How I spend my time after high school Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How I spend my time after high school - Essay Example o be reliable, considering my passion for business, he asked the accountant to introduce me to the basics of book keeping so I could do a more useful job. I would work from his backroom office with him as he taught me the various aspects of the job, and delegated minor tasks and after a while, I was good enough to work without close supervision. I learnt several skills including managing of records and basic accounting, which had always appeared very intimidating. I also discovered the importance of meticulous record keeping since careless mistake could result to mix-ups in future. In addition, I dealt with customers complains related to their payments and bills, where I go an opportunity to learnt how to handle irrational clients, for instance, some who thought they had been overcharged, and came in with a decidedly hostile attitude. I left the job in 2011 and was employed as a customer care department of the local branch of the SABIC Company. Here, the diplomacy and negotiation skills I had acquired to deal with customers in the previous job were immensely helpful. I could comfortably handle customers with respect and firmness. Finally, in 2012 I decided to move to America to further my education, develop my skills as well as learn other new ones. However, I strongly believe that my work experiences, after high school, wi ll be vital in my professional and career

School Leadership Contributes To Student Achievement Education Essay

School Leadership Contributes To Student Achievement Education Essay This makes schools and their leaders under increasing pressure to make them more effective since there is compelling evidence that the school makes a difference in determining the achievement of the students and later, in life. The effort to make schools and educators who manage the education process more effective is a worthwhile goal. For many years now, researchers in the area of educational leadership have attempted to identify links between educational leadership and school effectiveness. This phenomenon is mainly due to the perception that educational leaders, especially school principals, increase school effectiveness. The notion of leadership is continually evolving, often moving simultaneously in numerous directions (e.g., leader, manager, and administrator). Goldring and Greenfield (2002) argue that the image of the school leader has changed from a position that was once ideologically grounded in philosophy and religion in the1800s, to a highly perspective manager concerned with efficiency and focused on functional administrative tasks in the mid 1900s, to a behavioral science perspective in the mid to late twentieth century . Having reviewed the long-standing debate about the principalship . Sergiovanni (1991) concludes While distinctions between management, leadership and administration debates may be useful for theorists, the key is the recognition that the principalship involves multiple responsibilities and duties . As predicted by Laffey (1980), principals are expected to be all things to all people. They are expected to be effective managers, and currently, with the focus on student achie vement, and instructional leaders effectiveness. However, according to Scott (1983), Principals and other significant groups who work with them have expectations regarding the principals managerial role but disagree significantly with the principal as an instructional leader. Reports have noted that principals have resisted changing their role from manager to that of an instructional leader (e.g. Philadelphia School Improvement Project, Kopple, 1985). Moreover, where principals role transition has been successful, extensive training (Newburg Glatthorn, 1983) and/or long-term training efforts (Kline, 1987) were necessary. (Cited from School leadership that works, p.23) Statement of Problem In the past 20 years, much attention has been given to education leadership and its impact on students outcome. Recently, at the beginning of the 21st century, school accountability and initiatives have come to the forefront of educational practices more evidently than in the past. Schools now, more than ever, are challenged to improve to the extent that every effort is made to ensure the success of all students. In UNRWA Association where this study was conducted, the department of education has held for a number of years many reform plans for enhancing the school performance. Action by the UNRWA in this study is defined as restructuring ; a process that begins by identifying schools that are not making adequate progress as measured by a series of assessments and attendance rates. Schools under local restructuring are given additional assistance from the UNRWA and are directed to develop annual school improvement plans. Then they are monitored by the UNRWA every two years to check o n progress made in each school. Placed at high risk, as a result of these actions, is the school principal. Efforts to improve education relate directly to the quality of leadership provided in the schools. A past research has focused on the relationship between effective principals and effective schools (Edmonds 1982).In current and future research, student achievement is the key factor in defining effective principals and schools.( No child left behind Act,2001). School leaderships are progressively responsible for education quality based on the belief that students success or failures are determined by the way a school run (Fullen 2000) .These beliefs for more effective leadership skills and practices are described as a change agent ,manager ,symbolic leader ,instinctual leader, disciplinarian, decision maker and policy maker (Cotton,2003,Morzano,Wale and Mcnully ) . One impact of the reform movement of the last decade is to involve as many people as possible in local school decision making. This shared decision making reflects a less centralized approach to school leadership and requires a great deal of collaboration and trust (Midgely Wood, 1993). Collaborative decision making means many things and takes many forms, depending on the people involved; therefore the role of the principal changes as situations and circumstances change. As a principal of a school under restructuring, he or she must reconcile the demands and initiatives of the UNRWA with those of the local system to bring about school improvement (School focus development in UNRWA). Therefore, principals in these schools are under pressure to follow up the reforming revolution seeking out a better academic achievement. For that, this study was anchored in perspectives on the principal ship and on factors that shape how principals define and respond to their roles with respect to school reform, and how principals respond to some of the changes and challenges of the position. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study is first, to determine Bolman and Deal leadership and management styles of principals as perceived by themselves, and by their principals assistances and by teachers. Second, to compare the leadership and management styles of school principals at risk to the styles of school principals showed an adequate progress in official exams for Grade nine. Finally, to determine the set of leadership and management behaviors that best describe the degree of principals performance in their schools, and their effectiveness in school academic achievement. Significance of the Study As a teacher, a central question, which requires further analysis is how exactly principals leadership style influence the instructional working of their school and thereby increase students achievement. My conceptual frame work is done on a Bolman and Deals four frames of model leadership. I have been through many models, but I found that this model is one of the best models necessary for improving the leadership style of any principal, indirectly increasing the school effectiveness. They classified these tools as frames, which give leaders a clearer view of reality. These include the structural, human resources, political, and the symbolic frame. Moreover, Bolman and Deal (1997) assert that leaderseffectiveness emerge when leaders are able to respond to the needs of their organizations by viewing them through more than one frame. In this way they can reach a deeper and better understanding of organizations. As a graduate student in the field of educational administration and leader ship, the question of how to practice the educational leadership in our school and how this influence learning outcomes are applied. As I experienced the complexity and diversity of school life through my teaching experience, I realized how confusing and frustrating leadership experiences can be, especially when you lack the tools needed to face these experiences. On the other hand, my teaching experience, through which I felt the impact of Bolman and Deals leadership techniques on the effectiveness of leaders, had a stimulating effect in the selection of this model, among others, to guide and enrich my study on school leadership. In broader terms, these experiences came to support the belief that leadership is a complex (Hughes, Ginnett, Curphy, 2002) and multifaceted process (Northouse, 2004), and can be exercised in any situation that requires influencing others. Tannenbaum, Weschler, and Massarik (1961) introduced the idea that leadership is applicable to all interpersonal rela tionships in which influence attempts are involved. How to deal with the constantly increasing challenges facing organizational life, how to help organizations improve, grow, or survive, and how to understand and gain insight into leadership as a topic and/or as a process, are some of the questions that have kept researchers and practitioners of leadership engaged. A review of the enormous body of literature on this topic reveals a significant interest in understanding leadership and its leadership effectiveness. Researchers interest in leadership over the past one hundred and fifty years reveals itself in the vast number of theories, models, and practical guides that have been developed to gain deeper knowledge into this phenomenon, and to improve leadership practices. In summary, this study is significant in that, it proposes to address the need to document the extent to which leadership behaviors differ among principals in schools at risk and principals in schools that have made adequate progress. There was a need to clarify the daily behaviors and practices of the principal and to provide insight into how the principal makes leadership decisions and judgments about school improvement and how to get the job done (Bolman Deal, 1997).This study will be useful to all UNRWA organizations wishing to proficiently exploit the leadership styles practiced by the principals as designed by Bolman and Deal. It will provide these organizations with a substantial association between leadership practices and students achievements as well as it will insight to raise this association, in order to maintain a competitive edge within the other school in the reforming evolutions . Research Questions and Hypotheses To gather data for this study, questions were asked to the principal and teachers. The following questions are: To what extent the principals frame utilization (structural, human resource, political and symbolic orientations) in schools labeled at risk differ from that in schools making adequate progress? Does the leadership style designed by Bolman and Deal affect the students academic achievement? Research Objectives Examine the different definitions of leadership and styles Identify the parameters which determine principals leadership style, schools organizational culture, and classrooms learning cultures. Examine the effects of the principals leadership style on schools effectiveness. Identify of Bolman and Deals model of leadership and examine the effect of having more than one frame on the principals behavior and students achievement. List the characteristics of the effective principal activities and their influence on learning outcome. Definition of terms School Leadership: The influential behaviors applied by the school administration or principal that facilitate teachers and the wider school community working towards the achievement of the mutually agreed upon organizational goals of the school.( NWREL 1995) Instructional Leadership: This entails the communication of the schools mission and goals, and the effective management of the instructional program of the school. This is accomplished through the provision of direction, emphasis, and support to the schools central mission of teaching for the success of all children.(NWREL1995). School Climate: The existing learning environment. This environment can either facilitate effective teaching and be conducive to student learning, or affect the quality of the teaching and be an impediment to student academic progress (NWREL 1995) Effective Schools: Settings in which students display high levels of academic achievement, satisfaction, morale, and pride in their schools (NWREL 1995)  [1]  . In this research synthesis, for most of the studies, school effectiveness is measured in terms of student academic achievements indicated by scores on various statewide tests School effectiveness is defined as student engagement in school .Blank (1987) used, in addition to student academic performance, student attendance in determining school effectiveness. Frame Utilization: a process by which leaders order their experiences and make informed decisions; framing helps filter out some things and allow others to pass through. Frames represent a lens through which principals might view their leadership behavior. (Bolman Deal, 1995). Bolman and Deal Frames: Frames represent the manner in which leaders view and process their experiences. Bolman and Deal (2003) identify four frames: structural, human resource, political and symbolic. Each frame has its own specific perspective for viewing a situation. (Bolman Deal, 1995). Leadership by Bolman and Deal Frame:Leadership is thus a subtle process of mutual influence fusing thought, feeling, and action to produce cooperative effort in the service of purposes and values of both the leader and the led. Single-frame managers are unlikely to understand and attend to the intricacies of a holistic process. (Bolman Deal, 1995). CHAPTER TWO Literature Review Introduction In the contemporary world, improvements of student achievements are recognized as the foremost objective of school reforms and restructuring efforts. With this objective in mind, many different reform problems are being implemented while key focus of the reforms is more or less the same. They focus on improving students learning and increasing their achievement (William. G. Kean; 2002). Students achievement can be viewed from two perspectives: the first perspective is to view achievement in terms of enrollment, or a number of students who pass a course, and the second perspective examines student achievement in terms of whether they mastered or attained course learning objectives. Enrollment numbers include the number of students who have passed the course, the number of non-grads, and the final average grade of the class. These enrollment numbers may be used to identify the causes for non-graduation. These numbers may also be compared over time to locate possible problems prior to class convening, such as lack of prerequisite knowledge, student concerns, or overall course concerns. (William. G. Kean ; 2002) Although the final average grade of a class is recorded to look at overall student performance, the percent of students who mastered, or attained, the individual objectives (terminal objectives and enabling objectives) are also recorded to find which units and/or lessons are the most difficult for the them. The percentages for the individual objectives can provide information about areas in the lesson where students may need extra help and may require modification or extra instruction. Student enrollment and achievement data can help educators to identify problem areas in the subject and improve it. Nowadays improvement of student achievement has always been one of the main goals of education. (William. G. Kean ; 2002) There are many factors that influence students outcome. First, student background characteristics -especially social, economic and cultural