Improving Math and Science Scores in Middle School Essay

Math and Science are two subjects which most students at any level approach with trepidation and intense dislike, however, both subjects are integral to cognitive thinking. Not only will these subjects provide skills that will help students think more clearly, but students will be academically successful throughout their school career, enjoy wider career choices and earn more money after graduation. Therefore, establishing a strong foundation in these subjects is integral to future academic and career success. However, studying these subjects in middle school is even more difficult. Studies have shown that the transition for a student from elementary school to middle school is academically and psychologically difficult. According to Maurice Elias in an article entitled, â€Å"Middle School Transition: It’s Harder Than You Think†, many former elementary school students are not well prepared for the demands of middle school. They need explicit instruction, coaching, and support with regard to organizing time and resources for homework; responding to work that is more challenging and requires more effort; understanding and addressing the varying expectations of teachers in different subject areas; and accomplishing such basic tasks as taking notes and taking tests (Elias, 2001). Unfortunately, this same sentiment resonates today with the New York City Public School system, specifically, middle schools located in low income areas. The New York City Public School System is struggling with mathematics achievement in the grades beyond elementary school. Over 30% of the city’s elementary and middle school students score at the lowest level of the state mathematics test and only 34% of all students pass that test. The mathematics â€Å"problem† seems connected to the third major trend in the data, the low performance of middle and junior high schools in the city. In both Mathematics and English Language Arts, the city’s middle and junior high schools seem to be the weakest link in the system (Domanico, 2002). Recently, the math state scores were released further underscoring the middle school â€Å"math problem† that exists. Results showed that while 75. 3% of students at the elementary level passed successfully only 38. 9% of grade eight students passed (Andreatta, 2006, 11). As such, the intent of this study, based on the aforementioned information, is to evaluate and make recommendations with regard to middle school students in a particular school who have been struggling with both subjects. This study will focus on a middle school, IS 166- George Gershwin School—located in East New York. The decision to choose IS 166 was dependent on a few factors among which included the fact that the district within which it is located is considered a â€Å"virtual educational dead zone† by a Civic Report drafted by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (Domanico, 2002). Additionally, after reviewing the New York City Department of Education’s website—which provides an overwhelming amount of information on every public school in the city as well as their progress over recent years in the core subjects—it was found that of the schools within the 19th School District—primarily East New York, IS 166 is one of the worst performing schools. The school’s poor academic performance is further exacerbated by the outstanding grades displayed by another school in the 19th School District such as IS 409—East New York Family Academy and outside of the district another school MS 114, located in District 2 (Manhattan), whose grades superseded the city’s level as well as the state’s level. The graphs below illustrate how IS 166 performed poorly in the last 2 years on the state Math and Science exams comparatively to other schools, specifically IS 409 in the same district as well other schools in other districts. The last two graphs will show the difference with a higher performing school such as IS 409 and therefore will confirm why this study is going to be conducted. IS 166- George Gershwin School Math and Science Grades Source: New York Department of Education (Division of Assessment and Accountability—School Report Cards 2005). Definition of the Levels on which the scores for both subjects are based: Level 4—These students exceed the standards and are moving toward high performance on the Regents examination. Level 3—These students meet the standards and, with continued steady growth, should pass the Regents examination. Level 2—These students need extra help to meet the standards and pass the Regents examination. Level 1—These students have serious academic deficiencies. Source: New York Department of Education (Division of Assessment and Accountability—School Report Cards 2005). The aforementioned graphs showed how poorly IS 166 has performed in the last two years in both Math and Science. In Math, the number of students performing at Levels 3 and 4 has decreased from 22. 2% in 2004 and 17. 5% in 2005. The number of students tested for Level 3 was only 60 and for Level 4 only 3 of 361 total students. The remaining students, as displayed on the right hand side of the graph, are still at a Level 1 which as noted by the above definition means that they are in grave need of assistance. Therefore, for the purposes of the study, the target population will be defined as â€Å"in need† students. Although there has been a slight increase in Science, the results are still less than desirable when compared with other schools in the district and the City. As seen in the graph, only 14% of the students passed at Levels 3 and 4 in 2004 and by 2005, only 18% were able to pass at the same levels. Therefore, if IS 166 continues on this trajectory, it will continue to be labeled an underperforming school that graduates below average students incapable of performing the basic tasks in both subjects. The goal of the evaluation study is to thoroughly review the problems that exist and hopefully get the school to achieve grades similar to IS 409-East New York Family Academy sometime in the near future as is reflected in the following graphs. IS 409- East New York Family Academy Math and Science Grades Source: New York Department of Education (Division of Assessment and Accountability—School Report Cards 2005). As noted in the above graphs, IS 409 is performing extremely well at Levels 3 and 4 and has outperformed schools in both math and science in the district (which is truly exceptional given the neighborhood and its history) as well as other City schools. Very few students if any are far below the standard in both subjects. Moreover, as noted before, other schools such as MS 114 and IS 289 located in District 2 have maintained exceptional scores over the two year period. For 2004 and 2005, MS 114 scored 88% and 81% consecutively in Math and 97% and 91% in Science. IS 289 also scored high grades-for both years in Math, the school displayed 83% and 73% when compared to other schools in the district and city and in Science, they scored 87% and 82%. Other schools in other districts from Queens and Staten Island have also demonstrated solid scores. This makes designing a program even more of a priority in light of the above referenced comparisons. The study will not focus on the students at all levels in the middle schools but specifically, the eighth grade students destined for high school who have yet to grasp the necessary skills needed to succeed and have been the center of test score analysis over the years. These eighth grade students will be approximately 14 years old but depending on factors such as repeating a grade or special needs, the age may vary from 14-16 years old. As noted before, they will be identified as â€Å"in need† students and the study will attempt to identify the worst performing students by looking not only at grades but possibly contributing factors such as income, special needs, and possible crime involvement. The improvement of Math and Science scores is a gargantuan task which requires a major overall of the school at all levels, however, to begin the following services are needed and they are but not limited to: ?Offering training sessions for the math and science teachers. The difference between not only IS 409 and other schools in District 2 is that the teachers have more experience, education, and are less likely to be absent more than average. The training sessions will be implemented on weekends or after-school whichever is more convenient for the teachers and will be done prior to establishing an after-school program for the students. The training sessions will allow teachers from higher performing schools an opportunity to impart their techniques for achieving higher grades. ?Offering a separate informative session for the Principal, Maria Ortega, so that she is more knowledgeable on what is needed to succeed in both areas. In most cases, the principal of a school has a general idea of what is needed in most subject areas, however, if the principal is more involved, informed, and fully comprehends the nuances of the subject matter, then she will be able to make better choices in hiring and understanding the teaching of the curriculum. This is an idea which originated out of reading the case of MS 114 in District 2 which showcases a principal that has not only taught but has written Math books for children. Also, in IS 289, the principal knows each student individually and is fully acquainted with their needs. ?Offering additional services for children that may range from an after-school program to extending class hours to offering classes on the weekend. One of the schools in District 2 actually has classes that last at least 50 minutes giving students a better opportunity to absorb the material thereby performing better in exams. ?Offering programs that will incorporate the parents as well. Perhaps this will be in conjunction with the after-school program. As noted, most of the students in this district are from low income families and perhaps some of the parents are in low paying jobs or living on welfare. The parents can take advantage of the program by refreshing themselves with the basic concepts of each subject so that they may assist their children and perhaps help themselves. PROGRAM THEORY In order to address the dire academic situation at IS 166-George Gershwin School, and before implementing an after-school program, it is important to address the issue at the higher levels which means analyzing teaching techniques and more importantly, principal participation. At the Center for Civic Innovation Luncheon featuring Chancellor Joel Klein held on Thursday, October 5th at the Harvard Club, Chancellor Klein began his speech with an analogy of the leaky roof and the squeaky floor. He stated that there was a school located in