Testing Students with Disabilities in Kentucky Schools Essays

Students with disabilities are increasingly being included in large scale, high-stakes testing programs despite inadequate accommodations. In recent years, the school system has increased pressure on students in regards to testing. In the past, Kentucky has done a poor job of including impaired students in its statewide assessments; mainly in failing to provide the mandated accommodations for disabled students. In order to help these students with their learning skills, test scores, appropriate testing accommodations and the performance of students with disabilities. Results indicate that most Kentucky students have been included in the CATS assessment, but many the scores obtained from disabled students may not be reliable due to†¦show more content†¦However, Kentucky did not collect information on the use of two other common accommodations: separate settings and different testing schedules (e.g., shorter periods and more frequent breaks). Guidelines for Testing Disabled Students Guidelines provided by The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) state that accommodations: †¢ Must be part of the student’s ongoing instructional program. †¢ May not be introduced for the first time during assessment. †¢ Must be â€Å"based on the individual needs of the students and not on a disability category.† †¢ Shall not â€Å"inappropriately impact the content being measured.† Table X lists the types of accommodations provided and their appropriate use. The problem is not necessarily a lack available accommodations improper use of them. Table X. Accommodations allowed in Kentucky’s accountability tests. Source: Journal of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. As noted in the table above, there is a wide range of possible accommodations and situations where they may be employed. It is important to note that some accommodations are not restricted to students with disabilities; however, the more obtrusive ones are. For example, paraphrasing was common, but the guidelines for its use are specific, restrictiveShow MoreRelatedResponse To Intervention Essay810 Words   |  4 PagesThe Effectiveness of Response to Intervention on Student Achievement in Mathematics and English in a Rural Kentucky High School Student achievement is one of the driving factors in education and, quite possibly, the most important. Educators strive to help students improve achievement through quality instructional practices and safe and effective learning environments, but this does not always correlate to adequate performance on standardized testing used to evaluate college or career readiness. Read MoreSchool Safety And Student Safety2351 Words   |  10 Pages During the past decade, school safety has been at the forefront of many school districts safety polices and plans. With recent high profile school shootings, the question school districts continue to ask is how do we keep our schools safe? 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The No child Left Behind Statute Free Essays

string(87) " within the parameters of elementary education set by the state \(Jim Donlevy, 2002\)\." The â€Å"No child Left Behind† statute introduced by President Bush and passed by the congress has created a number of problems for the educational programs intended for adolescents in elementary and secondary schools. The financial situation of the elementary and secondary schools is extremely poor because the states governments have been eliminating vital elementary educational programs. The school administrations have been reluctant to provide extended courses to the students. We will write a custom essay sample on The No child Left Behind Statute or any similar topic only for you Order Now Furthermore, the textbooks are not being printed consistently, making not only the students but also the teachers extremely vulnerable and helpless. The funding disparity has also created huge gaps between the education being provided to the children belonging to the rich families and those belonging to the poor ones. The shortcomings and the rhetoric behind â€Å"No child left behind† act needs to be exposed so that effective measures can be taken to curtail the damage (Susan, 2003). The consistent lack of attention being given to elementary and secondary education, particularly to adolescent literacy is posing a grave threat to the future of the American education system. The purpose of this thesis is to reveal the shortcomings of â€Å"No child left behind† law by first understanding the basic details of the act related to adolescent literacy programs and then persuasively assessing the loopholes in it. Lastly, the thesis gives carefully crafted recommendations aimed at not only the federal and state governments but also the school districts, parents and the educators. The aim is to create an understanding of the present and future needs for those educational programs that are aimed at adolescents and identifying the present gaps in the federal educational law. The American value of education emphasizes that all children, regardless of their gender, religion ethnicity should be able to acquire the basic skills of education and then carry those basic skills through to the elementary, secondary and high level education. Unfortunately, research has shown that the reality of the present education system is on the contrary. In a recent study, conducted by â€Å"National Assessment of Educational Progress† (NAEP, 2002), it has been noted that as much as 26% of the students are unable to read their textbooks fluently and almost half cannot comprehend the meaning of the text (Michael F. Hock and Donald D. Deshler, 2003). It is worth noting that the legislators and government officials realize the gravity of the situation but have been unable to cope with it. If nearly half of the students in the elementary schools are unable to effectively read their course books, then, these students will find higher education very difficult. The â€Å"No Child Left Behind† act has made things even more difficult because the focus has been on a long-term solution, whereas, it is imperative that the needs of the present generations are addressed immediately. This is because millions of students will be unable to cope with the demands of the future workplace needs if their basic educative skills are not enhanced at the right time (Michael F. Hock and Donald D. Deshler, 2003). The challenge for the present legislators, teachers, parents and school administrations is to counter the threat of adolescent illiteracy by introducing effective programs, backed by appropriate amount of government funds. The difficultly lies in the ineffectiveness of the present educational law to cater the needs of adolescents as the most problematical educational dilemma to deal with has been the deficiency in the reading, writing and speaking skills of adolescents. The present educational and political leadership need to create and implement productive adolescent educational programs, which are feasible in the present schooling environment (Michael F. Hock and Donald D. Deshler, 2003). Dough Mesecar, who is currently a senior policy adviser to the