Increae productivity and safety at night shift Research Paper

Increae productivity and safety at night shift - Research Paper Example Running head: INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND SAFETY AT NIGHT SHIFT Increase productivity and safety at night shift [Name] [Course] [Professor’s name] [Date Contents Page No Abstract Acknowledgement 1. Introduction 12-14 2. Literature review 14-21 3. Methodology 21-25 4. Result 25- 54 5. Discussion 54-60 6. ... iew on general first aid 41 Figure:-32- Male worker’ view on night arrangement of first aid 42 Figure:-33- Female worker’ view on night arrangement Of first aid 42 Figure:-34-Medical interventions in emergencies 43 Figure:-35- percentage male (>2yrs) regarding Job security 44 Figure: 36- percentage female (>2yrs) regarding Job security 44 Figure: 37- percentage male (2yrs) workers 47 Figure: 42- Monthly remuneration of male (2yrs) satisfied with Remuneration 49 Figure: 47- percentage Male workers (2yrs) witnessing Job deprivation 51 Figure: 52- percentage male workers (

Certain chemicals Essay Example for Free

Certain chemicals Essay If the process of plate tectonics were to completely stop then the ability of the Earth to create mountains through the collisions of two different plates would stop as well. This would mean that erosion would eventually abrade these mountains and the amount of sediment created by this activity would eventually reach the numerous oceans and seas. The end result would be a rise in sea level that would eventually swallow up the entire land mass of the Earth and sort of global ocean would be created as a result (Life in the universe 2001). This would of course mean the extinction of all the land based species on the surface of the planet. B. ) Weathering helps initiate the erosion of rocks, topsoil or other exposed surfaces of the Earth through either changes in the climate or weather conditions while erosion on the other hands deals in the transport of small rocky material after weathering has broken it down (Boardsman 2002). These two processes help to release valuable minerals in the soil which can be carried off to the sea to nourish it or to create land suitable for plant life (Boardsman 2002). Not only that but it is these two processes that help to regulate the landmass on the planet brought about by plate tectonics which creates new land masse. If erosions and weathering stopped the seas and oceans would not be able to get the valuable nutrients they need to support life and the surface of the Earth would be filled with massive mountains that would make it hard to live on. 2. Evaluate the following statements: A. We should not get worried about exposure to toxic chemicals because almost any chemical at a high dosage can cause harm. This statement is false. Certain chemicals at even low dosages can be fatal to human beings. For example if ingested even in tiny drops arsenic is fatal to most people and can cause an extremely painful death within hours (Gilbere 2008). Another example is sulfuric acid which can kill a person if splashed on the wrong area of the body. There is actually a wide variety of chemicals in the world today that dont rely on volume to kill as such a person should take caution when they handle, are near to or have been splashed by any sort of chemical (Gilbere 2008). B. We should not worry about exposure to UV light and toxic chemicals because though genetic adaptation, we can develop immunity to such chemicals/UV light. Genetic adaptation takes millions of years to accomplish as such overexposure today for a person without proper protection can lead to skin cancer, a variety of skin diseases, a bad sunburn, heat stroke or a variety of other maladies that affect a persons health (Guhl 2005). As such the present generation or even the next 10 generations would not be able to benefit from any developments in genetic adaptation due to the time evolve. Due to this people should be wary of their exposure to UV light and must take precautions in order not develop any skin related problems. C. We should not worry about exposure to toxic chemicals because we can use genetic engineering to reduce our susceptibility to the effects of toxic chemicals. Genetic engineering can only do so much when it comes to developing resistance to certain types of chemicals. Not only that since the process would take an incredibly long period of time due to the current level of technology but the present generation or even the one after that would not be able to benefit from it. Genetic engineering can only do so much to build up a natural resistance to an artificial substance for example strong acids can even melt rock imagine what it could do to flesh no matter how genetically improved it may be. Artificial substances and natural substances by their very nature are polar opposites as such there will always be an artificial substance that can harm a natural one no matter the level of improvement it has undergone (Gilbere 2008). Part 2: 1. Which is a better choice at the grocery store: paper bag? Plastic bag? Or tissue bag? Explain your answer None of the choices given are better choices. Paper, plastic or even tissue bags still represent the use of materials that will eventually fill up landfills and cause pollution. Paper bags are sources from trees as such their use and production means that trees which could have absorbed the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere or provided support for loose top soil to prevent landslides are instead used to hold groceries. Not only that but paper bags are easily destroyed through either physical force or liquid substances. As such their reusability is rather unreliable under the best of circumstances. One recurring myth is that recycled paper bags actually help the environment unfortunately this is not true as it may seem. The trucks used to transport paper to the recycling centers, the chemicals used to remove the respective dyes from the paper as well as to sanitize it combined with the process of boiling, processing and drying actually uses up more resources and leaves a larger carbon and chemical footprint than processing an average tree into paper. Plastic bags on the other hand are more durable than paper bags and are easily reused for other purposes such as trash bags, holders or covers unfortunately though in the end they are still thrown away and unlike their paper counterparts do not break down in the environment as easily and when it comes to recycling also uses up more resources to produce than the average plastic bag. Tissue bags on the other hand are just as easily destroyed as paper bags and are just as expensive to recycle. The best choice would be to bring a cloth bag. The are sold or even given away for free at most department stores, they can be used for several years at a time and not only that they are more easily broken down in the environment as compared to plastic bags. 2. Explain how fossil fuels are formed? Fossil fuels are formed when organisms such as algae zooplankton, phytoplankton as well other organisms die settle on the sea floor. Overtime when clusters of these organisms are covered by sand and silt and the conditions are just right their organic structure starts to break down after several million years the end result is a dark liquid material that is processed by refineries and turned into modern day gasoline. The reason its called fossil fuels is due to the fact that a fossil, by definition, is the remains of a dead organism and that is what fossil fuels are. 3. Is it ever possible to be completely healthy? While it is possible through a healthy diet and adequate exercise to attain a healthy body for an extended period of time there are setbacks that happen that prevent people from being completely healthy. For example a person who tried his/ her best to be healthy through dieting or exercise can never prevent his/herself from contracting a disease, virus, sickness etc. No matter who the person is they will get sick several times over the course of their life and as such can never be classified as completely healthy (Brian 2009). 4. Can we design buildings or houses that save energy? Explain your answer Yes buildings that can save energy can be designed to saved energy can be made and are actually in existence. A lot of houses these days have an insulating material installed in-between the outer and inner wall of the house. When winter comes along this insulating material helps to keep heat in and cold out thus saving on heating bills. Another example is the use of solar panels on the roofs of houses. These days the use of solar energy panels has been advertised as a means to save electricity and to even make money off of since any excess energy produced can be sent into the local power grid and the homeowners of the solar powered house can make money off of the power company while saving energy at the same time (Flin 2006). List of References Life in the Universe. (2001). Platetectonics. Retrieved on May 19, 2010 from http://www. lifeinuniverse. org/Platetectonics-05-02-01. html Gilbere, Gloria. TOTAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT Requires Conscious LivingNot Getting-by on Auto-pilot. Total Health 30. 2 (2008): 48-50 Flin, David. Hot shots [solar powered home]. Power Engineer 20. 3 (2006): 16-19. Brian, Sarah Jane. making a of difference. Scholastic Parent Child 16. 7 (2009): 38-42. Guhl, Sven, et al. Bivalent Effect of UV Light on Human Skin Mast Cells—Low-Level Mediator Release at Baseline but Potent Suppression Upon Mast Cell Triggering. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 124. 2 (2005): 453-456 Boardman, John. The need for soil conservation in Britain – revisited. Area 34. 4 (2002): 419-427.

