Kate Cooper Case Essay

Green Meadows Hospital is newly constructed community hospital owned by Southern Hospitals Corporation. Kate Cooper was very excited when she got a new position at Green Meadows as a Manager of Adult Services. They started hiring people and were getting ready to open the hospital. However, things did not go well as they planned and wanted to. Therefore, Kate had to resign. The biggest problem that I see in this was their unorganized management skills and communications skills. They should have more prepared since they were new hospital and related to people’s lives but from the beginning, it seemed like they did not think that it was a big of deal and just went it the flow. Communications at Green Meadows Hospital is more likely one way communication. It started out with 2 way communication model somehow, but it ended up having just one way communication model. At first, Alan seemed like he understood Kate’s situation and encouraged her with her getting higher education and seemed like he was going to be a strong supporter. However, it didn’t really work out. It was always him giving her too much work when even she told him that she does not think that she can handle all the responsibilities and works due to her duties and school. Also, There were never really clear communication or/and understanding among Doug, Alan, and Kate. 2 way communication model would have fixed their problems. Even though one way communication is a lot easier and faster, using 2 way communication is more accurate, can make fewer mistakes, and will have fewer problems. They could have asked questions to each other, talk about concerns, and even make suggestions or modifications if they needed to. That would have helped them to understand each other, information that they should know about, and what is being communicated. This could have help them to share information effectively and the team could have performed better. I would have to say that Doug and Alan both have the SIL style of between S1 and S2. They both are somewhat directing and coaching at the same time. They seem like they are listening to their followers but the result shows us that they didn’t really. At first he seemed like he was very encouraging and supporting his followers and he turned out to be very selfish and self-centered leader. To be a S3 or S4 leaders, they need to listen to their followers more since they are working with their patients directly and might know better than them. However, decisions were never made with the followers, instead the leaders made most of the decisions and just announced it. On the other hand, Kate is in the level of D2. She has had some experiences as a charge nurse and a house supervisor. Kate has some relevant skills with the new position but since she was new to this position and to the hospital, she needed some help from her leaders. I would say Peter is in the level of D4. He just knew what he was doing and seemed like very confidence of what he was doing but like Alan, he was very selfish, seemed like he always thought about himself first instead thinking about the team as a whole. To help Kate and Peter, they could change their leaderships to S3. I think S4 would be too much for everyone with this situation, but having 2 way communication, when making decisions followers can be involved, but still the leaders can make the final decisions. Instead of Doug and Alan telling Kate and Peter what to do, they all can be involved and talk about what is going on at the hospital and talk about it to make it better or make a better decisions. Kate and Peter will more feel like they are important and will be more motivated and perform better. First theory is expectancy theory. If people put their effort into something and they perform to get the result. Between putting effort and performing they think that their effort will make them to attain their goals. Also between their performance and outcome, they expect specific result. Maslow’s Need Hierarchy is the next theory. People have to have the low level of needs to have higher needs. Also once a need is satisfied, it is not a powerful motivator anymore. Third is Alderfer’s ERG Theory. This theory is somewhat similar to Maslow’s theory but slightly different. It has three sets of needs: existence, relatedness, and growth. Unlike Maslow’s law ERG theory states that several different needs can be done at once and at the same time because they are all connected. This can either motivate or demotivate people. They should use ERG theory to prevent managers like Kate from resigning. Environment like hospitals should have existence needs, relatedness needs, and growth needs at the same time. They do not have time to wait for one thing to get done and go onto another. At the hospital they work with people. They should respect each other, not just respect the leaders but also leaders should respect the followers. And also they should have relationship that includes all the employees and share their thoughts, discuss problems together, and try to find the solutions together. And people need some kind of motivations to work better with other people, be productive, or perform better. These can happen all at once. However, Kate did not get any respect from her co-worker or her leaders and also did not have any motivations. Alan just kept pushing her to the edge. He did not even ask her opinion and told her what to do. Again, there was no communication between them and that was the main problem tha t they had. a. Absence of Trust – At first, they trust each other, but as time goes by, they didn’t really talk about the problems. They didn’t even try to help each other out. They didn’t talk about when Alan behaved unprofessionally and inappropriately. No body was really getting along well. b. Fear of Conflicts – They should have worked as a team but seems like to me they were just working as an individual. They didn’t respect each other, didn’t care about each other, and ignore some issues that they were having. They didn’t really try to fix problems but just covered up when they should have talked about Alan’s behavior or Peter taking Kate’s orientation dates. c. Lack of Commitment – Since they don’t trust each other, don’t respect each other, it led them to have lack of commitment. No body really knew what they were really doing. Everyone was on their owns. There were no priorities, no directions, and had same problems over and over again: Kate having too much responsibilities and work). d. Avoidance of Accountability – Alan always gave Kate way too much work that she cannot even handle them. Alan and Dough were supposed to be communicating each other and lead them team but even they did not really communicate well and resulted in Alan overstepping Doug’s positions. e. Inattention to results – Because of all of the above, it got to the point where Kate was told that she had to quit school. This clearly shows how Alan’s leadership style and ethics were very wrong. I would say, right now they are in the Storming stage. It is the stage when hostilities and conflicts arise, and people jockey for positions of power and status. They can’t go on to the next stage that is Norming stage if they can’t solve the problems. Peter and Alan being selfish and having a self-centered leadership, having no communication among the team members, giving too much work and all the responsibilities to one manager, leader’s unprofessional/inappropriate behavior should be all solved for them to continue to the Norming stage. At Norming stage, the team members share their ideas, thought, goals, and develop closer relationship, which will lead them to perform better, and success as a whole. For Green Meadows Hospital, the most needed solution is communication. Communication is always important in any kind of situation. If they start communicating as a team, having regular meetings that will build their trust. Trust is also important factor but with out communication, it can’t be built. The leaders should have a heart for the company, should be able to motivate their followers, and should have right ethics. Leaders should not have any deception, fear, pride, or greed. Alan showed a lot of greed and deception in this case (telling Kate to quit school, unprofessional behaviors, not following his leader†¦etc). Of course it is important to have great leadership skills but without a heart, they will have no followers. To have faithful, committed followers, then leaders should do it first.

