Criminal Invesigations Essay Example for Free

Criminal Invesigations Essay The purpose of this research paper is to show the role, function, nature and responsibility of the criminal investigator. The Methods Used and the Interpretation of the Collection of Physical Evidence and Understanding of the Sources of Information will be explained within this paper. The Role, Function, Nature and Responsibility of the Criminal Investigator The criminal investigator has specific roles and function within their organization. The duty of a crime scene investigator is to try to assemble and bring together multiple events, information, and interpretations of a crime scene to make it one big picture. Based on physical evidence, testimonies of eyes witnesses, suspects, and the victim he will create scenery to figure out what has happened. He or she is creating a hypothesis in what happen before the crime scene occurred and after. All evidence found in all cases by the investigator has full understanding and knowledge of it in order to be an effective investigator (Physical Evidence). The mentality of an investigator has to have interest, observative, and have the ability to write down everything that is going on. While on a crime scene he or she will notice what is wrong in the crime scene. For instance, the investigator notices that everything in a home is taken out and thrown on the floor in which the investigator can tell the crime scene is a burglary. In the investigative world, not only each individual investigator learns from each case they take up but from each other. While learning from each other they have to be opened minded and have doubt in order not to interfere with the facts of the case. The job of a criminal investigator has high levels of critical thinking (Police). The Methods Used and the Interpretation of the Collection of Physical Evidence When the investigator is called onto a crime scene they have a lot of work to gather and process. The first initiative officer will turn the crime scene over to them. The investigator might be also in charge of giving out press information based on the crime scene. The first thing that they might observe is the possible of the scene being contaminated by the officers who arrived their initially. The crime scene must be organized, and controlled using the proper methods so that the suspect of the crime scene may be successfully captured (Police).. The investigator will meet with the lead detective and the first responding officer on scene. He or she will interview them the two people on information pertaining to the scene. The investigator will get an understanding on what happened, when it happened, and how the crime occurred. The information received, the investigator will combine his information with theirs and make a logical determination of what happen in the crime scene. The gathered information as if you were a judge to see if the facts and evidence will meet will support the conclusion of the scene (Police). The process of the crime scene investigation is when they receive a call to go to a crime scene. When you arrive at the scene, you will make a list of what is required for this particular crime. Every crime scene is different. As crime scene investigator, you will need to have enough police officers protecting the crime scene and yourself. The officer will have to make sure that no one who is not authorizes to enter the premises stays out. The responding officer or a designated person would be the recorder keeper of authorize personal who enter the crime scene. They would have to write down their name, ID number, date, time, and what department (Police). The crime scene investigator will start to take photographs from the outside. The will take pictures of the entire area. All angles will be necessary from across, behind, on top, and bottom of the crime scene. Pictures will be taken of the street names, numbers, the street itself, vehicles, and street light posts. The more pictures taken; the more evidence you have. Every picture taken should be accounted. A log will be helpful of keeping account of the pictures, what camera, lens and film being used. If video camera is used that is also should be logged into the log sheet. In addition, you may want to write down who had access to photos or video other than the crime scene investigator (Physical Evidence). Now, the crime scene investigator will take note on any damages or any property taken on the outside. All evidence will be taken into photography. Photography will be taken from all angles, close-up and from a distance. Any mark numbers and letters must be place in the one area and be able to fit in one photograph. Next, Diagrams will be made of the crime scene and where the evidence was found. Triangular, rectangular, and baseline diagrams will be made to show a rough measurement of where everything happened. The investigator is always to remember to record location, measurements, and the person who collected the information. The investigator will now move inside the premises of the crime area. The investigator has to make sure he has proper approval and if necessary a search warrant. When entering the premises, you may want to wear protective gear so that