Evaluation Of Fountas And Pinnell Benchmark

Evaluation Of Fountas And Pinnell Benchmark The Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System, created by Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell, is designed to place students appropriately into a guided reading program, show the gains in student achievement, progress monitoring and identify students in need of intervention (those who are not meeting the districts proficiency levels). In short, it relates reading ability. The sub-contents addressed include: Word Analysis Skills, Reading Strategies, Comprehending Reading Materials, Literary Elements and Techniques and Literary Works. The test consists primarily of running records, in which the teacher records oral fluency, reading errors and self-correction ratios. In addition, it is followed by a retelling and comprehension conversation between the student and teacher. Finally a writing prompt (optional) is given to the student. In the setting where I am directly working with the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark, we are requiring all students to complete the writing prompt. I have addressed the reason for the issue below in the evaluation portion. The test is administered in kindergarten through eighth grade at the end of each quarter. The assessment usually takes twenty to thirty minutes. This could take longer if more than one assessment is needed to find the appropriate benchmark level. Specific features of the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System allows you to determine your students independent and instructional reading levels, group students for reading instruction, select texts that will be produc tive for a students instruction, assess the outcomes of teaching, assess a new students reading level for independent reading and instruction, identify students who need intervention and extra help, document student progress across a school year and across grade levels, create class profiles and inform parents. (Heinemann, 2011) In addition to an accuracy percentage, reading rate, self-correction rate and fluency score, the assessment has a Comprehension Conversation that completes the assessment procedures. Students are required to read a text and to have this comprehension conversation, with specific prompts to obtain key understandings for three kinds of thinking- Thinking Within the Text (getting the literal meaning by processing words and stated ideas), Thinking Beyond the Text (getting the implied meaning and synthesizing information) and Thinking About the Text (responding to the authors craft). (Placeholder1) The content that is covered in the benchmark includes reading accuracy, reading comprehension, reading fluency and self-correction ratio. This is similar to the informal assessments being given to students through- out a literacy block in a reading workshop approach. This assessment can be used both formatively and summatively. It is a standardized, teacher-administered, one-on-one assessment; it is hand-scored by the teacher. The assessment should be administered by classroom teacher after they have been trained to administer the test. A video is provided to view for staff development or individual teacher viewing. This can help to ensure that the assessment is delivered in a standardized way. The BAS (Benchmark Assessment System) is based on research in language development, vocabulary expansion, reading acquisition, and reading difficulties. Five areas addressed by the National Reading Panel as fundamental to student success in literacy acquisition are assessed in the BAS. These are: phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. The assessment also addresses student motivation and interest in overall reading. According to the official field study document of the assessment: The field data were collected systematically and analyzed on an ongoing basis to determine the programs achievement of its objectives. Reports were developed and used as a basis for determining the soundness, complexities, and utility of the program. Due to the process incorporating ongoing feedback gathered by field-test examiners, the program authors and developers were able to make informed decisions regarding adjustments and refinements. At the conclusion of the field study, an independent data-analysis team was brought in to evaluate the programs reliability and validity. This formative research was conducted in two phases. Phase I of the study addressed research questions 1 and 2; Phase II addressed research question 3. Prior to the formative evaluation, an editorial process was used to establish the text leveling. Field testing included a total of 497 students spanning grades K-8. Field testing of System 1 included 252 students and System 2 included 245 students. School sites from which these students were drawn were socioeconomically, ethnically, and geographically diverse. The research goal was to identify typical students. Accordingly, students were selected on the basis of their ability to read and understand texts that were written approximately at grade level or above. Participants were also proficient speakers of English. Each field test examiner determined an individual students eligibility after discussing his or her reading profile with their respective teachers. Thirteen field-test examiners were selected. All field-test examiners were educators who had extensive training in administering running records and in using other forms of benchmark assessments to assess students reading levels. Field-test examiners were not affiliated with the field sites and therefore could be objective in both identifying students and in administering assessments. Prior to the beginning of the field testing, a two-day intensive training session led by the authors, guided the field-test examiners in the formative evaluations protocols and procedures. A total of 22 different schools participated in field testing of either System 1 or System 2 (some schools participated in both field tests). Field testing took place across the following geographic regions of the United States: Boston Metropolitan area 1 examiner; 1 school / Providence, Rhode Island 1 examiner; 2 schools / Houston Metropolitan area 2 examiners; 5 schools / Los Angeles area 4 examiners; 6 schools / Columbus, OH, area 3 examiners; 5 schools / Orlando, FL, area 2 examiners; 3 schools. (Field Study of Reliability and Validity of the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment Systems 1 and 2). (Fountas and Pinnell, 2011, pp. 2-3) Assessment Appearance and Content The assessment includes two options of books for each level- System 1 (Grades K-2, Levels A-N) contains 28 Books (14 Fiction and 14 Nonfiction) and System 2 (Grades 3-8, Levels L-Z) contains 30 Books (15 Fiction and 15 Nonfiction). The Fountas and Pinnell levels gradient is a defined continuum of characteristics related to the level of support and challenges that a reader meets in a text. At each level (A to Z) texts are analyzed using ten characteristics: (1) genre/form; (2) text structure; (3) content; (4) themes and ideas; (5) language and literary features; (6) sentence complexity; (7) vocabulary; (8) word difficulty; (9) illustrations/graphics; and (10) book and print features. Texts are leveled using a highly reliable