Cost Centres, Profit Centres, Investment Centres Essay

The increasing complexity of today’s business environment makes it virtually impossible for most firms to be controlled centrally. Decentralisation is a necessary response to this increasing complexity and involves the delegation of decision-making responsibility by senior management to sub-ordinates. The structure is such that decision making is dispersed to various units within the organisation, with managers at various levels making key decisions relating to their centre of responsibility. These centres of organisational activity are known as responsibility centres and may be defined ‘as a unit of a firm where an individual manager is held responsible for the unit’s performance.’1 The performance of each centre and its manager is measured and controlled through a system of responsibility accounting which is based on the principles of locating responsibility and tracing costs/revenue/investments etc. to the individual managers who are primarily responsible. The division of the firm into separately identifiable units of responsibility allows for more accurate measurement of managerial performance because local information is more thorough. Overall, in order to obtain an accurate measurement of managerial performance, measures should be based on elements which the manager can control or significantly influence. There are three main types of responsibility centre. A cost centre is the lowest level of responsibility, and performance is measured in terms of the costs incurred by it. Cost centres do not generate revenue and therefore have no profit objectives, which differentiates it from profit and investment centres. Managers of cost centres are accountable only for controllable costs and are not responsible for level of activity or long-term investment decisions. Managerial performance is measured by efficiency of operations in terms of the quantity of inputs used in producing a given output. The basis of this type of measurement lies in comparing actual inputs to budgeted controllable costs or some predetermined level that represents efficient utilisation. Cost control and efficiency of operations are the main elements of this type of unit. However, costs in general can be difficult to measure, trace and allocate and it can be difficult to differentiate between controllable and uncontrollable costs. This poses a major drawback for the evaluation of cost centres and their management, since cost is its main element of measurement. The focus being mainly on costs, makes this centre some-what weak in terms of evaluation and measurement of managerial performance. Cost centres can be split into two different types; standard cost centres and discretionary cost centres. In the former, measurement is exercised by comparing standard cost with actual cost. Variances would be indicative of the efficiency of the centre and therefore its managers’ performance. Discretionary cost centres are centres where output cannot be measured in financial terms, for example advertising and publicity, R&D etc. ‘Control normally takes the form of ensuring that actual expenditure adheres to budgeted expenditure for each expense category.’2 However, a major problem with this type of responsibility centre is the measurement of the effectiveness of expenditure and the determination of the efficiency of the centre itself and its management. A profit centre offers an additional element to the measurement process in that both inputs and outputs are measured in monetary terms. The manager of a profit centre has increased autonomy as s/he is responsible for revenue as well as costs; hence it is easier to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of managerial performance in financial terms. ‘In this situation, managers are normally free to set selling prices, choose which markets to sell in, make product-mix and output decisions and select suppliers.’3 A profit centre differs form a cost centre in that its main objective is to maximise profit and the performance of the manager is measured in terms of profit made. Top executives allocate assets to a profit centre, and the manager is responsible for using these assets to make a profit. Each profit centre has a profit target and has the authority to adopt such policies that are necessary to achieve these targets. Profit centre managers are evaluated by comparing actual profit to targeted profit. Profit analysis using profitability ratios or segmented income statements are used as a basis for evaluating managerial performance. The major issue with profit statements is the difficulty in deciding what is controllable or traceable, and in order to assess the managers’ performance rather than the economic performance of the unit, measures must be based on controllable profit only. Another difficulty arises in allocating revenue and costs to profit centres, as it is unlikely that the profit centre is completely independent. This has prompted many firms to use multiple performance measures such as a balanced scorecard, which measures non-financial as well as financial elements of the unit. The measurement of profit is also compounded by the use of transfer prices and agreeing on its ‘fairness’. Transfer prices are allocated to goods transferred from one unit to another within a firm. The implication of transfer prices is that for the selling unit it will be a source of revenue and for the receiving unit it is an element of cost, and as a result each division may act in its own interests. Transfer pricing therefore has a significant bearing when calculating revenues, costs and profits of responsibility centres. The choice of transfer pricing method is important because it affects goal congruence as well as performance measurement. However, it is difficult to determine the correct transfer price, as there are a wide variety of methods available, varying from negotiation to approaches based on the market or based on cost. The investment centre manager has increased responsibility in comparison to the cost and profit centre managers and as a result there are further options for managerial performance measurement by top management. The investment centre manager has responsibility for revenue and costs, and also has the authority to make capital investment decisions. This type of unit represents the highest level of managerial autonomy. An investment centre differs from a profit centre in that investment centre management is evaluated on the basis of the rate of return earned on the assets employed or the residual income earned, while profit centre management is evaluated on the basis of excess revenue over expenses for the period. The manager in charge has the objective of profitability, depending not only on sales but also on profitability of the capital used. Overall, investment centres offer the broadest basis for measurement in the sense that managerial performance is measured not only in terms of profits, but also in terms of assets employed to generate those profits. Performance can be measured using a variety of tools, and this ensures that the drawbacks of one method are overcome by the merits of another. This in turn leads to more accurate results and is one of the main reasons why investment centres are so popular as a means of managerial performance measurement in large companies. Both the effectiveness and the efficiency of the manager can be assessed by reference to the accounting data available. Investment centres offer many qualities required for good managerial performance measurement. For example, they provide incentives to the unit manager, they can recognise long-term objectives as well as short-term objectives and the increased responsibility means there are more controllable factors for use in performance measurement calculations. Return on investment is a measurement approach in common use in investment centres. This method has the advantage of being simple and easy to calculate. ‘ROI expresses divisional profit as a percentage of the assets employed in the division.’4 It has the further advantage of motivating managers to achieve the best return on investments in order to achieve the associated rewards. ROI provides a return measure that controls the size and is comparable to other measures. It can be used as a common denominator for comparing the returns of similar businesses, such as other divisions within the group or outside competition. It is widely used and most managers understand what the measure reflects. However, some complications arise in the calculation of this method. For example, difficulties regarding the calculation of profit, some of which are described above. Profit can be defined in a number of ways and this enables the figure to be manipulated. In the case of the figure for investments, the question arises whether this should be total assets (gross or depreciated), total operating assets or net total assets. The result would differ in each case, but if consistency is maintained throughout the organisation, decisions would remain unaffected. Another difficulty that may arise in relation to this method is that managers may focus on self-interests rather than the overall goal of the organisation and some profitable opportunities may be ignored because s/he fears potential dilution of existing successful endeavours. Furthermore, ROI does not adequately recognise risk. A manager who generates a large ROI result may be investing in riskier assets which may not be consistent with organisational goals. Use of ROI as a managerial performance measure can lead to under or over investment in assets or incorrect asset disposal decisions, in order to achieve the result the manager requires to accomplish his reward. To overcome some of the above difficulties, many firms use residual income to evaluate managerial performance. This method seeks to motivate managers to invest where the expected returns exceed the cost of capital. For the purpose of managerial performance measurement, ‘it compares the controllable contribution of an investment with the targeted rate of return.’5 There is a greater possibility that managers will be encouraged to act in the best interests of the company. Another advantage of this method is that it is more flexible because different cost of capital rates can be applied for different levels or risk. Though ROI and RI operate on a similar basis, RI proves better in certain circumstances. For example, if ROI is chosen as the measuring technique, managers may be reluctant to make additional investments in fixed assets as it may bring down the ROI for their centre. RI calculation results would be more accurate in these situations. However, residual income does not overcome the problem of determining the value of assets or the figure to be used for profit. If RI is used in a short-term perspective, it can over-emphasise short-term performance at the expense of long-term performance. Investment projects with positive net present values can show poor ROI and RI results in early years, leading to rejection of projects by managers. Residual income also experiences problems in comparing managerial performance in divisions of different sizes. The manager of the larger division will generally show a higher RI because of the size of the division rather then superior managerial performance. Another drawback for this method is that it requires an estimate of the cost of capital, a figure which can be difficult to calculate. Economic value added is an extension of the residual income measurement. It measures surplus value created by total investments which include funds provided by banks, shareholders etc. Its key element is the emphasis on after-tax operating profit and the actual annual cost of capital. The latter aspect differentiates it from the RI measure, which uses the minimum expected rate of return. EVA is a further step towards encouraging centre managers to concentrate on the overall goal of the organisation rather than their own self interests, hence reducing dysfunctional behaviour. The above measures are financial measures. As stated previously, it is important also to study non-financial aspects, such as customer satisfaction, quality, internal processes, growth etc. in order to get a more complete picture when measuring managerial performance. The above measures also focus on performance within the investment centre and do not consider the performance relative to overall company objectives. In conclusion, it can be stated that in order to assess managerial performance as opposed to the economic performance of the division, it is vital to make a distinction between the controllable and uncontrollable elements used in the chosen calculations. Each measurement technique is not without limitations, but these difficulties can be overcome by using a wide variety of measurement tools and striking the right balance between them. Of the three types of responsibility centre, an investment centre can be considered to yield better results, as it allows for the broadest basis for measurement, making it widely popular as a means of managerial performance measurement. 1 C. Drury, Management and Cost Accounting, 6th Ed. P. 653 2 C. Drury, Management and Cost Accounting, 6th Ed. P. 654 3 C. Drury, Management and Cost Accounting, 6th Ed. P. 654/655 4 C. Drury, Management and Cost Accounting, 6th Ed. P. 845 5 IPA Manual, Management Accounting, P 239

