Critically evaluate the current status of the setting including policies and practices Essay Example for Free

Critically evaluate the current status of the setting including policies and practices Essay Self-reflection is a very important tool to be used in order to keep the nursery up to date with current legislation and to raise service standards. By regularly looking at where we are as a setting we can ensure that we continue to offer high quality education to our children. â€Å"Research has proven that self-reflection and evaluation both support good practice within a setting as a part of continual development. Importantly this self-reflection supports good outcomes for children.† (Barber and Paul-Smith 2009, pg. 8) We have been using Ofsted SEF to evaluate where we are doing well and assess where we need to improve. â€Å"The self-evaluation form is designed to help early years providers to review and improve their practice, so that it is of the highest standard and offers the best experience for young children. Importantly it is a useful tool for you and any assistants or staff to evaluate the impact of what you do on children’s welfare, learning and development.† (Ofsted 2009, pg.13) PEST ANALYSIS POLITICAL ï‚ · Politically unsettled ï‚ · Arab spring ï‚ · Benevolent dictatorship ï‚ · No pressure groups ï‚ · Frequent change of legislation but no clear guidelines ï‚ · No official body or organization to refer to ï‚ · Government policies are not consistent and not properly disseminated ECONOMICAL ï‚ · Unsecure financial world markets ï‚ · Fluctuating exchange rates ï‚ · Expensive living ï‚ · Uncertainties in the economy ï‚ · No direct income taxes or VAT ï‚ · Several indirect taxes ï‚ · Increasing running costs ï‚ · Rapid expansion of Early Years industry ï‚ · Increasing competition SOCIAL ï‚ · Increasing number of working mothers ï‚ · Wider range of people ï‚ · Image of good standard of living and overall safety ï‚ · People moving and settling in the area ï‚ · Increased focus on Early Years Education ï‚ · Attractive area for different nationalities ï‚ · Broad spectrum of curriculum covered in the country TECHNOLOGICAL ï‚ · Easier information access (internet) ï‚ · Wider audience ï‚ · Better ability to reach out to the Community ï‚ · Blogging (positive and/or negative) ï‚ · Personal Technology ï‚ · CCTV cameras (name of city) is a safe place, its economy is considered ever flourishing but due to the ongoing global economical crisis it has its financial restraints. This analysis has also outlined how a business can be easily set up but also how difficult it is for it to thrive due to frequent changes in the legislation and the lack of consistent guidelines. Nevertheless, the increased interest in Early Years Education will soon allow practitioners to offer to all children high standards of learning. SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS ï‚ · Well trained, qualified and experienced staff ï‚ · Impressive facilities ï‚ · Outstanding outdoor area ï‚ · Central location ï‚ · Extra-curricular activities ï‚ · Early years themed workshops and professional advisors WEAKNESSES ï‚ · Turnover of staff due to economic situation ï‚ · Policies and Procedures (only few in place) ï‚ · Being tenant of the facilities ï‚ · Old building badly maintained ï‚ · Lack of training opportunities ï‚ · Limited parental involvement ï‚ · Managerial limited decision making ability OPPORTUNITIES ï‚ · Several marketing options ï‚ · Exponential growth of market ï‚ · Partnership with professionals in childcare ï‚ · Diversified skills of staff with different backgrounds ï‚ · Wide professional network THREATS ï‚ · Extremely high price of rent ï‚ · Frequent new regulations with high implement costs ï‚ · New nurseries poaching staff and rising salary expectations ï‚ · Loss of key staff ï‚ · Frequent families’ relocations (name of nursery) is a newly established nursery in (name of city) that was initially planned with a greater focus on business rather than learning. Policies and Procedures were compiled and printed out hastily, without team brainstorming or subsequent effective compliance. The absence of specific legal requirements in the country makes it possible for nursery and day cares to operate, though in the best interest of children, without proper policies and procedures in place. Going through the process of self-evaluation has been the most valuable eye opener possible for me. I now know where we are and where we want to be. PEST and SWOT analysis have  allowed me to celebrate our strengths and pinpoint our weaknesses. Generally all policies will need to be rewritten, implemented and properly disseminated, but priority will be given to Child Protection and Behaviour Management Policies. A Staff training plan also needs to be put in place in order to ensure high standards in care and education of all children. Last but not least, it will be paramount to monitor progress and ensure that our procedures reflect our policies and that good practice is consistent throughout the academic year by gathering evidence regularly.

Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - Response to the Far Right Concerning

A Response to the Far Right Concerning Gay Marriage Mr. Far Right has claimed that neither the Constitution nor the Bill of Rights mentions the right of homosexual couples to marry. I think that it would be safe to say that a homosexual couple who wishes to marry is seeking their own definition of happiness. Did Mr. Far Right conveniently skip over the part about "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" that is the very spirit of both these documents? "Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves than by compelling each to live as seems good to the rest" --On Liberty, John Stuart Mill Next, Mr. Far Right states that homosexuality is an "abomination" to the Lord. Ah, I see. Now he is making moral judgements about homosexuality based upon a theology that not everyone agrees with. Is this a private game, or can anyone play? To illustrate my next point, allow me to relate a story I one read, "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula Le Guin. Behold the fair city of Omelas. In this shining city the people are happy. And why shouldn't they be? The children are beautiful, the food plenty, and crime is nonexistent. Nothing is unhappy in Omelas, well, almost. Locked in the small earthen basement of one of the largest houses in the city is a small child. This child is the source of all the splendor of the city. It is the sacrifice of this child's tortured existence by the city that makes its happiness and beauty possible. This boy is not a secret, however. In fact, every citizen of the city has to view and acknowledge the child for the city to retain is idyllic state. Most people view the boy and, after a brief pang of ... ... environments. It seems to me that there isn't a single good argument in Mr. Far Right' entire article against gay marriage. Mr. Far Right’s statements bring painfully to light the kind of ignorance that is rampant in our society. To quote Albert Einstein "Only two things are infinite; the universe and human stupidity, and I am not sure about the former." Although a ruling concerning gay marriage would have no affect on me directly, it deeply concerns me as to the kind of society that might be a result of a negative ruling. Once the rights of one group of people are restricted, what's to stop the restriction of another group’s rights? "Whatever crushes individuality is despotism, by whatever name it may be called and whether it professes to be enforcing the will of God or the injunctions of men." --On Liberty, John Stuart Mill