process in which teams of trained teachers, working independently and then through consensus, assign a level to books after analyzing them according to the ten factors. They are then analyzed by Fountas and Pinnell. The benchmark books were actually created to pre cisely match the gradient, and they were independently analyzed using the same process. (Heinemann, 2011) The Assessment Guide to the BAS describes the administration of the assessment as follows: The students appropriate reading level for the assessment to be administered is based in the students current guided reading level, or can be determined by a Where to Start word list that was developed by the authors to assist examiners in quickly placing a student at his or her appropriate reading level. Next, the administer is to assess the students ability to read and comprehend three levels of books. They are to determine one book that is easy the students independent reading level; one book that offered just enough difficult vocabulary and/or concepts to make the reading interesting and challenging , the students instructional reading level; and a third book that was too challenging the students hard reading level. Accuracy of reading guidelines, consistent with Fountas and Pinnells framework (2006b), is as follows: independent level (95-100 percent accuracy); instructional level (90-94 percent accuracy), and hard level (below 90 percent accuracy). (Fountas Pinnell, pp. 180- 181) The assessment should be given in the classroom or other familiar setting. A reasonably quiet and comfortable environment is necessary so that distractions do not interfere with the assessment. All materials should be ready to go accessible to the teacher, so that the assessment may run smoothly with few distractions. If the student seems to be getting frustrated after reading one or two texts, it may be necessary to stop the assessment and begin at a later time. Each of the areas assessed relates to the content and sub-content (in various levels) taught to kindergarten through eighth grade students during their literacy block. The BAS lets the administrator think about, assess and identify a variety of different skills and strategies the reader may have strengths or deficits in. It is designed to measure progress in each of the sub-skills in a way that informs instruction. It is linked to a continuum of observable behaviors to assess and teach for at every level. (Heinemann, 2011) Each teacher in grades kindergarten through eighth grade has a copy of the continuum. The assessment format is similar to the informal assessments (running records and conferring with readers) used in the classroom. These informal assessments are used periodically throughout the quarter. The Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System does require a more in-depth conversation than traditional classroom conferences. The students fluency level is also assessed using the following criteria: Readers phrase or group words, through intonation, stress, and pauses. They emphasize the beginnings and endings of phrases by the rising and falling of pitch or by pausing. Students adhere to the authors syntax or sentence structure, reflecting their comprehension. Readers are expressive; their reading reflects feeling, anticipation, and character development. Once a students instructional reading level is determined, the student is engaged in a comprehension conversation about that particular book. If students are unresponsive or give an incomplete response, educators may prompt them according to a predetermined set of questions. Next, the teacher rates the students understanding of a text using the Fountas and Pinnell comprehension guidelines. The areas are rated on a scale from 0-3: Thinking within the text, thinking beyond the text and thinking about the text. Evaluating the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System A review of the benchmark assessment shows no bias towards individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, gender or disabilities. Students with disabilities are given the assessment that aligns with their individual progress along the literacy continuum and text gradient for the reader. At times, when the fluency level is timed, an educator may note on the side specific speech issues. All other accommodations as mandated by their IEPs are allowed. The assessment is used to determine reading ability, therefore, students with IEPs requiring that test be read for certain circumstance are not allowed this accommodation for the benchmark. The wording and content of the benchmark assessment is predominately age and grade appropriate. However, for students reading extremely below their age or grade level peers, the text may seem immature for their age. The gradient levels of difficulty of the text chosen for the assessment were carefully thought out and field tested. I feel the content validity of the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System can be improved by adding a more rigorous requirement in the writing about reading area. I do not feel that one prompt adequately show how a student can write about reading. In addition, I feel that as students move into the older grades, that comprehension should be judged more on the students writing about the text than a comprehension conversation. One other area of the assessment could be improved. There are only two books, one fiction and one nonfiction, at each level. This does not give educators much room for error or special education teachers room to reassess at a similar level, identifying strengths in a particular sub-content and not just text level gradient. There is at least one item per target, with some items having more than one item per target. Some of the sub-content areas did not have a target for each taxonomy level, but with further investigation (into the upper grade Benchmark Assessment, possibly) it would most likely cover each taxonomy level. In addition, each item does belong on the assessment and relates to a specific sub-content area/taxonomy level. The Illinois Reading Standards addressed include: 1.A.1b Comprehend unfamiliar words using context clues and prior knowledge; verify meanings with resource materials, 1.B.1c Continuously check and clarify for understanding (e.g., reread, read ahead, use visual and context clues, ask questions, retell, use meaningful substitutions), 1.B.2d Read age-appropriate material aloud with fluency and accuracy, 1.C.2b Make and support inferences and form interpretations about main themes and topics, 1.C.2d Summarize and make generalizations from content and relate to purpose of material, 1.C.2e Explain how authors and illustrators use text and art to express their ideas (e.g., points of view, design hues, metaphor), 1.C.1f Use information presented in simple tables, maps and charts to form an interpretation, 2.A.2b Describe how literary elements (e.g., theme, character, setting, plot, tone, conflict) are used in literature to create meaning and 2.B.1a Respond to literary materials by connecting them to their own experience and communicate those responses to others. Classroom Assessment Blueprint and Learning Targets The classroom assessment blueprint and the list of learning targets appear below. Assessment items and the number of the associated learning target are included in the blueprint. Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating Total Targets Word Analysis Skills 1. Identify the meaning of unfamiliar words using prior knowledge 2. Discover the meaning of unfamiliar words using context clues. 22. Monitors own understanding and accuracy. 20. Constructs literal meaning of the text through solving words. 4 Reading Strategies 4. Reads primarily in larger, meaningful phrases or word groups. 23. Predicts information about the text. 5. Demonstrates fluency by reading using mostly smooth, expressive interpretation and pausing guided by authors meaning and punctuation. 3. Assess and clarify for understanding (e.g., reread, read ahead, use visual and context clues, ask questions, retell, and use meaningful substitutions). 4 Comprehend Reading Materials 6. Recall ideas by reference to details in the text. 18. Identify the main ideas and supporting details of a story or fiction passage. 9. Summarize a story or non-fiction passage. 19. Demonstrate excellent understanding of the text through summarizing. (Includes almost all important information and main ideas.) 10. Demonstrate understanding of characters in a story or non-fiction passage (i.e. through retell). 11. Identify connections with prior knowledge or personal experiences. 25. Infers what is implied but not stated in the text. 22. Monitors own understanding and accuracy. ** Two places** 17. Tell the main idea of a non-fiction paragraph. 27. Write a response about the reading (from given prompt). 10 Literary Elements and Techniques 7. Define setting in a story or fiction passage. 8. Recall sequence of events. 12. Summarize the major events in a narrative. 29. Demonstrate an understanding of the craft and structure of a text (literary language, story structure, perspective, etc.). 16. Distinguish elements of the authors craft. 30. Support knowledge and ideas (and act on them) to include ones thinking by writing in response to text 15. Construct chronological sequence of events after reading a story or fiction passage. 7 Literary Works 24. Identify key details when summarizing a story or non-fiction passage. 28. Remember and report key ideas and details from texts, including understanding characters. 13. Point out the authors purpose. 14. Interpret how the authors purpose affects the interpretation of the reading selection. 26. Tells new information by synthesizing and changing own ideas. 5 Learning Targets Students will be able to: 1. Identify the meaning of unfamiliar words using prior knowledge. 2. Discover the meaning of unfamiliar words using context clues. 3. Assess and clarify for understanding (e.g., reread, read ahead, use visual and context clues, ask questions, retell, and use meaningful substitutions). 4. Reads primarily in larger, meaningful phrases or word groups. 5. Demonstrates fluency by reading using mostly smooth, expressive interpretation and pausing guided by authors meaning and punctuation. 6. Recall ideas by reference to details in the text. 7. Define setting in a story or fiction passage. 8. Recall sequence of events. 9. Summarize a story or non-fiction passage. 10. Demonstrate understanding of characters in a story or non-fiction passage (i.e. through retell). 11. Identify connections with prior knowledge or personal experiences. 12. Summarize the major events in a narrative. 13. Point out the authors purpose. 14. Interpret how the authors purpose affects the interpretation of the reading selection. 15. Construct chronological sequence of events after reading a story or fiction passage. 16. Distinguish elements of the authors craft. 17. Tell the main idea of a non-fiction paragraph. 18. Identify the main ideas and supporting details of a story or fiction passage. 19. Demonstrate excellent understanding of the text through summarizing. (Includes almost all important information and main ideas.) 20. Constructs literal meaning of the text through solving words. 22. Monitors own understanding and accuracy. 23. Predicts information about the text. 24. Identify key details when summarizing a story or non-fiction passage. 25. Infers what is implied but not stated in the text. 26. Tells new information by synthesizing and changing own ideas. 27. Write a response about the reading (from given prompt). 28. Remember and report key ideas and details from texts, including understanding characters. 29. Demonstrate an understanding of the craft and structure of a text (literary language, story structure, perspective, etc.). 30. Support knowledge and ideas (and act on them) to include ones thinking by writing in response to text.

Biometric Security Technology Essay -- Technological Computers Essays

Biometric Security Technology You have seen biometric technology in the films Mission: Impossible and Gattaca. The technology has also graced the covers of many weekly news magazines. But many people, even though the technology has been widely talked about for the last half decade, are still surprisingly unaware of what biometrics are and why the technology is so important for computer security and personal identification. Biometrics are automated methods of recognizing a person based on a physical or behavioral characteristic (2001). Essentially, biometric security technologies are used to accurately identify individuals on a unique trait. The most common biometric security techniques used currently are: signature verification, face geometry, finger scan, hand geometry, passive iris scan, retina scan, and voice print (2004c). According to The Biometric Consortium, 'enterprise-wide network security infrastructures, government IDs, secure electronic banking, investing and other financial transactions, retail sales, law enforcement, and health and social services are currently benefiting from biometrics' (2001). Though biometric technology will soon be commonplace on personal home computers and small company computer systems, the high cost of biometric security means that, for the most part, currently only federal, state, and local governments, the military, and large corporations will be able to afford the new technology. That said, however, hardware manufacturers and software developers are currently creating and selling products for the office user who wants to protect their machines from nosey coworkers (2004a). And Microsoft, developer of the world?s most popular computer operating system, said newer versions ... ...ion.html [23 June 2004]. (2002, February 18). About Biometrics. Information Technology Laboratory. [Online]. Available: http://www.itl.nist.gov/div893/biometrics/about.html [23 June 2004]. Bertolucci, James. (2004a, June 25). Products for the Paranoid. PC World [Online]. Available: http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,116573,00.asp [23 June 2004]. Mace, Scott. (2004b, February 24). Gates Previews Security Projects. PC World [Online]. Available: http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,114916,00.asp [23 June 24]. O?Brien, James A. (2004c). Management Information Systems: Managing Information Technology in the Business Enterprise. New York: McGraw-Hill. Newell, Adrienne. (2004d, March 19). Are Biometrics Coming to a PC Near You? PC World [Online]. Available: http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115289,00.asp [23 June 2004].

