All About Homeschool Support Groups

All About Homeschool Support Groups Homeschooling can feel isolating for children and parents alike. It’s so different from what most people are doing and its not uncommon to be the only homeschooling family  in your church or neighborhood or among your extended family. Taking full responsibility for your child’s education sometimes feels overwhelming. Add to that all the friends, relatives, and complete strangers insisting that your child is going to be a lonely social outcast, and you may start to wonder if you really can homeschool your child. That’s when you need a homeschool support group – but if you’re new to homeschooling, you may not have a clue how to go about finding one. First, it helps to make sure that you know what you’re looking for. Many new homeschooling families confuse support groups and co-ops. A support group is, as the name suggests, a group where parents can find support and encouragement from others in similar circumstances. Most support groups offer activities such as field trips, social gatherings, and meetings for parents. A homeschool co-op is a group of parents cooperatively educating their children through group classes. Although youll encounter other homeschooling families and can likely find support, the primary focus is on academic or elective classes for students. Some homeschool support groups do offer co-op classes, but the terms aren’t interchangeable. How to Find a Homeschool Support Group If you’re new to homeschooling or have moved to a new area, try these tips for  locating a homeschool support group: Ask Around One of the easiest ways to find a homeschool support group is to ask. If you know other homeschooling families, most will be happy to point you in the direction of local support groups, even if they’re not part of an organized group themselves. If you don’t know any other homeschooling families, ask at places that homeschooling families are likely to frequent, such as the library or used book store. Even if your friends and relatives dont homeschool, they may know families who do. When my family began homeschooling, a friend whose children attended public school gave me the contact information for two homeschooling families she knew. They were happy to answer my questions even though we didn’t know each other personally. Take to Social Media The prevalence of social media in today’s society makes it an excellent source for connecting with other homeschoolers. There are no fewer than a dozen Facebook groups related to homeschooling in my local circles alone. Search Facebook using your city’s name and â€Å"homeschool.† You can also ask on the pages and groups you’re already involved in. If you follow a homeschool curriculum vendors page, for example, you can usually post on their page asking if there are homeschooling families near you. While not as common as they used to be, many homeschool-related websites still offer member forums. Check them to see if they offer listings for support groups or post a message asking about groups near you. Search Online The Internet is a wealth of information. One excellent resource is the Homeschool Legal Defense page. They maintain a list of homeschool support groups by state, which are then broken down by county. You can also check your statewide homeschool group’s page. You should be able to find it listed on the HSLDA site. If you cant, try  using  your favorite search engine. Just type in your state’s name and â€Å"homeschool support† or â€Å"homeschool support groups.† You may also try searching by your county or city name and the keywords homeschool and support. How to Start Your Own Homeschool Support Group Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you can’t find a homeschool support group. You may live in a rural area without many homeschooling families. Alternately, you may live in an area with many groups, but none which are a good fit. If you’re a secular family, you may not fit in with the religious groups or vice versa. And, as unfortunate as it is, homeschooling families are not above forming cliques, which can be off-putting to new families. If you’re unable to locate a homeschool group, consider starting one of your own That’s what some friends and I did in our early years of homeschooling. That group is where my children and I formed some of our closest friendships that are still strong today. Try these tips for starting your own support group: Decide on the Type of Support Group What type of support group would you like to form? Secular,  faith-based, or inclusive of both? Formal or informal? Online or in-person? The group my friends and I started was an informal, online group. We didn’t have officers or regular meetings. Our communication was primarily through an email group. We did arrange a monthly mom’s night out and hosted  back-to-school and year-end parties. Our field trips were planned and organized by group members. If one mom wanted to plan a trip for her family and work out the details to include other group members, that’s what she did. We offered tips to make planning less stressful, but we didn’t have a designated coordinator. You may want a more formal, organized group with regular monthly meetings and elected officers. Consider the details of your ideal homeschool support group. Then, seek out one or two like-minded individuals to help you get it started. Consider the Type of Events You’ll Offer Most homeschool support groups, whether formal or informal, will plan some sort of events for member families. Think about the type of events your group  might offer. Perhaps you’d like to develop a group whose focus is field trips and family-friendly activities or one that hosts speakers and professional development opportunities for homeschooling parents. You may want to offer social events for the children or even a co-op. You might consider activities such as: Holiday parties such as Valentine’s, Christmas, or HalloweenBack-to-school or year-end partiesPlaygroups and park daysMiddle school and high school social events (dances, bowling, or bonfires)Science, geography, or other themed fairsClubs such as book, Lego, or chessPhysical educationSports opportunities  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ either organized or field-day events Decide Where You’ll Meet If you’ll be hosting in-person support group meetings, consider where you’ll meet. If you’ve got a small group, you may be able to host meetings at members’ homes. Larger groups might consider library meeting rooms, community facilities, restaurant meeting rooms, park pavilions,  or churches. Consider the factors that  may influence where you meet. For example: Will you serve refreshments? If so, what does the facility allow outside food and drinks?Will you offer childcare? If so, is there a place where children can safely play?Will you have guest speakers or will you address the group formally? If so, choose a facility where members can be seated and everyone can see and hear the speaker. Advertise Your Group Once you’ve worked out the logistics of your new homeschool support group, you’ll need to let other families know you exist. Our group placed an advertisement in the support group section of our local homeschool newsletter. You might also: Post a notice on the bulletin board at your local library, used book store, or teacher supply storeShare details in your church bulletin or neighborhood and civic group  newslettersSet up a booth or print brochures for local homeschool conventions and used book salesShare your brochure or a simple flyer with moms groups such as Mommy and Me gym classes, MOPS groups, or La Leche LeagueList your group on websites that offer information about support groups Most importantly, talk to other homeschooling families as much as possible. Word-of-mouth advertising in the homeschooling community is second to none. Most homeschooling parents will find that they benefit from the encouragement of a homeschool support group, particularly on the days when homeschooling is hard. Use these tips to find the right group for you and your family - even if that group starts with you and a couple of friends.