uptown Harlem that had a leaky roof and a squeaky floor. One day a repair man came to repair the floor and the custodian stated that the floor cannot be fixed prior to the roof being fixed to which the repairman replied â€Å"That’s not my concern, I am just here for the floor†. The Chancellor began his speech with that story to underscore the problems with the NYC Education system. He believes that everyone wants to fix the underlying problems without addressing the issues at the surface. The Chancellor’s story may be applied to the case of IS 166 and any other school in need of improvement. Many observers and parents are often led to believe that their children are primarily the problem in achieving higher scores and possibly that their children lack the intellect to truly analyze or process the information given to them. However, it is just as important for the heads of the respective schools to be cognizant of what is needed to improve these scores and the principal is just the person to ensure this. Therefore, before implementing a program, we have recommended that Principal Maria Ortega participate in a briefing session lasting approximately one month in the summer—right after the end of the school year and before the hiring season begins—for at least 4 hours a day, three days a week. According to reports of comprehensive school reforms in Chicago and Louisiana, the schools’ academic success was primarily attributed to the principals in charge and the contributions they made throughout the reforms. In one report, it stated that â€Å"highly effective schools communicated expectations for teachers. The principal was active in working to improve teacher skills; ineffective teachers were let go. † Moreover, the principals played an important role in four areas a) selection and replacement of teachers; b) classroom monitoring and feedback; c) support for improvement of individual teachers; and d) allocating and protecting academic time (Good et al, 2005, 2207). Therefore, implementing a program or briefing session solely for Principal Ortega would help her improve in all these areas. Principals, under Chancellor Klein’s tenure, have been given more empowerment opportunities and have more responsibilities to ensure the success of their schools. IS 166 has been categorized as a Title I School In Need of Improvement (SINI) under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and as such, Principal Ortega has to work harder than ever to improve the english, math, and science scores—subjects that are integral to a student’s academic success. The program we have suggested will illustrate to Principal Ortega that math, in particular, cannot be taught in the traditional manner, that is, using rote. In fact, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) advocates the development of an inquiry-based mathematics tradition. Students taught using this tradition are encouraged to explore, develop conjectures, prove, and problem solve (Manswell Butty, 2001, 20). Students are best able to absorb the material in not only math and science but other subjects if the teachers are able to present it in an interesting manner that entails connections to the outside world. Principal Ortega should also be familiarized with the requirements for the exams and then know exactly how the staff should approach student preparation. She should also ensure that with respect to math, she adheres to the recommendations Lyle V. Jones reiterated in his article entitled â€Å"Achievement Trends in Math and Science† in which it was stated: ? Only teachers who like mathematics should teach mathematics ? The chief objective of school mathematics should be to instill confidence ? Mathematics teaching must be based on both contemporary mathematics and modern pedagogy (Jones, 1988, 333). After completion of this program, and hopefully with a better understanding of what is needed to improve the scores at IS 166, the next step would be to address the teaching staff. As noted, the methodology used is integral to ensuring that the students comprehend, absorb, and analyze the information being disseminated. If they fail to process the information then they will ultimately perform poorly in the state exams and possibly continue to do so throughout high school. We recommend prior to the beginning of the academic year, and the implementation of the after-school program, that teachers, specifically, the math teachers enroll in a summer institute similar to one reported in an article entitled, â€Å"Toward a Constructivist Perspective: The Impact of a Math Teacher InService Program on Students†. The reason being is that the teaching of math more so than science requires certain techniques that are far from the traditional methods that most teachers employ. The summer institute in the report offered participating teachers intensive two-week summer institutes and weekly classroom follow-up during one academic year. Moreover, they received an opportunity to reexamine their ideas about the teaching and learning of mathematics. During the summer institutes, these teachers experienced mathematics classes in which they were encouraged to construct solutions and ideas and to communicate them to a group. They analyzed student understandings as revealed in interviews and they planned lessons which reflected their evolving ideas about mathematics learning and teaching (Simon and Schifter, 1993, 331). Teachers need to plan their lessons in such a manner as to engage the students so that they may effectively communicate their thoughts or problems with a particular issue. In fact, after completion of the summer institute, and after the teachers began using their newfound techniques, the results were noteworthy and ranged from students stating that â€Å"it’s fun to work math problems† to â€Å"I’d rather do math than any other kind of homework† to â€Å"I like to explain how I solved a problem†(Simon and Schifter, 1993, 333). Therefore, using the above referenced example, the summer institute that we propose for the math teachers will last approximately three weeks in the summer and it would begin approximately mid-August prior to the beginning of the academic year. This program would be mandated by the principal and would include veteran staff members as well new ones brought on board. Another factor that teachers have to take into consideration is the population they cater to during the academic year. IS 166 consists of predominantly black and Hispanic students residing in East New York and its surrounding environs, thereby, making them not only an â€Å"in need† group in terms of grades but an â€Å"at risk† group in terms of their backgrounds and predisposition to engage in illicit activities. Many believe teaching techniques are generic and if they are employed in one school then they may be applicable in another. However, studies have shown that minority children in low income neighborhoods require a different set of techniques employed. According to Manswell Butty, African-American children have further been identified as favoring four learning styles a) person-centered, b) affective, c) expressive, and movement oriented (Butty, 2001, 23). Therefore, teachers need to use laboratory or group exercises, discussion sessions, or instructional uses of music and the visual and dramatic arts, especially when those pedagogical techniques promote Black students’ greater academic involvement, interest, and performances (Butty, 2001, 23). However, this is not a generalization implying that all minority children respond to this technique but most will probably respond positively. Therefore, teachers must be made aware of the group of children that they are dealing with and ensure that they employ the above referenced techniques to garner success. In fact, there are Learning through Teaching in an After-School Pedagogical Laboratories (L-TAPL) in California and New Jersey, which not only offer a program for elementary students but also serves as a practice-rich professional development for urban teachers. The program aims to improve the achievement of urban students and the competence of their teachers (Foster et al, 2005, 28). According to the Foster article, numerous studies, policies, and programs have addressed the persistent problem of underachievement among poor urban students and its array of possible causes. The NCLB links teacher quality to improved student achievement, especially among low-income urban children of color. Consequently, improving teacher quality has become one of the hallmarks of current reform efforts (Foster et al, 2005, 28). These laboratories groom future urban teachers to deal with students similar to the target population at IS 166. And as such, as an alternative to our summer institute, the teachers are free to enroll in the program offered by this lab in New Jersey. Therefore, taking into account the above referenced studies, improving teacher quality is of utmost importance when taking into consideration the improvement of math and science scores. All of the above has brought us to the most important element of the study establishing an after-school program. Establishing an After-school Program-Resources Funding Under the NCLB Act, Title I schools, such as IS 166 that are listed as Schools In Need of Improvement, have failed to reach student achievement targets that have been set for every school. This means the school has failed to meet state proficiency level for all students in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and/or high schools graduation rate. Schools falling in the above referenced category may be eligible for Supplemental Educational Services (SES). SES include free after-school/weekend remedial help or tutoring services. The SES provision offers providers an opportunity to offer low-income children, who may be struggling in school, extra academic help and individual instruction. Through SES, innovative leaders and educators can start a new tutoring program or expand an existing one to serve more students (New York City Department of Education). However, instead of using an SES provider—which in some cases the DOE will offer contracts of over a million dollars to provide services to various schools—we will request additional funding that would have been used to acquire an SES provider to establish the after-school program by ourselves with the assistance of The After-school Corporation (TASC). TASC is renowned for establishing successful after-school programs and have no contract with the DOE and thus, are not labeled SES Providers. In addition to wanting to establish a program using solely school staff, it is important to note, that there have been several complaints about SES providers and most are being investigated either by the Special Commissioner of Investigation for the New York City