The media play in encouraging Essay Example for Free

The media play in encouraging Essay What role does the media play in encouraging or discouraging tourism to particular destinations? Popular mediums of media including film, television, internet and print media can influence the appeal of certain travel destinations and activities. It can prompt a desire or avert tourism destinations as suggested by MacCannell (1976) these media forms can highly construct or highlight particular images of destinations to act as a marker. Prospective tourists base their knowledge on such information provided whether to travel or not to particular destinations. Film induced tourism can also bring about an increase in the cultural value of the film location being heritage sites. Firstly, in the case of New Zealand’s Maori culture has gained recognisable status through media exposure. The film Whale Rider (2002) for instance thoroughly demonstrates the Maori culture. In customary Maori culture the beliefs, clothing, animals, plants and certain landforms are spiritually linked with particular groups of individuals. The film represents this through the whales being the ancient symbol for the Ngati Konohi community. Thus, by maintaining a sense of identity it offers an opportunity for individuals to reflect and provide expressions of self. Additionally, this film can attract individuals strongly interested in culture especially of New Zealand’s Maori culture. As well as this heritage sites which have been set as film locations gain fame and recognition by its audience after the release of the film. These locations often gain meaning through film narration. For example Mission Impossible 2 (2000) was filmed at the Sydney Royal National Park. Due to the popularity of the film series an increase of visits to the park occurred during 2000 the year the film was released. Hence, can be evidently seen media plays a major role in encouraging tourism to certain destinations. However, with the expansion of different types of visitors to a destination it could also provoke an adjusted behaviour in tourists (Smith et al, 2010). The world heritage site in Angkor, Cambodia had been utilised and set up as a location for the adventure film Tomb Raider. Tourists who had viewed and felt a sense of yearning to visit the location of the film were discovered climbing on the ancient sanctuary temple walls in order to attempt and imitate the protagonist. This kind of media coverage creates a negative impact on the site as tourists are not respecting or obliging to conservation plans set  out for the site. The inappropriate manner can additionally provoke iconic pieces or souvenirs to be removed from the film induced tourism locations so as to be able to efficiently oblige with conservation plans. â€Å"Media based tourism can bring additional income and jobs to an area and in particular can provide opportunities for selling souvenirs/merchandising and spin-off services such as themed tours and services† (Smith et al, 2010 p.73). This is evident in many tourist destinations including Thailand and the film The Beach. It has created a strong stimulation of desires for people to visit the film location in addition to the surrounding areas of Thailand. Due to the large tourism activity, tour companies have taken advantaged and advertised various tours which circuits various film based locations and entitled them The Beach Tours ( Law et al 2007). Extraordinariness can also be added to entice travellers such as recounting stories and gossip within the tours about the production of The Beach. Also the Footsteps on the Beach website was created which sells Thailand to a more mass audience as well as reach potential tourists to visit Thailand through images and meaning. Desires can also be a reason why individuals choose to travel in the first place. Therefore, by creating strong desires and adding extraordinariness through media exposure it further encourages individuals to travel. The idea of a journey with fun filled experience can also prompt an encouragement to travel and explore destinations. There are numerous journey narratives exposed starting from early childhood years. Journey narratives are stories which are structured around a physical journey. Along the way individuals reflect and grow to develop a stronger understanding of self. For instance contemporary narratives of Eat Pray Love or Lord of the Rings. Characters undertake a journey in order to discover a purpose through the meaningful experiences occurred on the way. These encourage a desire for otherness a nd difference attracting the explorer and drifter tourists. This is due to the fact such tourists do not mind getting off the beaten tracks, leaving the environmental bubble voluntarily and preferring a novelty experience (Cohen 2004). Many of these media have influenced young individuals to travel as they have gotten older. Thus children’s stories are a major motivator for individuals to travel as it’s the first contact many individuals have in terms of media and tourism. Additionally, journey narratives are powerful motivators as individuals seek out tourism destinations. Riley et al (1992)  have distinguished the downsides of main concern as the exploitation of locals and visitors, expanding costs, absence of readiness of locals when managing with the high tourist influx, the way the location differs from the way it is portrayed in the forms of media bringing about a loss of tourist fulfilment and satisfaction and the various effects of souvenir