Cooperative Learning Definition and Examples

Cooperative learning is an instructional strategy that enables small groups of students to work together on a common assignment. The parameters often vary, as students can work collaboratively on a variety of problems, ranging from simple math problems to large assignments such as proposing environmental solutions on a national level.  Students are sometimes individually responsible for their part or role in the assignment, and sometimes they are held accountable as an entire group. Cooperative learning has received a lot of attention and praise—especially since the 1990s when Johnson and Johnson outlined the five basic elements that allowed successful small-group learning: Positive interdependence: Students feel responsible for their own and the groups effort.Face-to-face interaction: Students encourage and support one another; the environment encourages discussion and eye contact.Individual and group accountability: Each student is responsible for doing their part; the group is accountable for meeting its goal.Social Skills: Group members gain direct instruction in the interpersonal, social, and collaborative skills needed to work with others.Group processing: Group members analyze their own and the groups ability to work together. At the same time, the following characteristics need to be present: When designing cooperative learning activities, teachers need to clearly identify to students their individual responsibility and accountability to the group.Each member must have a task they are responsible for and that cannot be completed by other members. Side-note: This article uses the terms cooperative and collaborative interchangeably. However, certain researchers distinguish between these two types of learning, outlining the key difference being that collaborative learning focuses mainly on deeper learning. Benefits Teachers make frequent use of group work, and thus cooperative learning, for a number of reasons: Change Things Up. It is beneficial to have a variety in your instruction; it keeps students engaged and enables you to reach a larger number of learners. Cooperative learning also changes students and teachers roles as teachers become facilitators of learning, guides on the side if you will, and students take on more responsibility for their own learning.Life Skills. Cooperation and collaboration are crucial skills that students will continue using far beyond their schooling years. One of the key elements in a workplace is collaboration, and we need to get our students ready to cooperate, to be responsible and accountable, and to possess other interpersonal skills for effective professional lives. Cooperative learning is also proven to foster students’ self-esteem, motivation, and empathy.Deeper Learning. Collaborating with others has a potent and positive effect on students’ thinking and learning—through well-executed cooperative learning tasks, students often d eepen their understanding of the assigned content. Students engage in thoughtful discourse, examine different perspectives, and learn how to disagree productively. Challenges and Solutions Despite cooperative or collaborative learning being ingrained in teaching practices for decades now, it has also been demonstrated that small group activities aren’t always very efficient. Some of the main challenges turn out to be students free-riding (the lack of participation on behalf of some students), their focus on individual academic goals while neglecting collaborative goals, and teachers’ difficulties in accurately assessing students’ participation. Some specific recommendations resulting from the above-mentioned challenges are that teachers should focus on: Defining specific collaborative goals (in addition to the academic content goals)Training students in social interactions for productive collaborationMonitoring and supporting student interactionsAssessing the collaborative process—productivity and the learning process of individuals and the whole group (thanks to increased professional development)Applying the findings into future cooperative learning tasks Effective Cooperative Learning Ideally, cooperative or collaborative learning activities would invite students to be more active participants in their own learning, to share and discuss their ideas, to engage in argumentation and debate, to play varying roles within the group, and to internalize their learning. A 2017 research paper by Rudnitsky et al. introduced features of good discourse and collaboration, also influenced by the Association for Middle-Level Education: What we as teachers want from our students when they engage in any academic talk is what some call Exploratory talk—a talk when learners can try out ideas, be hesitant, be tentative, relate new ideas to experiences, and develop a new, shared understanding. Out of this need for new ways of teaching students how to be good intellectual partners, Rudnitsky et al. came up with the acronym Be BRAVE. BRAVE Workshop If you are planning on including small group activities as a part of your instruction, and want to avoid common complications outlined above, it is a good idea to devote a few lessons at the beginning of your course to coaching your students. In order to set yourself and your students up for success, try the BRAVE Workshop. Length-wise, the workshop is designed to fit into a span of one week or five classes. Some of the useful materials include: multiple post-its per student, large poster papers, a slideshow depicting successful group collaboration (pictures of current prominent teams such as Facebook, NASA, etc.), a short documentary video that shows important features of good collaboration, three or more challenging problems that students won’t be able to solve alone, and a few short videos depicting students like yours collaborating together. Day 1: Good Talk Workshop Silent discussion about the workshop’s two central questions: Why collaborate?What makes for a good collaboration? Each student collects their thoughts and writes them on a large post-it noteEveryone places their notes on a large poster paper in the front of the classroomStudents are encouraged to look at others’ thoughts and build on them with subsequent postsThroughout the length of the workshop, students can refer back to their post-its and add additional notes to the conversation.Provide students with a difficult problem that they should solve individually (and that they won’t be able to solve alone right away and will revisit at the end of the workshop) Day 2: Introducing Ideas About Collaboration Watch a slideshow depicting successful group collaborationAll kinds of images: from sports teams to NASA  As a class, discuss why and how collaboration might contribute to the success of such endeavorsIf possible, watch a short documentary video that shows important features of good collaborationStudents take notes on the group process and discuss the important features  Teacher leads the discussion who points out important features related to BRAVE (encourage wild ideas, build on others’ ideas) Day 3: Introducing the BRAVE Framework Introduce the BRAVE poster that will stay up in the classroomTell students BRAVE summarizes much of what researchers and professionals (like people at Google) do to collaborate successfullyIf possible, show a number of short videos depicting students like yours collaborating together. It doesn’t have to be perfect but can serve as an opener for a discussion about important aspects of BRAVE.Watch first timeWatch second time to take notes—one column for a video, one column for BRAVE qualitiesDiscuss the BRAVE qualities and other things students noticed Day 4: Using BRAVE Analytically Present students with a problem (like the Worm Journey for middle schoolers or others more appropriate for your students’ level)Students are not allowed to speak, only communicate through post-its or drawing or writing.Tell students that the point is to slow talk down so that they can concentrate on the qualities of good collaborationAfter working on the problem, the class comes together to discuss what they learned about good collaboration Day 5: Using BRAVE to Engage in Group Work Each student writes down which BRAVE quality they want to work onSplit students into groups of four and have them read each other’s choice of BRAVE qualityLet students work on the problem from Day 1 togetherLet them know that everyone should be able to explain the group’s thinking.When they think they have the correct answer, they have to explain their reasoning to the teacher who will choose the reporting student.If correct, the group will receive another problem. If incorrect, the group continues to work on the same problem. Sources Rudnitsky, Al, et al. â€Å"What Students Need to Know about Good Talk: Be BRAVE.†Ã‚  Middle School Journal, vol. 48, no. 3, Oct. 2017, pp. 3–14.Le, Ha, et al. â€Å"Collaborative Learning Practices: Teacher and Student Perceived Obstacles to Effective Student Collaboration.†Ã‚  Cambridge Journal of Education, vol. 48, no. 1, 2017, pp. 103–122.

E-Commerce Capabilities and Orgainzational Culture in the...

As this journal intended to identify the outcome of executed e-commerce capabilities and organizational culture that has influence on the performance of hotel industry in Malaysia, it has recognize several reason why many firms still does not have the idea about what kind of advantages that e-commerce has brought. Although there are many articles that discuss about the applications and benefits of e-commerce, but the academic studies that explain about its effectiveness is really limited. The first reason of why the application of e-commerce is still not yet identified is that the traditional business which applies brick-and-mortar company, have not enough knowledge about the success story by the click-and-mortar company that investing in e-commerce. Secondly is Small and Medium Industries (SMIs) in Malaysia does not have knowledge in e-commerce, lowest internet access among the buyers and also lack of knowledge about the potential of e-commerce. The technology platform, telecommunications and networking technology, key data and also applications as the main data processing are the basic requirement infrastructure information needed for an organization operates. While plans a balanced strategy with business objectives, information technology design plan and information technology skills in the management of information technology resources will allow firm to respond quickly and effectively to the needs and opportunities that exists when the three components are connected