you will not contaminate the evidence. Protective gear may include gloves, head and shoe covers, jumpsuit, and a mask. When looking for evidence inside the area, avoid the place where you think the suspect has moved around. The investigator will have less cross contamination on the evidence. Area where the investigator will walk will be around the edges not of the middle of the scenery. They will take notice on the entry point and exit point of the suspect. They will make sure other detectives or investigators in the crime scene to walk in certain paths to not contaminate the crime scene (Police). The crime scene investigator will logically take photographs as he did outside into the interior of the crime scene. They will work either in the same direction or opposite direction in working the crime scene. The crime scene investigator will do the same procedures in all crime scenes. When taking photographs, the investigator will take photographs in a three dimensional way. Photographs will be taken of the floors, walls, and ceilings. Everything must be visible for evidence by taking photos of the four walls. One angle might not be enough to show the evidence needed. Multiple angles must be taken. With all the photos taken, the investigator will make a diagram of the crime scene. It is good to point out the major details of the crime scene such as furniture, entry and exit points, and the victim. Another way of recording evidence is through video camera. Taking video must be only of important video of the crime scene. It may be easier to take video in fifteen second intervals. The investigator will also take video from all angle of the crime scene. After they are done collecting evidence, they will go make another walk through to make sure no missing evidence pertaining to the crime scene. Collaboration with other crime scene investigators and detectives will be done to insure all evidence has been collected. Understanding of the Sources of Information In the line of an investigator, getting enough information is critical. Information can be from physical evidence, the crime scene, interviewing, and interrogations. Interview and interrogations are very different. Interviews are just to gather information of the crime. An interrogation is getting information based on the suspect being involved. An investigator need to know the difference so that the person being interviewed or interrogated will know if they in custody or being asked a few questions. Two key ways of getting information will be witnesses, and interviews (Berg). WitnessesA witness will help out a lot while investigating. When interviewing, there are ten basic steps. The steps are plan ahead, arrange for privacy, identify yourself properly, assemble case facts in advance, have an intentional direction, be timely, avoid interruptions, be a good listener, adjust language level, pace, and demeanor as necessary, and maintain rapport throughout the interview. There are many types of witness which may include willing witnesses, eyewitnesses, reluctant witnesses, silent or disinterested witnesses, unreliable witnesses, frightened witnesses, biased witness, hostile witnesses, timid witnesses and deceitful witnesses. An investigator may also deal with people of many different ages. The investigator will have to identify these witnesses, and if they are children, young adults, or mature adults. They will have different methods on the way they try to receive information and if the information is valid (Berg). Interviews At first, a rapport will be made by the investigator. A rapport is a relationship between the officer and the one being interview knowing theirs empathy. An interview may not exactly occur right after the crime due to the anxiety from the situation. Time is needed before interviewing. It has to be a respectful interview and listening very closely. There two ways to interview a person; cognitive and behavioral analysis. Cognitive interview is reconstructing the circumstances, reporting all information, recalling events in different orders, and changing perspectives. Behavioral analysis is just identifying the person body language to the truth (Berg). Conclusion In conclusion, criminal investigation is a long process of collecting information. They have the most important job. The process of collecting information is extensive. It is critical for them to collect all evidence so that the suspect may be apprehended and justice shall be served when in the court system. Information may be either through physical evidence, interviews, or witnesses (Berg). Works Cited Berg, Bruce L., John J. Horgan, and John J. Horgan. Criminal Investigation. New York, NY: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 1998. Print. Physical Evidence. Enotes.com. Enotes.com, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2012. http://www.enotes.com/physical-evidence-reference/physical-evidence. Police: Criminal Investigations Sources Of Information And Evidence In Criminal Investigations. Physical, Crime, Polygraph, and Witnesses. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2012. http://law.jrank.org/pages/1656/Police-Criminal-Investigations-Sources-information-evidence-in-criminal-investigations.html.