hunters particularly those who consume signs and markers. These components rela te to the film induced tourism audience and ever expanding tourist visitations to such locations. An important and ambiguous issue to be considered when arguing views of film induced tourism is that of the actual versus the envisioned images as created by the media. Butler (1990) indicates that in a number of times films are not shot at the locations they imply to be. For instance the Philippines was adopted to portray Vietnam in the 1986 Vietnam War film Platoon. This then creates a condition where the general audience are constructing their knowledge on false information and developing false expectations and desires of destinations they decide to visit. It can be argued that much of the expectations in tourism is created with what is presented and viewed in the media. These expectations are developed overtime due to the mass promotions, guidebooks and stories of tourism travel from documentaries and films. The information provided is usually of implied promises. Boorstin (1972) suggests these pseudo-events are responsible for the inauthenticity of the tourism industry. Commentators suggest that media tourism is a clear example of post-tourism (Smith et al, 2010 p.74) and the visitor perspectives of locations are somewhat of a giant cinema screen suggesting the inauthenticity of a place. Consequently, resulting in tourists’ dissatisfaction with their travel experiences. As an outcome tension is created and discourages tourists from visiting certain destinations. A further case of the immediate complications that media production can bring can be evident in Thailand. Here 20th century Fox filmed The Beach. In order to prepare the site for production and to begin filming the beach was demolished and widened with much of the native vegetation and a mass amount of rubbish from the isolated beach also being removed. The destruction of the natural environment became a major concern. The landscape was modified so â€Å"the global cinematic audience is offered an idealised journey in a fantasy space, one based on a ‘dream’ of the tropic s† (Law et al 2007). In doing so Higgins-Desbiolles (2001) claims it tarnished  the Thai Government, damaged the reputation of Twentieth Century Fox, sparked a desire for travel within the young fan base and opened up the opportunities for companies to promote themselves. However, the major benefit that came out of this production was that it boosted the Thailand economy by an estimated US$150000. Clearly the media plays a role in both encouraging and discouraging tourists to visit certain destinations based on their tourist gazes. The tourist gaze was founded by Urry who outlines is a visual nature of tourism. It refers to â€Å"the way in which tourists seek out and consume visual images and the means by which the tourism industry organises and directs this consumption† (Smith 2010 p.174). The gaze can be seen as having a positive outcome on tourism destinations. Bruno (1997) explains that viewers of media are in a way acting like tourists. Having viewed certain television shows such as The Amazing Race the audience feel a compelling motivation to go and travel as well due to the depicted images in the show. However, it can also demotivate in terms of negative publicity placed on certain locations. For instance many individuals avoid the Midd le East regions due to sudden eruptions of conflict such as war and terrorist attacks. Many news reports have displayed images of such risks. This information is then publicly revealed to a mass audience including potential tourists. Resulting in tourists rethinking about their destination choices and seeking other locations instead. Tourism is a key component of popular culture and is fed and feeds from the media which both circulates and produces culture. The power of media especially film and television can motivate travellers, create new images, alter negative images and create and placing icons on maps is recognised as a major factor in promoting tourism travel. Through the analysis of the film The Beach as well as various researchers including Law, Smith and Urry a further understanding is established in terms of media and the influence it can have on tourism whether in positive or negative conducts. As evident media does play a major role in deciding tourist destinations. Reference List Boorstin, D.J 1972, The Image: A Guide to Pseudi Events in America, Atheneum, New York. Butler, R.W 1990, ‘The influence of the media in shaping international tourist patterns’, Tourism Recreation Research, vol. 15, no. 2, pp.46–53. Cohen, E 2004, Toward a sociology of international tourism, in Contemporary tourism: diversity and change, Elsevier, Boston, MA, pp. 37-47. Higgins-Desbiolles, F 2001, Battlelines on ‘The Beach’: Tourism and globalisation. Policy, Organisation and Society Special Edition: Different Globalisations, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 116–138. Law, L., Bunnell, T. and Ong, C 2007, ‘The Beach, the gaze and film tourism’, Tourist Studies, vol 7, no. 2, pp. 141-164. MacCannell, D 1976, A semiotic of attraction, in The tourist: a new theory of the leisure class, Schocken Books, New York, pp. 109-33. Riley, R. VanDoren, C.S 1992, Movies as tourism promotion: A ‘pull’ factor in a ‘push’ location. Tourism Management, September, pp. 267–274. ‘Film TV Tourism’ in Smith, M., MacLeod, N. and Hart Robertson, M 2010, Key Concepts in Tourist Studies. London, Thousand Oaks, New Delhi Singapore, SAGE, pp. 71-75.

