Thursday, October 31, 2019

SHOULD STUDENTS AND TEACHERS BE TESTED FOR DRUG USE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS Research Paper

SHOULD STUDENTS AND TEACHERS BE TESTED FOR DRUG USE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS - Research Paper Example The issue of drugs has been identified as one of the major issue affecting education in both private and public schools (Muscat, 2007). However, the public schools are more affected than the private schools. According to Samaha (2011), an assistant vice principal in a public school in the state of New Jersey found a student with marijuana and rolling papers used to smoke it. This is an indication that the student was using drugs that could affect her health and the social health of other students. This case can suggest that the use of drugs might be prevalent among students in all the public schools in the United States. There are also teachers who have been identified by the school administrators of public schools to be using drugs while teaching or before teaching. The use of drugs by both students and teacher is greatly affecting education in the public schools. Therefore, any teacher of all public educational establishments, regardless of whether it is high school, elementary or kindergarten, should be tested for drug use. Moreover, all the students in the public schools, especially the adolescent and young adults, should be tested for drugs. The testing of teachers and students for drug use would help to identify whom drugs affect most. This can help both the school administration and the government to decide the measure that are required to be taken to safeguard the social life of other students, as well as the quality of education. According to Alexander & Alexander (2011), the educational profession is heavily regulated in terms of the expected codes of conduct of the professions, as well as their responsibilities towards one another and towards students. The regulations imposed on this profession are mainly aimed at improving the safety of both the teachers and the students. The regulations are also aimed at improving the quality of education and to promote learning

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Social Work with the Elderly Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Social Work with the Elderly - Essay Example A challenge is a fact that it is common for the social workers’ clients to be afflicted with different kinds of diseases and disabilities: physically, mentally, or emotionally. This paper aims to give an in-depth discussion of the challenges involved in working with the elderly, and how the clients’ identity issues affect their relationship dynamics with the worker. First, let us explore the clients’ perspectives and situations from the beginning of things – as they enter the residential home for the elderly. Some have existing and financially capable relatives by they themselves choose to stay in a residential facility so as not to burden their family members with their needs. It could due to reasons of pride, or perhaps a deeply ingrained sense of independence that spurs them to instead opt for professional and paid help. It could be a defense against possible future rejection and the hurt that would succumb from it. Others would have preferred to stay with their children and/or grandchildren, as is in most cases in Asian countries for example, but the family members are either too poor, too disgusted at the prospect of being solely responsible of taking care of an elderly person, or too concerned with having their own lifestyles cramped. Many times the older persons in these cases are admitted to residential homes despite wanting to stay with their families or remain in their own homes. They perhaps just weren’t given a choice. The majority of the elderly have been placed in residential homes because of a physical or mental disability and/or because they do not have anyone around to take care of them anymore. These factors, one way or another, have a crucial impact on the clients’ psychological state and invariably affect their responsiveness and cooperation during the course of case management. As each and every human being has unique identities and personalities, the dynamics of an elderly person and his or her identity is profoundly affected.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Brainstorming Six Thinking Hats Communications Essay

