Evaluating a technology concepts lesson Essay

The learning environment observed was one that had the use of computers in mind. The classroom size was big enough to seat around twenty or so students that had a student:computer ratio of 1:1. The computers were arranged in such a way that two rows of computers were back to back so that students would be facing each other. There were four rows in all with the teacher seated on the end of one row. This arrangement allowed easy student to student interaction and at the same time easy teacher to student interaction since the teacher was situated where she had a full view of all the students. An overhead projector was also set up beside the teacher with the screen facing her and the students, allowing a real time view of what the teacher was doing on her own computer making it for her to explain the tasks she gave to her students. This made it easy for students to easily check their work against the teacher’s without having to disrupt the class. 1-b: Many education activities could be observed in the class. The given task was to identify from the given paragraphs the main ideas and the supporting details to the main ideas. The students were then tasked to use the computers to put their ideas down and make sure they edited their work. Thus, the most important parts of the whole activity were brainstorming, graphic organizing, and word processing. In the brainstorming activity, the students had sharing in ideas in small group discussions that the teacher utilized to give the students time talk about their ideas. These helped the students in identifying the main ideas and supporting details. They then summarized their discussions. These small group discussions help the students learn better since they are able to check whether their ideas have merit or not. In a way, they are doing checks and balances. The graphic organizing and word processing then bring them to the realm of technology where they can put their ideas and their work to life. They can actually view the work they came up with by typing these in, editing it, and checking whether the spelling and grammar are all correct. 1-c: Effective teaching is always seen when a teacher begins the lesson with a short statement of goals, presents the material in small steps with clear instructions and explanation, and provide a high level of practice for all the students. An effective teacher also checks for student understanding and guide the students through the exercise. The teacher also provides a venue for feedback to see whether the lesson was understood and know what areas can be improved (Rosenshine & Stevens, 1986). Keeping that in mind, my observation was that the teacher did exactly what is expected of an effective teacher. She stated the goals of the lesson and delivered the instructions of the lesson step-by-step. She also gave examples of what she meant and used the computer and overhead projector to show the students what she meant. She provided the students a venue to discuss their ideas and thereby giving them a high level of practice within the lesson. Not only that, by letting the students do their work with the use of the computer, she provided another venue for real life situations wherein writing is done on computers including editing and revising. At the end of the lesson, she asked one student to read to the class his writing output and gave feedback by acknowledging that the student was able to do his work correctly since the student had a main idea and some supporting details in his work. 2-a: The students were very much engaged with the task and the vehicle of technology used to deliver the lesson. They seemed comfortable with the use of the technology and I attribute this to the teacher’s step-by-step delivery of the lesson. Her style of going through the task by showing the students what she meant made it easy for the students to follow and most likely gave them the courage to do the task. 3-a: The instructional purpose of the lesson was to simulate real life writing wherein writers make use of the computer to write, edit, and revise their work. Her additional goals included a better knowledge of the use of graphic organizers after the lesson. Her choice of technology was the best choice in terms of simulating real life situations. Not only that, it gave her students an introduction to the use of a computer in writing. This is important since this knowledge is very important not only in real life situations but also in schooling. Evidently, most assignments nowadays are expected to be handed in typewritten, in a certain format, and in a certain font. Her choice then was the best choice in driving home the lesson that students should learn to use the computer in doing the task of summarizing an essay an identifying the main ideas with supporting details included. 4-a: The effectiveness of the lesson delivery is seen in how a student is able to achieve then endpoint of the lesson. The use of technology then is a vehicle towards that endpoint. Now, if a teacher is able to effectively deliver the lesson, the endpoint can easily be achieved. This was clearly seen in the video. The teacher was able to use the computer technology in arriving at the endpoint of having a professionally made summary containing the main ideas and supporting details of her given essay at the start of the class. In the same vein, she was able to improve the students’ abilities in the use of the graphic organizer and word processor. Also, since the ratio of student:computer was 1:1, it gave the students a certain satisfaction that the work they did was actually work made by their own hands. They could say that it was a product of their own hard work and be proud and they were proud of their achievement. 4-b: I was trying to analyze how best an English lesson could be incorporated with the use of technology and tried to reflect how I could maximize not only the use of technology but also maximize the endpoints that is always best when teaching English—meaning I would not only want that my students know how to use a graphic organizer and word processor, I want them to learn how to brainstorm, share ideas, work on their own to arrive at the correct answers, and still achieve metacognitive learning by letting the students themselves arrive at reflection on whether the lesson did improve their knowledge and by how much. This is the kind of endpoint I would want in every lesson I have. Thus, this is why my evaluation of this evaluation came about from this viewpoint and why it mattered much to me that the students were able to get the best of the world of English writing and technology. 5-a:One alternative or additional form of technology that could have been useful was the use of audios. Students could be given separate paragraphs or essays that they had to listen to individually or in small groups. This would also test their listening skills as well as their comprehension skills. This alternative would make use of what is known as the VAK attack or Visual, Auditory, and Kinetic learning. This can increase learning since more senses are used. 5-b: My choice of recommendation relies in my belief that multisensorial learning is a good way to increase their chances of remembering the lesson. It also give a wider range of engagement in terms of capturing students’ attention since some students are visual, some auditory, and others kinetic. When a teacher tries to deliver a lesson that makes use multiple senses, it increases the chances of more students retaining the lesson. 6-a:My initial reaction to the use of technology in the observed classroom was one of approval. I find that the use of modern day technology should be used more often in the classroom setting since I believe that learning should reflect situations in real life. It would not be beneficial for a student to be kept ignorant of the use of technology when in school since once they are out of the campus they face a different situation. The use of modern day technology is very evident in every corner of our lives. A good example would be the use of ATMs which needs at least a very basic knowledge of keyboard use or touchscreen interface knowledge. It may be difficult to accept especially if the teacher belongs to an older generation that did not incorporate as much technology but I believe that it should be part and parcel of most lessons today. 6-b: As I expressed in my thinking process of this evaluation, I really considered how technology can be maximized in teaching as much to a student without giving them an information overload. My personal view has always been a multisensorial approach to learning helps. The professional implication of this is that I always try to incorporate a multisensorial approach to my teaching style. REFERENCES Rosenshine, B. , & Stevens, R. (1986). Teaching functions. In M. C. Whittrock (Ed. ), Handbook of research on teaching (3rd ed. , pp. 376-391). New York: Macmillan.

Sample Reactions Paper

Sample Reading Reaction Paper The question on page 4 of Miller is really interesting; if you had a grant where would you go to conduct anthropological research and what would it be about? I remember thinking as an undergrad what I would do if I stepped of a plane in some county. How would I even pick the county? Can you pick any country? Do you decide on a place first, and then what you will research, or is it the other way around? I got to answer many of these questions in my training, but did not fully put it together till I did fieldwork.I also learned there is no one answer to how, when, and where fieldwork is conducted. So many factors go into the process, there simply cannot be a universal fit for anthropologists. The summary of the four subfields of anthropology is pretty insightful and clear. Someone in class brought up whether the Garbage Project (or garbology as it’s often called) is really worthwhile. I confess I think statically data can tell us most of this. Furth er, with the limited number of resources available to archaeological I question if it’s a good use of time and money.What about ancient civilizations and historically important sites we have not explored? However, a recent article in the New York Times Book Review made some insights I felt were applicable to this topic. Discussing literary criticism, the author said that the important part of academic research was that often the value of something was not obvious until much later. Something that does not have a lot of relevance today may be profoundly relevant down the road. Perhaps garbage archaeology is such a field.Also, a piece I heard on NPR, with the anthropologist-in-residence with the New York Sanitation department, addressed the topic in a way I had not considered. The anthropologist was quite persuasive in the importance of understanding sanitation, its roll in modern society, and why some reflexivity on the matter is valuable. One of her major projects has been to set up a museum, which will house municipal documents on sanitation, including things like street sweeping, for the city. Given these two things, I might give garbology a little more leeway than I once did.I was pleased by the section Miller included on applied anthropology, a subject we cover in great detail later on, as I feel it is very important. The reference to Paul Farmer, in a dialog box set apart from the rest of the text, is excellent. Farmer is an anthropologist whose work I did not become familiar with till graduate school. However, once I read his books I have been perpetually impressed by his style of anthropology. Farmer is both a medical doctor and an anthropologist.He does not just go study people in faraway places; he goes to make their lives better. His passion and advocacy should serve as a guide for our whole field. Farmer’s honesty about the work we do, and the obligations we should have to the people we did research with, is not something I have come ac ross in many places. Tracy Kidder’s book on Farmer, Mountains Beyond Mountains, is a wonderful read. But Famer’s own books are even more powerful, if a little more academic. I do feel some things get rushed in the first chapter.The section on the history of anthropology is very brief. While this is not a book, or a class for that matter, on the history of anthropological theory and method, a further development of the topic is instructive. The ideas we have today are distilled from ideas that we had in the past. Understanding that we have refined, and even abandoned some, ideas demonstrates the place of anthropology in the world. Plus, you do not need to reinvent the wheel. And, to carry the metaphor further, some wheels do not work. We look at past ideas so we can move on from them.

