The history of forest schools Essay Example for Free

The history of forest schools Essay ‘Forest School in the UK may seem a fairly new movement. In reality it is based on a rich heritage of outdoor learning going back at least to the 19th century. Philosophers, naturalists and educators in Europe and the UK such as Wordsworth, Ruskin, Baden Powell, Leslie Paul (who founded the Woodcraft Folk in 1925), Kurt Hahn (who founded Gordon stone and was the inspiration for our first outdoor education centers), Susan Isaacs and the Macmillan sisters all laid the foundations for what is known as Forest School today. During the 1970s and 80s our education system moved toward a more teacher/outcome-centered approach in an attempt to improve numeracy and literacy, in particular, and we had the introduction of the national curriculum. Somewhat in response to this, there was a growth of ‘alternative’ educational models in the 1990s and it is in this context that Forest School emerged. ’ A brief history of the development from the Forest School Association. The Forest School model originates in Scandinavia and involves participants journeying by foot (if possible) to a local woodland environment to learn outdoors on a regular sustained basis. In 1993 a group of childcare students visiting Denmark witnessed the benefits of Forest School for themselves and brought the idea back to Bridgewater College. On returning they devised way to apply forest schools to their childcare center. Since then the idea has grown and Forest Schools are spreading throughout Britain. Margret McMillan was a socialist Christian. She was very interested in education and she fought for reforms to improve the health of young children, wrote several books on nursery education and pioneered a play-centered approach. She was very interested in how children could learn outside and how it benefitted them. It wasn’t until after her life that her thoughts and theories were put into practice, a college was opened in her sister’s name in 1930 and in 1936 the first purpose-built outdoor center was created in memory of Margaret McMillan. Friedrich Frobel was also a pioneer of outdoor learning. Introducing and sustaining the original idea according to which nature and the natural environment had a definite and positive role in the education of children. Frobel coined the word kinder garten, which means children’s garden. Other significant contributors to the outdoor learning movement were Natalie Davis and Susan Isaacs. Davis set up Chelsea open-air nursery in 1927, she handed it over to Isaacs, who wanted to give invigorating and healthy experiences to the children. Isaacs was a keen researcher of principals and new research appearing about how children should learn. â€Å"Today Chelsea Open Air Nursery School and Children’s Centre survives as a fitting and faithful legacy of Susan Isaacs pioneering work. Educationalists from around the world visit the school and are inspired by its wonderful setting, ethos and professional expertise. ’ Forests schools officially began in the Uk in 1993 after a group of students visited Denmark and saw forest schools in action. This was only 20 years ago and today there are at least 25 forest school companies listed, and I dare say that not all forest school practitioners are on the association site. There is also places like Ruskin Mill, who specialise in bush craft and farming activities for young adults, and HillHolt farm in Lincolnshire, which started as an alternative for expelled children, it is now a fully fledged educational centre using many forest school activities, and teaching other outdoor skills for life, with very successful results. Many school and nursery teachers have become forest school leaders and run sessions in their schools. No exact figure is available but I would definitely say forest schools are now becoming mainstream and it’s common place for people to be aware of what forest school is. Locally, in Lincolnshire there are 4 forest schools, and in the South Yorkshire there are another 4 registered forest schools. In Scotland (the coldest part of the UK) they’re a fully outdoor nursery/kindergarten. This embraces forest schools in an extreme way, everyday is a forest school for the children who attend â€Å"Kirsty Licence, 40, a doctor and Alastairs mother, believes the nursery will be an antidote to Britains increasingly sedentary, over-protective culture. Childhood obesity is a big problem, and one of the things is that children spend too long inside. The forest education initiative was set up to basically make people more aware of how important our forests are to us and for people to understand the link between everyday product and our trees. â€Å"Our aim is to help young people understand the sustainable role that trees and timber have in our lives. † The aims of the initiative are achieved through the work of forest schools, conservationists and groundwork, amongst others. The initiative has supported forest schools because of the work they do which takes more and more children into our forests. Forest school can register to be recognised with the Forest Education Initiative. To have financial backing and an official body to be recognised will no doubt have had a positive effect on the uptake and growth of forests schools nationally. The forest school association exists like many other associations to provide a central point for good practice, storing and sharing information for practitioners. Also to communicate a strong clear message of what Forest School is. They also work with other organisations with similar goals, not as competitors but as a team hoping to enlighten people about the importance of our forests. They are also the governing body for forest school qualifications, making the whole operation absolutely professional. Personally I think as time goes on that forest schools will become even more popular. As more people experience a child in the outdoors they will realise how much they flourish and learn in a natural environment. Unfortunately, though it may be a while before the government realises this, we may go to china and back first!