background frequently emerge as the most important source of variation in student achievement. Such student background characteristics cannot be easily influenced by educational policy in the short term. Second, school-related factors, which are more open to policy influence, explain a smaller part of the variations in student learning than student characteristics (Hallinger and Heck, 1996; Leithwood et al., 2006; OECD, 2005b). Third, among school-level variables, the factors that are closest to student learning, such as teacher quality and classroom practices, tend to have the strongest impact on student achievement (Leithwood and Riehl, 2003; OECD, 2005b). These factors are categorized as following: External factor such as the gender, race, parents education background, social state and reinforcement. Internal factors concerning motivation and self reflection Social factor includes the students ability to connect with teachers and students. Curricular factor includes all the practices done in the school to improve students outcome as matching teaching style to learning style, engaging material, engaged teachers and learners, collaborative / cooperative learning, instructional strategies, classroom management and classroom curriculum design etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Administrative factor that includes all the practices that done by the school leaders to improve students outcome. Even through all these factors which are necessary for increasing the students outcomes, school leadership has become a priority in education policy agendas across countries because it plays a key role in improving classroom practice, school policies and connections between individual schools and the outside world. It can encompass people occupying various roles and functions such as principals, deputy and assistant principals, leadership teams, school governing boards and school-level staff involved in leadership tasks. The Concept of Leadership The concept of leadership dates back to antiquity. According to Bass (1981), the study of leadership is an ancient art. Discussions of leadership appear in the works of Plato, Caesar, and Plutarch. Additionally, leadership is a robust concept that occurs universally among all people regardless of culture, whether they are isolated Indian villagers, Eurasian steppe nomads, or Polynesian fisher folk. Theories of leadership abound. They include approaches such as the great man theory, which suggests that, for example, without Moses the Jewish nation would have remained in Egypt and without Churchill the British would have acquiesced to the Germans in 1940; trait theories, which contend that leaders are endowed with superior qualities that differentiate them from followers; and environmental theories, which assert that leaders emerge as a result of time, place, and circumstance. Regardless of the theory used to explain it, leadership has been intimately linked to the effective functioning of complex organizations throughout the centuries. The traditions and beliefs about leadership in schools are no different from those regarding leadership in other institutions. Leadership is considered to be vital to the successful functioning of many aspects of a school. Concerning on school leadership, many definitions involve the process of influence. As YuKI has phrased it most definitions of leadership reflect the assumption that it involves a social influence process whereby intentional influence is exerted by one person [or group] over other people [or groups] to structure the activities and relationships in a group or organization (Yukl, 2002). The term intentional is important, as leadership is based on articulated goals or outcomes to which the process of influence is expected to lead. Leadership is a broader concept where authority to lead does not reside only in one person, but can be distributed among different people within and beyond the school. Peter.G. Northouse also defines leadership as a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal and identifies the central components of leadership: (a) Leadership is a process; (b) leadership involves influence, (c) leadership occurs within a group context, and (d) leadership involves goal attainment (Northouse, 2004, p. 3). For the purpose of this study, leadership will be defined, in Bolman and Deals terms, as a process of mutual influence fusing thought, feeling, and action to produce cooperative effort in the service of purposes and values of both the leader and the led(Bolman Deal, 1997, p. 296 ). Leadership and Management The study of leadership and management has a long history. The concept of effective leadership prompts the question: by whose standards? Historically, school leaders have been portrayed as people in charge of a school who have the sole responsibility for leading those who work for them to success. This kind of school leader has the expectation that when he/she leads, others will follow. More recent views of leadership involve persuading other people to set aside for a period of time their individual concerns and pursue a common goal that is important for the group (Hogan et al., 1999). They express that leadership is persuasion, not domination; persons who can require others to do their bidding because of their power are not leaders. Leadership only occurs when others willingly adopt, for a period of time, the goals of the group as their own. Research from the last two decades has also shown a strong link between effective leadership and effective organizations (Bolman Deal, 1994; Boyan, 1988; Griffiths, 1988; Lezotte, 1997; Sergiovanni, 1995). Hogan et al. (1999) assert that a growing body of evidence supports the common sense belief that leadership matters (p.34). Fullan (2002) expresses that schools need leaders who can change what people in the organization value and how they work together to accomplish it (p.34). Fullan (2002) continues by saying the schools need leaders who can create a fundamental transformation in the learning cultures of schools and of the teaching profession itself (p.18). Beach and Reinhartz (2000) note that leadership is essential to promoting student achievement and creating a vision of success for the total educational program (p.72). A causal and definitional link exists between leadership and team performance, Hybels and Hodges (1999), who also note that leadership is about serving and starts on the inside and moves outward to serve others. Such leadership has the interest of others in mind, nurtures growth and development in others, is willing to listen, and thinks less about self while held accountable for performance. Lambert (1998) suggests that leadership involves learning together and constructing meaning and knowledge collectively and collaboratively to reflect on and make sense of work in the light of shared beliefs and create actions that grow out of these new understandings (pp.5-6). One of the most influential calls for educational leaders is to develop a vision suitable with the standard of the district .The school leader develops a vision of learning from the culture of the organization and establishes a mission for the school community. The vision is the primary and major influence on both the mission and the culture. Vision can be defined as foresight and forethought. It is the dream of where the school principal wants the school to be in the future. If it is a shared vision, it exceeds what the principal wants; it is now what the staff, students, parents and community leaders want. Every vision should be followed by a mission. Deal and Peterson (1999) wrote that the mission is the focus of what people do (p.23). The culture in a school reflects the vision and the mission of the school. In defining culture, Deal and Peterson (1999) state that it consists of the stable, underlying social meanings that shape beliefs and behavior over time (p.3). The vision is the dream; the mission is how to achieve the dream; and the culture is impacted by the realization of the vision as the mission is accomplished. Culture involves values, beliefs, mores, tools for establishing goals, and the way in which people are valued or devalued. Smith and Andrews (1989) explain that communication of vision is perhaps the most important way for principals to exert effective leadership-to leave no doubt about school priorities These principals know what to expect for the school and students and are able to infect others with that dream, a positive and beneficial contagion. Perhaps these principals can do nothing more important for their teachers and staff than to create a process for forging and reworking the vision or mission of the school. Traditionally, schools have not been places where adults can easily share the collegial relationships that are essential to leadership, as distinct from management, and teacher empowerment. An effective school principal demonstrates a strong interest in promoting collegiality and shared leadership, an interest in shifting the norms of the schools culture from the traditional to more collaborative ways of working together (Owens, 2004, p. 274). Powell (2004), in her research on the behaviors and practices of successful principals working with at risk schools, found that the school vision, mission and culture are important to the success of the school. She found that it is difficult to separate the three because one supports and affects the others. She also found other research that supports this claim. For example, it is the vision of the school that leads the way to accomplishing the goals of the school (Uchiyama Wolf, 2002). Dufour and Eaker (1998) state that the shared vision motivates the staff to work together and gives a sense of direction for what they want to accomplish in the future. The vision of the school principal influences the mission of the school. Papalewis and Fortune (2002) also cited examples of successful schools in which the goals that reflect the mission statement are displayed in every classroom. In these schools everyone knew the direction of the school and the posted goals in the halls and classrooms reflected their knowledge and commitment. In successful schools, there is a culture that shows everyone focused on teaching and learning. Connell (1999) described these schools as a place where everyone is involved in the work of the school. During Connell(1999) study about high-performing and high-poverty schools, Connell(1999) found that a staff focused on engagement in the school is an important aspect of school success. Connell ( 1999) stated: Of primary importance is the principals engagement in a school. There is no high-achieving school where the staff is not serious about their work and where they are not focused. One can sense that people in a building are moving in the same direction. Everyone knows their job and why theyre there even the lunch-room aide. In low-achieving schools, everyone is an island unto themselves. Clearly from the research, the vision of the principal is the key element of school leadership. With a vision, the leader is then able to influence the mission of the school and create a culture of learning that will promote success for all students. Hughes (2004) further explains a schools culture. He states a schools culture is a representation of what its members collectively believe themselves to be: It is their self-concept. It reflects what they value and what they express to others as being important around here'. Culture is a shared reality constructed over time; cultures may be cohesive or fragmented, strong or weak, and functional or dysfunctional depending on the degree to which the same reality is shared by organizational members (Morgan, 1986; Sergiovanni, 1990). It is clear that schooling has reached a turning point and the need for cultivating creative cultures is at hand (Hughes, 2004). The principal has emerged as the energizer and facilitator of this process. Purposeful direction depends on the leaders ability to inspire the creative contribution of all members of the organization. Leadership must become reciprocal as leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of moral consciousness and improvement of social order. Creative leaders recognize that excellence is facilitated through a bonding of purposes and values rather than through imposed structures designed to streamline, predict and quantify set objectives. Blumberg (1989) explains that the successful principal applies the craft of administration by balancing the art of leadership and the science of management to improve curriculum, instruction, and other important elements of school. He adds that by purposefully adding elements of a specific school setting into the general model, a principal can categorize and assess important site-specific school improvement actions. School leadership has become increasingly more complicated and vital to ensuring school success and soliciting substantial participation from faculty, staff and students. In responding to higher standards of increased student progress, school leaders recognize that they alone cannot be the sole instructional leaders but must coach, mentor, and empower faculty and staff in the pursuit of reform and renewal. As school leaders continue to adapt to their changing roles, effective leadership skills will be essential and the real challenge is providing the type of leadership skills necessary to assist schools in expanding their traditional boundaries (Green, 2001). Lambert (2002) notes that for decades, educators have understood that they are all responsible for student learning, but more recently administrators have come to realize that they are responsible for their own learning and the learning of their colleagues as well. School Leadership Contributes To Student Achievement Since we are focusing on the extent to how the of principals leadership and management style and behaviors affect the school academic achievements. A number of studies have been conducted to develop effective schools towards the achievement of better student outcomes as well as to identify the relationship between school effectiveness and school improvement. There are two related lines of research demonstrating the influence of school leaders on school improvement. The first line of inquiry is what is known as school effectiveness research which identified the characteristics of effective schools that influence the high-achieving schools particularly students achievement. The second line of research is what is focused primarily on the principals role in developing instructional programs which have mainly contributed to create more high-achieving schools. Now, let us focus on the first line of inquiry which primarily emphasizes the features of effective schools movement, leading to increase students achievement. The Coleman Report (1966 ) demonstrated that the school had little or no effect on student achievements, concluding that family background was the key factor influencing the student achievements. Following this report, many researchers in the 1970s and early 1980s intensively conducted similar studies and reacted sharply to the report (Edmonds, 1979, Walberg Scott, 1979; Austin, 1979). In contrast to Coleman report, Edmonds (1979) argued that school leadership behavior is critical in determining the quality of education. Further, on the basis of his research on instructionally effective schools in Detroit and a review of previous studies involving effective schools in New York, California, and Michigan, he has concluded that school factors have predominantly contributed towards the creation of instructionally effective schools. These factors are: (1) strong administrative leadership; (2) high levels of expectations in student achievements; (3) an orderly but not oppressive school cl imate; (4) a focus on pupil acquisition of basic school skills; (5) conducive atmosphere to the instructional process; (6) means of student progress monitoring; and (7) resources that can be focused on the fundamental learning objectives of the school. In line with these findings, Austin (1979) suggests that an effective school which can promote student outcomes need to provide a climate that stimulates ideas and facilitates the exchange of ideas with colleagues. Purkey and Smith (1985) have identified school leadership as one of the major factors in improving academic performance. For the purposes of seeking the perceptions of school communities on factors which mostly help the schools to