School District or the Office of Special Investigation and in the best interest of the target population, we have decided to forego those providers. Therefore, the funding used from SES will be used to offer per session rates for the teachers participating in the program as well as pay for the consultant from TASC. The funding will also be used to acquire additional supplies such as the KidzMath program which is highly popular and is used around the country to get students interested in math and to improve scores. Funding will also be used to secure additional bus transportation from the Office of Pupil Transportation as well as food and refreshments for the children. Staffing and Facilities The program will be housed in the school recreation room and so there will be no need to rent a facility to do so. The program will be supervised by the TASC consultant who will preferably be someone from the community who is familiar with the target population and can easily relate to their situation. The principal and assistant principal will take turns observing the classes and ensuring that the teachers and participants are abiding by the rules. The teachers will be eighth grade math and science teachers who deal with the target population on a daily basis and who are familiar with the problems they are experiencing. Additionally, the teachers will be assisted by high school students who are well versed in the subject areas, who have been recruited from neighboring high schools and would like to add an after-school tutoring activity to their resume. Therefore, these students will not be paid but will use the after-school program as a learning experience. Participants The students participating in the program will be chosen based on their past academic performance in grades six and seven and failure to show any signs of improvement. To reiterate, this program is geared specifically for eighth grade students, ages 14-16 years old, and will begin a month into the beginning of the academic year towards the end of September early October after the students and teachers have settled in the new semester. Letters will be sent to the parents at the beginning of the academic year notifying them of their child’s progress and advising them that the program is mandatory if they are to improve and move on to high school (the letters will be followed up by phone calls). While the school has no recourse if a student fails to attend even though it has been marked mandatory, offering a voluntary program usually encourages those that are really not in need of it to participate and those that do need it usually don’t. The parents will be informed of the structure of the program and the fact that transportation will be provided so that their children will be taken home safely after the program. In fact, parents who may not be working full time or at all will be encouraged to observe or participate in another session that will help them to understand what their child needs to improve. The session, which will last as long as the tutoring session, will more than likely be conducted by the assistant principal or a math/science staff member and will give the parent an opportunity to be truly acquainted with the activities being conducted. This program may also be helpful to them as well as some of these parents lack the basic educational skills that are necessary to obtain a job. Activities and Schedule Based on successful programs in Arkansas, the after-school program we will establish will mirror these successful programs and therefore, the program will entail classes of one and a half hours each day, Monday through Thursday between the hours of 3pm and 4:30pm. Mondays and Wednesdays will be dedicated to math and Tuesdays and Thursdays will be dedicated to science. The sessions will be divided into 40 minute periods during which the first period will be dedicated to the teacher illustrating the subject material and the second period will be dedicated to the students participating in groups and working together to complete the work presented in the first period. The students will get a ten-minute break during which they will receive refreshments. In the Camden School District in Arkansas, school officials credited the success of the after-school programs to the schools being released from the â€Å"Adequate Yearly Progress† (AYP) status under the NCLB Act (Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families, 2006). Throughout the course of the program, teachers will be encouraged not to utilize the same material or techniques used on a daily basis. The teachers will be reminded that the program is geared towards individuals who have a negative attitude toward the subjects which may be as a result of not only failure to comprehend the material but also the teacher’s emphasis on traditional methods. Therefore, the program will forego any emphasis on memorization, computation, and equation and will focus on modeling and real world problem solving. Engaging in group work, especially in math, has proven to be successful and will be the focus of the program. According to Jones, group work differs from cooperative learning in its lesser emphasis on the teacher as instructor and its greater dependence on students teaching other students. Moreover, cooperative learning procedures as dependent first on instruction by the teacher, then on practice engaged in actively by members of an established student team (often of four team members), has evidence that supports the efficacy of the approach to elevate not only achievement but also self-esteem, interpersonal effectiveness and interracial harmony (Jones, 1988, 328). Therefore, the students will work together in groups over the period of the academic year and will be exposed to hands-on experiences, games, and projects. KidzMath should really be a good stimulant and with the assistance of the teachers, the students should be motivated. Teachers will also be encouraged to maintain a weekly progress report which will ultimately be used to assess the program’s progress. Another aspect of the program would entail having the Principal establishing stronger ties with the community and getting more community leaders involved by dropping by the after-school program to give advice and encouragement to the students. Students are not only stimulated by various activities that are outside of the norm of the regular classroom but are also stimulated by role models or individuals they deem to be successful from their part of the neighborhood. According to a report done on the Chicago School Reform, the schools that experienced major changes and improvements were led by principals who were strong veteran leaders with good relationships with their local school councils and the community (Hess, Jr. , 1999, 79). Additionally, incentives can also be offered for the students in the program which will encourage their continued participation and potential success and can range from visits to museums or amusement parks if they have showed slight improvements. While these children who performed poorly are from low income families, and a reduction in poverty rates might have a salutary effect on measured school achievement, according to Lyle V. Jones, the influence of poverty on educational achievement may be ameliorated by introducing school-parent programs to improve academic conditions in the home. After reviewing nearly 3,000 investigations of productive factors in learning concludes that such programs have an outstanding record of success in promoting achievement (Jones, 1988, 327). Explanation of Logic Model. Inputs: consist of the fundamental resources—human and capital—that the program needs in order for it to achieve its goals. These resources consist of funding for per session rates for the teachers, payment for the TASC Consultant, supplies such as KidzMath, transportation, and refreshments. The most important resources needed are the children to whom the program is directed. Activities: Once the fundamental resources are in place, the schedule has been established and the techniques for teaching have been agreed upon, then the after-school program will proceed as planned throughout the academic year. The sessions will be conducted four days a week, Mondays and Wednesdays, for math and Tuesdays and Thursdays for science lasting 1. 5 hrs each period. The sessions will entail a great deal of group work and collaboration along with potential visits from community leaders and role models. Outputs: Upon implementation of the program, it is important to ascertain if the program is reaching its target population, if the services provided are being done in the manner discussed and if the population are benefiting or if they have any concerns those will be noted throughout the assessment. This will be done by conducting site visits, performing observations and conducting surveys. Outcomes: If the program is successful in achieving its goals, then the immediate goals will see the students passing their in-class tests and ultimately the state exams—which has been the focal issue with the school and the reason for the Title I status under the NCLB Act. The long-term goals include the participants of the program actually going on to high school and possibly even college. From that point onward, if students succeed in college, they may even pursue challenging careers thereby improving their socio-economic status. The reason the logic diagram is done in a cyclical manner is to demonstrate that if the program is successful and the students do improve significantly, then the school may be eligible for the same amount or a higher amount of funding which they can use to increase their resources for the input phase for the upcoming academic year. PROGRAM PROCESS Once the program has been implemented, it is important to ascertain if the services are in fact being delivered as planned and if the participants are learning with the teachers employing the new techniques as discussed. In order to do this, we will conduct an observational study as fashioned from the TASC’s site visit procedures in addition to teacher and parental surveys to see if they have noted any differences in the children participating in the program. This assessment will be done halfway throughout the semester at approximately the end of January which will also coincide with the first set of state exams (students also take these exams towards the end of the academic year-approximately June). The assessment will begin with a two-person team (my colleague and I) visiting the after-school’s program for two days a week, for a total of two weeks—one day for math and the other for science. The visit will include an interview with the principal and assistant principal (who, as noted before, would have taken turns monitoring the program).

