The Main Conditions of the Special Education

There is no use denying the fact that nowadays education plays an important role in the life of every person. The thing is that due to the achieved level of technical development a person obtains a great number of facts every day.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Main Conditions of the Special Education specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, he/she should process them and be able to use all information which comes from different sources. Besides, taking into account tempos of the development of science nowadays, it is possible to assume that new approaches to some traditional things will appear and a person should be ready to face these challenges Under these conditions, the issue of special education obtains great importance. The thing is that there have always been people with some special needs. Thus, nowadays they also want to become the part of a scientific sphere and obtain a good education. Moreover , technical revolution created many various remedies which could help people with special needs to obtain knowledge. With this in mind, it is possible to say that the issue of special education should be given especial importance and researched nowadays. Investigating this issue, it is possible to say, that it is quite easy to obtain the needed information. The thing is that the key words like special education, special needs, value-added assessment, teacher preparation could help to find the needed sources connected with the issue. Moreover, there are no certain search limiters as a great number of sources, found with the help of these key words, could be used for the investigation of the issue. The only thing which should be given especial importance is the credibility of a source. A researcher could not use the information which is not proved and can distort results of the investigation. That is why, only scholarly sources could be recommended for investigation. For example, peer reviewed articles could be used to obtain the needed information connected with the issue. The term peer reviewed means that specialists, who investigate the same sphere and are informed about the latest tendencies in it, have read and analyzed the given work and found it credible. This source could become very useful in any research project as it could suggest some new idea or vision of the problem and, moreover, it does not contradict to the leading thought. That is why it is vital to use peer reviewed sources in any research work. The next two articles belong to the sources of this kind. The first one is Special Education Services Received by Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders From Preschool Through High School. It centers around special education services provided for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. (Wei, Wagner, Christiano, Shattuck, Yu, 2013).Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The work analyzes the main conditions under which these students study and suggests a certain vision of the qualities and skills which a teacher, who work with them, should obtain. The second article is entitled Inclusion of Children With Special Needs in Early Childhood Education. The authors also cogitate about the environment which is demanded for children with special needs (Lee, Yeung, Tracey, Barker, 2015). Moreover, they outline the fact that a teacher should be prepared and be ready to work with these people. From these two articles, it becomes obvious that the issue of special education is rather complicated and it demands creation of a certain environment for students with special needs and, moreover, teachers should also be prepared for this kind of work. References Gansle, K., Noell, G., Beckers, G., Stringer, A., Roberts, N., Burns, J. (2015). Value-Added Assessment of Teacher Preparation. Implications for Special Education. Intervention in School and Cl inic, 51(2). 106-111. doi: 10.1177/1053451215579267 Kennedy, M., Alves, K., Rodgers, W. (2015).Innovations in the Delivery of Content Knowledge in Special Education Teacher Preparation. Intervention in School and Clinic, 51(2). 73-81. doi: 10.1177/1053451215579268 Lee,F., Yeung, A., Tracey, D, Barker, K. (2015) Inclusion of Children With Special Needs in Early Childhood Education. What Teacher Characteristics Matter. Early Childhood Special Education, 35(2), 79-88. doi:10.1177/0271121414566014 Powell, S. (2015)Connecting Evidence-Based Practice With Implementation Opportunities in Special Education Mathematics Preparation. Intervention in School and Clinic, 51(2). 90-96. doi: 10.1177/1053451215579269 Wei, X., Wagner, M., Christiano, E., Shattuck, P., Yu, J. (2013). Special Education Services Received by Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders From Preschool Through High School. Journal of Special Education, 48(3). 167-179. doi: 10.1177/0022466913483576Advertising We will wri te a custom essay sample on The Main Conditions of the Special Education specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This essay on The Main Conditions of the Special Education was written and submitted by user Jaylen Ochoa to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Crude Oil essays

Crude Oil essays Crude oils are unprocessed oils mined straight from the oil source. Crude oils are such a useful starting point for so many different substances because they contain hydrocarbons. Crayons, plastics, heating oil, jet fuel, kerosene, synthetic fibres and tires are all originally made from crude oils. Crude oil contains hundreds of different types of hydrocarbons all mixed together. On average, crude oils are made up of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, sulphur, nitrogen, metals and salts. It is essential to separate the different types of hydrocarbons through a process called fractional distillation to produce anything useful. Fractional distillation is a constructive method for separating a mixture of substances with narrow differences in boiling points, and is the most important step in the refining process of crude oil. Crude oil consists of a mixture of various substances of near boiling points so the first step is to separate these substances through fractional distillation. The crude oil mixture is heated at high temperatures, usually done with high pressure steam at 600 degrees Celsius. In this heat, the mixture boils forming vapour. The vapour enters the fractional distillation column that is filled with trays with many holes or bubble caps in order to allow the vapour to pass through. The trays increase the contact time between the vapour and the liquids in the column. The bubble caps help to slow down the vapours as they rise through the column. As the vapour rises through the trays in the column, it cools. When a substance in the vapour reaches a height where the temperature of the column is equal to that substance's boiling point, it will condense to form a liquid. Small molecules of hydrocarbons have low boiling points, while larger molecules have higher boiling points. The substance wi th the lowest boiling point will condense at the highest point in the column; substances with higher boiling points will conden ...