Research Proposal on Obesity

About one in five American kids is overweight enough to be considered obese (Parr 45). Obesity being 20% or more overweight, is considered a disease because it is associated with so many health problems, like heart disease and diabetes. Being obese as a child usually leads into being obese through adulthood. â€Å"One third of adults are obese, and a third of these got that way in childhood† (Parr 53). That is why it is so important to keep kids from becoming overweight and to help obese kids lose weight. The increasing number of obese parents, technology, children having no supervision after school, and the unhealthy content of school lunches are to blame for the increasing number of overweight kids in the United States. A majority of the information used in writing this paper came from obesity source books, magazine articles, and websites devoted to helping children lose weight. Decades ago children would play tag, ride bikes, and participate in other outdoor after school activities following a nutritious snack prepared for them by one of their parents. Today, most children come home to an empty house, snack on any junk they can find, and watch television or play video games until their parents get home hours later. With no supervision, who can blame them? The foods offered at schools have changed as well. Candy, chips, and soda are a favorite of most children when eating their school lunch. Vending machines are now in most cafeterias today too, making it even easier for children to snack before and after lunch. America is one of the most overweight populations in the world, and we all wonder why. The following paper examines the root causes of this public health problem, answers the question of â€Å"why†, and offers possible solutions, to this crisis. Society as a whole is more overweight than ever before, causing their poor eating and exercising habits to be passed down onto their children. Of course genetics plays a part in some cases of obesity children, but for the most part, it is really more an issue of the habits that kids pick up from their parents. If both parents are obese, their child has an 80% chance of being obese, if one parent is obese, their child has a 40% chance of being obese, and if neither parent is obese, their child has only a 5% chance of being obese† (Bray 68). Shared family behaviors such as eating and activity habits influence a childs body weight. When a child sees their mom or dad eating unhealthy foods all the time, and snacking throughout the day, that child will get used to that eating pattern and follow in the footsteps of their parents. Overweight parents also tend to cook high calorie foods and order out more than thinner parents. This is bad because not only does that child eat foods high in fat throughout their whole childhood, but they also pick up the high-fat style of cooking as well. If a parent is overweight, it might not be as huge of a priority for them to get their child into shape. Even if it is, the extent to which they can exercise with them is limited. It is a key factor when your child is overweight to get them active as well as to cut down the amount of fat in their diet. But you must carefully cut down the fat in their diet. Reducing fat is a good way to cut calories without depriving your child of nutrients. Simple ways to cut the fat in your family’s diet include eating low-fat or even better, non-fat dairy products, poultry without the skin, and lean meats, and low-fat or fat-free breads and cereals. Making small changes to your family’s diet is a good, healthy way to help your child lose weight. It is also good to involve your child in food shopping and preparing meals. This teaches children about nutrition, and gives them a feeling of accomplishment. Physical education is only part of the solution. â€Å"Just as parents reinforce good reading habits, they also should encourage their children to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives† according to Judy Young, executive director of NASPE. The national Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) in Reston, Va. , recently issued guidelines recommending that children ages six to eleven exercise a minimum of thirty to sixty minutes per day. The problem with this is that in today’s lifestyle, it is the norm for both parents to have careers and work full time. This means that they’re children will come home to an empty house after school. Our society consists of households where both parents work and their children are left to fend for and feed themselves after school. According to a new Urban Institute report, â€Å"An estimated four million grade-school age children are regularly without adult supervision. â€Å" Another shocking fact is that in California, six percent of 6-9 year olds and thirty two percent of 10 – 12 year olds average five hours unsupervised each week, or with a sibling under the age of 13. Research shows that children who spend a lot of time alone are more likely to have social and academic problems (HHS Press Office). When children come home from school the first thing on their agenda is food. What does the normal everyday child reach for when mom and dad aren’t around? A nutritious snack, or the cookie jar and a bag of Doritos. Marvin Moss, Capital-Journal columnist, states that â€Å"To many of you, This may not seem like a major event, but put yourself in a kid’s shoes. â€Å" â€Å"I know when mine come home from school, the first thing they want is food. â€Å" â€Å"I call their after school eating habit pre-dinner. â€Å"If one of us parents wasn’t home when they arrived home from school, how would they be made to eat a healthy pre-diner snack? â€Å" Snacks take up most of the calories in children’s diets and lead to them becoming overweight. â€Å"Total daily intake from snacks among children has risen from an average of 450 to 600 in the last two decades† ,according to researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While some snacks are healthy for children and give them nutrients and energy, most snacks are usually a source of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods like soda, potato chips, and cookies. After they have picked out their snack, they go for the television and sit on the couch while all of their favorite shows come on. Its either the television or the computer or multiple video games. There are so many alternative choices for kids nowadays other than physical activities. There is always a new video game or an upgraded computer toy, and not to mention all of the new shows that come out every season. Along with the hundreds of shows that kids watch after school come the numerous food commercials advertising pizza, soda, and candy making kids minds turn to food yet again. Technology has advanced so much in the last few decades coming out with many new high-tech, entertaining things for kids to play with. All of the new technology is fascinating, but is it a coincidence that America’s weight problem is expanding along side all the new technology coming out? NO. It is no coincidence. â€Å"In America, kids spend an average of 21 hours per week in front of the television, and if a child adds 5 hours to that per week, he or she is ten percent more likely to become obese† (Parr 97). Children are larger because American life has changed. More children sit in front of video monitors than on bicycles or playing sports. According to a Nielsen Media Research Report, â€Å"Aside from the time kids spend watching television ,they spend another three to four hours daily with the internet and video games† (Karas 47). According to The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Center for Health Statistics, in 1999 over 9 million –or 15 percent– of American children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 18 were overweight, or triple what the percentage was in 1990† (Parenting Today ). This problem is going to continue to rise over the years if our country doesn’t put more effort into stopping it. Leaving your child unattended after school and during the summer is a factor not as harmless as everyone thought. Lois Salsbury, president of Children Now, states that â€Å"While the United States has restructured its economy, analysis of the impact on working families is still in its infancy. † â€Å"Hundreds of thousands of children are spending time alone. † â€Å"Is this what we want in terms of safety and developing our children? † Our nation is developing as our parenting skills are deteriorating. We want so much to be wealthy and powerful that we neglect to realize what it is doing to our children. Parents need to realize what is happening to their children and gain control over what their kids eat and how much time they spend sitting around if this problem is going to be reversed. Another area that needs focusing on is the food available for kids to buy while at school. U. S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, has declared childhood obesity a national epidemic (Mayer 23). The Oakland School District banned the sale of sugary drinks and candy in vending machines. The Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest in the country, followed several weeks later (27). School lunches are not meeting up to the nutritious standards that they should. Vending machines are in almost every elementary school offering kids the opportunity to eat candy, chips, and soda at any time of the school day. The lunches offered usually have one healthy meal and the rest consist of things like pizza, cheese steaks, and mozzarella sticks. Is this what we want our kids eating all day? Legislators introduced several bills aimed at eefing up physical education requirements and fixing up school lunch programs. Gov. Gray Davis signed a bill in October that prohibits the sale of junk food in elementary schools and bans soda at middle schools (32). This needs to be done everywhere. There is no questions that school meal programs have a powerful influence on children’s future food choices. † More than half of youth in the United States eat one to three major meals in school† (Owl 27). Adequate nutrition throughout the day plays an important performance at school and enables children to make wise choices when eating. Kids who go hungry or are only allowed a hurried meal through the morning or afternoon are likely to arrive at home after school extremely hungry. This can lead to overeating particularly high-fat, easy to prepare snack foods. This pattern of behavior is difficult to change and can lead to obesity. â€Å"Providing healthy meals at a pleasant environment at school is an important part of obesity preventionâ€Å" (29). Many school lunch programs offer fast food as an alternative. Limit your childs participation in unhealthy school lunch programs. Parents should ban together and speak with their school boards about improving school lunch programs. School districts should remove the vending machines from their schools and make the lunches offered healthier. So much money is spent every year on obesity programs for children and all that money could be saved if schools would just do their part in solving the problem. â€Å"There is no more compelling reminder of the health implications than the $127 million spent each year in hospital costs related to childhood obesityâ€Å", according to the Centers for Disease control and Prevention. Some things are being done to start solving the problem but not enough. If everyone works together this battle can be overcome. The increasing number of obese parents, technology, unsupervised children after school, and unhealthy school lunches are to blame for the increasing number of overweight kids in the United States. These factors can all be helped and prevented. This problem must be fixed before it gets worse. Our nation must united and work together for the sake and well being of our children.

Platon's Allegory of the Cave. Summarizy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Platon's Allegory of the Cave. Summarizy - Essay Example But after he escapes from the cave, he becomes able to realize the concrete reality in front of his eye through reasoning that is an essential part of a man’s education. When the escaped prisoner of Plato’s Cave is confronted with the reality of the concrete world, he, first, becomes confounded and distrusts what he sees in front of his eyes, as Plato says, â€Å"When approaches the light, his eye will be dazzled and he will not be able to see anything at all of what are now called realities† (Plato 451). But gradually he finds that the world out of the cave is realer than the world in the cave. Since the prisoner is a human being, he can reason. Therefore his reasoning capability dispels the smear of subjectivity and relativity of view and assigns human mind with a greater objectivity. Plato asserts that reality can be deceptive. Generations after generations, the prisoners live the same naive and ignorant life in the caves, until one of the prisoners starts questioning. This prisoner breaks the chains that bind him and in order to know the real truth, escapes the caves into the mysterious world. In the outside world, the philosopher faces many challenges, as he is not used to the sunlight, to the presence of nature and all its elements around him. A philosopher, in spite of these difficulties, starts exploring this new world to seek reality. He walks on a lonely, unfamiliar path to discover the truth, but does not give up his questioning spirit. At one point, the philosopher thinks of going back to the caves to tell the other prisoners about the reality. To tell them that there is a beautiful world out there, waiting for them and that there is more to life than just the cave and its make-believe reality as showed by the shadows. When the philosopher, shares this newfound knowledge with the other captives of the cave, he deals with the

How Tai Chi Chan can improve performance in sport activities Research Paper

How Tai Chi Chan can improve performance in sport activities - Research Paper Example Sports personalities often engage in different exercises in order to strengthen their physical and mental health. For example, running, weight training etc are some of the exercises used for strengthening physical health whereas Yoga, deep breathing etc like exercises used for improving the mental health. The advantage of practicing Tai Chi Chuan for sports personalities is the fact that it can provide both physical and mental strength at the same time. It is not necessary for the sports people to practice different exercises to improve their stamina and will power, if they practice Tai Chi Chuan. In short, â€Å"Tai Chi is all about balancing and harmony† (About Tai Chi). It helps people not only as a defense mechanism, but also as an effective tool for improving physical and mental health. In short, Tai Chi originated as a martial art; however, it is currently used extensively for improving physical & mental health and also in improving the performances in sports events. Bas eball, Running, Golf, tennis etc are some of the popular sports events in which Tai Chi Chuan helps the sports people. This paper analyses the positive effects of Tai Chi Chuan upon our health and its role in helping sports personalities in improving their performances. ... The following illustrations provide a brief idea about the extent to which stress can cause physical and mental problems. (Dr. Babu) â€Å"Daily practice of Tai Chi promotes mental clarity and a healthy body, assists with balance and helps the circulation of the blood† (What is Tai Chi Chuan?). Tai Chi Chuan can reduce the stress levels of a person immensely and thus it can prevent stress related diseases up to certain extent. Deep breathing is one of the major exercises included in the tai chi exercises. Deep breathing is accepted globally as the major mechanism for stress reduction. Deep breathing helps the people to absorb more oxygen to their body which will enhance the brain activities. Enhanced brain activities will help a person to think more rationally and to eliminate the stress. Thus, the deep breathing techniques used in Tai Chi can help people to reduce their stress. Blood pressure, sugar level and cholesterol levels in the body can be adjusted to the optimum level , if Tai Chi practiced regularly. â€Å"Tai chi is often described as "meditation in motion," but it might well be called "medication in motion† (World Tai Chi & Qigong Day). Tai Chi exercises can be practiced even while a person is in motion. For example, while travelling in a vehicle, the person can practice deep breathing exercises as advised by Tai Chi Chuan. Attention deficit disorder (ADD) is one of the major health problems in many countries. Even though, it is seen more often among the children, it can cause problems to the adults also. ADD prevents a person from giving attention to a particular subject for longer periods. â€Å"Tai Chi may be a wonderful adjunct therapy for treating ADD because it augments