Microsoft Antitrust Case

There has been a lot of debate recently about Bill Gates within the software industry.   This debate has occurred because Windows is on the majority of personal desktops, which is considered a monopoly in the system.   The problem with having a monopoly is that any software that is written by any company must work with the Windows operating system. That means that all companies must consult with Microsoft before making software.   It also means that Microsoft can effectively destroy a company by refusing to use their software.   Or, Microsoft can create their own products that compete with other companies, and they can include it with the Windows operating system for free.   Since free products that work well with the operating system (and which is conveniently already there) will be chosen over alternatives, Microsoft can severely harm their competitors with this strategy. The lawsuits against Microsoft said that the company was using this power to destroy different companies and to boost their own products. Q2)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this country, monopolies are frowned upon.   While this is a capitalist society that allows free market competition, it is assumed that all companies should have an equal chance to participate in the market and to make profits.   This was especially true in the time of the anti-trust laws, when the Clinton administration was in office, an administration that was against big business as a rule.   The verdict handed down was decidedly harsh, calling Microsoft a â€Å"thug† in its business dealings with other companies. These issues do exist in other countries as well.   In fact, some countries will not allow Microsoft to sell their products anymore because of the proprietary software and operating systems that they use.   Countries do not want products that take over the market entirely, they want competition from different products, like the U.S. does. Q3)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many people felt that Microsoft was not being at all ethical in the way they were dealing with this issue.   In being freely competitive, companies should do the best they can to promote their products and win the favor of the consumers, but they should not go so far as to make it impossible for other companies to compete. There are other business ethics, as well.   Microsoft should not be forcing their competitors, or those who support their business (the software companies) to write their products or conduct business in any particular way.   However, by writing an operating system that requires software to be produced in specific ways, they are basically forcing companies to do things their way, or to lose the business of almost everyone in America who owns a PC.   Since companies obviously do not want to go under, they are forced to play the game Microsoft’s way. Another issue is that if Microsoft doesn’t like the product a company comes up with, they can force the product off the market by offering their own version of it, which comes bundled with their operating system.   For sheer convenience alone, Microsoft can win that battle every time.   This is unethical because Microsoft only has to decide that they don’t like a product, and they can simply make it disappear. Legally, the U.S. government does not allow monopolies to appear in the business world, for precisely the above reasons.   It allows oligopolies (where a few major companies control the market share relatively equally), but monopolies make it too difficult for new businesses to break into the system.   Also, in Microsoft’s case, it was not only controlling its own section of the industry, but actually the entire industry.   The case’s judge considered this type of behavior â€Å"predatory.† Q4) Microsoft is, of course, the primary player in this case.   It is using its power as the leader in the industry to try to remain the leader, and to control even more of the industry.   Meanwhile, most other software companies, including Novell, Netscape, and PC manufacturer Gateway, are against Microsoft.   They are trying to destroy Microsoft’s monopoly in order to create opportunity for themselves.   Of course, if they were in Microsoft’s position, they would do no differently. All software companies are seeking to lead the industry and have a monopoly, because that is the primary way to make money.   Because these software companies cannot do this while Microsoft is in the way, they are calling for Microsoft’s destruction or separation into smaller companies so that they can have a shot at the big top. The government is also trying to use its power to destroy Microsoft, despite the fact that the Clinton administration has approved more large mergers than any previous administration.   They are making an example of Microsoft because a lot of people are upset about it.   This occurred just before an election year, so they would be attempting to garner political power from this move (as we know, it did not work, and the Democrats lost the White House in 2000). Source McLaughlin, Martin (1999).   â€Å"Behind the Microsoft antitrust case: computer giants battle for market and profits.†Ã‚   World Socialist Website.   Accessed December 7, 2007.   Website: http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/nov1999/micr-n11.shtml

