Pathway Process Letter thing

Dear Aunt

One of the classes on my Certificate in Preparation for Tertiary Study is a Study & Career Pathway class.

During my time studying in this class I have learnt about personality theories including Myers Briggs, Keirsey and The Holland code we have also covered setting goals using the S.M.A.R.T format.

I did not find the Myers Briggs or Keirsey personality tests helpful for my study and career prospects, each time I attempted them I got a different result. Upon relating either the Myers Briggs or Keirsey test results to my eventual career hopes they both contradicted my decision to train to be a special needs teacher. The result of the Holland Code test was the closest to my perceptions of my own personality matching my career choice. I wouldn’t personally use online tests when choosing a career pathway as I have come to my own decision about my career choice based on personal experience and prior employment. However through studying the different methods I can see how they would be useful for other students who have not made their career choices. Moreover, once I qualify as a teacher a understanding of my students learning personalities will be useful in this role.

We have also covered setting S.M.A.R.T goals (Specific, Manageable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Realistic). Overall, I think learning about goals is one strategy that gets taught at every level of education, but each time it gets more in depth and complex. I did nevertheless find learning about goals very helpful. We covered setting goals for reaching your career and study goals, an aspect of goal setting which I have not previously learnt.  I found that learning about goals using real life scenarios more beneficial to my personal learning style, I could relate this to the last time I was asked to set personal goals, when completing the Outward Bound course last year.

As you know Auntie, my long term goal is to become a fully qualified teacher by March 10^th 2016, I plan to do my degree at either Victoria University or Massey University after gaining entry by completing a trimester three Certificate in University Preparation (CUP) at Victoria University with a B+ average. I chose this particular career path after working at Kimi Ora School in Thorndon for 18 months. I found it a good experience working and assisting with the running of the class. Before choosing this pathway I explored two other careers, automotive mechanics and being a chef but due to the physical demands and work times these both proved un-manageable.

Once again dear Auntie, I thank you for your continuing interest, support and encouragement in my study and career

Yours sincerely

Jack Adams

Vision Statment Essay - short basic essay on myself..

My vision statement for the future is to aspire to provide humour and fun, while keeping my honesty and integrity. Friends and family will push me towards my goal of finding a job that’s both economically stable and is also different each day. My eventual goal is to become a teacher and I am currently enrolled in the Certificate in Preparation for Tertiary Study (CPTS). This is the first step on my plan to get a teaching degree.

My interests include reading, comedy, gaming and cooking. I enjoy reading, especially adventure and science fiction, because it allows me to use my imagination more. I enjoy comedy because I enjoy making people laugh. Cooking brings out my creative side as I like to experiment with ingredients and flavours which doesn’t always work out well which shows me what to do differently for next time. Gaming (Internet or Xbox) is enjoyable for me because it is very strategic and requires patience.

Motivations that drive me forward are family and friends. I’m not very good at self motivation so I occasionally need a bit of pushing to move forward. My family are big influences for motivation helping me with study and giving me the space required for learning and study at home. My friends help motivate me by reading my work and providing feedback, having somebody who is not studying look at your work, I have found, is one of the best way to eradicate bad habits in your work as they will find errors faster allowing you to change things.

My values include honesty, adventure, family and friends. To be honest is a very important value to me because it promotes trust. Adventure is a great way to explore new things and a great way to enjoy my life. Family and friends are important because they are always there to help me through the hard times, also when I become unmotivated they are there to push me to reach my goals.

(No conclusion as of yet, still working on it)

Report Draft - American Space Disasters with 3 or more deaths. Causes & recommendations for a return to flight

1.  Introduction

American Space disasters (with three or more deaths) is the focal point of this report with a specific focus on the causes of the Apollo 204 (Apollo 1), the Challenger Space Shuttle and the Columbia Space Shuttle disasters. It will also investigate the recommendations put in place for a safe return to flight. It is important to cover these mission failures because they have the highest number of American astronaut fatalities (three or more). This report is for the general public’s information and in memory of the astronauts who passed away.  

2. Subtopics

2.1 Past Disasters

Apollo 1 which was planned for launch during February 1967. However, on January 27^th a fire during a pre-launch test claimed the lives of Virgil Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee.

The Challenger space shuttle was launched on January 28^th 1986 from the John F. Kennedy Space Center. The disintegration of the vehicle occurred 73 seconds after lift-off causing the deaths of all seven crew members; Francis Scobee, Michael Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Ronald McNair, Christina McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis and Judith Resnik.