Semantic Clues assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Semantic Clues assignment - Essay Example (1) Determine if the word is defined in the sentence; e.g., an oncologist is a doctor that treats cancer. (2) Discover whether the unknown word is placed in contrast or opposition with a known word using signals like but, however, yet or in contrast; e.g., we are either right- or left-handed, but Rita is ambidextrous. (3) Refer to your background knowledge to guess the meaning of a word; e.g., John has been a teetotaler since his drunken driving accident. (4) Put together some of the main points or attributes associated with a word; e.g., her quick, nervous, and angry greeting signaled her petulance. (5) Look for examples, as when the unknown word indicates a general category and the sentence includes words that would fit under that category (usually works with nouns); e.g., Childhood maladies such as mumps, chicken pox, and measles can be treated easily. 4. (a) Why did Andrew suspect his sister (b) Who were the players in the baseball cards that Andrew was missing (c) Why did Andrew's father lack concern for the missing cards (d) How did Andrew show that he was upset 5. Children respond to print through environmental experiences and shared reading of quality texts. By modeling specific phonetic skills, sounding out some words as they are written without explicit teaching of letter-sound relationships, teachers can develop phonemic awareness in children.

Business management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Business management - Essay Example mportant when assessing the potential success of a business partnership prior to implementation since it gives a general overview of the market situation in relation to the goals of the alliance hence makes it easier to draft business strategies. The main variables analysed are the resources available to the alliance, the marketplace competitive advantage and prospective financial performance superiority. According to the model, competition typically consists of the continuous struggle among organizations for comparative advantages in their amount and quality of resources that will result to better marketplace positions (also competitive advantage) and, in so doing, superior financial performance. An analysis of these two partnerships using the resource-advantage theory shows that the partnerships put all partners involved at an advantage over their competitors, promising increased revenue returns on the venture through several avenues such as an expanded market segment, production o f high quality products and also expansion of the resource base (including funding, staff expertise and infrastructure). Google (derived from ‘googol’ meaning 10100) began as a thesis of two Ph.D. students at Stanford University who later became its founders (Google Inc. 2014: Para 1). Over the years, it has made enormous progress, made possible through a chain of acquisitions and partnerships with the aim of constantly improving customer experience through creativity and innovation. Some of the major alliances that Google has undertaken include the partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and more recently, an alliance with carmakers called the Open Auto Alliance. Below is a schematic diagram of the resource-advantage model adapted from Hunt and Morgan (1997) Alliance with NASA has got very promising prospects. The main intent of this partnership is to increase innovation in the use of the internet to make it more productive and accessible. The

Business Strategy Able Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Strategy Able Corporation - Essay Example To avoid this situation, it is important to take into account operational and measurable factors and data for various attributes. "A vision statement pushes the association toward some future goal or achievement, while a mission statement guides current, critical, strategic decision making" (Drohan, 1999 cited Cardani n.d.). At first, it is important to identify the target audience of the company and analyze whom the mission statement is addressed to. The mission statement is based on goals and performance of the company and answers the question: "Why do we exist" (Hamel, Prahalad 1996). The information needed for the mission statement includes current and future goals, purpose and main priorities of Able Corporation. This information can be found in financial documents of the company and its advertising slogans, strategic plans and corporate objectives of Able Corporation. It is known that Able Corporation operates on the electronic market proposing customers a wide range of portabl e electric power tools of professional and consumer quality. Also, it manufactures some products for the cordless business segment being an innovator in this market segment. Establishing a value creation agenda is paramount to meeting the challenges of today's competition. Organizations like Able Corporation must examine their value added in the services they provide, develop a capability to rapidly create and deploy product service offerings as customers' requirements evolve, realign the organization in order to make customer relationship management a core competency and establish a network of partners that provides a broad range of product offerings. Able Corporation must re-examine the value it add to products and determine what the primary added value is, if it will remain valuable over time and if it is perceived by customers as a clear differentiation in the market. When formulating a strategy to derive a value proposition, organizations should consider