secretary of Education, while giving his comments on the present status of the NCLB act asserts in an interview, â€Å"The achievement scores are up, and we’re very pleased to see both the achievement gap starting to close, kids are learning more, a very positive report in the sense that the Center for Education Policy report is a self-survey, so these are states and districts reporting on their own to the center that their scores are up, achievement gaps are closing. So we feel very positive that this is yet another report showing the trends are definitely heading in a positive direction. † Contrary to the above statement, many experts believe that the â€Å"No Child Left Behind† act presents a grave threat to the American values. But, before revealing the shortcomings of the â€Å"No Child Left Behind† law, it is imperative that the basic features of the law that are related to elementary education are clearly understood. It is important to note that at least four areas of the act have been considered to have severe repercussions on the adolescent literacy. These four features are as follows: The â€Å"No child left behind† (NCLB) act encourages superior standards. The law makes it imperative that those schools, which are being supported by the government through funds, align their endeavors with the standards set by the local state. Furthermore, the law makes it imperative for these schools to employ only skilled and qualified workforce and only work on evidence-founded programs that are time-oriented and result-oriented. It is believed that these measures will enhance the level of education because it will not only minimize the inadequacy of unqualified teachers but also enhance learning as only scientifically verified teaching initiatives will be offered to the adolescents (Jim Donlevy, 2002). The law asserts that the annual progress of all the schools will be noted in relation to the competence achieved by the students in subjects such as mathematics and science, and in skills such as reading, writing and speaking. Standardized procedures and methods will be drafted to evaluate the progress of each district, school, as well as every group within each school. It is important to note that these â€Å"assessments† have put a great deal of added stress on all elementary schools because they have to align their educational endeavors within the parameters of elementary education set by the state (Jim Donlevy, 2002). You read "The No child Left Behind Statute" in category "Papers" The NCLB act has set very high standards for elementary schools all over America. If a particular school fails to meet the standards of the state for 2 successive years then that particular school will have to craft counteractive programs. Should the school fail to meet the State†s requirements for the 3RD consecutive year, tougher measures will be introduced, which may include replacements in the school workforce, complete modification of the school syllabus and maybe even state takeover (Jim Donlevy, 2002). The law allows parents to send their children to a school located in another district should their present school fail to meet the standards set by the State. The cost for this transfer of school along with the daily cost of transportation will be met by the local government. Furthermore, if the students attending these low-performing schools need home-tutoring or any other measure to augment their children†s achievements, then the local government will provide funds for those measures as well. The primary objective of the NCLB law is to enhance the possibility of success in elementary education for all Americans. This is being done by placing specific standards and then taking effective measures to make sure that these requirements are being met (Jim Donlevy, 2002). The most severe negative outcome for the elementary schools will be that they will loose their freedom to experiment with the instructional methods. While scientifically proven methods offer a great deal of benefits to the students, the creativity and progress in discovering newer and more effective instructional methods will be lost. Furthermore, while numerous research studies about effective reading methods have been conducted, very little research exists on other educative areas, such as speaking, writing and learning. Therefore, elementary teachers and schools will be finding it very difficult to meet the standards of the State (Jim Donlevy, 2002). Another major loophole in the NCLB act is that the â€Å"counteractive measures† for schools will be extremely costly. It is important to note that the measures set forth for under-performing schools are unfeasible to implement. If the number of schools that fail to comply with the standards set by the State for 2 successive years increases substantially, then the funds required to bring the necessary changes in the workforce, syllabus and structures of the schools or a complete State takeover will be extremely difficult to manage as the funds for education are being slashed every year by the Bush Administration (Jim Donlevy, 2002). The condition laid out by the NCLP to only employ specialized, qualified and licensed teachers is posing severe problems for struggling schools. It is vital to note that those schools that have either failed to or are struggling to comply with the standards set by the local government consistently employ replacement-teachers from far-off areas and are bound to face shortages of licensed teachers. Furthermore, many experts believe that this tendency will increase in the coming years and the struggling schools will face tougher challenges to meet this condition, while those schools that have been meeting the State†s standards of initiatives have been consistently employing certified teachers. Therefore, the persistence of the NCLB act to employ only licensed and specialized teachers has made it unrealistic for low-performing schools to meet this condition (Jim Donlevy, 2002). Additional troubling features of the NCLB Act The funds allocated for the successful implementation of NCLB are not only limited but also very poorly directed. While the NCLP act lays clear emphasis and provides adequate funds for crafting accountability structures and carrying out transformations for schools that fail to comply with the Standards of the State, it fails to provide adequate funds for conducting research on equally important academic areas for adolescents† literacy, namely, educator training and constant learning, the needs and interests of adolescents and framework for educating and learning in subject areas. This misdirection of funds will further hamper the progress of low-performing schools (Mark W. Conley and Kathleen A. Hinchman, 2004). Furthermore, NCLB gives very little consideration to the framework of literacy strategies. The three areas cited in the NCLB act are alphabetic acquaintance, fluency, and comprehension strategies. While the adolescents have been able to develop the first two categories (alphabetic knowledge and fluency), they have found the last category (comprehension strategies) to be extremely difficult. This is mainly due to the fact that new frameworks for subject-contents are being developed, which