Capital Structure and Corporate Performance

The assignment deals with the financial analysis of ratios of Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC). Maldives Transport and Contracting company is engaged in marine and land transport business and also has a separate division which deals with marine and land constructions. The company was one of the first public sector company which was established. The financial performance of the company is to be analyzed with the help of significant ratios. The major ratios which are to be analyzed for the company are liquidity, profitability and efficiency ratios. The analysis will be containing an insight of the capital structure of the company and stock performance of MTCC. Liquidity ratios are used to measure the liquidity of the company which means whether the business has enough liquid cash to meet the short-term liabilities of the company or not (Higgins 2012). In the liquidity ratio sub-head, the most significant ratios are current ratio, liquid ratio and cash ratio. As per the calculation shown, the current ratio of the company has first declined from 1.34 in 2014 to 1.28 in 2015 and then again increased to 1.34 in 2016. This shows that the company is more than capable of handling the short-term business requirements. If the current ratio of the company is above 1 then it signifies that the company is able to meet with the current short-term expenses of the business which MTCC has as stated above (Ahrendsen and Katchova 2012). An ideal current ratio is however 2:1, which means that the current assets must be twice of current liabilities. The quick ratio of the company shows that the ratio is on an increasing trend from 2014. The ratio increased from 0.96 in 2014 to 1.08 in 2016 as per calculations. This is a favorable result as the higher the quick ratio the more liquidity the business has and ideally quick ratio should be greater than 1. However, the ideal results of a quick ratio vary from industry to industry. The cash ratio of the company has decreased and the ratio suggest the real cash of the company is falling. The ratio however does not take into consideration account receivable and inventory and only considers cash and asset which are close to cash. The profitability ratios of the company measure the overall profitability of the company considering the significant areas such as gross profit, net profit, operating profit and similar other areas (Al Karim and Alam 2013). These ratios depict whether the company is performing well in terms of profitability or not. The gross profit ratio shows that the gross profit of the company first increases from 18.73% in 2014 to 23.84% in 2015 and then again decreases to 22% in 2016. The gross profit for the year 2016 has decreased which the company needs to improve and also analyze why the gross profit of the company fall during 2016. The net profit ratio of the company also shows a fluctuating and a similar result when compared to gross profit ratio. The net profit ratio of the company for the year 2016 show a ratio of 8.80% which is even lesser than the ratio result which was calculated for 2014 which is 10.57%. This is not a favorable sign for the business and therefore the business needs t o improve the same. Net profit ratio is a financial indicator and the company needs to improve the overall net profit of the company (Tugas 2012). The operating profit ratio also depicts a fluctuating result and has a similar result and analysis as gross profit ratio and net profit ratio of the company.   The return on assets and return on equity also show unfavorable results for the company in the year 2016. The return on asset has decreased from 0.9 in 2015 to 0.8 which is shown in 2016. The return on equity also shows a decreasing trend which was 30.22% in 2015 which has reduced to 18.70% in 2016 which is even lesser than the estimate of 2014. The next group of significant ratios which are to be considered are the efficiency ratio of the company. Such type of ratios generally covers all types of asset turnover ratio of the company. The receivable turnover ratio of the company shows how efficiently the company is able to collect the credit allowed on sales by the company. an high account receivable ratio signifies that the company has a strong credit policy and all credit operations are running smoothly. The receivable turnover ratio of the company shows that the ratio has increased in 2016 which is 1.59 and the same was 1.44 in 2015. Therefore, it suggests that there has been improvement in the receivable turnover ratio or collection policy of the company as the case may be. The inventory turnover ratio shows that the ratio has significantly increased in 2016 in comparison with 2015 results. The inventory ratio of the company for the year 2016 is 4.28 which is much more than previous two years results. The higher the inven tory turnover ratio the more favorable for the business as it will then portray a strong sales structure and lesser inventory in stocks (Ehiedu 2014). While lower inventory turnover ratio shows poor sales structure and more inventory capacity at hand of the company which is being unused by the company. The asset turnover ratio of the company also shows that the ratio has increased from the previous years results (Tehrani, Mehragan and Golkani 2012). The asset turnover ratio for the year 2016 is shown at 0.89. Asset turnover ratio measures the capability of the company to generate revenue or sales in comparison to the assets of the company. The next group of ratios is the capital structure ratio which measures the components of the capital structure of the company. The debt ratio of the company shows that the company’s debt ratio has decreased from the result of 2015. The debt ratio for 2015 was 0.61 which has reduced to 0.58 in 2016. From the perspective of risks debt ratios of any company are preferred to be lower as the risk is also low. In this case it can be said that it is favorable for the business of MTCC. The equity ratio shows how much equity capital has the business incorporated in the capital structure of the company. The equity ratio of the company has increased from 2015 which was 0.39 to 0.42 which is shown in 2016. This signifies that the company is now using more of equity in comparison to last year. The gearing ratio of the company shows the total debt which is used by the business in comparison to the equity capital of the business. It is similar to Debt equity ratio however it contains more va riations which can provide different results. The gearing ratio of the company 7.07% in 2016 which is lower than previous year figure as the company has reduced the debts of the company. This shows that the company is payoff the debt capital and incorporating more of equity capital in the capital structure mix of the company (Babalola and Abiola 2013). The debt equity ratio of the company shows that the ratio has reduced from 1.59 in 2015 to 1.40 in 2016 which also shows that the company is reducing the debt capital of the company. With the analysis of the debt equity ratio it is evident that the company is trying to restructure the capital structure of the company and add more of equity capital in the mix. However, the full benefit of the capital structure can be extracted when a certain balance is attained between debt and equity capital funds. The stock performance ratios are related and measures the performance of the company on the basis of valuation of stock or earning per shares or market value of shares (Delen, Kuzey and Uyar 2013). Earning per share is the measure of the company’s profit per share which is earned by the shareholders of the company (Brigham and Houston 2012). The earning per share of the company has fallen sharply from 312.76 in 2015 to 23.076 in 2016 which is a drastic fall. This is a serious concern for the business as if it is not improved than the company’s stock prices and market valuation will repeatedly fall. The dividend payout ratio show that the ratio is much more than previous year’s measure which shows that the company has declared dividend in spite of low Earning per share. Price earning ratio is the measure of the price which the investor pays for $ 1 profit in the company. The price earning ratio of the company has increased from the previous year results. The following recommendations can be offered to the company for improvement in the key financial ratios: Any business which is planning to start or establish itself in the market needs to plan out the financial requirement which the business needs. In other words, there are certain expenses which initially which the business must incur in order to establish the business in the market (Lee, Sameen and Cowling 2015). The two most popular form of business which can be open are partnership form of business and private limited companies. A partnership form of business is a business where two or more parties cooperate together in order to run a business. In case of partnership the liability of the partners may be unlimited or limited as per the agreement in the Partnership deed (Allen and Kraakman 2016). Whereas in a Private Limited Company the shareholders are the owners of the company, however the company is operated by board of directors who are representatives of the shareholders of the company. The liability in a company is limited to the number of shares which is held by the shareholders of the company. Moreover, a company is regarded as a legal person whereas a partnership form of business does not enjoy such a right 9Burns 2016). Both the above forms of businesses require initial capital to start up the business and also long-term finances for smooth operation of the business. In case of partnership form of business, the various options of financing which are available are: Personal Savings: In a partnership form of business personal savings is an important source of finance. The partners of the firm contribute to the total capital of the firm and operates in a similar fashion whenever there is additional requirement of funds (Gbandi and Amissah 2014). In case of a startup partnership business, generally individuals resort to capital contributions which will be made by the partners of the firm to meet the start up cost of the business instead of taking a loan from banks. The amount which is contributed by the partners are the basis on which the profit which is earned by the firm is distributed among the partners unless otherwise agreed upon. Retained profits: The profits which are earned by the firm are reinvested in the business in many cases which is then used as reserves or retained earnings. However. such type of financing cannot be done in the initial years of the business but for long term financing purpose of the business (Fairfield and Jorratt De Luis 2016). This is the most productive type of financing as it does not create a burden on the business as in the case of debts and also the partners are not bringing in any capital into the business. Short term /Long term Bank loans: This is another mostly used source for financing of capital for the business. The partnership can take a loan as per the requirement of the business that is it can be short term as well as long term in nature. This source of financing can be used by the business at initial stages of the business and also in the pursuance of the long-term business objectives of the firm (Shin 2012). The financing which is done through bank loans can meet both the objectives which can be start up financing as well as long-term financing of the business. Additional Partner’s Capital: In many situation, there has been cases where the firm is requiring additional capital and the firm does not want to take a loan from banks then they use this technique. Whenever there is an admission of a new partner in the partnership firm, the individual brings in his share of capital for the purpose of investing in the firm and also determining the profit ratio which he is going to get. The additional capital which is brought by the new partners is used for financing purpose of projects and operation of the business. This type of financing is rarely used by firms as admission of a new partner means that the profit sharing ratio diminishes. However, it is commonly seen that a partnership business applies such techniques when a partner retires from a business so as to meet the capital requirements of the business. In case of a company form of business the most common sources of financing for a business are discussed below: Issue of Shares: The most important sources of financing for a business is through issue of shares which can be equity shares or preference share as per the requirement of the business. The company has the ability to issue shares in order to collect small amount of capital per share from potential investors (Engel and Stiebale 2014). The share capital as collected by the business is used in financing the projects of the company. Such sources of financing are useful in start up business as well as financing for the long-term business objectives. In addition to this, financing with share capital is a reliable source of financing for the business (Bobinaite and Tarvydas 2014). Bank Loan: This is another option which is available to the company which can be used for financing of the business. The company can take long- term as well as short term loans from banks for day to day operation of the business. However, lumpsum amount for loans as required by the company is not always available and the bank requires certain securities on the basis of which the bank will be allowing the loan to the company (Robb and Robinson 2014). In the startup phases of the business, company generally do not get any loan from the banks unless they provide ample amount of securities against the loan amount. Debentures: Another source of financing of the business is by issuing debentures for collecting capital. The capital which is collected with the issuance of debentures forms a part of the debt capital of the business. The capital which is collect by the use of debentures can also be used to finance projects and it can issued for collecting funds for start-up cost and also for long-term financial requirements of the business (Buigut et al. 2013). Retained Earnings. The company form of business also employs the concept of retained earnings. The company retains a part of the profit which is earned by the company during previous year and the business reinvest the profits in the business again (Serrasqueiro and Nunes 2012). The retain earnings method which is used by the business is known as plough back of profits in the business. Moreover, such method is advantageous to the company as it increases the internal strength of the company and makes the company financially strong. The retained earnings of the business depend on the amount of profit which was earned by the business in previous year. Moreover, the business cannot use such type of capital in start up financing of the business and has to resort to other means of sourcing of finance. Preference Share Source of Financing This refers to the funds which are raised by the business by issuing shares which are also known as equity (Elsas,   Flannery and Garfinkel 2014). Tis refers to the capital which is taken from a bank or financial institution This type of capital is similarly raised as equity sources of capital but such shares have rights of their own and are different from equity sources of capital (Gitman, Juchau and Flanagan 2015). This is regarded as own capital of the business This is regarded as borrowed capital of the business or also known as loan capital of the business. This also forms a part of the own capital of the business (Abdulsaleh and Worthington 2013). The risks which are associated with equity shares is high as equity shares are generally risky in nature (Bekaert and Harvey 2017). The risks which is associated with debts are low and debt capital are considered less risker than equity sources of capital. This type of shares are not as risky as equity shares but has certain risk factor. The return which is generated by equity share capital is in the form of dividends and such dividends depends on the profit which is earned by the company and also on the decision of the management. If the company is not earning profits than the company will not be paying any dividend. The return which is related to debt capital is interest which is fixed and regular in nature and generally depends on the agreement of debts of the business The return which is generated by such sources are fixed unlike equity sources of capital and they are need to be paid even if the company is earning losses. Thus, from the comparison of the above three sources of capital it can be said that the equity source of capital is very useful even though it is a risky source of capital. The consultancy business will be able to collect bulk amount of capital from equity sources and also there is no pressure of dividends in initial years even if the business earns losses. Abdulsaleh, A.M. and Worthington, A.C., 2013. Small and medium-sized enterprises financing: A review of literature.  International Journal of Business and Management ,  8(14), p.36. Ahrendsen, B.L. and Katchova, A.L., 2012. Financial ratio analysis using ARMS data.  Agricultural Finance Review,  72(2), pp.262-272. Al Karim, R. and Alam, T., 2013. An evaluation of financial performance of private commercial banks in Bangladesh: Ratio analysis.  Journal of Business Studies Quarterly,  5(2), p.65. Allen, W.T. and Kraakman, R., 2016.  Commentaries and cases on the law of business organization. Wolters Kluwer law & business. Babalola, Y.A. and Abiola, F.R., 2013. Financial ratio analysis of firms: A tool for decision making.  International journal of management sciences ,  1(4), pp.132-137. Bekaert, G. and Harvey, C., 2017. Emerging equity markets in a globalizing world. Bobinaite, V. and Tarvydas, D., 2014. Financing instruments and channels for the increasing production and consumption of renewable energy: Lithuanian case.  Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews,  38, pp.259-276. Brigham, E.F. and Houston, J.F., 2012.  Fundamentals of financial management . Cengage Learning. Buigut, K., Soi, N., Koskei, I. and Kibet, J., 2013. The effect of capital structure on share price on listed firms in Kenya. A case of energy listed firms.  European Journal of Business and Management ,  5(9), pp.29-35. Burns, P., 2016.  Entrepreneurship and small business. Palgrave Macmillan Limited. Delen, D., Kuzey, C. and Uyar, A., 2013. Measuring firm performance using financial ratios: A decision tree approach.  Expert Systems with Applications,  40(10), pp.3970-3983. Ehiedu, V.C., 2014. The impact of liquidity on profitability of some selected companies: The financial statement analysis (FSA) approach.  Research Journal of Finance and Accounting,  5(5), pp.81-90. Elsas, R., Flannery, M.J. and Garfinkel, J.A., 2014. Financing major investments: information about capital structure decisions.  Review of Finance,  18(4), pp.1341-1386. Engel, D. and Stiebale, J., 2014. Private equity, investment and financial constraints: firm-level evidence for France and the United Kingdom.  Small Business Economics,  43(1), pp.197-212. Fairfield, T. and Jorratt De Luis, M., 2016. Top income shares, business profits, and effective tax rates in contemporary Chile.  Review of Income and Wealth,  62(S1). Gbandi, E.C. and Amissah, G., 2014. Financing options for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria.  European Scientific Journal, ESJ,  10(1). Gitman, L.J., Juchau, R. and Flanagan, J., 2015.  Principles of managerial finance. Pearson Higher Education AU. Higgins, R.C., 2012.  Analysis for financial management. McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Lee, N., Sameen, H. and Cowling, M., 2015. Access to finance for innovative SMEs since the financial crisis.  Research policy,  44(2), pp.370-380. Robb, A.M. and Robinson, D.T., 2014. The capital structure decisions of new firms.  The Review of Financial Studies,  27(1), pp.153-179. Serrasqueiro, Z. and Nunes, P.M., 2012. Is age a determinant of SMEs' financing decisions? Empirical evidence using panel data models.  Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice,  36(4), pp.627-654. Shin, H.S., 2012. Global banking glut and loan risk premium.  IMF Economic Review,  60(2), pp.155-192.   Tehrani, R., Mehragan, M.R. and Golkani, M.R., 2012. A Model for Evaluating Financial Performance of Companies by Data Envelopment Analysis-A Case Study of 36 Corporations Affiliated with a Private Organization.  International Business Research,  5(8), p.8. Tugas, F.C., 2012. A Comparative Analysis of the Financial Ratios of Listed Firms Belonging to the Education Subsector in the Philippines for the Years 2009-2011.  International Journal of Business and Social Science,  3(21). Zeitun, R. and Tian, G., 2014. Capital structure and corporate performance: evidence from Jordan.