Sustainable Hospitality and the Current Status

Question: Write a report on rapid growth of the hospitality industry and the current status of the environmental conditions, implementation of the environmental sustainability practices. Answer: Introduction The report outlines the methods adopted by the hotel in their business for attaining sustainability. It highlights the impacts of sustainability and also describes the need for sustainability in hospitality management. Over the past few years, it can be observed that the hoteliers are focusing on the practices for enabling sustainability and sustainable practices in the hotel environment. The hospitality management is putting emphasis on the importance and development of sustainability in the hotel as it is directly correlated with the hospital development and its operations. Sustainable issues are among one of the various problems faced in todays world in all the businesses. Need of sustainability The hospitality sectors are putting more focus on the strategies that will help in ensuring sustainability in their working environment. There are lots of chances of enhancing sustainable business strategies and pollution free workplaces. The dramatic negative impact on the environment has been seen through energy and water consumption, use of consumable goods and overuse of products, and also the accumulation of solid and waste hazardous excretions. Hotels are more relying on consumption of energy for HVAC operations, in lighting, fuel, and other power uses. Overuse of water in bathrooms, laundry, and other general purposes. Waste products are more and more generated by the disposal of paper, equipment, batteries and other more. The hoteliers realize that guest experience can be enhanced by integrating some of the natural elements that will generate the evolution of green thoughts in the community. There are certain factors that could be done to maintain the concepts of sustainabili ty in a hotel environment. The benefits of accepting sustainability are- reduction in costs, economic incentives, regulatory affairs, guests feelings, corporate brand identity and publicity of brand image. Strategies adopted for sustainability To explore sustainable practices, the companies need to adopt the strategies and methods which can enable sustainability in hotels. There are many hotels which have already adapted steps for sustainable management in their environment. The cities of Europe and Asia have shifted their attitudes towards sustainability. Earlier, the whole of the market used to focus on consumerism; that means they were emphasizing on the best ways of serving customers (Prudhomme and Raymond, 2013). But now the business marketing and their strategy are shifting towards focusing on sustainable and environmental factors that would enable sustainability. The major problems that sustainable development is generally facing today are- changes in climate, pollution, erosion, biodiversity loss, the abundance of resources and water cleanliness. It can be said that in a working environment, the ability of the organization to conduct business in a way that can help in minimizing pollution and appraises careful use of natural resources is termed as sustainability. Evidences of sustainability management practices The sustainability specialist, Briton John Elkington in 1997, put forward the concept of the triple bottom line. According to this, for attaining full sustainability bottom line performance along with social and environmental performance need to be achieved. Among many of the hotels present in the United States, the company Destination Earth has developed certain methods which they follow for attaining sustainability (Xu and Gursoy, 2015). They have developed green teams who work in carrying out the sustainability programs in all their hotels and resorts around the country. They have made partnerships with environmental consultants and had introduced certain customized initiatives for encouraging environmental sustainability. There are many benefits of choosing environmentally sustainable methods. The profits are- customer loyalty, employee retention, awards and recognition, risk management, increased brand value and regulatory compliance. By the use of the methods that can help in s aving energy, water, and other renewable sources, sustainability can be achieved. Methods adopted for sustainability There are certain steps by following which a hotel can attain sustainability (Legrand et al, 2012). The operational principles are related to the concepts of what to do and how to do business in daily life practices. The operational principles are- good employer, environmental responsibility, community contribution and fairness and also influencing others. The interaction between the principles of economic growth, social equity, and environmental protection can help in producing a sustainable system (Binder and Varga, 2015). In hotels, the formulation of new policies and procedures, management of control systems and human resources practices can also help in achieving sustainability. The cost savings, fiscal and regulatory incentives, regulatory affairs, stabilized utility prices and their availability, guest experience, marketing image, employee retention and investor requirements. Zero-energy housing follows the ways that help in the reduction of energy consumption for heating room (Melissen 2013). The use of an appropriate mechanical ventilation system and using the used air, which is evolving out from technical functions can help in heating rooms. Use of low energy light bulbs and LEDs can help in saving energy. Recently developed automatic key card systems are installed in the rooms of hotels for energy consumption by people, and they are shut when they are not in the room (Deale 2015). For reducing the water usage and the consumption rate, the water distribution profile of hotel should be determined. Guests in the hotels use water at a great rate, so it needs to be minimized for saving water resources. Using water efficient showerheads and rainwater for washing purposes can help in overwhelming the problems. Installation of aerators and flow restrictors can be a highly efficient method or serves as a low budget solution for solving the problems of over-consumption of energy. Most of the hotels have taken initiatives for recycling and reduction of waste materials (Jones et al, 2016). The three Rs reduce, reuse and recycle of the highest priority in the hospitality industry. It can be observed that paper and composed beverages are the causes of over 65% of all the hotel wastes while 95% of it can be reused by recycling them. The most accepted form of renewable energy in the hospitality industry is using the sun as energy providers (Ali et al, 2016). According to the carbon trust organization, more than of the UK workers have been using active policies to minimize carbon emissions and are agreeing to avoid the usage of maximum energy as resources. Green practices in the hospitality industry require measurement of carbon emission which is estimated by HCMI. HCMI stands for hotel carbon measurement initiative (Chan and Hsu, 2016). This is found to be an effort for determining the carbon emissions from rooms of the hotels. This serves to be the first and simplest steps adopted by many hotels towards sustainability. This estimation helped in comparison of the basic sustainability of the hotels globally and also lets makes decisions of how to invest money and at what rates. The hotels can also move towards sustainability by recycling of non- hazardous wastes. Recycling of wastes like cardboard, cups, plastics, household wastes and much more can help in attaining sustainability (Lim 2016). The use of green products in hotels can help in minimizing the negative impacts of the products in environmental. The green products are less non- toxic, less- processed, recyclable and biodegradable and so their use can help in reduction in consu mption of water and energy. On the other hand, apart from adopting all these methods, educating employees and making them aware is one of the important things to be considered for creating sustainability (Prud'homme and Raymond, 2016). Current energy technologies have been contributing to create serious environmental problems. The world is facing problems of extinction of fossil fuels and the transition to renewable energy resources is required. Benefits of sustainable practices There are several benefits of adopting sustainable management in the workplace. The benefits are- cost savings, competitive advantage, employee retention, customer loyalty, regulatory compliance and risk management (Jones et al, 2016). Many hotels have used social initiatives and corporate social responsibility for attaining sustainability. Corporate social responsibility involves promoting and practicing environmental initiatives (Fermani et al, 2016). Hotels sustainability practices are important for saving energy and resources. Many of the environmental regulations today are targeting on facility activities like management of storm water, removal of harmful substances and health and safety of the environment. Guest experiences are influenced significantly when the hotels adopt the practice of sustainability. Using sustainable practices helps in maintaining the brand image of the hotel. Conclusion With the rapid growth of the hospitality industry and the current status of the environmental conditions, implementation of the environmental sustainability practices within the hospitality industries is important for preservation of the natural resources and the victory of the industry. Gaining knowledge about the methods that can maintain sustainability can help in improving the industrys fame and dignity. Sustainable practices in the hospitality industry have been found to have profound growth as because the managers are getting more aware of the benefits arising due to the adoption of sustainability. All the hospitals should adopt the practice of sustainability for the betterment of the environment and people too. Reference Ali, A., Murphy, H.C. and Nadkarni, S., 2016. Hospitality employers perceptions of technology for sustainable development: The implications for graduate employability.Tourism and Hospitality Research, p.1467358416636929. Binder, A. and Varga, P., 2015. Sociocultural hurdles of sustainable hospitality management.Asia-Pacific Journal of Innovation in Hospitality and Tourism,4(1), pp.77-92. Chan, E.S. and Hsu, C.H., 2016. Environmental management research in hospitality.International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management,28(5). Deale, C.S., 2015. Entrepreneurship and Sustainability in Hospitality and Tourism: Implications for Education and Practice. Fermani, A., Crespi, I. and Stara, F., 2016. Sustainable hospitality and tourism at different ages: Womens and mens attitudes in Italy.Research in Hospitality Management,6(1). Jones, P., Hillier, D. and Comfort, D., 2016. Sustainability in the hospitality industry: some personal reflections on corporate challenges and research agendas.International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management,28(1). Legrand, W., Simons-Kaufmann, C. and Sloan, P., 2012.Sustainable Hospitality and Tourism as Motors for Development: Case studies from developing regions of the world. Routledge. Lim, W.M., 2016. Creativity and sustainability in hospitality and tourism.Tourism Management Perspectives,18, pp.161-167. Melissen, F., 2013. Sustainable hospitality: a meaningful notion?.Journal of sustainable Tourism,21(6), pp.810-824. Prudhomme, B. and Raymond, L., 2013. Sustainable development practices in the hospitality industry: An empirical study of their impact on customer satisfaction and intentions.International Journal of Hospitality Management,34, pp.116-126. Prud'homme, B. and Raymond, L., 2016. Implementation of sustainable development practices in the hospitality industry: A case study of five Canadian hotels.International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management,28(3). Xu, X. and Gursoy, D., 2015. Influence of sustainable hospitality supply chain management on customers attitudes and behaviors.International Journal of Hospitality Management,49, pp.105-116.