Brainstorming Six Thinking Hats Communications Essay Brainstorming is one of the best-known techniques for producing fresh ideas and approaching problems from innovative new angles. Brainstorming sessions are best done in small groups; participants are asked to leave their inner critic at the door and come up with the zaniest ideas possible. This challenge is based on a tool created by famous ‘lateral thinker Edward de Bono to improve decision making skills. The Six Thinking Hats technique is particularly useful for group brainstorming as it emphasises ‘what if? thinking rather than ‘what is assumptions. People or groups often tend to follow certain fixed ways of thinking. This technique involves looking at a problem or issue from a number of different perspectives, each represented by a different coloured hat, and giving each one equal weighting in a discussion. White hat (= objective) When you wear this hat, you focus on available information to see what you can learn from it. You try to fill any gaps in your knowledge. This is where you analyse past trends and extrapolate from historical data. Red hat (= emotions, feelings) When you wear the red hat you use intuition, gut reaction and emotion to respond to an issue or idea. You also try to think how other people will react emotionally to the issue, and try to understand their intuitive responses. Black hat (= negatives, points of caution) When you wear the black hat you are the pessimist. You are cautious and critical and try to find reasons that things will not work. Its a useful perspective, since it highlights any weak points in a plan and enables you to either eliminate them, or prepare measures to counter problems should they arise. Black hat thinking makes plans more resilient. Yellow hat (= positive focus) The yellow hat is the positive thinking hat. When you wear this hat you seek harmony; its optimistic viewpoint enables you to see the value, benefits and further opportunities in a plan. Yellow hat thinking helps you keep going when everything looks gloomy and difficult. Green hat (= generates new ideas or concepts) The green hat stands for creativity. Its mood is provocative, experimental, and explorative. Wear it to playfully spin ideas free of any judgement or criticism. Blue hat (= defines focus, control of thinking) The blue hat stands for process control. It sees the big picture. Wear this hat to chair a meeting, or to bring any of the other processes /thinking approaches [?] to order. During a typical Six Hats session you will flip between different hat ‘modes: when ideas are slow in coming youll try green hat thinking; when the mood gets too pessimistic, switch to yellow hat thinking; when contingency planning is needed, put on your black hat, and so on. 3 How to Play 3.a Game Instructions The six animals on the right-hand riverbank are desperately looking for their thinking caps, which the wind has cheekily deposited on the left bank. Send the hats back to their respective owners by following the 6 ways of thinking, one at a time, all the way through from the left to the right. To start, you will be presented with a challenge question. To accept, click on one of the hats. You will then be presented with 3 phrases pertaining to the challenge. Choose the one that best represents the hat you chose. If you choose correctly, 3 more phrases will appear. Continue clicking on the most appropriate phrase until the hat reaches its owner, then click on another hat and repeat the process until you have sent all the hats back to their owners. 3.b Game Rules Once you have clicked on a phrase, there is no turning back. Points will either be deducted for a wrong answer or added for a correct answer. The game is over when all the hats reach their owners; your end score will be tallied up and expressed as a percentage. 3.c Game tips Think before you click! Familiarise yourself with the six different ways of thinking before you start. You might want to read through the introduction text a few times until you are sure of your colour qualities.* see note at end I agree with note (also see my comment up-front), so we have to resolve how to best deal with this The tips at the end of the game will also give you some pointers on how best to brainstorm. 4 Start Screen text Choose one of the hats to start the game. Remember, you have to stick to one way of thinking until you reach the opposite riverbank. 5 Challenge Q: How can we best ensure that group brainstorming sessions are effective? 5.1 White hat 5.1.1 White Group 1 5.1.1.1 Naturally one should start at the beginning, by defining a clear purpose and goal for the session. 5.1.1. 2 Do you have to be so pedantic? Thoughts should just flow freely! 5.1.1.3 Hat 2, be careful not to patronise! As a starting point Hat 1 is right chances of success are greater if the goal is clearly defined. Thereafter we can go wild. 5.1.2 White Group 2 5.1.2.1 Do you guys mind if I make an urgent call? Im planning a surprise party for my best friend and the caterers have a crisis. 5.1.2.2 Interruptions break the flow of brainstorming sessions. 5.1.2.3 Im sure your crisis will work itself out while we work together to find a best practice recipe for brainstorming! 5.1.3 White Group 3 5.1.3.1 Research shows that people talk more freely when theyve had an alcoholic beverage. 5.1.3.2 Now thats an idea! Looking around the room, I can see that we all need to unwind a bit. 5.1.3.3 Fair enough, we can take a five-minute comfort break. 