A Game of Thrones Chapter Twenty

Eddard Eddard Stark rode through the towering bronze doors of the Red Keep sore, tired, hungry, and irritable. He was still ahorse, dreaming of a long hot soak, a roast fowl, and a featherbed, when the king's steward told him that Grand Maester Pycelle had convened an urgent meeting of the small council. The honor of the Hand's presence was requested as soon as it was convenient. â€Å"It will be convenient on the morrow,† Ned snapped as he dismounted. The steward bowed very low. â€Å"I shall give the councillors your regrets, my lord.† â€Å"No, damn it,† Ned said. It would not do to offend the council before he had even begun. â€Å"I will see them. Pray give me a few moments to change into something more presentable.† â€Å"Yes, my lord,† the steward said. â€Å"We have given you Lord Arryn's former chambers in the Tower of the Hand, if it please you. I shall have your things taken there.† â€Å"My thanks,† Ned said as he ripped off his riding gloves and tucked them into his belt. The rest of his household was coming through the gate behind him. Ned saw Vayon Poole, his own steward, and called out. â€Å"It seems the council has urgent need of me. See that my daughters find their bedchambers, and tell Jory to keep them there. Arya is not to go exploring.† Poole bowed. Ned turned back to the royal steward. â€Å"My wagons are still straggling through the city. I shall need appropriate garments.† â€Å"It will be my great pleasure,† the steward said. And so Ned had come striding into the council chambers, bone-tired and dressed in borrowed clothing, to find four members of the small council waiting for him. The chamber was richly furnished. Myrish carpets covered the floor instead of rushes, and in one corner a hundred fabulous beasts cavorted in bright paints on a carved screen from the Summer Isles. The walls were hung with tapestries from Norvos and Qohor and Lys, and a pair of Valyrian sphinxes flanked the door, eyes of polished garnet smoldering in black marble faces. The councillor Ned liked least, the eunuch Varys, accosted him the moment he entered. â€Å"Lord Stark, I was grievous sad to hear about your troubles on the kingsroad. We have all been visiting the sept to light candles for Prince Joffrey. I pray for his recovery.† His hand left powder stains on Ned's sleeve, and he smelled as foul and sweet as flowers on a grave. â€Å"Your gods have heard you,† Ned replied, cool yet polite. â€Å"The prince grows stronger every day.† He disentangled himself from the eunuch's grip and crossed the room to where Lord Renly stood by the screen, talking quietly with a short man who could only be Littlefinger. Renly had been a boy of eight when Robert won the throne, but he had grown into a man so like his brother that Ned found it disconcerting. Whenever he saw him, it was as if the years had slipped away and Robert stood before him, fresh from his victory on the Trident. â€Å"I see you have arrived safely, Lord Stark,† Renly said. â€Å"And you as well,† Ned replied. â€Å"You must forgive me, but sometimes you look the very image of your brother Robert.† â€Å"A poor copy,† Renly said with a shrug. â€Å"Though much better dressed,† Littlefinger quipped. â€Å"Lord Renly spends more on clothing than half the ladies of the court.† It was true enough. Lord Renly was in dark green velvet, with a dozen golden stags embroidered on his doublet. A cloth-of-gold half cape was draped casually across one shoulder, fastened with an emerald brooch. â€Å"There are worse crimes,† Renly said with a laugh. â€Å"The way you dress, for one.† Littlefinger ignored the jibe. He eyed Ned with a smile on his lips that bordered on insolence. â€Å"I have hoped to meet you for some years, Lord Stark. No doubt Lady Catelyn has mentioned me to you.† â€Å"She has,† Ned replied with a chill in his voice. The sly arrogance of the comment rankled him. â€Å"I understand you knew my brother Brandon as well.† Renly Baratheon laughed. Varys shuffled over to listen. â€Å"Rather too well,† Littlefinger said. â€Å"I still carry a token of his esteem. Did Brandon speak of me too?† â€Å"Often, and with some heat,† Ned said, hoping that would end it. He had no patience with this game they played, this dueling with words. â€Å"I should have thought that heat ill suits you Starks,† Littlefinger said. â€Å"Here in the south, they say you are all made of ice, and melt when you ride below the Neck.† â€Å"I do not plan on melting soon, Lord Baelish. You may count on it.† Ned moved to the council table and said, â€Å"Maester Pycelle, I trust you are well.† The Grand Maester smiled gently from his tall chair at the foot of the table. â€Å"Well enough for a man of my years, my lord,† he replied, â€Å"yet I do tire easily, I fear.† Wispy strands of white hair fringed the broad bald dome of his forehead above a kindly face. His maester's collar was no simple metal choker such as Luwin wore, but two dozen heavy chains wound together into a ponderous metal necklace that covered him from throat to breast. The links were forged of every metal known to man: black iron and red gold, bright copper and dull lead, steel and tin and pale silver, brass and bronze and platinum. Garnets and amethysts and black pearls adorned the metalwork, and here and there an emerald or ruby. â€Å"Perhaps we might begin soon,† the Grand Maester said, hands knitting together atop his broad stomach. â€Å"I fear I shall fall asleep if we wait much longer.† â€Å"As you will.† The king's seat sat empty at the head of the table, the crowned stag of Baratheon embroidered in gold thread on its pillows. Ned took the chair beside it, as the right hand of his king. â€Å"My lords,† he said formally, â€Å"I am sorry to have kept you waiting.† â€Å"You are the King's Hand,† Varys said. â€Å"We serve at your pleasure, Lord Stark.† As the others took their accustomed seats, it struck Eddard Stark forcefully that he did not belong here, in this room, with these men. He remembered what Robert had told him in the crypts below Winterfell. I am surrounded by flatterers and fools, the king had insisted. Ned looked down the council table and wondered which were the flatterers and which the fools. He thought he knew already. â€Å"We are but five,† he pointed out. â€Å"Lord Stannis took himself to Dragonstone not long after the king went north,† Varys said, â€Å"and our gallant Ser Barristan no doubt rides beside the king as he makes his way through the city, as befits the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.† â€Å"Perhaps we had best wait for Ser Barristan and the king to join us,† Ned suggested. Renly Baratheon laughed aloud. â€Å"If we wait for my brother to grace us with his royal presence, it could be a long sit.† â€Å"Our good King Robert has many cares,† Varys said. â€Å"He entrusts some small matters to us, to lighten his load.† â€Å"What Lord Varys means is that all this business of coin and crops and justice bores my royal brother to tears,† Lord Renly said, â€Å"so it falls to us to govern the realm. He does send us a command from time to time.† He drew a tightly rolled paper from his sleeve and laid it on the table. â€Å"This morning he commanded me to ride ahead with all haste and ask Grand Maester Pycelle to convene this council at once. He has an urgent task for us.† Littlefinger smiled and handed the paper to Ned. It bore the royal seal. Ned broke the wax with his thumb and flattened the letter to consider the king's urgent command, reading the words with mounting disbelief. Was there no end to Robert's folly? And to do this in his name, that was salt in the wound. â€Å"Gods be good,† he swore. â€Å"What Lord Eddard means to say,† Lord Renly announced, â€Å"is that His Grace instructs us to stage a great tournament in honor of his appointment as the Hand of the King.