The Columbia space shuttle was launched from the John F. Kennedy Space Center on the 16^th of January 2003. On February 1^st 2003 it disintegrated over Texas and Louisiana, during re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere causing the deaths of all seven crew; Rick D. Husband, William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson, Ilan Ramon, Kalpana Chawla, David M. Brown, Laurel Clark.

2.2 Causes of the failed missions

The cause of the fire (ignition source), in Apollo 1 was never officially determined by the report board However, the most probable ignition cause was identified as an “electrical arc occurring near the floor in the lower forward section of the left hand equipment bay”, (Thompson , et al., 1967). This area was where the environmental control system (ECS) was located. The board (1968) also states that a three phase fire occurred in the command module with flammable material allowing the fire to spread rapidly throughout the module with temperatures passing 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. The doctors present speculated that the three crew members lost their lives due to “smoke inhalation leading to unconsciousness and deaths occurred soon thereafter” (Anderson, et al., 1968).

The Challenger space shuttle vehicle broke apart shortly after lift-off due to a failure of an O-Ring in the right Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) failing at lift off  (Rogers, et al., 1986). Harwood (1986) reveals that 73 seconds after initial lift-off the vehicle disintegrated due to a flame coming through the failed joint in the SRB and impinging on the external tank, this flame eventually caused a rupture in the side of the External Tank (ET) which then disintegrates. Reports from both Harwood (1986) and Rogers et al. (1986) state that the shuttle which was now under extreme aerodynamic loads of up to 20g was torn apart instantly being unable to withstand the pressure.

Approximately 82 seconds after lift-off, of Columbia, a piece of debris hit the thermal insulation tiles and made a hole around 15-25cm in size, (Gehman, et al., 2003). The debris was a piece of thermal insulation foam from the External tank (ET) structure. During re-entry, in to Earths atmosphere, the shuttle hot gasses penetrated the interior wing through the hole damaging the integrity of the structure (USA Today, 2003). The superheated air continued to penetrate the wing melting the aluminium structure of the shuttle until “increasing aerodynamic forces caused loss of control, failure of the wing, and break-up of the Orbiter (Vehicle).” (Gehman, et al., 2003)  

2.3     Recommendations implemented for a safe return to flight:

The Apollo 204 review board (Thompson , et al., 1967) suggested, after the disaster, that certain things should be changed about the Apollo programme because “Once the Command Module has left the Earth’s environment the occupants are totally dependent upon it for their safety”. After the disaster the program halted for changes to be made to the command module to make it safer. The hatch which had previously opened inward was redesigned to open outward in under 10 seconds allowing for a much quicker exit should in case of an emergency (Hart, Walkover, & Zosky, 1970). All flammable materials in the module were replaced with self extinguishing materials, and all plumbing and wiring were covered in insulation.

The Challenger disaster report (Rogers, et al., 1986) stated that “The faulty Solid Rocket Motor joint and seal must be replaced” it also states that the new design could either replace the need for a joint or be a complete redesign. In response NASA initiated a complete redesign of the SRB’s, NASA also created a new office of Safety, Reliability and Quality Assurance, headed by a NASA administrator who reported directly to the NASA administrator. (Fletcher, 1986) 

The Columbia disaster report (Gehman, et al., 2003) said that a program needed to be put in place to eliminate all External Tank debris being shed on lift-off. After the disaster NASA implemented a shuttle contingency program called the Launch on Need (LON) missions. Another safety implementation made at the request of the Columbia Crew Survival Investigation commission (2008) was that the harnesses on the remaining shuttles have been upgraded, due to the safety harnesses malfunctioning during the violent re-entry.

3. Conclusion

In conclusion the failures of Apollo 1, the Challenger space shuttle and the Columbia space shuttle were all tragedies that claimed the lives of 17 people. Each one had its individual faults causing to the eventual disaster. In each accident the underlying cause was deemed to be different. All of the above recommendations have lead to a successful return to flight of their program’s the space shuttle has now had 19 flights without disaster since Columbia was lost. The Apollo program went on to have 14 missions without disaster.

4. Recommendations

When repeating this report, for future reference look for a more specific range like the Apollo or space shuttle program individually comparing them together it becomes too difficult comparing the similarities in disasters with the vast differences in orbiter.   