indians :: essays research papers

â€Å"James Luna, A Native American Man,† is an insightful, cut the bullshit, view of the modern Indian culture. I identify with Luna’s viewpoints as I have seen many of the situations he describes with his art to be true to life. I have spent a lot of time in Northern Canada fishing with my brother and father. The areas we visit are predominantly Indian reservations. Having spent quite a bit of time getting to know these types of towns and people, I have grown aware of some of the many problems that surround the modern day reservation lifestyle. It is true that most people have romantic and Disneyland-ish ideas about what it means to be a modern Indian, the most of which are complete fantasy. The reality behind the situation seems to be the exact opposite. The majority of reservation towns are dirty, poor, and run-down. Many of the people have alcohol and drug related problems starting at a young age. At a quick drive through one might assume he was passing through another slum. There are no teepees, no headdresses, and no rituals. For the most part there is only poverty. Unless the town is lucky enough to have a casino, the majority of the people live month to month on their reparation checks. This is where I believe, as do many of the Indians I have spoken to, the problem lies. The idea of reparations sounds good enough in theory. Pay people back for what was taken from them long ago. The long-term effects of reparations though tend to be devastating to the Indian culture. Why would giving people free money be harmful? Quite simply, handouts deprive people of pride, a sense of equality and belonging, and especially motivation. The people I have talked to all claim the same thing†¦Children growing up know that they don’t have to work if they don’t want to. That tends to be the common attitude of the reservation Indian. This also encourages what Luna calls, â€Å"Wannabee’s,† to try and get in on the action for a chunk of change. And lets not forget the known tendencies toward alcohol and addiction that makes it even easier to drink and pass the time, rather than having to work and entrepreneur.

Menu planning

Hello aunt, my dear aunt I wish you a quick recovery, welcome to my advice on a heart-healthy diet. I suppose that your weight is between 48-68 kilogram’s, based on your weight and heart ailment I would suggest you avoid food rich in fat and too much polysaccharide. Note that your body needs about 430-610 calories per day also remember to include protein in your diet and fruits rich in vitamin. Your favorites break first should start with some fruits that have healing properties, for example apple, water melons which will cater for vitamins in your diet and further more your breakfast   require some proteins and this will force you to include sausages ,milk and some sweet potatoes. During lunchtime, you need to include leguminous protein for example green gram, some beans or lean meat. Remember strong protein food like fatty meat will overload your digestion. Add some vegetables in your lunch meal for example vegetables rich in iron like spinach, kales. Take soft drinks like fruit juice of mangoes, avocado or passion, avoid acidic fruits like oranges and also note that you are not supposed to take any drink with nicotine or strong tea to avoid high blood pressure. Take a sister and after some few minutes or so do some mild exercise. Your snack should have low sugar and carbohydrates. When it comes to your supper bear in mind that you need some bone mallow soup, egg yolk, some spaghetti because this will require boiling and no frying is needed. Add some garlic raw onions, raw cabbages, with this I belief your daily meal should not exceed 510 calories. I hope your supper will be at Paris Hotel where most dishes will suit your diet. In your second day meal schedule simply take less sugary snacks, warm milk or porridge rich in millet, a sausage or liver which will be enough for your breakfast. Have chicken, fish, some black nightshade vegetables and a little apple juice for your lunch. You can take sandwich as your snack after which you should go for some exercise example along Chicago River, Hopes you are feeling now more recuperating. Have a simple supper that will include boiled mutton and some grains and a cup of warm water. I wish you a quick recovery and good bye. Reference: Metro mix (2007) a journal on food diet, retrieved on 3rd august, ava