5.1.4 White Group 4 5.1.4.1 I know! Lets play a game to wake up our tired old brains? 5.1.4.2 Crazy as that sounds, it is not a bad idea! I am making a note of it. 5.1.4.3 This has proved to be a successful technique in the past. 5.1.5 White Group 5 5.1.5.1 What about the participants? Any guidelines as to who should be in the session? 5.1.5.2 The group should be varied different people with different skills will bring more variety to the table. 5.1.5.3 Everyone should respect each others opinions. 5.2 Red hat 5.2.1 Red Group 1 5.2.1.1 I doubt well find a workable solution to this problem. 5.2.1.2 Dont be so pessimistic! If we put our heads together, we can come up with hundreds of ideas! 5.2.1.3 I feel like you are putting a damper on everyones mood. 5.2.2 Red Group 2 5.2.2.1 My gut tells me when Im generating a good creative idea. 5.2.2 2 Well, I try to always see the silver lining. 5.2.2.3 Point noted. Who else wants to share a thought? 5.2.3 Red Group 3 5.2.3.1 Heres a thought: how about having the session in a hot air balloon so we can see it from a different perspective? 5.2.3.2 Nobody has time for that! 5.2.3.3 Some people might be a bit nervous up there, but I love the idea! It is so bold! 5.2.4 Red Group 4 5.2.4.1 Here are some pens and paper. We are going to do a mind mapping exercise to enrich the session. 5.2.4.2 Oh goodie! This reminds me of my primary school days! All children are unselfconsciously creative. 5.2.4.3 Do we have to do this? Seems a bit childish. 5.2.5 Red Group 5 5.2.5.1 This is so much fun! And therapeutic too! 5.2.5.2 I agree, we should do this more often. Look at all the ideas weve generated in just 5 minutes! 5.2.5.3 Well done everybody! You have all come up with some great ideas. 5.3 Black hat 5.3.1 Black Group 1 5.3.1.1 Group brainstorming sessions are successful when the facilitator encourages outrageous thinking. 5.3.1.2 I dont agree. Some ideas are too crazy to even consider. What is the point if you cannot implement it? 5.3.1.3 Although Hat 2 has a point, we can focus on practicalities later. For now, letÊÂ ¼s go with Hat 1ÊÂ ¼s suggestion. 5.3.2 Black Group 2 5.3.2.1 People need to feel that their opinions count. There should be lots of encouragement and praise! 5.3.2.2 Also, dont forget what lessons were learnt from past brainstorming sessions. 5.3.2.3 People will never talk freely and openly if the facilitator is high up in the corporate hierarchy. Theyll just feel intimidated. 5.3.3 Black Group 3 5.3.3.1 We are bound to get some good ideas if we get hundreds of people together to brainstorm! 5.3.3.2 Good luck selling that idea resources are stretched thin enough as it is. 5.3.3 3 Hang on a second Hat 2, Hat 1 leads us to a very important point bringing together a wide range of different people will generate a wide range of ideas. 5.3.4 Black Group 4 5.3.4.1 The problem with group brainstorming sessions is that the subject is usually too vaguely phrased. 5.3.4.2 Indeed, Hat 1 makes a good point. Looking back on our past sessions, that was the main reason for a lack of workable ideas. 5.3.4.3 Luckily this was not the case today, so letÊÂ ¼s take note of that and turn our focus to the best environment to have group brainstorming sessions in. Anyone? 5.3.5 Black Group 5 5.3.5.1 Food and drink always makes me feel more relaxed and open. We should be as comfortable as possible and take many breaks. 5.3.5.2 In a pool! Or at a sporting event. Or how about hiring a taxi and going on a group brainstorming road trip?! 5.3.5.3 The main problem is the interruptions. It is so frustrating! Just switch off your cellphone! Ask not to be interrupted. Why cant we get this right? 5.4 Yellow hat 5.4.1 Yellow Group 1 5.4.1.1 Who wants to volunteer an idea? 5.4.1.2 My gut says if we could somehow get people in a good mood, the ideas will flow. 5.4.1.3 Happy people are more creative and more productive, so your statement makes perfect logical sense. 5.4.2 Yellow Group 2 5.4.2.1 Ive got plenty of ideas on how we can do that! Like, why not play soothing music in the background to put everybody in a kind of meditative state. 5.4.2.2 What a lovely idea! Just as long as we make sure everybody agrees on what music will be played. 5.4.2.3 Are you kidding me? It is the dumbest idea I have heard in my life! 5.4.3 Yellow Group 3 5.4.3.1Dont be so quick to judge. People love to work together for a common cause. 5.4.3.2 Improving your analysing and strategic thinking helps your bottom line and were all striving towards that goal. 5.4.3.3 Good point! Let take some time to think about how successful brainstorming can affect our bottom line. 5.4.4 Yellow Group 4 5.4.4.1 It cant. Ideas generated in brainstorming sessions are just wishful thinking. 5.4.4.2 I beg to differ we have done it before and we can definitely do it again! 5.4.4.3 Indeed, last years brainstorming session resulted in the company producing an exciting new product. 