Final Exam Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Final Exam - Speech or Presentation Example the three-week training program, and then were tested again.  The dataset also includes (1) a measure of participant confidence in knowledge and (2) a certification exam score. The data are discipline-neutral. Therefore, part of your final project is to create a context for the research that is associated with your discipline or area of interest (e.g., training to assess mental health status; training to work with special education children; training to become a technician or consultant).   This work is an investigation into the impact of a training program on the knowledge base of three categories of employees. The employees are classified as professionals, paraprofessionals and non-professionals. The objective is to evaluate the impact of the training on the knowledge base of the employees in the various categories and establish whether the training had significant impact on the performance of each category. There is high consistency among all variables with the assumptions of normality. For example, the absolute skewness values are all within the range 0

Beginner's mind Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Beginner's mind - Assignment Example Generally, these physicists do not use or think of nonsense. Many of these physicists spend their expert lives having thoughts along well reputable thought lines. The scientists seen in establishing the reputable lines of thought are seen not to involve themselves boldly into nonsense (Zukav, 117). In physics, the individuals who might have felt the excitement of the creative process are the individuals who have best slipped the bonds of the recognized to undertake far in the territories that have not been explored and lying beyond the noticeable barrier. This kind of an individual has two traits. The first trait is a childlike capability of viewing the world as it is and not as it is seen according to what individuals recognize about it (Zukav, 118). For example, in â€Å"The Emperor’s New Clothes,† when the emperor passed through the roads, a child stated that the emperor did not have clothes while the other individuals forced themselves in believing that the emperor dressed in his best new clothing. The child is seen by the individuals to be innocent and naà ¯ve (Zukav, 118). The second trait is the strong confidence that the scientists and the artists have in them. This confidence is a manifestation of an inner strength that enables them in speaking out, confident in the facts that, appearances to the disagreeing, it is the universe that is mixed up and not them (Zukav, 118). In conclusion, the first individual to see an impression that has been flourished by other individuals for centuries certainly stays in a lonely area. In that insight moment, the individual only sees the noticeable which the rest of the world views it as madness or nonsense. This sureness is not the fool’s obstinacy, but the surety of him recognizing what he recognizes and recognizing that he can express it to other individuals in a meaningful way (Zukav,

Rethinking Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rethinking Leadership - Essay Example A leader is the one who motivates and influences his/her subordinates to attain the pre-defined goals (Hernandez et al. 1166). With this definition in mind, one can recognize a number of effective leaders; Alexander the Great, Nelson Mandela, Adolf Hitler, Asoka and Mahatma Gandhi etc. However, at the organizational level, Steve Jobs is undoubtedly the most legendary leader of the 21st century who transformed the world of information technology. Steven Paul  "Steve"  Jobs  (February 24, 1955  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ October 5, 2011) was an American entrepreneur, innovator, leader and inventor, best known as the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of  Apple Inc.  Through Apple, he was widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the  personal computer revolution and for his influential career in the computer and  consumer electronics  fields, transforming one industry after another, from computers and smart phones to music and movies. Jobs also co-founded and served as chief executive of  Pixar Animation Studios. He became a member of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company  in 2006, when Disney acquired Pixar. Steve Jobs was the one, who led to the creation of the  Apple Lisa  and, one year later, the Macintosh. He also played a role in introducing the  LaserWriter, one of the first widely available laser printers, to the market. Steven Paul Jobs was born on 24 February 1955 in San Francisco, California, to an un-married couple who gave him up for adoption. He was taken in by a working class couple, Paul and Clara Jobs, and grew up with them in Mountain View, California. He attended Homestead High School in Cupertino California and went to Reed College in Portland Oregon in 1972 but dropped out after only one semester, staying on to "drop in" on courses that interested him (Hertzfeld 53). He took a job with video game manufacturer Atari to raise enough money for a trip to India and returned from there a

Business five Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business five - Essay Example My insurance firm ensured that it has the license of operation renewed every month to avoid any hiccups with the authorities. The company also has a personal lawyer with whom we liaise with to understand better what we are and not supposed to carry out in the firm. The social context of the organization is also very stable. This is seen by the numerous funds that we offer to the less fortunate through corporate events. Moreover, we show social responsibility by employing locals. The economic environment of the organization happens to run very smoothly. The amount of money brought back to the company as profit continues rising with each passing year. The interest rates thus go down and an increase in clients is in line (Adams, 2008). The managerial condition of the organization is close to perfect. This as I run the organization with strict rules which if not followed could lead to the person indicted getting a penalty that subsequently may ruin any chance of promotion. The operational condition is in the same manner and I ensure that I delegate the right responsibilities to the capable persons. With this, there is assurance that all operations will run smoothly. After the last board meeting, the organization’s major shareholders settled down on the running of a very diverse and critical project. Due to my steadfastness in the job, I was delegated the task of managing the project and giving them feedback. The project was market diversification by marketing the organization to other regions. The person most suitable or best acquainted with the respective area manages this and similar projects. Time management is one of the major factors to observe in the organization. Due to this, I ensure that all the respective parties for various activities complete their jobs in a timely manner. On my side, when I am given a project to oversee, I ensure I set up a time table that I divide to various section

English composition assignment 666 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

English composition assignment 666 - Essay Example need to define whether Islam is a religion that is an enemy of the United States, or if it was merely misjudged and given a bad reputation by the actions of a few Islamic radicals. Using various reputable sources such as online newspapers, both electronic and print journals, and other possible sources, I plan to discuss this very issue and portray both sides of the story. by doing that, I will be able to present factual data and other actions that can help lay the issue to rest. Goldstein, J. (2013). What is racial profiling? police testify complaint is rarely made. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/13/nyregion/what-racial-profiling-police-testify- complaint-is-rarely-made.html?_r=0 Kessler, C. (2013). Muslims must face history of Islam. The Australian. Retrieved from http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/opinion/muslims-must-face- history-of-islam/story-e6frgd0x-1226650925628 Simcox, R. & Dyer, E. (2013). A brief history of radical islamists in the U.S. armed forces. The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/04/a-brief-history-of-radical- islamists-in-the-us-armed-forces/274544/ Sobiesky, M. (2013). At war with Islam, Martel Sobieskys warning after Boston. Retrieved from http://www.standupamericanow.org/articles/2013/04/at-war-with- islam-martel-sobieskeys-warning-after-boston Stoakes, E. (2012). Islam is not â€Å"the enemy†-- irrational hatred is. Retrieved from Independent Blogs. Retrieved from