the following factors: technology will continue to alter consumer interaction, brand identity must be distinct and identifiable, mature markets are often areas of great change, major changes in the market create many new opportunities, etc (Frame, 2003). The main elements that might be contained in Able's value proposition should be the customer segment and the core differentiation of its products from competitors. Customers are the main driven force in this market, so it is crucial to take into account their needs and expectations. Simply reshuffling the existing organization provides little value as a beginning stage to reshaping the culture and attitudes towards a customer-focused orientation. Establishing a value creation agenda is vital to meeting the challenges of today's competition. Abel Corporation must examine its products and develop a capability to rapidly create and deploy product offerings as customers' requirements evolve, realign the organization in order to make customer relationship management a core competency and establish a network of partners that provides a broad range of offerings. The value proposition of the value network lies in the organization's ability to collect resources to fulfill a process and/or opp ortunities that may or may not be delimited by time. The main principles of strategic development will be innovations,

Chlorhexidine-Alcohol versus Povidone-Iodine

Chlorhexidine-Alcohol versus Povidone-Iodine Although it is intentioned that surgical procedures remain sterile around 5% result in infection; infected surgical sites are the leading cause of iatrogenic infection among surgical patients (Kalb, Lefevre, Dididze, Levi, 2013). Current practice aiming to reduce infection is comprised of cleansing the skin with a prepping agent and covering the patient with sterilized drapes and towels. Surgical site infection results in harm to the patient, delay in patients returning to previous function, strain on staff, and negatively affects a hospitals ability to be financially compensated. As infections can be caused by microbiota on the skin, cleansing the site prior to incision is an imperative step in infection prevention. There are various cleansing agents used in existing practice; however, many hospitals, including the authors, do not have a standard practice in choosing a prepping agent. The myriad of sterile preparation solutions at this institution are betadine (10% povidone iodine) , hibiclens (chlorhexidine gluconate), and chlorhexidine alcohol. Current pre-operative skin preparation with one of these solutions is largely dictated by what is available, in close proximity, or surgeon preference. The 1999 Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations for surgical site infection prevention contains the use of antiseptic solution (Jarral, McCormack, Ibrahim, Shipolini, 2011); moreover, no solution has been identified as preferred. Despite the hospitals compliance with the CDC, standardizing practice may result in better patient outcomes and reduced cost. Review of literature suggests some solutions may have benefits over others regarding infection prevention. Bazzi et al. (2016) found patients that receive alcohol based chlorhexidine solution were 30% less likely to suffer from a surgical site infection (SSI) when compared to povidone iodine. Post application chlorhexidine has also been shown to have a sustained release action in its antiseptic properties, and, in 2002, the CDC urged hospitals to consider it first line. It is worth noting that solutions should not be used in conjunction as chlorhexidine can be inactivated by iodine and that iodine does not have the sustained antiseptic properties and is harmful to open wounds. Solutions may be contraindicated in the event of an allergy or high risk of harm such as burning, neuro-, or ototoxicity; neonates are at high risk of adverse event when using chlorhexidine. The AORN (2016) suggests all female surgical candidates provide a urine hgc pregnancy test to mitigate possibilities of h arm to a fetus. Hospitals that utilize solutions that come in a multiple use option are often at higher risk for error; this risk for error can be attributed to the human component as there may be a lack of training and differences in technique. This risk is further complicated by solutions often needing to be mixed, mixing a solution under poor or varied technique can lead to improper concentration and, thus, more infection. This risk associated with human error can be mitigated by implementing the use of one time use measured applicators. The single use system has an additional benefit of delivering solution deeper in the epidermis with application and removes direct patient touch reducing possible cross contamination. The multi-use option does provide an economic incentive on the front end; however, a possible increase in preventable SSIs would end up costing more money. As such, transitioning to a single-use applicator system both decreases risk of infection by removing potential human error and is a financially savvy option. STAKEHOLDER When undergoing a potential practice change involving both policy and product change a team of stakeholders need be gathered to address effectiveness, patient outcomes, and financial burden. Stakeholders will work as a team to acquire necessary information, pilot, and implement change. The stakeholder task force for the proposed change will include representation from the surgery teams, hospital board, and infection control. Infection control and surgery teams will work together to pilot a practice change regarding single use