Fountainhead :: essays papers

Fountainhead Fountainhead Book Report Roark and Keating Howard Roark and Peter Keating are two characters whose goals in life are similar, but the manner in which they go about achieving them differs greatly. Howard Roark, the protagonist of the story, is a man whose only passion is architecture and has wanted to be an architect since he was a boy. Peter Keating, the antagonist of the story representing everything Roark hates in society, is a follower in life and whose only prerogative is to get ahead in the world, no matter what the cost or who he has to use in the process. He too strives to be an architect, but his motives are more about money and power unlike Roark, who would work for free if he had to in order to build what he wants to see created as long as he was allowed to do things his way. Throughout the book, the success of the two men in their careers is compared to one another, as well as an analysis on how they go about achieving that success. While more obstacles may lie in the way of Roark's path than of Keating's, he consistently refuses to compromise his integrity no matter what benefits may come of it. Keating, on the other hand, has no concern about what means he has to use to accomplish what he's all about, money and power. In my paper, I will attempt to show how the differences in these two character's personalities affect how the world and individuals close to them perceive them and their actions. 2 Keating's mother, for example, is an overprotective, overbearing women with whom Roark and Keating both lived with while attending Stanton University. Keating's mother appears to be a woman that enjoys imposing her views on others by looking for weak spots in their personalities and creeping in through those venues. An example of this technique in action is displayed with her son Peter, with whom she consistently appeals to his desire for success in life by showing him what great things he could achieve if he would just do as she says, such as marry Dominique Francon, daughter of the owner of the best architecture firm in the country. Her ability to persuade Peter by imposing guilt on him and criticizing his methods of going about things is linked to a weakness in his personality; he really cares about what other people think.

Pride Goes Before A Fall Essay

In a bid to exemplify the notion’s statement, â€Å"pride goes before a fall,† Alice Walker, Joyce Carol Oates and John Updike draw on their main characters Dee, Connie, and Sammy in their stories â€Å"Every day Use,† â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? † and â€Å"A&P† respectively. Dee, Connie and Sammy are an example of how the notion of pride is shown in various ways and how as their pride reaches its peak, they fall. Dee shows her pride in her self centered personality that causes her to lose her appreciation for her mother and her sister Maggie, and causes her to abandon her heritage and become distant. Connie, in â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? † shows pride in her overconfidence that leads her to act impetuously causing her to lose her personal safety. Sammy, in â€Å"A&P† shows pride by simply quitting his job in response to what he views to be an unacceptable behavior by his boss, and wishes to grab the attention of girls that merely recognize him. The Preoccupation with pride that these characters have causes them to eventually fall. Dee’s egocentrism leads her to become unappreciative to both her family and her heritage. Dee reveals her true personality when she responds to her mother for the reason she wants to take the quilts instead of her sister in the quotation, â€Å"Hang them, she said. As if that was the only thing you could do with quilts†(Walker 375). This quotation shows moment when Mama’s attitude changes in the story. Before it, she was submissive to Dee and had much respect for her. After, she realizes that Dee will never be grateful to her or even able to understand that there are other people in this world besides herself. Dee’s pride is shown in her eagerness to take the quilts that are originally for Maggie; She ignores her sister’s feelings and her mother’s will. She fakes love for her mother’s old things because they are expensive, not because she enjoys the history and is proud of her heritage. The pride causes Dee to lose her appreciation for her mother, sister, and heritage and at the same time she loses her mother appreciation for her. Maybe if she did not respond to her mother’s question by simply hanging the quilts, her mother would have given them to her. However, her selfish desires of getting whatever she wants leads her to loose her mother’s respect. Connie’s self assertiveness ended by her loosing her safety. Connie shows her pride in her personal thought as the narrative states, â€Å" actually Connie thought that her mother preferred her to June because she was prettier†(Oates 53). Connie’s overconfidence of her self comes from her beauty. She finds her self to be a beautiful young girl who is a point of interest among the boys. As a result of herself, she builds up her personality with that overconfidence, while at the same time building her pride up. As soon as her pride is at its maximum level, she acts in an impetuous way ignoring the outcomes of her actions, this can be seen through the quotation, â€Å"It was a car she didn’t know†¦ she whispered â€Å"Christ, Christ,† wondering how bad she looked†¦ she went into the kitchen and approached the door slowly, then hung out the screen door, her bare toes curling down off the step†(Oates 54). This quotation shows Connie’s pride and how her pride causes her to fall. Connie’s reaction when she finds a stranger in her driveway by wondering how she looks reveals that her pride takes value over her safety, while the normal thoughts that any body can think about when he finds a stranger entering his driveway is thinking about his safety, Connie is only concerned with her beauty. Connie’s overconfidence pushes her to approach the door which is the beginning of her fall. Connie lives in her small safe life of teenagers, not taking into consideration the outside wild life that she approaches blindly. At the time she decided to open the door, Connie the teenager and the young adult is blended together. Connie is in a stage of maturation— She decides to approach the door for the stranger which is the teenager side of her mind and at the same time she approaches it slowly which is the young adult side of her character. Her action to hang out the screen door is the time when Connie is completely mature and considered a young adult. At this moment, Connie cannot go back to the level of maturity she had when she was a teenager. Connie starts the fall. Connie’s overconfidence causes her to portray an imaginary photo of how the world is and she acts from this perspective which ultimately ends her losing her self security. Sammy resigning his job shows pride, but renders him inferior in society. Sammy shows pride in the way he reacts to his boss, Mr. Lengel. The way he treats the girls is shown in the quotation, â€Å"The girls who’d blame them, are in a hurry to get out, so I say â€Å"I quit† to Lengel quick enough for them to hear, hoping they’ll stop and watch me, their unsuspected hero†(Updike 87). The quotation shows the girl’s reaction to Mr. Lengel’s words. They want to go out of the store as quick as they can. It also shows Sammy’s rashness in thoughts and making decisions by stating that he quits in a quick manner. Quitting to Sammy is a way that he shows pride and is a way to grab the girls attention. He is showing that he supports them, and he thinks that they will consider him their hero. Sammy also shows hesitation that his action may attract the girls attention. He hopes that by quitting, his proud actions will grab their attention. However, he comes out of the store and he does not find any body waiting for him. As the narrator states, â€Å"I look around for the girls, but they’re gone†¦ I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter†(Updike 88). At this moment, Sammy realizes his fall. This fall can be viewed in two perspectives. The first perspective is a superficial one because he thought that the girls would be impressed and would be waiting for him which they didn’t. The second is when he realized that he quit his only job and that world will be hard to him, which is something that is hard to handle.