Stress And Illness Essays - Stress, Stress Management,

Stress And Illness The Effects of Stress on Physical Illness April 17, 2000 #38 Abstract Research has shown a connection between stress and physical illness. Furthermore, who becomes ill under pressure may be regulated by other factors such as personality type. The purpose of this project was to determine if there is a relationship between stress and illness. Another motive for this project was to investigate whether or not correlations between illness, personality type, and/or stress is evident. Twenty-one students in the Writing of Agriculture and Natural Resources class at the University of Florida were surveyed on their perceived level of stress and physical health. The questionnaire also analyzed their actual life stress level and level of extroversion. The questionnaire was evaluated and classified by personality types, health, and stress levels. This study was expected to reveal that people who experience higher levels of stress would also experience higher rates of physical illness compared to people with lower levels of stress. The rates of illness in people who experience higher levels of stress may vary between perceived stress (how stressed one actually feels) and actual stress (as defined by specific life events). Specifically, people who report higher levels of perceived stress will experience higher rates of physical illness regardless of the number of actual stressful life events experienced (actual stress). In addition, personality types, such as people who are characteristically introverted (people who tend to keep to themselves) will tend to manifest signs of stress through physical symptoms more so than people who are characterized as extroverts (more social outgoing). The results of my survey suggested that a correlation exists between stress and illness; and illnesses were exacerbated when the subjects indicated a characteristically introverted personality. There was further indication that subjects with an extroverted personality had signs of stress related illnesses. Overall, ninety-nine percent of the students who responded to the questionnaire revealed they had relatively high levels of stress and experienced various poor health frequently. Introduction Stress and illness are no strangers to many. As many as 25 percent of the US population suffers from the negative effects of stress, and approximately 50 percent of all general medical patients are suffering from stress related problems (Everly, 1989). Several studies conducted confirm that stress is positively correlated with incidences of physical illness (DeVito, 1994). It is also becoming common knowledge that many physical diseases are either related to or can be exacerbated by excessive stress. Stress reduction is becoming a part of treatment and prevention of many diseases. Even insurance companies are paying for programs such as ones that reverse heart disease, which include learning stress reduction techniques . Many studies have tried to link and explain the role of the immune system in the human stress response. The issue has even been given its own term, psychoneuroimmunology, meaning the study of the direct causal relationship between stress and illness (DeVito, 1994). For example, a study looking at wound repair in caregivers vs. non-caregivers found that caregivers, who were under significantly more stress than non caregivers, took an average of nine days longer to heal than non caregivers (Keicolt-Glaser, Marucha, Malarkey, Mercado, and Glaser, 1995). This study cited differences in the chemical immunological responses between the two groups. There is no single recipe for managing stress, but utilizing fundamental coping mechanisms can help calm your mind. We cannot change who we are, our jobs, or families, but we can change our perceptions. The first step is to become more aware of the situation and environment. What causes your stress? How do you respond? By answering these questions, you can begin to modify your situation. Some suggestions to reduce stress are to exercise; it strengthens the heart and lungs while bathing the brain in endorphins to reduce pain. You can also practice stress management techniques ranging from prayer, to biofeedback, to simple walks on the beach to feel inner peace. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and investing in hobbies and leisure activities can do the same and more. Literature Review My review of the current literature indicated a link between stress and illness. However, it was unclear whether or not illness is more likely to be related to perceived stress, rather than actual life events which are considered stressful. Personality may

What Makes a Good Villain Heres Your 15-Item Checklist

What Makes a Good Villain Heres Your 15-Item Checklist What Makes a Great Villain? Your Checklist for Writing a Good Bad Guy Nothing makes your hero more heroic than a worthy opponent. So don’t shortchange your villain. Spend every bit as much time crafting him as you do your lead character, if you want your story to work. (Though I will use male pronouns throughout, this applies equally if your main character is a heroine or your villain is female.) Too many novelists give plenty of care to every other element of their story, then create what they consider a deliciously evil villain and wonder why the package seems to fall flat. Often it’s because the bad guy is only that: bad. He’s from Central Casting and might as well be starring in a melodrama, complete with black top hat, cape, and handlebar moustache so we readers can boo and hiss his every entrance. Every other character is real and nuanced and believable, but the second-most important lead spoils the reader’s whole experience. Need help writing your novel?Click here to download my ultimate 12-step guide. Motivation: The Secret Sauce for Creating a Great Villain Don’t let the word scare you. Motivation doesn’t have to be some nebulous theatrical concept tossed about by method actors trying to get into character. It simply means your bad guy needs a reason for being the person he has become. If he isn’t working, it’s because you’ve made him the villain only because he’s a bad person. He does evil things because he’s evil. That’s too easy. Change your thinking. Try something revolutionary. If you just can’t understand truly villainous people, try this: Put yourself in their place. â€Å"Wait!† you say. â€Å"I’d rather see myself as the hero, doing the right thing because it’s the right thing, rising to the challenge, saving the day.† Wouldn’t we all? Well, don’t knock this till you’ve tried it. You’re writing along, and you’ve come to the place where your villain needs to act in some evil way. Your virtual online writing coach has urged you to be sure he has proper motivation. What does this mean? He can’t be bad, do bad, cause trouble just because he’s the bad guy, so what’s made him this way? What’s behind it? You have to know before you have him do whatever it is he’s about to do. Take His Place â€Å"But I’m not a villain!† you say. â€Å"I’m no Dr. Moriarty or Dracula or Simon Legree.† Yes, you are. You have your days. You’ve learned to control yourself, or maybe you’re a person of faith and have found control outside yourself. But you know your true nature, your old nature. We novelists need to become our characters, from young to old, male to female, blue-collar worker to executive, and illiterate to educated. That’s part of the fun of it. Now take that further. When a friend takes credit for something you accomplished, what’s your first private thought? You get over it, I know. You probably say nothing and let it pass for the sake of the relationship, and that’s great. But dwell on that initial visceral reaction a moment. Someone you know well and love and trust lies to you, and there’s no question about it. You’re offended, hurt- crushed really. In fact, you’re infuriated. You bite your tongue because you’re a mature adult. Maybe when you cool down you’ll rationally confront the lie and get to the bottom of it. But for now, entertain that immediate first reaction. Where was your heart and mind then? I’m not telling you to become mean, rotten, and nasty when we’re all supposed to have grown out of that kind of thing by now. But I am telling you to tap into your dark side long enough to know what makes a good villain tick. What Makes a Good Villain? Villains are real people to whom terrible things have happened. Maybe in childhood, maybe in adolescence, maybe later. At some point, rather than learning and growing, their maturation process stunted and stalled. Roots of bitterness and anger sprang up in them. On the surface they may have many, if not most, of the same attractive qualities of your hero. But just beneath the surface fester the qualities you can access in yourself if you allow yourself to. While this may explain the reasons for your villain’s actions, it doesn’t excuse or forgive them. He’s still evil, and he must still be brought to justice. But giving him motivation will make him more than a cardboard cutout. So conjure a backstory for your villain. Make him real and believable and credible- even attractive in many ways. And while you’re writing your story, see how many boxes you can check off on this list of characteristics that pertain to your villain. The more that apply, the more successful your novel is likely to be. Because the more worthy his opponent, the more heroic your hero will appear. Villain Characteristics Checklist: He’s convinced he’s the good guy He has many likeable qualities He’s a worthy enough opponent to make your hero look good You (and your reader) like when he’s on stage He’s clever and accomplished enough that people must lend him begrudging respect He can’t be a fool or a bumbler He has many of the same characteristics of the hero, but they’re misdirected He should occasionally be kind, and not just for show He can be merciless, even to the innocent He’s persuasive He’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants He’s proud He’s deceitful He’s jealous, especially of the hero He’s vengeful Need help writing your novel?Click here to download my ultimate 12-step guide. What would you add to this list of what makes a good villain? Tell me in Comments below.

Why Ming China Ended the Treasure Fleet Voyages

Why Ming China Ended the Treasure Fleet Voyages Between 1405 and 1433, Ming China sent out seven gigantic naval expeditions under the command of Zheng He the great eunuch admiral. These expeditions traveled along the Indian Ocean trade routes as far as Arabia and the coast of East Africa, but in 1433, the government suddenly called them off. What Prompted the End of the Treasure Fleet? In part, the sense of surprise and even bewilderment that the Ming governments decision elicits in western observers arises from a misunderstanding about the original purpose of Zheng Hes voyages. Less than a century later, in 1497, the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama traveled to some of the same places from the west; he also called in at the ports of East Africa, and then headed to India, the reverse of the Chinese itinerary. Da Gama went in search of adventure and trade, so many westerners assume that the same motives inspired Zheng Hes trips. However, the Ming admiral and his treasure fleet were not engaged in a voyage of exploration, for one simple reason: the Chinese already knew about the ports and countries around the Indian Ocean. Indeed, both Zheng Hes father and grandfather used the honorific hajji, an indication that they had performed their ritual pilgrimage to Mecca, on the Arabian Peninsula. Zheng He was not sailing off into the unknown. Likewise, the Ming admiral was not sailing out in search of trade. For one thing, in the fifteenth century, all the world coveted Chinese silks and porcelain; China had no need to seek out customers - Chinas customers came to them. For another, in the Confucian world order, merchants were considered to be among the lowliest members of society. Confucius saw merchants and other middlemen as parasites, profiting on the work of the farmers and artisans who actually produced trade goods. An imperial fleet would not sully itself with such a lowly matter as trade. If not trade or new horizons, then, what was Zheng He seeking? The seven voyages of the Treasure Fleet were meant to display Chinese might to all the kingdoms and trade ports of the Indian Ocean world and to bring back exotic toys and novelties for the emperor. In other words, Zheng Hes enormous junks were intended to shock and awe other Asian principalities into offering tribute to the Ming. So then, why did the Ming halt these voyages in 1433, and either burn the great fleet in its moorings or allow it to rot (depending upon the source)? Ming Reasoning There were three principal reasons for this decision. First, the Yongle Emperor who sponsored Zheng Hes first six voyages died in 1424. His son, the Hongxi Emperor, was much more conservative and Confucianist in his thought, so he ordered the voyages stopped. (There was one last voyage under Yongles grandson, Xuande, in 1430-33.) In addition to political motivation, the new emperor had financial motivation. The treasure fleet voyages cost Ming China enormous amounts of money; since they were not trade excursions, the government recovered little of the cost. The Hongxi Emperor inherited a treasury that was much emptier than it might have been, if not for his fathers Indian Ocean adventures. China was self-sufficient; it didnt need anything from the Indian Ocean world, so why send out these huge fleets? Finally, during the reigns of the Hongxi and Xuande Emperors, Ming China faced a growing threat to its land borders in the west. The Mongols and other Central Asian peoples made increasingly bold raids on western China, forcing the Ming rulers to concentrate their attention and their resources on securing the countrys inland borders. For all of these reasons, Ming China stopped sending out the magnificent Treasure Fleet. However, it is still tempting to muse on the what if questions. What if the Chinese had continued to patrol the Indian Ocean? What if Vasco da Gamas four little Portuguese caravels had run into a stupendous fleet of more than 250 Chinese junks of various sizes, but all of them larger than the Portuguese flagship? How would world history have been different, if Ming China had ruled the waves in 1497-98?

