Monday, September 30, 2019

Is Love an Art? Essay

Is love an art? Then it requires knowledge and effort. Or is love a pleasant sensation, which to experience is a matter of chance, something one â€Å"falls into† if one is lucky? This little book is based on the former premise, while undoubtedly the majority of people today believe in the latter. Not that people think that love is not important. They are starved for it; they watch endless numbers of films about happy and unhappy love stories, they listen to hundreds of trashy songs about love — yet hardly anyone thinks that there is anything that needs to be learned about love. This peculiar attitude is based on several premises which either singly or combined tend to uphold it. Most people see the problem of love primarily as that of â€Å"being loved,† rather than that of â€Å"loving,† of one’s capacity to love. Hence the problem to them is how to be loved, how to be lovable. In pursuit of this aim they follow several paths. One, which is especi ally used by men, is to be successful, to be as powerful and rich as the social margin of one’s position permits. Another, used especially by women, is to make oneself attractive, by cultivating one’s body, dress, etc. Other ways of making oneself attractive, used both by men and women, are to develop pleasant manners, interesting conversation, to be helpful, modest, inoffensive. Many of the ways to make oneself lovable are the same as those used to make oneself successful, â€Å"to win friends and influence people.† As a matter of fact, what most people in our culture mean by being lovable is essentially a mixture between being popular and having sex appeal. A second premise behind the attitude that there is nothing to be learned about love is the assumption that the problem of love is the problem of an â€Å"object,† not the problem of a â€Å"faculty.† People think that to â€Å"love† is simple, but that to find the right object to love — or to be loved by — is difficult. This attitude has several reasons rooted in the development of modern society. One reason is the great change which occurred in the twentieth century with respect to the choice of a â€Å"love object.† In the Victorian age, as in many traditional cultures, love was mostly not a spontaneous personal experience which then might lead to marriage. On the contrary, marriage was contracted by convention — either by the respective families, or by a marriage broker, or without the help of such intermediaries; it was concluded on the basis of social considerations, and love was supposed to develop once the marriage had been concluded. In the last few generations the concept of romantic love has become almost universal in the Western world. In the United States, while considerations of a conventional nature are not entirely absent, to a vast extent people are in search of â€Å"romantic love,† of the personal experience of love which then should lead to marriage. This new concept of freedom in love must have greatly enhanced the importance of the â⠂¬Å"object† as against the importance of the â€Å"function.† Closely related to this factor is another feature characteristic of contemporary culture. Our whole culture is based on the appetite for buying, on the idea of a mutually favorable exchange. Modern man’s happiness consists in the thrill of looking at the shop windows, and in buying all that he can afford to buy, either for cash or on installments. He(or she) looks at people in a similar way. For the man an attractive girl — and for the woman an attractive man — are the prizes they are after. â€Å"Attractive† usually means a nice package of qualities which are popular and sought after on the personality market. What specifically makes a person attractive depends on the fashion of the time, physically as well as mentally. During the twenties, a drinking and smoking girl, tough and sexy, was attractive; today the fashion demands more domesticity and coyness. At the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of this century, a man had to be aggressive and ambitious — today he has to be social and tolerant — in order to be an attractive â€Å"package.† At any rate, the sense of falling in love develops usually only with regard to such human commodities as are within reach of one’s own possibilities for exchange. I am out for a bargain; the object should be desirable from the standpoint of its social value, and at the same time should want me, considering my overt and hidden assets and potentialities. Two persons thus fall in love when they feel they have found the best object available on the market, considering the limitations of their own exchange values. Often, as in buying real estate, the hidden potentialities which can be developed play a considerable role in this bargain. In a culture in which the marketing orientation prevails, and in which material success is the outstanding value, there is little reason to be surprised that human love relations follow the same pattern of exchange which governs the commodity and the labor market. The third error leading to the assumption that there is nothing to be learned about lov e lies in the confusion between the initial experience of â€Å"†falling†Ã¢â‚¬  in love, and the permanent state of â€Å"being† in love, or as we might better say, of â€Å"standing† in love. If two people who have been strangers, as all of us are, suddenly let the wall between them break down, and feel close, feel one, this moment of oneness is one of the most exhilarating, most exciting experiences in life. It is all the more wonderful and miraculous for persons who have been shut off, isolated, without love. This miracle of sudden intimacy is often facilitated if it is combined with, or initiated by, sexual attraction and consummation. However, this type of love is by its very nature not lasting. The two persons become well acquainted, their intimacy loses more and more its miraculous character, until their antagonism, their disappointments, their mutual boredom kill whatever is left of the initial excitement. Yet, in the beginning they do not know all this: in fact, they take the intensity of the infatuation, this being â€Å"crazy† about each other, for proof of the intensity of their love, while it may only prove the degree of their preceding loneliness. This attitude — that nothing is easier than to love — has continued to be the prevalent idea about love in spite of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. There is hardly any activity, any enterprise, which is started with such tremendous hopes and expectations, and yet, which fails so regularly, as love. If this were the case with any other activity, people would be eager to know the reasons for the failure, and to learn how one could do better — or they would give up the activity. Since the latter is impossible in the case of love, there seems to be onlyone adequate way to overcome the failure of love — to examine the reasons for this failure, and to proceed to study the meaning of love. The first step to take is to become aware that â€Å"love is an art,† just as living is an art; if we want to learn how to love we must proceed in the same way we have to proceed if we want to learn any other art, say music, painting, carpentry, or the art of medicine or engineering. What are the necessary steps in learning any art? The process of learning an art can be divided conveniently into two parts: one, the mastery of the theory; the other, the mastery of the practice. If I want to learn the art of medicine, I must first know the facts about the human body, and about various diseases. When I have all this theoretical knowledge, I am by no means competent in the art of medicine. I shall become a master in this art only after a great deal of practice, until eventually the results of my theoretical knowledge and the results of my practice are blended into one — my intuition, the essence of the mastery of any art. But, Synopsis: The Art of Loving has helped hundreds of thousands of men and women achieve rich, productive lives by developing their hidden capacities for love. An astonishing frank and candid book renowned psychoanalyst Erich Fromm, it explores the ways in which this extraordinary emotion can alter the course of one’s life. Most of us are unable to develop our ability to love on the only level that really counts-a love that is compounded of maturity, self-knowledge, and courage. Learning to love demands practice and concentration. Even more than any other art, it demands genuine insight and understanding. In this startling book, Fromm discusses love in all aspects: not only romantic love, so surrounded by false conceptions, but also love of parents for children, brotherly love, erotic.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Whole Foods Market SWOT

Whole Foods Market is one of the largest retailers of organic food products in the world. The company is successful because of its skilful growth strategy, huge product variety, and big profits. Whole Foods Market’s motto is â€Å"Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet†, and this motto, as well as the core values, are very important for the company’s strategy and operating practices. However, the company does not execute the motto completely due to its poor international operations, which is one of the biggest weaknesses of Whole Foods Market. One of the opportunities of the company is the superiority in the market of high demand for the organic products. Increase in the competition in the market is one of the biggest threats for Whole Foods Market.Firm’s StrengthsWhole Foods Market grew from a local market to one of the largest organic product retailer around the world. By 2008, Whole Foods Market operated and owned 276 stores in the United States and in ternationally. The company’s expansion strategy consists mostly of acquisitions of other companies. One of the biggest and most important acquisitions was the acquisition of Wild Oats stores, which gave Whole Foods Market opportunity to operate with large scale stores and with less competition in that segment of market.The company offers a huge variety of products which includes: grocery, bakery, poultry and meat, seafood, deli, wines, cheese, and household products. The regular average size of a Whole Foods Market store is around 45,000 to 60,000 sq ft. In the bigger stores, which size up from 60,000 to 80,000 sq ft, they offer even a bigger variety of products and catering service. Example of this would be the Austin 78,000 sq ft store which included hundreds types of cheese, beers, wines, and seafood items.Whole Foods Market’s revenue was rapidly growing since the early 1990’s with an increase of 30%, and 20% increase since year 2000. By 2007 the company reco rded sales of around $6.6 billion. The revenue growth let the company to continue the expansions and acquisition of many more stores. Whole Foods Market acquired 134 stores since 1991 through 15 acquisitions.Firm’s WeaknessesWhole Foods Market has three stores in Canada, and six stores in the United Kingdom. The possession of such few stores internationally, the company is not able to arrive at the effect of economies of scale in distribution and purchasing. Because of weak operations internationally, the company’s prices are high, therefore lacking the company to compete with other international companies which have a larger operations scale.OpportunitiesWhole Foods Market is in a good market segment because of the rapid growth of demand for the organic products around the world. Consumers tend to slowly start preferring organic products to the regular packaged products. The organic market is growing very fast every year and everywhere around the world. Because of the increase in demand for organic products, which Whole Foods Market supplies, the company is going to experience an increase in sales and revenues.ThreatsSince the market for organic products is becoming more popular and growing, there are more players involved in the market. There are a lot of small companies and huge corporations who are entering the same market as Whole Foods Market, and some of them could be considered a respectful threat. Small supermarkets that supply organic foods, specialty supermarkets and restaurants are the small competitors. Wal-Mart on other hand is a potential strong competitor who announced in 2006 that the company is going to focus on organic segment, and is able to provide the consumers with low price organic products.Strenghts Skilful growth strategy Huge product variety Big profitsWeaknesses Poor international operationsOpportunity Market leadership in high demand marketThreats Increase of Competition