Importance of Computer in Schools Essay

Tara Dodrill began writing professionally in 1990. She is a travel writer and photographer working for print and online media, primarily covering Florida, ecotourism and off-the-beaten-path destinations. Her writing credits include RUMBUM, Yahoo News, Visit South magazine,and North Carolina Coastal Guide. She studied journalism and education at Ohio University and real estate at Hondros College. Computer classes in schools are important to a well-rounded education. Students are instructed on the basics of computer use as early as kindergarten. Educational software, often presented in a game-like format, entertains younger students while they learn key concepts. ? Technology Skills * The importance of computer study in schools goes beyond the reinforcement of classroom subjects and remedial assistance. Nearly all students will be faced with the need for technology skills when they attend college or enter the workforce. Keyboarding Classes * Keyboarding classes in elementary schools have replaced the old-fashioned typing classes once offered in high schools. Students learn at a young age how to use computers to generate reports, type essays and research homework assignments. * Career Preparation * Computer skills learned in middle school and high school will benefit students during higher education courses and their careers. Students as young as 12 learn how to create Power Point presentations, video projects and photo slideshows. Online Access * By learning how to use computers, students even in low-income areas have access to the world at large. Online learning courses, which were once a rarity at colleges, now comprise a large portion of many schools’ course catalogs. Adult Learners * Students who are introduced to computer courses at an early age adapt quickly to advances in technology, and typically do not fear additional training and new concepts as adult learners. Effect of Science and technology in our lives As what I understand about how Science and Technology affects our lives, That there are advantages and disadvantages. The Advantages are, it makes our lives simple by using equipment that can easily finish and do well the work or job. We can save more time and energy so that we can perform and do our other job. We can now easily communicate our love ones and relatives by using cellphone and internet, it can connect us even they are in the other part of the world and then with digital camera, we can see them just like they are in front of us. Technology now can give us more information about what are happening around the world that help us to get aware and prepare for disaster and calamity that might happen in our country or in our place. Science and Technology can cure our diseases, provide us shelter and foods for crowd people. Most of the people think that there are more advantages of science and technology as compare to the disadvantages. The major advantage of science and technology is that it has made our lives easier like invention of technology has decreased the manual work. The use of technology in agriculture has increased our productivity. Doing work at workplaces is easier because of invention of computers and notebooks. Development of technology in kitchens, beauty parlors, workplace, research labs and in all fields of life has become the necessity. Now we can study and understand our history,culture and society and by the help of Science and Technology we can share our stories of whats happening in our life, what we see and what we discover to by this way we can also help the children of the next generation. The major advantage of technology and science is to assist mankind in living well and more easily and in better health. There is also disadvantages on Science and Technology Many years comes our atmosphere slowly destroy because of the air pollution that came from the factory and it can cause Green House Effect (GHE) it is a process by which thermal radiation from a planetary surface is absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gasses and is re-radiated in all directions. And it is harm for the people. Science and Technology make people lazy because people just depend on it and not do there work well. It will increased the anxiety of our lives, when technology goes in the wrong hand it can have an negative impact in our society it can create cyber crime, hacking, stealing of personal information and pornography websites. It also gives opportunities to the terrorist to make crime like bombing. As technology develops we forget our traditions style of living. it simply destroying our life styles. It also destroying our nature because of illegal logging, and mining and others, this is the cause of landslide and flood that can kill many people because nature cant stop it anymore.

The Four Cerebral Cortex Lobes of the Brain

The Four Cerebral Cortex Lobes of the Brain The cerebral cortex is the layer of the brain often referred to as gray matter. The cortex (thin layer of tissue) is gray because nerves in this area lack the insulation that makes most other parts of the brain appear to be white. The cortex covers the outer portion (1.5mm to 5mm) of the cerebrum and cerebellum. The cerebral cortex is divided into four lobes. Each of these lobes is found in both the right and left hemispheres of the brain. The cortex encompasses about two-thirds of the brain mass and lies over and around most of the structures of the brain. It is the most highly developed part of the human brain and is responsible for thinking, perceiving, producing and understanding language. The cerebral cortex is also the most recent structure in the history of brain evolution. Cerebral Cortex Lobes Function Most of the actual information processing in the brain takes place in the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex is located in the division of the brain known as the forebrain. It is divided into four lobes that each have a specific function. For example, there are specific areas involved in movement and sensory processes (vision, hearing,  somatosensory perception (touch), and olfaction). Other areas are critical for thinking and reasoning. Although many functions, such as touch perception, are found in both the right and left cerebral hemispheres, some functions are found in only one cerebral hemisphere. For example, in most people, language processing abilities are found in the left hemisphere. Four Cerebral Cortex Lobes Parietal Lobes: These lobes are positioned posteriorly to the frontal lobes and above the occipital lobes. They are involved in receiving and processing of sensory information. The somatosensory cortex is found within the parietal lobes and is essential for processing touch sensations.Frontal Lobes: These lobes are positioned at the front-most region of the cerebral cortex. They are involved with movement, decision-making, problem-solving, and planning. The right frontal lobe controls activity on the left side of the body and the left frontal lobe controls activity on the right side.Occipital Lobes: Located just below the parietal lobes, the occipital lobes are the main center for visual processing. The visual information is sent to the parietal lobes and temporal lobes for further processing.Temporal Lobes: These lobes are located directly below the frontal and parietal lobes. They are involved with memory, emotion, hearing, and language. Structures of the limbic system, including t he olfactory cortex, amygdala, and the hippocampus are located within the temporal lobes. In summary, the cerebral cortex is divided into four lobes that are responsible for processing and interpreting input from various sources and maintaining cognitive function. Sensory functions interpreted by the cerebral cortex include hearing, touch, and vision. Cognitive functions include thinking, perceiving, and understanding language. Divisions of the Brain Forebrain - encompasses the cerebral cortex and brain lobes.Midbrain - connects the forebrain to the hindbrain.Hindbrain - regulates autonomic functions and coordinates movement.