It has been said that the UK supermarket sector is an oligopoly Essay

It has been said that the UK supermarket sector is an oligopoly - Essay Example ...................................... Conclusion............................................................................................................ References It has been said that the UK supermarket sector is an oligopoly Introduction The UK supermarket sector is most definitely properly defined as an oligopoly based on the market structure that guides its business principles, the relevance of the consumer in building business strategy, the level of interdependence between competing supermarket companies, and the sector’s influence in pricing and supply within its market. An oligopoly is defined as â€Å"a market dominated by a small number of participants who are able to collectively exert control over supply and market prices† (investorwords.com, 2011, p.1). It is the interdependency between the few firms, such as Morrison’s and Aldi, that makes this market sector an oligopoly in relation to marketing efforts and pricing structures that drive strateg ic intentions. This paper describes the market characteristics of the supermarket sector in the UK that label these businesses as part of an oligopoly. The market structure All of the major supermarket competitors in the UK maintain a high degree of market share in the foods industry and are affected little by smaller competitors in terms of profitability. An oligopoly is able to affect the market by maintaining this high market share and control by being able to influence pricing negotiations with suppliers who rely on their continued successes in order to, themselves, remain profitable. This is what characterizes an oligopoly when a market is dominated by only a handful of large-scale competitors. In this structure, firms can have either differentiated or non-differentiated products offered to consumers where advertising and marketing objectives characterize one of the most important features related to business strategy and competitive behaviours (Boyes & Melvin, 2005). Why is th is? Supermarkets rely on consumer attitudes and behaviours to ensure they remain profitable which are always subject to fluctuating demand schedules and eating habits. Also based on price, consumers will choose one competitor over another in this market structure which drives the necessity for more innovation in marketing and the routine environmental and competitive analyses required to remain successful and profitable. Under macroeconomic theory, an oligopoly is considered to be the most realistic market structure since there are a diverse range of externalities and internal business behaviours that impact whether the firms gain higher volumes of market share in a local or international region (Boyes & Melvin). These supermarkets in their oligopoly maintain a downward-sloping demand curve where the shape of the curve is directly related to consumer behaviour patterns and the behaviours of competition in relation to strategy, marketing and advertising. This is why the supermarket s ector in the UK is considered the most realistic of market structures as the importance of competitive behaviours and marketing are in-line with contemporary business practices with most non-supermarket organisations. Because of their dominance in this market sector, suppliers are made weak when considering consumer-based commodity products (quickmba.com, 2011) as they rely directly on the purchasing power of the supermarkets to maintain their production levels, adequate staffing and overall operational strategies related to the intent of building higher profitability. This gives

The effects of achol on the health,mental power, and relations of Essay

The effects of achol on the health,mental power, and relations of users - Essay Example se among the teenagers, children, pregnant women and elderly people is considered to have enormous health effects on both genders in the modern community. Specificity, this study explores the health effects of alcohol abuse and alcoholism on the modern teenagers and how these health effects influences their lifestyle., It is significant to study the health effect of alcohol and alcoholism of teenagers because the modern society relates alcohol to current lifestyle and believes drinking alcohol is a way of relieving stress. Moreover, there has been a rapid increase in the number of teenagers drinking and abusing alcohol. The aim of the paper is also to discuss the health issues related to alcoholism and alcohol abuse (Healey and Justin pg.23). †¢ Effects of alcohol on the brain. Such brain functions as memory, coordination, and motor skills are disturbed. Besides, researchers’ show that alcohol may have long-lasting effects as the brain continues to develop by age 20.Thus, alcohol is particularly hazardous for young users (Smart and Lesley, pg.43). In conclusion, alcohol abuse is a serious social problem which requires particular attention. It may ruin a person’s life. Therefore, timely assistance from the specialist is needed to help them manage the situation and find the solution to their issues. Occasionally, moderate drinking is usually healthy. It may help a person relax, both mentally and physically (Healey and Justin, pg.6). Thus, moderate consumption of alcohol may be healthy or at least not harmful. Its effects depend on the

How Technology Helps in Communication Essay Example for Free

How Technology Helps in Communication Essay If we talk about what are the tools that we can use in developing communication, than I say that â€Å"technology is one of the tools that we can use for communication†. Worlds are globalizing, we cannot depend on only one medium. We are lucky to have science gift that is technology. Communicating involves giving, receiving and making sense of information. Children do this by using non-verbal means of communication, talking, listening, thinking, and understanding. In time, the skills of reading and writing enrich this experience. Communicating is a two-way activity; as well as learning to share their experiences with others children also learn to interpret what others are sharing with them. They communicate in many different ways including facial expressions, gestures, body movements, sounds, language and for some children, through assistive technology. Children’s language is more than words, phrases and sentences. It includes art, Braille, dance, drama, music, poetry, pictures, sculpture, signing, and stories. While most children eventually master spoken and written language as their key means of communicating, they continue to speak through their gestures, body movements and expressions to a greater or lesser extent. Some children with special educational needs may need additional and consistent support throughout their lifetime to practise, learn and perfect the art of non-verbal communication. Language technologies are information technologies that are specialized for dealing with the most complex information medium in our world: human language. Therefore these technologies are also often subsumed under the term Human Language Technology. Human language occurs in spoken and written form. Whereas speech is the oldest and most natural mode of language communication, complex information and most of human knowledge is maintained and transmitted in written texts. Speech and text technologies process or produce language in these two modes of realization. But language also has aspects that are shared between speech and text such as dictionaries, most of grammar and the meaning of sentences. Thus large parts of language technology cannot be subsumed under speech and text technologies. Among those are technologies that link language to knowledge. We do not know how language, knowledge and thought are represented in the human brain. Nevertheless, language technology had to create formal representation systems that link language to concepts and tasks in the real world. This provides the interface to the fast growing area of knowledge technologies. In our communication we mix language with other modes of communication and other information media. We combine speech with gesture and facial expressions. Digital texts are combined with pictures and sounds. Movies may contain language and spoken and written form. Thus speech and text technologies overlap and interact with many other technologies that facilitate processing of multimodal communication and multimedia documents. Although existing LT systems are far from achieving human ability, they have numerous possible applications. The goal is to create software products that have some knowledge of human language. Such products are going to change our lives. They are urgently needed for improving human-machine interaction since the main obstacle in the interaction between human and computer is merely a communication problem. Todays computers do not understand our language but computer languages are difficult to learn and do not correspond to the structure of human thought. Even if the language the machine understands and its domain of discourse are very restricted, the use of human language can increase the acceptance of software and the productivity of its users. Language technologies helps in developing listening and speaking skills Being a good communicator is crucial to children’s development. The adult encourages children to communicate by listening to them, interpreting what they are saying, responding to them, and by modeling good communication. The adult also provides an environment which motivates children to interact with each other and the adult, and with the objects and places in it. By capturing children’s interest and curiosity and challenging them to explore and to share their adventures and discoveries with others, this environment can fuel their thinking, imagination and creativity, thereby enriching communication. These early experiences support children in becoming confident and competent communicators Natural language interfaces enable the user to communicate with the computer in French, English, German, or another human language. Some applications of such interfaces are database queries, information retrieval from texts, so-called expert systems, and robot control. Current advances in the recognition of spoken language improve the usability of many types of natural language systems. Communication with computers using spoken language will have a lasting impact upon the work environment; completely new areas of application for information technology will open up. However, spoken language needs to be combined with other modes of communication such as pointing with mouse or finger. If such multimodal communication is finally embedded in an effective general model of cooperation, we have succeeded in turning the machine into a partner. The ultimate goal of research is the omnipresent access to all kinds of technology and to the global information structure by natural interaction. In an ambitious but not too far-fetched scenario, language technology provides the interface to an ambient intelligence providing assistance at work and in many situations of daily life. Language technologies can also help people communicate with each other. Much older than communication problems between human beings and machines are those between people with different mother tongues. One of the original aims of language technology has always been fully automatic translation between human languages. From bitter experience scientists have realized that they are still far away from achieving the ambitious goal of translating unrestricted texts. Nevertheless, they have been able to create software systems that simplify the work of human translators and clearly improve their productivity. Less than perfect automatic translations can also be of great help to information seekers who have to search through large amounts of texts in foreign languages. The most serious bottleneck for e-commerce is the volume of communication between business and customers or among businesses. Language technology can help to sort, filter and route incoming email. It can also assist the customer relationship agent to look up information and to compose a response. In cases where questions have been answered before, language Technology can find appropriate earlier replies and automatically respond.