† â€Å"How much?† asked Littlefinger, mildly. Ned read the answer off the letter. â€Å"Forty thousand golden dragons to the champion. Twenty thousand to the man who comes second, another twenty to the winner of the melee, and ten thousand to the victor of the archery competition.† â€Å"Ninety thousand gold pieces,† Littlefinger sighed. â€Å"And we must not neglect the other costs. Robert will want a prodigious feast. That means cooks, carpenters, serving girls, singers, jugglers, fools . . . â€Å" â€Å"Fools we have in plenty,† Lord Renly said. Grand Maester Pycelle looked to Littlefinger and asked, â€Å"Will the treasury bear the expense?† â€Å"What treasury is that?† Littlefinger replied with a twist of his mouth. â€Å"Spare me the foolishness, Maester. You know as well as I that the treasury has been empty for years. I shall have to borrow the money. No doubt the Lannisters will be accommodating. We owe Lord Tywin some three million dragons at present, what matter another hundred thousand?† Ned was stunned. â€Å"Are you claiming that the Crown is three million gold pieces in debt?† â€Å"The Crown is more than six million gold pieces in debt, Lord Stark. The Lannisters are the biggest part of it, but we have also borrowed from Lord Tyrell, the Iron Bank of Braavos, and several Tyroshi trading cartels. Of late I've had to turn to the Faith. The High Septon haggles worse than a Dornish fishmonger.† Ned was aghast. â€Å"Aerys Targaryen left a treasury flowing with gold. How could you let this happen?† Littlefinger gave a shrug. â€Å"The master of coin finds the money. The king and the Hand spend it.† â€Å"I will not believe that Jon Arryn allowed Robert to beggar the realm,† Ned said hotly. Grand Maester Pycelle shook his great bald head, his chains clinking softly. â€Å"Lord Arryn was a prudent man, but I fear that His Grace does not always listen to wise counsel.† â€Å"My royal brother loves tournaments and feasts,† Renly Baratheon said, â€Å"and he loathes what he calls ‘counting coppers.' â€Å" â€Å"I will speak with His Grace,† Ned said. â€Å"This tourney is an extravagance the realm cannot afford.† â€Å"Speak to him as you will,† Lord Renly said, â€Å"we had still best make our plans.† â€Å"Another day,† Ned said. Perhaps too sharply, from the looks they gave him. He would have to remember that he was no longer in Winterfell, where only the king stood higher; here, he was but first among equals. â€Å"Forgive me, my lords,† he said in a softer tone. â€Å"I am tired. Let us call a halt for today and resume when we are fresher.† He did not ask for their consent, but stood abruptly, nodded at them all, and made for the door. Outside, wagons and riders were still pouring through the castle gates, and the yard was a chaos of mud and horseflesh and shouting men. The king had not yet arrived, he was told. Since the ugliness on the Trident, the Starks and their household had ridden well ahead of the main column, the better to separate themselves from the Lannisters and the growing tension. Robert had hardly been seen; the talk was he was traveling in the huge wheelhouse, drunk as often as not. If so, he might be hours behind, but he would still be here too soon for Ned's liking. He had only to look at Sansa's face to feel the rage twisting inside him once again. The last fortnight of their journey had been a misery. Sansa blamed Arya and told her that it should have been Nymeria who died. And Arya was lost after she heard what had happened to her butcher's boy. Sansa cried herself to sleep, Arya brooded silently all day long, and Eddard Stark dreamed of a frozen hell reserved for the Starks of Winterfell. He crossed the outer yard, passed under a portcullis into the inner bailey, and was walking toward what he thought was the Tower of the Hand when Littlefinger appeared in front of him. â€Å"You're going the wrong way, Stark. Come with me.† Hesitantly, Ned followed. Littlefinger led him into a tower, down a stair, across a small sunken courtyard, and along a deserted corridor where empty suits of armor stood sentinel along the walls. They were relics of the Targaryens, black steel with dragon scales cresting their helms, now dusty and forgotten. â€Å"This is not the way to my chambers,† Ned said. â€Å"Did I say it was? I'm leading you to the dungeons to slit your throat and seal your corpse up behind a wall,† Littlefinger replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. â€Å"We have no time for this, Stark. Your wife awaits.† â€Å"What game are you playing, Littlefinger? Catelyn is at Winterfell, hundreds of leagues from here.† â€Å"Oh?† Littlefinger's grey-green eyes glittered with amusement. â€Å"Then it appears someone has managed an astonishing impersonation. For the last time, come. Or don't come, and I'll keep her for myself.† He hurried down the steps. Ned followed him warily, wondering if this day would ever end. He had no taste for these intrigues, but he was beginning to realize that they were meat and mead to a man like Littlefinger. At the foot of the steps was a heavy door of oak and iron. Petyr Baelish lifted the crossbar and gestured Ned through. They stepped out into the ruddy glow of dusk, on a rocky bluff high above the river. â€Å"We're outside the castle,† Ned said. â€Å"You are a hard man to fool, Stark,† Littlefinger said with a smirk. â€Å"Was it the sun that gave it away, or the sky? Follow me. There are niches cut in the rock. Try not to fall to your death, Catelyn would never understand.† With that, he was over the side of the cliff, descending as quick as a monkey. Ned studied the rocky face of the bluff for a moment, then followed more slowly. The niches were there, as Littlefinger had promised, shallow cuts that would be invisible from below, unless you knew just where to look for them. The river was a long, dizzying distance below. Ned kept his face pressed to the rock and tried not to look down any more often than he had to. When at last he reached the bottom, a narrow, muddy trail along the water's edge, Littlefinger was lazing against a rock and eating an apple. He was almost down to the core. â€Å"You are growing old and slow, Stark,† he said, flipping the apple casually into the rushing water. â€Å"No matter, we ride the rest of the way.† He had two horses waiting. Ned mounted up and trotted behind him, down the trail and into the city. Finally Baelish drew rein in front of a ramshackle building, three stories, timbered, its windows bright with lamplight in the gathering dusk. The sounds of music and raucous laughter drifted out and floated over the water. Beside the door swung an ornate oil lamp on a heavy chain, with a globe of leaded red glass. Ned Stark dismounted in a fury. â€Å"A brothel,† he said as he seized Littlefinger by the shoulder and spun him around. â€Å"You've brought me all this way to take me to a brothel.† â€Å"Your wife is inside,† Littlefinger said. It was the final insult. â€Å"Brandon was too kind to you,† Ned said as he slammed the small man back against a wall and shoved his dagger up under the little pointed chin beard. â€Å"My lord, no,† an urgent voice called out. â€Å"He speaks the truth.† There were footsteps behind him. Ned spun, knife in hand, as an old white-haired man hurried toward them. He was dressed in brown roughspun, and the soft flesh under his chin wobbled as he ran. â€Å"This is no business of yours,† Ned began; then, suddenly, the recognition came. He lowered the dagger, astonished. â€Å"Ser Rodrik?† Rodrik Cassel nodded. â€Å"Your lady awaits you upstairs.† Ned was lost. â€Å"Catelyn is truly here? This is not some strange jape of Littlefinger's?† He sheathed his blade. â€Å"Would that it were, Stark,† Littlefinger said. â€Å"Follow me, and try to look a shade more lecherous and a shade less like the King's Hand. It would not do to have you recognized. Perhaps you could fondle a breast or two, just in passing.