Habit 3 Put First Things First

Habit 3 Put First Things First Introduction Highly effective people are known to focus on discovering opportunities around them. They then utilize these opportunities to their advantage keenly taking into consideration their principles and values. They do this in order to achieve personal or organizational goals (Hergenhahn, 2005).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Habit 3 Put First Things First specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The decisions they make are centered and focused on already defined mission statements. For one to benefit fully from concepts of Habit 2 Put First Things First, one needs to have thoroughly understood and internalized Habit 1 and Habit 2. Habit 1 focuses on the individual’s character development (pro-activity). It is through the character that one develops in this stage that he or she is able to refrain from activities that do not contribute towards the achievement of the defined goals. Habit 2 begins with â€Å"an e nd† in mind. Stephen Covey (2004) emphasizes on creating a clear vision of one’s objective. This has to start with analyzing one’s current situation in order to know one’s position. It is by so doing that one is able to come up with a personal or organizational constitution. The latter draws clear guidelines and regulations towards achieving the short term and long term goals. The said goals converge to form the mission statement. The purpose of this study is to critically analyze the ideas and concepts of Habit 3 Put First Things First. The study reveals how this habit may be applied in the real world through use of practical examples. A look at the 2 X 2 matrix, delegation and recommendations will help to exemplify better the concepts of Habit 3 Put First Things First. The 2 X 2 Matrix Highly effective people recognize the activities that are important to them and those that are not important (Gazzaniga, 2010). With the use of 2 X 2 Matrix, Stephen Covey (2004) classifies the day to day activities into four categories; -Pressing matters 1 Urgent -Projects Important -Deadline driven activities Prevention Not Urgent 2 -Relationship building Implementing systems -Planning and preparations -Improving professional knowledge -Emails 3 Telephone Calls. Not Important Interruptions; a colleague walking in to the office Unplanned meeting Trivial 4 Busy Work Unproductive activities 1. Important and urgent are classified as Quadrant 1. 2. Important and not urgent are classified as Quadrant 2. 3. Urgent and not important are classified as Quadrant 3. 4. Not important and not urgent are classified as Quadrant 4. For effective management, Quadrant 1 activities should be given preference. All tasks should be evaluated to determine the important activities and their urgencies. It is good to deal with all important and urgent matters first. Deadline driven projects should be given priority too. Crisis matters and pressing problems sho uld be considered first as well.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To manage your life effectively based on the principles and values outlined in your mission statement, you have to focus on activities of Quadrant 2 especially the important activities which are not urgent. This works a long way towards improving your production capacity. For example, instead of embarking on planning each day at a time, it could be ideal for you to focus on weekly activities that are inline with the accomplishment of your personal goals and roles. For instance, a person who intends to reduce 10 kilograms of his or her body weight in one month can come up with a whole week schedule that outlines the activities he or she will undertake each day in order to reduce the desired weight. In the weekly plan, he or she can specify the diet to take each day taking into consideration the amount of calori es his or her body requires and adjust his or her meals to suit the required calories. He or she can also plan for the exercises to undertake each day of the week. He or she may allocate two days for jogging and three days for indoor gym activities. Another important aspect of Quadrant 2 involves preparation. A student who wishes to excel in his or her exams must do certain things that may enhance the chances of academic excellence for the particular student. This would involve studying all the course materials exhaustively and ensuring that he or she has covered the entire syllabus. He or she should embark on thorough revision of the entire course work. He or she can engage other students in discussions on the different topics in the course outline. A review of past exams would help him or her in understanding how the questions in the exams are set. The same case would apply to an engineer who wishes to be highly effective in his career. The engineer may consider enrolling for an a dvanced course in his profession. This would help him or her sharpen his professional skills and knowledge. He or she would also actively participate in seminars and workshops with an aim of boosting his or her professional attributes. Sometimes people engage themselves in activities that take a lot of their time. Those activities may not be necessarily important to the fulfillment of their goals. These are activities of Quadrant 3 which comprise urgent activities but which may not be very important or necessary. These activities are portrayed as urgent because they involve other people who may be important to people’s lives like friends and relatives. Activities of Quadrant 3 may have nothing to do with the realization of people’s personal goals. Sometimes these activities may be depicted as important. They may persuade many people to put more time and energy on them. They may not be as important as perceived. For example, in an office setup, a colleague may come to y our office to make an acquaintance. A small discussion may ensue and without both of you noticing, a substantial amount of time may eventually be wasted which would have otherwise been spent working towards the accomplishment of your organizational goals. Telephone calls may be other forms of distractions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Habit 3 Put First Things First specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Your callers make take a lot of your time by engaging you in conversations that may not have a productive impact on your work. It is important to know the purpose of the telephone call and assess whether it is worth giving your time to at that particular moment. It is from that point that you would be able to decide whether to take that call, postpone or ignore it. Though the internet is the greatest information tool, it has been misused in most organizations hindering the latter from achieving their goals. In certain c ases, you may find employees busy on the computers creating the impression that they are doing something substantial towards execution of the company’s mission. On the other hand, those employees may be busy chatting with their friends through the various social sites, responding to emails from their friends or surfing in the internet for materials of their personal interests. All these things are not essential in a person’s life that is why Covey (2004) classifies them as not important. They have very little significance to the attainment of the mission of any given company. Some small issues may arise in an organization prompting concerned managers to call for the so called â€Å"urgent meetings†. In such circumstances, the meeting agendas may not be carefully drawn and the parties participating in the said meetings may not be taken into consideration. Such meetings may not be adequately prepared for by all parties eventually leading to wastage of time by the concerned parties. These meetings may not add any value towards the fulfillment of the company’s mission. Quadrant 4 illustrates activities that are not important as well as not urgent. Certain people may give excuses of being busy with the intention of avoiding certain duties or activities given to them by their respective organizations. One may be surprised to find out that these people may not be as busy as they may portray to be. A closer examination on the lives of the said people may reveal that they may be engaged in activities that are not so important like watching movies, reading newspapers and novels. Ideally, it is important to reduce the time taken on these activities and concentrate more on the activities that would lead one to being highly effective in realizing either one’s personal or organizational goals and objectives. Delegation A highly effective person ought to understand that it is not possible to accomplish all the activities that will help him or her achieve the intended goals. It is therefore important that one identifies the specific activities to work on in achieving one’s goals. One needs to realize the strengths and weaknesses of the people that one plans to work with. By so doing, one would be capable of understanding the abilities of different people. When delegating, it is important to avoid telling the persons concerned what to do. It is imperative let them know the vision and goals to attain. Let them understand the desired values. Let them realize and appreciate your principles.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A person whose goal is to cut 10 kilograms of body weight in one month can delegate his or her diet planning to a professional nutritionist. If the person is a vegetarian, he can inform the nutritionist beforehand. By so doing, he would be letting the nutritionist know his values and principles. This way, he or she would have simply delegated some part his or her goal to a professional who can better handle the given assignment. Recommendation Proper time management is the key towards being highly effective for any one. With good time management, one may be able to effectively employ and implement Habit 3 Put First Things First. Conclusion Proper scheduling of one’s activities is the foundation towards implementing Habit 3 put first things first (Palmer Woolfe, 1999). Quite often, unexpected activities may arise and may have to be dealt with. A highly effective person should create a means of adapting to the unexpected activities when they arise. References Covey, S. R. (200 4). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. New York, USA: Free Press A Division of Simon and Schuster, Inc. Gazzaniga, M. (2010). Psychological Science. New York, USA: W.W. Norton Company. Hergenhahn, B.R. (2005). An introduction to the history of psychology. Belmont, USA: Thomson Wadsworth. Palmer, S. M., Woolfe, R. (1999). Integrative and eclectic counselling and psychotherapy. London, UK: Sage Publications.

5 Facts About Police Killings and Race

5 Facts About Police Killings and Race The absence of any kind of systematic tracking of police killings in the U.S. makes it difficult to see and understand any patterns that might exist among  them,  but fortunately, some researchers  have undertaken efforts to do so. While the data they have collected is limited, it is national in scope and  consistent from place to place, and  thus very  useful for illuminating trends. Lets take a look at what the data collected by Fatal Encounters and by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement show us about police killings and race. Deaths by the Numbers Fatal Encounters is an ever-growing crowd-sourced database of police killings in the US compiled by D. Brian Burghart. To date, Burghart has  amassed a database of 2,808 incidents from across the nation. Though the race of those killed is currently unknown in nearly a third of the incidents, of those in which race is known, nearly a quarter are black, nearly a third are white, about 11 percent are Hispanic or Latino and just 1.45 percent are Asian or Pacific Islander. While there are more white than black people in this data, the percentage of those who are black far out-paces the percentage of those who are black in the general population- 24 percent versus 13 percent. Meanwhile, white people comprise about 78 percent of our national population, but just under 32 percent of those killed. This means that black people are more likely to be killed by police, while white, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, and Native American are less likely. This trend is corroborated by other research. A  study conducted by  Colorlines  and  The Chicago Reporter  in 2007 found that black people were over-represented among those killed by police in every city investigated, but especially in  New York, Las Vegas, and San Diego, where the rate was  at least double their share of the local population. This report also found that the number of Latinos killed by police is rising. Another report by the NAACP focused on Oakland, California found that 82 percent of people shot by police between 2004 and 2008 were black, and none were white. New York Citys 2011 Annual Firearms Discharge Report shows that police shot more black people than white or Hispanic people between 2000 and 2011. All of this amounts to a black person being killed by police, security guards or armed civilians in an extra-judicial manner every 28 hours, based on data for 2012 compiled by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement  (MXGM). The largest proportion  of those people are young black men between the ages of 22 and 31 years old. Most People Killed Are Unarmed Per the MXGM report, the vast majority of those killed during 2012 were unarmed at the time. Forty-four percent had no weapon on them, while 27 percent were allegedly  armed,  but there was no documentation in the police report that  supported the presence of a weapon. Just 27 percent of those killed possessed a weapon or a toy weapon mistaken for a real one, and only 13 percent had been identified as an active or suspected shooter prior to their death. The NAACP report from Oakland similarly found that no weapons were present in 40 percent of cases in which people were shot by police. Suspicious Behavior and Perceived Threats The MXGM study of 313 black people killed by police, security guards and vigilantes in 2012 found that  43 percent of killings  were prompted by vaguely defined suspicious behavior. Equally troubling, about 20 percent of these incidents were precipitated by a family member calling 911 to seek emergency psychiatric care for the deceased. Just a quarter were facilitated by verifiable criminal activity. Per the MXGM report, I felt threatened is the most common reason given for one of these killings, cited in nearly half of all cases. Nearly a quarter were attributed to other allegations, including that the suspect lunged, reached toward waistband, pointed a gun, or drove toward an officer. In just 13 percent of the cases did the person killed actually fire a weapon. Criminal Charges Are Rare Despite the facts stated above, the study by MXGM found that only 3 percent of the 250 officers who killed a black person in 2012 were charged with a crime. Of the 23 people charged with a crime after one of these killings, most of them were vigilantes and security guards.  In most cases, District Attorneys and Grand Juries rule these killings justified.