chlorhexidine; infection control is necessary because they are responsible for helping reduce risk of infection including SSIs, the surgery team (nurses, surgeons, techs, etc.) are needed as they implement and practice change. This pilot phase will aim to reduce SSIs and homogenize application technique. After the pilot phase is completed, and if it has shown to decrease SSI in piloted areas findings will be presented to hospital administration to analyze and ma ke a final decision on practice and product change and possibly implementing system wide. EVIDENCE BASED SUMMARY This topic was chosen as standardized practice often leads to better patient outcomes. The author works on an inpatient transplant surgical unit. Transplant recipients are pharmacologically immunosuppressed placing them at higher risk for infection. Having a great practice model and ideal equipment is paramount in reduction of this risk. Title #1: Chlorhexidine-Alcohol versus Povidone-Iodine for Surgical Site Antisepsis. This article provided by the New England Journal of Medicine gave a study of surgeries and related surgical site complications with Chlorhexidine-Alcohol versus Povidone-Iodine. The article provided both pros and cons to each used and the findings consistent with using the chlorhexidine-alcohol prep for surgical cases. Title #2: Comments on review of preoperative skin prep study. This article is from the AORN and is information from surgeons and surgical nurses opinions and finding or results on preferred surgical site prep solutions. Title #3: Pre-Application Evaporation of Surgical Preparation Solutions: Does It Matter?This study was to confirm that surgical prep solutions that contain alcohol were better at eliminating microorganisms. The CDC does not have any antisepsis guidelines regarding how long surgical prep solutions can be left out in open air prior to surgery. Samples in the study were ta ken at an initial set up time, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, and 120 minutes of the time the solution was set out in open air. The Alcohol Iodine solution showed a large decrease in the amount of alcohol content of the solution in only 30 minutes. The Alcohol Chlorhexidine solution had only a marginal drop over the 120 minute interval. The end conclusion of this study was that it had a recommendation for surgical prep solution to be used immediately after pouring and that alcohol chlorhexidine did not have a significant loss of alcohol concentration if it was set out prior to the surgical case. Title #4 Should Surgeons Scrub with Chlorhexidine or Iodine Prior to Surgery?This study is a meta-analysis study that questioned whether chlorhexidine was equal to or a better surgical hand scrub than povidone iodine. The study researched 593 papers. The study was found to reveal that even though both solutions reduce that bacterial count post scrubbing, the chlorhexidine was in fact better to use and longer lasting. In order to determine this, the studies determined how many colonies of bacteria were reduced after the use of each different hand scrub. The studies also measured bacterial colony counts for a number of days post-surgery. The clinical bottom line was that chlorhexidine and povidone iodine both had a reduction in bacterial counts immediately after scrubbing but the chlorhexidine had a greater reduction. Povidone iodine showed a lack of residual activity when compared to the chlorhexidine. Title #5: The use of Anti-Septic Solutions in the Prevention of Neurosurgical Site Infections. This is a cohort study that sampled recent meta-analysis to evaluate the different methods of surgical pre solutions used at different institutions across the US. The solutions being evaluated were betadine, Dura prep, chloraprep, and the possible combination of the three. The study used 128 surgical departments and the departments were to provide surgical site infection percentages. I t was the conclusion of this study that even though research literature supported the use of chloraprep over betadine and Dura prep, the majority of the surgical institutions continued to use the betadine solution. RECOMMENDATION The goal for any type of surgical cleanse solution will be to reduce any instance of surgical infections in a safe, cost effective, and complete manner. The hospital will choose the right product that is cutting costs, being most effective, saving surgical time, and has the safest results for the patient. The cost by the initial purchase of the prefilled solution applicators might be slightly more than multi use bottles, but the money will be saved by providing a prep that is less messy, applied quicker, more efficient, and improves drape adhesion. These are all benefits that will prevent the sterility of the patients surface from being compromised (Parson, 2003). As the hospital develops a standardized protocol for a surgical cleanse solution, the cost saving measures can be visualized through buying the one cleanse in bulk and the patient safety numbers for a reduction in infection rate. Based on the reviewed literature, it is recommended that the hospital change to a standardized chlorhexidine solution and use a povidone iodine solution in those cases where a patient could be allergic to chlorhexidine or if chlorhexidine is contraindicated in a particular surgery. The surgery department will also set new standards on preparation of the chlorhexidine and iodine solutions based on the research completed. Both of the prep solutions will not be prepared by the OR tech until the patient is on the operating table. The solution used will be used from unopened containers and any