5.4.5 Yellow Group 5 5.4.5.1 Heres another example: when legislation changed in an African country, we brainstormed options for expanding there today its one of our biggest markets. 5.4.5.2 Stories like that give me goosebumps! 5.4.5.3 That is valuable knowledge! We should compile a list of these success stories to get tips on why they were successful and to inspire similar thinking as we move forward. 5.5 Green hat 5.5.1 Green Group 1 5.5.1.1 If its okay with everybody, Id like to sing a song this topic reminds me of. Then we make up our own words as we go along. 5.5.1.2 Do you have any marbles left? This is a business meeting! 5.5.1.3 No, it is a great idea! As long as it is not a lullaby. Hat 1, you may proceed. 5.5.2 Green Group 2 5.5.2.1 Ill tell a joke instead so as not to offend anybody with my singing. How do you eat an elephant? 5.5.2.2 I know the answer to this one! 5.5.2.3 That is repulsive! Humans should not be allowed to eat elephants! 5.5.3 Green Group 3 5.5.3.1 If you were starving and it was the only thing left to eat except your own leg, would you change your mind? 5.5.3.2 Im sure it is just a metaphor. If the answer has bearing on this discussion, please share it with us. If not, we have to move on. 5.5.3.3 But it does! The answer is ‘bite by bite just like we are doing now ‘idea by idea. I brought sweets so the next good idea gets a treat! 5.5.4 Green Group 4 5.5.4.1 Or we can play that game where we start with one person saying a word, like ‘success, and everybody has to say one related word, and on to the next, faster and faster till we see where we end up! 5.5.4.2 No way! I dont see the value in a rambling session like that. We should just use our critical judgement to weed out the impossible ideas. 5.5.4.3 That game sounds like fun! We use criticism far too often as our default line of thinking. Lets expand our brains a bit. You can start, Ill write everything down if I can keep up! 5.5.5 Green Group 5 5.5.5.1 Brainstorming. 5.5.5.2 Clairvoyance. 5.5.5.3 Clarity. 5.6 Blue hat 5.6.1 Blue Group 1 5.6.1.1 Before we proceed, can we get a comfort break soon? 5.6.1.2 Yes. Lets have it now, so that we dont have to interrupt the flow of thinking once were on a roll. 5.6.1.3 We should actually record the session so that you dont have to worry about keeping notes. 5.6.2 Blue Group 2 5.6.2.1 That meeting we had this morning was so unproductive! 5.6.2.2 And boring! I was twiddling my thumbs for the first hour and a half! 5.6.2.3 Sounds like you guys have had a rough day. Lets brighten things up now by having some fun and solving this conundrum! 5.6.3 Blue Group 3 5.6.3.1 Can we hurry this up? Ive got a heap of admin waiting on my desk. 5.6.3.2 Sure, I would like us to all think about three emotional factors related to this topic. 5.6.3.3 Comfort, respect and encouragement. 5.6.4 Blue Group 4 5.6.4.1 That is a very important point! Encouragement will make people feel proud of themselves and therefore more willing to participate. 5.6.4 2 Listen, Im not lying just to make someone feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 5.6.4.3 We hear you Mr Cranky! You have my permission to keep quiet rather than faking praise. 5.6.5 Blue Group 5 5.6.5.1 Lets accommodate indulge Mr Cranky over here and explore the negative aspects which impact on brainstorming sessions. 5.6.5.2 Critical thinking? 5.6.5.3 Ha-ha, very funny. 6 Game end and Score 6.1 A perfect score!! 100% 6.2 Well done! Good score! 90%-100% 6.3 Not bad, but there is room for improvement. Try again. 70%-90% 6.4 Oops! You would do well to try and better your score. Below 70% 7. Tips for ensuring a successful brainstorming session 7.1 Choose an appropriate environment where you wont be disturbed. Somewhere outdoors or away from the office is best as it takes people out of their regular daily mode of thinking. 7.2 Have a mixed group of participants. Include participants from varied backgrounds or departments, rather than people who have similar backgrounds or specialties. It allows for a far wider range of creative ideas 7.3 Assign a facilitator to lead the group and take notes. The person should be enthusiastic and able to both encourage chaos and bring it to order when necessary. The facilitator does not usually contribute ideas, but rather directs the session. (If the facilitator works in the same company, make sure he/she is not of a much higher rank post grade than the participants, as this can make them reluctant to propose unorthodox ideas.) 7.4 Warm up the group. Start with a quick discussion on a ‘nonsense topic, like ‘think of five ways to improve a cow, if you had a magic wand what would you change, your favourite quotation. This gets thoughts flowing and sets the scene for a fun creative and dynamic session. 