1 day diet diary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

1 day diet diary - Essay Example The recording of the foods eaten was done immediately after eating and some were done just before eating. In most cases I did the latter rather than the former method. The quantities were first recorded in a rough draft before being transferred to the diet diary. The weights of the foods were measured by various means depending on the type of food. The fish was weighed using a weighing to determine its weight. The weight of the rice was estimated from the value provided on the packet. The weight of the cake was per the value I got from the bakery when I bought it. For the drinks the amount was measured by the use of measuring cylinder. The accuracy of my recordings and measurement is of a recommendable status but it’s not utterly accurate to the point. The reason for it not being very accurate is that some of the measurements were estimated especially for the foods that I bought, as I relied on the information provided by the seller. However, as per my opinion most of the recordings were accurate. My general strategy for improving the diet is by first and foremost cutting on the amount of sugary stuff that I take on a daily basis. The other way of improving my diet is including some vegetables into the diet diary. This is in order for me to have a high-fiber diet. Dietary fiber is mainly found in fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. Fiber or roughage is generally well known for its ability to prevent constipation. Some of the other benefits of a fiber include :( mayo clinic, [online]) Water is also vital in keeping one healthy; hence, I have to include it in my diet. Water helps in washing away waste products and poisonous substance (toxins) from our systems. It is so unfortunate that many people are dehydrated; this is can be attributed to the fact that they either don’t know or ignore the value of water in our bodies. It is of great importance to note the

International Marketing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

International Marketing Strategy - Essay Example However, the strategy will shift to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) with the potential to eat into Nestle’s market share. The company will aggressively pursue the acquisition of SMEs within the next 7 years (The National, 2013). The company will also implement a hybrid structure combining holacracy and hierarchy that facilitate good interpersonal relations, communication, and faster promotions for the best performing employees (Revill, 2013). The entry strategy is based on excellent positioning and competitive pricing. Nestle intends to position itself as an internationally respected brand that guarantees quality products at affordable prices (Koltrowitz, 2013). Dairy products will be priced much lower than confectionaries because they have the largest markets. Baby food and nutritional products will be priced 3% lower than whatever rivals are offering (Y-Sing, 2014). Currently, the company forecasts a 6% growth in sales revenue for the first year of operation. However, the intention is to achieve a 13% steady growth in the next 5 years, followed by 15% within the next 10 years. In the first year of operation, Nestle will have a 13.5% market share. The objective is to increase market share to 27% in the next 3 years and then 50% within 4 years (Nestle, 2014). This will be supported by aggressive marketing and competitive pricing. The company would like to go public in Kuwait to raise enough money to fund its expansionist strategy (World Bakers, 2013). However, this proposal is still hampered by increasing risk levels in the Kuwaiti market. The company intends to manage this risk for the next 6 years before it goes public. Algethami, S. (2014, February 24) Nestle Middle East aims to triple sales by 2020, viewed December 2, 2014, from . InsiderMedia. (2014, November 19) Record year for overseas confectionery sales, viewed December 2, 2014, from

Measurement and instruments Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Measurement and instruments - Lab Report Example on-chip Hall voltage generator for magnetic sensing, a Schmitt activate to offer switching hysteresis for noise denial, a comparator that amplifies the Hall voltage, and output open collector. An internal regulator is used to offer temperature remunerated supply of voltage for internal circuits and enables a large operating supply choice, When current flows through a piece of metal, the voltage can be measured perpendicular to the flow of current and the voltage should equal zero under no influence of a magnetic field (PopovicÃŒ , 74). When a magnet field is introduced perpendicular to the flow of current a voltage is induced. If you reverse the polarity of the magnet the polarity of the induced voltage will reverse. The operation is ignited when the device is placed in a magnetic field. When the material is placed in a magnetic field, the flux lines of the magnet and exerts a force on the material which is a semiconductor. This leads to deflection of electrons and charges. Movement of charge carries is due to magnetic force that they experience (PopovicÃŒ , 204). When current flows through a piece of metal, the voltage can be measured perpendicular to the flow of current and the voltage should equal zero under no influence of a magnetic field. When a magnet field is introduced perpendicular to the flow of current a voltage is induced. If you reverse the polarity of the magnet the polarity of the induced voltage will reverse. There are distinctive features that the instrument has. The features include low current consumption, 3.5V to 24V DC operation voltage, open-Collector pre-driver, wide operating voltage range, temperature compensation, 50mA maximum sinking output current and reverse polarity protection. This is the Hall Effect named after Edwin Hall who discovered this in 1879. The principle which was used was the basic physical principle underlying the Hall Effect being Lorentz force. To generate a potential difference across the device the magnetic flux

5 health indicators and analysis - Research Paper

5 health indicators and analysis - - Research Paper Example Five health indicators from three different countries will be analyzed to reveal three-income stratifications high, medium, and low income. The five health indicators are the following; death rate, Infant mortality rate, Life expectancy at birth years, literacy and HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate. The countries are Switzerland, Mexico, and Somalia, which were selected to illustrate the disparity existing because of their income status. Death rate can be describe as the average number of deaths in a year per 1000 population and indicates the current mortality impact on population growth. Per Index Mundi, the death rate in Mexico is 4.9/1000 population at midyear, followed by Switzerland at 8.8, and Somalia at 14.55 (Index Mundi, 2011). The most probable causes of this 14.55 high incidence of death in Somalia can be attributed to lack of sanitation, poor access to medical services, and poor diet. On the other hand, the low death rate seen in Mexico can be associated with proper sanitation, easy access to advance medical care, and healthy feeding habits. The lowest infant mortality rate of the three countries stands at 4.03/1000 births followed by Mexico’s 16.77, and the highest being Somalias 103.72 (Central Intelligence Agency, n.d b). The comparison of the infancy mortality rate between the three countries raises concern, as the number of fatalities among infants in Somalia is alarming. This demonstrates the need for Mexico and Somalia to invest in more in infant and maternal health, and run programs such as vaccination to aid in reducing infant mortality. The average years lived by a group of individuals born in the same year describes the life expectancy at birth, in which Switzerland’s is relatively high. Since Switzerland is considered a higher income country, they can invest more preventive on health care and health education, which improves the life expectancy of the

Brazil and Argentina Hyperinflation Experience at the Beginning of the Research Paper

Brazil and Argentina Hyperinflation Experience at the Beginning of the 1990s - Research Paper Example The period of the relatively high level of inflation lasted for about 15 years i.e. from 1980 to 1994 and resulted in significant political, economic as well as a social crisis for the country. One of the key reasons for this hyperinflation in the country was the creation of money supply to finance fiscal expenditure of the country. Government rather than using the taxes or borrowing started to created new money and hence the creation of money supply. During the 1990s, consumer price index ran into the factor of over 5 trillion thus indicating the overall severity of the inflation faced by the country. Argentine also faced the similar situation during the 1990s however, the consistent increase in inflation lasted from 1975 to early 1990s. during that period the overall value of Argentine’s Peso went down and the country introduced massive changes and reforms in the 1990s to initiate the process of recovery.   Hyperinflation in Brazil Brazil was a case of chronic inflation wh ich finally turned into hyperinflation and resulted in serious damage for the country. The key reason for this hyperinflation was the excessive creation of money to finance the expansion projects of the government. Rather than relying on the borrowing or improving tax collection, the government simply resorted to printing new money thus creating excessive money supply in the country. At the start of 1990, the consumer price index in the country was to the factor of 100 Million which reached to over 5 trillion by the end of 1997. Such sharp and abnormal increase in the level of consumer price index sustained for almost a decade and proved detrimental to the overall economic future of the country. It is, however, critical to note that the 1990s were the period during which the overall rate of inflation started to moderate owing to strict reforms being undertaken by the government. Since Brazil was facing higher episodes of inflation since the 1970s, therefore, 1990s was the period dur ing which country started to take measures to arrest such trends. (Barbosa, Cunha, and Elvia,183 ) At the start of the 1990s, the rate of inflation was over 30,000% however, it gradually started to decline and reached a level of 16% in 1997. As discussed above, this was a period of relatively important reforms undertaken by the country which resulted in sharp decline in the hyperinflation and economy started to witness the relatively moderate level of inflation rates. (Samuels,547) During this period, saving rates were almost negative as people continued to spend their cash due to the fact that its value was being eroded rapidly. Interest rates soared to a relatively high level in order to reduce the inflation and people who were already suffering from high inflation rates were forced to face higher interest rates also. It is, however, critical to note that the real GDP during the period remained at stagnant levels due to better agriculture output as well as a consistent increase in population during the decade. A real high level of hyperinflation affected the real incomes of the households as the consistent increase in inflation eroded the purchasing power of the individuals.