Best Workplace Practices that contribute to high performance Essay

Best Workplace Practices that contribute to high performance - Essay Example Data security therefore becomes very important aspect of running the business. Data security ensures all information related to the company and its services is constantly safeguarded from enemies and destructive forces, and every employee at every level is responsible for Data security at all times. Data security at our organization is ensured through a variety of ways such as training and orientation, policies and procedures, safety and security measures. One of the strongest and fool-proof measures followed is the Restricted Access Practice (RAP), which ensures data, either in the form of electronic or printed, is not transferred outside the company’s domain. For this, employees’ access to electronic data is limited to only official work domains; this means no employee can either send or receive information to or from any external sources, respectively. Employees are not allowed to carry any form of printed material outside the organization’s premises. This access is limited to only one department, which liaises with external entities, like the US Government bodies and external vendors, whenever required. Moreover, all electronic information, either in the form of applications, data, programs etc, created by the employees will be company’s property and for its use thereby protecting any form of breach. Any form of breach of this practice is dealt immediately with strict disciplinary action. The RAP has been extremely helpful in safeguarding company’s and its clients’ information thereby increasing its credibility and reliability. Moreover, this practice eliminates or mitigates any form of selfish intentions of employees from taking any undue advantage of the organization’s resources, information and data. Thereby, this practice also helps in orienting all employees towards the company’s goals. For the business, this practice has helped in earning credibility of its largest client, the US

State Education Standards (my state is Florida) Essay

State Education Standards (my state is Florida) - Essay Example The standards that have been mentioned in each of the documents are logical, realistic and attainable. For student achievement standards the bureau of student development has provided a thorough analysis of the standard. The best part that makes the state department’s claim commendable is the practicality of the standards it expects of its students. A detail report in the stream of Language Art shows how scientifically and strategically the standards are fixed for each grade. Specific requirements of standard for each grade are mentioned like â€Å"Grades 11-12: Reading----Standards/Benchmark†. As the document is in the form of a table based on class grades one can easily navigate through it. Standards seem to be listed as objectives though it is not mentioned specifically. The performance standard of teachers is mentioned in detail. Florida stresses on recruitment of teachers with the skill and resource of teaching non-English speaking students. The requirements in terms of teaching standard are described distinctly especially for ESOL teachers. The document is presented in point form and the objectives are mentioned in specific terms. As there are no sub-headings and as the analysis is content based navigation becomes a little cumbersome to reach a specific detail. The document of the national standards of education of the state of Florida is comprehensive and inclusive of all the different departments of education. It provides a concise but complete view of the standards fixed for each of the different branches. The document presents the content in a very systematic pattern in bullet points with headings and sub-headings for each point. Adopting this technical approach has not only made the document to the point but has also made it easy for one to navigate through it for related points or links. There are no specifications of the standards being regarded as objectives but it seems so in