Late Adulthood Essay Example for Free

Late Adulthood Essay As we all get older we wonder what is going to happen to us. What does our body go through and why? Do you ever wonder why things happen when you get older instead of happening in your middle age time of life to prepare you for what is coming and help you deal with things a little easier? What happens to your mind and why does it happen? Well, those are just some of the things that go through the people in the late adulthood. Some of the questions are always asked by people that are in their late adulthood. My research is important because, it will help people in the late adulthood better understand what happens as they get older and help the middle age people understand what they may go through as they get older. Everyone’s body ages differently and some just do not understand what can happen or what may happen. To help the people in the world through life a little easier and maybe even give them a chance to get the help they need before it is too late and things get worse or causes more problems with themselves or their families. The study will help us better understand the different life spans of a human through their different stages in life. Help understand why our mind is not as functional as it was in our middle age time. Help understand why our body changes with time. This study will help the people as much as it will help us. We may be able to find a way to help the middle age prevent from going to memory loss and even psychology show them that there is maybe a way to go through a process in their time of age a little easier to where we can keep them from getting an eating disorder and find out why that happens when they get older. This will help us better understand why Alzheimer’s is just a problem and maybe do some research and see if we could understand mentally where they are in the state of mind they in and better understand this disease. This study will consist of talking to different middle aged and late aged people. We will be doing a lot of different memory test as well as psychological tests. The research that I have done so far as far as the middle age as well as the late age group of people and have found it very interesting how to different age groups are going through similar experiences mentally and physically in life with their body as well as their minds and also and most important emotionally. The similarity was very interesting because, I asked a 40 year old person and then asked a 61 year old person the same questions and one being a female and the other a male and the answers were very similar and that is amazing and made me wonder why and how that is. My intent is to find out the why the middle age starts at a certain age and what the difference between the middle age to the late age besides the ages. Why people feel after they get to a certain age they feel their feelings and emotions change. Why do they feel that they are not attractive besides their age? Why do they start losing their memory at a certain age? Why is the depression is so much stronger when they get to the late adulthood and why it starts hitting at the middle age, people start getting scared and feels that their lives are ending instead of making their lives the best everyday they are alive. This study is a long study that will take a while to do. If we do the right test and a lot of observation we should be able to show some progress and theories on why things happen the way they do. This research will help us better understand the different stages of life and maybe help make it a little better for the process of aging and better understand. As people get older they feel that no one understands what they are going through. Well, I want them to understand that there are some people out that are willing to try to understand what they are going through in life as well as emotionally and physically. There are a lot of people that are denying what is going on with them and they are looking for help. Researchers have tried to understand the different stages of life but, that was in the past. There has been a lot of change and a lot more discoveries in the world today and new research and understanding has to be done. So with the new research we do and explore more depth into our research to figure out what wasn’t figured out in the past or figure out what is new and why that happening is will better help the people as well as the future researches that are going to wonder the same things or start were we left off. Do you sit back and wonder why we deny that we are getting older? Why do you think that is? Do you wonder why you get as depressed as you get older and you feel like you are just not you anymore? Do you wonder why your acceptance of who you are is not the same which in return sends you on many other paths in life? With this research it may answer a lot of these questions and maybe even more. There is so much to learn we just need the chance to do it and better understand the life development.