Banking System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Banking System - Essay Example When it comes to wire transfers, the most annoying thing in it is with regard to the lengthy and painstaking procedures involved in authentication and also the cost factor is a major concern. The cost of initiating a wire transfer of money say, between America and England would cost a minimum of $15, which is quite costly. Another major factor of concern is the accessibility. Even today, the common man has to go to any branch of a bank even if there are cases where there is only a single branch in most of the cities. Such a limitation makes it difficult for effective and smooth business, when other modern technologies are at hand. The modern era has seen an increase in wireless communication along with the advent of the age of the Internet and the WWW (world wide web). As such, banks today feel the need to take advantage of these developments and modify their current operations in order to incorporate such new technologies and practices. 1) System Startup: The system is started up when the operator turns the operator switch to the "on" position. The operator will be asked to enter the amount of money currently in the cash dispenser, and a connection to the bank will be established. Then the servicing of customers can begin. 2) System Shutdown: The system is shut down when the operator makes sure that no customer is using the machine, and then turns the operator switch to the "off" position. The connection to the bank will be shut down. Then the operator is free to remove deposited envelopes, replenish cash and paper, etc.3) Session: A session is started when a customer inserts an ATM card into the card reader slot of the machine. The ATM pulls the card into the machine and reads it. (If the reader cannot read the card due to improper insertion or a damaged stripe, the card is ejected, an error screen is displayed, and the session is aborted.) The customer is asked to enter his/her PIN, and is then allowed to perform one or more transactions, choosing from a menu of possible types of transaction in each case. After each transaction, the customer is asked whether he/she would like to perform another. When the customer is through performing transactions, the card is ejected from the machine and the sessio n ends. If a transaction is aborted due to too many invalid PIN entries, the session is also aborted, with the card being retained in the machine.The customer may abort the session by pressing the Cancel key when entering a PIN or choosing a transaction type. 4) Transaction: A transaction use case is started within a session when the customer chooses a transaction type from a menu of options. The customer will be asked to furnish appropriate details (e.g. account(s) involved, amount). The transaction will then be sent to the bank, along with information from the customer's card and the PIN the customer

PDP (Professional Development Plan) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

PDP (Professional Development Plan) - Essay Example 57). It is through such management skills that will not only help in the current situation, but also in others to come. Taking managing conflict and stress as my goal, I have been able to master management skills that help me overcome several situations around my life. I am married and currently pregnant with my child. I am studying abroad and my husband is currently at my home country. I have had to deal with some situations of conflict management and stress. In order to deal with my situation, my goal is to come up with a way on how I can manage conflict and stress. As a student, I occasionally encounter conflict from home in the sense that I have to balance between family and studies. There are my studies that demand my time, and there is also my husband whom I have to give time. Conflict sometimes usually arise when my husband calls just when I am getting ready for a presentation or a continuous assessment test. The two are equally indispensable to me and I cannot afford to ignor e one at the expense of the other. At the same time I have to maintain my pre-natal checks with my doctor at the clinic. For a while I was stressed when I could not find a solution. So what I did was to engage in critical thinking to analyse possible ways out. It was then that something clicked onto my mind. I resolved that rather than wait for my husband to call me, which he could do any time, I resolved I would call him whenever I was out jogging or in the clinic waiting to be attended to. These are activities that I do quite often so it guaranteed that I would be calling him that often. Besides, I also knew it would help us connect with our baby because I could inform him of our progress. This way, I was sure I would eliminate the apparent conflict and put to end things that stress me up. During my free time, I also resolved I would be reading some books that brighten my moods. Using that approach, I am certain that I will manage the issues that were previously a bother to me. Le arning Skills: Improve My Presentation skills In order to improve my presentation skills, I will have to focus on my communication skills. It is through effective communication that I will be able to put across my ideas and impact on my audience as I planned (McKay et al., 2009, p. 39). To begin with, I will be keen to focus on the clarity of the message. Many ideas end up being misunderstood and consequently not eliciting the expected behaviour just because they did not come out as envisioned. As such, I will focus on clarity of voice, word choice and concise explanation in all my presentations. Besides, I will also improve my presentation skills through appropriate facial expression so that my audience is also kept active and interested in the presentation. It has been observed that appropriate facial expressions help to amplify the message being conveyed especially when a vital point has to be made (Steele, 2009, p. 214). In addition, I would also improve my presentation skills b y accompanying my presentation with pictographs where applicable. For instance, where I need to emphasize on deviation from a previous market trend, I will use comparative graphs that indicate the old and the new trends. This way, my audience will be able to easily grasp my ideas and keep up with me. Besides, visuals also help other who may have missed the some bits of information orally. Something else that I will also do to improve my presentation skills is to practice my presentation before hand. Instead of waiting to