Controversy about Virtual Classrooms in Middle School Research Paper - 1

Controversy about Virtual Classrooms in Middle School - Research Paper Example This report stresses that some of the criteria used to evaluate the stand of teachers and parents on this matter include review of information or literature on impacts of virtual classroom on all stakeholders. Another criterion is to develop a hypothesis for the controversy for having virtual classroom. The next criterion is the definition of both sides this will elaborate why teachers oppose virtual classroom and why administrators propose it. Selection of participants and control of extraneous variables is another method. Interviewing parents, teachers and administrators, will also be another criterion to use in developing this plot. Data collection, analysis, and result interpretation will also be put into use. Each of the given sources is credible and can be believed. The AIU books in the library give a clear study in this issue, and so it will be an adequate source of information. The internet/Google especially Google books has many relevant books on this specific topic. There a re many online books and statistics on the same if one goes online. Therefore, it will be a dependable source. This paper makes a conclusion that exists in a virtual classroom for middle class is particularly important at this point in time. The project will bring clarity on whether virtual learning is effective in disseminating knowledge to students in grade school. Virtual learning was to be a means of bridging the gap between rich and pure students. Taking this study will help in giving the needed information about the controversy and the approach that the target audience should have towards it.

Business Research Methods (SPSS) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 1

Business Research Methods (SPSS) - Essay Example Generally speaking, a course of action that one intends to do will almost always be done (Ajzen and Fishbein 1975). The key addition present in the later Theory of Planned Behaviour as explained by Miller (2005) is that perceived behavioural control now comes into play. The reason behind said addition is that while people may really want to follow through on a certain course of action, they may lack the confidence or control to do so, or are otherwise being held back by other variables – to quote the Bible, ‘the spirit may be willing, but the flesh is weak’. An instance where this comes to play can easily be seen in the case of someone who tries and fails to diet. Only those who are disciplined enough can actually succeed in this endeavour; all too often, it is more likely that the person will eventually succumb to the temptation of bingeing. Clearly in this case, one needs the behavioural control to say ‘no’ to the seeming siren call of the buffet ta ble and to focus on his diet. In other words, it is not just one’s personal attitudes and perceptions that now decide what one is going to do. While these still count for something, and in fact are still the deciding factor in whether or not a certain action will be done, social pressures and one’s sense of control will now count for something as well. In this way, one’s decisions are no longer solely dependent on his own perceptions and feelings on the situation. Instead, one will now take into account how society views the respective choices at hand, and how well he can commit or follow through on a given outcome (Cooke and Sheeran 2004). The latter part is especially important – which is the reason for its addition to the theory in the first place. As mentioned by the aforementioned Bible verse, we may not always follow through on an action that we are inclined towards (Armitage and Conner 2001). Otherwise, for instance, individuals should have been ab le to instantly follow through on their intent to take a certain course of action. Someone who desired to quit smoking should definitely be able to do so immediately, but may be hampered by doubts on whether or not he will be able to quit – if this happens, he really will not be able to quit. Not only that, but one’s perceived and therefore actual behavioural control can also be swayed by the perceptions and opinions of those around him, which may sometimes manifest, among other things, as peer pressure (Ajzen 1985). As anyone in real life will admit, relatives, friends and coworkers inadvertently sway their decisions in voicing out their own viewpoints on the matter. That said, some of these individuals will have more influence on decisions concerning certain areas; for example, decisions regarding one’s family will of course be influenced most by relatives and family, as they are the ones directly concerned. And consequently, the biggest influence on oneâ€⠄¢s career moves will be his bosses and colleagues. Social norms, on the other hand, are much more varied, being described by Schulz et al (2007) as being either descriptive or injunctive in nature. Descriptive norms describe the behaviour of a particular group, and include stereotypical statements such as how x out of y people prefer a certain brand, or something similar. Meanwhile, injunctive norms are more subtle, and refer to certain cues or signals about how a

Cloud Computing Energy Efficiency Research Proposal - 1

Cloud Computing Energy Efficiency - Research Proposal Example result, companies have been moving their operations such as emails, word processing and spreadsheets as well as CRM to the cloud in order to server energy [5]. Generally, the concerns regarding the environmental impacts as well as the energy needs of data centers such as the cloud has been growing with the exponential increase in data centers. Consequently, the potential gains in energy efficiency by moving the software of businesses to the cloud are largely attributed to the fact that the data centers and servers currently hosting cloud services are significantly more efficient and green than the IT infrastructure that is currently used by most companies [8]. These energy savings are particularly significant for smaller companies which often tend to possess some of the most inefficient IT services. Despite the general agreement that cloud computing is currently more efficient than many of its alternatives, the implementation of cloud computing has faced a number of power and energy consumption concerns particularly with regard to the power and energy consumed by the modern cloud computing systems and data center equipment as well as the connected cooling systems [5]. The energy is mainly consumed when transporting the required data from the users to the cloud data centers and then back. Data centers currently consume nearly 1.4% of the entire global electrical energy with an average growth rate of 12% annually [11]. Skeptics argue that the greenhouse gas production associated with the power consumption at data centers is will double in the near future if the current popularity of cloud services continues. Moreover, the high consumption of power also often results in the release of heat which may further cause energy inefficiencies due to increased amount of energy required for removing the heat(cooling) as well as the high probability of hardware system failures [1]. Another potential cloud computing energy efficiency problem is the increasing greenhouse gas

A multinational company maximises its competitive advantage by Essay - 1

A multinational company maximises its competitive advantage by controlling its own supply chain. Discuss - Essay Example Most numbers of the MNCs in the present business environment are likely to strengthen along with build wide network of their supply chain strategies in order to attain superior competitive position (Costinot, Vogel & Wang, 2011). With regard to the field of governance, the supply chain mechanisms that implement by the MNCs are often incorporated with complex systems due to the prevalence of different structure along with power proportion existing between the business partners. The organisations such as McDonald’s, Wal-Mart and Nestle S. A. among others are highly inclined with maintaining strong supply chain governance that enables them to proactively perform range of business operations across the global subsidiaries. In relation to increase the efficiency along with the business operations, organisations are significantly influenced by the aspect of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). According to the present increasing growth of globalisation, FDI portfolios have major bearing upon the competitive position of the MNCs. FDI has long been identified as an essential aspect for the countries, facilitating them to stabilise their respective economic position. The development of FDI can only be made through the accession of MNCs into respective business markets. The integration of MNCs generally enables the countries to obtain substantial direct investment and also radically develop their commodity along with technical trade facilities (Qin, 2011). In this context, the theories associated with the efficiency of the firms have greater influence regarding the success of an organisation (Kusluvan, 1998).Based on the competitive scenario of the modern business environment, the primary objective of this essay is to demonstrate an in-depth understanding about the conventional theories associated with the major attributes that can be observed to remain in an unconventional SCM process. The essay therefore, tends to critically assess and justify the importance of an e ffective set of SCM process along with its key roles that further lead organisations to accomplish greater competitive advantage. 2. Discussion 2.1 Theories of the Firms With respect to the unconventional changes along with rapid development of SCM strategies made by the global organisations, it is widely accepted that strategies are generally developed in order to attain long-term sustainability in the competitive market. A few of the major theories associated with firms’ long-term sustainability have been briefly demonstrated in the following discussion. Coase Theorem The concerns associated with building interpersonal relationship regarding the individual efficacy creeps through taking into concern the conventional theorem ‘The Problem of Social Cost’, which developed by Ronald H. Coase. In relation to Coase theorem, the issues associated with impossibility in terms of making scientific comparison of interpersonal individual efficacy can be considered as one o f the problems of social cost. In order to effectively deal with the problems of social cost, the Coase theorem and its disciples play an essential role for the modern entrepreneurs to reduce optimum influence of externalities such as air or noise pollution (North, 1992). The Coase theorem of the firms tends to define economic efficiency concerning economic allocation with the

Reflexivity, central tenet of qualitative inquiry Assignment

Reflexivity, central tenet of qualitative inquiry - Assignment Example In the quest to carry out any form of research by the individuals, the individual is bound to be inclined to one position or another in the quest to validate their form of research carried out by the individual. According to Cousin (pp.10) it is vital that the researcher comprehends that biases and assumptions that may come along with the kind of research they may be undertaking. An understanding of the biases and assumptions allows the researchers ensure that their work is valid and reliable. This essay shall undertake an initiative to highlight the assumptions that may implicate the validity of a research as well as articulate an epistemological orientation in the case of scientific research. The case of scientific inquiry entails the extent in which the researcher is able to set the research problem as their own problem then undertake measures to solve the problem. In the case of Science Education, the concept of subjectivity cannot be alienated from the fact that research has to be proven by some facts behind it. Cousin (pp.11) indicates that it is the responsibility of the researcher to find out the truth from an array of fallacies that may exist in the concerned area of study. This concept turns down to the fact that reflexivity is inescapable in the case of a researcher. After conducting research, the researcher must employ proper use of language in presenting their findings. In the context of Science Education, the ‘self’ is crucial in the research process.