create the need for the development of newer comprehension strategies. Nevertheless, several studies have asserted that NCLB mirrors very limited research on this issue and sets a very restricted standard on strategies related to the development of newer comprehension strategies (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000; Snow, Burns, Griffin, 1998; Alexander Jetton, 2000). It is important to note that adolescents do not come prepared for the challenges they will face in their elementary and secondary education. One cannot wait for newer laws to be enacted or school reforms to be initiated. Immediate strategies have to be developed so that the present threats emerging from the NCLB act can be turned into an opportunity for all schools. The federal and local State governments should reflect on the following strategies for immediate and quick-fix actions: Firstly, recognizing those strategies that have been successfully implemented by high-performing schools and then enforcing the low-performing schools to adopt those strategies (Michael F. Hock and Donald D. Deshler, 2003). In order to present those successful strategies to low-performing schools and ensuring that they have comprehensively understood all the aspects of the strategies, the government ought to set up presentation-places to illustrate those plans and achievements (Michael F. Hock and Donald D. Deshler, 2003). Encourage programs that educate teachers on scientifically verified instructional methods. Despite the fact that confusion about the proper definition of adolescent literacy still prevails, modern research has been able to give some direction to the dilemma. These directions should be used as a framework to allocate funds for teacher training programs that have been clinically verified to be productive (Michael F. Hock and Donald D. Deshler, 2003). Increased consideration should be given to literacy instruction because no current teacher training programs inform the teachers about the difficulties they will face while dealing with the literacy instructions in their teaching careers (Michael F. Hock and Donald D. Deshler, 2003). These recommendations should be implemented with immediate affect because we are all aware that schools are very multifaceted and therefore manifold characteristics and strategies have got to be adopted (Darling-Hammond, 1997; Marzano, 2003). It is important for the government officials to note that neither the adolescents nor the teachers can be ignored because they both are the pillars for growth and development of any society (e. g. , Pressley, 2001; Strickland Morrow, 2000; Stronge, 2002) (Margaret Taylor, 2004) The â€Å"No Child Left Behind† act can be considered to be more idealistic than realistic because while the aims are very noble, the funds required to achieve these noble aims are very limited and a number of vital issues have been ignored. The State governments have been busy in establishing high standards of achievements for all schools without making efforts to really understand the complexities of the present system and the repercussions of their policies on the schools, parents, teachers and the students. Therefore, a proper reaction to the present threats being posed by the NCLB act should be thorough, carefully directed, and all-inclusive if across-the-board transformations are desired. Lastly, endeavors to bridge the differences amid the objectives and the present capabilities have got to be the most important concern if the aim is for adolescents to productively challenge the needs of the business and the society. How to cite The No child Left Behind Statute, Papers

Common Features and Future Challenges †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Common Features and Future Challenges. Answer: Introduction Investigation can be referred to as the act of investigating someone or something in a formal way or through research work and systematic examination. The main aim of investigation is getting all the facts in order to achieve a solution to a situation or complaint (Drupsteen and Guldenmund 2014). The main objective of this essay is to highlight the investigation methods and the Occupational Health Safety issues associated with the Burketown Queensland, Air crash which occurred today at 10 am. Occupational Health Safety refers to the health, safety and the welfare of people who are involved with some work (Purser and McAllister 2016). The essay throws light on the OHS issues related to the Air Crash and the risk management, preventive methods and regulations in order to control the hazards. It further discusses the personal preparations to be made before going to the accident scene, the actions to be undertaken, the equipments to be taken along and the investigation skills required. An air crash occurred in the morning, close to Burketown Queensland, Australia, which departed from Perth for Lenora. The Air traffic control contacted the pilot of the aircraft, whose speech became significantly impaired and as a result he couldnt respond to and follow the instructions of the official. As an investigator of the accident, it is very important to keep certain things in mind and undertake several preparations (Drupsteen and Guldenmund 2014). The actions to be undertaken An investigator must always accomplish his/her task with integrity, impartiality, respect and fairness. He/she needs to be well aware of all the company policies and communicate those to his/her team members. He/she should summarize the whole incident to the team members in a chronological manner. It is important to make a list of all the names associated with the incident, their background and the possible witnesses (Silei 2014). An investigator must be well aware of the Occupational Health Safety issues in the site where the accident took place. The probable hazards at the accident site are classified into several categories. It can be environmental, biological, physical, psychological and material. Firstly, being an investigator, he/she needs to deal with certain physical hazards like flammable substances, fire, pressurized gases and others. Secondly, contaminated dead bodies can lead to biological hazards. Thirdly, metal oxides, radioactive materials and chemical components of the crashed aircraft can also lead to health hazard (Purser and McAllister 2016). The investigator must wear fire protective clothes and suits in order to prevent physical hazards. He/she must have self contained respiratory apparatus for breathing as prolonged exposure can cause respiratory issues and skin problems as well. In order to prevent biological hazards, he/she should be fully covered with protective suit, work gloves and latex, goggles, face masks, boot and shoe covers, and have a disposal bag of biological hazards and disinfectants (Quinlan, Hampson and Gregson 2013). Undertaking these measures will help in preventing the virus from entering the body of the investigating personnel. The clothing and personal equipments which are used at the spot should be discarded properly. Portions of skin which are exposed and the equipments must be washed thoroughly with soap and water or with chlorine solution, in order to minimize