What is ethis Can ethics be taught Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is ethis Can ethics be taught - Term Paper Example For example, in some fundamental societies, killing of people who say something against the religion is accepted as a sacred act. According to newspaper reports, Indian capital New Delhi faced a severe terrorist attack in which more than 10 innocent people were killed. The terrorist who accepted responsibility for this attack was a fundamental Islamic terrorist organization. For them, what they did in Delhi is ethical. But for others, it cannot be considered as ethical. So it is not necessary that religions or the society may always teach moral activities. From the above discussion, it is clear that ethics cannot be taught; but it should be learned through logical analysis and synthesis of experiences in the past. â€Å"When most people think of ethics (or morals), they think of rules for distinguishing between right and wrong† (Resnik, 2010). My personal code of ethics is formulated in line with the above argument. In fact my personal ethics has nothing to do with my religious beliefs. I have no hesitation in accepting the good teachings of other religions. For example, according to Christian and Muslim belief, killing of animals for food is not a sin. However, Buddhism and Hinduism consider all types of killing as sin. I have no hesitation in accepting the arguments of Buddhism and Hinduism as far as killing of animals is concerned. For me, any activity which may not cause any kind of discomfort to others can be considered as ethical. When I was working in the production department of an organization, a sales executive who is working for another company approached me with a major job. Even though his organization has all the facilities to complete that job, he told me that he doesn’t want to complete that job with the help of his own organization. His intention was to make more money out of this job. Since my organization has lack of works at that time, his offer put me in a dilemma. According to my

The Co-Operative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Co-Operative - Essay Example As the years go by, Co-operative food has continued to be versatile in strategy and approach. The company has also placed itself in a position where it is benefiting fully from the advent of technology. For instance it is argued that â€Å"The Co-operative Food will become the UK’s first major grocery retailer to introduce contactless payment in its stores nationwide after joining forces with Barclaycard† (The Co-operative Group, 2010). As a business strategy, the company focuses its strength on growing its smaller retail shops and ensuring fair-trade. Overview of the French food market The decision as to whether or not Co-operative food should enter the French market is one that comes with a lot of considerations before drawing any conclusions. The first of such considerations is a thorough examination of the French Food Market to ascertain the viability of the French Food Market to contain not just Co-operative Food but any other food company. The French market is rep uted for â€Å"better prices, finding more exotic items, and buying in bulk† (Mason, 2011). This means that the strength of the French Food Market hangs around the factors of price, variety and type of sales. Largely due to the fact that fair-trade is upheld and practiced in France, food producers barely have problems with the payment of deserving and fair prices for their food produce. This fairness is to a very large extent transferred to the larger France Food Market where the right of consumers to fair prices is always respected. To this effect, prices of goods are generally lower as opined by Mason (2011). What is more, France’s open market trade that is in place in France makes it possible for as many variety of food items as possible to enter the French market. To this effect, natives and foreigners (especially tourists) are offered an advantage of getting almost everything they want as far as food products are concerned. Lastly, both retail and wholesale food m arketing are in full force in France. Mason (2011) notes that most of the whole sale and in some cases retail sales are done by the farmers themselves. This approach ensures that it is only quality and affordable food products that are sold in the French Food Market. Potential benefits for Co-operative Food entering France Once Co-operative Food, UK finalizes its decision to enter the French food market and indeed enters it, there are a couple of advantages and benefits that the company is sure to tap. In the first place, The US Commercial Service

Greek Current Event Reflections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Greek Current Event Reflections - Essay Example The organizations termed as Greek because their nomenclatures consisted of Greek letters that were serving as reminder of the value of the group. Fraternities have been a significant part of the co-curricular experiences as well as the norm in Northern Arizona University. The sororities have supported university mission through promoting community services, leadership skills and to a large-scale involvement in the broad university community. Self-governance and self-control have been the backbone to good citizenship among sororities. Therefore, the elected leaders in the organizations are usually responsible for all the action and decision of their respective chapters. It means that, these leaders are responsible for setting proper moral standards for other cohorts as well as educating members existing policies that hold them together. In essence, the pursuit of academic excellence is an imperative aspect of the sorority and fraternity experience. For example, fraternities in Northern Arizona University must meet the minimum requirement stated by the university so as to graduate (NAU, P. 1-16). Since fraternities are involved in the dynamic association in life including academics and social life, Greek organizations are occasionally faced with challenges in their daily life. Social events have been noted to affect several sororities because their members attend clubs and other social functions that may influence an individual’s character. Drug abuse especially alcohol affects the health of fraternity members and most of the members usually consume it out of peer pressure. Initiation process of the new recruits and neophytes may turn out to be abusive, for example, sexual assaults, criminal behaviours and secret cults that the novice is not aware. These have led to the Greek societies getting a lot of condemnation from the public.  Moreover,  some of the parents do advise their children not to join the fraternity and

Current Macroeconomic Situation in the US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Current Macroeconomic Situation in the US - Essay Example The government has pumped money into the economy to boost spending which in turn boosts the aggregate demand by increases it. This move aimed at providing citizens with more money to spend. It has also increased its spending to hike confidence about growth. The rescue of insurers and banks also helped to build confidence to public and businesses in the economy (Moore, 2014). On monetary front, FOMC has undertaken buying government securities in an attempt to reduce interest rates and encourage investing. This increases the level of yield and betters confidence level. The government has tried its best to resurrect the U.S economy from the effects of 2008 crisis (Moore, 2014). According to Bureau of Economic Analysis, the GDP increased at an annual rate of 2.6% by fourth quarter of 2013 and in third quarter, it had increased by 4.1% (Pew Research, 2013). Real disposable personal income grew by 0.3 percent in February 2014 with a similar percentage increase recorded in January. As of September 2013, U.S GDP was $15.7trillion-2.2 growth in 2012; Unemployment was at 7.2%, Inflation at 2.1%, and public debt at 106% of GDP (Pew Research, 2014). The GDP has increased overtime as the employment and inflation rates have declined. Unemployment has come down slowly but steadily but creation of more than 300,000 jobs per month is what is required to bring it down with the desired speed (Pew Research, 2014). To ensure a steady growth in U.S economy, political leaders need to ensure that there is no interruption in nominal functioning of government (Moore, 2014). Changes are needed in budgetary procedures to curb such disruptions as government shutdown by abolition of nominal debt ceiling, to allow automatic authorization of resolutions passed by congress and borrowing implied by budgets. To give economic confidence a chance of entering positive territory, positive economic trends must continue. Government should increase money circulation in the