Learning and Good Manager Essay Example for Free

Learning and Good Manager Essay Good managers are born, not made. Discuss this idea whilst exploring key characteristics of an effective manager. For a long time, many people have questioned whether a good manager is born naturally, or they can learn and train to become a good manager. For people who think that a good manager is born, they believe that an effective manager is born with some specific skills and characteristics that ordinary people do not have. â€Å"Charisma and trait are qualities which are generated from inside a person† (Junaid 2010). However, a stronger believes in nobody born with perfect competence. In fact, it is rarely to find people who just naturally good at anything. Achievement in life requires hard work, experience, and skills (Lash, J. 2007). Everyone can develop by learning and training to become better. They can change their attitude and acquire appropriate capability and attribute that required for a good manager. It is ambiguous in the aspect of good managers are born, not made, because there are many evidences and researches that explain how ordinary people can become a good manager. First and foremost, people who support the first reason that nature select a specific group of people to be a good manager by giving charisma and trait. According to Weber (1947) as cited by Raktabutr (2007), supernatural and particular forces grant charisma which is a precise quality of a personality to extraordinary person. Charisma and trait are the main factors that can make anyone become a well manager. For example, motivation is one of the key characteristic of an effective manager which is generate from inside, this type of characteristic is difficult to learn and understand. In such circumstance a proficient manager can considered as a leader, they have to know how to motivate other people in workplace. As Edward Deci (n. d. ) as cited by Llewellyn and Holt (n. d. ) write in why we do what we do: Understanding self-motivation. A place that feels connected, independent, and authorized is lead people to be self-motivated. Failure is a part of process that managers have to concede, because they have to encourage risk-taking and creativity. Effective managers have to build up the dynamic atmosphere in workplace to ensure that his co-worker and subordinate have passion to complete their task, and then it will make the outcome of their task effective and efficiency. Whereas, people who do not have this key distinctive, they can get in trouble when they have to motivate other people, because it is inconsistent to motivate to different people. Another key determinant that essential is self-confidence. Manager has to show his confidence to make his underling believe and respect to him, because manager cannot do everything they can only manage and assign task to his subordinate. While people who do not born with this ability, they can face the problem about how to act to other people to gain their trust and respect. These key characteristics are come from aptitude that manager can know immediately how to deal with problem. It could be said that other people who do not have charisma and trait cannot be a good manager, because these attributes ingrained with special people since they were born. There was an early psychological research, which were studied inborn characteristics or traits from successful leaders. The ascription is people can be a good manager if they could be found with these traits. Stogdill (1974) determine the following traits and skills as needful to manager, which consist of intelligence, conceptually skilled, imaginative, sagacious, management ability , convincing , interpersonal relations, adjustable to situations ,active to social environment ,commitment and achievement-orientated ,assertive ,cooperative , decided , trustworthy ,dominant, ardent, relentless, self-confident ,and repressive of stress. In the other hand, there are some evidences that explain how normal people who do not born with inherited specialties can learn and practice to become a good manager. Every person has to learn to acquire skills and cognition. â€Å"The most important skill for everyone is the ability to manipulate their learning† (Mcnamara, C. n. d. ). Everyone can gain a lot of benefit from learning, if they have high level of stimulus and self-directed reader. People can be a good manager by using Management development program, which is include both informal and formal method. For informal method, it can help everyone improve some key characteristics that requisite for a good manager by reading some articles, and discussing management with other people. Taking a course, seminar or workshop is another good opportunity for regular people to develop themselves to be a capable manager. There is an executive education program for manager has been provided by Harvard business school, the length of this course is around three months. This course accepts managers from all over the world. This full time course at Harvard business school offer precise learning experiences that allow managers to learn how to use vision to create effective management decision, and how to see organization as a whole picture. It is also cover all areas of management from accounting, finance, technology, operations, strategy, and marketing, international economy and organizational change. This program offers opportunity to participants to understand the key characteristics of a good manager. Almost 12,000 managers who have gone on to top leadership positions in some of the most well known companies in the world, after they graduated from this course. Therefore, it is clear that good manager can be made by training and learning, since there are plenty of ways to develop skills and characteristics by both formal and informal method. In conclusion, although, the people who born with unique skills and knowledge take advantage more than other people, normal people who want to be a good manager can expand their capability to acquire these requirements, if they have high commitment on their goal and work hard enough. Since nowadays, there are many courses and programs that provide for people to improve their abilities such as training class, which can determine and supply special skills that manager needs, and these type of programs are accepted by most organizations in the world. Thus, in my opinion, it is irrational that good manager is born. Every people can make themselves to become an effective manager, because everyone can define their own destiny.

Understanding the Short Story Brownies Essay Example for Free

Understanding the Short Story Brownies Essay Amongst the legion of newly talented American playwrights is Z. Z Parker, an African American author who is popularly known to be the master behind a number of recently published and highly praised short fiction stories across the United States. Included in one of his compilations â€Å"Drinking Coffee Elsewhere† is the short story entitled â€Å"Brownies† which depicts the story about a troop of young Black African-American girls and their encounters and personal experiences with regard to adversities of social discrimination in the entire American Country. Thus, the book depicts and illustrates both of the different faces of the society which is that of the good and dreadful side, more especially in the entire society of the United States wherein there is an evident divergence between the white and black people. In a sense, it is seen obvious that the story is fundamentally set to highlight and enlighten one of the major social problems in the entire American society in both ancient and modern days, which is that of the racial biases and/or discrimination among the Black African-American people. Thus, the story also aims to give a picture of the pessimistic consequences of such social differences between the American group of white and the black. For instance is the adverse incident wherein the troop of black African-American girls and the opposite color have collide and involved their selves into an awful brawl in response to the act of racial discrimination coming from the group of white girls. Hence, such illustration is an example as to how the writer has utilized the specific situations to depict the atrocities and cynicism that social discrimination incorporates in the society. On the other hand, it is also well represented that the society is made of both negative and positive notions wherein the people living in this world are all situated to experience both of the good and bad sides of the society. Through the narrative of one of the black African-American girls in the story, whose name is Laurel, she shares the story of her father’s encounter with a white family and recalls the moment her father said that, It was the only time hed have a white man on his knees doing something for a black man for free† (30). It is indeed an evident way of the writer to balance her depiction of the two faces of society which is that of the good and bad. In the end, it is evident that such book of Z. Z. Parker entitled â€Å"Brownies† is socially prearranged to depict and discuss the problems of society, more specifically in the United States, where Americans are seen to be alienated by this social difference and discrimination. Thus, the short story â€Å"Brownies† is indeed a paradigm of an outstanding socially significant story that presents valuable lessons for the readers and for the entire society. Work Cited Packer, ZZ. â€Å"Brownies. † In Drinking Coffee Elsewhere. New York, NY: The Berkley Publishing Group, 2003.