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Using Gene Therapy as a Treatment for Cancer - Developments and Future Literature review

Using Gene Therapy as a Treatment for Cancer - Developments and Future Prospects - Literature review Example Cancer mainly affects human organs including lung, prostate, and bone. Breast cancer is common in females. Although scientists have proposed a series of therapies that can improve patient outcomes, definitive cure for cancer has not been developed yet. Over the last decade, researchers gave more emphasis on gene therapy development as they believed that this treatment method would effectively contribute to cancer prevention. The process of gene therapy is mainly concerned with the modification or alteration of genetic material such as genes and DNA, which play a notable role in determining the characteristic traits of individuals. Different gene therapy methods mainly focus on three basic approaches and they are destruction of cancerous cells, prevention of the growth of cancerous cells, and improvement of normal cells’ ability to fight against the affected cells. In gene therapy, viruses are used to replace cancerous cells instead of inserting genes directly into the patient’s body. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of retroviruses since experiments showed that this virus may cause the development of other diseases like leukemia. By the end of 2010, more than 1060 gene therapy protocols have been suggested or practiced for various cancers; this figure constitutes over 64% of all gene therapy experiments in humans in the United States. Although, majority of such trials reported modest therapeutic responses, the clinical efficacy of such practices is still to be proven. The major disadvantage of gene therapy method is the possibility of infection of the healthy cells attribu ted to the viruses used for gene delivery. Introduction The history of gene therapy started during the beginning of the 1960’s. In the opinion of Bettelheim, Brown, Campbell &Farrell (2010, p. 721), gene therapy is a complicated medical procedure by which genes within an individual’s cells and biological tissues are altered, and removed in order to treat diseases. In other words, the gene therapy intends to correct a genetic mutation by the addition, alteration, or removal of specific genes. By the application of gene therapy, the restored cells get the proper instructions for building proteins and thereby the body mechanisms return to the normal state. In 1970, Stanfield Rogers, an American doctor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, tried to apply gene therapy as a method to treat two sisters who had suffered from a genetic disorder called argininemia (‘History of gene therapy’ 2011). Although, Rogers’ effort was unsuccessful, it is considered as a m ilestone in the history of gene therapy development. By the end of 1977, scientists could successfully apply gene therapy techniques to deliver a gene into the cells of mammals (‘Gene therapy/ human genome project/ history of gene therapy/ future of gene therapy’ n.d). As Jain (2000, pp. 3-4) points out, the year 1989 witnessed tremendous improvements in gene therapy development when scientists began to research the scope of gene therapy in cancer treatment. A team of researchers including, Drs. Kenneth Culver, W. French Anderson, Michael Blaese, and Steven Rosenberg conducted a study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the gene therapy process in cancer patients. The research team â€Å"grew tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL cells) from people with the deadly cancer malignant melanoma, and then they engineered a virus to put a DNA market into those cells† (‘Gene therapy’ n.d). This experiment assisted the researchers to conclude two things : TIL cells can be applied to treat cancer and the engineered virus can effectively and safely work in humans. (Baruch 2005) tells that in 1990, American doctor W. French Anderson conducted a detailed research on a

Friday, September 27, 2019

What is the CAPM and of what practical use is it Essay - 3

What is the CAPM and of what practical use is it - Essay Example According to CAPM, the expected return of a portfolio or a security is considered to be equal to the rate of a risk free security plus a premium for the risk factor. The risk factor is mainly calculated by taking a measure of risk called as beta in the model of CAPM. Beta is considered to compare the returns on a particular security to the market return. The formula for the CAPM is as follows: The development of the CAPM was mostly to explain the pricing of risky securities in the market. It is considered as a more practical approach to stock valuation as compared to the Markowitz theory which is considered to be more theoretical (Armitage, 2005, p. 51). The assumptions of the Capital Asset Pricing Model are as follows: I) It is considered that investors in general tend to maximize the utility of their wealth. The preferences of investors are taken into consideration through the concept of utility in the CAPM. Investors considered to be more willing to take risks are considered to have increasing marginal utility with regard to wealth while investors who are considered to be risk averse tend to have less preference for incremental wealth when it is considered to be associated with higher risk. II) It is considered that investors in general show similar expectations with regard to return and risk. It is considered in this regard that if investors do not have similar expectations, there will be no homogeneity in the conceptions of investors and as such no single efficient frontier line will apply to all investors. III) It is held that investors tend to make investment decisions on a rational basis depending on their preference for return and risk. Risk is considered to be mainly measured by two factors such as variance and mean. CAPM is considered to assume that rational investors tend to diversify away unsystematic

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Literature Review on Domestic Abuse From 5 different articles from Dissertation

Literature Review on Domestic Abuse From 5 different articles from Columbia College - Dissertation Example It has often been observed to lead towards permanent physical damages as well as disability of the victims. Children are also classified to be affected due to domestic violence acts which certainly influence their growth as well as social development in a healthy and prosperous way. Article 1 Annotated Bibliography Reference Citation Certain, H. E., Mueller, M., Jagodzinski, T., & Fleming, M. (2008). Domestic Abuse During the Previous Year in a Sample of Postpartum Women. JOGNN 37(1), pp. 35-41. What is the article about? The article relates to domestic abuse of postpartum women. Information about sample and population The sample size considered for the research in this article concentrated on one 1,519 women who were visiting for a postpartum appointment in clinics located in rural, urban as well as suburban locations. Stating precisely, women who were18 years of age and older, being seen for a postpartum visit at 35 obstetric and gynecologic clinics located in 15 Wisconsin counties of United States, were the participants of this study. . Article summary The article is related to the domestic abuse witnessed by postpartum women. The women who visited the clinic were examined through a routine screen to find out whether they have faced any emotional or physical abuse. Why was the research performed? The research was performed to identify the frequency of women being victimized to domestic abuse or violence within the research area. The study also intended to reveal the consequences led by the outcomes of domestic abuse like mental illness, physical damages as well as disability. Findings Following a cross-sectional survey, the study reveals that 112 women were suffering of domestic abuse which provided an alarming ratio of 1 in every 14 women as the victim. It was further revealed that domestic abuse results in poorer health as well as depression amid women. Strengths The article helps in understanding the consequences as well as identifies the elements linked up with domestic abuse. Weaknesses The findings of the article were observed to lack in terms of consistency as well as there was no typical profile of abused women during pregnancy. Implications for Practice The implications of the findings obtained in the study suggest that policies need to be formulated for better identification of domestic abuse. Literature Review According to Certain, Mueller, Jagodzinski and Fleming (2008), 112 women were reported to be a victim of abuse out of the total respondents, i.e. 1,519 women who required postpartum treatments. The study also revealed that abuse of women can result to chronic poor physical health issues, chronic mental illness as well as preterm labor along with low birth weight infants. The clinics providing prenatal as well as postpartum care are thus required to be aware as well as take special care of victims suffering from domestic violence. Postpartum depression has been considered with great significant in this article. The find ings of this study further suggest that depressions as well as mental stresses are also associated with domestic abuse, which further increases the severity of such conducts. The interconnection among domestic abuse as well as postpartum depression is less recognized. However, in few studies which were conducted found out the relation among the postpartum depression as well as domestic abuse. Hispanic ethnicity was considered to be associated with domestic abuse in this study. For instance, the study reveal

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Globalization - Essay Example Globalization we can is inevitable in this day and age. Now that it has taken place there is no turning back and no country that has been touched by globalization can reverse the process and survive and prosper. This is because today economies are more complex and complicated than ever and technology has shrunk the world to such an extent that all countries and economies are interdependent and cannot survive individually (Kustin, 1993, pp. 4-8). Long Term Befits of Globalization The benefits of globalization are many and while there are many short term benefits of globalization likewise we can also name many long term benefits of it. Some of the short term benefits of globalization have been the lower cost of goods and services that have been achieved by the use of comparative advantage and also economies of scale. For instance having goods produced in China has lowered the prices of many goods that are currently sold in the United States. Big retailers like Wal-Mart contract manufacturers in China to produce for them due to the cheap labor that is available that will give them a price advantage, which they will not be able to gain if the goods were produced elsewhere - where labor was more expensive. Likewise globalization has helped increase service levels like has been done in the health care industry in North America. The issues related to the acute dearth of radiologists in North America has been addressed by radiologists in India, based in India being hired to fill the vacancies, however unlike in the past they are not physically present North America but carry out their duties virtually with the help of modern day... The essay looks at the external forces that have to be encountered by organizations that are preparing to go global or are already global. In the next section the essay then investigates why some organizations choose to stay local or regional while others decide to go global and how the local and regionally focused organizations survive in this day and age. The impact of the internet and other technological innovations on globalization are closely evaluated in the next section. The article then goes further and looks at the broad gains and losses that have been made from globalization in the last decade or so. Next the paper goes on to look at the main reasons behind international expansion being key to the growth and survival needs of today’s multi-national companies. Last but not least the author gives his personal opinion on globalization and concludes by summarizing the main points covered in this essay. This paper makes a conclusion that globalization today is inevitable and no country nor economy that has been touched by globalization can turn back the clock and survive without globalization because all economies and countries are interdependent on each other for their survival and globalization is the thread that keeps them all connected. There have been many short and long term benefits of globalization such as lower priced goods being manufactured and individuals having access to products and services that they never had before. Likewise though, there have been many long and short term drawbacks due to globalization.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Organizational Change and Stress Management Essay