Evaluation of intervention mapping Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Evaluation of intervention mapping - Essay Example This will be followed by choice, implementation, and evaluation of intervention methods that may pose to change the health-related behaviour. (Bartholomew et al., 1998, 545-563). If a health intervention is effective leading to change in related health practices, there would be demonstrable change in the determinants and antecedents of health behaviour. Health promotion strategies are closely related to the psychological theories of behavioural changes. These can be achieved in an organised manner through intervention mapping, which had been the result of works of L. Kay Bartholomew, Guy S. Parcel, Gerjo Kok, and Nell H. Gottlieb (Bartholomew et al., 2001), which was published as â€Å"Intervention Mapping: Developing theory and evidence-based health education programs† in the year 2001. This was designed to provide a framework for effective decision making in intervention planning, implementation, and evaluation. It is known that health promotion is possible only through an effective health education. Drawing on this, health promotion is a synergy of educational and environmental supports for actions and conditions health-conducive living. Green & Kr euter (2005) have defined health promotion as "Any combination of education, political, regulatory and organizational supports for actions and conditions of living conducive to the health of individuals, groups or communities† (Green & Kreuter, 2005, p. G-4). If these change health behaviour, appropriate evaluation is necessary to ensure detection of these changes to assess whether these conform to evidence, so the health promoters can take a decision at every step of the process of planning and implementation of intervention (Kok et al., 2004, 85-98). Theory is the pillar of evidence-informed health promotion. Interventions that address the determinants of intervention or change must be evidence based and guided by need (Green, 2000, 125-129). Many authors have concluded that

Compare the impacts that Mable has on the drama in making history to Essay

Compare the impacts that Mable has on the drama in making history to that of Tailor and Ella in vernon god little - Essay Example character of Mable definitely commands a considerable influence over the male protagonist in ‘Making History’, the characters named Taylor and Ella push the male protagonist in ‘Vernon God Little’ in two utterly diverse situations that further adds to the conflict of characters and situations inherent in this drama. ‘Making History’ by Brian Friel is a historical play that deals with a unique moment in the Iris history defined by a tribal chief Hugh O’Neill. This play is as much a dramatical elaboration of the historical facts, as an amorphous display of the human endowments like the strength of character, frailty of temperament, identity and pride. O’Neil is delineated by the writer as an astute character that is discernibly torn between his loyalty for Queen Elizabeth who elevated him to the position of Earl of Tyrone and his devotion to the Catholic cause in which he is aided by Archbishop Lombard and his close friend Hugh O’Donnell. If history could be interpreted as a conflict between a thesis and antithesis that is eventually resolved through synthesis, then the character of Mable is certainly the one that helps in bringing to fore this conflict inherent in O’Neill’s consciousness. In fact Mable is the one that to a great extent unravels the duplicity and complexity inherent in O’Neill’s character to which Lombard alludes to as a â€Å"random catalogue of deliberate achievement and sheer accident (Making History 67).† Thus ‘Making History’ involves mature characters with complex and intricate personalities. Hence the influence of Mable in this play is very subtle, refined and indirect that most of the times borders on the verge of unpredictability and nebulousness. On the contrary, the impact of Taylor and Ella in ‘Vernon God Little’ is not so wispy and suave though being influential as this play is more of a contemporary urban sociological commentary that relies on the intricacy of events then on the complexity of