Moolaadé Story Essay Example for Free

Moolaadà © Story Essay Seven years ago, a woman and a mother refused to subject her only daughter to be under the atrocious practice of female circumcision. Moolaadà © is the story of this woman, Collà © Ardo, a seditious and strong-minded second wife of Cirà © in a small secluded African village who single-handedly refused to allow five girls to suffer through the customary Salindà © ceremony. She was in opposition with the practice of genital mutilation due to her personal experiences and she didn’t want others to suffer like her. Collà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Moolaadà © enraged the Salindana, who were the women who performed â€Å"purification† ritual and the male elders who viewed her actions as threats to their values. As a sign of dominance, the men confiscated the women’s radios, which devastated the women because it was their source to news and music outside of their isolated lives. When the five girls escaped the Salindà © ceremony and came to Collà ©, she willingly offered them Moolaadà ©, or protection. Collà © was scarred after losing two children during childbirth due to her own genital mutilation. She remembers the pain she had to go through and the nurse had to open her up to deliver her only surviving daughter, Amasatou. Collà © remained firm that she would never let Amasatou to endure the agony of being cut. Collà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s interference with the old tradition caused outrage in the dominating patriarchal society who viewed her actions as disrespect to tradition and Islamic religion. The male elders took away the women’s radios because they didn’t want women being influenced by radical ideas. Collà © was intensely pressured by the Salindana and the male elders, including her husband to lift the Moolaadà ©. Her refusal forced her husband to whip her publically but she never once uttered the word. Collà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s actions reflected her bravery and determination which â€Å"mobilized† the other women in the village to support Collà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s intentions and realize the horrid effects of purification. She was an intelligent woman who encouraged the other women to realize that the men were oppressing them from the truth by taking away their radios, so the women wouldn’t ponder over unreasonable ideas. Collà © supported her deep-rooted opposition to genital mutilation with evidence that contradicted the men’s inaccurate dictations. While, listening to the radio Collà © had learned that Islam didn’t tolerate female genital mutilation because thousands of Muslim women would go to Mecca for pilgrimage and they weren’t cut, which shocked many of the male elders who still appeared to be ignorant. Through this, the women in the village united together and bonded through the pain each of them suffered through their genital mutilations. There is a sense of relief and happiness that reflect off these women in the end when they burned the knives used to bring suffering to generations of women who feel under the dreadful practice. As Collà © and the village women in their struggles end the practice of female genital cutting, they began their own feminism movement revolutionizing their purpose in society. Both characters having seen the world beyond the village and convinced of the need for change become unlikely allies of Collà © and the village women in their struggles to end the practice of female genital cutting. Such unlikely partnerships forged across ethnic, class, gender and generational lines have historically been crucial to the success of human rights struggles. In the campaign against the practice of female genital cutting, they are essential and Mooladà © shows us why. caused a sudden awareness among the other oppressed women in the village when her husband whipped her publically but she never once uttered the word. Allegedly eradication Unlike many recent Hollywood made films about Africa, Mooladà © is a story about Africa made by Africans from a distinctly local perspective. Yet, it speaks to universal themes of power, oppression and emancipation. In depicting one woman’s struggle to protect others from an oppressive and inhibiting tradition, Sembene brings great sensitivity and nuance to topic that is often discussed from simplistic, patronizing and polarizing standpoints. He deftly explores not only the conflict between local traditional values and the influence of modern ideas, but also the gender and generational tensions within a community largely isolated from the outside world. Although the film obviously seeks to challenge the practice of female genital cutting and raise questions about its legitimacy, it does so with sensitivity to underlying social complexities. It provides a glimpse into the perspective of local African tribesmen who see the practice of female genital cutting as process of â€Å"purification† and older women who see it as a necessary rite of passage for their daughters. However disagreeable their positions may appear, Sembene brings their voices to the story in a way that is neither condescending nor patronizing. Beyond its message, Mooladà © is a cinematic delight. Sembene assembles a group of colourful characters that add depth to his portrayal of rural African life and make for a more compelling storyline. Although this film is essentially about the local tribulations of an African village, it still mange to engage the outside world through two intriguing characters a local itinerant vendor, nicknamed Mercenaire who previously worked as an aid worker, and a favoured son of the village Chief, Ibrahima, who returns home from his studies in France to take a bride. Both characters having seen the world beyond the village and convinced of the need for change become unlikely allies of Collà © and the village women in their struggles to end the practice of female genital cutting. Such unlikely partnerships forged across ethnic, class, gender and generational lines have historically been crucial to the success of human rights struggles. In the campaign against the practice of female genital cut ting, they are essential and Mooladà © shows us why. Ultimately, this movie is not simply about oppression and social turmoil or about progressive citizens and regressive traditions. It is more about the resilience of the human spirit and the tenacity of ordinary people determined to change their destinies. It is an excursion into the dilemmas that confront a society caught in the midst of social and cultural change. For the human rights scholar and teacher, it provides a subtle but invaluable resource for raising awareness about the practice of female genital cutting and offers a means of understanding and explaining a controversial topic to an audience unfamiliar with the social and cultural intricacies associated with the practice. Set in a remote Muslim village in Burkina Faso, Mooladà © is the story of Collà ©, a defiant and strong-willed second wife of an elder in a West African village who refuses to allow four little girls to undergo the traditional circumcision ceremony. After losing two daughters in childbirth due to her own circumcision, Collà © had refused to allow her surviving daughter, Amasatou, to face the ordeal of being cut. Colles moolaadà © stirs the anger of the Salidana, a group of women dressed in red gowns who perform the mutilation. She is also forced to stand up to the intimidation of her husband and his brother and the male elders in the village who see her as a threat to their values. As a gesture of control, the men confiscate the womens radios, their main source of news of outside life. Rigidly defending their traditions and what they questionably see as a practice sanctioned by Islam, they also turn against an itinerant merchant they call Mercenaire (Dominique Zeida) who comes to the aid of Colle in a shocking scene of public flogging. As the issue becomes crystallized, many women rally to Colles support whose courage in the face of determined opposition is of heroic proportions. She is thrust into an unfolding drama of village politics when she offers Mooladà © (protection) to the girls who escape the circumcision ceremony. Mooladà © is the mystical protection which in the local custom can be invoked to provide place of safety. Collà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s interference draws the fury of her deeply patriarchal community which sees her action as an affront on its culture and Islamic religion. Collà © can lift the Mooladà © with a single word and comes under the intense pressure of the male elders, her husband and some fellow women to do so. Her resolute refusal to lift the Mooladà © draws other women and girls to her cause and sets the stage for a standoff with the village elders that erupts in the centre of the village and shatters the tranquility of the community. Unlike many recent Hollywood made films about Africa, Mooladà © is a story about Africa made by Africans from a distinctly local perspective. Yet, it speaks to universal themes of power, oppression and emancipation. In depicting one woman’s struggle to protect others from an oppressive and inhibiting tradition, Sembene brings great sensitivity and nuance to topic that is often discussed from simplistic, patronizing and polarizing standpoints. He deftly explores not only the conflict between local traditional values and the influence of modern ideas, but also the gender and generational tensions within a community largely isolated from the outside world. Although the film obviously seeks to challenge the practice of female genital cutting and raise questions about its legitimacy, it does so with sensitivity to underlying social complexities. It provides a glimpse into the perspective of local African tribesmen who see the practice of female genital cutting as process of â€Å"purification† and older women who see it as a necessary rite of passage for their daughters. However disagreeable their positions may appear, Sembene brings their voices to the story in a way that is neither condescending nor patronizing. Beyond its message, Mooladà © is a cinematic delight. Sembene assembles a group of colourful characters that add depth to his portrayal of rural African life and make for a more compelling storyline. Although this film is essentially about the local tribulations of an African village, it still mange to engage the outside world through two intriguing characters a local itinerant vendor, nicknamed Mercenaire who previously worked as an aid worker, and a favoured son of the village Chief, Ibrahima, who returns home from his studies in France to take a bride. Both characters having seen the world beyond the village and convinced of the need for change become unlikely allies of Collà © and the village women in their struggles to end the practice of female genital cutting. Such unlikely partnerships forged across ethnic, class, gender and generational lines have historically been crucial to the success of human rights struggles. In the campaign against the practice of female genital cut ting, they are essential and Mooladà © shows us why. Ultimately, this movie is not simply about oppression and social turmoil or about progressive citizens and regressive traditions. It is more about the resilience of the human spirit and the tenacity of ordinary people determined to change their destinies. It is an excursion into the dilemmas that confront a society caught in the midst of social and cultural change. For the human rights scholar and teacher, it provides a subtle but invaluable resource for raising awareness about the practice of female genital cutting and offers a means of understanding and explaining a controversial topic to an audience unfamiliar with the social and cultural intricacies associated with the practice. Set in a remote Muslim village in Burkina Faso, Mooladà © is the story of Collà ©, a defiant and strong-willed second wife of an elder in a West African village who refuses to allow four little girls to undergo the traditional circumcision ceremony. After losing two daughters in childbirth due to her own circumcision, Collà © had refused to allow her surviving daughter, Amasatou, to face the ordeal of being cut.