7.5 Now state your aim clearly. If you do not phrase your starting question correctly, you could end up with myriad ideas that do not actually solve the problem. Vague challenge statements encourage vague thinking, so make sure you clearly define the criteria of the issue to be brainstormed. 7.6 Write all ideas out in public view. Every participant should be able to see all the information all the time. A white board or flipchart is best for this. Once the ideas are up on the wall the whole group owns them and can add or expand on any one of them. 7.7 Encourage participation. Emphasise that the session is a non-judgmental environment you wont get great ideas if people are too scared to contribute, so no criticism allowed. 7.8 Make sure all ideas get equal weight. Stick to this rule no matter how silly or off-the-wall the ideas might appear. 7.9 Keep the discussion focused on the issue. A skilful facilitator will keep any one idea from taking up too much discussion time. 7.10 Set a time to reconvene. Once people have had a time to go away and ‘digest the session, call another meeting to sort through all the ideas and select the most appropriate ones. This can be done by group consensus or voting.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust Essay -- Essays Papers

Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust Synopsis – Hitler’s Willing Executioners is a work that may change our understanding of the Holocaust and of Germany during the Nazi period. Daniel Goldhagen has revisited a question that history has come to treat as settled, and his researches have led him to the inescapable conclusion that none of the established answers holds true. Drawing on materials either unexplored or neglected by previous scholars, Goldhagen presents new evidence to show that many beliefs about the killers are fallacies. They were not primarily SS men or Nazi Party members, but perfectly ordinary Germans from all walks of life, men who brutalized and murdered Jews both willingly and zealously. â€Å"They acted as they did because of a widespread, profound, unquestioned, and virulent anti-Semitism that led them to regard the Jews as a demonic enemy whose extermination was not only necessary but also just.†1 The author proposes to show that the phenomenon of German anti-Semitism was alread y deep-rooted and pervasive in German society before Hitler came to power, and that there was a widely shared view that the Jews ought to be eliminated in some way from German society. When Hitler chose mass extermination as the only final solution, he was easily able to enlist vast numbers of Germans to carry it out. About the Author - Daniel Jonah Goldhagen is Assistant Professor of Government and Social Studies at Harvard University and an Associate of Harvard's Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies. His doctoral dissertation, which is the basis for his book "Hitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust," was awarded the American Political Science Association's 1994 Gabriel A. Almond Award for the best dissertation in the field of comparative politics.2 Summary - For the extermination of the Jews to occur, four principal things were necessary: 1. The Nazis - that is, the leadership, specifically Hitler - had to decide to undertake the extermination. 2. They had to gain control over the Jews, namely over the territory in which they resided. 3. They had to organize the extermination and devote to it sufficient resources. 4. They had to induce a large number of people to carry out the killings. The vast literature on Nazism and the Holocaust treats in great depth the first three elements, the focus of this book, is t... ...lity and having judged the mass annihilation of Jews to be right, did not want to say "no." It is my belief that the author presents a very controversial view of the causes and implementation of the Holocaust. The root of the controversy is his contention that the German people, as a society, are responsible for the attempted extermination of the Jews. According to Mr. Goldhagen, in the eyes of the Germans, the Jews as nothing more than a cancer that must be removed in order to cure the ills of their nation. In the book Mr. Goldhagen has gone to great extents to prove his views. However, â€Å"†¦his theories will probably remain a point of contention with historians for years to come.†4 The brutality and horror that is described throughout the book is, at times, overwhelming. To realize that one group of people can treat their fellow man with such heartlessness and savagery in what we call a civilized world is almost beyond comprehension. Notes 1. Hitler’s Willing Executioners, Book Jacket, 1996 2. Patterns of Prejudice, Erich Goldhagen, 1978, 12, No.1, 1-16 3. First Things, Richard John Neuhaus, August/September 1996, 36-41 4. U.S. News & World Report, David Gergen, May 24, 1996

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Probable Probability; Rolling Dice