the risk of health hazard (Moser and Kalton 2017). Necessary items to be taken The investigating personnel must be fully equipped when entering any accident sites in order to prevent the probable health hazards. Several precautions must be undertaken such as carrying personal equipments for protection. Equipments like fully covered body protection suit, work gloves and latex, along with face masks and goggles, boot and shoe covers. Accident areas are covered with dead bodies and blood which may result in airborne diseases, therefore covering the face with mask is a must (Jianyong et al. 2012). Carrying disinfectants is necessary, as an investigator can directly come in contact with the dead bodies. Equipments must also include breathing apparatus, full face canister respirators and fire extinguishers. Proper medicines and ointments must be carried the accident spot in order to stay safe from any kind of health issues or skin problems. Camera with recording capability with a memory card, voice recorder, tablet or laptop, flashlight, writing pad and pen, tape mea sures and other basic things must be carried to the spot (Okstad, Jersin and Tinmannsvik 2012). An investigator must consider his/her and the teams safety, by conducting a risk assessment. Firstly, an investigator needs to be well aware of all the company policies and communicate those to his/her team members. Secondly, a complete research work must be done beforehand, regarding the incident. Thirdly, an investigator should be able to identify the goal of an investigation that is carried out, to get the desired results. Along with that, identification of factual and legal issues is important before carrying out the investigation. He/she must not miss out any important piece of evidence. An investigator should have an open mind with an urge to know more and capacity to work in tough conditions (Jianyong et al. 2012). An investigator must always be well prepared beforehand, so that the investigation can begin without any delay. The longer he/she waits; the situation is more likely to get out of hand. Evidences may get lost or tampered, contaminated or washed away. For example, the marks of the tyre may get washed away. The investigator can request for the data list of the people who are directly or indirectly involved with the incident. Witnesses evidence plays a vital role in such kinds of incidents, to establish the investigation. The medical reports of the affected ones can also bring in new facts (Moser and Kalton 2017). Conclusion Investigators should always stay prepared to visit an accident spot at a very short notice. They must always keep their bag packed with equipments and personal items so that they can proceed and participate in any kind of investigation. Moreover, they must have strong presence of mind and perseverance, to achieve the goal. The working condition at times, are too risky, therefore personal safety measures must be undertaken. He/she must not hide or conceal facts from his/her team members. An open mind with an urge to know more can help an investigator on a long run. Last but not the least; an investigator must always collect all the important evidences as fast as possible because time is the greatest enemy in such cases. References Chambliss, D.F. and Schutt, R.K., 2012.Making sense of the social world: Methods of investigation. Sage. Drupsteen, L. and Guldenmund, F.W., 2014. What is learning? A review of the safety literature to define learning from incidents, accidents and disasters.Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 22(2), pp.81-96.Retrieved on 28 July 2017 at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Linda_Drupsteen/publication/269098708 Jianyong, Z.H.O.U., Jianping, Z.H.O.U., Jiang, Z. and Haiyang, L.I., 2012. Investigation into pilot handling qualities in teleoperation rendezvous and docking with time delay.Chinese Journal of Aeronautics,25(4), pp.622-630. Moser, C.A. and Kalton, G., 2017.Survey methods in social investigation. Routledge. Okstad, E., Jersin, E. and Tinmannsvik, R.K., 2012. Accident investigation in the Norwegian petroleum industryCommon features and future challenges.Safety science,50(6), pp.1408-1414. Purser, D.A. and McAllister, J.L., 2016.Assessment of hazards to occupants from smoke, toxic gases, and heat.InSFPE handbook of fire protection engineering(pp. 2308-2428).Springer New York. Quinlan, M., Hampson, I. and Gregson, S., 2013. Outsourcing and offshoring aircraft maintenance in the US: Implications for safety.Safety Science,57, pp.283-292.Retrieved on 28 July 2017 at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753513000593 Silei, G., 2014. Technological hazards, disasters and accidents. InThe Basic Environmental History(pp. 227-253).Springer International Publishing.New York.

What is Discipleship Essay Example

What is Discipleship Essay When most people hear the word disciple, they immediately think of the twelve disciples of Jesus, which is, in a way, correct. A disciple is someone who follows another, Jesus in this case, physically and spiritually. I think there are five factors that are crucial to be a true disciple and in through these discipleship can be summed up; to heal, to teach, to preach, to believe and to serve. Jesus called his first four disciples one day when he was walking by Galilee. He saw Simon Peter and his brother Andrew and he said to them: Come with me and I will make you fishers of men. Simon Peter and Andrew immediately left their boats and followed him. Later on he saw James and John by the lake also and told them to follow him too and they did so. The calling of the first four disciples shows straight away that Jesus had not come for those who were highest in society or those who had the most authority, but for everyone. Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John were only simple fishermen and yet Jesus has chosen them as his disciples to give up what they had to follow him. We will write a custom essay sample on What is Discipleship specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on What is Discipleship specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on What is Discipleship specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Next came the call of Levi. Levi was a tax gatherer. Tax gatherers were generally seen as dishonest and were disliked by society but still Jesus called him to be a disciple and Levi got up and followed him. This shows that Jesus was willing to forgive those who wanted forgiveness and that we would exclude nobody if they were willing to repent of their sins. One day, Jesus sent the twelve disciples out on a mission to preach and to heal, and he gave them authority over evil spirits. This mission is a good example of the disciples healing others. Their healings of others showed their faith, because they could not have healed without faith. By giving them such a responsibility this also showed that Jesus had faith in them. They followed Jesus instructions and by healing all those that asked to be healed. Jesus taught that to be a true disciple, you have to make sacrifices. This is displayed in the Bible when a rich man asks Jesus what he must do to win eternal life and Jesus