High school Essay Example for Free

High school Essay It was once thought that when a person gets out of high school, he is invisible. He can do whatever he wants, achieve all his dreams and aspirations, and become the person that he always envisioned himself to be. It probably never daunted him that he will become independent and responsible for the consequences of his actions; he would have treated those like simple challenges anyway. Obstacles that he needed to conquer in order to make him a stronger person and to reach his destination. And all this he would achieve, amazingly with the help of the environment. The environment does not literally translate to the trees, the suburbs, or the urban metro that we have come to know as an environment. It essentially means much more than that. It is how a person adapts to where he is. It is how he makes things work to his advantage, and at the same time not harming those around him. It is how he makes his life work, whatever the given circumstance. There are several ways on how to mold the environment and make it a part of the learning experience that will help an individual achieve his goals, find better jobs, and have self-satisfaction. It is important to note that a student has to realize the importance of getting a college degree. He will realize that the environment is competitive enough to require it. It is through what he experiences that he will come to know the importance of getting into college and in learning through the environment, he will realize that he has succeeded Time management is one of those ways on how the environment plays a key role in a person’s learning experience. As much as every person would want to control time, there are instances wherein it will always spin out of control. The heavy traffic, the weather, the floods, the mode of transportation – these are all elements that we cannot predict and therefore we cannot control. Due to the unpredictability of these factors, one must always manage his time wisely, with allotment for situations like this. Being organized, following a routine and a flow of tasks also says that a person is disciplined. He has the strength to say no to distractions because he knows that he has allotted an ample time for everything, even for play. And temptation is one of the numerous obstacles that humans go through in dealing with their daily lives. The environment’s role in being able to overcome obstacles is that when we look hard enough, the answers are just out there, around us. It is magical that we sometimes have the answers right in front of us and yet we fail to recognize them. Everybody knows that we will never be given problems that we cannot solve. In trying to solve our problems, we get to know and discover ourselves more; the things that make us stronger, the emotions that make us weak. In discovering these unknown side of ourselves we create more options, we get to know more. If a person once said to himself that getting a college degree is not worth his time, effort, and money, this may not hold true if he was faced with an employment problem. The environment today is competitive enough to want more from its employees, and these employers do compensate for this. It is during the toughest times that we get to see the real attitudes of the people. Those who strive to outshine the rest will not just settle for a high school diploma, but for a higher one. Everybody’s goal in life is to become successful in whatever his or her endeavors are. It may be as small as finishing a 5-kilometer run or as big as running for the presidential seat, what we all want is success. For the individual whose environment shapes him to become the next big CEO, more qualifications have to be met. A college degree or an MBA will definitely make him go places and put an edge to his resume. It is not only in this career path that a higher education will prove to be useful, in fact, in all career paths, a higher education is always a better credential. Becoming a lawyer, a physician, an engineer, or a nurse may put you through the worst, sleepless nights you have ever had, but the end game is always a win. While one may not always understand why people want to have success and always feel like achieving a desire or attaining a goal, it is important that they know that they are working hard for themselves. There is nothing better than knowing that you have worked hard for something and you got what you wanted in the end. Reaping the fruits of your labor brings a sense of pride and self-satisfaction to one’s self. Everything that one has to work hard for, the stress of the environment, the pressure of achievement, overcoming these is necessary in order to achieve lifetime goals. In conclusion, working on lifetime goals allow people to see how hard work and studying can pay off for the future. The changing environment affects everyone differently. Employer’s at times allow employees to work on their studies while they are at work and offer the students reimbursements for their college work. For students who finish their degree, it will open many doors for them in advancing at their current professions. Students that complete their degree will have a sense of pride and accomplishment that was taken by them for all of their hard work and effort. The environment of each student is different. The variation of the stressful environments is different for each student. Some have family stress and some have work stress. Time management is a determining factor in each of these areas. It is crucial that the student completes all required materials when the assignments are due. When students look back and realize what they have accomplished they will know that they bettered themselves by working in this new environment. References: Jewell, D, (2008). One vision many paths. ProQuest Database, 16(9), Retrieved December 28, 2008, from http://proquest. umi. comezproxy. apus. edu Khalifa, M. Lam, R. (2002). Web based learning: Effects on Learning Process and Outcome. Academic Search Premier Database, 45(4), Retrieved December 28, 2008, from, http://apus. agent-graphics. com. ezproxy. apus. edu Littky, D (2004). The big picture: Education is everyone’s business. APUS online library, Retrieved December 28, 2008, from http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. apus. edu/ehost/detail .Ramey, S. Ramey, C. (2008). The Learning environment, learning process, academic outcomes and career success of university graduates: The transition to school. Academic Search Premier Database, 33(4), Retrieved December 28, 2008, from http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. apus. edu/ehost/detail Williams, K. (2006) Introducing Management: A Development Guide. APUS online library, Retrieved December 28, 2008, from http://apus. agent-graphics. com. ezproxy. apus. edu Zygmunt-Fillwalk, E. (2006). Encouraging School Success through family Involvement. Proquest Database, 82 (4), Retrieved December 28, 2008, from http://proquest. umi. comezproxy. apus. edu.