Rural Urban Migration In Ghana Cultural Studies Essay

Rural Urban Migration In Ghana Cultural Studies Essay One of the main challenges which Africa must take up at this crucial time of its development is that of feeding its people. The continent is known for its rich agricultural potential, which constitutes the major highlight of the economy in most of its countries. It is then difficult to believe that the continent is still in a race to reach a level of self-sufficiency. Unfortunately, such is the situation, and we ask ourselves millions of questions. In a country like Ghana, which is not exempt of such a situation, and where agriculture is the key sector of the economy, we wonder why rural areas are so underdeveloped, or why poverty seems to crack it and why young people are increasingly becoming rare in those areas. Moreover, we are lost as to the situation of products consumed by Ghanaians, which are mostly imported. The answer to these questions appears to be found in the substantial difference between living conditions in the urban and rural areas, which leads to the phenomenon of rural exodus. Rural-urban migration in Ghana reduces the development of agriculture, which deeply affects the economy. After the colonial period, the black continent took up an effective development race for its countries. This is reflected in urbanization, and Ghana does not make an exception. With most businesses and activities being concentrated in Ghanas urban areas, rural areas tend to lack basic needs. It is then normal to see the youth fleeing those areas for the conquest of the city. They have, indeed, many valid reasons to leave rural areas for cities like Accra or Kumasi for example. The effects of an issue cannot be discussed without looking into its causes. Likewise, we cannot also talk about the effects of rural urban migrations without, even briefly, mentioning its causes. Indeed, attracted by the beauty of the cities and its infrastructural developments, rural youth troop to the urban areas with the hope of finding a well-paid job and living a less stressful life. Whats more, the intensity of agricultural works, which are accentuated by the use rudimentary tools and ancient agricultural techniques applied make them take flight. These agricultural works are mainly determined by climate; therefore, farmers are indulged in seasonal unemployment, which does affect their financial conditions as well as their living ones. In short, the youth leave rural areas in search of greener pastures. Nevertheless, with the massive arrival of rural dwellers into the city coupled with the issues they generate, the urban areas are quickly becoming agonized with certain effects of the migration. What are they? The main effects of rural migration in Ghana are felt in the agricultural sector, which makes-up a big portion of the Ghanaian economy. The concentration of infrastructures in the city leading to the rural urban migration is making the countryside becoming more underdeveloped and devoid of strong energetic youth. The latters presence being the fuel for development in the countryside; their departure negatively affects the area by pushing it deeper into underdevelopment. Indeed, the youth leave behind aged and infants who are not able to put much energy into the intricate work of farming, which constitutes most of the economic development of the area, and of the country as a whole (Rural to Urban migration). Consequently, the rarity of youth, that is, the labour hand in the countryside doesnt favor agricultural activities but rather brings both rural and urban dwellers deeper into poverty and starvation. Like Liebenow said in 1986: The mass exodusà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦from the impoverished countryside leaves not only fewer hands to grow the nations food but more mouths to feed (Liebenow, qtd in Twumasi-Ankrah, 180-184). This quote shortly explains the dire effects of rural to urban migration on both the city and the countryside. With an increasing number of people leaving the rural areas, which happens to be the fertile grounds of development for any developing country, a limited number of labor forces begin to be felt as time goes by (Rural to Urban migration). Food production therefore becomes low, while there are more and more people in the urban areas who need to be fed. A report by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) indicates that a total of 1.2 million Ghanaians have limited access to sufficient and nutritious food throughout the year, while another 2 million are at risk, or become food insecure (Ghana News Agency, 1). It becomes obvious that once the agricultural motor which is the labor hand is affected, the farming revenue too is attacked and is seriously decreasing. Agriculture has then a central role to play in promoting growth and poverty reduction in the Ghanaian economy at this stage of our development, and Ghana needs an agricultural revolution based on productivity growth; this will raise almost