An Analysis Of The Lord Of The Flies :: essays research papers

An Analysis of The Lord of the Flies   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The novel Lord of the Flies, written by William Gerald Golding, is a remarkable piece of literature that discusses many important topics while remaining an enjoyable read. One of the important topics that is discussed in the novel is human nature. Many aspects of human nature is depicted in the book, but one major is the development of a man's personality and character. This aspect of human idiosyncrasy is portrayed through the development of Ralph, the main character and protagonist of the novel. Ralph's development from innocent, irresponsible, playful adolescent to a tough, self-reliant man shows how the hardships and turmoil of life can greatly effect a person's character.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story takes place on a deserted island after a plane crash strands a group of adolescent boys. The boys are forced to learn how to live on the land without any resources or adult assistance. The group chooses Ralph as their leader and gives him the responsibility of guiding the group. Ralph's main enemy and adversary is Jack, the appointed leader of the savage hunters. The boys go through many trials and hardships while on the island including the dangers of the jungle, finding food, and remaining a functional group.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The novel's main focus is on Ralph and his experiences on the island. As leader of the group, Ralph has a great deal of responsibility and must learn how to work with this responsibility. Through the course of the story, Ralph changes from an adolescent child to a mature person, but ends up breaking down at the end of the novel. This aspect of Ralph's character is a way that Golding depicts human behavior in society, which is the main theme of the book.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the novel begins, Ralph is portrayed as being a normal adolescent who is irresponsible and negligent. Even when he is chosen as leader, he still is depicted as an inexperience boy. One example of this childish action is seen at the beginning of the novel when Ralph plays games while doing serious work. By doing things like this Ralph tries to show the freedom the boys have without any adult supervision. These are not the acts of a responsible leader and is something that Ralph soon comes to regret.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With progression of the story, Ralph's attitudes change as he becomes more responsible and mature. He realizes the importance of being a responsible leader and begins to guide the other boys more. Ralph begins to try to convince the others that they act with the groups best interest at hand and tells them to

Chapter 7 Mcgraw Hill Pertinent Questions Answers

Pertinent Questions Chapter 7 31. How did the Embargo affect the election of 1808, and what was the response of the new president to diplomatic problems that the Embargo had addressed? The Embargo created a depression on the nation and gave merchants the impression that Jefferson was acting unconstitutionally. Therefore, in the election of 1808, the Federalists ran stronger than before. Even though the Republicans won the presidency, Madison understood that the Embargo was a political liability and eventually removed it. Instead, he passed the Non-Intercourse Act, which told Britain and France that if either of them were to violate the United State’s rights as a neutral country, they would immediately oppose that country until they agreed. 33. What was Tecumseh's attitude toward the treaties previously negotiated between the United States and various Indian tribes? How did he plan to prevent the expansion of white settlements? Tecumseh believed that the negotiations were all void since the land belonged to all of the tribes. He thought that in order for the United States to actually gain the land, they would have to consult all of the tribes. Tecumseh knew that in order to prevent the Americans from expanding, the Indian leaders would have to unite their cause. 35. Why did Americans want to wrest control of Florida from the Spanish? What attempts were made to do this before 1812? Which attempts were successful, and which failed? The South wanted to gain control of Florida in order to gain valuable ports. Florida also ran through rivers, making it suitable for transportation and agriculture. In 1810, some settlers obtained the fort at Baton Rouge. Madison annexed the territory and then planned to gain more Floridian land. The attempt to gain more land from Florida was unsuccessful until later in time. 40. Why did New England oppose the War of 1812? Prior to 1814, what did the New England states do to hinder the war effort? The Federalist mainly occupied New England, though the party was diminishing. They opposed the war because gaining new land would increase the Republican Party’s power. Their opposition resulted in hopes of secession and even the Hartford Convention. At times, Federalists even celebrated British victories. 41. What caused the leaders of New England to regard the War of 1812 as a threat to their future as a meaningful force in the United States? What did they propose to remedy this situation? If the Republicans won the War of 1812, they would then expand their country, showing their power in the position of the government. The Federalists, now a diminishing power, were afraid of their loss in the force of government, thus planning the Hartford Convention. The convention served to ‘protest’ against the Republican’s gaining of power and discussed the right of nullification and even hinted at secession. However, it was to no avail. 42. What effect did the Hartford Convention have on the Federalist Party? The Convention brought together the Federalist Party in sharing ideas. Their plans to go against the Republican Party and their demands were planned in the Hartford Convention. The unsuccessfulness of the war almost improved the Federalists’ chances at power. However, when the news came of Jackson’s victory, their plans at the convention seemed futile, showing the defeat of the Federalist Party. 43. What was the background to peace negotiations at Ghent? What did both sides initially demand, and why did they finally agree on the terms they did? Both sides were tired from the war and gave up their previous strong demands. The United States, realizing that Britain had little reason to interfere with the commerce because of Napoleon’s defeat, did not push Britain to give up impressments or Canada territory. Britain, exhausted and in debt from the wars, did not push to have an Indian buffer state in the Northwest Territory. Negotiations were weak and hastily drawn up.

Should Black Men Around the World Be Placed

We have conceptualized the multiplex railway telegraph, which allowed messages to be sent from moving trains to railway stations. We have assisted in leading Thomas A. Edition's research team in the development of the electric light bulb. We constructed a device that allowed machines to be lubricated while they are in operations. We have been some of the most noble kings and queens in history (Michael, PI). We have survived slavery, mass genocides, civil wars, theorized and actual government plots.From slave cuffs to presidential cuffs, the strength and abilities presented by black individuals around he world is astounding. Despite all odd, statistics and stereo types here in the United States and around the globe African Americans continue to prove as a people, no matter the circumstance they have the ability to overcome any issue. Its Just a theory but, in order to protect the male African American populations should black men around the world be placed on the endangered species li st? Although it is clear that African Americans have great success, as with any culture there are great failures.In the United States African American Males make up 13. 5 cities in 2007 where African Americans. Within the subset of African American violence 93. 1 percent of document deaths were males. Between the age ranges of 15 to 24, African American Men have been victims of violent crimes that include, robbery, self destructive acts, simple to aggravated assault, gang violence, and police brutality (AP, POP). Could these issues be connected to the root cause of the extinction of black men around the world? Some believe that African American men are on a self destructive path.While others think we are being killed in this notorious ricer of retrogression into slaver. What is an endangered species? A species population of organisms with the risk of becoming extinct of falling birth rates and growing death rates, or being threatened by the changing environmental or predation parame ters. Only few Although at this time currently The International Union of Conservation of Nature (ICON) does not have any human subsets listed on the endangered species list, the concept of the JINN is to protect species from potentially becoming extinct without gaining public notice.Many factors are reviewed when accessing the conservation tutus of the list, Just because the numbers of remaining are high isn't Just a key indicator. The overall increase and decreases in population overtime, known threats and so forth. Internationally, over one hundred countries have agreed to create biodiversity action plans to protect threatened and endangered species (David, Pl 5). The endangered species list however does include a policy on species maintaining and captive breeding programs.This area of the program would need to be modified, captive breeding program does not apply to humans as they have free will. Arguments have been made that self destructive acts are the primary reason for the d own fall of the African American community. At Finger High School located in Chicago, student Daring Albert a 16 year old black honor student was knocked to the grown by a blow to the head with a railroad tie. He was kicked, punched and stomped. His cries went unanswered, and by the time someone was able to help Daring it was to late, he died lying in the middle of the street.The background on Daring's story isn't very uncommon for this area of Chicago (Morocco, Pl). Daring alkyd into the middle of two rival black gains, in his attempt to help one of the victims he was mistaken to be part of the rival gang. According to Derby Morocco who is also an African American, this is another tragedy where African American civil rights leaders remained silent. Mr.. Morocco believes that if this story would have been a white gang attacking a black gang every self-appointed African American leader would be in front of some form of media preaching about some form of social injustice.Mr.. Morocco references the President Beam's statement about the police arresting Proof. Henry Louis Gates, Jar. In contacts to the President comments and setting up meetings between the professor and the arresting police office, no media coverage was giving to the malicious homicide in the brutal killing of this honor student (Morocco, PI). Mr.. Morocco is not saying that the president is reasonable for Daring's death, he states the fact the he is disappointed young man's killer. According to New York Times There are more black men in prison than college.Only 5% of black men are in college. 70 percent of black men have experienced long- term unemployment (AP, POP) The African-American males comprise over fifty-five percent of the nation's prison population, one out of every fourteen black men is incarcerated for an crime. Between the ages of 20 to 29, one out of every 4 black males is in prison, on parole, or on probation for an alcohol or drug-related crime (AP, POP). Over the last decade ther e were more than 1. 4 million sentenced inmates at the end of 2003, an estimated 403,165 were Black men between ages 20 and 39.Compared with 12. 3 percent of young Latino men and 6. 7 percent of young white men, 76 percent of young black men are behind bars (AP, POP). . When compared to other races. What is the real issue of what's going on when it comes to black men in America? Is this a from of self-destruction? Although it is clear that black on black crimes exist, in the United States we have a long history of white on black crimes. November 25, 2006, Sean Bell was hot and killed on the morning after his bachelor party, and two of his friends where severely wounded.Mr.. Bell was holding his bachelor party at Club Koala in Jamaica section of Queens, New York. This night club was under investigated by seven undercover police detectives, as a result of accusations that the owners of the club had been steering prostitution (Baker, POP).. According to Report Karen Zaire of the New Yo rk Times, Gunman had an argument inside the club with a woman and threatened to get a gun. One of Bell's friends was though to have said â€Å"you, get my gun† as they left the scene.Fearing that a shooting might occur, one of the plain-clothed African American officer Scared Sonora followed the men to their vehicle while alerting his backup team, prompting the team to confront Bell and his companions before they could leave the scene. Sonora held out his badge, and identified himself as a police officer, and told the car to stop. However, Bell accelerated the vehicle and hit Sonora, then striking the unmarked police minivan. Scared Sonora believed he saw Gunman reaching for a gun while in the car, yelled â€Å"gun† to other police at the scene, and opened fire on the car.All officers and detectives at that point Joined him in shooting at the car, firing 50 bullets in a few seconds (Zaire, POP). On March 16, 2007, three of the five police officers involved in the shoot ing were grand Jury indictment. Officer Michael Oliver, who fired thirty one of the fifty shots ND Officer Scared Sonora, who fired the first shot, faced charges of manslaughter, reckless endangerment and assault, while Detective Marc Cooper faced charge of two counts of reckless endangerment. The three detectives pleaded not guilty at the arraignment hearing on March 19, 2007.Detectives Sonora and Oliver were released on bail and Detective Cooper on his own recognize. On April 25, 2008, all three of the police officers indicted were acquitted on all counts (Baker, Pl 7). On June 7, 1998, James Byrd Jar, accepted a ride from Shawn Allen Berry, Lawrence sat ride of his live. Instead of taking James home, the three men took James behind a convenience store, beating him unconscious, stripped him naked, chained him by the ankles to their pickup truck, and dragged him for three miles.Forensic evidence suggests that James attempted to keep his head up while being dragged behind the truck, an autopsy suggested James was alive during much of the dragging, and he only died after his right arm and head were severed after his body hit a culvert, although the men claimed that Bard's throat had been slashed before he was ragged (National News Briefs, 23). Finally the arguably the most infamous biomedical research study the United States.The Tuskegee syphilis experiment was the clinical trial study conducted between 1932 and 1972 in Tuskegee, Alabama, by the United States Public Health Service. Investigators recruited 399 impoverished African-American men with syphilis for research related to the natural progression of the untreated disease. This experiment can be compared to mass genocides (Prater, 2007). On May 16, 1997, President Bill Clinton formally apologized and held a ceremony for the Tuskegee duty participants. In his speech, President Clinton Stated â€Å"What was done cannot be undone.But we can end the silence. We can stop turning our heads away. We can look at you in the eye and finally say on behalf of the American people, what the United States government did was shameful, and I am sorry'( Washington Post News Feed. PI) . As a people, African American are often the underdogs. Brought here by slave ships, then sold and beaten. Although there is the need for the United States to progress, we should not have to pass affirmative actions laws Just to be able to moment. Some might say we are living in the past, that this is self-distraction.