excess in the bottles will be discarded as waste to ensure adequate alcohol concentrations of the solution. PRACTICE CHANGE MODEL The facility with use the Eight Step change model proposed by Kotter; the desired outcome is successful implementation of the practice change with few delays. The initial step creates urgency and necessity for change; infection control and surgical departments will collect data on current infection rates. Subsequently, stakeholders will find staff that agrees with the change and has a desire to carry the change forward. Unit councils and word of mouth from employees to their peers will show change is need and there is general support for the practice change. During the third step a formalized vision and strategy for change will begin to circulate. The strategy will involve emails, flyers in staff viewing areas, and discussion at every staff meeting. The vision will circulate on all surgical units simultaneously to encourage organic support. After the vision is clearly established then communication from management, administration, and perceived staff leaders will relay the importance of the practice change. Kotters fifth step will include destruction of potential kickback and barriers to change. Kickback can include resistance to change, old materials still available, and old policies still accessible. These barriers can be undermined by updating policy and removing any supply that is out of compliance with the practice change. Conversely, the next step includes positive reinforcement and reward for short term achievable goals. This includes a stepped approach at compliance and acknowledging staff for their work and desire to do what is best for the patient. Step seven builds on step six, but cautions too much reward to early; rewards should not be used as motivation or signal completeness. Rewards a necessary; however, they are to be used as progress markers. Anchoring the practice change as the stauts quo is the final step in implementation. The change must have support of staff and administration and become the only standard of care. (Schmidt Brown, 2012).F 1 and F2All operating rooms must be meticulously sterile and safely maintained; this attention to detail is essential for hospitals wishing to provide quality care and prevent possible infection. Infections at the surgical sire are dangerous for patients and damaging to hospitals. The dangers to patients include delayed healing and readmission; hospitals suffer a financial loss. In addition to financial loss, the institutions reputation cn be affected potentially leading to fewer people seeking out care at the facility resulting in increased strain on other hospitals and delay of patient care. Education leaders at the facility till set up in-service opportunities to provide staff with appropriate knowledge and procedures for implementing change. The hospital will set new SSI goal rate, information about the new solution, and stressing the importance of wasting opened unused solution and materials. Elsewaisy, Ameen, Sydenham, (2012) suggests using professional resources from the man ufacture to provide proper education. During the first week of the implementation of the new solution, there will be extra staff in the operating rooms in assisting with proper application for prepping the surgical patients. Data will be collected at intervals of change week, at two weeks post change, one month post change, three months post changes, and six months post change. This data will be measured to determine if the goal of decreasing surgical site infection rate was achieved. BARRIERS Research, evidence-based practice, and practice change invariably meet resistance when challenging the status quo. As the proposed project change will rely heavily on staff nurses, it is necessary to both involve staff in the development stage and provide succinct easily digested rationale to encourage ownership of the practice change. Various reasons can prevent bedside nurses from becoming vested in a practice change from lack of knowledge or training in interpreting and applying research to being focused on their respective daily tasks and care of the patient. The administration and stakeholders must make the practice changes goals attainable and show the end-user (nurses) the benefits both to their workflow and the safety of the patient. To combat potential resistance administration should support and encourage the nursing staff to ask questions and provide insight into how practice change will flow smoothly; presenting the practice change as an opportunity to grow and provide be tter care with encourage many staff nurses to get on board with the change. The hospital discussed provides several resources for nurses and other staff to perform their own research. As the change is relatively simple and straightforward after initial resistance is discussed many barriers dissipate; making the practice change the new normal makes training easier as new staff will only be trained in one method contributing to a paradigm shift in groupthink. Remaining barriers include cost and vendor problems. As previously discussed the upfront cost is greater than current practice; however, successful implementation will decrease SSIs, thus decreasing costs and justifying upfront expenses. Vendor problems and supply chain interruption could hinder implementation in the future; moreover, these are problems outside of the organizations control. Before change a starting point to be used as a frame of reference is imperative to determine the gap from current to desired practice. This reference point can be used to identify any other barriers that could arise, and will signal stakeholders the appropriate amount of education and time to prepare for full practice change. This can be done with focus groups, online questionnaires, and staff observation. Assessing and listening to the concerns and needs of the staff will mitigate any barriers the organization will face in its practice change. ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS The range of possible ethical implications in this proposed practice change is veritably limited. One could stretch a line of thinking proposing that key drivers in the practice change also have financial ties to companies that could possibly receive contracts due to these practice changes; however, such speculation is fanciful and out of line. Utilizing a cost benefit analysis, one could argue that it might be unethical to not move forward with a practice change, as the practice change suggests lower rates of SSI and therefore potentially decreases overall cost. As the practice change involves a trial period, all patients will be informed and asked to give consent before partaking in the trial phase. Because the proposed change does not single-out any specific group of patients complies with HIPAA regulations minimally ethical considerations will surround patient privacy. It appears the only concern for unethical outcomes related to this practice change would be gross negligence or intentional violation of the law. References Bazzi, A., Harris, J., Morgan, D., Pearlman, M., Reynolds, R., Campbell, D., Uppal, S. (2016). 15: Chlorhexidine-alcohol compared with povidone-iodine for surgical-site antisepsis after abdominal hysterectomy. American Journal Of Obstetrics Gynecology, 214S463. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2016.01.024 Elsewaisy, O., Ameen, Y., Sydenham, D. (2012, March 2, 2012). Pre-Application Evaporation of Surgical Preparation Solutions: Does It Matter? Surgical Science. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ss.2012.34035 Jarral, O. A., McCormack, D. J., Ibrahim, S., Shipolini, A. R. (2011, February 14, 2011). Should Surgeons Scrub with Chlorhexidine or Iodine Prior to Surgery. Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, 12, 1017-1021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1510/icvts.2010.259796 Kalb, S., Lefevre, R. D., Dididze, M., Levi, A. D. (2013, August 4, 2013). The Use of Anti-Septic Solutions in the Prevention of Neurosurgical Site Infections. Clinical Microbiology. http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2327-5073.1000124Schmidt, N. A., Brown, J. M. (2012). Evidence-based practice for nurses: Appraisal and application of research. Sudbury, MN: Jones and Bartlett Learning. The Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses. (2016). Recommended practices for skin preparation of patients. AORN Journal.

Faith in A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings Essay -- Enormous Wings Es

Faith in A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings      Ã‚   In Gabriel Garcia Marquez's short story, "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings," an unexpected visitor comes down from the sky, and seems to test the faith of a community. The villagers have a difficult time figuring out just how the very old man with enormous wings fits into their lives. Because this character does not agree with their conception of what an angel should look like, they try to determine if the aged man could actually be an angel. In trying to prove the origin of their visitor, the villagers lose faith in the possibility of him being an angel because he does not adhere to their ordered world. Marquez keeps the identity of the very old man with enormous wings ambiguous to critique the villagers and, more generally, organized religion for having a lack of faith to believe in miracles that do not comply with their master narrative. In order to keep the origin of the old man a mystery, Marquez uses a technique known as magical realism. This combination of reality and fantasy helps to remove some of the grandeur behind the potential angel. When the old man is first introduced he does not descend from heaven in a blaze of light and glory, but rather lands in a "stew of mud and rotten shellfish" (313), during a storm that had lasted for three days. To investigate the "moving and groaning in the rear of the courtyard" Pelayo "had to go very close to see that it was an old man, a very old man, lying face down in the mud, who, in spite of his tremendous efforts, couldn't get up, impended by his enormous wings" (313). This description is hardly the image that one would conjure up when visualizing an angel coming down from the heavens. Rather, Marque... ...age people are able to rationalize that the angel is mortal, and just an annoying part of their everyday life. When the villagers cannot determine the true nature of the angel, they condition themselves to ignore what is standing before their very eyes. Only after the angel finally flies away becoming "an imaginary dot on the horizon of the sea" (317) does anyone pause to look at the angel. Works Cited and Consulted Chanady, Amaryll. "Magical Realism in Spanish American Literature." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed.Louis Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C: UP, 1995: 125-144. Garcia Marquez, Gabriel. "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings." The Norton Introduction Literature. Ed. Jerome Beaty.N.Y. : W.W. Norton and Company, 1996.525-529. Sandner, David. The Fantastic Sublime. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1996. 51-55.