Advantages and Disadvantages of Corporate Budgets

Before beginning to comment on the usefulness of corporate budget, it is important to know what is the meaning and purpose of budget for a corporation. A budget is basically a financial planning tool which the organization uses to plan its expenses from the revenue. A budget is a comprehensive summary of the planned expenses and revenues of an organization which is used throughout the year.The main purpose of making a corporate budget is to forecast the revenues and expenditures so that particular strategies and events can be undertaken to achieve similar financial performance (Kemp & Dunbar 2003). The budgeting also enables the organization to compare the actual financial performance of the business against the forecast.Corporate budget is the annual budget compiled by the organization and is different from the start-up budget. It is a budget which is compiled by the finance department of an organization after every department contributes its expected revenues and expenses.This way a final corporate budget is drafted through the considerable effort of various people and technology in the organization and this serves as a financial plan for the new financial year (Shim & Siegel, 2008). The actual financial performance of the company in numbers is compared to the forecasted numbers and if this matches reasonably then this means that budgeting is of good use for the business.But if the actual numbers diverge considerably from the expected numbers then this means that budgeting is not useful for the company and business is not going in the intended direction. Budgeting is basically a tool organizations use for planning and controlling their organization’s financial performance.Previously, this task was mostly centralized but with changing times it has become a company-wide effort with all the managers and employees contributing to the final budget.The traditional method was the bottom-up approach in which the every department provides its expected revenues and request expenses which are then accommodated into the corporate budget but this approach is now being integrated with the top-down approach to budgeting where the top management defines the strategic objectives and then the budget is prepared by departments.What usually happens is that budgeting and forecasting starts with the previous year’s numbers which are incorporated into the new budget.But business are adopting strategic business planning where budget planning is based on the annual company’s objectives and then the budget is planned accordingly to achieve the desired goals for example, the objective is to increase the sales by 10% then more revenues and expenses are forecasted to achieve the increased sales objective (Society for HRM, 2005).This essay will first start by providing some advantages and disadvantages of budgeting done in organization. Then the statements provided are discussed in the light of these advantages and disadvantages. In the final se ction, an organization’s budgeting procedure is critically analyzed and reviewed.Before analyzing the statements regarding budgeting, the following paragraph provides some knowledge on the advantages and disadvantages of corporate budgeting.The first and foremost advantage of budgeting is that is that it forms a link between the management and resources by compelling the former to think about the future of the organization so that plans are set out for each department to achieve the targets.Secondly, budgeting is a source of communication from the top management to the department heads and managers about what is expected from them thus, promoting coordination between the two. Budget also serves as a yardstick with which actual financial performance is compared and measured.When there is a variance then it promoted remedial action. It is a way of identifying resources and requirements and providing guidelines to the departments so that they proceed in the right direction. Mana gers are able to focus on the specific plans as outlined by the budget so that they can be achieved within the estimated time and resources.When employees are given a chance to participate in the budget proposals then they become motivated and more productive. Proper budgetary planning can also ensure that resources are allocated productively, competitively and profitably resulting in cost reductions (Putra, 2008).There are also various drawbacks and problems attached to budgeting within organizations. The first problem to budgeting is that it pressurizes the managers to achieve the targets forcing them to do gaming in order to take advantage of the rewards or due to the fear that the funds will be reduced.Those managers can take the rewards that set for them easy goals but those managers can be penalized who set for them difficult but ambitious goals. Quality and customer service might deteriorate when the organization is striving to meet the budgetary targets and not the quality t argets.There are also bad labor relations due to budget pressures and conflicts arise between departments due to disputes over resource allocation and blames are thrown over each other when targets are not achieved. Due to budgeting managers sometimes overestimate the costs as well so that if there is any over expenditure then they are not blamed (Hope & Fraser, 2003).  Recently organizations have turned against budgeting. This is because the forecast are very different from the actual results obtained at the end of the year because a business is subject to a lot of internal and external changes throughout the year.With things changing so rapidly in the environment, nobody can closely predict what will be the position of the business after one whole year. At the end of the year it seems that planning and drafting the budget was a useless task and waste of time serving no purpose (Jensen 2001).Top management is often not able to take right decisions when there seems an environmenta l opportunity due to planned budget constraints. They want to carry on the business according to the planned budget and therefore, overlook the opportunities available at some time in the year.Few corporations have stopped this activity at all thinking that planning budget is a waste of precious organizational resources and time which can be spent elsewhere productively.Non-profit or governmental organizations usually do not use budgets for their planning since such organizations do not work earning revenues and therefore, no planning is required (Whiting 2000). However, few non-profit organizations do plan their expenses so that they can arrange for the required amount of funds through charity or grants.But there are some profit organizations as well who have realized with the passage of time that budgeting especially traditional form of budgeting is a waste of time and resources distorting decision making in fast changing environment (Merchant 1981).Examples include Rhodia, a Fren ch global specialty chemicals company which dispensed budgeting entirely in 1999, Borealis, a Danish petrochemicals company which abandoned budgeting in 1995 and Volvo, the Automaker which also abandoned budgeting considering it as time consuming and waste of resources.Budgeting is not common in smaller organization because they don’t know how to use budgets to plan their financial performance and goals (Rachlin 1999).The article titled ‘Why budgeting kills your company?’ explains in a very concrete manner how budgeting actually consumes organization’s financial and human resources which could have been employed elsewhere productively (Gary 2003). It says that the average billion dollar company spends around 25000 person-days per year in drafting the budget whereas this could have been utilized in increasing the shareholder return.Many organizations have begun to question the usefulness of traditional form of budgeting and are finding alternative ways for properly aligning the spending with strategy along with reduced time and resources (Bogsnes 2008). Today business of the entire world are facing tough times with the world economy in recession therefore, it is imprudent to justify increased costs for businesses due to budget planning (Schaumann 2007).While planning the budget the top management is mostly seen in cutting expenses even if it is damaging the high-performing units while only sustains the underperforming ones. The resources are not allocated towards the high performing and deserving projects due to budget planning. Some experts believe that budgeting should be dispensed all together and decisions regarding it should be placed with the employees who are in direct touch with the customers.The entire budgeting process takes a considerable length of time where first each department produces sales and capital needed forecast, then meetings are held to discuss the budget requests and for making the final decisions, budget book s are produced after months of meeting and this all together can take around six months and 20% of the management’s time (Gary 2003).Budgeting has become an expensive, time-taking and frustrating task for organizations because it is more like a fixed performance or implicit contract (Neely, Bourne & Adams 2003).And the thing that worsens budgeting even further is that financial incentives like career prospects and bonuses are attached to such contracts if the goals are achieved.Because of these financial incentives, managers and heads of department are pressurized to achieve the desired targets often resulting in distortion, misrepresentation and gaming on part of the most honest employees.Managers become schemers since they put a proposal of 50% more than the required budget because they know that they’ll be argued down by the senior management to the desired level (Belkaoui 1994). Moreover, managers also start spending too much if their spending does not match the fo recasted expenses due to the fear that if there is anything left over then their next year funding will be reduced.