Integrating Technology In The Teaching And Learning Process Education Essay

Integrating Technology In The Teaching And Learning Process Education Essay In the 21 century, technology is everywhere. Especially the new generation is growing up with technology and gets familiar with it. Computer technologies have dramatically changed the way people reach information, do research and communicate with people all around the world. Because of this reason, schools and teachers need to be aware of improving their technological tools and skills to be able to catch the students` attentions and interests. Using technology in classrooms also makes the lesson more efficient. The presence of technology in education became a must in order to match with the development of other areas such as engineering, medicine, defense and aerospace, agriculture and science of modern times. The field of education has witnessed a great boom in the late twentieth century, but he tends to take us a broad dimensions at the beginning of this century. The governmental and private educational institutions raced towards this direction to find and provide effective means to help the student to learn easily and provide them with the ability to innovate effectively in the study and in their future work. Before we talk about the importance of technology in education, we have to know what is meant by educational technology in education. Educational technology is defined as a means or an integrated process involving theories of education, ideas, and applications through which you try to enter the means of modern technology to match the learning objectives of developing and facilitating education, and to find viable solutions to the problems and learning difficulties faced by the teacher and student. When the means of technology like computers and internet interact in enriching education then the educational process becomes simple and easy in a way that allow those working in the field of education to overcome the problems facing education easily. We can define the role that technology plays in the field of education as follows: 1 The technology plays the role of the guide , which helps the teacher in guiding the scientific material for students, and replaces the traditional method of education in explaining the lesson and providing information. The technology, by all its means of development, can simply do a major change in the private educational level of the teacher and his ability in introducing the approach to the student in a way that gives the opportunity to greater and easier chance in understanding the lessons. This will reflect the students ability to develop his mental and intellectual learning, and refine his creative talents and capabilities in his school activities. 2 A modern and educational tool like computer could focus the attention of students for using it in the field of education. Taking it as a guide or electronic assistant will guide them, by its various programs and functions, in the field of learning and discovering new talent and the development of mental abilities in various subjects and education. As well as the Internet opens a new door that helps students per semester to participate in educational activities in the field of research and exchange of information through these activities. 3 Technology provides an abundant source of information that both the teacher and student need it. Internet has become a broad sea and has a wealth of information such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, maps and other information sources that are difficult to obtain through traditional research. In the time where it takes the teacher or professor days to search for information in a particular subject, going online and surf the internet will not take more than hours (or preferably minutes) to get that information easily without any stress. 4 Technology, as a source of communication, has opened wide branches where the teacher and student stay in a continuous contact by interacting over the internet. While the teacher is sitting in front of his computer, the student can communicate with his/her mentor at home via the Internet , in this case they have found a new way to communicate, and open the door to communicate and discuss matters related to the student in his study. Students can also communicate between each other regarding their homework or their research process. Also the internet became a communication tool between the teacher and the school via emails. Modern schools interact with their teachers via emails not by paper reports. Due to the prior knowledge that I have mentioned , I decided to focus , during my observations, on integration technology in the teaching process. Does the teacher integrate the technology in his/her instructional time ? 2. Literature of review: Technology of education plays a major role in the educational process and this importance is reflected in raising the level of education and learning and the development of thinking, by: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Raising the learners attention: It is working to raise the learner to watch a film or television program or transparent segments on a particular topic. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Increase the experience of the learner: the learning techniques provide new subjects in which the classroom teacher can not provide it, thereby expanding the expertise areas of the learner. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Work on building and configuring the true trends and concepts of the learner by providing a lot of skills and ideas. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Make the learning experience more effective and more lasting impact and less likely to forget. These techniques work on the installation of information for the learners, especially when they see things, where it is difficult to forget because of viewing the content of the picture presented. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Working on the diversification of teaching methods: it can be a diversity in the methods used in education via variety of learning techniques, as they can provide a variety of topics in various ways that differ from those techniques used in the traditional education methods, through the transparent slides or television or cinema or the computer or other diverse educational devices. Mabel CPO Okojie, Anthony A. Olinzock, and Tinukwa C. Okojie.Boulder ( 2011. P. 66 ) indicate that Technology used for teaching and learning should be considered an integral part of instruction and not as an object exclusive to itself. Viewing technology integration from a wide perspective will provide teachers with the necessary foundation to implement technology into the classroom more successfully. The role of technology in teaching English : Lang (2005 ) declares that there are many advantages to the integration of technology in the classroom for students, particularly English as a foreign language. To be able to improve their language skills, such as writing and reading and listening to speak and learn the English language and the use of computers and software to make sure of its work and correct itself, and improve their language skills, and the use of Internet and e-mail to search for information, and to accede to the threats, and the dissemination of their work, and reading texts technology, and communicating between each other even. The reasons that yields for learning languages by the help of the computer: 1 Development of experiential learning in the field of the educational process. 2 Increase the motivation of the students for education. 3 To improving the academic achievement of students. 4 To increase the interaction between the student and the computer. 5 Individual learning through self-learning and make the student self-reliant in learning. 6 To organize the systematic creative thinking of the learner. 7 To save time and reduce the effort on the teacher and the learner. 8 Multiple sources of knowledge for the variety of programs that can be provided by the device to one student or several students to education by conclusion. Advantages of Computer Assisted Language Learning CALL: 1 Motivation: Use technology outside or inside the classrooms usually raise the students interest, where the student interacts with scientific material whether with the help of a mentor or from others, and also the student can deal with parts of the scientific material and the immediate transition from partial to another through multimedia (such as images and video . .) 2 Adapting learning to the student: Computer has an important role in the process of new learning and teaching, and without the use of computers in the educational process it is difficult for the students to achieve academic progress. Adaptation of the student with computers and software means the speed of learning and also the student will be able to choose what to learn, which makes the student more efficient. Students tend to learn in the form of stories and educational games or solve puzzles and this could be through the computer, more than the traditional direct teaching. 3 Individuality: These programs and educational tools correspond with the needs of each learner, and meet the desires and also in line with the scientific level, which allows the student to quickly learn and rely on himself to learn any educational material. 4 Cosmic: It can be accessed anywhere, at any time through these tools without barriers through multimedia, that can be used to introduce the educational material. The role of technology in teaching mathematics : Due to the enormous technical progress that we are witnessing in our time, calculators exist and become accessible to everyone, and moving away from using it in the school curriculum would negatively impact on the attitudes of students towards the study of mathematics, and thus generate a trend towards the introduction of a calculator in the mathematics curriculum, although there was disagreement about the inclusion in the curricula of primary school. The project of the British Schools Council showed that the use of a calculator is effective in the teaching of mathematics in high school, it helps students with less abilities to deal with more mathematical applications instead of spending time in the calculations of the mechanism. And also the results of many studies showed the feasibility of introducing calculators in the mathematics curriculum in high school , for example: 1. Using a calculator helps to change the method of teaching some topics where it is possible to deal with numerical data and perform operations easily while saving time and effort. 2. Using a calculator provides greater opportunities to study the attitudes and realistic dealing with numerical sequences, geometric, and exponential functions, infinite sequences. 3. Using a calculator to give rounding to irrational real numbers. 4. Using a calculator to find rounding for the root of the real roots of an equation of the third degree. We should not stop on the use of calculators only, but it should be extended to include the computer, which can serve largely the process of teaching and learning of mathematics. The computer is the most technical challenge to educators because of its impact on mathematics, and methods of teaching. Many different programs appeared that resulted in a wide range of mathematical functions in addition to the increasing of opportunities for teaching and learning of mathematics through the use of computers as an educational tool. The International Committee for the teaching of mathematics felt sorry about the doubt that still hovers on the introduction of computers to the school curriculum in the nineties, and there were many trends that support the introduction of the PC to the high school approach, whether through the study of computers and training to use it, or through the use of pre designed software or software prepared by the learners themselves. The computer is usually introduced to the curriculum under two distinct segments: 1. Studying the computer and training how to use it. 2. the use of programs to study the mathematical relationships and solving problems. The second goal diverted into two directions: 1. The learners should write their own programs. 2. Learners should use ready programs. Examples of projects that relied on the learners do their own programs (SMP) in the United Kingdom, and (CAMP) and (SOLO) in the United States of America The computer gains an educational feature it became the key that can be used as an educational tool, it can be used as : 1. Electronic board used by the teacher. 2. A mentor that facilitates the learning process of the learner. 3. A means to evaluate the performance of the learner. 4. Individual education where the programs include exercises, training, and self-evaluation. 5. A tool to perform calculations and the representation of functions, operations, 6. A tool to encourage experimentation and research, which are the components in the process of learning and teaching mathematics. It should be noted that the emergence of computer science has increased the importance of teaching mathematics-related to sequences such as counting, matrices and probability, statistics, and requests the introduction of a unit or units for a small computer programming. The major problem that students are facing in math is dealing with real world problems. Rodney X. Sturdivant, Penelope Dunham, and Richard Jardine ( 2009, p.171 ) declare that Teaching problem solving to students in a twenty-first century mathematics program simply should use available technology. Advances in recent years have led to exciting opportunities that allow students in the average mathematics class to work on problems that are much richer and more real than ever before. With these advances comes a need to develop and implement faculty development programs for technology-based instruction in mathematics departments. Integrating a technology-supported focus on problem solving into a mathematics program is, however, an evolutionary process, not a revolutionary one. The implementation involves gradual changes over time in curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment. Similarly, faculty development to support such a technology-based curriculum is best done incrementally. Used properly, technology enhances instruction and makes the class- room more exciting than ever. 3. Methodology : I used classroom observation in analyzing integrating technology during instructional time. I decided to observe an English class and a math class, twice each, for ninths graders at a high school under the name of applied technology. According to my schedule and the other teachers schedule we arranged for four observations. The first two was on Sunday during the 7th and 8th period and it was a math class, while the third and the fourth observations were on Sunday the 7th period and Monday the 2nd period respectively and it was an English class. 4. Analysis: Before start answering this question, I would like to explain some other circumstances that were going on during these periods. I used a form that divided the lesson into 3 parts : beginning Body of the lesson. Closure. These criteria of each part are illustrated in this form: The criteria that I mentioned above helps to have a good educational atmosphere during the class and to implement any strategy or method that should be used during the instructional time. In the English class the 2 periods were about reading and writing . The teacher was using a program called Edmodo for doing activities and involve the students more in the class. She uses the projector and the internet to show the students some videos related to their topic. During the writing period the teacher divided the students into groups , and each group was asked to write an essay by typing it on the laptop and send it to the other groups in order to read them and send their feedback to each other. Edmodo is an online-based interactive tool that is designed for educational purposes. It has both Learning Management System (LMS) features as well as Social Media (SM) and Twitter features/interface. The sheer fact that it looks like FaceBook (FB) makes it easier for students to learn how to use it due to their familiarity with FB. Online discussions:  the teacher post a message that opens the door to an online threaded discussion. The teacher set the minimum word limit for a response. This allows students who are not of high level to take their time before posting their responses as they tend to read the ones posted by their peers first, which is acceptable in an ESL class environment, as long as they dont plagiarize. Sharing Platform: for example, students share two links to online articles on local news. Students are asked to paraphrase the headline and write a preview of 50 words on the article to motivate their peers to read it. Within the same context, students are encouraged to share reviews of books, websites, musical albums, TV shows and even movies. Voting Pallet/ Poll:   The voting function in Edmodo allows the teacher to check Students comprehension at the end of a lesson. When students receive a question as a Poll, they dont get to see what others have chosen until they post their response, which makes this function a true simultaneous reflection of students understanding. Another use for this function is to check Students background on a topic before class, which helps the teacher in planning. Finally, its an easy and immediate way to receive Students feedback. Sharing files: teacher and students can share almost any file types. This facilitates the exchange of files in the class as Students can download the files before coming to class or preview them within the platform. In addition, the students can publish their weekly audio journals on Edmodo. MP3 files can be played automatically without having to download, which allows for immediate interaction with audio material published on the group wall. Embedding: Edmodo allows the teacher to embed any presentation, video or multimedia that comes with an embedding code, which has reduced the need to visit other platforms. The teacher embed flashcards from www.quizlet.com, video tutorials from www.screencast.com as well as Google presentations to share material with the students. During the math class the teacher was explaining how to solve absolute value equations. He was not using the traditional way, like solving on the board. He was using the smart board and the projector, while the students were using their laptops. He designed a software to solve such equations by using animations , different colors and different shapes so the students can understand and be familiar with the subject in an easier way. This program was sent to the students via email that was created by the school. This is a nice interactive way between the teacher and the students so they can communicate between each other not necessary during the school but at anytime outside the school. The teacher also used the math blog that was designed by the school to upload materials related to the subject. The student in this case can go to this blog at anytime to check and download this material that helps to understand the material. Also the teacher was using the smart and wireless pad. This pad was used by the teacher during passing between the students so he can access the board by writing on the board while explaining or moving from slide to another without the need of going back to the board and computer. This tool helps to be closer to the students specially the weak ones and this makes the interaction between the teacher and the student more effective. 5. Conclusion: Due to the rapid development of information technology and technology of education, it was not feasible to keep the teacher away from the technical scene, which has become an irreversible reality, so be the only option is to move to the era of technology itself, so that it can meet the challenges posed by the intelligence of the student, and his knowledge in every new in the world of technology, and his use of modern complicated means of communication. The supporters of technology in education are keen to emphasize that the use of modern technology does not eliminate the role of the teacher, but on the contrary, will continue his role forever, but it will become more difficult because the teacher is the essence of the educational process, and should be up to date for every new, and flexible to be creative and innovate, and can manage the work ably. So the career of teaching became a combination of the tasks of the leader, and critic and the router in order to be able to face the age requirements and its challenges and what is called globalization with its cultural, social and economic challenges. The success of the teacher is related to the best use of technology by transforming the classroom from place where the information is transmitted in one direction, from teacher to student, to a learning environment characterized by dynamic, and student-centered, where students can interact between each others as groups and with another classes from around the world via internet, and follow the teaching skills that take into account the needs and expectations of diverse and disparate recipients, and to develop a practical understanding of technology education with the continuous focus on the educational role of his personal.