XTRA Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

XTRA - Case Study Example The company owners are anticipating the launch of e-business as a probable solution to regain their lost business and sales. The e-business is a manifestation of the turnaround strategy that is planned by the business owners. The new platform will lend a global existence and wider consumer base reach for increasing sales. The e-business will support XTRA to restore the company’s business and the market share. The launch of e-business is expected to generate more business for XTRA by offering a reengineering strategy. Also the data collected by the information systems can be used to serve the customers personally. The staff members at are apprehensive of the new technology and fear the change in roles and responsibilities that will be accompanied with the new approach. Also, since the staff has not been using the computer systems extensively at work, they are not very well acquainted with the information systems and how to use it for the business processes. So the decision is a strategic one and the various critical factors and their impact must be evaluated. The basic problem that can be identified for the current situation at XTRA is its limited consumer base and narrow exposure. Also, company serves product line that caters to a narrow consumer segment with fans of Hollywood actors who are interested to buy a memoir of the favorite movie or actor. XTRA has been operating through a centralized outlet at the city centre. The declining sales can be contributed to the limited market exposure and constrained reach in the world of global and transnational businesses. The past success describes that local demand for the related goods has been well satisfied and saturated. The unique range of products needs to reach a newer customer base which cannot be provided by local market. E-business will help XTRA to reach global customers and to

Whatever you see fits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Whatever you see fits - Essay Example The votes clearly indicate that most of the electors support the executive office and their economic strategy for the subsequent four years. The popular vote on the other hand does not affect the outcome of the presidential elections at all. A presidential candidate may gunner the highest popular vote, but trail in the electoral votes. This means they do not succeed in the whole election process (Sabato, 34). The popular vote may only be used to examine if or not the United States citizens feel content with the outcome of a particular election. According to Chang, the popular vote only has significance in the states where it determines the direction of the electoral votes (122). The Romney Ryan campaign will remain as one of the most strategic and expensive campaign the republicans have ever conducted. Firstly, Romney lost due to his rhetoric statement on immigration that he delivered during his bid. Most minorities and young persons feared that if he won they will not receive fair treatment. Romney’s stand on same sex marriage was also a major factor that made him lose. Majority of Americans states support same sex marriages hence the democrats had an advantage over them. The issue of abortion was also a major factor during the campaign. Most women in America support abortion, but the Romney Ryan campaign was against it. This issue made the Romney Ryan campaign almost insensitive among the female population and the resultant was a loss of a significant number of votes. The Obama Biden campaign on the other hand won because it focused more on populous regions across the nation. Additionally, the campaign focused on satisfying the needs of the minority. The campaign was sensitive to the Hispanics, women and gay couples. This played a major role in ensuring the campaign clinched the majority of the votes in the swing states. With

Communication In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Palliative Care Nursing Essay