tells him he must sell everything he has and give to the poor before he can have riches in heaven. At this the rich mans face falls. The rich man could never be a true disciple as although he was a good person he would always worry about his money more than God. Discipleship is all about priorities. Jesus taught that to become a disciple you must make yourself last and servant of all and God should be your first priority. You should always honour and respect God, and be obedient and respond to his call. You should put nothing else before God. This links on to the aspect of serving. To be a disciple, you must serve God not only directly but also indirectly by serving other. Jesus says in the Bible: Anything you do for one of these men here, you do for me. He was trying to show that helping other people and putting them before you plays an important part in serving God. This can sometimes be extremely hard. For example, if you were with one other person in a sinking boat and there is one life jacket, a disciple should offer it to the other person. As Jesus said, the last person in earth will be the first in the Kingdom of God. To be first in heaven you need to put everyone else before you on earth. Another large part of discipleship is obviously faith, as you cannot follow someone unless you have faith in them. Sometimes, the first twelve disciples faith in Jesus wavered, for example, when they were fishing and a huge storm arose. Jesus was asleep in the boat so they woke him, frightened of what might happen as the storm was so strong. Jesus told the storm to be still and asked the disciples Have you still no faith?. The disciples had not thought as Jesus wanted them to. If their faith in Jesus was really as deep as they thought it was, they would not have worried and would have realised that Jesus would not have let the storm harm them. This shows that they had not fully realised who Jesus was. Faith is important, because it comes from the inside and it cannot be shown wholly in actions. Whether you have faith is a more personal, individual feeling and its something you have to confirm in yourself to be a true disciple. Once you have faith and understanding, you should follow by preaching to others and teaching them of your faith. The way that Christianity spread was through preaching and a disciple should preach what they follow in order to spread their faith. A true disciple would truly want to spread the word of what they believe and to turn others to their faith. The Gospels are full of teachings on these things. Jesus shows in many ways eg. Through parables, how true disciples of God should act and what they should truly believe . They should always be prepared to follow Jesus in thought, word and deed. Evaluation In some ways, it is a lot harder to be a true disciple in the modern world, but I do think it is possible. An obvious way in which it was harder for the first Christians was that it was illegal then, so they faced not only persecution but also often torture or death. This does still sometimes happen in a few countries across the world, but in most parts of the world, Christianity is widely accepted. Nowadays in the Western World, although Christianity is not outlawed, Christians can still be emotionally hurt by people laughing at them for their beliefs or persecuting them for their faith. For example, if there was a Christian person amongst a group of non-Christian friends, it could be hard for them to keep following their faith because of pressure from their friends. Another problem a person may have trying to be a true disciple in todays world is, like the rich man, getting his or her priorities right. We live in a materialistic, consumer-orientated world, where most are obsessed with material objects and luxuries. With so much commercialism surrounding us it is hard for a disciple to remember that serving God should always be put first and foremost. This should be prioritised over clothes, money and work. As possessions and material objects seem so important today, it would be hard to give it all up in order to follow your faith. Still, through the difficulties they face, I think if a person really believes they want to stay a true disciple, its not impossible. Many of the controversial issues around today were indeed still relevant for the first Christians. They were too persecuted and faced with temptation . However, today Christians have Jesus teachings in the New Testament, and those who are truly dedicated Christians should be able to use this at times of weakness for guidance and support. Those who are willing still should be able to follow Jesus in todays world and be a true disciple. What is Discipleship Essay Example What is Discipleship? Essay The word disciple means, follower or adherent of any leader of thought, art or conduct. In Christianity it means to follow the teachings and beliefs of Jesus Christ. It is a challenging way of life to be a disciple and you must be willing to devote your mind, strength and soul to God. There are three main stages a disciple must go through, called sacraments of initiation. These are Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. These sacraments are sacred rituals, which a person must go through to become a disciple. Christians believe God is especially present during a sacrament. When a Christian wants to become a disciple he starts off at the first stage, Baptism. This usually takes place when the Christian is a young baby. He is washed with holy water as a symbol of his/her original sin being washed away. Catholic parents and godparents make the baptismal vows on behalf of their children soon after they are born and promise to bring up the child in their faith. At Baptism the child is being introduced into the church and Gods family. We will write a custom essay sample on What is Discipleship? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on What is Discipleship? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on What is Discipleship? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The second stage is Confirmation. At Pentecost the disciples received a special gift from God to enable them to go out and preach His Word and at confirmation the candidate receives a special gift from God. During Confirmation, unlike Baptism, the person is able to make his own decision whether he wishes to continue with the Christian way of life. The person confirms the baptismal vows, which were made on his behalf by his parents and godparents. This is where he decides that he wants to become a member of the Church. The bishop confirms the process of initiation into the church, which was begun at Baptism. The third stage to discipleship is Eucharist. This is believed by some to be the most important sacrament because it re-enacts the last supper. The person confesses their sins and is forgiven by God. They receive the body and blood of Christ, which are symbolised by bread and wine; this brings the spirit of God closer to the people and delivers the message of God. The Commission Go out to peoples everywhere and baptise them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. Matthew 16v15 After the person has completed these three sacraments