Organizational Change and Stress Management - Essay Example WIlis, Stephen D Mastrofski, David Weisburd, and Rosann Greenspan is analyzed. Introduction of COMPSTAT in Lowell As Willis, Mastrofski and Weisburd (2003) point out, department heads conducted regular meetings with their district heads and discussed crime trends. Also, their responses to crimes were collected and future strategies were developed. Thus, it allowed the systematic use of hard data and heightened accountability to reduce crime in society. (Worcester Regional Research Bureau, 2003). However, its implementation in Lowell was not free from errors and hence, after the initial success, the program failed. The program was introduced in Lowell by Superintendent Davis. As a part of the program, there were a number of changes in Lowell. First of all, it divided the entire Lowell into three sectors and each sector captain was solely responsible for the crimes within the area under his control, and the sector captain remained accountable to the top brass. Willis, Mastrofski, Weisb urd and Greenspan (2003) note that according to the plan suggested by the superintendent, the sector captain from one of the three sectors had to submit his report in every biweekly meeting. The biweekly meeting usually contained twenty to thirty members including the superintendent, the top brass of the police department and some invited guests, sergeants and patrol officers. The captain who had to submit the report explained all the details of his area and, had to answer questions and suggestions from the meeting members. Any perceived defect in the strategies he adopted was met with criticism from the superintendent and other members in the meeting. So, instead of improving communication and cooperation, such meetings became ‘pressure cookers’ for the sector captains. In addition, as the COMPSTAT did not suggest any formal way for them to communicate the issues with the officers below them, they found it almost impossible to achieve what the top brass suggested. Behn (2008) reports that COMPSTAT brought autocratic power, orders, close observation, and negative reinforcement in the police force instead of the perceived decentralization of power. The Resistance from Employees Admittedly, COMPSTAT did not come into existence without any resistance. The changes were not acceptable to most of the officers. The first effect of the change was that the middle layer officers, that is, the sector captains, stopped divulging important details to the COMPSTAT as they find it dangerous to their own individual careers. First of all, if they revealed any shortcoming or lack of efficiency from their part, it was met with stiff criticism from the top brass. Secondly, there evolved rivalry among sectors as the improvement in one sector means criticism for the remaining sectors in the COMPSTAT meetings. Barkan and Bryjak (2011) reflect that middle layer officers resisted this move through deficient exchange of information. The second point of resistance came from the rank-and-file as they found themselves out of the decision-making process. Though it was claimed that the decision-making power goes to the lower end of the system, what happened in practice was quite the opposite. Only the top brass possessed the power to take decisions, and the ones taken by middle order were highly criticized if went wrong. Thus, the rank-and-file category found it unimportant to cooperate with the innovative system and

Monday, September 23, 2019

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 61

Assignment Example 12. Restrictive covenant refers to specifications not to undertake certain things for example; one may be restricted to build a house that exceeding a certain height. On the other hand, Easement refers to the rights that the land owner enjoys over the real property of another land owner. License is an authority or permission to do something which could be illegal if permission was not granted (Ayotte, Kenneth and Henry, P-119). Restrictions of a license may include; the license does extend all the rights of a patentee to the licensee, it only give him the right to use a property but not to posses it (Ayotte, Kenneth and Henry, P-119) 14. Eminent domain is a legal procedure that allows the state to gain ownership of private property. This process entails the following: Fist the government issue a notice to the owner of the property to buy the land at a given price, once the owner accept to sell the land the government releases money to the land owner whom in turn submit the deed to the government. Secondly, if the owner refuses to sell the property at the price set by the government, the fair value of the property may be given by the Attorney. Thirdly if the property owner still refuses to sell the property at a fair value established by the attoney, the government may file a suit whereby, members of the public are allowed to attend and hear a take over ruling (Prosterman and Timothy, P-227). The process is appropriate because the government intends to build a parking.Additionally, the amount paid to the population is more than 100% and therefore, it’s an appropriate amount. The ethical issue arises in thi s case because; condemning the land where retired and older couples reside for the sake of building a car park is quite unethical. ii) In prima facie case the prosecutor bears the burden of providing the evidence. Judy should present her Passport and letter of appointment to prove

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Sex Education and Why It Should Be Increased in Schools Essay

Sex Education and Why It Should Be Increased in Schools - Essay Example Teenagers should be made aware about the issue of teenage pregnancy and its consequences by promoting sex education in their schools. Sex education is a term used to describe education about human sexuality. It includes the teaching of human sexual behavior, male and female anatomy, reproduction, contraception and sexually transmitted diseases. Sex is a subject to which teens are not properly introduced. People in their teens are only exposed to sex through their friends, media and sometimes through their parents. This makes them unaware of the details linked with sexual intercourse and reproduction. It has been seen that teen pregnancies are most common where the teenagers are not formally educated on the subject of sex. Schools play a very important role in educating the students as it provides an environment for learning. Such an environment is necessary if the teens are to be properly educated about sex. When they are properly equipped with the knowledge, it broadens their view a nd the students can form their own point of view regarding sex. It is also seen that places where education is less common tend to have a higher rate of teenage pregnancies. Contraception and sexually transmitted diseases are the subjects which need most highlighting. ... Hence the sex education teens receive at the hands of their parents is inadequate. This makes it ever so important to include special classes in schools to enlighten the students about sex. A further important thing is the timing at which this education should be imparted. Most of the students that are in their late teens would have already experimented on a sexual relationship. Hence teens should be given classes when they are near puberty so that they have all the knowledge about sex and can think over it before starting a relationship. Rather than focusing on the facts and problems related to sex, teens should be given adequate information to prevent them. They should be taught about problems related to sexuality like complications in menstrual cycles, sexually transmitted diseases and early pregnancies. Teens should be told about contraception and how it could be achieved and from where they can get condoms without embarrassing themselves (Davis, 1995). Sex education will undoubt edly prevent a large number of teenage pregnancies that arise due to lack of proper information about the sexual experience. Once it is decided that the schools incorporate sex education in their curriculum, it is imperative to look for a teacher that can cater to teenagers’ needs and understand their psychology. The teacher should be confident and talk to the teenagers like a friend so that they voice their confusions without getting uncomfortable. Also the classes for sex education should be conducted in a single sex environment that is boys should have a class with all boys and the same goes for the girls. With such planning, teenagers will be able to get most out of the class (Irvine,

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Questions and Hypothesis Essay Example for Free