a million more Ghanaians out of poverty (Nankani, 2). In agriculture-based countries in South Saharan Africa, like Ghana, agriculture accounts for 32 percent of GDP growth, mainly because it already is a large share of GDP (Nankani). Therefore, any mistake in farms is directly negatively affecting the whole economy of the country. Moreover, this situation favours the development of the agriculture of subsistence since farmers dont have adequate tools and conditions for a massive production. This type of agriculture production is on family scale, that is, not even enough to reach the city. Therefore, the country is no more able to export food supplies, but rather import them. The government, then, has to spend a lot of money trying to prevent its people from starvation. Such conditions slow down then Ghana in its process of becoming alimentary auto-sufficient. In addition, developing countries usually have a limited number of social amenities to cater for their population. This situation worsens with an increasing number of people trooping from the rural areas to the urban areas. Usage of limited facilities increases. With such increases, facilities wear out quicker than expected, and this affects the economy by increasing costs for the government (Rural to Urban migration). An increase in the number of migrants does not only put pressure on limited facilities, but it also endangers the security of others when these migrants finally realize that the job markets are not suitable for them. With no job and no sources of income, rural migrants must make ends meet. The situation becomes a desperate one where people are ready to do anything to get money. Most migrants from rural areas then result to practices such as stealing, armed robbery, prostitution. Furthermore, since they cannot afford a decent shelter, they are likely to settle in what is popularly known as kiosks. Once started by one person, the trend follows. The area quickly becomes overcrowded with an atmosphere not worthy of living in (Rural to Urban migration) Other examples of migrants who end up engaging in any activity that would earn them some money are the Kayayos. They are young women or girls who work as porters, carrying heavy loads on their heads (DiCampo, 1). They usually migrate from rural areas in the northern region to the bustling cities in the south (DiCampo, 1). These young girls and women usually get very little for the hard work they do. I wont go back to that place. They are suffering there. If you dont have money, you suffer. You wont eat. At home, you can always cook and eat, said Amariya, a woman in her 20s who worked in Ghanas capital, Accra, until she had enough money to return to her village and marry (DiCampo, 1). This is the reality once in the city. Like Amariya, some of them choose to leave; others keep fighting for a better urban life and become exposed to many social vices that they further cultivate. These people for example, with such instabilities in their lives are not able to send their children to school either in the countryside or in the city since such infrastructures are missing in the rural areas while they are expensive in town. In addition, we must not forget that rural to urban migration has devoid the countryside of teachers, a form of brain drain on the rural population (Twumasi-Ankrah). Rural-urban migration then, is an important factor of analphabetism which represents a danger for the future of the country, that is, the unavailability of elites to push the country forward in its development processes. It is amazing to see how much these issues are slowly but surely affecting the country. It becomes obvious that something must be done to slow down this phenomenon. The countryside represents the power hands that feed a country and it needs to be developed, that is, to have infrastructures and good conditions of life to insure good productivity. The decentralization of the city then becomes an emergency for the survival of the country and the stability of its economic situation. In conclusion, we can deduce from this analysis that the rural areas and urban areas are intrinsically related which besides has serious impacts on the Ghanaian economy. Rural migration is a realistic phenomenon, a real scourge that undermines the Ghanaian society and Africa as a whole, weakening at the same time the efforts for an effective development, which is mainly based on agriculture. The fact of the matter is that the rural youth desert the villages for the cities, and it creates many negative consequences for both the cities and the rural areas. It is then imperative that the government must take more effective actions in order to establish the lacking infrastructures, that is, to fix this ongoing problem. This seems to be the only way for the country to solve the problem, and to make effective steps towards development. Does the fact that rural urban migration is tearing Ghana mean that it doesnt have beneficial effects on both the city and the countryside?