Communication In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Palliative Care Nursing Essay The following is an evaluation of enhanced communication techniques in palliative care for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with reference to a case study. COPD is a debilitating terminal condition that is distinguished by a progressive airflow obstruction, primarily caused by smoking. It is usually not fully irreversible (NICE, 2010). For an airflow obstruction to qualify, post bronchiodilation FEV1/FVC is less than 0.7 ( FEV: forced expiratory volume in one second, FVC: forced vital capacity). The course of COPD is highlighted as being an illness characterised by a long inexplorable disease, punctuated with protracted periods of disabling breathlessness, reducing exercise tolerance, causing recurrent hospital admissions and premature death (Buckley, 2008). Diagnosis of COPD is not entirely dependent on severity of breathlessness but also history, physical examination and also spirometry confirmation of airway obstruction (Buckley, 2008; NICE, 2010). Because of the difficulty with the prognosis of COPD, it presents a challenge for physicians and healthcare practitioners to provide adequate care to patients (Curtis, 2006; NICE, 2010). Due to the nature of symptoms associated COPD (such as dyspnoea), patients more often die with COPD or related than from it (NICE, 2010) with mortality rate for men steadily reduced from 1970 while womens has seen a small but steady rise, although COPD mortality is on the general rise. Buckley (2008) reported that there was a relatively higher proportion, (72%) of COPD who die in hospital care, compared with 12% at home and none in hospices. Palliative Care Palliative care has several definitions but has similar concepts according to Campbell (2009). NICE (2010) guidelines define palliative care as active holistic care of patients with advanced progressive illness. Curtis (2006) defines palliative care as the goal being to prevent and relieve suffering and support the best possible loyalty of life for patients and their families and their families, regardless of the state of disease or the need for other therapies. The general aim of palliative care is to improve the quality of care through alleviation of symptoms and promoting comfort over treatment as some treatment involve mechanical aids which patients might find taxing (Curtis, 2006). This has brought about the suggestion for the need of specialised centres (Curtis, 2006) considering how little attention palliative care quality has received. Curtis (2006) then went on to report that there was a very low number of patients who talked about end of life care with their physicians, which can be made even more difficult with loss of emotional control or fear of having little training (Wittenberg-Lyles et al., 2008). There is also a need for patients to show more confidence in their carers (Curtis, 2006). The Gold Standards Framework GSF (2006) Prognostic Indicator Guidance (PIG) lists the criteria that would assist in making a prognosis for requirement of palliative care as: Severity of disease, such as FEV1 being less than 30% predicted Recurrent hospital admissions Long term oxygen therapy Shortness of breath with 4/5 grade on the Medical Research Council (MRC) Dyspnoea scale Signs and symptoms of right heart failure Other factor such as non invasive ventilation (NIV) The GSF (2006) PIG summarises which three steps are key to determine which patient needs palliative care. They are Identifying patient based on criteria Assessing needs Planning administration The above steps are dependent on patients satisfying chronic condition criteria listed earlier. Communication Communication is the process of enhancing thoughts or information between individuals through different media: spoken or written and through body language gestures (Payne et al., 2004). Buckley (2008) states that good communication is the key to the delivery of effective supportive palliative care services as it has an interpersonal perspective that is about health professionals and patients engaging emotionally (Wittenberg-Lyles et al., 2008). Delivering bad news is not an easy or comfortable feat. The United States EPEC (Education for Physicians on End of life) is a training program based on SPIKES model (Setting, Perception, Invitation, Knowledge, Empathy, and Strategy/Summary), that has listed steps to follow that in the delivery of bad news, summarised below: Preparing to meet i.e. location setting Assess what patient knows about condition Determine amount of information to give patient Delivery of news Respond to any questions from patient and/ or family Make follow up plan Case Study: Patient profile The subject used in the case study was an eighty year old man in a nursing home who presented as generally quiet, with long standing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Consent was obtained from him to participate in the study with the potential benefits explained to him. The subject had history of chain smoking and was diagnosed with heart murmurs in 1986. Long term smoking causes the damage to the lung tissues and repeated chest infections (NICE, 2010) and is a major contributor to COPD. The subject was prescribed bronchodilator salbutamol 2.5mg/2.5ml nebuliser liquid unit dose vial, administered by mask one or two ampoules four times a day. It was used as and when it was required although he did not usually exceed three doses daily. The subject had shortness of breath with basic living tasks and dependent on staff. The subject had several GP visits for COPD associated chest infections in the last twelve months and had to be supported by pillows in an almost upright position to sleep to reduce the discomfort caused by the dyspnoea. The subject was chosen as he satisfied most of the criteria from the GSF (2006) in terms of shortness of breath, reliance on the bronchiodilator, several GP visits for chest infections and long history of smoking. The do not resuscitate (DNR) forms were filled in passed on to the multidisciplinary team that include the Ambulance service with the family aware. Communication in Palliative care with COPD Different communication techniques were employed when it came to dealing with the subject to reassure him and the family skills i.e. maintaining appropriate eye contact, low tone of voice is the key to the delivery of effective supportive palliative care service (Buckley, 2008). A SPIKES model approach was employed with the current case study. Discussion It is essential for nurses to establish a therapeutic relationship with patients as they interact more with the patient, employing strategies such as empathy, spending more time listening and being more initiative (Edwards, et al 2006). Communication sometimes can also been limited by workplace policies or insufficient training (Edwards, et al 2006), which raises the need for proper training to better these relationships (Davidson et al., 2002). The current case study was able to overcome the difficulties of communicating with the patient and family as they had been there already offering support, and hence during the meeting to discuss the end of life they stated that they were satisfied with the progress as part of the continued care. The subject did not seem to be happy with the nebulisation therapy at first and he expressed fear and anxieties because it was a new therapy, which was not unusual (Stevens et al., 2009). Curtis (2006) study argues that health care for patients with COPD was often initiated proactively based on a previously developed plan for managing their disease. The subject was given a choice if he wanted a member of his family to be present and if the time was appropriate to which he had no objection, being emotionally functional and able to make his decisions (Lemmens et al. 2008). It was also noted that the subject became more relaxed when the nebulisation therapy was explained to him that it would reduce the dyspnoea, rattly chest, symptoms that he acknowledged made his breathing difficult and other symptoms such as wheezing and sleep disturbance. It is important to have a suitable location where there would be few disturbances when breaking bad news (Stevens et al, 2009; Wittenberg- Lyle, 2006). In the case study, the subjects family was contacted in order to arrange a meeting to discuss his diagnosis, the way forward regarding his treatment and control of his symptoms and also make them aware of any changes that would need to be made in terms of his care. This afforded the subject and family to be to be reassured that the patient would be made as comfortable as possible to alleviate the symptoms of his condition through to end of life and bereavement. Conclusion Palliative care for COPD has not received much attention until recently. Communication is a very important aspect for high standards of care particularly in end of life care. Nurse to patient relationships are even more important as they play a major role; liaising with the family and multidisciplinary team to make the end of life as comfortable as possible. There is still much to be done in terms of communication training for nurses and also getting more physicians involved. The role of a multidisciplinary team is highly valued as it helps streamline the planning and administration of palliative care. The current case study found that the patient was happy with the way that the way that his care was planned.