† They went inside, through a crowded common room where a fat woman was singing bawdy songs while pretty young girls in linen shifts and wisps of colored silk pressed themselves against their lovers and dandled on their laps. No one paid Ned the least bit of attention. Ser Rodrik waited below while Littlefinger led him up to the third floor, along a corridor, and through a door. Inside, Catelyn was waiting. She cried out when she saw him, ran to him, and embraced him fiercely. â€Å"My lady,† Ned whispered in wonderment. â€Å"Oh, very good,† said Littlefinger, closing the door. â€Å"You recognized her.† â€Å"I feared you'd never come, my lord,† she whispered against his chest. â€Å"Petyr has been bringing me reports. He told me of your troubles with Arya and the young prince. How are my girls?† â€Å"Both in mourning, and full of anger,† he told her. â€Å"Cat, I do not understand. What are you doing in King's Landing? What's happened?† Ned asked his wife. â€Å"Is it Bran? Is he . . . â€Å"Dead was the word that came to his lips, but he could not say it. â€Å"It is Bran, but not as you think,† Catelyn said. Ned was lost. â€Å"Then how? Why are you here, my love? What is this place?† â€Å"Just what it appears,† Littlefinger said, easing himself onto a window seat. â€Å"A brothel. Can you think of a less likely place to find a Catelyn Tully?† He smiled. â€Å"As it chances, I own this particular establishment, so arrangements were easily made. I am most anxious to keep the Lannisters from learning that Cat is here in King's Landing.† â€Å"Why?† Ned asked. He saw her hands then, the awkward way she held them, the raw red scars, the stiffness of the last two fingers on her left. â€Å"You've been hurt.† He took her hands in his own, turned them over. â€Å"Gods. Those are deep cuts . . . a gash from a sword or . . . how did this happen, my lady?† Catelyn slid a dagger out from under her cloak and placed it in his hand. â€Å"This blade was sent to open Bran's throat and spill his life's blood.† Ned's head jerked up. â€Å"But . . . who . . . why would . . . â€Å" She put a finger to his lips. â€Å"Let me tell it all, my love. It will go faster that way. Listen.† So he listened, and she told it all, from the fire in the library tower to Varys and the guardsmen and Littlefinger. And when she was done, Eddard Stark sat dazed beside the table, the dagger in his hand. Bran's wolf had saved the boy's life, he thought dully. What was it that Jon had said when they found the pups in the snow? Your children were meant to have these pups, my lord. And he had killed Sansa's, and for what? Was it guilt he was feeling? Or fear? If the gods had sent these wolves, what folly had he done? Painfully, Ned forced his thoughts back to the dagger and what it meant. â€Å"The Imp's dagger,† he repeated. It made no sense. His hand curled around the smooth dragonbone hilt, and he slammed the blade into the table, felt it bite into the wood. It stood mocking him. â€Å"Why should Tyrion Lannister want Bran dead? The boy has never done him harm.† â€Å"Do you Starks have nought but snow between your ears?† Littlefinger asked. â€Å"The Imp would never have acted alone.† Ned rose and paced the length of the room. â€Å"If the queen had a role in this or, gods forbid, the king himself . . . no, I will not believe that.† Yet even as he said the words, he remembered that chill morning on the barrowlands, and Robert's talk of sending hired knives after the Targaryen princess. He remembered Rhaegar's infant son, the red ruin of his skull, and the way the king had turned away, as he had turned away in Darry's audience hall not so long ago. He could still hear Sansa pleading, as Lyanna had pleaded once. â€Å"Most likely the king did not know,† Littlefinger said. â€Å"It would not be the first time. Our good Robert is practiced at closing his eyes to things he would rather not see.† Ned had no reply for that. The face of the butcher's boy swam up before his eyes, cloven almost in two, and afterward the king had said not a word. His head was pounding. Littlefinger sauntered over to the table, wrenched the knife from the wood. â€Å"The accusation is treason either way. Accuse the king and you will dance with Ilyn Payne before the words are out of your mouth. The queen . . . if you can find proof, and if you can make Robert listen, then perhaps . . . â€Å" â€Å"We have proof,† Ned said. â€Å"We have the dagger.† â€Å"This?† Littlefinger flipped the knife casually end over end. â€Å"A sweet piece of steel, but it cuts two ways, my lord. The Imp will no doubt swear the blade was lost or stolen while he was at Winterfell, and with his hireling dead, who is there to give him the lie?† He tossed the knife lightly to Ned. â€Å"My counsel is to drop that in the river and forget that it was ever forged.† Ned regarded him coldly. â€Å"Lord Baelish, I am a Stark of Winterfell. My son lies crippled, perhaps dying. He would be dead, and Catelyn with him, but for a wolf pup we found in the snow. If you truly believe I could forget that, you are as big a fool now as when you took up sword against my brother.† â€Å"A fool I may be, Stark . . . yet I'm still here, while your brother has been moldering in his frozen grave for some fourteen years now. If you are so eager to molder beside him, far be it from me to dissuade you, but I would rather not be included in the party, thank you very much.† â€Å"You would be the last man I would willingly include in any party, Lord Baelish.† â€Å"You wound me deeply.† Littlefinger placed a hand over his heart. â€Å"For my part, I always found you Starks a tiresome lot, but Cat seems to have become attached to you, for reasons I cannot comprehend. I shall try to keep you alive for her sake. A fool's task, admittedly, but I could never refuse your wife anything.† â€Å"I told Petyr our suspicions about Jon Arryn's death,† Catelyn said. â€Å"He has promised to help you find the truth.† That was not news that Eddard Stark welcomed, but it was true enough that they needed help, and Littlefinger had been almost a brother to Cat once. It would not be the first time that Ned had been forced to make common cause with a man he despised. â€Å"Very well,† he said, thrusting the dagger into his belt. â€Å"You spoke of Varys. Does the eunuch know all of it?† â€Å"Not from my lips,† Catelyn said. â€Å"You did not wed a fool, Eddard Stark. But Varys has ways of learning things that no man could know. He has some dark art, Ned, I swear it.† â€Å"He has spies, that is well known,† Ned said, dismissive. â€Å"It is more than that,† Catelyn insisted. â€Å"Ser Rodrik spoke to Ser Aron Santagar in all secrecy, yet somehow the Spider knew of their conversation. I fear that man.† Littlefinger smiled. â€Å"Leave Lord Varys to me, sweet lady. If you will permit me a small obscenity—and where better for it—I hold the man's balls in the palm of my hand.† He cupped his fingers, smiling. â€Å"Or would, if he were a man, or had any balls. You see, if the pie is opened, the birds begin to sing, and Varys would not like that. Were I you, I would worry more about the Lannisters and less about the eunuch.† Ned did not need Littlefinger to tell him that. He was thinking back to the day Arya had been found, to the look on the queen's face when she said, We have a wolf, so soft and quiet. He was thinking of the boy Mycah, of Jon Arryn's sudden death, of Bran's fall, of old mad Aerys Targaryen dying on the floor of his throne room while his life's blood dried on a golden blade. â€Å"My lady,† he said, turning to Catelyn, â€Å"there is nothing more you can do here. I want you to return to Winterfell at once. If there was one assassin, there could be others. Whoever ordered Bran's death will learn soon enough that the boy still lives.