Statistics is based upon based upon common sense and logic, in a complex data. Probability is just one of the many topics in statistical mathematics. It is used in our daily life, all over the world. Even games, require taking a chance and using probability to determine the predicted outcomes. Probability is the measure of how often a particular event will happen if something is done repeatedly, (596 Webster’s Dictionary). You cannot determine any events that will happen in the future, because there is always a chance that something odd will happen, (Linn 39-40).Probability originally started for the purpose and attempt to analyze games of chance. Probability is also used in determining the outcomes of an experiment. Sample space is the collection of all results. Probability is a way to assign every event a value between zero and one. What is the probability of rolling a pair of dice, or a deck of cards, or a jar of marbles? What is the probability of conceiving a boy or a gir l? Many more are determined by the usage of the probability method.Probability is used to represent the likelihood that odds of winning a random drawing chance of rolling a seven when rolling two dice. When rolling a six-sided die there are six possible events that correspond to the six face of the die that contains either one, two, three, four, five, and six dots. Rolling a die and turning up an even number of dots would be one example, (2, 4, and 6). Probabilities are formally written as decimals in the range of 0-1. Meaning the event occurred. Meaning a certain event must occur.When rolling a die, getting a seven, eight, or nine or more dots is an impossible event. Two dots or fewer are a certain event. Probabilities can also be written informally in percentage for example 50-50-%. There is no negative probability chance. The probability of getting a face that has two dots on a die is 1/6(1. The probability of not getting the face containing three dots is 1/6, which is (1-1/6) = 5/6 or =. 833. Mutually exclusive means you cannot have two faces of one die at the same time. For example the probability of getting a face of two dots and a face of four dots is 1/3 or . 33, because the probability is the sum of the probability of rolling a two (1/6) and the probability of rolling a four is (1/6). This is a classical concept, because it is based upon prior knowledge of the process involved, in this case the rolling of a die. This approach of probability often predicts that all basic events are equally likely to occur. When this is true, the probability that a particular event will occur is defined by the number of ways the event can occur divided by the total number of elementary events. My chance of passing statistics class depends on probability.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Career Trends in Information Technology Essay

The information technology industry is always changing and evolving, and 2013 looks to be no different. The dramatic rate of change in technology is great for innovation and increased business efficiency but can also cause problems for many organizations. The new changes and breakthroughs in technology require organizations to hire employees that are experienced and up-to-date on the new technologies. Often, this can pose a challenge for businesses because the talent pool is split between recent grads with little experience or longer tenured employees whose skills may not be up to date with the newer tech advances. A recent study of IT executives conducted by Computerworld outlines what the most popular and in demand tech skills will be in the future. 1. Programming and Application Development 60% of the IT executives surveyed claimed they plan to hire employees with programming and application development skills. This need for programming and development skills stems from organizations trying to implement new programs, products and services. Organizations want to offer their customers the positive experience with their products, and having the newest technology is usually the best way for them to accomplish that. A majority of the industry professionals expressed that they will specifically be looking for people with experience in Java, J2EE and .Net. 2. Project Management 40% of employers plan to hire individuals with project management skills in 2013. It seems obvious that the organizations requiring programming and application development skills will also need individuals to plan, oversee, and execute the new projects and initiatives. Newer technologies lead to increased demand for project managers mainly due to the new projects being more complex. IT executives desire project managers that have a proven track record for success, display leadership, and show great attention to detail. 3. Security Security has been and always will be a major issue for IT leaders. The threat of data and identity theft is very real, and protecting that information is imperative. The increased demand for specialized security individuals can be attributed to more complex systems, larger amounts of data, and organizational policies such as bring-your-own-device (BYOD.) These items will make it more difficult to monitor and keep secure data and information. 