Dead Man Walking Essay Example for Free

Dead Man Walking Essay When a criminal is constantly nagged and abused, condemned and ostracized by society, he turns into a viler and bitter individual. The inner core of every human being is essentially divine, even that of the worst villain. It just needs to be revealed to him to help him align himself with his true personality. This process is inner revelation. . It is only the blazing fire of Divine Knowledge that can illumine him from within. This instrumentality of Divine Knowledge can make him a worthy individual and citizen. This being the truth, one finds it difficult to agree with Gregory Baum that religion is often ambiguous in its effect on society. He further asserts that religion can be used to justify unjust social circumstances. Such possibility occurs when the tenets of religion are misunderstood and implemented wrongly. Misapplications will produce unfavorable results. Moreover, the interpretations of moral and ethical values need to be molded as per the demands of the time, and the prevailing social conditions. Poverty is the one big reason due to which an individual takes to the path of crime. The rich have a role to play here. â€Å"†¦the message to the rich is that they must be intelligent enough from time to time to help the poor, because this is the way by which they will become richer still. †(4) Sister Helen Prejean, author Dead Man Walking takes the right stand on social issues, presently capital punishment, and thus serves the true cause of Catholic Church. What is it to undergo the death penalty†¦. The best part of the death is the surprise element of it. But in case of legal death penalty, the suffering begins from day one the arrest of the individual, and when the realization dawns on him that he is liable for death penalty. He hopes against hopes that he will survive somehow. The suffering gradually increases, till that stunning moment when he is finally sentenced to death. Then he â€Å"would wait and weep and wear out. †(8) The condemned one begins to die at every moment thereafter. Patrick Sonnier, who had killed two teenagers, was one such individual. Now there are five parties concerned in the final scene of the drama of execution. The condemned prisoner, his family, the State, the Prison Administration and the men whose job is to execute the prisoner to snuff out his life! In 1982, Sister Helen Prejean became the spiritual advisor to Patrick Sonnier, months before his death in the electric chair of Louisianas Angola State Prison. The ‘battle’ between the spiritual principles and the ‘State Killing’ of a man with the God-given soul commenced. Christianity stands for love and pardon. The Catholic nun condemns capital punishment on moral grounds. An imperfect society doesn’t own the right to award death penalty. Many serious crimes are committed in a state of momentary anger. Has death penalty put an end to murders and rapes? The remedy to arrest the trend of heinous crimes lays elsewhere. Helen Prejean’s book is topical and it has international importance. Another startling and well-substantiated revelation in the book is poor African-Americans in the â€Å"Death Belt’ are most likely to be executed. If their crimes are against whites, the chances of death penalty are even more. Sociologists-where are you? What do you think of this serious anomaly? â€Å"Thou hast made me endless, such is thy pleasure. †(1) You have no right to extinguish the life which you have not kindled. This book saw the light of the day under strange circumstances. Prejean writes, â€Å"When Chava Colon from the Prison Coalition asks me one January day in 1982 to become a pen pal to a death-row inmate, I say, Sure. The invitation seems to fit with my work in St. Thomas, a New Orleans housing project of poor black residents. Not death row exactly, but close. Death is rampant here-from guns, disease, and addiction. Medical care scarcely exists. †(Prejean, 1994, p. 3) The third and the fourth sentences of the book in chapter 1, give firm indications about the fertile ground for the crimes. Prejean is a Catholic Nun. She is asked to be associated with an about-to-be-hanged criminal. How Divine Forces will tackle the Satan? Her first mental reaction was, â€Å"I wonder what I can say to this man. What will he have to say to me? †(Prejean 1994, p. 4)Now the question is how the Catholic Church and social reformation and rehabilitation of the poor and the downtrodden are compatible. The practical problem is, â€Å"The mandate to practice social justice is unsettling because taking on the struggles of the poor invariably means challenging the wealthy and those who serve their interests. † Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable-thats what Dorothy Day, a Catholic social activist said is the heart of the Christian gospel. 1 (Prejean 1994, p. 5) Rabindranath Tagore writes, â€Å"thou keepest company with the companionless among the poorest, the lowliest, and the lost. † (2) â€Å"These are poor societies which have too little, but where is the rich society that says, â€Å"Halt! We have enough! †(5) But when religion develops an agenda to tackle the social problems, several practical situations come to the fore. Social issues are interlinked to politics and economics. Nuns are not social workers in the pure sense, they are religious preachers. They are there to tell you about your personal relationship with God, kindness to others, inner peace and the promised heaven, at the end of this life. Politics is not a respected ‘profession’ in any country of the world. Religious preachers are ill-equipped to deal with the segments of administration like, bureaucracy, police, politics and judiciary. The continuous interaction is difficult, for every church-going individual may have one problem or the other Sister Marie Augusta Neal, S. N. D. deN, set her thinking straight and changed her perception, as for remaining on the side of poor. She quoted the religious authority for her stand. She was s sociologist. She argued how fighting for the glaring inequalities in the world and the religious preaching needs to work together. Apolitical does not mean that you have to side with oppression. For every argument of Prejean, she had well-founded counter arguments, based on religious revelations of Lord Jesus. The Gospels record that Jesus preached good news to the poor, she said, and an essential part of that good news was that they were to be poor no longer. â€Å"Which meant they were not to meekly accept their poverty and suffering as Gods will, but, instead, struggle to obtain the necessities of life which were rightfully theirs. †(Prejean, 1994 p. 6. â€Å"Give me the strength never to disown the poor or bend my knees before insolent might. (3) Conclusion: Reading more religious texts is not the solution to the vexed problems of the day, including crimes, â€Å"More education can help us only if it produces more wisdom. †(6). Religious tenets are the revelations of the Perfect Masters (Divine Personalities or Realized Souls), so there is no question of ambiguities in them. Ambiguities are in our understanding. Gregory Baum is one such individual. Mind-level thinking fails to understand the revelations of the souls which have transcended the mind-barrier. In that level it is perfection all around. Initially, Prejean had problems of understanding the religious tenets. As would be seen from the passages analyzed above, she was able to cross that confusing barrier of the mind, and then her religion began to inspire her to secure social and spiritual justice and she realized that fight for social justice is the divine ordained duty! It is the highest spiritual demand! Adhering to religious principles doesn’t mean that you need to suffer in poverty, â€Å"where he pattern of living and working are not only profoundly unsatisfactory but also in a process of accelerating decay. †(7) This decay leads to serious crimes. References: Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account Of The Death Penalty In The United States: by Helen Prejean (Author) Paperback: 288 pages Publisher: Vintage; 1st Vintage Books edition (May 31, 1994) ISBN-10: 0679751319 ISBN-13: 978-0679751311 Tagore, Rabindranath . Book: Gitanjali; Macmillan Co. Ltd, London-1962. 1) P. 1, (2) P. 8, (3) P. 28, (8) p. 84 Schumancher, E. F: Book: Small is Beautiful: Publisher: Radha Krishna, Daryaganj, New Delhi (India) (4) P. 19, (5) P. 21 (6) p. 73 (7) p. 159