Grow Calcium Chloride Crystals

Grow Calcium Chloride Crystals   Its easy to grow calcium chloride crystals. The crystals are thin, six-sided needles that catch the light so that they seem to glow from within. Materials calcium chloride - CaCl2 water - H2O Although you may not know it, you probably have calcium chloride in your home. This salt is used in moisture control products, such as DampRid, and in salt to remove ice from sidewalks. If you use road salt, check the label to make sure its calcium chloride and not another chemical. You can also order calcium chloride online. Grow Crystals The procedure for growing calcium chloride crystals is essential the same as growing table salt crystals or those of any salt.   Heat water to a full rolling boil. The solubility of any salt is highly dependent on temperature.Stir in calcium chloride until it stops dissolving. If you like, you can filter the solution into a new container, discarding any remaining solids.Place the container with the solution in a place where it wont be disturbed. Let the crystals grow. Tips Ordinarily you can remove crystals and preserve them, but calcium chloride is so hygroscopic, taking the crystals out and leaving them in open air will lead to degradation within hours. Its best to appreciate these crystals in their solution.Calcium chloride crystals are naturally colorless. You can try to color the crystals by adding food coloring to the crystal growing solution.One easy way to grow these crystals is simply to leave a container of DampRid hanging in your home or vehicle. Eventually the conditions will become right for crystal formation.