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Questions and Hypothesis Essay Jung (2007) found that general education teacher’s attitudes toward the integration of students with disabilities reflect a lack of confidence both in their own instructional skills and in the quality of support personnel currently provides. General and special education teachers are placed in inclusive classroom settings for the betterment of the student; however, planning is not as effective when general education teachers are not properly trained on or comfortable with the technology. Thousand and Villa (2000) in McLaren, Bausch, Ault (2007), found that providing training for all teachers will result in improved academic and social outcomes for students with disabilities, plus their teachers will become empowered . The problem is the need for more collaborative training for inclusion teachers in an effort to effectively plan curriculum and increase their levels of confidence with the use of AT devices. The specific problem is the need to develop a program to train inclusion teachers on the use of AT devices needed to effectively plan for students with disabilities. This study will use a quantitative method and a Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology. The PAR will be conducted by dividing the study into two sequence phases. The first phase will include developing the training program, introducing basic AT devices that can be used for all students, and reflection of the first training. Phase two will include training for advanced AT devices that are developed for specific student needs, developing a lesson with the use of one general and one advanced AT device, and the opportunity to teach the lesson. The results should interest school districts that service students with disabilities in an effort to improve effective collaboration for inclusion teachers, thus promoting a sense of teamwork to improve student achievement through the use of technology. Revised Purpose Statement- Quantitative Study The purpose of this quantitative research study is to develop a training program for special and general education inclusion teachers that will focus on strategies for educational development, effective academic structuring, and increased teacher support systems with the use of Assistive Technology. The data collection design will include surveys before, during, and after  each phase, trainings to implement the program, and field opportunities to identify the areas of improvement and to test the validity of the program. The population will be composed of elementary school teachers who are placed in inclusion settings without prior training. The sample and sample set will include three novice and three veteran elementary inclusion teachers selected from grades 3-5 based on survey results. The geographical area will include three local elementary feeder schools that house special education programs in the South Fulton County area of Georgia. Quantitative Research Questions and Hypoth esis RQ: To what degree, if at all, will training in Assistive Technology promote effective academic structuring and teacher collaboration in inclusive classroom settings?  HO: The degree of training in Assistive Technology will not promote effective academic structuring and teacher collaboration in inclusive classroom settings.  HA: The degree of training in Assistive Technology will positively promote effective academic structuring and teacher collaboration in inclusive classroom settings. Revised Problem Statement – Qualitative Study Al-Shammari and Yawkey (2008) believe that special education students require the involvement of parents to be successful for overall development and in their education programs. Parents are encouraged to participate by offering physical and psychological assistance to the special education teachers in an effort to monitor and manage student progress. However, the lack of support, knowledge, time, and resources result in the unwillingness to participate. Bird (2006) found that increasing parental involvement through technology may have a positive effect on the development of special education students and parents. The problem is the need for technological resources that promote parental involvement for improving the educational development of special education students. The specific problem is identifying the technology that most effectively increases parental involvement in special education. This study will use a qualitative method and case study similar to Hartas’ (2008) st udy of the effects of parental  involvement on students with Autism. Parents will participate in semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and classroom observations to determine what motivates them to be involved. The results should interest special education teachers who require assistance from parents in order for students to attend school daily, participate in instruction, and continue to exhibit progression in all areas of development. Revised Purpose Statement- Qualitative Study The purpose of this qualitative case study is to identify the technological resources that are most effective in encouraging parents of special education students to be involved in the student’s education. The data collection design will include questionnaires, observations, schedule restructuring, community involvement, and semi-structured interviews to identify the areas of improvement. The population will be composed of parents who have elementary-aged special needs children. The sample and sample set will include ten parents; five from two-parent working class homes and five from single-parent working class homes. The geographical area will include two (of the three) selected elementary feeder schools, based on survey results, that service special education students in the South Fulton County area of Georgia who are most in need of an intervention. Qualitative Research Question What are the most effective technological resources that assist in encouraging parents of students with special needs to be involved in their child’s education? References Al-Shammari, Z., Yawkey, T. (2008). Extent of parental involvement in improving the students levels in special education programs in Kuwait. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 35(2), 140-150. Bird, K. (2006). How do you spell parental involvement? S-I-S. The Journal, 33(7), 38. Hartas, D. (2008). Practices of parental participation: A case study. Educational Psychology in Practice, 24(2), 139-153. Jung, W. (2007). Preservice teacher training for successful inclusion. Education, 128(1), 106-113. McLaren, E. M., Bausch, M. E., Ault, M. (2007). Collaboration strategies reported  by teachers providing assistive technology services. Journal of Special Education Technology, 22(4), 16-29. Week 5 Review Components2 points| Expected elements are included.| Articulation5 points | As noted, there are shortcomings regarding population and sample. * 1 point| Presentation2 points | Writing and formatting are well done.| Total9 points| A good start toward purpose statements aligned with problem.|

Friday, September 20, 2019

Mergers and Acquisitions in the Aviation Industry

Mergers and Acquisitions in the Aviation Industry Background: Aviation industry is a symbol of comprehensive national power and an extremely important part of the national defense. It is also a significant guarantee for national security and an essential support for the development of economic and society. In the entire aviation industry, civil aviation is made up of all types of aviation activities using aircraft except military applications, which includes defense, police and customs, and the civil aviation includes commercial aviation and general aviation. In recent years, the rapid development of civil aviation plays an increasingly important role in the aviation industry. In terms of globalization, the aviation industry is mainly concentrated in the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia and some other developed regions. Along with the rapid development of the global economy, the enthusiasm for developing aviation industry of many new industrialized countries has also been greatly inspired. A number of high-end manufacturing, including the aviation industry, are shifting from developed countries to developing countries, to meet the global market demand, many developed countries and developing countries began the cooperation. The economic turmoil and financial crisis of the current world has caused a great shock on aviation industry, although the condition is getting improved, it is still very difficult to predict what the future will be. As one of the leaders of the aviation industry all over the world, the market of aviation industry in the United States has been greatly affected in recent years. The fallen price of tickets, rising price of oil, as well as anti-monopoly policy, all have negative impacts on the civil aviation industry in America. Merger integration is trend of the development of international aviation industry in recent years. There are many examples: In Europe, Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines were merged in 2003; Lufthansa purchased Swiss Air in 2005, and later purchased the Austrian Airlines; British Airways and Iberia Airlines merged in 2010 . After a series of mergers and reorganizations, the market is full of vitality and competitive power. In the United States in recent years, the operation of civil aviation industry has become much more difficult and many airline companies are seeking to break through this condition by mergers and acquisitions. In 2005, US Airways merged America West Airlines; Delta Air Lines purchased Northwest Airlines in 2008; two years later, the United Airlines and Continental Airlines were merged and turned into the United Continental Holdings incorporated; in 2011, Southwest Airlines purchased the AirTran and after two years, American Airlines merged US Airways. After th e mergers and reorganizations, these companies operating performance begins to rise out of recession, but whether the specific results really are optimistic? This dissertation will make analysis and judgment. Congress reduced the control of the market in 1978, which brought the US economy market unparalleled interests. America has a mature aviation industry market, which has become an important factor of the growth of economy now. Even if there is a little change in the industry, it can bring a big influence on various aspects. In this tough competitive environment at home and abroad, the civil aviation industry attracts much more attention. Concentration Tendency In recent years, the aviation industry in the United States had generated a lot of new companies and there have been a lot of bankruptcy and merger phenomena, which is bound to affect the competition tendency of the aviation industry. In this dissertation, the methods used to calculate the concentration of aviation industry are Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) and Concentration Ratio (CRn). The calculation method of industry concentration index is the most common, and it is also an important indicator of measuring the market structure. It indicates the degree of concentration of the industry by calculating the proportion of the relevant value (such as sales, value added, number of employees, total assets, etc.) of the first largest n companies in the industry toward those of the entire industry. For example, CR4 refers to the relevant market share occupied by the four largest enterprises and CR8 means the relevant market share occupied by the eight largest enterprises. If the CRn is greater, it indicating a higher degree of concentration of the industry and the more likely for competition in the market tend to be monopolistic; on the contrary, the lower the concentration is, the more likely for competition in the market tend to be competitive.(MBAlib, 2012) The formula is: CRn=. In this formula, Si means the market share of the enterprise i, n means the total number of firms (for instance, the number is 4 or 8.) in the industry. However, the disadvantage of CRn is that this concentration ratio cannot indicate the total number of enterprises which are operating and competitive in this industry. For example, the market share of 2 CR4 with the same value of 75% in two different industries might not be the same, because there may be only a few companies in one industry and the other industry may have many companies. Therefore, in the dissertation, HHI will be used to measure the market concentration to improve the credibility of the data. HHI calculates the sum of the squares of market share of the largest 50 companies in this industry (if the number of companies is less than 50, it includes all enterprises). Obviously, the greater HHI is, the higher the degree of market concentration and the higher the degree of monopoly. The index can not only reflect the market share of large enterprises, but also can reflect the market structure besides large enterprises. Therefore, HHI is able to reflect the impact of large enterprises on the market more accurately. The formula is: HHI=2. In this formula, Si means the market share of the enterprise i, n means the total number of firms in the industry. HHI changes between 1/n and 1, which indicates that the higher value is, the greater unevenness distribution of the size of a firm. As long as firms merge, the value of HHI will increase; as long as the firms decompose, the value of HHI will be reduced. The advantage of HHI are it reflects large-scale companies market share more sensitively, while reflects many small businesses’ market share very little, and it cannot be affected by the number of companies and the size distribution of the industry, which is better to measure the changes in the market concentration of the industry.(MBAlib, 2010) This table illustrates the values of CR4, CR8 and HHI in ten years. According to the concentration ratio CR4 and CR8, it can be obviously found that the aviation industry was behaving as an oligopoly and was a highly concentrated industry, while in terms of HHI, the market concentration was moderate. All of the 3 values were keeping decreasing from 2001 to 2006 and appeared to hit bottom in 2007, in which year the economy crisis took place. After that, the tendency of market concentration was improved and reached a new height in 2013. (Ahren J. 2011) In summary, the level of market concentration of aviation industry was decreasing first and then keeping increasing in the United States. Accordingly, the competition tendency also turned from competitive to monopolistic, which indicates the number of companies was reduced and the market shares of large firms have increased. References: MBAlib (2010) Concentration Ratioà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’CRn[online]New York. Available from: http://wiki.mbalib.com/wiki/%E8%B5%AB%E8%8A%AC%E8%BE%BE%E5%B0%94%E2%80%94%E8%B5%AB%E5%B8%8C%E6%9B%BC%E6%8C%87%E6%95%B0 [Accessed 29 January 2015] Ahren Johnston (2011) CONCENTRATION IN THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY: EVIDENCE OF ECONOMIES OF SCALE?[online]New York, Journal of Transportation Management. Available from: http://www.deltanualpha.org/pdfarticles/2011/Ahren%20Johnston.pdf [Accessed 29 January 2015] MBAlib (2012) Herfindahl-Hirschman Index [online]New York. Available from: http://wiki.mbalib.com/wiki/%E8%A1%8C%E4%B8%9A%E9%9B%86%E4%B8%AD%E7%8E%87 [Accessed 29 January 2015]