Black Militia’s Formation Essay -- American History, The Civil War

In such a controversial period regarding the spread of slavery and state’s rights, the Louisiana black militia’s formation and involvement during the Civil War was not one without strife. The Union and Confederacy were both divergent in issues regarding the black population. It was only innate the black population would assist in the struggle which would determine their future to be free from subrogation. In order to review the history of the Civil War, it is only practical to view the involvement of black men during this struggle. James G. Hollandsworth, Jr. explores the social, political, and military aspects of the first, second, and third regiments of the Louisiana Native Guards during the Civil War. This topic of black militias is a rare narrative due to its lack of precedent over that of the white participants. The author begins with the Louisiana Native Guards representing the Confederacy during the siege of New Orleans and continues through the time of reconstruction. The basic initiative of Hollandsworth is to illustrate the discrimination of black soldiers by their white Union counterparts. By tracing some of the involvement of the Louisiana Native Guards during the Civil War, Hollingsworth is able to address some historical questions regarding the different sentiments towards blacks in the north and south. There are several smaller factors which Hollandsworth explores. One of these factors is the differences in sentiments amongst the white participants of the Union militias. The determination of the participants in the black militias is also exemplified to account for their devotion towards the conflict which surrounded the Civil War. Hollandsworth also explores the continued struggle and determination of the black... ...are that of superior authority, such as officers. Since a militia unit contains different hierarchies of participants, to contain the superior and not the inferior provides insufficient evidence on the topic at hand. In order to fully understand history, it is beneficial to gather information from both perspectives and all participants. A biased tabulation of history is compared to that of a victim and its offender. Historical events contain factual elements which may never be fully discovered, especially during times where documentation was some times scarce. Since history sometimes repeats itself, in order to learn lessons, one must identify all the elements which caused the initial conflict. Hollandsworth revives a portion of history which brings about a new perspective to his readers and with this a possible evolution in black military historical literature.

A Brief History of Tahiti Essay -- World History Essays

Like much of the colonial world, Tahiti and its surrounding islands were subject to the intense brutality and domination of European imperialism. The native people were manipulated, their culture was eradicated, and their freedom was greatly limited as both the French and the British struggled for control over the Polynesian’s 65 inhabitable islands. What makes Tahiti distinctive from the colonial world, though, is the lack of violence commonly associated with independence movements. Instead, Tahiti’s progression from a colony to a territory of limited independence has been, for the most part, rather peaceful due to the area’s unique history and geography. The area known as French Polynesia is spread out across 2,000,000 miles of the South Pacific Ocean. Though, this number in many cases is deceiving due to the fact that only about 6,500 of those miles are land. Tahiti is the largest of the Polynesian’s 118 islands, containing a land mass greater than 1,667 square miles. It is also the area’s most populous region, consisting of nearly 150,000 citizens. The first Europeans arrived in Tahiti in 1767. A year later, the island was claimed for France by explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville. The French, though, were slow to exert their control over the region and, in their absence, other colonial powers, most notably the British, were able to establish dominance. In 1797, the members of the London Missionary Society arrived on the island. Over the next twenty years, these missionaries developed close ties with the Pomares, Tahiti’s most powerful ruling family. Through domination and manipulation, the British missionaries used the Pomares’ influence to eradicate many of the native traditions,... .../historydates.asp> Tahiti. 1995-2002. 12 Nov. 2002. â€Å"Tahiti and French Polynesia: A look at the history and culture of French Polynesia† Tahiti Explorer. 1994-2002. 12 Nov. 2002. â€Å"Tahiti and Its Islands: The History† Tahiti Explorer. 1994-2002. 12 Nov. 2002. Links This link brings its reader to a timeline of dates regarding the history of Tahiti and Polynesia. This link brings its reader to a website designed for tourists. It contains various information about Tahiti. This link brings its reader to a basic website containing historical facts and tourism information regarding Tahiti.

