prospect of marriage. This brings us to one of the main points of the book, the characters inability to escape. Eveline has been given the chance to escape from her life, where â€Å"she had to work hard both in the house and at business.† Poor Eveline, however, finds that she is unable to move forward. She lacks the courage and strength to make that leap that will free her of her oppressive situation. . She’s sees her lover as a possible source of danger: â€Å"All the seas of the world tumbled about her heart. He was drawing her into them: he would drown her.† Instead of an uncertain but hopeful future, her paralysis will make a certain and dismal future that may well repeat her mother’s sad life story. In Mr Doran’s case, the theme of powerlessness is conveyed his situation. As with many other characters in Dubliners, various social pressures, like his job and his reputation, combine to rob him of choice. Mrs Mooney wants her daughter to escape her current poverty and the possibility of a working life for marriage, while Mr Doran wants to escape the tying down of marriage and enjoy his ‘free’ life. Mr Doran nonetheless cannot escape. At the end of â€Å"The Boarding House†, â€Å"Mrs Mooney tells Polly, â€Å"Come down, dear. Mr Doran wants to speak to you.† The reader is struck by the tremendous irony of the situation, since it is clear that Mr Doran does not really want to speak to Polly. He has been bullied and terrified into proposing marriage to her. These simple words are the hallmark of Mrs Mooney’s accomplishment. Frank wants to take Eveline away, but Eveline is unsure. â€Å"It was hard work-a hard life-but now that she was about to leave it she did not find to a wholly undesirable life.† Polly wants to settle with Mr Doran, but Mr Doran is unsure, however he does not have a choice: â€Å"What could he do now but marry her or run away? He could not brazen it out.† Mr Doran has the choice to run away, but this is not an option for â€Å"Dublin is such a small city: everyone knows everyone else’s business.† Both Frank and Mr Doran can be seen as saving the two girls from poverty. Mr Doran and Eveline are both described as helpless. Mr Doran himself says, â€Å"I felt helpless,† while Eveline is described as â€Å"passive like a helpless animal.† At the end of each story, an iron railing is mentioned. Eveline â€Å"gripped with both hands at the iron railings,† using them as an anchor, preventing her from drowning into the seas of the world. The railings help Eveline think of thoughts which keep her from leaving. Polly uses the iron railings as an anchor to clear her thoughts. â€Å"There was no longer any perturbation visible on her face.† Both Mr Doran and Eveline feel that it is their duty to stay and face the consequences. Mr Doran â€Å"longed to ascend through the roof and fly away†¦ yet a force pushed him downstairs step by step.† Eveline finds that she is paralysed by the needs of her father and her promise to her mother â€Å"to keep the home together as long as she could.† â€Å"Eveline† starts a series of stories dealing with various kinds of marriage and courtship. In â€Å"Eveline,† marriage presents the possibility of escape. â€Å"The Boarding House† gives us marriage as a social convention and a trap. â€Å"Two Gallants† reduces marriage and courtship to its animal. â€Å"Two Gallants† gave us men taking advantage of a young woman. â€Å"The Boarding House† gives us a more respectable social setting, but the basic cynicism about love and relationships between the genders remains. The economic conditions are also expressed in â€Å"Eveline† and â€Å"The Boarding House†. To save money in â€Å"The Boarding House,† pieces of broken bread are collected to help make Tuesday’s bread-pudding. The sugar and butter is kept safe under lock and key.† In â€Å"Eveline,† there is an â€Å"invariable squabble for money on Saturday nights.† Eveline’s dead mum controls her while Mr Doran is controlled by Mrs Mooney. Mrs Mooney and Eveline’s mum are both very different people in the sense that Mrs Mooney is strong and independent and Eveline’s mum is weak and dependent. Eveline’s love for Frank leads her to escape whereas Mr Doran’s love for Polly leads him to confine his life with marriage. Eveline is forced into making her decision to stay by duty to her family. Mr Doran has put himself into his situation and it driven further by Mrs Mooney. Both Eveline and Mr Doran have occupational restrictions. Mr Doran â€Å"had been employed for thirteen years in a great Catholic wine-merchant’s office and publicity would mean the loss of his sit.† All his hard work would be gone for nothing. Eveline, however, is oppressed by her employer and â€Å"would not cry many tears at leaving the Stores.† One of the striking elements of â€Å"The Boarding House† is Mrs Mooney’s silence. Her daughter’s respect is not really a concern, because she knows about the affair from the start. What matters to her is trading on her feigned outrage to get a social arrangement that will benefit her daughter. Mrs Mooney manipulates the weaker Mr Doran, using his concern for his job and his fear of scandal. The story concludes with the fact that Mr Doran has spoken to Mrs Mooney and now wants to speak to Polly. This probably suggests a proposal of marriage, and the trap is implied in the final line: â€Å"Then she remembered what she had been waiting for.† Marriage is the price which Doran must pay in order to keep his job, since â€Å"Dublin is such a small city: everyone knows everyone else’s business† The stages-of-life structure continues in â€Å"Eveline†. In previous stories like â€Å"The Sisters† and â€Å"Araby†, children had been main characters. Eveline is an adult, a young woman old enough to get married. Joyce gives us the terrible poverty and pressure of her situation. The weight of poverty and family responsibilities bear down on this young woman heavily and her financial situation is far worse than that of the three boy narrators of the previous stories. She is trapped in an ugly situation, responsible for her siblings and the aging father who abuses her. In conclusion, it can be said that Joyce presents the themes of escape and paralysis in Dubliners. They show how Joyce sees the city of Dublin.