Student Relationship Essays

Teacher/Student Relationship Essays Teacher/Student Relationship Essay Teacher/Student Relationship Essay Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Teacher/Student Relationship Education has always been considered as the key to success. It is however becoming more evident that the education system is increasingly becoming irrelevant. The irrelevance of the system is because of the pedagogical approaches that are aimed at forcing information on students in a manner that undermines the process of education. The banking concept of education by Paulo Freire depicts education as one that is keen on enhancing memorization rather than enhancing understanding. This system is teacher centered as opposed to learner centered. Many have agreed with this analysis and have advocated for a complete overhaul of the education system to one that takes into account students passions and interests to make learning a fulfilling experience. The movie â€Å"School of Rock† is an American musical comedy that depicts the kind f pedagogical experience that Paolo Freire is proposing where the teacher and the learner share a bond in the learning process that translates into tr ue knowledge. Freire contends that students and teachers have to become partners in the learning process. Dewey Finn is a struggling rock artist who has taken up a job as a teacher (Rudin). However, his teaching methods are not effective (Rudin). His teaching skills at this point are determined by his ability to deliver content. This depicts the traditional methods of education where the teacher is expected to act as a narrator (Freire 71). The concept o the narrator by Paolo Freire proposes that a teacher is the sole holder of information and that the students are expected to listen to what he teacher is saying without question. The teacher is deemed as being superior and that students have knowledge gaps that only the teacher can fill. In this sense, students’ brains are receptacles waiting to be filled. This in turn undermines critical thinking by learners where they are allowed to analyze and review the content being taught by the teacher (Freire 73). The situation Dewey Finn is faced with clearly illustrates the problem with the education system. The problem is that if the teacher is limited in their ability to be a ‘narrator’ then learning cannot take place. The education system as stipulated by Freire is one that requires the teacher to be versed with vast amount of knowledge, without which, the learning process stalls. The process of education according to Freire should be one that enhances communication between the teacher and the student. Freire argues that goals outlined in traditional or banking educational systems must be done away with and should be replaced â€Å"with the posing of the problems of human beings in their relations with the world† (Freire 75). Traditional teaching methods are better when they are used together with active teaching-learning strategies. Dewey Finn in teaching his class employs the use of traditional teaching methods while at the same time actively involving the class in the learning process. Dewey Finn, the substitute teacher realizes that his class is interested in music, especially pop and hip-hop (Rudin). He dedicates his time to improve his learners’ skills and assisting them to get ready for a competition dubbed â€Å"battle of the bans†. In the process, he reveals t his class the development of rock through history so that they can understand what it is they are learning. This is an aspect of traditional teaching process where teacher assumes the role of knowledge bearer. However, Dewey Finn as a teacher allows the class to practice music allowing them to be creative and produce their own material. Here, an integration of the traditional teaching approach and encouraging learner participa tion allows the student to develop a better appreciation of course content. In essence, this approach reduces learners need to memorize while at the same time improves the relationship between the learner and tutor. Problem posing education is a concept that focuses on practical or realistic application of concepts and theories that have been learned through education (Freire 81). The problem posing approach is effective in situation where learners need to use their cognitive ability and become creative during the learning process. In this sense, children must understand that what they learn in the classroom can help in shaping the world in which hey live. Freire proposes that when students are presented with problems rather than just information, then the education process is less alienated and becomes more practical. The teacher in this sense is â€Å"always cognitive† (Freire 80). The teacher engages the students in dialogue and conducts project that enhance the learners critical thinking. The movie shows that Dewey Finn is thinking critically when teaching his students. He is aware of his students’ musical interests in pop and hip-hop. He ensures that he is able to integrate all these interest into creating a class rock band. Music in itself is a process of critical thinking. Musical compositions require the composer to analyze musical choices to ensure that a composition constitutes harmony. Dewey Finn in the movie â€Å"School of Rock† in which his students were to perform during the battle of the bands competition. One important aspect of Dewey Finn as a teacher is that he is motivated to make his learners share the same passion he has for music. There is evidence in the movie that the learners are thinking critically. Music is inherently a creative process where critical thinking is vital. While the Dewey Finn was teaching his class a song for them to perform for the battle of the bands, the class finally performs a song â€Å"School of Rock† a song that as written by their lead guitarist Zack Mooneyham (Rudin). This is the embodiment of Freire’s position when he says that he teachers thought process achieves authenticity by the authenticity of his student’s thinking (Freire 77). In this sense, Dewey Finn managed to develop Zack Mooneyham’s ability to be creative without his help thus, qualifying Dewey Finns’ teaching methods. Oppression through education is the process through which the teacher inhibits the learner’s ability to think critically by using teaching methods that aim to store information in the learner’s brain rather than enhancing understanding. In this regard, the movie exhibits how Dewey Finn exercised educational freedom where learners have the ability to express opinions and ideas creating an interactive learning process and improving the teacher-learner relationship. The freedom of education has been expressed through the ability of students to come up with heir own musical compositions. The teacher in this sense does not oppress the learner’s creative mind by insisting on his knowledge. It is evident that the movie â€Å"School of Rock† ensures that learners enjoy the ability to explore their critical thinking capabilities. The movie has revealed that traditional teaching methods enhanced by banking of information are not effective in the learning process. The movie shows that traditional teaching methods make learning seem useless. This can be seen in when Dewey Finn is forced tom teach the actual content of the class assigned to him. The class is not as lively as when they are discussing music. In the music class, the students are lively and it is evident that the students are eager to learn since they ask questions and give opinions about what the teacher is saying. This is evidence that the class is actually thinking about what is taught during the lesson. This process allows the teacher and his students to cooperate in the learning process as partners (Freire 80). Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum, 1992. Print. Rudin, Scott, Mike White, Richard Linklater, Jack Black, Joan Cusack, Sarah Silverman, Lee Wilkof, Kate McGregor-Stewart, Adam Pascal, Suzzanne Douglass, Joey Gaydos, Miranda Cosgrove, Kevin Clark, Robert Tsai, Maryam Hassan, Rebecca Brown, Caitlin Hale, Rogier Stoffers, Sandra Adair, Craig Wedren, and Karen Patch. The School of Rock. Hollywood, Calif: Paramount, 2003.