27% of IT leaders plan to hire more security professionals in 2013, and the majority of those leaders want the professionals to have expertise in encryption technology, deploying firewalls, threat detection tools, and high levels of business acumen. 4. Help Desk/Technical Support Expected system and program updates for organizations in 2013 will lead to the increased demand for tech support professionals. 35% of IT executives surveyed said they plan to hire help desk or tech support individuals due to the need to monitor and support the new programs and systems created by their organizations. Implementing new systems can lead to questions and confusion when using the systems, and tech support individuals will be necessary to support the increased number of inquiries. Roles of Responsibilities of Employers and Employees Employers and employees work together on a daily basis and have very different roles and duties. These primary roles and duties have remained fairly static over time despite changes in technology that have made business more global and efficient. They define what workers are supposed to do on a daily basis without delving into specific job descriptions and thus establish a foundation for the kind of relationship employers and employees should expect. Employer Responsibilities To provide and maintain * a safe working environment * adequate resources, information, training and supervision * an effective health and safety program * to establish a process for identifying, assessing; and controlling risks To ensure that * relevant laws are complied with * workplace rules, procedures and methods are developed and maintained To prepare and maintain OHS&W policies in consultation with * Health and safety committees * Employees * Elected Health and Safety Representatives * Unions, if requested by an employee * And if the employer chooses, a registered employer association of which the employer is a member, Employees Responsibilities Workers’ responsibilities are: * to not place themselves at risk; * to not knowingly put others in danger; * to follow safe working procedures; * to use machinery and equipment safely; * to not let drugs or alcohol affect their work. * to report any hazards they may notice in their workplace; * to apply any training they have received. Responsibilities Of Employers Towards HSRs And HSCs An employer must:- * Consult any relevant Health and Safety Representatives and Health and Safety Committee on the occupational health, safety and welfare practices, procedures and policies that are to be followed; * Consult any relevant Health and Safety Representatives and Health and Safety Committee on any proposed changes to any workplaces such as: – the workplace itself, plant, substances used, handled, processed or stored; nature of work to be conducted, procedures for carrying out work; where those changes might effect the health, safety and welfare of employees at the workplace. * At the request of the employee, permit a Health and Safety Representative to be present at any interview concerning occupational health, safety and welfare between the employer and the employee; * Permit any relevant Health and Safety Representative to accompany an inspector during a workplace inspection; * Permit a Health and Safety Representative to have access to such information as the employer possesses or can reasonably obtain:- relating to workplace risks, concerning the health and safety of the employees and, when requested to do so, supply a copy of that information to the Health and Safety Representative; * Immediately notify a Health and Safety Representative of the occurrence of an accident, dangerous occurrence, imminent danger or risk; or hazardous situation; * Notify a Health and Safety Representative of the occurrence of any work-related injury; * Provide such facilities and assistance to Health and Safety Representatives as are necessary to enable them to perform their functions under this Act. This includes time off, without loss of income, to perform duties as Health and Safety Representatives, and to attend approved training courses (minimum of 5 days per year). Mechanisms for fast-paced and stressful work environment All of us live incredibly fast paced lives. We commute to work and for many people the ride to work is getting longer as people move to more distant locations in the suburbs and rural areas. The journey to work is complex. Drivers are faced with traffic accidents and jams that often cause lateness. Many employers are not sympathetic to the reasons for lateness. Instead of sympathy they demand that people leave for work even earlier. Once at work, there are enormous pressures to be productive. The nature of many careers is that productivity includes the need to think creatively. However, it can be difficult to think creatively if someone is exhausted and stressed once they arrive at work. According to an article in the September 2005 edition of Scientific American it is suggested that in order to maintain the ability to be productive as well as creative, it is necessary to take a twenty minute break from work and go on a â€Å"mental vacation.