Letter :: essays research papers

Legislator Donald Trotta Dear Donald Trotta   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My name is Jeffrey Magloire and I am a current matriculating student at Sullivan County Community College I have a couple of issues that I wanted to bring forward to your attention. As you may or may not know Sullivan County Community College has just constructed a new dormitory for incoming students. This Dormitory has opened up doors to many students that could not handle the commute to and from school. Although the dormitory has been an advantage to students traveling; the students have been living in poor condition for the last five weeks. The first problem occurred the day we walked in. The students were put into rooms where the paint smell was still resident and was the cause of two asthma attacks. We still have not received camera’s which would have been no problem if they had more than two security guards for each shift in our 350 capacity student dorm. I have read the contract that was handed to me and the dormitory has violated many promises made on that contract. The first violation has made many students drop out of school and go home and miss one semester of school. The Dormitory Corporation promised us daily maintenance on all of our bathrooms but the maintenance workers come only three times a week which has raised hazardous fumes coming from the bathroom and also the bathroom utensils are not available to students frequently which has deferred the students from having proper hygiene. The roof fire alarm has not been turned off due to the shortness of security officers and the alarm goes off every night due to loitering. They also promised that we will have telephone service which has not been honored and most of students have no way of contacting their friends and family. The School has one phone line and that one phone line is occupied by resident assistant, resident managers, security and is also the phone that security uses to contact the fire department in case of emergency.

Western Views of Women in Islam Essay example -- Essays Papers

Before venturing into the ideals and movements of Islamic feminism, it is important to recognize some of the biased views Westerners often take when it comes to women in Islam. Because of the portrayal of women in the Arab world through pop-culture and the media, some Westerners may believe that Islam creates a society in need of modernity. The concepts of religious government are also foreign to the Western world. Feminists often focus on the practice of veiling women in Islamic tradition as a law made to minimize the importance of women as citizens. It is important for us to recognize where our biased views exist, and what sorts of root assumptions we make about women in Islam. The truth is, Islamic culture is highly misunderstood, and the customs within Islam are often misinterpreted by Westerners. Often we point to the Arab world as an example of poor treatment of women, without evaluating our own laws and practices. In an article in the Start Tribune published in 1989, Dr. Fatma Reda, a scholar from Egypt who came to the U.S. with her husband the year before, experienced some of the Western stumbling blocks for women and longed for her Islamic country. She decided to buy a parcel of land for herself, but in the U.S., she needed a co-signature of her husband. She had been used to more equality in Egypt between men and women. â€Å"Under Islamic law, women can own property independently of their husbands†¦ in Islamic teaching, women are entirely equal to men†¦ many times Muslim women make choices that look on the surface like we don’t have as much freedom, but it is just different† (p. 1). Many Islamic cultures do in fact see women as secondary citizens, but Islamic women are becoming much... ... It is time they realized they have much common ground† by Arzu Merali, the author points out what feminists have assumed of Muslim women. â€Å"The Islamic Human Rights Commission receives case after case of employers and educators using this image of the downtrodden Muslim woman to excuse discrimination. Muslim women are denied many opportunities on the assumption that they will- if not on a whim then by force- get married, or have many children. Or they face the horrendous dilemma of having to choose between employment and their Islamic garb.† We are not prepared to enter a discussion on Muslim women if we do not understand that our stereotypical images are not accurate. The purpose of this project is to bring light to the facts of Islam, of women, and of the Qur'an. After obtaining these facts, only then can we interact for the common goal of feminism.

The Poems of Richard Wilbur :: Biography Biographies Essays

The Poems of Richard Wilbur Richard Wilbur's New and Collected Poems is full of poems that cover a huge multitude of subjects. The four poems this assignment covers represent that variety, with the topics including love, juggling, grace and music. Wilbur's poems take experiences and ideas (even a juggler) and through his mastery of the English language force the reader to take another look at what his preconceptions are. His poems allow for many different interpretations, and this paper will take a different angle to some of his works. "Love Calls Us to the Things of This World" sets up, in the first stanza, the feeling that something otherworldly is going to be in the picture. "The morning air is all awash with angels" brings in the image (or concept) of heaven, which Wilbur refers to again later in the poem. In the 2nd stanza, again the concept of not-of-this-world is brought into play with the mention of the halcyon, which is a mythical bird. One literary device that Wilbur seems to draw upon heavily in this poem is the use of oxymorons, contradictory terms together. The angels are rising together in "calm swells." When I think of swells, calm is not necessarily the word that comes to mind. He also states that the angels are "flying in place...moving/ And staying like white water." Flying implies movement, so "flying in place" is not a phrase that is commonly heard. Later in the poem he uses the term bitter love, and while I understand that this concept does in fact exist, it is still two words which are somewha t contradictory. In the last stanza he mentions the "heaviest nuns" trying hard to keep their "difficult balance." This reminded me of that concept of funambilism that we discussed in class. This work seems to utilize the idea of balance (indirectly) in many aspects. The use of the contradictory terms that I discussed earlier could be thought of as balancing each other out. This poem overall was very well put together, with sentences that caught your attention, and my favorite sentence was "The soul shrinks/ From all that it is about to remember." "Juggler" was probably the most elegant of the poems that were assigned. The other two discussed the concepts of love and grace, but "Juggler" made juggling a very beautiful act. I must state that the fact that I'm able to juggle probably had some influence on my understanding of this poem.

Personal Hygiene

Personal hygiene (NHS) The person you care for may be physically or mentally unable to maintain their own personal hygiene. Keeping clean is essential for good health. Poor hygiene can cause skin complaints, unpleasant smells and bacterial or parasitic infections. General hygiene The daily personal hygiene of the person you care for is very important, so make sure: †¢ their hands are washed after they've used the toilet †¢ their genitals and anal area are washed every day †¢ their face is washed daily they're fully bathed or showered at least twice a week †¢ their teeth are brushed twice a day, preferably after each meal. It is also important that they have regular dental checks. Find out more about dental treatment for people with special needs. Washing and bathing For most people, washing is a very private activity. When helping someone to wash or bathe, be sensitive and help maintain their dignity. You'll both probably  feel awkward and embarrassed, especiall y at first. To make bathing as pleasant and comfortable as possible: †¢ use pleasant-smelling shampoo, bubble bath or soap play music that the person you care for likes and is familiar with †¢ if the person is confused, explain what's happening as you go along †¢ be sensitive to the mood of the person Carer's tip from Netbuddy â€Å"If you are caring for someone who won't wash, get involved with activities that are followed by showers, for example, swimming. It may help if they see other people showering. My son only started using the shower and wetting his head because he saw it in a film he was watching†. Personal preference and emotional stateBe aware of  the emotional state of the person you care for when helping them wash. For example, some people can be anxious  about deep bath water. Adaptations, such as seats or recliners,  can help with anxiety. Reassure the person that you won’t let them be hurt. Overhead showers can be frightening to som e people. If you have no bath or there is a good reason for using a shower rather than a bath,  use a hand-held shower unit. Ask the person how they would prefer to be helped and allow them as much independence as you think is safe.If they had a routine before you began caring for them, find out what it was and stick to it as  much as  you can. Find out which shampoo, shower gel or soap they prefer to make the experience more familiar to them. Many people become self-conscious when undressed in front of others. Be sensitive to the situation and approach it in the way you think is  most appropriate. The person you care for may feel isolated if you leave them alone. How you handle this depends on your relationship with them. Have clothes and towels with you so you don’t have to leave them alone in the bathroom if they don't want you to.Safety If the person you're looking after has limited mobility or has  problems balancing, make sure that: †¢ the floor is not sl ippery (dry it if necessary), †¢ the room is a comfortable temperature, †¢ the water is comfortably warm (older people  particularly feel the cold, so bear  this in mind when adjusting the  temperature), †¢ the locks are removed from the door (the person you care for may want privacy, but in an emergency you will need  to get into the bathroom), and †¢ you look out for your own safety, for example by making  sure you can manage  if you have to lift the person in and out of the bath.Toileting Toileting is an important part of personal hygiene, regardless of whether the person you're looking after is continent (able to control their bladder and bowels) or not. Incontinence can create feelings of shame or embarrassment for both the  carer and the person being cared for. Sometimes, they may be in  denial about their incontinence  or refuse to accept help. Reassure them that it’s not their fault and approach the issue in a calm, reassuring way if they're in denial. Bed baths If the person you care for cannot move or has extremely limited mobility, you may have to give them a bed bath.You will need to be extra careful, for your own safety,  when moving or lifting them. Specialist disposable baths are available if  they need a proper immersive bath (to be put fully in the water). Getting help If you're finding it difficult to cope with toileting, washing or general hygiene,  contact your local authority or a local carers organisation (see Services near you, above right). Cleanliness and infection control 12. —(1) The registered person must, so far as reasonably practicable, ensure that— (a) service users; (b) persons employed for the purpose of the carrying on of the regulated activity; and c) others who may be at risk of exposure to a health care associated infection arising from the carrying on of the regulated activity, are protected against identifiable risks of acquiring such an infection by the me ans specified in paragraph (2). (2) The means referred to in paragraph (1) are— (a) the effective operation of systems designed to assess the risk of and to prevent, detect and control the spread of a health care associated infection; (b) where applicable, the provision of appropriate treatment for those who are affected by a health care associated infection; and c) the maintenance of appropriate standards of cleanliness and hygiene in relation to— (i) premises occupied for the purpose of carrying on the regulated activity, (ii) equipment and reusable medical devices used for the purpose of carrying on the regulated activity, and (iii) materials to be used in the treatment of service users where such materials are at risk of being contaminated with a health care associated infection. Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010