of initiation they have three ways of fulfilling their vocation. They can become a member of the lay ministry, part of a religious congregation or become a member of an ordained ministry, all three of which I will explain in detail. You dont have to be a priest or a bishop to be a disciple. If you believe and follow in the teachings of Jesus Christ then you can serve as a layperson. Lay Ministry A person can become part of the lay ministry by being baptised and becoming a full member of the Catholic Church. Lay people can love and serve God just a much as a priest or Bishop. They express their love for God in prayer and service to others and feel they have a responsibility to repay God through helping others. Lay people explain the principles, which Christ taught in different ways. They help the Bishops and Priests and assist them at mass. At our school the children and teachers help the priests by reading and taking up the offertory gifts. Some people teach for example at Sunday school or Bible groups and others do missionary work Christians have travelled all over the world spreading the word of God They offer their skills and talents to help others in everyday life. We see this in everyday life, particularly in hospitals and schools where many people have chosen to work so that they can help other people. One of the vicars at St Jamess Church in Weybridge gave up a lucrative job in the City of London to train, as a vicar because he felt it was a more worthwhile way of life. Lay people are called to defend Christs teaching through Hope, Prayer, Faith and Love They stand up and defend the church against all those who oppose it, All who are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of them on the last day. Mark 8v34-38 Many early Christians were martyred for their beliefs and even today in some parts of the world people are prosecuted for spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ. In Afghanistan the Taliban have imprisoned aide workers whom they suspect have been preaching Christianity. Love your neighbour as you love yourself. Mark 12v33-34 Lay people help those in need by providing houses for the homeless and helping those with alcohol or drug problems. For example members of the Salvation Army have provided warmth, shelter and food for the homeless for many years. In my own area members of the congregation of the Wey Christian Fellowship have been helping street children in South America. If one of you wants to be great, he must be the servant of the rest, and if one of you wants to be first he must be your slave. Matthew 20v24-28 Lay people dont help the rich or those who dont need their help. They help the ones who are in trouble and need their company. Jesus set an example of this. People who are well dont need a doctor, but only those who are sick. I have not come to all respectable people to repent, but outcasts. They obey the churchs rules and teachings. Teach them everything I have commanded you, and I will be with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28v20 They are to be kind, generous and good Christians. Do onto others as you would want them to do onto you. Lay people support the priest by prayer, helping at communion and reading at mass, they can also cooperate in presenting the word of God to the parish by instructing others or by joining one of the organisations connected to the church. Lay people can also help within the church by contributing any special skills they may have for example a trained accountant could help with the church accounts and a builder could help with church repairs. Mrs Kenny, a teacher at the junior school uses her experience with children to run a youth club at the local church. Other people can help members of the church by sharing their problems with them. I asked my father, a member of our local church, How do you contribute to your church and fulfil your vocation? he answered, I try to fulfil my vocation by following Christian teachings in all aspects of my life, and helping those less fortunate then myself. I also asked my sister how she has contributed to a Christian way of life and she said, This year I accompanied a group of disabled men and women on a pilgrimage to Lourdes. This is an example of a person who isnt a priest or a bishop but is playing a role of a layperson in the church. Bring the good news to the poor. Luke 4v8 CAFOD are an example of people voluntarily going out to poor countries and providing relief for the people living there. CAFOD make a link between the continents of Asia Africa and Latin America and the people who wish to help then back at home. Some of the works CAFOD do are: Community development Food production Water supplies and irrigation Penetrative medicine Vocational training Adult education CAFOD operate because it believes all people should be equal in the sight of God. They also believe that human dignity demands a reasonable standard of living and people all need basic food, housing, education and clothing. Lay people use the beatitudes as a guideline to reach discipleship and to become closer to God: Happy are the poor in spirit. Matthew 5v3 Lay people dont show off that they are holy, they are discreet but God knows they are true believers. Happy are those who mourn Matthew 5v4 Lay people mourn for others and show respect to the friends and family of those who have died. Happy are those who are humble. Matthew 5v5 Lay people put others before them selves and dont aim to be great and powerful. Happy are the merciful. Matthew 5v7 Lay people are merciful to others and forgive anyone who they have fallen out with. Happy are those who are pure in heart. Matthew 5v8 Lay people should be true believers, they shouldnt pretends, if they do believe in Christ then God will reward them. Happy are those who work for peace. Matthew 5v9 Lay people spread peace in the world and try to prevent violence and corruption. Happy for those who are prosecuted for doing what God requires. Matthew 5v10 If you are sent to prison or in trouble for doing what God wants then you are a true lay person and God will reward you in Heaven. Lay people have a duty to serve others and to help those in need. They must stand up for the church and what God taught them. For example Mother Teresa spent her whole life helping people in India because she knew what she was doing was right. People like Mother Teresa are examples for all people. Although mother Teresa was a member of a religious order, she is an example to all Lay People. Love your God. Lay people follow this by using their talents to love and help everyone around them Ordained ministries To join your ordained ministry is another way to serve as a Christian disciple. A lot of thought must be given before someone decides to join the ordained ministry because it involves a lifetime of devotion to God, Follow me and I will make you fishers of men, Matthew 4v19 Like the disciples many sacrifices have to be made to become a member of the ordained ministry, you must not have any sexual relationships or get married. This is because being in the ordained ministry requires total love for God and members can put all their energy into doing Gods work. The first stage is when