The Violence Against Women Criminology Essay

The Violence Against Women Criminology Essay Gillespies, Richards, Givens and Smith sought out to uncover if the media, with its strong presence in influencing ones perception on certain social concerns, enclose stories of femicide within the context of domestic violence because minimal research has been carried out to examine femicide within the framework of violence against women. These four theorize their research in a deductive fashion; they understood the way that the news media worked and that this same media can choose to structure domestic violence in a way that could provide evidence to show the important ramifications on manipulating societys perception on domestic violence, as well as, solutions and public responsibility. From 226 cases, they match up to 113 newspaper articles that defined murder as domestic violence contrasted with the other 113 cases that had no exposure defining the femicide as domestic violence through applied research. This study was intended to expand our awareness concerning the medias depiction of femicide and the medias strong grip on the conception of violence against women as a social dilemma. The level at which the researchers collected data was on the micro level. Women were the case in this research study; they were the victims of violence. Also the news reports on women as victims in domestic violence cases were measured. The population of interest was media frames from North Carolina spanning a six year period assessing 113 cases that classified the femicide as domestic violence to 113 cases that did not. This sampling is not seen to be representative of the population. The researchers only contrasted media frames in North Carolina, no other states. The rate or likelihood of domestic violence differs upon the region, victims age, income and if it is reported. Based on that this research study has only been conducted from inside the walls of North Carolina, it cannot be fully representative of the population and the other 49 states. The researchers used purposive sampling and simple random while conducting their study. The purposive sampling is the 113 cases that fit the specific criteria of those cases of femicide from North Carolina spanning a six-year period that contained at least one news article defining the femicide as domestic violence. The other 113 cases that were contrasted were selected at random. The sampling ensured diversity. The state was chose purposively and the cases were chosen randomly. The design of this experiment comes from secondary analysis, the concern was for the behavior arising among specific group of people, and this behavior is domestic violence against women. The participants stayed the same but the setting change. The study purposely examines the use of frames in media reporting of femicide stories. the media routinely utilize neighbors who may not know the victim and/or perpetrator particularly well, rather than close friends or family members, as sources in instances of domestic violence. The new research question by Gillespies, Richards, Givens and Smith was based on prior research of the representation of femicide in the news and its use of frames used in media coverage making the data quantitative. There are five media frames specifically associated with domestic violence, which include (1) focusing on the behavior of the victim, including blaming the victim or excusing the perpetrator; (2) normalizing the event as commonplace; (3) suggesting the incident was an isolated event; (4) indicating the victim and/or perpetrator are somehow different from the norm; and (5) asserting that domestic violence perpetrators are disordered and should be easily identifiable. The researchers examined the validity of these existing by examining the components of additional media frames-the sources used, language and word choice, and the context of the incident-in a sample of North Carolina newspaper stories. This research study used the time dimension of trend logical study for articles that present the femicide as domestic violence and those that do not. The researchers used reports, within a six year time span, from newspapers to carry out their study 2002-2007. The basic sign of this study meets the three criteria for establishing causality. The negative correlations of the study are four things; the more the media chooses to do these four things the more the issue will be swept under the rug. Most news sources underutilize those with an educated opinion and informed background in the problem of domestic violence, and then journalists habitually shun victim advocates and academics for trepidation of bias. Journalists word choice or speech also manipulates the framing of domestic violence; Word assortment in both the title/headline and all through an article can potentially sway the general publics understanding of an incident and the partakers involved. As is often the case with intimate violent behavior, the relationship amid victim and offender is highly multifaceted and turbulent. The number one issue connected with intimate partner homicide is previous accounts of domestic violence. Sorry to say, all too often information pertaining to a couples history is either gone astray or downgraded to the end of an article. For temporal order the change media has to structure domestic violence in a way that will provide evidence to show the important corollary