5. References

Anderson, C. P., Russel, R. B., Magnuson, W. A., Syminton, S., Stenns, J., Young, S. M., et al. (1968). Report of the Committee On Aeronatical and Space Sciences United States Senate with additional views Apollo 204 Accident. Washintgton D.C: Government Printing Office.

Columbia Crew Survival Investigation commission. (2008 ). Columbia Crew Survival Investigation Report. Washington D.C: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Fletcher, J. C. (1986). Report to the President, Actions to impelment the recommendations of the presidential comission on the space shuttle challenger accident. Washington, D. C: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Gehman, H. W., Barry, J. L., Deal, D. W., Hallock, J. N., Hess, K. W., Hubbard, S., et al. (2003). Columbia Accident Investigation Board. Washington D.D: Government Printing Office.

Hart, R. J., Walkover, L. J., & Zosky, E. W. (1970). The Apollo Command Module Side Access Hatch System. JPL TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM 33-425 , 157-168.

Harwood, W. (1986). Chapter 13: The Timeline. Retrieved September 12, 2010, from Voyage Into History: http://web.archive.org/web/20060504192732/www.cbsnews.com/network/news/space/51Lchap13timeline.html

Rogers, W. P., Armstrong, N., Acheson, D. C., Covert, E. E., Feynman, R. P., Hotz, R. B., et al. (1986). Report of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident. Washington D.C: Government Printing office.

Thompson , F. L., Frank, C., Barton, G., White, G. C., Van Dolah, R. W., Williams, J. J., et al. (1967). Apollo 204 Review Board Final Report. Washington D.C: Government Printing Office.

USA Today. (2003, March 4). Molten aluminum found on Columbia's thermal tiles. Retrieved September 13, 2010, from USATODAY.Com: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-03-04-shuttle-investigation_x.htm

Communication Essay Draft!

Children with special needs in mainstream and special needs schools.

Introduction

Children with special needs, government policies or no government policies, are always going to be treated differently in the educational system to what is defined as “normal” children. Due to no fault of their own, or their parents, children with the same physical, emotional, intellectual and behavioral disorders will require different help based on the child’s individualized needs.



Thesis

Mainstreaming Children with special needs in theory is a very good practice but when practically implying it should be done on a case by case basis. Not based purely on averages of the different classifications of disabilities.





The Government’s definition of the special needs education policy is “to improve the learning outcomes for all young children with special needs at their local school, early childhood centre or wherever they are being educated” this is achieved by adapting the learning environment’s or programs and, if needed, providing extra assistance (Equipment or materials). (Ministry Of Education, 2010)



The most common special needs issues faced by children may include, Learning challenges, communication challenges, behavioural and emotional disorder, physical disabilities and developmental disorders (Ministry Of Education, 2008). Mainstreaming in education is the idea of educating students with special needs in regular classes (MSN encarta, 2009)



“Inclusion”, including mainstreaming, in education of children with disabilities may allow them to learn social skills through observation occasionally allowing them to gain more “understanding of the world around them” and maybe to help them to become more part of the “regular” community. By interacting with “normal” children Autistic children were observed to be more likely to engage in social relations. (Wolfberg & Schuler, 1999). Some classroom based activities have also been found to increase the social acceptability of children with intellectual disabilities. (Jacques, Wilton, & Townsend, 1998)

The progress towards “Normalization” has been greatly improved in the last 25 years “segregation and institutionalization have given way to more productive engagement with the community in education (Emerson & Hatton, 1996). The continuation of steady mainstreaming, on a case by case basis, will help to create a more tolerated image of students with intellectual, physical, and cognitive disabilities.



However there are still problems, certain social differences for children with special needs who are mainstreamed may include, the feeling of being socially rejected by their classmates, becoming targets for bullying, they may even become embarrassed due to the level of additional services required for them to partake “normally” in activities (teacher’s aide to help with writing or language). (Jacques, Wilton, & Townsend, 1998). Some reports have shown differentiating attitudes towards children with special needs from their peers or staff, often being “patronizing or being openly discriminatory” often not having enough knowledge of their individual special needs. (Human Rights Commission, 2008).