Exams are Not Good Forms of Assessment

Exams are Not Good Forms of Assessment Assessments can be classified into few categories which are discussion, self- report, observation, portfolio assessment, practical work, demonstration, class activities and oral presentation. In the similar way, assessment can also be defined as a learning process that provides information on students learning and guides student to make great changes in their studies (Business Dictionary). In general, examination is non-destructive inspection, detailed investigation, or analysis of objects, products, or materials to decide their conformation to specifications with no special laboratory apparatus or technique. It includes sensual experiment such as auditory, visual, tactual, olfactory and gustatory or simple manipulation and measurement. Besides, it is also a testing of qualification of students in their examinations. (Business dictionary).There are two types of examinations that can be found which are standardized exams (commercial) and locally developed exams. 1.2 Current Statistical Information At present many schools, colleges, and universities assess their students by means of final examinations. These can be very stressful and majority of students usually do worse in normal exams compared to in other forms of assessment. However, it may be a good early practice for students for their future if success depends on the ability to deal with pressure and perform well on big occasions (Newman 2000). Based on the experiment that conducted by Qureshi, Alam, Khan and Sheraz (2002) in Women Medical College, Abbottabad, Pakistan, the statistics shows that a rise in systolic blood pressure by an average of fifteen mm Hg was observed in eighty eight percent of the students as compared to pre-examination readings. The parameters of blood cell determined before examination and during examination were compared .Those results are recorded and presented in Figure 1 and Figure 2. As a result, it has been proven that examination stress can affect the blood cell parameters and bring such huge impact to students health. First of all, the main reason examination should not be replaced with other forms of assessment is because of the equality of opportunity it has. The best application of it is the content of knowledge and it is fair enough to all the students who have to sit for the same exam using the same method in one particular country. For an instance, examination allows for a standardized administration to a large numbers of students and thus it is more convenient to measure and compare students standard. Of course, it cannot be denied that it is very useful for accessing individual students as well. 2.2 Test on students performance. Besides that, examination can test on students performance by reflecting the way how students express themselves in their own words based on what they have been taught in class. Throughout the whole process of examination, student will be able to adopt and implement in a faster speed and improve their knowledge and performance during assessment (Assessment Handbook 2006). For this purpose, students can spend more time to do revision on other weaker subjects. 2.3 Brings knowledge to students. In addition, students will gain more knowledge. This is because examination is used to determine students ability to draw on a wide range of knowledge. It is to make sure that students can fully apply their knowledge in their daily life but not misuse their knowledge. The knowledge on science, geography and mathematics will be helpful for them to do better in everything in their life. Examinations should be replaced with other forms of assessment. 3.1 Assessment gives better explanations to students, The very first advantage all learners can have by doing assessment is that assessment gives better explanations to students. So that learners will be able to understand clearly and quickly on what they have learned after doing all the assessments. This ensures that students can absorb the syllabus completely but not partially and understand what they are learning about. As everyone knows, students who have good understanding will surely do better than those that do not understand every single thing. 3.2 Assessment helps learners to improve their performance. Moreover, learners are given timely feedback about the quality of their works and try to improve it without repeating any mistakes (Young 2005). Learners are also given some useful advices and recommendations by teachers about how to make things better. Every learner always needs good suggestions and feedbacks from others so that it will lead them to the road of success. This statement can be shown that assessment helps learners to improve their performance. 3.3 Assessment tests children in a proper and better way. Additionally, assessment tests children in a proper and better way as it could determine childrens ability to express oneself during oral presentation. For an example, children will be more confident in talking, presenting and voicing out their views, opinions and ideas. Apart from that, a good assessment could test children on their analysis skills and creativity. Through that particular way, children will be having the opportunity to learn to improve on their thinking skills and have more mature thinking than previous as efficient assessment are more focusing on higher level thinking skills (Crehan 1991). Students will probably give out more creative and special ideas. In the similar way, students will also get to sharpen their research and planning skill after doing many researches for assessment. 3.4 Examination does not work on students. Other than that, the reason why examination does not work on students is because of examinations usually test on students memory but not their real understandings (Newman 2000). In the other words, this statement also means that student who has good memory can do excel in all the tests. On the other hand, student with bad memory might get low grades. There are also some lazy students who always do last minute revision tend to memorise everything on their notes without even trying to understand the principles. Therefore, students often assume that they understand and eventually they will never remember things that they have learned before. Also, examinations tests students ability to keep cool more than their intelligence. (Newman 2000). A case in point, during the examination, if a student is too nervous, the student normally will forget about everything. Hence, student frequently needs to keep himself /herself cool so that student can perform well in exam and avoid themselves from d oing mistakes in the test. 3.5 Examination brings negative effects to students. Furthermore, examination brings more negative effects than giving more positive effects to students. Firstly, over-testing will also cause children to have stress. In most of the schools, students will be sitting for more than four examinations in a year and that can be so stressful to students. Stress is invisible and difficult to be seen. That is why many people do not realise the power of stress. Consequently, there are many commit suicide cases that can be seen in newspaper in our country recently such as a large number of students who get unsatisfied results in the exam. Some of the students cannot handle the pressure and accept the fact will eventually choose to end their life by committing suicide. Besides, dreadful examinations can cause personal problems such as peer pressure and low confidence to students. According to some legal reports, students will lose their self confidence in their studies and prone to exhaustion and illness when they cannot bear with the large tensio n. Conclusion Based on the evidences that I have pointed out, I strongly agree that examination should be replaced with other forms of assessment. The main reason is because I always believe that other forms of assessments are more beneficial to students compared to written examinations. As I have mentioned above, the disadvantages of examination are slightly more than its advantages and it has greater impact on students. Thus, there are several serious actions that are needed to be carried out in order to solve this problem. To overcome this particular problem, the very first thing government, ministry of education, or other relevant bodies should do is to start practicing both study methods which are examination and assessment on students. Those relevant bodies will have to examine students performance from time to time. So, comparisons and differences can be easily made and seen after some period of time. Then, the effects of other forms of assessment on students can be proven to everyone. Of c ourse, the importance of other forms of assessment should not be ignored too. In fact, education department should try to emphasis more on the advantages assessments and also introduce this new education system to every school. For example, students grades are all depended by their performance in the form of presentation, oral assessment, practical work and many more to count. So that it will be an early practice for students before they step into their later working life or social life. It can be said that all of us are afraid of examinations. In the meantime, examinations should be replaced with other forms of assessment in all the schools as it may be a huge burden for students. Huge burden will not only cause students to lost interest and but also lost concentration in studying. Last but not least, I personally think that the process of doing assessment is much more interesting than sitting for examination. At least, assessment is less stressful compared to examinations and thus it may be an attraction to students. Through assessment, we can learn many things that can never be found in the text books. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Students will have improvement in their studies if they are hard working to do more practices and never ever try to give up whenever they fall. On the contrary, if students do not even bother to put effort in their studies, no one can actually help them. In short, efforts are to be made to lead our education to reach a higher level.

Impact of Cultural Differences on EuroDisney Essay -- International Bu

Impact of Cultural Differences on EuroDisney Until 1992, the Walt Disney Company had experienced nothing short of success in the theme park business. Having successfully opened parks in California, Florida and Tokyo, it only seemed logical to open one in Europe. When word of this got out, officials from many European countries offered Disney pleas and cash indictments to work the Disney magic in their hometown. In the end only one city was chosen and it was Paris, France. That was the first of many decisions that led to a very unsuccessful opening of EuroDisney. Many factors contributed to EuroDisney's poor performance during its first few year of operation and many of these factors could have been alleviated if the proper factors would have been looked at previously. The first problem with EuroDisney was that Paris was the town chosen to be this park's home. It was chosen because of demographics and subsidies and because the French government made Disney an offer it could not refuse. "About 17 million people live less than a two hour drive from Paris and another 310 million can fly there in the same time or less. The French government offered the company more than $1 billion in various incentives, all in the expectations that the project would create 30,000 French jobs." The land came at rock-bottom prices, cheap loans were made available, and a dedicated high-speed TGV and suburban railway link was also offered by the French. France gave Disney an offer they could not refuse. "Overlooking the over-valued franc, bad weather, French people not being known for their hospitality and occasional anti-American demonstrations by angry farmers because French agricultural subsidies had been cut, Paris was still chosen to be home of EuroDisney." Foreign uncontrollables in Paris in regards to economic forces, legal forces, competition, and culture can be held accountable for EuroDisney's misfortunes. In opening in the summer of 1992, Europe was entering into a very bad recession and this caused income from catering, merchandise, including souvenirs and foods, and hotels to be way below what was expected. High interest rates also caused many currencies to devaluate against the franc leading to more financial difficulties for EuroDisney. In negotiations with France, lawyers were used excessively. This rigid legal approach was offen... ... country and the surrounding countries to know. Possible problems should be noted and handled before opening day of the theme park and expectations should be realistic. EuroDisney was faced with many challenges after its doors opened in 1992 and if all the proper steps would have been taken before opening day, many of these challenges could have been eliminated beforehand. Cross-cultural literacy is required to do successfully do business in any country and making decisions based on assumptions should be avoided at all costs. "Disney assumed Europeans would vacation like the American and Japanese; that they would be happy to stay away for several days at a theme park. But middle-class Europeans try to get away from it all on their vacations by going to the beach or the mountains, and EuroDisney lacked that kind of appeal." The challenges surrounding EuroDisney forced Disney to realize many things, most importantly it made Disney realize that it is imperative to understand all cultural differences that they will encounter when doing business in a foreign country and it is highly unlikely that Disney will see this kind of failure again an ytime in the near future.

Timothy Leary Essay -- essays research papers fc

Timothy Leary "Turn on, tune in, drop out." That saying has turned into the slogan of Timothy Leary’s mind-expanding movement. Although a graduate of both West-Point and Berkley, and a Harvard professor, these were not his greatest lifetime achievements. Throughout his publicized life, he became the spokesperson of the psychedelic age. His devotion to the belief that LSD and marijuana were gateways to enlightenment resulted in a new church, numerous prison sentences, and a following of both celebrities and the general public. When people think of Timothy Leary their immediate response is "Turn on, tune in, drop out," his trademark line, although the meaning of it has often been misinterpreted. Playboy Magazine had thought that his message was advocating, "getting high and dropping out of school," (Marwick 311). When asked by the magazine to explain the meaning of the phrase he responded, " ‘Turn on’ me ans to contact the ancient energies and wisdoms that are built into your nervous system. They provide unspeakable pleasure and revelation. ‘Tune in’ means to harness and communicate these new perspectives in a harmonious dance with the external world. ‘Drop out’ means to detach yourself from the tribal game." (Marwick 312). This was not the first time his methods were questioned. Leary was first publicly noticed, and criticized by then fellow Harvard professors, for his interest in LSD when he and friend, Robert Alpert, wrote an article for the Bulletin of Atomic Scientist. In the article they described a circumstance that in the event of war, the Russians might try to lace the American water supply with LSD. Then, when everybody in America is stoned, the Russians would seize power. They explained that in order to prevent the scenario from happening, everyone should take a dose of LSD so they can get used to the effects (Sterns 278). Although the a rticle shocked the Harvard staff, it didn’t cause him to get fired. Leary was dismissed from Harvard in 1962, only four years after he began teaching there. Leary had experimented with psilocybin, a mind-altering chemical, on his own and the university repeatedly asked him to stop, he refused (Brash 139). Although it angered university 2. authorities, they couldn’t do anything more about the subject since it was a legal substance. While conducti... ...eary was dying of cancer and believed that death should be a happy occasion rather than a sad one. His last words were "Why not?" and after his death his long time friend, John Barlow, wrote, "Timothy Leary died unashamed and having, as usual, a great time. He made good on his promise to ‘give death a better name or die trying.’ " (Marwick 345). Timothy Leary has influenced many people throughout his life by his contribution to society. Whether he advocated the use of drugs or not doesn’t make a difference, although the are what stuck out in people’s minds. The greater message that his life taught was the will of man, and the lengths a person will go to in order to get the point across to the masses. His focus was not money, he gave that up when he lost his job at Harvard, but in his belief that he was right. He truly believed that LSD could enlighten people, and his intentions were to help. Bibliography Works Cited Brash, Sarah. Turbulent Years The 60s. Alexandra: Time-Life Books Inc., 1998. Marwick, Arthur. The Sixties. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. Sterns, Jane And Michael. Encyclopedia of Pop Culture. New York: HarperCollins, 1992.