Hera - Queen of the Gods in Greek Mythology

Hera - Queen of the Gods in Greek Mythology In Greek mythology, the beautiful goddess Hera was queen of the Greek gods and the wife of Zeus, the king. Hera was goddess of marriage and childbirth. Since Heras husband was Zeus, king not only of gods, but of philanderers, Hera spent a lot of time in Greek mythology angry with Zeus. So Hera is described as jealous and quarrelsome. Hera's Jealousy Among the more famous victims of Heras jealousy is Hercules (aka Heracles, whose name means the glory of Hera). Hera persecuted the famous hero from before the time he could walk for the simple reason that Zeus was his father, but another woman Alcmene was his mother. Despite the fact that Hera was not Hercules mother, and despite her hostile actions such as sending snakes to kill him when he was a newborn baby, she served as his nurse when he was an infant. Hera persecuted many of the other women Zeus seduced, in one way or another. The anger of Hera, who murmured terrible against all child-bearing women that bare children to Zeus....Theoi Hera: Callimachus, Hymn 4 to Delos 51 ff (trans. Mair)Leto had relations with Zeus, for which she was hounded by Hera all over the earth.Theoi Hera: Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. 21 (trans. Aldrich) Hera's Children Hera is usually counted single parent mother of Hephaestus and the normal biological mother of Hebe and Ares. Their father is usually said to be her husband, Zeus, although Clark [Who Was the Wife of Zeus? by Arthur Bernard Clark; The Classical Review, (1906), pp. 365-378] explains the identities and births of Hebe, Ares, and Eiletheiya, goddess of childbirth, and sometimes named child of the divine couple, otherwise. Clark argues that the king and queen of the gods had no children together. Hebe may have been fathered by a lettuce. The association between Hebe and Zeus may have been sexual rather than familial.Ares might have been conceived via a special flower from the fields of Olenus. Zeus free admission of his paternity of Ares, Clark hints, may be only to avoid the scandal of being a cuckold.On her own, Hera gave birth to Hephaestus. Parents of Hera Like brother Zeus, Heras parents were Cronos and Rhea, who were Titans. Roman Hera In Roman mythology, the goddess Hera is known as Juno.

Organisational Learning and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Organisational Learning and Development - Essay Example These new practices rely upon the idea that performance depends not only on hard and attenuating work of the personnel, but also on such essential characteristics as competence and ability to learn and develop. Despite seeming simplicity, the problem of effective learning and development of employees is exceptionally complex, and if a company fails to properly, effectively and continuously train and educate its human resources in the right areas of the business, at the right time and at the right cost, serious inefficiencies are likely to arise. This will inevitably result in considerable operational difficulties and sometimes may even lead to failure of the organisation (Buckle & Caple, 2004). Information, knowledge, and skills have already become the key aspects of new economic environment (Guest, 1987). As a result, modern organizational studies place increasingly distinct emphasis on issues associated with learning and development of personnel. An effective HRD programme should be built around three basic theoretical concepts: organizational development change, leadership development, and individual, group and organizational learning (Reid, Barrington & Brown, 2004). ... In the past, learning focused primarily on individuals: people worked in large bureaucracies or assembly lines and, consequently, the goal of learning under such circumstances was training of the skills required for their functioning. However, since approximately three decades ago the focus of learning in organisations started to shift from individuals to groups and, what was even more important, the meaning underlying the concepts of 'learning', 'training' and 'development' transformed dramatically. Scholars began to perceive these constructs as continuous rather than occasional while the purpose and the process of learning were also reformulated and recognised as vital for effective organizational performance (Harrison, 2005). The existing research in organizational learning available up to date demonstrates that there are at least three major things adult learners need to know: - What will be learned; - How the learning will be conducted; - Why the new knowledge will be of any value (Knowles, 1984). The need to know about these three aspects strongly affects employees' motivation to learn, outcomes of learning, and motivation to use new knowledge. Normally, five phases of organizational learning are identified in the literature: 1. Analysis The first phase involves full analysis of the organizational needs, identification of the goals which, when reached, will equip employees with knowledge and skills to meet the organization's needs (Buckley & Caple, 2004). The first questions to be asked in the analysis phase are "Is there a need for training" and "If something is wrong, is it caused by a performance problem that training will fix" In the analysis phase the responsibilities/duties required at a certain position are identified and

In what ways does an understanding of history and changing Essay

In what ways does an understanding of history and changing museological ideas help to explain the foundation and early development the British Museum and The National Gallery - Essay Example hosts princely art collections, the British Museum and the National Gallery offer phenomenal cultural industries that form the pride and identity of the people of the United Kingdom. Given that museums reflect cultural ideologies, these institutions have undergone changes that to some amounts to distortion of what should have been held so dear, and to others, the changes have resulted in better safekeeping avenues for the kind of artifacts that they harbour. In order to have rationally informed understanding of contextual relevance of these two iconic institutions, an in depth analysis of the impacts of history and changing museological ideas have had on them is necessary. The British Museum owes its inception to the will and determination of Sir Hans Sloane, a physician, naturalist and collector, whose ambition of seeing his collections preserved, according to Edwards (2011), formed the basis for the foundation of the museum. The initial collections of this museum consisted of manuscripts, books and natural specimens. In addition, other relics such as coins, medals, paintings and drawings were also available among the collections. Housed at Montagu House, it became accessible to the public in 1759, majorly drawing attention from curious individuals, and entry was free to all persons. During the period covering the 19th century, the museum received enormous expansion, both in space and in the array of collections, with such artifacts as ethnological and archeological materials from Europe and as far as Syria being incorporated. To this present moment, the museum has continually expanded its antiquities and currently includes artifacts from all round t he world, from Chinese ceramics to Egyptian Tomb-Chapel of Nebamun. Currently, the museum is looking forward to building the World Contemporary Exhibition Centre that will offer an additional temporary display space (The British Museum, 2015). On the other hand, The National Gallery came into existence when the

I will send the question to writer direcly Assignment

I will send the question to writer direcly - Assignment Example The traditional marketing mix is considered to be the 4 Ps – product, price, place and promotion. For service industries, a further 3 Ps were added (McGrath, 1986) – people, physical evidence and processes. For the purposes of this essay, the focus will be on the four Ps, with their international variations considered as they apply to Tesco later in the essay. Keegan and Green (2011, p.399) define a product as â€Å"a good, service, or idea with both tangible and intangible attributes that collectively create value for a buyer or user†. One of the key attributes associated with a product is branding, which can be useful for organisations extending operations overseas. Price is defined as â€Å"a function of the demand for the product as determined by the willingness and ability of customers to buy† (ibid, p.365). For international markets, consideration must be given to price floors, price ceilings and optimum pricing. Place is â€Å"the availability of a product or service in a location that is convenient to a potential customer† (ibid, p.399) although it can also include the when and how products and services are available as well. Promotion refers to â€Å"all forms of communication used by organisations to inform, remind, explain, persuade and influence the attitudes and buying behaviour of customers and othersâ €  (ibid, p.431) and includes a wide variety of options, all of which should be used to convey and reinforce a consistent message. Tesco plc a leading food and grocery retailer in the UK operating out of 4,331 stores in 14 countries worldwide: the UK, other European countries, the USA and Asia (Datamonitor 2010b p.15). It is one of the major retailers within the UK food industry, within which hypermarkets, supermarkets and discounters hold a 61.3% by value of the market (ibid p.10). Within the UK, Tesco is perceived to have reached the extent of its expansion, so is now seeking overseas expansion to increase its