Hazardous Geographical Environments Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hazardous Geographical Environments - Assignment Example Surveying and mapping projects have extensively employed lidar technology for precise or accuracy in distance measurements (Lee 298). Lidar has a broad range of applications. Lidar is used in topographic mapping, through which land is categorized into various zones. Lidar yields highly accurate topographic data which has allowed researchers to analyze farm land and determine sun exposures and the contours or slopes of farmland. Through lidar, geologists have been able to extract accurate maps on areas that are covered by forest canopy. Through lidar generated digital elevation models, geologists have been able to create high resolution maps across various zones on the earth’s surface (Lee 302). The detection of obstacles has also been enhanced through the application of lidar technology. In return navigation across various environments has been made effective. In geology, lidar has been applied in the detection of various topographic features across the earth’s surface. For instance, detection of river banks, terraces and elevations on land surface have been made possible through the application of l idar technology. Lidar technology has specifically been applied in the delineation of hazard zones. For instance, lidar has been used by geologists to monitor the processes of costal evolution and analyze the various hazards that are associated with coastal regions (Lee 310). Through lidar technology, geologists have also been able to identify and measure changes in landforms within hazard zones with a lot of precision. Such measurements have been used to predict the implications that are associated with specific hazards. The discovery, mapping and measurement of natural hazards, such as mudslides, landslides and flooding debris have been made possible through the application of laser technology. It is through lidar that hazard zones can be seen through

Brazil and Argentina Hyperinflation Experience at the Beginning of the Research Paper

Brazil and Argentina Hyperinflation Experience at the Beginning of the 1990s - Research Paper Example The period of the relatively high level of inflation lasted for about 15 years i.e. from 1980 to 1994 and resulted in significant political, economic as well as a social crisis for the country. One of the key reasons for this hyperinflation in the country was the creation of money supply to finance fiscal expenditure of the country. Government rather than using the taxes or borrowing started to created new money and hence the creation of money supply. During the 1990s, consumer price index ran into the factor of over 5 trillion thus indicating the overall severity of the inflation faced by the country. Argentine also faced the similar situation during the 1990s however, the consistent increase in inflation lasted from 1975 to early 1990s. during that period the overall value of Argentine’s Peso went down and the country introduced massive changes and reforms in the 1990s to initiate the process of recovery.   Hyperinflation in Brazil Brazil was a case of chronic inflation wh ich finally turned into hyperinflation and resulted in serious damage for the country. The key reason for this hyperinflation was the excessive creation of money to finance the expansion projects of the government. Rather than relying on the borrowing or improving tax collection, the government simply resorted to printing new money thus creating excessive money supply in the country. At the start of 1990, the consumer price index in the country was to the factor of 100 Million which reached to over 5 trillion by the end of 1997. Such sharp and abnormal increase in the level of consumer price index sustained for almost a decade and proved detrimental to the overall economic future of the country. It is, however, critical to note that the 1990s were the period during which the overall rate of inflation started to moderate owing to strict reforms being undertaken by the government. Since Brazil was facing higher episodes of inflation since the 1970s, therefore, 1990s was the period dur ing which country started to take measures to arrest such trends. (Barbosa, Cunha, and Elvia,183 ) At the start of the 1990s, the rate of inflation was over 30,000% however, it gradually started to decline and reached a level of 16% in 1997. As discussed above, this was a period of relatively important reforms undertaken by the country which resulted in sharp decline in the hyperinflation and economy started to witness the relatively moderate level of inflation rates. (Samuels,547) During this period, saving rates were almost negative as people continued to spend their cash due to the fact that its value was being eroded rapidly. Interest rates soared to a relatively high level in order to reduce the inflation and people who were already suffering from high inflation rates were forced to face higher interest rates also. It is, however, critical to note that the real GDP during the period remained at stagnant levels due to better agriculture output as well as a consistent increase in population during the decade. A real high level of hyperinflation affected the real incomes of the households as the consistent increase in inflation eroded the purchasing power of the individuals.

GM Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

GM Research - Essay Example Research studies also show that this plant is capable of preventing lipid accumulation in the body thereby helping in weight loss. Natural Garcinia has a certain concentration of the active chemical. However, with the accelerating percentage of people turning towards Garcinia for easy weight loss has been the main focus of genetic engineers. The rind of the fruit was used to make medicinal extracts. Genetic engineers have modified the plant such that the active chemical is now produced in the rind as well as in the endosperm (pulp) of the fruit Trials were conducted on animals (rabbits). No serious condition was noticed in animal trials. Mild ocular irritation occurred when the extract was given in the right eye (Ohia et al,2002), however no literature so far suggest that the extract causes any health problems in humans. Traditionally the agriculture industry has been the best supporter and beneficiary from innovative technology. Interbreeding and natural selection of plant traits have been a common method to grow naturally modified crops for better yield and plant characters. However, the same technique in the laboratory has been developed paving way for the much debated genetically modified crops. Genetically modified crops are not only important to science and researchers but are of immense importance to the farmers as well. The growth projection of GMO’s is directly proportional to the profits of farmers growing the GMO’s. Contrary to the most common perception that growth of genetically modied organisms or plants are anti-democratic in nature, studies and surveys have established that growing these GMO’s are in fact much more beneficial than growing the ordinary forms of the same crop or plants.†In countries where farmers are allowed to grow GM crops, they increasingl y choose to do so. In 2010, 15.4 million farmers in 29 countries cultivated GM crops† (James,2010). Growing Garcinia Cambogia will