of societys perception on domestic violence, and solutions to fix this problem also to note that this is not personal but the publics responsibility because in many cases the media fail to notice the occasion to use their power to portray femicide as an issue worthy of public outrage and intensified policy development. Gillespies, Richards, Givens and Smith eliminated other rival hypothesis the findings may be influenced by the social climate and level of activism in the state from which the data were derived. The North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCCADV) may create higher levels of awareness in North Carolina than domestic violence groups in other states by reaching out to local media outlets and law enforcement agencies. The interpretations presented here cannot be wholly free from potential researcher bias. However, to minimize that potential one specific threat to internal validity was selection bias because the study relied heavily on previous research to guide coding and ensuing interpretations of the results. The concepts in the study were femicide, frame analysis and mass media. The index used 7 composed frames were identified while only 4had been identified in previous research. : (1) A commonplace frame, (2) an isolated incident frame, (3) a frame that blames the criminal justice system, and (4) a victim blaming frame. (5) a frame blaming perpetrator loss of control or moral breakdown, and (6) a frame that minimized the femicide by focusing on a crisis in the lives of the victim/perpetrator(7) a domestic violence as a broader social problem frame. The results of the study are externally valid if there is more awarnees to domestic violence and it is brought to the light then e that research in this area will continue to encourage meaningful partnerships between researchers, advocates, and the media and that best case practices for reporting on violence against women will be developed and disseminated on a national level. A specific threat to external validity is sample selectivity. First, it is essential to think about that the findings may be subjective by the social climate and level of activism in the state from which the data were derived. The North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCCADV) may create higher levels of awareness in North Carolina than domestic violence groups in other states by reaching out to local media outlets and law enforcement agencies. It is reasonable to suggest that the prevalence of DV defined articles framing the femicide within the context of a broader social problem (about 25% within DV defined articles and about 12% of the overall sample) may be influenced by the partnership that has developed between the NCCADV, law enforcement, and the media. Therefore, the findings reported here may not be generalizable to other states.

The Nature of the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Essay -- Exploratory Essay

The Nature of the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Dementia is traditionally considered to be one of the possible results of aging. Its effects are heartbreaking and tremendously exhausting for the patient as well as their family and friends. There are many factors to consider. What would be the best treatment plan for my loved one? Who would care for them? These are all very difficult decisions that impact the patient and family for years to come. But what if you only had a few months to make these decisions? What if all your loved one had was a few very short months before they were gone? In Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), the situation is just that. With no known cause or cure, CJD takes the patient and family completely by surprise. Time is precious when you see new changes arising day after day in areas such as movement, speech and cognition. How could you make them as comfortable as posssible? What could have caused these sudden changes? What treatment options do you have in such a short period of tim e? Most importantly will my loved one be able to express their needs to me? Creutzfeldt-Jakob is considered to be a transmissible dementia or transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, which means that the spread of the disease is similar to that of viruses. Further studies have shown that instead of a virus, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease or CJD, is considered to be caused by a proteinaceous infection agent or "prion" (Asher et al, 2000) that attacks nerve cells causing vacuolization, the formation of holes in the cell, and eventually cell death. To date there are no effective screenin... ...ore to be learned. The important factor during the course of CJD is the patient. We as Speech Pathologists must ask ourselves a few questions. Was the best interests of the patient met for as long as they could have been? Was the family aware of any and all support and community groups available to them during this difficult time? If we as SLP's can answer these questions with a yes, then we have done our jobs indeed. To those who involoved with CJD, thank you. Because of the researchers, therapists, and families of CJD patients, we have the knowledge we have today. This knowledge will continue to grow, providing tests, screening measures and maybe some day a cure. To live with the hope that one day another person will not have to endure what sorrows you have can be a great motivation.