Art History: Abstract Art vs. Pop Art Essay

There have been different art forms that have come and gone over the course of time. Some of the most intriguing art forms in my mind come from the 20th century. Out of all of these 20th century art forms, geometric abstract art and pop art are my favorite. These two art movements came close to each other in reference to time period. Geometric abstract art originated in the 7th century but became a dominant movement in 1937. Pop art emerged in the 1950s. These two art forms were similar in ways but they had different moods of expression. We will take a closer look at each one of these forms of art. Geometric abstraction form uses lines, squares, triangles and circles painted with primary or secondary colors or are sculpted in steel or aluminum. As mentioned, the focus of geometric abstraction began in New York after the outbreak of World War II where the tradition was continued by the American Abstract Artists group formed in 1937. The War had a great impact on the economy that was struggling to recover. War is always something that has effects on families and friends that have the daily threat of losing loved ones to injuries or even death. Being that art is a mighty way to express one self, geometric abstraction became popular throughout this time in history. The economic recovery after the war was positive and geometric abstract art had a strong impact on the society at that time. This art form has continued and is still seen various places in today’s society. One of the most famous geometric abstract srtists was Kazimir Malevich. Malevich is famous for his painting The Black Spuare. He was known for expressing himself in a spiritual way through his work. Music was one of his main ways to express himself but geometric abstraction was Malevich’s way of expressing â€Å"pure feeling.† This â€Å"pure feeling† is expressed in his work, The Black Square. This square was simply represented many things. It represented feeling, God, a void, and an icon. It is amazing how one great artist can use a simple square that represented so many things. This form of art has passed down to our generation what it means to express yourself through art. The Pop Art period came immediately after the Geometric abstraction period. This form of art originated in Britain way back in the mid 1950’s. Sometime from the late 1950’s, through the 1960’s it made its way into America and flourished throughout the 1970’s. This art was known as â€Å"fun† art because of the sense of humor portrayed in the art. This art period marked the end of modernism and was at the beginning of the postmodern era. â€Å"With respect to pop art, an artist would select required material fro, its source, isolate the entities that it is composed of and combine them with others extracted in a similar manner for consideration (pop art).† The social conditions that may have contributed to this style included the need by the artists to cut out identities and niches, â€Å"due to the academic orientation that was taking shape (pop art).† The term â€Å"pop art† began with artist Lawrence Aalloway. Lawrence was and English art critic that used this term to break away from the dominance of abstract art. The main point of pop art as a whole was to bring art back into the daily life of Americans. One of the most famous Pop Art artist is Andy Warhol. Andy was one of the first artist to use â€Å"repetition for allowing an iconic image to lose all value (pop art).† Andy’s most famous works of art is the Campbell’s soup cans. This started in 1962. Campbell’s soup can labels are very popular even in todays society. We see them on a regular basis in everyday life. Because it is so common, it has had a huge impact on advertisement for the Campbell’s soup company. Pop art began to be a great form of advertisement for many companies. This is one of the biggest impacts that pop art has on today’s society and art world. Little did Andy Warhol know, but his design would still be dominant and popular in 2012. These two art forms can be compared by looking at what the artist were trying to convey. Artists from both forms use their art to express some kind of emotion. They do this by using vibrant and neon colors. There are also the same in that they are both paintings. The main thing that these two art periods have in common is the fact that they occurred around the World War II days. The main difference is that pop art depicts things as opposed to abstract art that has no subject. For example, abstract art uses big canvases and applies paint rapidly for expression as opposed to pop art which brings things of everyday life into art. It does this by using comics, television, and magazines. Pop artist found abstract expressionism to pretentious and intense. Abstract art is mainly based on emotion due to the horror of World War II and the conditions of the times. Pop art brought an era of excitement and enthusiasm through the tough times. It did this through fun forms of logos and advertisement. Pop art relates to abstract art by the idea of emotion being expressed through art, as well as they are both painting eras. For example, the two works of art mentioned earlier, The Black Square and the Campbell’s Soup logo are not drawings or sketching, but rather paintings. These two art forms can be compared by looking at what the artist were trying to convey. Artists from both forms use their art to express some kind of emotion. They do this by using vibrant and neon colors. Abstract artist would pick up paint brushes and began to throw out some designs in form of expression. Pop artists would attempt to express a fun and entertaining vibe through their work. They can also be compared with the fact that they both are paintings and come from the same overall time period. Pop art had a major impact on the art world. Pop art impacted music as pop music began in the 1950’s and 60’s. Pop art was used in the designs for the music covers of music artists such as Elvis Presley and the Beatles. Movie stars such as Marilyn Monroe were also conveyed through pop art. Famous pop artist Andy Warhol developed the concept of silkscreen printing which is used for mass production. Pop art was one of the biggest eras that renovated the art world by giving people and avenue for advertisement that is still used today such as the Campbell’s soup can labels. It was also an avenue for comic books and fashion. All of these things are still found in today’s art world.

German History and Culture