How Can We Be Sure That What We Are Taught About Jesus Is True And Not :: essays research papers

There are several ways in which we can be assured that what we are taught about Jesus is true and not just made up. These are called our faith sources. These sources, like the Bible and other sources of information about Jesus have accounts of Jesus’ life. The most important part of these faith sources is the Christian Scriptures. Although the Christian Scriptures are one of the most valuable tools we have to learn about Jesus there are also the Gospels, and also other non-biblical, and non-Christian accounts of Jesus’ life that we can consider when trying to answer the question How can we be sure that what we are taught about Jesus is true and not just made up? The Christian Scriptures is the entire Christian Bible. It is composed of both the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Testament. The Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) is composed of several books all containing stories about Jesus, and the Christian Testament (New Testament) which contains the stories of Jesus and the earliest Christian Communities. Although these stories cannot confidently prove to us that they are true there are several distinct similarities, which are contained in nearly all of the books. These similarities are so frequent that their constant occurrence seems more than coincidence. Although these similarities occur often in the books of the Hebrew Scriptures, there are four short books included in the Christian Testament, which we must rely on to understand Jesus’ ministry and life. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the origin of nearly everything the Christian Church teaches about Jesus. The Gospels, in turn, serve as the scale or test of truth and authenticity of everything the church teaches about Jesus. It is said that the Gospels are the link between Jesus of Nazareth and the people of every age throughout history who have claimed to be his followers. Although the Gospels teach us about Jesus’ life they may not provide concrete evidence that what they speak of is true there are several other sources. Several non-biblical and non-Christian sources are available to help bear out the fact that Jesus actually did exist as a historical person. These sources are of an array of backgrounds: Josephus, a Jewish historian; Tacitus, a Roman writer; Pliny the Younger, a Roman writer; and Suetonius, also a Roman writer, all spoke of Jesus of Nazareth in their records.

Myself, my setting and my learning Essay

The aim of this reflective account is to discuss my developing practice and how as a childminder I ensure my setting meets the requirements of the curriculum which I follow. This is based on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS, DfES, 2007), whilst still keeping true to my own beliefs in the best environment for learning to meet the needs of all the children whom attend my setting. My setting has eleven children enrolled, from one to ten years; all children are able bodied, although some have specific behavioural needs. I belong to a local quality assurance and childminding network. As an early years provider I have a responsibility to implement the four themes of the EYFS; A unique child, Positive Relationships, Enabling Environments and Learning and Development including the sixteen commitments. I believe the EYFS has brought positive changes to settings, as it ensures that no-matter what type of setting, there is now a set of standards which all must meet. This can only be seen to offer peace of mind to parents and as a benefit to children’s well-being. 1 The course has taught me the background of the EYFS, as a key part in The Ten Year Childcare Strategy, (DfES, 2004c) and the Childcare Act 2006 (DfES, 2006), ensuring the Every Child Matters agenda is implemented. The five major themes combined with the five outcomes of the Children’s Act 2004, highlights the important role required of the Early Years Services and multi-agency working. As a result of the recent changes of the Childcare Act 2006, one of the biggest impacts I have noticed is the training available. The aim of The Children’s Plan (DCSF, 2007); ‘To make England the best place in the world for children and young people to grow up in’, has many measures in place to support this and one of the changes needed is for professional development to be coherent in the children’s workforce . (KU3) As Sylva et al points out, â€Å"Quality of provision is dependent on the quality of the staff who work in the settings† (Melhuish et al, 1999; Sylva et al., 2003). 