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Essay examples --

I am a person who has always had a profound passion and fascination for areas requiring an analytical approach. Right from early days at school, Mathematics has intrigued me. The most challenging of all problems were my favorites and obtaining solutions to them would leave me with a sheer feeling of ecstasy. I always did and always would thrive on solving the most challenging problems. With a compelling desire to excel, hard work became my second nature. My aspiration for a technical career prompted me to take up one of the most coveted undergraduate program in Computer Engineering at SR Engineering College, the best of such institutions. My own systematic & methodical towards finding a solution to any problem best suits this field. On joining the college, I concentrated on acquiring knowledge not only through the classroom teaching materials, but also through the volumes of Computer related materials. In the process I have acquired in-depth knowledge in the fields of Database Management Systems, Data Mining and Data Warehousing, Software Engineering especially in the concepts related to process organization and responsibilities. I was also fascinated by the growth of Networking and Communication Technology and developed keen interest in the subjects such as Computer Networks, Data Communications and Network Protocols. The Operating systems lab and Computer Networks lab unleashed a relentless desire in me to excel at its usage and find innovative applications. My undergraduate preparation at the Computer Science of my University has given me a very substantial knowledge of the basic areas of Computer Science. Any amount of learning in Computer Science would be incomplete without hands on experience of Programming. In a world where... ...ts in the same direction. After extensively studying the course work, faculty profiles and lab facilities, I have observed that the@@@@@@is highly suitable for realizing my goals. The positive spirit of the university, the positive feedback from students and the level of expertise of the faculty in the computer science department are amongst the most compelling factors which have led me to choose@@@@. I am aware of the hard work and perseverance necessary for research work and I know that it is not always as exciting as the published results seem to indicate. Nevertheless, I am sure that my aptitude and drive will see me through the challenge. It is with this in mind, that I look forward to a long and rewarding relationship with your university as a graduate student, I take this opportunity to thank the University faculty for their patient perusal of my application.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Gifts of Rain :: English Literature

Gifts of Rain Seamus Heaney's poem Gifts of Rain is divided into 4 sections. These 4 sections could symbolise the stages of life which consists of birth, childhood, adulthood and death. It could also symbolise the stages of the river in which it suggests the development of the river from it's source to where it gets strong. Or of course, it could symbolise the stages of the water cycle. Water is the symbol of life, but i can also be seen as purity, freshness or youth. In this mysterious poem, Heaney takes a simple view of life and it seems almost documentary-like. The title of the poem 'Gifts of Rain' gives it a positive feeling, but although water has it's positive aspects such as lifegiving and growth, it also has it's negative aspects, such as being dangerous or even deadly. The first section of the poem has no direction and the rhythm is irregular. This suggests that the rain may come unexpectedly and starts off somewhat jaggedly. The rest of the poem flows and has rhythm and there is regularity in each section. This mimics the movement as the rain as it comes down from the clouds. The running on in the stanzas give the sense that the rain is overflowing. Although the title of the poem gives a positive feeling, the opening line "Cloudburst and steady downpour now for days" gives the effect of a monotonous image and a depressing persistance. "He begins to sense weather by his skin" portrays nature and the sense of a survivor. The animal-like image continues for the rest of the first section and the movement of that animal continues as the animal goes "uprooting" which gives the sense of nature being destructive. Heaney may have included this deliberately to show that nature is not as angelic as people may think. The end of the section highlights the poem as "Sounding. Soundings." is what Heaney's poems are all about and more precisely, what this poem is about. "A man wading lost fields breaks the pane of flood" which starts the second section gives the effect of pain and hurt. The man survives by going along with nature and resisiting it, but it also gives the effect of danger at the same time. "Like a cut swaying" carries on the effect of being deliberate, sharp and precise and "it's red spoors" and "his hands grub" continues with the theme of the animal sort of world. The "sunken drills" give the effect of digging deep and the atlantis "he depends on" gives a hint of an insecurity of life, as if

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Mind, Intelligence and Spirit :: Psychology Philosophy Papers

Mind, Intelligence and Spirit The mind is a collection of various classes of processes that can be studied empirically. To limit the field of mental processes we must follow the criteria of folk psychology. There are three kinds of mind: human, animal and mechanical. But the human mind is the paradigm or model of mind. The existence of mechanical minds is a serious challenge to the materialism or the mind-brain identity theory. Based on this existence we can put forward the antimaterialist argument of machines. Intelligence is a class of mental processes such that the mind is the genus and the intelligence is a species of this genus. The capacity to solve problems is a clear and definite criterion of intelligence. Again, like in the mind, the human intelligence is the paradigm of the intelligence. There are also three kinds of intelligence: human, animal and mechanical. Searle’s Chinese room argument is misleading because Searle believes that it is possible to maintain a sharp distinction between syntax an d semantics. The reasonable dualism in the brain-mind problem defends the existence of brain-mental processes, physical-mental processes, and non-physical-mental (spiritual) processes. Constitution of the personal project of life, self-consciousness and free volitions are examples of spiritual processes. Usually the intelligence has been considered the most important quality of human beings, but freedom, or the world of free volitions, is a more specific quality of human beings. I. The Concept of Mind Contrary to a long philosophical tradition, it is very important to emphasize that the mind is not a "substance" or res . If the mind were a substance its study would be beyond the empiricist domain of science and would belong to the extraempiricist domain of metaphysics. On other hand, if the mind were a substance it would be something individual. Nevertheless the mind is a collection of various classes of processes that can be studied empirically. These processes are just the so-called "mental processes", in such a way that we can suggest the apparently vicious circle statement: mind is the collection of the different mental processes. In order to avoid the circularity of this statement we have to describe the various classes of mental processes. Using concepts taken from the information theory we can distinguish, in the beginning, four main types of mental processes: 1) perceptions, i. e. organized reception of information, 2) memories or storage of information, 3) beliefs, that is, judgements about the received information, and 4) plans, namely, arrangements of information to act.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Never: High School High Essay