T5 Tax Slips for Canadian Income Taxes

T5 Tax Slips for Canadian Income Taxes A Canadian T5 tax slip, or Statement of Investment Income, is prepared and issued by organizations that pay interest, dividends, or royalties to tell you and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) how much investment income you earned for a given tax year. Income included on T5 tax slips includes most dividends, royalties, and interest from bank accounts, accounts with investment dealers or brokers, insurance policies, annuities, and bonds. Organizations do not usually issue T5 slips for earned interest and investment income less than $50 CAN, although you should still report that income when you file your Canadian income tax return. Deadline for T5 Tax Slips T5 tax slips must be issued by the last day of February, in the year after the calendar year to which the T5 tax slips apply. Filing T5 Tax Slips With Your Income Tax Return When you file a paper income tax return, include copies of each of the T5 tax slips you receive. If you file your income tax return using NETFILE or EFILE, keep copies of your T5 tax slips with your records for six years in case the CRA asks to see them. Missing T5 Tax Slips If an organization doesnt issue a T5 even though you have investment income over the $50 CAN threshold, you are required to ask for a copy of a missing T5 tax slip. If you havent received a T5 slip despite requesting one, file your income tax return by the tax deadline anyway to avoid penalties for filing your income taxes late. Calculate the investment income and any related tax credits you can claim as closely as you can using any information you have. Include a note with the organizations name and address, the type and amount of investment income, and what you have done to get a copy of the missing T5 slip. Include copies of any statements you used in calculating the income for the missing T5 tax slip. Implications of Not Filing a T5 The CRA will charge a penalty if you file an income tax return and forget to include a tax slip for the second time within a four-year period. It will also charge interest on the balance due, calculated from the tax deadline of the year to which the slip applied. If you have filed your tax return and you receive a late or amended T5 slip, file an adjustment request (T1-ADJ) immediately to report this discrepancy in income. Other Tax Information Slips The T5 slip doesnt include other income sources that must be reported, even if they deal with seemingly similar investment-related sources. Other tax information slips include: T4: Statement of Remuneration PaidT4A: Statement of Pension, Retirement, Annuity, and Other IncomeT4A(OAS): Statement of Old Age SecurityT4A(P): Statement of Canada Pension Plan BenefitsT4E: Statement of Employment Insurance and Other BenefitsT4RIF: Statement of Income From a Registered Retirement Income FundT4RSP: Statement of RRSP Income

Culture geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Culture geography - Essay Example The initial symptoms of the disease included a high fever, accompanied by running noise and conjunctivitis(CDC). After some time, the person can develop rashes on the face that can spread to the back and trunk. In some cases, it can also present as pneumonia, meningitis, hepatitis, febrile convulsions, diarrhea, laryngitis, otitis media, bronchitis, and croup. Once a diagnosis of measles is made, treatment has always to be provided. Such medications are provided to prevent worsening symptoms or suspected complications. Commonly prescribed drugs are antipyretics, antibiotics, rehydration agents and cough syrups(CDC). For primary prevention of the disease, immunization is often used for any children under the age of 5 years. Measles can have a usual occurrence and an unusual occurrence. That implies that the symptoms of measles can vary from person to person. In some people, measles can present as a rash, conjunctivitis and running nose together with fever, and take a period of more than a week for it to heal. In other people, the disease can progress to a worse states resulting to various complications(CDC). Currently, due to the lack of treatment of measles once one gets it, as it is entirely dependent on one’s immune system, quite a number of complications can result from it.When one has measles, one loses a lot of fluids through running noise, through high fevers, through diarrhea, hence resulting to an electrolyte imbalance shift together with dehydration. Dehydration can have several complications if not corrected in advance(CDC). Patients can suffer from complications of electrolyte depletion like hypokalemia, hypernatremia, hypocalcemia, hypomagesia, and loss of other elements. Measles in Iceland is believed to have come from North of the country and infected the town of Reykjavic first. It later spread to three towns on the oopposite side of the country and thereafter to the densely-populated southwest. Finally there was a breakout of