Strategic Analysis for Philip Morris

Mehmet Burkay 251311001 STRATEGIC ANALYSIS FOR PHILIP MORRIS *PEST ANALYSIS – Political and Legal Forces †¢ The laws regulated by the governments against the cigarette companies and cigarette advertisements, since early 90s. †¢ Increasing tax rates on cigarettes especially in U. S. and Western Europe †¢ The barriers against outside producers in china, korea, taiwan, japan – Economic Forces †¢ Increasing buying power of the consumers in developing countries †¢ Incremental costs of alternative marketing strategies †¢ Compensation expenditures †¢ Shrinking old markets in developed countries Growing new markets in developing countries – Social Forces †¢ Developing social awereness against harm of cigarette †¢ Campaigns against cigarette – Technological Forces †¢ Researches on cure for cancer †¢ Decreasing costs due to the developments of new Technologies †¢ Comprising new advertisement methods through internet * SWOT ANALYIS – Strengths †¢ Company’s strong financial budget †¢ Well known brands in cigarette market †¢ Prestigious image of Marlboro †¢ Successful partners in foreign markets †¢ Strong distribution channels †¢ Essential corporate culture – Weaknesses †¢ Inadequate comunication with public Opportunities †¢ Growing new markets in developing countries †¢ Chance to use brands in different sectors †¢ Merging or forming strategic alliances with local corporations in foreign markets – Threats †¢ Aggressive marketing campaigns of competitors †¢ Social campaigns against cigarette †¢ Legal barriers against cigarette consumption and advertisements †¢ Increasing prices in agricultural products †¢ Deaths due to cigarette †¢ Probable compensations * Industry and Competitor Analysis †¢ Potential Entrants: low First investment costs are quite high and markets are quite dom inated by existing firms Bargaining Power of Suppliers: medium In many countries state is the supplier of tobacco and prices are defined by states †¢ Bargaining Power of Buyers: low Cigarette consumers have no chance to bargain on prices †¢ Other Stakeholders’ Power: high Governments have very strong power to apply sanction on cigarette firms and cigarette market. †¢ Threats of Substitute Products: low Cigarette is easy to reach and use. There is also no serious product that can substitute cigarette †¢ Competition in Industry: high There are many firms activating in industry