Dropping out of school is an issue faced by many teens today. I feel that there are many reasons why students want to and do dropout of school. Due to my research students use dropping out of school as a way to escape from their problems. Further in this paper I will provide you with the information telling you what I recollect the problems are. One of the greatest problems students have in countries such as the US is dropping out of school. I feel that the most average reason for students turning to dropping out is because of them being affected by their family problems. One way they could become affected is by their family, is having obsessive parents. Students might feel if they stop going to school it could be the only way to get back at parents that act in such manner. Another reason for students dropping out of schools is because of their family income. Everyone knows that young people these days have the thought that they need flashy and expensive clothing to go to school. Students could also have the thought because of misguidance. They could have a family that has been raised on relying on something other than school for a key into happiness. I think if students have some desire for school one will work their ups and downs out throughout the school years. See it is possible for family to be the problem that’s makes some drop out. If a student does not feel well, it is most likely that the student’s performance decreases. I feel if the student has no desire what so ever for school there no way the student will make it through school. School is another object that forces students to give up and dropout. Changes of the family environment might also affect the student’s progression, if a parent dies, another child is born, the student has a child, and the circumstances change significantly. And some teaching staff teaches to fast and with the teacher moving too fast could cause failure in grades and that also makes students give up. Anything that causes a student to feel unsafe could make them dropout. Additionally, teachers could be the reason as well. The student is the last reason I will tell you about but is not the last reason known. If you want a good future go through school and there’s a 90% percent better chance your life will turn out better. The other students gets the student to dropout to see what happens to them because they really is the one who wants to but isn’t sure what will happen. No matter what your problems are you shouldn’t drop out of school. Teachers could be teaching in a way that’s not making the course interesting, which also could make the student bored with the course and not getting any motivation from the teaching staff leads to less attendance of the course. It’s been known for years that young people who do not earn a high school diploma face many more problems later in life than people who graduate. Dropouts are more likely to be unemployed, have poor health, live in poverty, be on public assistance, and be single parents. National leaders have demanded that schools, communities, and families take major steps to retain students but the dropout rate remains high. Every 29 seconds, another student gives up on school, resulting in more than one million American dropouts a year – or 7,000 every day. What defines a dropout? Dropping out is defined as leaving school without a high school diploma or equivalent credential such as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate as defined by the National Center for Education Statistics. Characteristics of Students Who Drop Out Social economic Background. National data show that students from low-income families are 2. 4 times more likely to drop out of school than are children from middle-income families, and 10. 5 times more likely than students from high-income families. Disabilities. Students with disabilities are also more likely to drop out. The National Transition Study estimates that as many as 36. 4% of disabled youth drop out of school before completing a diploma or certificate. Race-ethnicity. Hispanics and African Americans are at greater risk of dropping out than whites. Hispanics are twice as likely as African Americans to drop out. White and Asian American students are least likely to drop out. Academic Factors. National research also indicates that academic factors are clearly related to dropping out. Students who receive poor grades, who repeat a grade, or who are over-age for their class are more likely to drop out. Absenteeism. Students who have poor attendance for reasons other than illness are also more likely to drop out. Clearly, students who miss school fall behind their peers in the classroom. This, in turn, leads to low self-esteem and increases the likelihood that at-risk students will drop out of school. Occupational Aspirations. Young people’s perceptions of the economic opportunities available to them also play a role in their decision to drop out or stay in school. Dropouts often have lower occupational aspirations than their peers. Predictive Factors. The following individual-level factors are all strongly predictive of dropping out of high school: Grade retention (being held back to repeat a grade) Poor academic performance Moves location during high school High absenteeism High absenteeism The student’s feeling that no adult in the school cares about his or her welfare Reasons young people give for dropping out: Didn’t like school in general or the school they were attending Were failing, getting poor grades, or couldn’t keep up with school work Didn’t get along with teachers and/or students Had disciplinary problems, were suspended, or expelled. Didn’t feel safe in school Got a job, had a family to support, or had trouble managing both school and work Got married, got pregnant, or became a parent Had a drug or alcohol problem Consequences of dropping out: In recent years, advances in technology have fueled the demand for a highly skilled labor force, transforming a high school education into a minimum requirement for entry into the labor market. Because high school completion has become a basic prerequisite for many entry-level jobs, as well as higher education, the economic consequences of leaving high school without a diploma are severe. Earnings Potential. On average, dropouts are more likely to be unemployed than high school graduates and to earn less money when they eventually secure work. Employed dropouts in a variety of studies reported working at unskilled jobs or at low-paying service occupations offering little opportunity for upward mobility. Dropping out, in turn, causes other secondary, indirect problems: Public Assistance. High school dropouts are also more likely to receive public assistance than high school graduates who do not go on to college. In fact, one national study noted  that dropouts comprise nearly half of the heads of households on welfare. Single Parents. This increased reliance on public assistance is likely due, at least in part, to the fact that young women who drop out of school are more likely to have children at younger ages and more likely to be single parents than high school graduates. Prisons. The individual stresses and frustrations associated with dropping out have social implications as well: dropouts make up a disproportionate percentage of the nation’s prisons and death row inmates. One research study pointed out that 82% of America’s prisoners are high school dropouts. Why do so many students drop out school? Why do students drop out? Today MPs expressed impatience with universities for failure to block the hemorrhage of students from their courses. In the five years since the public accounts committee’s (PAC) last report on university dropout rates, just over a fifth of students still quit their original course. According to the latest figures in today’s PAC report, around 28,000 full-time and 87,000 part-time students who started first-degree courses in 2004-05 were no longer in higher education a year later. This is despite ? 800m being paid to universities over the same period to help retain those students most likely to leave their courses early. Last summer’s National Audit Office (NAO) cited several, inter-related reasons, among them personal and financial reasons, homesickness, failing to bond, dissatisfaction with, or the wrong choice of, course – where working-class students in particular may lack the confidence to change course or institution. But the PAC report suggests widening participation – the government’s desire to see more students with no history of higher education going to university – is partly to blame. But is widening participation really responsible for high dropout rates? Certainly the committee concludes that universities need to do better at providing the kind of teaching and support services those students from under-represented groups need. And there is â€Å"great disparity† between universities in the rate at which students continue to a second year of study. According to the committee’s chairman, Edward Leigh, comprehensive and reliable information upon which decisions on how to improve retention can be based – including data on why students leave – is missing in many cases. â€Å"Personal tuition and pastoral  care should also be given a higher priority and appropriate resources, especially as many universities are large and can be impersonal,† he explained. His committee’s 2002 report recommended more funding to support students from low-income backgrounds, tackling skills gaps, supporting students with disabilities and providing more information for potential students. On top of better data collection, today’s report concludes that universities should provide additional remedial academic support for students and more access to tutors for pastoral and academic help, especially as the number of students entering institutions increases. But vice-chancellors argue their universities have coped admirably with among the best student completion rates for HE internationally, despite student numbers rising by 25% between 1999 and 2004. Universities UK (UUK) president Prof Rick Trainor said: â€Å"Universities are committed to supporting their students throughout their time in higher education and have introduced many initiatives and schemes designed specifically to help students complete their studies – for example, mentoring, study skills and support. † But he conceded there was â€Å"room for improvement in certain areas†. In particular, UUK is looking at whether students who decide to leave could fill in an â€Å"exit questionnaire† to give universities more information on their reasons for dropping out. Pam Tatlow, chief executive of the Million+ group of new universities, wants to see the government commission research to look at the costs to universities of recruiting and supporting different types of students. â€Å"Our research shows that different fee regimes for full-time and part-time students [who respectively pay at the end of their course or up front] is a disincentive for people who are struggling to stay on,† she said. Quite a few universities perform better than the Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hence) benchmark sets for them, she explained: â€Å"Universities lose money if they don’t retain their students so it’s in their interest to improve retention rates. † But the money universities get for widening participation or part-time students – â€Å"premium† – does not cover costs, she warned. And universities that do more to widen participation are also likely to have more mature students who are more vulnerable to dropping out: 14% compared with 6. 8% of young entrants. Gamma Tumult, president of the National Union of Students, said: â€Å"It is vital that [widening participation] institutions are funded fairly to provide academic, pastoral and financial support – otherwise, we risk admitting students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds on a false promise. † â€Å"Markets in fees and bursaries will only exacerbate this situation and that must be taken into account in the 2009 review,† she added. Tumult also backed the idea of an exit survey and called for â€Å"more transparency† on how money is being spent. This would enable universities to reallocate funds where they are really needed, she said. Hence, which allocates universities’ widening participation funding, said it was positive drop out rates had stayed the same despite huge increases in student numbers. A spokesman said: â€Å"The funding is worthwhile because if students from non-traditional backgrounds do get through the first year in particular, they do stand a very good chance of succeeding. † Hefted is planning to hold a number of workshops with the NAO and HE representatives in March and April on how to improve performance and retention, which will inform its response to the report. As academics and administrators talk, thousands of students continue to drop out and experience the difficulties, financial and personal, this brings. The sector still seems no closer to a solution. Why Teens Drop Out of School Teens drop out of school for many reasons, and the decision to drop out is rarely spur of the moment. Kids usually drop out of school following a long process of disengagement and academic struggle. Many teens say they were bored and frustrated with classes that didn’t seem relevant to their life. Or they felt they had fallen so far behind they eventually gave up hope. Teen’s report that no one really cared about their school experience, or they felt subtly â€Å"pushed out† by school staff who perceived them as difficult or dangerous. What is absolutely predictable is that many kids who don’t finish high school do poorly in life. Without a high school diploma they will have a harder time finding a job, and they will earn much less when they do find one (about a million dollars less over a lifetime). They are more likely to have poor health, to live in poverty, and to have children at an early age, who in turn are also more likely to drop out of school. Nationally, seventy percent of inmates in prison didn’t graduate from high school. We often ask ourselves why some teens drop out of school. While some may have obvious reasons, other teens seem like a mystery and we have a hard time figuring out why some of them would drop out. Not all students are equal, some simply have special needs and school becomes too hard for them. This includes children with emotional issues, behavioral problems, learning disabilities and other teen problems that may interfere with their school work and the ability to learn. But these are not the only reasons; some kids from certain cultural background simply fail to blend into a school where another ethnicity is dominant. There are also teens that come from homes which are not supportive enough and they lack the motivation to finish school. Teens that drop out can be from both rich and poor families, but poor children with low economic standards and children of single parents have a higher risk of dropping out of high school. The rates of teens that drop out of schools depend on various factors. Teen boys are more likely to drop out of school than girls. Also Hispanic and African American teens are more likely to drop out than Asian American students and Caucasians. Students in large cities are also more likely to drop out than students from small towns and suburbs. As you can see dropping out of school can happen because of learning issues and development or even because of social factors like ethnicity and family heritage. Some of the most common reasons that influence a teen to drop out of school include: – History of poor academic achievements. – Older than classmates due to being left behind – Emotional issues – Behavioral problems – Learning disabilities – Influence by low achieving peers – Low attendance – Social issues – Family problems The reasons are plenty, and they can go from family issues and even history of abuse, drug related issues, mental problems to social issues, low standard, peer pressure, up to medical issues like poor health. Some teens get pregnant so they drop out of school, some teens simply lost interest. One of the factors is the teacher’s attitude and behavior towards students. Most students that dropped out of school reported that they were either ignored and not given enough attention by their teachers or that they were actually encouraged by their teachers to drop out of school. We all know that a teacher can sometimes go after a student; the pressure can very well be the cause of dropping out. Again, the reasons are plenty and as such it is hard to concentrate on prevention as various factors influence this outcome. While the reasons kids drop out vary, the following are six important risk factors: 1. Academic difficulty and failure. Struggling in school and failing classes is one of the main reasons teens drop out, and this pattern often shows up early. Students who fail eighth grade English or math, for example, are seventy-five percent more likely to drop out of high school. 2. Poor attendance. Teens who struggle in school are also absent a lot, and along with academic failure, absenteeism is an important future predictor for dropping out. As with the previous example, students who are absent for twenty percent of their eighth grade year (one day per week) are also highly likely to drop out in high school. 3. Being held back (retention). Linked to academic difficulty, students who are held back and who are older than the kids in their grade also tend to drop out. 4. Disengagement from school. Many kids who drop out say that school was boring and teachers did little to connect learning to real life. They didn’t feel invested in their school and they didn’t feel that adults seemed interested in them or their high school experience. 5. Transition to a new school. A poor transition from the smaller, more protected environment of middle school to the anonymity of a high school can cause a teen to have difficulty catching up-and some kids never do. 6. Other life factors. Pregnancy, family problems, and financial difficulties are all factors that distract a student from schoolwork and make keeping up more challenging. The good news is that dropping out is easily prevented. Most teens who drop out had at least passing grades, and these kids say that, with some help, they could have completed high school. Parents who are involved in their kids’ education often make the difference between academic success and failure. Kids do better when their parents care: when parents make sure their kids get to school and are progressing well and when parents communicate their expectations for success. If problems arise, involved parents have laid a solid foundation for dealing with them. Start early to prevent high school dropouts. Read the article â€Å"Seven Middle School Ideas to Stay Ahead for Parents† for tips.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Computer background