Ley Ajuste Cubano tras fin de pies secos, pies mojados

Por decisià ³n de enero de 2017, el gobierno de Estados Unidos no aplica la polà ­tica conocida como pies secos pies mojados para cubanos ni la visa CMPP para personal sanitario de esa misma nacionalidad en misiones en el exterior. Sin embargo, sigue vigente la Ley de Ajuste Cubano. En este artà ­culo se explica quà © era pies secos, pies mojados, cuà ¡les son las opciones ahora para los cubanos para ingresar a Estados Unidos y cuà ¡les son los puntos bà ¡sicos de Ley de Ajuste Cubano. Puntos clave: Pies secos, pies mojados Tà ©rminos clave en polà ­tica migratoria de EE.UU. hacia cubanos:Pies secos: Cubanos que lograban pisar suelo de EE.UU. o llegar a una de sus fronteras. Podà ­an ingresar como paroled aunque no tuvieran visa.Pies mojados: Cubanos interceptados en el mar intentando llegar a EE.UU. Eran regresados a Cuba o enviados a un tercer paà ­s.Fin de pies secos, pies mojados: 12 de enero de 2017Ley de Ajuste cubano: En vigor. Permite a los cubanos que ingresan legalmente a EE.UU. solicitar la tarjeta de residencia permanente despuà ©s de presencia de 1 aà ±o y 1 dà ­a.  ¿Quà © era la polà ­tica de pies secos, pies mojados para cubanos? La polà ­tica migratoria de Estados Unidos conocida como pies secos, pies mojados  aplicaba exclusivamente a los cubanos y significaba que las personas de esa nacionalidad intentando emigrar a EE.UU. podà ­an quedarse si tocaban suelo estadounidense y, por lo tanto, eran pies secos. Por el contrario, si eran encontrados en el mar intentando alcanzar las costas de Estados Unidos se les consideraba pies mojados y no se les permità ­a quedarse en el paà ­s y se les regresaba a la Isla o se les enviaba a un tercer paà ­s. Con el tiempo y en la prà ¡ctica se desarrollà ³ una subcategorà ­a de pies secos, a los que se conocà ­a en inglà ©s como dusty foot, porque llegaban a la zona desà ©rtica de la frontera de Estados Unidos con Mà ©xico donde se presentaban ante un oficial fronterizo y pedà ­an el ingreso al paà ­s mediante un permiso provisional que se conocà ­a como parole y que les permità ­a estar en el paà ­s y trabajar mientras arreglaban los papeles. Tambià ©n podà ­an  calificar como pies secos los cubanos que llegaban por avià ³n a un aeropuerto de los Estados Unidos o alguno de sus territorios, como por ejemplo, Puerto Rico sin una visa và ¡lida y pedà ­an asilo nada mà ¡s llegar.   Es decir, pies secos se aplicaba a los cubanos que llegaban ilegalmente a los Estados Unidos, esto es sin visa u otro documento và ¡lido para ingresar.   En el aà ±o fiscal 2016, que finalizà ³ el 30 de septiembre de ese aà ±o, un total de 41.500 cubanos llegaron a territorio estadounidense sin documentos và ¡lido para ingresar, pero ingresaron por pies secos pies mojados. En octubre y noviembre de ese aà ±o el nà ºmero fue de 7.000.  ¿Cà ³mo era el procedimiento de pies secos, pies mojados? Los pies mojados, o wet foot en inglà ©s, eran  regresados a Cuba o, si temà ­an que podrà ­an sufrir represalias y cumplà ­an las condiciones para ser considerados como asilados o refugiados, eran trasladados a un tercer paà ­s, como Ecuador o Espaà ±a, entre otros. Sin embargo, los cubanos considerados contrabandistas de personas eran  regresados a Cuba donde cumplà ­an pena de cà ¡rcel, con o sin previa prisià ³n en los Estados Unidos. Por el contrario, los pies mojados podà ­an pedir  asilo y eran  entrevistados por al menos un oficial migratorio y ahà ­ se decidà ­a si se les permità ­a ingresar a Estados Unidos, ya que no siempre era posible como en el caso de tener ciertos antecedentes penales. Si los pies secos ingresaban  a Estados Unidos, lo hacà ­an como lo que se conoce tà ©cnicamente como paroled y no como admitted. Esta distincià ³n es importante desde el punto de vista de las leyes migratorias de Estados Unidos. A partir de ahà ­, los cubanos paroled podà ­an  solicitar una serie de beneficios sociales y/o econà ³micos. Ademà ¡s, podà ­an solicitar un permiso de trabajo, un nà ºmero del Seguro Social, sacar la licencia de manejar en el estado en el que se asienten, etc. Asimismo, al mismo tiempo se iniciaba un proceso de peticià ³n de asilo. Es decir, no se concedà ­a el asilo automà ¡ticamente, sino que simplemente, comenzaba la tramitacià ³n. Paralelamente sucedà ­a algo fundamental:  comenzaba a contar el tiempo para poder iniciar el proceso de solicitud de la green card, que es la tarjeta de residencia permanente, y que podrà ¡n hacer al cumplir el aà ±o y un dà ­a de haber ingresado, en aplicacià ³n de la Ley de Ajuste Cubano.   