Analysis Of Keats on First Looking Into Chapmans Homer And on See :: essays research papers

Analysis of Keat's "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer" and "On Seeing the Elgin Marbles" John Keat's poems, On First Looking into Chapman's Homer, and On Seeing the Elgin Marbles for the First Time, express an irresistible, poetical imagination. They convey a sense of atmosphere to the reader. In comparison they exemplify his intense love of beauty. The connection between these two poems is not so much in subject, but the feeling of awe. Both these poems show more emotion and amazement in the experience of discovering something new. Keats looked with eyes of wonder at new adventures and expressed them verbally with delicacy and reserve. In the poem On First Looking into Chapman's Homer, the description of his experiences overflows with youth and excitement. But as the poem continues the writing is toned down to convey the most important and meaningful experience. Keats describes how after traveling in lands of gold, and seeing many great states and kingdoms, he never truly realized the wonders of these things until reading Chapman's translation of Homer. Crossing many western islands bards have sung about, he never was able to comprehend their true serene nature until reading man's wondrous words. This narration explains that though these were sights well visited , their beauty and Keats imagination kept them alive. Having read Chapman's translation til dawn with his teacher, he was so moved he wrote this his first great poem and mailed it by ten A.M. that day. In On Seeing the Elgin Marbles for the First Time, the description of his experiences overflows with depression and experience. As the poem continues you see his sad point of view has faded . It gives it a familiarity that hides its true serene character. He describes how his spirit is weak (mortality) and his wonderful memories have faded in his mind due to worries and unrest at his coming death. It should be said death does play a key role in this poem and is the main reason behind all his dreariness and heavy heart. His self-pity masks the appreciation that he was granted this length of time to even experience them. Having viewed these time worn memorials of Grecian skill, in this poem he expressed the indescribable feelings of wonder . In comparison Keats expresses similarities in his concreteness of

Generic Skills in Career and Technical Education :: Skills Work Careers Essays

Generic Skills in Career and Technical Education Career and Technical Educators Employ a Variety of Strategies for Teaching Generic Skills The Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) identified the general skills that most workplaces require, thus providing a basis for programs that prepare students for employment. Reform programs such as Tech Prep and High Schools that Work strive to incorporate these "generic" skills as they offer students a rigorous academic background, technological literacy skill development, and learning experiences that are situated in the context of real-world environments (Pucel 1999). Integrated academic and CTE programs and contextual learning efforts offer similar opportunities to promote the learning of generic skills by linking them to specific workplace and social practices. Workplace learning experiences are another way of highlighting generic skill development by placing students in job situations where these generic skills are used in combination with occupational or technical skills. Although the United States has adopted a variety of strategies for the teaching of generic skills, it is not the only country to do so. Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom have initiated similar programs to address generic skill development. In Australia, integrated curriculum that infuses literacy into specific vocational courses has served to illustrate the necessity of contextualized, multiple literacies (Searle et al. 1999). Case Studies to Advance Skills and Employability, a project conducted at the Universities of Northumbria and Newcastle, emphasized the development of employability skills within the academic curriculum (Holmes and Miller 2000). The contextual integration of employability skills into curriculum has become a recent trend in Canada and the United Kingdom (Overtoom 2000). Although there is evidence that generic skills are being taught in schools, there is great ambiguity about what they are. Many terms have been used to describe them: key skills, core skills, transferable skills, personal transferable skills, and employability skills. The list of skills defined by whatever term is being used varies across countries; however, most lists include communication skills, interpersonal and social skills, organization and planning skills, problem-solving skills, creative thinking, literacy, and technology skills. The Australian key competencies add "cultural understanding" as a generic skill (Werner 1995). Most attempts to define generic skills more closely "have resulted in a plethora of superficially similar but often significantly different lists" (Drummond, Nixon, and Wiltshire 1998, p. 20). Guile (2002) contends that definitions of generic skills are grounded in the complexity of relationship that they imply, which in turn directs how the skills are being taught.