† By â€Å"mental vacation† is meant that you close your eyes and imagine your self in the most relaxing, beautiful and serene place that you can. In other words, this is a kind of self hypnosis or visual meditation that actually reduces the levels of stress hormones excreted into the cardio vascular system resulting in the reduction of stress and exhaustion. The article urges that a nap not be taken because this dulls thinking and does not necessarily reduce stress. However, the â€Å"mental vacation† sharpens the ability to think and reason after the fifteen to twenty minute journey is over. In doing this visualization it is important to imagine all of the sensory experiences that would go along with the actual trip. If you are at the beach on your journey, smell the ocean water and hear the sounds of the surf hitting up against the shore. If twenty minutes in one lump of time is too much then a ten minute break will help, especially if repeated during the day as pressure builds up. Working in a fast-paced environment can induce stress in many employees. According to the Helpguide website, people tend to react to stress in three distinctive ways: Some freeze up under pressure, others become frustrated and angry and the remaining withdraw or become aloof. In order to be productive in a high-paced, driven work environment, you must know your own limitations and reactions. Survival depends on developing the right mental, physical and practical skill set to manage any hectic, stressful situation to the best of your ability. Industry-related lawsRegulations Computer Law is concerned with controlling and securing information stored on and transmitted between computers. Computer networks contain and store a great deal of private digital information: data on identities, internet access and usage; credit cards; financial information and information for electronic commerce; technical, trade and government secrets; mailing lists; medical records; and much more. It is illegal to maliciously erase this type of data; acquire proprietary information; manipulate said data to obtain funds illegally, through bank withdrawals and transfers, identity theft and credit card use; and to access and use any of this data for any other reason, without authorization. Computer crime and criminal information law are relatively young phenomena. A first historical analysis indicates that each new development of computer technology was followed by a corresponding adaptation of crime as well as by legislative changes. A short overview – using the example of Germany – illustrates this adaptation of crime and information law to the new information technologies. It also indicates that this process started gradually at first, but then continued at an increasing pace: – From the beginning of the 1950s computers were introduced in industry and administration to control routine processes. As late as 20 years after that time, the first cases of computer manipulation, computer sabotage and computer espionage became known. Only in 1986 did the German legislator react with the Second Act for the Prevention of Economic Crime. – On the other hand, the mass processing of personal data in electronic data banks since the 1960s was soon regarded as a danger to privacy. In Germany, the first law that took this development into account was enacted in 1970. – The open networks of the 1970s soon led to corresponding misuses in the form of â€Å"hacking†, which the Law Committee of the German Parliament could still consider in the Second Act for the Prevention of Economic Crime in 1986. – The mass phenomenon of program piracy came along simultaneously with the spreading of personal computers in the 1980s, forcing the legislator to carry out different reform measures from 1985 onwards. – The use of automated teller machines in the 1980s, too, was immediately followed by new ways of code card misuses, which already represented criminal offenses due to the reforms of the Second Act for the Prevention of Economic Crime. – Today, electronic post services, mailboxes, ISDN as well as the development of close links between data processing and telecommunication are used by neo-nazi groups, perpetrators in the field of economic crime and organized criminals: Computer technology and telecommunication have not only become part of general life, but also of general crime. The changes that these new technologies caused in criminal procedural law do therefore not only concern traditional computer offenses, but all kinds of crime.