† â€Å"I had hoped to see the girls . . . † Catelyn said. â€Å"That would be most unwise,† Littlefinger put in. â€Å"The Red Keep is full of curious eyes, and children talk.† â€Å"He speaks truly, my love,† Ned told her. He embraced her. â€Å"Take Ser Rodrik and ride for Winterfell. I will watch over the girls. Go home to our sons and keep them safe.† â€Å"As you say, my lord.† Catelyn lifted her face, and Ned kissed her. Her maimed fingers clutched against his back with a desperate strength, as if to hold him safe forever in the shelter of her arms. â€Å"Would the lord and lady like the use of a bedchamber?† asked Littlefinger. â€Å"I should warn you, Stark, we usually charge for that sort of thing around here.† â€Å"A moment alone, that's all I ask,† Catelyn said. â€Å"Very well.† Littlefinger strolled to the door. â€Å"Don't be too long. It is past time the Hand and I returned to the castle, before our absence is noted.† Catelyn went to him and took his hands in her own. â€Å"I will not forget the help you gave me, Petyr. When your men came for me, I did not know whether they were taking me to a friend or an enemy. I have found you more than a friend. I have found a brother I'd thought lost.† Petyr Baelish smiled. â€Å"I am desperately sentimental, sweet lady. Best not tell anyone. I have spent years convincing the court that I am wicked and cruel, and I should hate to see all that hard work go for naught.† Ned believed not a word of that, but he kept his voice polite as he said, â€Å"You have my thanks as well, Lord Baelish.† â€Å"Oh, now there's a treasure,† Littlefinger said, exiting. When the door had closed behind him, Ned turned back to his wife. â€Å"Once you are home, send word to Helman Tallhart and Galbart Glover under my seal. They are to raise a hundred bowmen each and fortify Moat Cailin. Two hundred determined archers can hold the Neck against an army. Instruct Lord Manderly that he is to strengthen and repair all his defenses at WhiteHarbor, and see that they are well manned. And from this day on, I want a careful watch kept over Theon Greyjoy. If there is war, we shall have sore need of his father's fleet.† â€Å"War?† The fear was plain on Catelyn's face. â€Å"It will not come to that,† Ned promised her, praying it was true. He took her in his arms again. â€Å"The Lannisters are merciless in the face of weakness, as Aerys Targaryen learned to his sorrow, but they would not dare attack the north without all the power of the realm behind them, and that they shall not have. I must play out this fool's masquerade as if nothing is amiss. Remember why I came here, my love. If I find proof that the Lannisters murdered Jon Arryn . . . â€Å" He felt Catelyn tremble in his arms. Her scarred hands clung to him. â€Å"If,† she said, â€Å"what then, my love?† That was the most dangerous part, Ned knew. â€Å"All justice flows from the king,† he told her. â€Å"When I know the truth, I must go to Robert.† And pray that he is the man I think he is, he finished silently, and not the man I fear he has become.

Instructional Media Selection and Use

Instructional Media Selection and Use Instructional media can be defined as the tools that are used by educators to convey knowledge to learners. This is because learning cannot be conveyed through word of mouth and therefore, it is important for every educator to have them at hand (Scalan, n.d).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Instructional Media: Selection and Use specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The tools include chalk boards, compact disks, films, and handouts, among many others. These tools are used by educators to enhance the understanding of learners with regard to the topics that have been taught in the classroom. Instructional media are used for various reasons in the ISD process. The first one being that they attract the attention of the learner. If an educator stood in front of learners and gave lecturers without instructional media, the lesson could be boring and most learners can be distracted by other events. A few writings on the chalk boa rd go a long way towards drawing the attention of learners. This is because when a leaner sees that the educator has written something on the board he/she will focus on what is being said about those writings. Additionally, instructional media makes learning interesting. When there are films and compact discs the learning process is enhanced because films and videos, in particular, integrate entertainment into the learning process. Besides, when there are computers involved learners can perform other tasks due to the multitasking ability of computers such as playing a computer game or watching a movie. Scanlan (n.d) argues that this gives them freedom and thus they do not feel confined in the classroom. This can have a positive impact, especially among young learners.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When learning becomes interesting, the learners can hardly skip classes and this causes their performance to improve. Likewise, the media contains insights from different persons and thus, can be understood better. The language that is used in instructional media is sometimes appealing to the learners and this makes them accept the concepts that are explained by the media. In essence, instructional media such as compact disks provide convenience for the learners such that they can revisit them any time regardless of their location. In this regard, an educator does not just choose instructional media; there are several considerations that drive him/her towards choosing instructional media. The first issue revolves around the availability of the media. An educator could be willing to employ instructional media, but then if the institution he/she works for does not have such materials he/she has to carry on without them. If the materials are available the educator will choose the ones he/she is familiar with. Consequently, if the available materials are sophis ticated, he/she will avoid using them because he/she does not have the skills required to use them. For instance, if an educator is not computer literate he/she will be reluctant to use computers even if they are plenty in the institution. Furthermore, Russell et al. (2000) outline that the mode of learning influences the use of instructional media. For instance, learners who are in virtual classes, or in other words, distance learning require instructional material because the distance between them and the learning facility becomes a barrier. There are several guidelines that are applied when selecting instructional media. First, the educator has to find out whether the environment favors his/her preferred media.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Instructional Media: Selection and Use specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is because it would be insane to recommend the use of computers and films to learners who hail f rom locations that do not have electricity. In addition, the educator has to consider whether the media can accommodate all his/her learners. For instance, if handouts are to be used he/she should check that they are enough for everyone. This is because if they are scarce the learners may hesitate from using them, probably due to lack of money. Similarly, the educator should ensure that the learners are acquainted with his/her preferred instruction media. If they do not know how to use it, the educator’s objective will not be achieved. References Scanlan, C. L. (n.d.). Instructional Media: Selection and Use. Web. Russell, J.D. et al. (2000). Instructional Technology for Teaching and Learning: Designing Instruction, Integrating Computers, and Using Media (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Merril.