a man becomes a deacon. Deacons appear in close association with bishops. As the deaconate developed in the early Church, the deacon became the bishops assistant, responsible only to him and ordained by him alone. He embodies or represents the servant ministry of Christ. In the Roman Catholic tradition, the liturgical functions of the deacon involve helping or serving the celebrant. The next step is to become a priest. The priest is especially consecrated to the service of a God and through who worship and prayer is offered to God. In the Roman Catholic Church the priest is a member of the sacerdotal ministry. The priest has the power to celebrate Mass and to administer the sacraments, except holy orders (reserved for the bishop), matrimony (administered to one another by the couple and witnessed by the priest), and confirmation (usually performed by a bishop). The next step for some is to become a bishop In the Roman, a bishop is an ecclesiastic who, through sacramental consecration, holds special powers of the ministry as well as special administrative prerogatives. Consecration to the order of bishop is usually performed by three bishops (one of them a metropolitan), this number having been customary from post apostolic times. The bishop is supreme ecclesiastical ruler of the diocese over which he presides. He is responsible for the spiritual welfare of all the faithful, both clergy and laity, and for the government of all ecclesiastical institutions within his diocese. He has the power to ordain bishops, priests, and deacons. He is the ordinary minister of the sacrament of confirmation. The next step is to become an archbishop. Archbishop have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province. He superintends certain activities of the other bishops in his province and also exercises Episcopal authority in his own diocese. In the Roman Catholic Church, archbishops occupy certain important sees and enjoy limited provincial authority The next step is to become a cardinal. The cardinals are appointed by the pope and constitute the Sacred College. The pope is not obliged to consult them, but does so as a matter of course. Their number has varied at different times; in 1586 Pope Sixtus V fixed it at 70. The cardinals are chief members of the Sacred Congregations of the papal government. They meet in consistory, or assembly, over which the pope presides. Cardinals are limited in their duties according to age; like other high prelates, they are expected to retire at the age of 75 from administrative duties. At 80 they are no longer permitted to serve as papal electors. The next step is to become a pope, Pope, in Latin, papa, from the Greek pappas, meaning father, a Christian Besides the designation pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church also holds these titles: vicar of Christ; successor of St Peter; supreme pontiff of the universal Church; patriarch of the West; primate of Italy; archbishop and metropolitan of the Roman province; sovereign of the State of Vatican City; and servant of the servants of God. Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires. Matthew 5v10 People in the ordained ministry help others in the church and out of the church by standing up and defending the church and listening and acting out everything God wanted us to do. Religious Orders Another way of serving as a disciple is by joining a religious order or congregation. There are two types of religious orders, Apostolic and Contemplative. Joining either of these orders requires total devotion to God and confinement. Living a life of celibacy is hard for the brothers and sisters but they believe that they will be rewarded in heaven, Happy are those who are pure in heart, they will see God. Matthew 5v8 Religious orders are consecrated to three vows; these are poverty, chastity and obedience. Poverty means to have the bare minimum and live like Jesus did. An example of this is the rich young man, You must give up all of your possessions and follow me, This story tells us not to be corrupt with money and possessions. Chastity means not to have a sexual relationship with anyone. This is so people can focus on following God. An example of this is when Jesus said, Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men, Matthew 4v19 The disciples left their families and homes to follow Jesus. Obedience means to obey priests, bishops and the pope. An example of this is in the commission, Teach them to obey everything I have taught you. This tells us to obey Gods teachings and all who work for God. Apostolic orders are the first type of religious orders. They live a life of voluntary community work. They tend the sick and old and care for the homeless. You should send for the church elders, who will pray for them and rub olive oil on them in the name of the lord. This is an inspiration to apostolic orders to heal the sick and is the reason for the sacrament, anointing of the sick. Examples of apostolic orders are Notre Dame, Brothers of the Christian Schools and mother Teresa. Brothers of the Christian Schools, religious community, commonly called Christian Brothers, established by the French educator St John Baptist de la Salle, at Reims in 1680 and sanctioned by Pope Benedict XIII in 1725. The brothers take the religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, plus two vows peculiar to their institute: service to the poor through education and fidelity to their institute. They do not, however, enter holy orders. In the mid-1980s community residences numbered more than 1,250 throughout the world. About 10,000 brothers taught approximately 800,000 pupils. Contemplative orders are the second type of religious orders. Their lives are a journey to God in prayer and worship in solitude, silence and community. Examples of contemplative orders are Carmelites, Poor Clares and Carthusians.The Carthusians were a monastic order founded by St Bruno, who in 1084 retired with six companions to the solitude of the valley of Chartreuse, near Grenoble. There they lived as hermits, wearing poor clothing and eating vegetables and coarse bread. After the order received Papal approbation in 1170, it expanded rapidly. It dates from 1180 in England, where the name Chartreuse Houses was corrupted into Charter Houses. The order is now conducted under the rules approved in 1682 by Pope Innocent XI. The Carthusians were divided into two classes, fathers and lay brothers. Each father occupied a separate cell, with a bed of straw, a pillow, a woollen coverlet, and the tools for manual labour or for writing. Monks left their cells only on festivals and on days of the funeral of a brother of the order. Three times a week they fasted on bread, water, and salt, and several long fasts were observed during the year. Meat was forbidden at all times and so was wine, unless it was mixed with water. Unbroken silence was enforced except on rare occasions. As Peter and Paul gave up their homes and families to follow Jesus, Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men, Matthew 4v19 Members of religious orders give up their homes and families to serve God in prayer and worship and in community service to fulfill their vocation.