Methodology Philosophy Epistemology

Methodology Philosophy Epistemology Chapter 3 Research Methodology 3.0 Introduction: This chapter on research methodology will focus on the research question that was presented in Chapter 2, and discuss how it is embraced into the research philosophy, design, methodology and methods used in this research project. 3.1 Research Philosophy: Research philosophy relates to the development of knowledge in a specific area and nature of that knowledge as applicable to the research project. In short, research philosophy could be assumed to embrace the personal beliefs and the way in which the researcher views the world. The importance of research philosophy within a research project has been highlighted by many researchers. Easterby smith et al. (2003), argues that it is unwise to conduct research without an awareness of the philosophical issues that lie in the background. According to Denzin and Lincoln (2000), the combination of personal belief, researchers experience and understanding of philosophy will underpin the formulation of strategy and selection of methods for the research project. Similarly Saunders et.al (2006) argues that research philosophy influences the researcher about the research process. Easterby-Smith et al (2003), Saunders et.al (2006) considers Ontology, Epistemology and Axiology as the three major par adigms of research philosophy applied in business and management research. Discussions will primarily focus on the ontological and epistemological perspectives of the research project. Whilst Ontology, is linked to the assumptions that a researcher makes on the nature of reality, Epistemology on the other hand is more concerned about the â€Å"general set of assumptions about the best ways of inquiring into the nature of the world (Easterby-Smith et al, 2003). According to Easterby-smith et al, (2003), ontology can be further classified into three perspectives: representationalism, relativism and nominalism. The table shows the details about different ontological perspectives. Epistemology can be further classified into two perspectives namely positivism and relativism. These two perspectives unite on a common assumption that the job of the researcher is the identification of â€Å"pre existing reality† (Easterby-smith et al, 2003). Whilst the positivists researcher approaches the task of understanding reality through design of experiments, on the other hand the relativist achieves it through combination of â€Å"triangulation† of methods and through surveying large samples (Easterby-smith et al, 2003). The two main approaches in management research namely deductive and inductive indicates the nature of the data to be collected and the direction of shift between data and theory during analysis (Yin, 2003). Marrying these research approaches to the research philosophies, Robson (2002), points out that representational ontology and positivist epistemology adopt inductive approach, whereas relativist ontology and epistemological approaches adopt deductive approach. To understand the philosophical approaches used in this research project, it becomes necessary to revisit and analyse the main research question presented in chapter 2: â€Å"Is the Toyota Production System (TPS) transferable to other automotive manufacturers?† Based on the literature presented in Chapter 2, this research begins with the basic ontological assumption that in reality TPS is transferable to other manufacturers given the fact that complete transferability is difficult to a greater extent. This is a relativist view since to establish the truth ‘consensus between different viewpoints must be established (Easterby-Smith et al, 2003). Furthermore, the facts are dependent on the position and viewpoint of the researcher. Therefore, as a result of the research question, a relativist ontological and epistemological approach has been adopted in this study. 3.2 Research Design 3.2.1 Selection of research design Research design is ‘the logic that links the data to be collected and the conclusions to be drawn to the initial questions of study (Yin, 2003). The possible research designs available to the researchers include case research, survey research, action research, experimental design, participant observation and ethnography (Easterby-Smith et al, 2003). According to Meredith (2002) the selection of appropriate research design should be followed after careful consideration of the nature of the research and the research questions that needs to be addressed. According to Meredith (2002), the key advantages of using a case study research are relevance and exploratory depth it offers to the area of study. On the other hand, the main critics of case research are that it is time consuming, needs skilled interviewers, needs more triangulation, its limitations to draw generalizable conclusions from limited cases and lack of familiarity of its procedures and rigor (Meredith (1998); Stuart et al (2002); Voss et al (2002); Yin (2003)). According to Voss et al (2002), case research despite its critics can help not only the theory but also to the researchers by developing new ideas and insights. According to Yin (2003) case study design can be classified into two main categories: ‘single case study and ‘multiple case study based on the number of cases researched to answer the research questions. These are further classified into ‘holistic and ‘embedded case studies based on the unit of analysis within the single or multiple case studies. For instance multiple case study (embedded) research represents study from a multiple cases with a more than a single unit of analysis. For the purpose of this research project, a single case study design was employed. To understand the interrelationship amongst the factors within the single case study, multiple component analysis ‘embedded (Yin, 2003) was done within this research design. Through the single case study, the production system in specific automotive firm was identified and thoroughly analysed for comparison with TPS to answer the research questions. The entire production system was subdivided into: Management, People, Production and Automation, Suppliers and Customers perspectives and each of these were considered as separate units of analysis in relation to answering the research question of transferability of TPS. 3.2.2 Possible Research Designs Although the case study approach is selected for this study, there are other possible approaches to research design and these include: Action research Surveys. It is quite important to understand the suitability of the individual approaches to address specific research questions before making a selection (Easterby smith et al, 2003). Table 1 explains the possible research designs for this research and justifies the selection for the most appropriate approach. Research Design Objective of design approach Status of Selection Justification Case Study Focus of case study is on a ‘contemporary phenomenon with in real life context. Covers research types such as exploratory, explanatory and descriptive. (Yin, 2003). Selected The research question is more exploratory in nature as it tries to identify the critical success factor in implementation of TPS in a specific firm i.e. attempting to understand a ‘live phenomenon. Usage of interviews and observations for data collection together with understanding of a ‘live phenomenon justifies the selection of case study approach as the most appropriate research design for this research. Action Research Implement change as a part of research process in the subject of study. (Easterby-Smith et al, 2003). Not selected This research aims to identify the critical success factor for implementation of TPS From the research questions it is quite clear that there are no intentions to implement any sort of change in the organisation of study. Hence Action research is not a suitable approach to be used for this research. Survey Research Attempts to collect large samples across large or small number of organizations over a period of time. (Easterby-Smith et al, 2003). Not selected Since in this research only one specific organisation will be analysed, response from survey questions could become inappropriate for analysis and answering the research questions. In addition, there is limitation of time in this research for administration of surveys and analysis. Hence survey research is not the most appropriate approach to be adopted. 3.2.4 Potential weakness: In selection of the case research design for the project, it was important to understand and mitigate the potential weakness within this method. The potential weaknesses of case study are: time, access and generalizability of the research findings (Meredith (1998); Stuart et al (2002); Voss et al (2002); Yin (2003)). The following discussions highlight how the potential weaknesses were addressed in this research project. Access: To address the issue of access to the case company, information about the key personnel was obtained and application for permission was sent out at early stage of project. The written consent was obtained from the case company for conducting the data collection through interviews, direct observations and archival documents in addition to the access of key personnel of various disciplines in the organisation. Time: To address the issue of time constraints in the case study research, the researcher had narrowed down the boundaries for the research. From the outset, the scope of project has been narrowed down from holistic approach of TPS towards its transferability perspective taking into consideration the available time for the project. Also time limitations were one of the main reasons for focusing on a single case organisation with embedded unit of analysis to provide an in depth analysis on topic of study. Generalizability of the research findings: Generalizability also known as ‘external validity is defined as the â€Å"extent to which it is possible to generalize from the data and context of the research study to broader populations and settings (Hedrick et al., 1993). Meredith (2002) points out that the opponents of case research argue that its â€Å"theoretic generalizability† is less because the results hold good only for particular situation, whereas the proponents of case research claim that theory developed from such studies becomes applicable to similar and non similar situations. Through the study of a single case organisation, the aim of this research project is to extend and generalize theories on transferability of TPS i.e. ‘analytic generalization, rather than a ‘statistical generalization (Meredith, 2002; Yin, 2003) since the single case organisation studied here does not represent a sample or population. From the above discussions, it is evident that single case study is realistic in terms of the nature of the study (exploratory), time limitations, gaining access and resource constraints. The arguments presented above justify the selection of case study design for this research project and supports both the research question and the research philosophy adopted in this research project. 3.3 Research Methodology Qualitative Case study design would be best suited to understand, the prevalence of a phenomenon in a real life context and implications of the data rather than just the measurement (Yin, 2003). Revisiting the research question mentioned in the earlier section, it is quite clear that the research objective is to map a production system of a specific firm with TPS i.e. understanding a phenomenon in real context. Furthermore, a greater degree of interpretive approach needs to be followed in order to identify the degree of closeness for implementation of TPS and sort out the transferability issues faced by manufacturing firms while emulating TPS. Thus the qualitative methodology for data collection and analysis for this research is justified. 3.4 Research Methods Data Collection Analysis 3.4.1 Source of Data: Data for case studies can be collected through six sources: documents, archival records, interviews, direct observation, participant observation and physical artifacts (Yin, 2003). According to Yin (2003), these individual techniques are complementary to a greater extent and in order to develop a good case study design, researcher should aim at including as much techniques to the extent possible. Similarly Voss et al. (2002), states that multiple source of evidence (‘triangulation) is the important principle for data collection in case research. Based on the above arguments the primary data collection for this research was carried out by semi structured interviews, direct observation, archival records and company documentation. According to Yin (2003), the validity and reliability of the evidence collected can be maximized by three principles: Triangulation, Creating a data base and maintaining a chain of evidence. Amongst these three principles, Triangulation has the most significant impact on the validity and reliability (Stuart et al, 2002) and hence discussions presented below will focus on the elements of triangulation adopted for this research project. 3.4.1.1 Triangulation: Yin (2003) defines ‘Triangulation as the use of multiple sources of evidence and points out that the any conclusion based on multiple source of evidence is likely to be more accurate, reliable and valid. According to Collis and Hussey (2003) and Yin (2003), triangulation can be classified into methodological triangulation (different methods), data triangulation (data sources) and investigator triangulation (different evaluators). In addition to the collection of qualitative data, Voss et al. (2002) argues that case research provides better opportunity to collect quantitative data with greater accuracy and reliability than survey research. The data collected through interviews were verified through direct observations to increase the validity and reliability. Hence by combined use of methods together with collection of qualitative and quantitative data ‘methodological triangulation was achieved in this research project. ‘Data triangulation refers to the collection of data from different sources to increase the reliability of results (Easterby-Smith et al, 2003; Yin, 2003). Based on these arguments, qualitative data collection for this research was primarily carried out by interviews, direct observation, archival records and company documentation. Finally ‘investigator triangulation refers to collection of data by different investigators so as to identify similarities and differences in the data collected (Yin, 2003). Since this research was carried out by a single researcher, investigator triangulation as suggested by Yin (2003) was not possible. 3.4.2 Data gathering: The data gathering in case based research are usually achieved through the written and taped records of the interviews, company information and researchers observation (Stuart et al, 2002; Yin, 2003). It is pertinent to mention here that only hand written notes were employed for this research project since permission for audio tapes were not granted by the case organisation. The answers to the questions in the form of hand written notes were detailed immediately after each interview so as to ensure that data collection was complete. Yin (2003) points out that researchers bias directly affects the data collection process and findings of the research. To protect against error and researchers bias, the key data gathered were double checked with participants themselves and through direct observations. 3.4.3 Data Analysis: According to Miles and Huberman (1994), the three main approaches to qualitative data analysis are interpretivism, social anthropology and collaborative social research. Social anthropology is associated with ethnographic studies whereas collaborative social research is more oriented towards action research. Since the research study was based on case research, interpretivism was the most appropriate approach to be used since it emphasizes on understanding the subject of study through social interactions (interviews and observations) and phenomenologies. â€Å"The most serious and central difficulty in the use of qualitative data is that methods of analysis are not well formulated† (Miles and Huberman, 1994) The above quote acknowledges the importance of data analysis process related to research as this project mainly focuses on the collection of qualitative data. According to Collis and Hussey (2003); Miles Huberman (1994), qualitative data for case study research design can be analysed either by ‘within case analysis (single case study) or ‘cross case analysis'(multiple case studies). Qualitative analysis for this research would be carried out by means of ‘within case analysis since this research would look for data collection from a single case study. By using multiple units of analysis (embedded) ‘within the same case study, the researcher was able to identify the production system in the case organisation and map it with TPS to identify and bring out the transferability of TPS. 3.5 Summary To conclude the section on research methodology, figure 3.2 presented below summarizes the main research approach used within this research project.