Twelfth Night By William Shakespeare - 1100 Words

Shakespeare’s play, â€Å"Twelfth Night† provides a great deal of insight into gender roles, gender identities, and desire in Elizabethan society. In Shakespearean times, women, and to a much lesser extent, men, were subject to a variety of arbitrary limitations based solely on gender. For example, women could not become actresses, and were practically required to have guardians and protectors. Additionally, both men and women were strictly held to separate sets of explicit standards, expectations and values. These roles that people of each gender were held to were very important to developing and maintaining interpersonal relationships. Those who violated these norms would have generally been looked down upon, or even insulted, especially by†¦show more content†¦In â€Å"Twelfth Night† a number of relationships exist and develop between the various characters. Unbeknownst to most of these characters, at least until the final scene of the play, there are a few people among them who are not as they appear. Viola, a woman shipwrecked in a foreign land without a protector, disguises herself as a man, and begins calling herself Cesario. This disguise fools everyone she meets in Illyria. In fact, it fools one woman, Lady Olivia, so well that she eventually falls in love with Cesario. Some might argue that she actually loves Viola, however this is not the case. Olivia is in love with her perception of the man Cesario. She does not love the reality of the woman Viola. When it is revealed that Viola is a woman, Olivia directs her affection towards Sebastian, who fulfills her desire to be with a man. To further explain why Olivia loves Cesario and not Viola, consider the letter Maria wrote for Malvolio. Maria tricks Malvolio into thinking that Olivia loves him. Analogously, Viola tricks Olivia into thinking she loves Cesario. Obviously, Malvolio does not think that Maria loves him, even though she is the author of the letter, and likewise, Olivia does not think that she loves Viola, even though Viola is the one pretending to be Cesario. Count Orsino similarly faces the reality that

Parkers Back And A Rose For Emily Analysis - 1245 Words

Narrative Point of View in â€Å"Parker’s Back† and â€Å"A Rose For Emily† An author’s use of narrative point of view has a significant impact on the presentation and interpretation of a text. The choice of a first-person narrative, for instance, will create a viewpoint that is substantially different in comparison to a third-person narrative. In â€Å"Parker’s Back,† Flannery O’Connor uses a third-person limited point of view. Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose For Emily† employs a first person point of view. In â€Å"Parker’s Back,† the third-person limited narrative allows the author to take an objective, analytical view of Parker that allows the reader to understand the protagonist’s psychology; in â€Å"A Rose For Emily,† the reader’s knowledge of Miss Emily is†¦show more content†¦In the same way that the eyes of the tattoo make Parker feel â€Å"transparent,† the third perso n limited narration also makes Parker transparent to the reader by allowing the reader to access Parker’s thoughts and feelings. Parker likes to maintain control over what is seen and known about him; this is clear in the fact that all of his previous tattoos have been on the front of his body: â€Å"He had no desire for one anywhere he could not readily see it himself† (Kennedy and Gioia 430). On a more abstract level, Parker keeps his real name a secret and goes only by his initials; his first real act of intimacy with Sarah Ruth is to share his name: Obadiah Elihue. The third person limited point of view, therefore, allows the reader to do what both the eyes of Christ in the tattoo and Parker’s wife do: to see Parker as he really is, not as he pretends to be. In contrast to the third person limited point of view in â€Å"Parker’s Back,† the point of view in â€Å"A Rose For Emily† is the first person. The narrator’s exact identity; the first line refers to â€Å"our whole town,† implying that s/he is a towns person and neighbor. In fact, the narrator is never specified as one, single person; the pronouns â€Å"our† and â€Å"we† seem to indicate that the narrator consists of several people, or even the town as a collective whole. Rather than being told by a narrator who is outside of the story, and therefore objective, the first person nature of this narratorShow MoreRelatedMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pagescases that have stimulated student discussions and provoked useful insights, but newer case possibilities are ever contesting for inclusion. Examples of good and bad handling of problems and opportunities are forever emerging. But sometimes we bring back an oldie, and with updating, gain a new perspective. For new users, I hope the book will meet your full expectations and be an effective instructional tool. Although case books abound, you and your students may find this somewhat unique and very