Comments for Ruby Code (Usage, Single, and Multi-Line)

Comments for Ruby Code (Usage, Single, and Multi-Line) Comments in your Ruby code are notes and annotations meant to be read by other programmers. The comments themselves are ignored by the Ruby interpreter, so the text inside the comments isnt subject to any restrictions. Its usually good form to put comments before classes and methods as well any piece of code that may be complex or unclear. Using Comments Effectively Comments should be used to give background information or annotate difficult code. Notes that simply say what the next line of straightforward code does are not only obvious but also add clutter to the file. Its important to take care not to use too many comments and to be sure the comments made in the file are meaningful and helpful to other programmers. The Shebang Youll notice that all Ruby programs start with a comment that begins with #!. This is called a shebang and is used on Linux, Unix and OS X systems. When you execute a Ruby script, the shell (such as bash on Linux or OS X) will look for a shebang at the first line of the file. The shell will then use the shebang to find the Ruby interpreter and run the script. The preferred Ruby shebang is #!/usr/bin/env ruby, though you may also see #!/usr/bin/ruby or #!/usr/local/bin/ruby. Single-Line Comments The Ruby single-line comment begins with the # character and ends at the end of the line. Any characters from the # character to the end of the line are completely ignored by the Ruby interpreter. The # character doesnt necessarily have to occur at the beginning of  the line; it can occur anywhere. The following example illustrates a few uses of comments. #!/usr/bin/env ruby # This line is ignored by the Ruby interpreter # This method prints the sum of its arguments def sum(a,b)   Ã‚  puts ab end sum(10,20) # Print the sum of 10 and 20 Multi-Line Comments Though often forgotten by many Ruby programmers, Ruby does have multi-line comments. A multi-line comment begins with the begin token and ends with the end token. These tokens should start at the beginning of the line and be the only thing on the line. Anything between these two tokens is ignored by the Ruby interpreter. #!/usr/bin/env ruby begin Between begin and end, any number of lines may be written. All of these lines are ignored by the Ruby interpreter. end puts Hello world! In this example, the code would execute as Hello world!

Roman Dictators

Roman Dictators The behavior of the Roman dictators- or Magister populi  Praetor Maximus- changed over time, eventually turning into the ruthless, murdering heads of state we now think of (e.g., Sulla), but thats not how they started. The first of the Roman dictators may have been T. Lartius in 499 B.C. His master of the Horse was Sp. Cassius. Consulship and Limited Government After the Romans expelled their kings, they were well aware of the problems of letting a single man hold absolute power for life, so they created a split appointment with a set time period, one year. The split appointment was to the consulship. Since consuls could cancel each other out, it wasnt the most efficient type of government leadership when Rome was in a  crisis caused by war, so the Romans developed a very temporary position that held absolute power in cases of national emergency. Roman Dictators and Imperium Roman dictators- the Senate-appointed men who held this special position- served for 6 months at a time or shorter, if the emergency took less time, with no co-dictator, but instead, a subordinate Master of the Horse (magister equitum). Unlike the consuls, Roman dictators didnt have to fear retribution at the end of their terms in office, so they were free to do what they wished, which was, hopefully, in the best interests of Rome. Roman dictators had imperium, like the consuls, and their lictores carried fasces with axes on either side of the city walls, instead of the usual fasces without axes within the city of Romes pomoerium. UNRV notes that there were 12 lictors for dictators before Sulla and 24 from his day. Source H.G. Liddells A History of Rome From the Earliest Times to the Establishment of the Empire

Company Closing Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Company Closing Process - Essay Example Basically there are three procedures completed under month-end process: adjustments, calculations and reporting. Adjustment is the first step where necessary amendments are done on the financial data or information already recorded. During the month, the organization earns revenue and incurs expenses and matches the two. This practice, result in differences between the estimated amount and the actual amount of an item (Bosua & Beer, 2009). For example, interest expense incurred on the prevailing firm’s loans increase the amount to be paid (principal and interest). The original amount to be paid was the principal, while the actual amount paid at month end is the principal plus interest. Therefore, adjustment has to be made to reconcile the two amounts. Calculations After the above adjustments are made, the affected individual accounts have to be updated. The amounts for adjustment are calculated and appropriate entries made to the appropriate ledger accounts. For example, in ba nk accounts adjustment calculations, it is started with the opening balance, add on the deposits made and then subtract the debits for that month. The final figure got, reflect the actual cash balance on the bank account as opposed to the opening balance figure. Reporting After ascertaining the actual amounts of each ledger account, the figures are entered into the organizations database. The personnel responsible for the month-end procedures avails several reports reflecting the organization’s financial position in different ways, such as profit and loss statement, to the management. Year end close process The year end process refers to a set of activities the company performs to close financial books, make adjustments, correct errors and produce financial statements such as balance sheet in correspondence with existing rule and regulations such as international financial reporting standards (IFRS) and generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). These activities involve several personnel such as accountants, bookkeepers and financial manager working under guidance of senior staff (Warfield, Weygandt & Kieso, 2008). There are four basic activities completed: adjustment entries posting, error correcting, trial balance preparation and financial statement preparation. Under adjusting entries, postings are made to reflect exactly what the company made and spent of the period under review. The adjustments concern prepaid expenses and unearned revenues. Prepaid expenses refer to cash paid by the business in advance understanding that specific tasks will be performed in its favor in the future, whereas unearned revenue refers to the cash money the company accepted promising to provide services or goods at a future date. In correcting errors, the company’s management is able to remove the mathematical imprecision from the book closing mechanism. The errors are a result of regulations changes, numerical incorrectness and poor accounting rules applica tion. This is a vital activity as it is integral to the closing process of the company’s financial statements. Trial balance preparation comes after error corrections and adjustment postings. The trial balance preparation helps managers verify the accuracy of the already completed and closed accounts. The trial balance checks the total debits and credits of all the involved accounts. If the two, total debits and total credits, are equal most likely the accounts are accurate. However, it should be noted