The booming industry of technology, one would naturally assume that computer literacy is not a problem. However, it is the case that not all of the people have the opportunity to learn the new technological advancement. It has been an issue that computer literacy has a big impact on a person’s capacity to find sufficient jobs. It has been a necessary requirement that one should have a certain background on computer works. It would seem then that being literate with computers had been a forgone issue for a person living in this era. Nonetheless, the issue of computer literacy has always been present. The essential knowledge that a dichotomy of generations is still present should not have been neglected. The problem that could be seen here then is that not all of the previous generations have the sufficient information about computers and other technological advancements. Other people might have the opportunity to learn but others could not cope with the advancement. Main reason for this is the issue of the socioeconomic status that a person might have. Learning to use computers would necessitate the need for computers in the home. Not all of the people though have the same opportunity financially though. At the rate of the fast advancement of computers, it would have been hard to be able to keep up with what ought to be learned. The main issue here then is the socioeconomic status that a person has. Learning could be done through computer classes but having the means to learn is the problem. It would seem that the major hindrance for learning is the monetary issue. But what is socioeconomic status? It is known that this refers to the status or background of person. It is here that a person’s background that includes his/her â€Å"occupation, education, income wealth, and place on residence (â€Å"Socioeconomic Status†)† is scrutinized. In this aspect, there could be those who are deemed to be unfortunate. They are the ones who are usually subjected to the harsh realities in this life. Those who could be considered poor then would have a deprived background. Those who could be considered well-off would have a privileged background. It could be seen here that not all of us has the privilege to have a relatively better socioeconomic status. The benefits of having a better status are countless especially when a person is determined. But determination could not always take us somewhere if we have not had the chances or opportunities in the first place. I was one of the fortunate ones. Growing up in a family whose socioeconomic status is relatively better than others I had the benefit of going to a good school. I had learned to use the computer through school and had the opportune time to practice at home. As a child, I did not think that computers would have to be relevant in my life since all I cared about was fun and games. Computer class was not considered to be fun and games in my book then so I just went to class and tried my best to pass. As I grew older and childishness had deserted me, I have learned the real value of computer classes. I took it seriously and realized that fun and games could also be found in computers. My teachers were drilling in me the basics of computer programs had given me the benefit of being called computer literate. It is not an uncommon knowledge that computer literacy is highly favored nowadays. When I filled out my resume, computer skills or literacy was an important factor. Offices now had long dispatched type writers and replaced it with the more convenient computers. In this time, it is believed that modernization would require the usage of technological aspects and computers are one of them. Computers have been a given necessity that computer illiteracy was a forgotten issue. However, this issue is still in circulation but some would usually shrug at the thought of computer illiteracy. The main culprit here is the presumptuous thinking of the people. They have seemed to have conveniently forgotten those who are down the social triangle. I have come across with other people who did not have the opportunity to learn the ropes of computers let alone had the chance in ever using or touching one. This is not an exaggerated case but this situation usually happens to those who did not have the blessings that I had. This person had to stop going to school so she did not have the opportunity to learn the usage of computers. It was later when she had a family that she realized that her children might suffer the same plight. Although, it would not have been a problem for her since she had managed to send her children to a school that had computer classes. But her frustration came when she would observe her children in front of the computer. Her frustration stemmed out from the fact that she had to learn through her children plus she found computers to be complicated. Generally, a person trying to learn would think it to be complicated but one could not blame him/her. In this case, the woman did not have the opportunity and means to learn since she was busying earning a living. Going back to what I have said earlier, computers had been a prerequisite when it comes to job hunting. The importance that the people had found in computers was due to the dependency that they have about it. My father told me that they did not have to use computers before nor was there a need to use other gadgets before. He usually frowns upon the great importance that people put on computers but in the end he had to learn. The company that he was working for made technological upgrades so he had to learn how to use a computer. Fortunately for my father he had the means to learn and he had his children to teach him. Others would not have been lucky though. Some had a hard time coping with it that soon new employees were easily promoted than them. The company would not always hesitate to do so not because they were not grateful for the loyalty and service but they had to do it for the progress of the company. It was a sad situation but it was inevitable. I think that the booming technologies would not be stopped especially when man thirst for a more unproblematic way of life. It could not be helped and maybe someday soon that what I know about computers would be rustic compared to the younger generations. The best way for me to avoid this is to accommodate the change and change as well. This change would have to be for the betterment of my status in life, work related or not. Work Cited â€Å"Socioeconomic Status.† The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy. Ed. Jr. E.D. Hirsch, Joseph F. Kett, James Trefil. Third Ed: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002.      

Incremental Analysis Essay

Incremental in comprehensive analyses both serve similar purposes in decision making in the workplace. The argument is that incremental is more economical than and just as effective as comprehensive analyses. Since both are used to make important decisions within a company, which one will serve the best purpose while still being justifiable and cost effective to complete? Both will complete the same task, but one will do it better and we will be explaining why incremental analyses are the better ones to use. Incremental Analysis Incremental analysis is important and standardized approach to determine various business decisions concerning cost and revenue. This tool is very crucial and time saving; it leads in a systematic way to identify the probable effects of decisions on future earnings in order to make better decisions concerning the profitability of the company. Management utilizes incremental analysis to identify relevant information related to costs and revenues associated and impacted by the decision; this information is further compared to make the most profitable decision. Examples of decisions best made through incremental analysis include – whether to accept an order at special price, make-or-buy, sell or process further, retain or replace equipment, eliminate an unprofitable segment decision and allocate limited resources, and decisions (Kimmel et.al, 2011). Comprehensive Analysis Comprehensive analysis is the financial term used for evaluating every financial detail of the entire operation in a company. The purpose of conducting comprehensive analysis is to determine a company’s present financial position as well as its expected financial standing in the future. In conducting comprehensive analysis, both current and historical fiscal reports must be collected to analyze the status of the company’s investments. These reports are also needed to calculate the financial ratios of different companies. Determining the financial ratios is the next step when conducting comprehensive analysis as these ratios will determine the company’s performance and its effectiveness. The ratios will give a snap shot of the company’s overall financial condition, strengths and weaknesses of its financial activities which will help creditors and investors decide  whether company is worth investing in. And finally, compare the company’s ratio, to the ratio of another organization with similar production processes to determine if the company will succeed or needs enhancement. Disagree/ or Agree According to our research we have come to an agreement that Incremental Analysis is the best decision and focus tool that we have. The reasoning is because it reveals faster results and cost less. Another two are when reports are shown and analysis are done it reveals the same results. It also focus on a specific subject or topic. Incremental analysis also pulls reports and help management make decisions whether to accept orders, to make a product or purchase, sell and process products furthers, or even the retaining and replacement of equipment that are used by the business. References JIm, B., & Hughes, M.C. (2014, April). What is comprehensive analysis. Wise Geek, (). Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-comprehensive-analysis.htm Virtual Advisors Inc. (2011) Analyzing your financial ratios retrieved from http://www.bbt.com/bbtdotcom/business/small-business-resource-center/growing-a-business/financial-ratios.page