In an address to the Auckland Disability Law Workshop on February 12 2010the Associate Minister of Education, Heather Roy, said

“...Wherever I go I hear about the need for teacher training in special education - how important it is for families to have teachers who know how to work in partnership with them and support a child with a disability to learn. I hear about the need for professional development for all teachers so students with special needs can have their needs met irrespective of the class they are in or the subjects they choose...” (Roy, 2010)

In the same address she continues on to state how people can’t continue to rely on increases in funding to provide the improvements that parents and others are demanding. “The Government spends about $450 million a year on special education and is promising $51 million more over the next four years for students with the highest needs.” (Young, 2010)



A good example of Inclusion without mainstreaming that could help to combat certain social indifferences is Kimi ora school, currently based in Thorndon, from the beginning of the 2011 school year is planned to be split into two satellite units based at Evans Bay Intermediate and Naenae intermediate. The hope is that at Evans Bay intermediate where they already have a impressive special needs unit they will continue to go to good lengths to help with good integration with the school and its students. (Roy, 2010)



Conclusion

Mainstreaming in certain cases works very well for children. Just to say that because it works for a certain number of children and then widely implement it would be wrong. To efficiently implement it the government needs to look at each child’s needs and draw a conclusion, and with conference with the parents and student, decide where would be best for the students individual learning needs.







Reference List



Emerson , E., & Hatton, C. (1996). Deinstitutionalization in the UK and Ireland: Outcomes for Service users. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability , 17-37.

Human Rights Commission. (2008, January 1). The rights of disabled people. Retrieved September 5, 2010, from Human Rights Commission: http://www.hrc.co.nz/report/chapters/chapter05/disabled04.html#edu

Jacques, N., Wilton, K., & Townsend, M. (1998). Cooperative learning and social acceptance of children with mild intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research , 29-36.

Ministry Of Education. (2010, January 20). Special Education Policy. Retrieved September 6, 2010, from Ministry of Education: http://www.minedu.govt.nz/NZEducation/EducationPolicies/SpecialEducation/PolicyAndStrategy/SpecialEducationPolicy.aspx

Ministry Of Education. (2008, 20 july). What is special education? Retrieved September 6, 2010, from Ministry of Education: http://www.minedu.govt.nz/NZEducation/EducationPolicies/SpecialEducation/AboutSpecialEducation/WhatIsSpecialEducation/WhatIsSpecialEducation.aspx

MSN encarta. (2009). Dictionary . Retrieved September 7, 2010, from MSN encarta: http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/mainstreaming.html

Roy, H. (2010, Febuary 4th). The review of special education in New Zealand. Retrieved September 7, 2010, from Scoop Independant News: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1002/S00160.htm

Wolfberg, P. J., & Schuler, A. L. (1999). Fostering peer interaction, imaginative play and spontaneous language in children with autism. Child Language Teaching & Therapy , 41-52.

Young, A. (2010, Febuary 4). New Zealand Herald. Retrieved September 8, 2010, from Closure of special-needs schools on review list: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10623999

Music Review - Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare (basic)

Avenged Sevenfold consists of:
M. Shadows,
Zacky Vengance,
Johnny Christ,
Synyster Gates,
And Mike Portnoy (touring member replacing The Rev - Deseased)

My Rating - 4.5/5


"Nightmare" is Avenged sevenfolds fifth studio album, and the first without previous drummer "the Rev" who passed away in late 2009. Fiction was the last song wrote for the album by the Rev who died shortly after compelting it, due to some studio time before his death there were a few vocal and drums files that were, perfectly, tuned. The song Fiction contains a vocal duo between M. Shadows and the Rev it is also the first song off all 5 albums to not contain any guitar riffs. The first song "Nightmare" has been nominated for best song at the "kerrang awards" but lost out. "God Hates Us" is the first song scicne the City of Evil album to contain screaming lyrics from M. Shadows, Mike Portnoy, while not being a permanent solution, has filled in well to finish the album and all of the 2010 touring dates. The bands musical style has differed on each of the previous 4 albums and this one doesnt differ from that trend, while there are hints of new there are also hints of the A7x of old. "Save Me" becomes the longest song the band has recorded, not counting "I Won't See you Tonight Pt. 1 and 2 which were recorded individually, at 10.53 minuites in length.

With a lot of emotion put into "Nightmare" where A7X ends up is anyone guess, but this album should keep fans satisfied for a while to come, and you can gaurentee with the loss of one of their main song-writers Avenged Sevenfolds style will change yet again on any future album, A change that i for one welcome as its striving away from the normal rock genre.


R.I.P The Reverend Tholomew Plague 2/9/1981 - 12/28/2009