The Death of Women Wang by Jonathen Spence Essay -- imperial china, chi

It is a common myth to people of Western world that women in imperial China were closeted, constantly subjugated and not allowed to make anything of themselves beyond a good daughter, wife, and mother. To the contrary, women, as mentioned in The Death of Women Wang by Jonathen Spence, had come options open to them, and while certainly they were not as numerous or desirable as those open to men, they did exist [Spence 124]. Six Records of a Floating Life bu Shen Fu portrays women in quite a different light that women of imperial China are generally perceived with; the author's wife is creative, intelligent, spirited and active. She was educated to some degree and would make up spontaneous poems with her husband [Fu 31, 34]. In Chinese literary tradition, women authors are often only briefly touched upon or ignored completely, while in fact there were many of them, some of whom made a living for themselves by writing or painting. There are, in fact, over a dozen examples of women who were published for their writing skills, from the Tang to the Qing, but here the focus in on the Qing, which began officially in 1644 and ended in the 1900's. These short examples are all of 17th-century China, drawn from Women Writers of Traditional China: An Anthology of Poetry and Criticism, edited by Kang-i Sun Chang and Haun Saussy and published by Stanford University Press in 1999. The earliest example comes from before the Qing: Xu Cun, a poet born in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, 1610. She married Chen Zhilin, who became a jinshi in 1637, and later held the titles of Grand Secretary, Junior Guardian, and Grand Guardian of the Hair Apparent. He died in 1666 and five years later Xu Cu petitioned the emperor to have his remains reburied in his h... ... for themselves despite the repressive society they lived in. Women of the Qing and beyond were not all idle or disengaged from the world around them; as has been seen, a respectable number of them were active, engaged individuals with minds of their own and a firm place in the annals literary history. Works Cited â€Å"Qing Dynasty: Seventeenth Century.† Women Writers of Traditional China: An Anthology of Poetry and Criticism. Chang, Kang-I and Haun Saussy. Stanford, CL: Stanford University Press, 1999. 337-429. Print. Fu, Shen. Six Records of a Floating Life. Trans. Leonard Pratt and Chiang Su-hui. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc., 1983. Print. Mann, Susan. The Talented Women of The Zhang Family. Los Angeles, CL: University of California Press, 2007. Print. Spence, Jonathan. The Death of Woman Wang. 1978. New York: Penguin Books, 1979. Print.

“Praise Song for My Mother” Grace Nichols and “Harmonium” Simon Armitage Essay

Nichols has written a personal love poem to her mother which expresses a deep respect and admiration for her. In Armitages poem however, the tone is very different as the poet reflects upon the lack of communication between him and his father and recalls a moment when an opportunity to speak about the serious subject of death was missed. Although both poems are modern, they have quite different structures. Nichols poem uses a simple three line stanza which she repeats until the end of the poem. Each stanza begins with You were, this adds a tone of gentle sadness to the poem as she is looking back now that her childhood is gone. This repetition also helps to make the poem feel more like a song. Nichols uses repetition again when she describes her mother as replenishing replenishing here she is emphasising just how much and how often her mother gave to her, not just food, but also things such as protection as in the flame trees spread. Armitage also uses repetition when he is describin g how the instrument has become worn out through use, and leather-soled shoes, had pedalled and pedalled. The final stanza of Nichols poem is a single line and this makes the message at the end of the poem stand out. Go to your wider futures, you said it feels like it is the last thing her mother said to her as a child and the poem ends with her parting from her mother. The structure of Armitages poem is less regular. Although he uses stanzas, they are different lengths and the constant use of enjambment gives the poem a natural, conversational feel. The use of colloquial language such as bundles off to the skip adds to this very natural, everyday tone of the poem. In both poems we are presented with adults looking back on their relationship with a parent. Both poems are autobiographical and this helps to make the poems feel more personal. Nichols writes in a positive tone about her mother describing her metaphorically as water. By doing this she is suggesting that her mother was essential and even implying that she gave her life. By describing her as fathoming this implies that she knew her mother could work her out, get inside her mind and know her completely. She also describes her metaphorically as moons eye to me. The image this creates is of her mother  watching over her, as the moon at night watches over the world. It is a comforting image as night time for children especially can be a frightening time. Nichols is clearly expressing a deep love and respect for her mother, whereas in Armitages poem we are presented more with a tone of regret and distance between child and parent. He too thinks of his parent metaphorically. The Farrand Chapelette is personified and we are led to make a connection between this aged and worn instrument and his father. It has lost its tongue and its keys are described as yellowed†¦fingernails. The instrument, like his father, has come near to the end of its life and his father makes the comment that he is near to death. He makes the comment that the next box Armitage will take from the church will carry the dead weight of his father. At this point we are presented with the tone of regret in the poem as Armitage remembers saying some shallow or sorry phrase and not actually talking to his father about such a real and serious matter. The poem ends on this sad tone and although there is a sense of sadness at the end of Nichols poem, her sadness is actually about understanding how well her mother prepared her for life, whilst Armitages sadness is to do with the lack of communication between him and his father. It is also noticeable that he describes his father in quite negative terms compared to the way Nichols describes her mother. For Armitage his father is in his own blue cloud of tobacco smoke, suggesting in itself a kind of separation between the two as he cant even see his father clearly. Also, by the indirect comparison to a worn out instrument, it suggests Armitage perhaps doesnt feel the glowing respect for his parent that Nichols does. Perhaps it is more typical for a daughter to be closer to her mother than a son is to his father this is one difference the two poems presents to us. In conclusion, both poems present us with very different ideas about the feelings between parents and their children. Nichols poem is very much a love poem to her mother, full of admiration and thanks, whereas Armitages poem captures the pain and sadness of a son who does not feel able to communicate with his father.

Pharmacy School Essay

Ever since my childhood days, helping other people with the best possible way I could is really within my interest. Hence, extending my effort to the most effectual manner in helping the people is something that I really enjoy to do. In light of this, I have decided and chosen to pursue a career that is involved in assisting and supporting the people or the public. Since then I always wanted to establish a steady job in the health profession, specifically in the field of pharmacy, and eventually render my service in helping other with their pharmaceutical requirements. In a sense, my interest in pharmacy has further developed when one of my closest auntie has acquired hypothyroidism and is subjected to perform daily thyroid medication to be able to sustain her health. Since then, the question of how such specific medicine could work in the human body to cure the diseases and other health problems has guided and led me to find out more about pharmacy. Likewise, the desire of understanding as to how drugs or medicines affect the human body and further understand the importance of drugs in peoples lives have boost my interest in this field. In addition to this, my enthusiasm in pharmacy is already evident during my younger days as I have a broad interest in science, As such, I also enjoy studying Mathematics. In lieu of this, such personal characteristics together with my acquisition of major in biology, these would serve as my primary tool to survive in pharmacy school. As one of the aspiring pharmacists in the country, my personal and career goal is to be in line with the top-rated practitioners in clinical pharmacy. This is in pursuit of my fervent goal and dream to serve the public, most specially those who are sick and in need of appropriate pharmaceutical assistance. In this regard, I am very well aware that pharmaceutical work in the hospital is never easy at all. Thus, this require a higher demand of dedication and enthusiasm to be able to meet the satisfaction of the people and serve accordingly. Nonetheless, I wanted to pursue a career in clinical pharmacy due to the notion and belief that it would be more effective for me to achieve my goals in this profession by rendering patient care that optimizes medication therapy and promotes health, wellness, and disease prevention. Moreover, I would say that I entail positive potentials to become one of the better clinical pharmacist basing on my moral values and love for this job. As such, as a clinical pharmacist hopeful I hold on to my personal oath in providing quality services for those people who require pharmaceutical aid. In addition to this, I am well guided by my mission and desire to render the best possible service I could for the patients and for this profession. Hence, I would kindly appeal to the Admissions Committee to recommend me as one of the deserving student in formal Pharmacy schooling program by means referencing in my dedication and passion in pursuing a career in clinical pharmacy. In light this, supporting the public and the patients with their pharmaceutical requisites in the most accommodating and effective manner is my own profound sources of motivation to do good and perform in the best positive way as clinical pharmacist in the future. Certainly, witnessing people or patients recovering from their physical ailment serves as the primary source of inspiration for me to excel and become one of the reliable practitioner in this line of work. On the other hand, my academic difficulties in college is as well worth to be mentioned as it taught me valuable knowledge and experiences that could possibly help me pursue a career in pharmacy. For my first two years in college, I worked full time to help support my family. With this, my performance in class and grades have suffered. Years after, I finally took a time off to school and help to support my family needs. I grow up in a family where my dad has disabled himself and could no longer work to support us. With this, my mother had to raise me together with my brothers. I saw my mother as she struggles to work for us and at the same time pursue her dream of becoming a nurse. At about five years after, she finally became a nurse and this is exactly the right time I went back to school to focus on my studies. In the end, with this specific happenings in my life, my family, and with my studies, I would say that these had made me more stronger and inspired to reach my dreams as well as to my best to be able to achieve my career goal. Hence, to be able to do this, I accept the fact that I have to undergo a formal doctoral pharmacy program. Certainly, I truly believe that through this formal studies in pharmacy school, I would be able to acquire essential knowledge that could support me in improving and developing positive traits in becoming an outstanding pharmacist. With this regard, I hereby submit myself to undergo the needed formal pharmacy program as I pursue my career and personal goal.