Children’s literature Essay

What is literature? Literature is (a) imaginative or creative writing; (b) distinguish writing, with deep sublime, noble feelings. It includes oral tradition passed on from generation to generation by word of mouth (e. g. proverbs, myths, legends, epic, folk song, etc. ). Literature, as defined by the oxford, etc. , valued as works of art (drama, fiction, essays, poetry, biography) contrasted with technical books and journalism; (2) all the writing of a country (French lit. ) or a period (18th Century English Lit. ); (3) printed material describing or advertising e. g. pamphlets; (4) books dealing with special subjects, travel, poultry farming. Literature is an art expressing beauty through the medium of language; a recreation through language of human situation and experiences, the orchestration of the manifold but elemental experiences of man blended into harmonious and desired patterns of expressions and a faithful reproduction of life executed in an artistic pattern (Del Prado). Why Study Literature? Literature leads to personal fulfilment and academic gains. Separating the values into personal and academic is an intellectual distinction, since both types benefit the students and are all proper parts of a student’s schooling. The distinction is useful, however, since teachers and librarians must often justify the benefits of literature in the classroom and find the academic benefits the most convincing ones for administrators and parents. Enjoyment The most important personal gain that good books offer to students is the most obvious one-enjoyment. Those of you who read widely as students will never forget the stories that were so tragic that you almost cried out, some were so funny that you laughed out, the poem that was so lifting that you never forgot it, or the mystery that was so scary that your heart thumped with apprehension. Such positive early experience often leads to a lifetime of reading enjoyment. Imagination and Inspiration By seeing the world around them in new ways and by considering ways of living other than their own, students increase their ability to think divergently. Stories often map the divergent paths that our ancestors might have taken or that our descendants might someday take. Through the vicarious experience of entering a different world from the present one, students develop their imaginations. In addition, stories about people, both real and imaginary, can inspire students to overcome obstacles, accept different perspectives, and formulate personal goals. The Academic Value of Literature to Student In addition to the personal benefits of literature for yong readers, there are several important academic benefits. Reading Many of you may have reached the common-sense deduction that reading ability, like any other skill, improves with practice. Many teachers and librarians believe that regular involvement with excellent and appropriate literature can foster language development to young people and can help them to learn to read and to value reading. Writing Since people tend to assimilate or adopt what they like of what they read and hear, young people may, by listening to and reading literature, begin to develop their own writing â€Å"voice†, or unique, personal writing style. By listening to and reading excellent literature, children are exposed to rich vocabulary and excellent writing styles, which serve as good models for their own speaking and writing voices. The acquisition of a larger vocabulary through reading offers young writers a better word choice for their own stories. Devices found in books such as the use of dialect, dialogue, and precise descriptions are often assimilated into students’ own writing. Vicarious Experience When a story is convincing written that readers feel as though they have live through an experience or have actually been in the place and time where the story is set, the book have given them a vicarious experience. Experiences such as these are broadening students to stories from many lands and cultures, teachers and libraries are building a solid foundation for multicultural and international understanding. Walking in someone else’s shoes often help students to develop a greater capacity to empathize with others. Students around the world can benefit from stories that explain what life is, for people who are restricted by handicaps, politics, or circumstances or whose lives are different from theirs because of culture or geography. Likewise, young readers of today can relate on a more personal level with the events and people of history. Heritage Stories that are handed down from one generation to the next connect us to our past, to the roots of our specific cultures, national heritage, and general human condition. Stories are the repositories of culture. Knowing the tales, characters, expression, riddles, lullabies, songs, and adages that are part of our cultural heritage makes us culturally literate. Stories based on fact help young people to gain a greater appreciation for what history is and for the people, both ordinary and extraordinary who made history. Art Appreciation Illustration in some literature books (Children’s Literature) can be appreciated both for its ability to help tell the story (cognitive value) and for its value as art (aesthetic value). Picture books are profusely illustrated books in which the illustrations are, to varying degrees, essential to the enjoyment and understanding of the story. For this reason, illustrations in picture books are said to be integral to the story. The illustration in picture books provides actual plot or concept information as well as clues to character traits, settings, and moods. Without the illustrations, therefore these books would be diminished, and in some case the story would make no sense or would be nonexistent.