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Disneyland Hong Kong Essay

1. What led to the eventual woes experienced by Hong Kong Disneyland in its first year of operation? How should Hong Kong Disneyland rectify its market situation? The venture into Hong Kong by Walt Disney was a simple example of a large successful western company not doing its homework. The case presents a clear picture of the importance of understanding a foreign market thoroughly before doing business there. Several factors led to an unsuccessful first year of operations and a majority of these factors could have been avoided with a better cultural understanding in the planning stages. One of the culture differences that was obvious to Disney was the fact that the children are not familiar with the Disney characters. Disney has established its brand and is a marketing poster child in the United States, however this advantage goes out the window in a country such as china that has sheltered itself from the outside world until recently. Disney thought that making a meager attempt at introducing the characters before the launch of the park would help, however familiarity isn’t synonymous with brand attachment. As listed in Global Marketi ng Management by Kotable & Helson, â€Å"Cultural Distance† is one of the six external criteria for choosing a mode of entry into a foreign territory, which was not accounted for by Disney. Cultural distance also recognizes the fact that different cultures have different expectations. This was also the case with China. As stated in the case, â€Å"for the tourists of Mainland China, going to Hong Kong means a shopping experience, and so they choose the cheaper alternative to Hong Kong Disneyland†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The case goes on to allude to the fact that the culture in China is one about dollars and cents – when a Chinese person spends his/her money, they are more interested in what they are physically getting. This is very culturally different from a Western vacation where relaxation and experience is the expectation. Disney does a great job at providing a  magical experience, but in my opinion this is what led to their struggle in Hong Kong – the Chinese tourists do not value that very magical experience that westerners do. There were also other factors such as neglecting to do homework on how Chinese tourists select a destination. The Chinese tend to have a strong relationship with travel agents where as in the U.S a vacation is generally booked online without any personal interaction. Failing to account for these small differences coupled with the lack of brand attachment created nothing but an overpriced theme park. All hope is not lost however! Hong Kong is a huge tourist market and there is plenty of opportunity, but the only way for Disney to rectify its market situation is to bridge the gap of cultural distance. One way to do this would be to add an educational element to their park. The case notes that the Chinese put a premium on education, and in this culture the parents are the ones making the decisions – so appeal to them and attract more people. If Disney wants to succeed it needs to also remember what made it so successful in the U.S. After year one it is clear that their brand is not established and would not do all the work for them, and must take the necessary steps to reestablish themselves all over again. It must create a magical feeling in every Chinese child hearts as well as fit the consumer expectations of their parents. 2. To what extend could Hong Kong Disneyland adapt its product to Chinese consumers without diluting its image? Hong Kong Disney obviously requires a lot of changes in order to be successful – but at what point to these changes start impacting its brand? Being such a different culture from Disney’s main operations, China presents a challenge in that Disney is at risk of tarnishing its name if it changes its product to suit the Chinese expectations. The best way to handle this would be to introduce characters and elements of the theme park that are brand new to China, and not introduce them anywhere else. Instead of using Mickey Mouse as the brand image they can introduce something completely new – and after due time this could be successful because it is not as though the Chinese consumer has any attachment to the already established brand, as a matter of fact they are not even familiar with it. It can also change the layout of its parks. China is more interested in taking home physical items  rather than memories so why fill up the park with aesthetically pleasing creations? Instead they can introduce bigger rides in order to allow for pictures. They can even put a super-sized mall within their park in order to establish a collection-type phenomenon surrounding Disney products in China. The text refers to this strategy as â€Å"International Market Segmentation.† A list of reasons is given by Kotable & Helson for the segment approach, and the first one is â€Å"Identifiable – The segments should be easy to define and measure.† A country like China certainly calls for this approach because of the potential dilution of brand image, however by keeping the Hong Kong Disney defined as just that – Hong Kong – the brand in the United States will be unharmed. 3. How should Hong Kong Disneyland address competition? Hong Kong Disneyland’s main competition is Ocean Park, a â€Å"homegrown† theme park. First Disney must recognize the advantage that Ocean Park has over them. Ocean Park has an advantage in that it understands the battlefield, so to speak. It is a Chinese company and it understands the expectations of its consumer. There is brand recognition and a little bit of loyalty since it was established in China. They have a popular educational segment which bodes well with the Chinese and generally provide a good overall experience for the price. They are recognized as the best way that Disneyland can separate itself is through differentiation – they have to make their product unique. Another way that they can address competition is by going after a different part of the market. As stated on Ocean Parks website, a midweek ticket is 320 HK which translates to about 40 bucks in US dollars. A potential opportunity might be to offer Disneyland as the premium option. At 40$, O cean Park offers a pretty cheap admission and there is not much room to beat their price, however by offering upscale restaurants and shops, Disneyland can capture the upper echelon of tourists. Through differentiation and a focused market, Hong Kong Disneyland can coexist with the large and established Ocean Park.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Statement of purpose for geophysics masters Personal

Of purpose for geophysics masters - Personal Statement Example In reference to this, I made a decision to pursue Geological Sciences Option II, which is more involved in seismic study of the deep Earth. As of now, I can confidently articulate that my skills are ready for the job market. Moreover, the industrial attachment I attended for six months enabled me to put the theories I learnt in class into practice. The University of Texas has prepared me for the future in character and knowledge, and now I am a graduate with a first class honors degree. Pertaining to this, I am constantly motivated to increase my knowledge so that I can give more solid contributions towards making the world a better place to live through this field. For this undoubted reason, my persona compels me to make an application for a Masters Degree in Geophysics in your reputable institution in the coming days. I am fully informed of the institution’s reputation, and I have no misgivings that you will offer me a platform for this

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Piaget and Vygotsky Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Piaget and Vygotsky - Essay Example Both Piaget and Vygotsky have deeply influenced the techniques and approaches to teaching. Furthermore, they have explained the childrens cognitive learning styles and capabilities. Jean Piaget’s theory on children’s cognitive development, particularly with quantitative concepts, has gained a lot of attention within the field of education. Piagetian ideas on student’s quantitative growth have offered teachers teaching mathematics with significant understandings of how individuals acquire mathematical models and phenomenon. Piaget asserted that the development of a child takes place in the course of a constant change of thought processes. A developmental stage entails a period of months or years when a particular development occurs. Even though students are frequently classified by chronological age, their development levels might vary considerably, also the rate at which each child goes through each stage. This variation may be due to maturity, knowledge, society, and the capacity of the child. Piaget further suggested that children develop progressively and slowly throughout the different stages and that the experiences in one stage form the basis for shift to the next. Piaget presented four main stages of development; sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational (Ojose, 2008). In the sensorimotor stage, an infant’s mental and cognitive characteristics evolve from birth until the emergence of language. This stage is featured by the gradual attainment of object permanence in which the child is able to locate objects after they have been moved, even if the objects have been completely removed from his or her field of vision. Another feature of children at this stage is their capacity to associate numbers to objects (Piaget, 1977). To widen the mathematical ability of a child in this stage, he is permitted sufficient opportunities to take action on the

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Management Assignment - 4

Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Management - Assignment Example The business planning process consists in following some step by step processes which needs to be documented for an organization to have a clear insight and direction for work. Critical appraisal of the business planning process The business planning process has a lot of loopholes and most traditional business plans are criticized to be overtly formal and rigid. Here we will critically appraise a business planning process. Idea generation The first step of a business plan is the visualization of a new product or service which the enterprise desires to provide. In fact it outlines the key to future growth prospects. However, before taking a decision as to which product or service should be started, a thorough market research including customer’s preferences should be conducted. Most organizations rely on the traditional methods in order to research on the idea generation and come to a decision. The traditional techniques are usually based on the inputs provided by customers and these may be extremely biased. These techniques identify a target market for the product or service and randomly conduct a customer focused survey to come to a conclusion (Lilien et al. 2002). Another key barrier to the idea generation process is that firms may hurriedly decide and document a product or a service idea. In this case thorough research may not have been conducted probably due to lack of skill and knowledge and faulty processes (Flint 2000). Hence; most business ideas may never be implemented. Other constraints faced by firms may be with reference to garnering sufficient funds to start a business. If the firm is not able to procure funds then the business idea is scrapped and the top management has to again come out with a new business idea. Strategic objectives The next step in the business planning process consists in setting short term and long term goals and strategies. It is very necessary to set up goals so that a pre determined path can be chalked out to attain strategic objectives. However, most planners may come up with highly unrealistic and unattainable objectives. This is one of the principal reasons for the failure of the business planning process. This may occur due to the fact that the top management team has a divided opinion or is not wholly involved in the planning process (Mintzberg 1994). Also the planners have to work under uncertain market conditions and hence they need to monitor the goals from time to time. Most firms do not bother to discuss and make changes to the pre determined goals and this may lead to failure of the business plan. Market analysis and research The organization needs to thoroughly research the customer market by conducting a SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis is a thorough research conducted with reference to identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threat of the product market and the customer market. The main problem encountered in a market research is that the data collected may be outda ted or irrelevant for the purpose. In this case, the results generated on the basis of the research may be biased or flawed. Another problem organizations encounter is with the location