Project Manager Job Description Essay

Since the Project Manager position is a newly created job within LRH Products, it is necessary to assess and describe the various functions assigned to this role, as well as understanding how the concept of project management works within the company (Mullaly, 2008). The specific duties and functions for the project manager at LRH have been broken down here into three component areas: competencies, leadership, and organizational responsibilities. Competencies  The project manager must have the ability to create and execute project plans and revise them as necessary according to changing requirements as well as identifying the necessary resources and assigning staff to specific tasks. This requires day-to-day assessment of the project’s progress along with quality assurance of completed tasks. Another competency is the ability to create a realistic budget and ensure that the team is staying within these financial constraints. In order to do so, a basic understanding of profit & loss statements as well as forecasting, is required. The ability of the project to stay within budget needs to be communicated to appropriate senior managers on a regular basis, as well as timely updates on progress. Meetings with team members must be scheduled and properly facilitated. Information must be disseminated in an appropriate form/forum, with particular attention paid to problems or possible risks which may occur over the course of the project. More detailed presentations may be required, depending on the directives of senior management. Tangible results expected from each project must be appropriately conveyed in order for a project to be considered successful. Because so much of project management is automated through the use of technology, part of the project manager’s burden is to stay up-to-date on the latest software and hardware which aids in the ability to achieve the goals of the position. As well, the project manager must work closely with the IT department of the organization, which can implement necessary additions and changes to the current system. A basic understanding of LRH Products’ network, system, database, client/server architecture, and application programming is necessary for effective communication with the IT staff members. Leadership The ability to lead a team is of utmost importance when performing the duties of project manager. The team members’ development rests squarely on the shoulders of the manager as well as the duty of being able to implement changes within the group as necessary. This begins with being a positive role model and offering mentoring services to the staff. One of the more difficult aspects of leadership is identifying team members who demonstrate opportunities for improvement and handling suggestions to achieve improvement in a tactful and constructive manner. Members of the team must be motivated and encouraged to perform at their utmost capability. This is achieved through the use of acknowledgement of the contributions from each employee as well as a display of appreciation for their efforts. Conflicts will arise, and it is up to the project manager to handle these swiftly and efficiently. The manager must stay in constant communication with the team. Activities planned outside of the normal day-to-day duties of work should also be part of effectively leading and motivating a team. Organizational Responsibilities Part of managing the team’s human resources involves giving performance evaluations to team members as well as working with each to identify and execute personal goals within the organization. Training, beyond the usual provided by the company, may need to be scheduled to appropriately facilitate development. Team members should be encouraged to undertake their own developmental measures, as well. LRH Products will always experience room for improvement of its current processes and a project manager is expected to make recommendations to achieve this. Of course, the standard policies and procedures must be upheld while ensuring compliance of such by the manager’s team members. Another important aspect of the project manager’s duties is to be innovative in developing and designing new projects which will contribute to the company’s overall success. Each project implemented must be completed in a timely manner and within budget constraints to assure success; the six phases from IT project management guidelines include Planning, Analysis, Design, Construction, Test, and Rollout. The project manager must oversee each phase as well as foreseeing and reacting to any risks and changes which may occur along the way. Staying up-to-date on, and utilizing, current technology is a an important component of this aspect. These three areas of project management: competencies, leadership, and organizational responsibilities, all interact. Successful implementation of each area is vital to achieve success in this position.

Do or die

Good and evil, are two separate things. Good represents virtue, righteousness, and honor where as evil represents hatred, anger, and cruelty. The Crucible shows characters that represent not only goodness, but evil as well. The ones who represent true love and good are John Proctor and Elizabeth Proctor. They both show what goodness is in Salem and who is the real witch or devil.Abigail Williams is a young irl who claims she is cursed by the devil and that people are sending devils to kill one another. Abigail represents evil in Salem in the worst ways possible. In the novel The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, shows how John Proctor and Elizabeth Proctor are representing the angels that portray love and respect, as Abigail Williams represents the role of the devil's child which portrays hatred. Love comes from deep affection as a mother, sister, or even a child. The two married couple,Elizabeth and John Proctor both represents what real love and goodness is in this book. â€Å"l have no love for Mr. Parris. It is no secret. But God I surely love† (94). In this quote, it shows the honesty John Proctor claims. Everyone in Salem keeps up with rumors and never speaks up the truth. John Proctor does not act as a hypocrite and rather expresses his feeling of honesty towards Mr. Parr's. â€Å"Do what you will. But let none be your Judge. There is no higher Judge under Heaven than Proctor 39).In this quote Elizabeth Proctor explains that although everyone Judge the Proctors, John should know only God is his Judge, and under heaven there is no Judge higher than himself. Although goodness expresses love and care, there is always evil in everyone's life. Hatred expresses extreme aversion or hostility. Abigail Williams is a young girl who claims her and a group of girls have been possessed by witch craft. Abigail shows her affection by accusing innocent civilians in Salem claiming†¦

Freuds Mind Structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Freuds Mind Structure - Essay Example Unconscious - Freud explains that this part occupies greater area compared to conscious and the preconscious memory of a individual and in enormous. This is not readily available in bringing it to conscious or awareness. The feelings and thoughts are dumped which includes the urges, feelings and ideas which are tied with anxiety, conflict and pain. Freud believed that this are not disappeared but stored in this part of memory which can eventually affect and influence actions and the conscious awareness of the individual. Also, Freud conceptualized the Id, Ego and Superego - where activities of this occur in this area. Freud also represented this mind structure into a model of an iceberg, the mental iceberg which Freud's illustration about Human Mind. Accordingly, conscious and preconscious can pass information back and forth wherein in the process of passing it can fall into the unconscious mind where it cannot be readily available freely. This is expressed as the images presented below: Id functions to satisfy self-gratification and no care for others, the selfishness in every individual, irrational and emotional. Ego does the rational thinking and helps grow awareness that there are things that human want are not always attainable.

Border Security Technology Deployment Case Study

Border Security Technology Deployment - Case Study Example SBInet as a system represents a complex case of conflicts of interests whereby: 1. National Security concerns are marred by political interference. This is especially evident in the statement acquired from the contractor. Another case of political intrusion is mentioned by the Border Patrol Station Chief.He claims that some Washington based politicians had the towers installed approximately three hundred and thirty feet apart from the border so as to avoid â€Å"sending the wrong message.† Their new positions consequently minimised their capabilities. The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Sector Chief and the Border Patrol Station Chief cite the Native American tribal councils as a major problem. According to Border Patrol Station Chief, there is a quick change of governance in the Native American tribal councils and every new leadership undermines all agreements that had been made by the previous leadership. To make matters worse Unmanned Arial Vehicles are not allowed to fly over their territories without permission. Neither can the border patrols cr oss without their permission. According to the CBP, Sector Chief Native American land is a preferred route for illegal immigrants due to its inaccessibility. The only way to deal with politics in this situation is to have a regulatory committee that tables the grievances of any trouble departments especially due to external interference. This is because some untouchables may have their way in jeopardising the SBInet operations due to their lack of professionalism in the particular field that is border security (CNN, 2012). It will be necessary to have the committee immune to manipulation or even intimidation so as to have a dependable body that is fair to all. 2. Conflicts between involved parties undermine border protection There are conflicts between the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE, whose responsibility is to monitor, investigate and to resolve illegal immigration deeds seems to be at loggerheads with CBP. CBP whose respon sibility is to patrol the border and to monitor illegal entry, apprehend and detain the illegal immigrants claims that ICE does not share information related to their common line of work. It is clear that the line of work between the two departments is very much related hence there is a need for co-operation especially from ICE. The ICE department claims that when the Department of Homeland Security was introduced the ICE, and CBP became one and blames the CBP for trying to take their assets. Meanwhile, CBP claims that ICE does not share their sensor data. According to the Border Patrol Station Chief it is difficult for the right hand to work without knowing what the left hand is doing. In as much as that makes perfect sense it is clear that the individual departments are supposed to be independent of each other. Hence it would be wiser to either have both departments combined into one with all their duties synchronised. Another option would be having their duties defined into clear , separate undertakings such that there will be no inter dependence between each other. This suggestion is mainly based on the reality that there may be policies within the individual departments that may make the ability to inter relate somehow constrained. The inter relations between the departments should also be put down on paper so that future conflicts be avoided and procedures of interactions be common knowledge. 3. Lack of accountability and responsibility hence blame games Blames games are commonplace in SBInet with no particular individual taking responsibility for any faults. For example, the Border Patrol