2 Because of the funding available not only have I been able  to access this course, I have also recently completed courses on ‘Observing children in the home setting’ and ‘Senior Safeguarding Children’. I ensure parents are updated of any new training to demonstrate my professional attitude to my setting. (CS1, CS2 & CS3, KU3) I also show a professional attitude to my role by using parent evaluation forms and having a suggestions box (for children and parents). Due to some of the children coming from broken families I send the diaries via e-mail or paper copy, it is also one of the EYFS principles ‘Positive Relationships’.3 (KS4) Parents receive a parent information booklet, which includes policies and procedures to comply with the EYFS statutory requirements and to highlight my roles and responsibilities, such as; safeguarding children, positive behaviour management, medicines and first-aid, equal opportunities, health and safety, fire procedure, accident and emergency plan and my complaints procedure. A significant change from the EYFS has been the need for planning to focus on each child’s individual learning, development and care needs and to ensure that the children and their families are fully included in all aspects of care. The importance of observations and planning to meet individual needs was stated in an article a in the Child Care magazine (November 2007), â€Å"It is important you know what level the child is at, what their next steps are, what their interests are and how you can enhance those interests†. This was before the introduction of the EYFS, in September 2008 and it demonstrates that is was good practice to use observations before it became a requirement in order to give each child a valuable learning experience. By being a reflective practitioner and using observations to construct my planning, I understand when I need to adapt activities within my setting to meet the needs of all children. I regularly observe and plan the curriculum around individual needs and it also my responsibility to facilitate learning and ensure correct resources and materials available to ensure inclusion for all; this could be something as simple as ensuring I have left handed scissors available, to ensuring younger children are able to participate in forest excursions by having them in back carriers and having spare waterproof clothing. (CS1, CS2 & CS3) 4 Compared to many other early years’ settings, I have a strong emphasis on  being outdoors and I work from a large log cabin amongst trees in my garden. This encourages the children to explore their natural environment and often leads to unintended curriculum such as; finding lots of snails on a rainy day and then making ‘home’s for them amongst the trees. In Norway, almost 10% of kindergartens are based outdoors www.teachers.tv/video/35165 and I share their attitude to children and the outdoor environment with the saying â€Å"There is no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing†. We often go on forest excursions, build out door dens using natural resources and the children have the freedom to explore. I believe my role in this helps the children develop a positive and confident ‘can do’ attitude no matter what the elements. (CS1 & CS3) 5 It wasn’t until I completed the activity in ST3 ‘Reflecting on Approaches to Curricular’ that I noticed that I use some similar practices to the Steiner approach such as; we sing songs to inform everyone it is tidy up time, and song time is a very active affair. I encourage the children to explore their natural environment and we celebrate the changes in season first hand. I believe this approach enhances the EYFS guidance as it is a play led approach, the main difference with the EYFS is what it expects children to achieve academically before they are five years than the Steiner approach expect of children of seven years. Which is also when countries, such as Sweden believe is the best age for children to begin formal education www.teachers.tv/video/12090 (CS1, CS2 & CS3). 6 Although I do feel that the children who attend my setting benefit greatly from my outdoor curriculum compared to the rather small outdoor area at the ‘Lark’s Children’s Centre’ (DVD 1), the Centre has a well equipped indoor space, where there is a professional attitude by the multi-agency professionals. It was encouraging to see the way they shared information, to ensure the best outcome for the parents and the children. In comparison I work alone although I do participate in network meetings. I share information regularly with nursery staff and teachers and use observations to support parents in discussing concerns with other professionals. It was obvious from the different projects that the Children’s Centre has good funding; in comparison I work privately and my setting relies on my income  to supply equipment and resources (CS1 & CS3). However both settings have a positive ethos in working with parents and children. 7 Meanwhile similar targets to Sure Start have been set within other countries in the United Kingdom such as the Early Years Strategy in Northern Ireland (DENI, 2007), The Early Years Framework (Scottish Government, 2009a) and the Flying Start programme and the Framework for Children’s Learning in Wales (Welsh Assembly Government, 2008), all of which have the aim of improving the life chances of the very young members of our society, by ensuring they have access to good quality child care and education.