Como la fecha de un aà ±o y un dà ­a a contar desde el momento de ingreso a Estados Unidos llegaba antes de que se resolviera la peticià ³n de asilo, à ©sta se cancelaba y los pies secos mojados se convertà ­an en residentes permanentes legales con una tarjeta de green card.  ¿Cà ³mo pueden los cubanos ingresar a EE.UU. en la actualidad? Desde el 12 de enero de 2017 los cubanos deben tener una visa para ingresar a Estados Unidos. Si no la tienen y temen ser perseguidos pueden solicitar en un puerto fronterizo de los Estados Unidos el asilo, pero en las mismas condiciones que los migrantes de otros paà ­ses que tengan el mismo temor. Cabe destacar que para que se apruebe el asilo hay que temer una represalia o persecucià ³n por una de  5 razones especà ­ficas seà ±aladas en la ley.  ¿Quà © pasa con los cubanos que llegan a una frontera de los EE.UU. sin visa? Son regresados a Cuba, paà ­s que se ha comprometido ante Estados Unidos a readmitir a los no admitidos en Estados Unidos, siendo la excepcià ³n son los casos de asilo. Aquà ­ hay que ser muy prudentes a la hora de interpretar la ley, ya que el simple hecho de vivir en una dictadura o en un paà ­s comunista como es Cuba no es por sà ­ misma una razà ³n para que se apruebe una solicitud de asilo. Es necesario argumentar de un modo convincente la represià ³n a la persona que solicita el asilo y la razà ³n debe ser por una de las descritas en la ley de asilo. Ademà ¡s, en la actualidad los cubanos que logren ingresar ilegalmente son deportados, al igual que el resto de los extranjeros. Tambià ©n pueden ser deportados aquellos cubanos que cometen delitos y/o infracciones migratorias que por ley pueden dar lugar a la expulsià ³n del paà ­s. Las à ºltimas estadà ­sticas muestran que aproximadamente en la actualidad unos 36.000 cubanos cuentan con orden de deportacià ³n, si bien por falta de acuerdo entre EE.UU. y Cuba la Isla no acepta a los migrantes cubanos con à ³rdenes de expulsià ³n con fecha anterior al 12 de enero de 2017, salvo casos particulares.  ¿Quà © pasa con la Ley de Ajuste Cubano? Esta ley, que data del 2 de noviembre de 1966, sigue en vigor. Esto significa que los cubanos presentes legalmente en los Estados Unidos podrà ¡n solicitar un ajuste de estatus al aà ±o y 1 dà ­a de haber ingresado a los Estados Unidos y convertirse, as,à ­ en residentes permanentes. No se debe confundir esta Ley con la polà ­tica de pies secos, pies mojados, que data de la presidencia de Bill Clinton. Al quedar pies secos pies mojados sin efecto, los cubanos en situacià ³n ilegal no podrà ¡n ajustar su estatus por Ley de Ajuste Cubano ni tampoco podrà ¡n ingresar a los Estados Unidos los que no tienen la visa correspondiente y no pueden alegar de forma convincente ante un oficial migratorio que solicitan asilo por una causa prevista en la ley. Trump, Cuba y polà ­tica internacional y migratoria Cada vez que hay un cambio en las normas migratorias, lamentablemente tambià ©n hay personas sin escrà ºpulos que desean tomar ventaja de la desesperacià ³n de las personas y aseguran que tienen contactos o que pueden hacer cosas que realmente no son posibles. A pesar de que en junio de 2017 el presidente Donald Trump modificà ³ ciertos aspectos de la polà ­tica estadounidense hacia Cuba cambiando importantes aspectos de la polà ­tica de Obama, lo cierto es que en materia migratoria todo sigue igual en este punto y que aplica ni pies secos, pies mojados ni la visa CMPP. Es aconsejable tener mucho cuidado con todos los posibles fraudes. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.