Franklin D. Roosevelt Essay Example for Free

Franklin D. Roosevelt Essay Franklin D. Roosevelt is one of the most important and influential American political figures in the 20th century. Elected four times in office, his twelve years in the White House proved to be a testament to American courage, especially when faced with great challenges such as the Great Depression and the Second World War. Franklin D. Roosevelt, often called FDR, was born to James and Sara Delano Roosevelt in January 30, 1882 at Hyde Park, New York. (Potts, 5) The Roosevelt family was a rather affluent and Franklin was educated most of his younger years with tutors. In 1900, he enrolled at Harvard University and ended his college career at Columbia University Law School. (Potts, 7) On St. Patricks Day, 1905, Franklin married Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, a distant cousin and the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt. Franklin Roosevelt greatly admired his fifth cousin, President Theodore Roosevelt who ascended to the presidency during Franklin’s freshman year at Harvard. On several instances, Franklin visited the White House to discuss issues with his cousin Teddy. It is inevitable then that Franklin would have a growing interest in joining politics. He entered public service just as his cousin did, but as a Democrat in New York, a known Republican state. This proved to be a liability and problems arose but eventually, in 1910, Franklin was elected to the New York Senate. (Coker, 11) Three years later, in 1913, President Wilson appointed him Assistant Secretary of the Navy, something he had in common with his cousin Teddy. In the years that passed Franklin proved his mettle in politics and became the 1920 Democratic nominee for Vice President. Things went well in Franklin’s life until at age 39, in the summer of 1921, he got a stricken with poliomyelitis. This was a major setback but never deterrence to his courage. Franklin fought hard to be able to use his legs again through swimming. At the dramatic 1924 Democratic Convention, Franklin appeared, wearing crutches, to nominate Alfred E. Smith as the Happy Warrior. In 1928 Roosevelt became Governor of New York. (Friedel, 69) By this time, the economy is collapsing and as governor, he retained his reformist stance pushing for the conservation of the state aid to the unemployed citizens. His political career eventually reached its culmination when he was nominated for the 1932 presidency by the Democrat party. In his acceptance of his nomination, he said â€Å"I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the American people.† This was what he came to be known for and in November 1932, Franklin was elected to his first term in as president of the United States. His administration became synonymous to the new deal he had pushed for in his campaign. (Heale, 3) It was not an easy term though. When he was elected for president, Franklin had inherited a lot of problems. This was the time when America was at the depth of the Great Depression and by March, four months into his presidency, 13,000,000 Americans were unemployed, and almost every bank was closed. The first hundred days of his office proved to be difficult. In these days Franklin had Congress implement a sweeping program to resurrect the ailing business and agriculture, to give relief to the unemployed and to those about to lose their homes and farms. He pushed for reform, especially through the Tennessee Valley Authority. Franklin Delano Roosevelt showed the people that something can be done. He gained immense admiration by helping the American people regain faith in themselves. He brought direction and hope as he assured prompt, vigorous action towards the depression. As Franklin asserted in his Inaugural Address, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. This was precisely the attitude of his administration that created impact. In three years, the FDR administration led the United States to some measure of recovery, but the experimental and aggressive nature of Roosevelt’s New Deal program had turned up the noses of businessmen and bankers. They feared his ventures, were dismayed by the allowed deficits in the budget and being taken off the gold standard, and more so, the businessmen and bankers alike were hated the concessions to labor. Sensing this, Roosevelt created a new program of reform: Social Security, larger taxes on the wealthy, new controls over banks and public utilities, and a massive relief program for the unemployed. This new burst in legislation helped Roosevelt to a re-election in 1936. Roosevelt brought in more reforms to his administration. Feeling he had a favorable and popular mandate, he then sought legislation to enlarge the Supreme Court, which had been creating problems with his New Deal policies. Roosevelt lost the Supreme Court battle, but this sparked a revolution in constitutional law. Thereafter, the Government could legally regulate the economy. (Friedel, 69) During the latter part of his second term however, foreign crises loomed over domestic problems. In 1939 the war in Europe broke out and the fear that America would get entangled in this gave Roosevelt an opportunity to get elected again in 1940. This was defiance to what should have been a maximum of two presidential terms. (Heale, 4) Nevertheless, Roosevelt received strong support from big cities and on his third term as president, he pledged the United States to the good neighbor policy, transforming the Monroe Doctrine from a unilateral American manifesto into arrangements for mutual protection against assailants. He also struggled to keep the United States out of the war in Europe through neutrality legislation but at the same time he pledged to help reinforce nations in danger. In 1940, when France fell and England came under siege, he began to send Great Britain all possible aid except actual military involvement. Inevitably though, on December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. That day, Roosevelt directed all of the Americas resources and manpower and the nation plunged into global war. Roosevelt, in the years after, devoted careful thought in his dealings and strategies with other nations and allies. He was crucial in the planning of a United Nations, wherein, he hoped, international differences and difficulties could be solved. Roosevelt proved to be highly influential throughout the war but towards the end of the war, his health worsened, and on April 12, 1945, while at Warm Springs, Georgia, Roosevelt died of a cerebral hemorrhage, thus ending the longest presidential term in American history. (Friedel, 69) Works Cited Coker, Jeffrey W. Franklin D. Roosevelt: a biography. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2005 Freidel, Frank. Presidents of the United States of America. DIANE Publishing, 1994 Heale, M. J. Franklin D. Roosevelt: the New Deal and war.   Routledge, 1999 Potts, Steve. Franklin D. Roosevelt. Capstone Press, 2006

Pollution Essay: Immediate Action Must be Taken on Global Warming :: Climate Change, Argumentative Essay

Global Warming is an important ecological issue, but is usually overlooked for more pressing short term problems. With so little attention provided to global warming, our situation can only get worse. Problem's already happening include the greenhouse gas effect, though it occurs naturally and the earth would be much colder (around 30C cooler). But to much of these gases and we will change the climate to much, to an extent that we may not be able to fix. On top of the warming due to greenhouse gases, there are also holes in our O-Zone layer, which blocks out over 90% of the UV rays, and also the weakening of our atmosphere. What is global warming? Usually when people think of Global warming, it's the normal Ice Caps melting and warm winters, which is partly true. Global Warming is the accelerated rate in the increase of temperature. But they are ignorant to the fact that Global warming can and will cause so much more damage to us soon in the future, along with these effects we will also face Food Shortages from the extreme weathers, heating that can actually damage you, and water contamination. The increase in temperature is caused by greenhouse gases, such as methane from livestock and Carbon Dioxide, from cars and industrial process's. Greenhouse gases are chemicals that are found in the atmosphere, and can occur either naturally or due to human activities such as the overuse of fossil fuels, industry, and agricultural processes caused by human, natural, and other gas emissions. Because of their make up, they allow energy from the sun to enter the atmosphere freely. When sunlight strikes the Earth’s surface, some of it is reflected back towards space as infrared radiation (heat). Greenhouse gases absorb this infrared radiation and trap the heat in the atmosphere, slowly warming our planet due to energy not being able to leave. Contrary to belief, global warming is NOT caused by â€Å"pollution†, but simply from process's that release Carbon Dioxide, like burning fossil fuels like coal and oil. If we do not slow down our use of fossil fuels (Or totally stop the use), and stop destroying the forests, the world could become hotter than it has been in the past million years. Average global temperatures have risen 1 degree Fahrenheit over the last century. If carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases continue to go into the atmosphere, global temperatures could rise five to 10 degrees by the middle of the next century.

How safe is artificial intelligence?

Artificial intelligence is the idea that computer systems can have the intelligence of a human. This means a computer system could think, communicate and do many things we humans do in our everyday life. For there to be artificial intelligence, humans must create it and develop it. We humans are the creators of artificial intelligence and many people think if we overdevelop it, it could one day lead to chaos. Many people think that if one-day artificial intelligence gained the same intelligence as humans, they could decide to go against humanity and destroy us. Steven Hawkins suggests that artificial intelligence could someday wipe out humanity when it gets too clever as we will be like ants compared to the computer systems. Artificial intelligence is already growing at a very fast rate. Google’s car is a great example of artificial intelligence since Google have developed driverless cars, especially Toyota. They have programmed the cars to drive without the use of human interaction. This already proves that artificial intelligence is growing at a very fast speed. Although it’s accurate to say that it’s hard to measure the risk of danger with artificial intelligence. Like driverless cars, they could one day be infected with a virus which could make the car do things it shouldn’t for example crash and this could be very dangerous. Artificial intelligence can have many benefits which help us every day for example GPS, they calculate our routes, time it takes to get to target destination and the fastest route possible. Computer systems are also beneficial in terms of calculating mathematically compared to humans where it could possibly take days, weeks or even months to calculate for something. A computer system can calculate something and complex situations in a matter of seconds. Computer systems can also model many real life situations and help to make decisions just like humans. Artificial intelligence can be very dangerous in some cases. We could say that if AI gained the same intelligence as humans and was able to make rational decisions, they could decide to overtake and rule the world since they are ‘smarter’ and will only get ‘smarter’ than humans. There would be a conflict between the human race and AI. It’s fair to say these are just opinions and theories since we cannot accurately measure the risk of AI until the day of its awakening. There are many movies which are based on AI and influence the publics’ ideology of AI. Movies such as terminator and I, Robot represent AI in a negative aspect which could lead people to believe AI is dangerous. People are not to blame for their ideology since the media can influence their values and beliefs. One again, hackers could use their knowledge to get access into the AI and control it to their own advantage and do many things. Depending on how lethal the AI can be, the hacker could harm civilians or even participate in an act that could cost owners their life or money. For example, a hacker hacking into someone’s car and making it turn off in middle of a motor way could lead to danger as motor ways are usually driven by many cars with fast speed. Errors and glitches are very common when it comes to technology and applications therefore it could be said that AI may sometimes malfunction and cause a problem which could yet again harm the protection of someone’s life. Christian, L. (Aug, 28, 2015). Is Artificial Intelligence Really A Threat To Humanity. Tech Times, P1. Violence isn’t the only threat to humanity. It is said that humans could implement AI within latest technology for example facial recognition. This could be a threat to many people as systems would be able to recognize you and even find out who are related to you based on traits such as your appearance, body position and the way you move. Voice recognition could also be used to recognize your identity and can also be used to find relatives. Christian also mentioned that we should consider how ‘long’ it would actually take for AI to be a threat to humanity since it would take decades for AI to reach the super intelligent level. It’s also important that humans focus on the counter measures and techniques to monitor AI to prevent them one day from taking over. Since we are humans, we are the ones who create AI which means we have control over it and can modify it therefore we can always implement security measures just in case AI turns against us. This is the advantage we humans have. It’s the ability to control the AI however if AI learns how to outsmart humans, then it would be unfortunate as the AI would be able to counter and modify the programming code that was implemented within it. EDWARD, M G. (2015). The Bulletin Forums. Artificial intelligence is just exaggerated and it just distracts us from the threats we face currently. ANTHONY, C. (October 7, 2015). Ib Times. Artificial intelligence program ConceptNet matches 4-year old child in IQ test, P1. This proves to us we still have a long time left until AI really can overpower humans but at this current stage, as of 2015 the AI have been revealed to have the IQ level of children. This can be really reassuring to people who were afraid of AI developing too fast. It seems we have a long time left. It will take a lot of trial and error to update AI in order for it to get a higher IQ score. However, this proves to the world that AI has finally been able to gain the intelligence of a child which is a big clue and hints that it’s developing gradually, and one day it will have superior intelligence. If AI keeps progressing at this rate, then the future may have something surprising waiting for them.