Study of Peak Oil and Gas Essay Example for Free

Study of Peak Oil and Gas Essay In 2004, the world production of oil was estimated at just over 29. 7 Bbl. The corresponding world consumption for oil during the same period was estimated at 29. 6 Bbl of oil, leaving a surplus of just under 0. 1 Bbl at the end of the year. In the United States, one of largest consumer markets for oil and oil products, from the first week in September 2004 to the first week in September 2005, gasoline prices increased by a staggering $1. 22 per gallon to $3. 12 before dropping to $2. 25 on November 21, 2005. These figures are quite staggering considering that contracts for crude changed hands at 10 USD/barrel in 1999. With the emergence of China in the global market and its increasing demand for oil, it is projected that unless oil companies are able to increase the world production by investing investment in oil and natural-gas production oil prices could increase exponentially over the next ten (10) years. The obvious factor in determining the supply of oil in the world is the amount of oil that can actually be extracted and processed. Oil is essentially a non-renewable energy source and cannot be replenished once it has been extracted from the ground. The role of oil companies and countries is not in the actual production of oil but in it rationing. A network of scientists called the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas (ASPO) which is affiliated with a wide array of global institutions and universities studies the depletion rate of oil. ASPO studies concern themselves in determining the date and impact of the peak and decline of the world’s production of oil and gas, due to resource constraints. The ASPO uses the â€Å"Peak Oil Theory† or the â€Å"Hubbert Peak Theory† which is a method of modeling known oil reserves and production rates and routinely used by oil companies to predict future yields of existing oil fields (Legget, 2005). Using this model, it has been projected that the world oil production growth trends, in the short term, have been decreasing over the last 18 months. Average yearly gains in world oil production from 1987 to 2005 were 1. 2 million barrels per day (mbbl/d) (1. 7%). Global production averaged 84. 4 mbbl/d in 2005, up only 0. 2 mbbl/d (0. 2%), from 84. 2 mbbl/d (13. 4 million m? /d) in Q4 2004 (Legget, 2005). ASPO predicts that conventional plus unconventional oil production will peak around 2007 What this data basically means is that the current supplies of oil all over the world are being depleted and newer sources have not yet been discovered. To bring the supply of oil up again, oil companies must invest more in locating more oil fields and also develop new technologies to improve the current refining processes to allow for a more efficient production of oil. This first factor in the supply of oil is basically dependent on the actual amount of oil that can be produced and processed and also considers the capacity of oil companies to refine oil more efficiently and to tap other sources of oil (Deffeyes, 2005). This factor however also heavily depends on the capital investments that oil companies make in the oil industry. One of the main factors which affect the demand for oil is the price of oil. But given the fact that oil is a necessary resource and that it is a non-renewable energy sources, the supply can basically only remain at a certain â€Å"Peak† level depending on the amount which can actually be processed and the demand also remains at a certain level even if oil prices continue to rise (Case, 1999). Ordinarily, if the resources were renewable, there would be perfect elasticity between the supply and the demand in proportion to the increase or change in the price. Therefore, if the price of oil were to increase, it would theoretically result in the demand for oil to decrease (Case, 1999). This assumption however cannot be applied to the case of oil because, as mentioned earlier, oil is a non-renewable resources and remains as the primary source of energy in the world today. This shows the inelastic demand for oil. The reason for this is that since oil remains the main energy source in most countries, the demand for oil will remain constant despite the changes in the price of oil (Case, 1999). While theoretically it is expected that there will be a greater demand for oil if the price decreases, it is important to factor in the fact that more governments around the world are implementing energy saving policies as well as trying to reduce to dependence on oil as an energy source by developing alternative sources of energy (hybrid cars, solar power, hydroelectric power) (Simmons, 2005). The fact that oil is a non-renewable resource must also be considered. The next factor which affects demand for oil is the availability of alternative energy sources which are cheaper (Bilgen, 2004). The presence of substitutes in a market allows the demand for oil to decrease if the price continues to increase (Case, 1999). Before discussing this factor, it is important to remember that the development of alternative energy sources is not in proportion to the increasing rate of demand for oil. The presence of substitutes in a market affects demand because any increase in the price of the commodity means that the consumers have an alternative and can lower their demand for the commodity and purchase the substitute instead (Case, 1999). The same principle applies for oil except that it must be remembered that the development of these substitutes or alternative sources of energy takes a considerably longer amount of time than conventional substitutes. However, under the assumption that there are already alternative sources of energy available in the market, it can be expected that the demand will react accordingly to any increase in the price of oil. The dependence on oil as an energy source will decrease thus reducing the demand for oil in proportion to the price increases (Pimentel, 1998). The challenge remains however for countries and governments to find ways to find alternative energy sources to reduce the world dependence on oil as an energy source and ease the burden that the increasing prices have on the consumer. While the government may effectively regulate its use, the best solution is still in the development of energy substitutes for the market (Pimentel, 1998). Other factors which also have an effect on the demand for oil are things such as the government regulations on the use of fossil fuels, energy saving campaigns and environmental regulations. The government can implement these measures by increasing taxes or imposing fines. The effect that this has on demand is simple. The government regulations effectively reduce demand because the consumers are restricted from buying more oil. By encouraging the implementation of energy saving policies, oil consumption is also greatly decreased thus affecting the demand. The demand for oil therefore is affected by many factors such as price, availability of substitutes, and government intervention in the form of taxes, energy regulations and price controls. References: Bahree, B. (2006) Investment by Oil Industry Stalls November 8, 2006 Wall Street Journal November 2006 Bilgen, S. and Kaygusuz, K. (2004) Renewable Energy for a Clean and Sustainable Future, Energy Sources 26, 1119 Case, K. and Fair, R. (1999). Principles of Economics (5th ed. ). Prentice-Hall Deffeyes, K. (2005). Beyond Oil: The View from Hubberts Peak. Hill and Wang publishing House. Hill and Wang United States Leggett, J. (2005). The Empty Tank: Oil, Gas, Hot Air, and the Coming Financial Catastrophe. Random House. Pimentel, D. (1998). Energy and Dollar Costs of Ethanol Production with Corn Hubbert Center Newsletter, 98/2. M. King Hubbert Center for Petroleum Supply Studies, p. 8. Simmons, M. (2005). Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy. Random House

Teamwork discovery Essay Example for Free

Teamwork discovery Essay Describe team members’ results on the Discovery Wheel and Develop your multiple intelligences exercises. What similarities and differences exist within the team? Looking at our team results as individuals, it appears that we have all had a surprising look into ourselves accurately. We all have learned things about ourselves that we did not realize in the past. For instance, Jacob learned he would like to bring up his reading, Kathleen wants to be more time managed as she grows in her schooling she has learned, Nicole learned she wants to work on many areas in her growth with schooling, and Joni learned she needs to learn how to do testing better throughout schooling as well. Our team has the similarity of a high strength in Purpose. This is pretty much the only prominent high score as a team that we have in common. In the same since, we have looked at our results and we all have many differences. Like mentioned before, Kathleen, Jacob, Nicole, and Joni all want to improve areas throughout their course in their studies in schooling. Kathleen feels she will be stronger as a person once she is able to control her time management, Jacob feels one his reading becomes better he will be able to do better in school and in his life further down the road, Joni feels if she can do a test with less stress she will be able to pass them and accomplish much more through school. As a team we work well together through our weaknesses, because we are all different and have strength in the areas where others are lacking; therefore we work well as a team. 2. What are the advantages of having diversity on a team? What challenges might the team face because of diversity? As a team, we feel there are great advantages to having diversity on a team. We believe that diversity can bring a lot to a team; you can learn new points of view, opinions on how things are being done, and various ways of study that could help each other out. These are advantages, but they can also be seen as challenges in a team as well. The way these areas could be seen as a challenge is, if a team member is set in on specific way of study, does not do well with listening to how things could be approached differently, or they are just plain â€Å"set in their own ways†, then this could cause challenges. 3. How might factors such as diversity, attitude, learning, and work styles affect team building? Factors such as diversity, attitude, learning, and work styles may affect team building if one or more team members are unwilling to adapt to change that may take place; or even the styles of how people learn being different may become an issue. Work styles of how some team members want to get the job done right away and others procrastinate. Many of issues can arise while building your team. Once your team is built, you will know who is strong in areas and you will know where they will be needed the most. 4. Describe team members’ results on the Career Interest Profiler, and the Career Plan Building Activity-Competencies. What similarities and differences exist within the team? As the team, we scored high on Purpose and averaged in mostly everything else. Our low score came in at Reading. Our team has the similarity of Purpose, and a few of us paired up on other areas on where we scored, but overall we have many of differences on how we feel our areas need to be worked on. The differences are that some of us may have scored high in timing and low in other areas, but we fail to have time management. 5. How can you use the knowledge gained in the Career Interest Profiler, and the Career Plan Building Activity-Competencies to improve the performance of the Learning Team? We will stay on task and set early deadlines to make. This will help keep stress levels down to be able to complete the assignments at hand. We will stay in communication better with one another and post more often to find out what is needed; and if there is any confusion it can be clarified within the team or by the instructor if needed. This is what we learned to improve the performance of the Learning Team. 6. What obstacles might arise from different ethical perspectives among team members? There are many obstacles that could arise from ethical perspectives from a team. These obstacles can range from politics, religion, gender, race, or language. The list may go on even further, but these are major obstacles our team could think of. 7. How might these factors, diversity, attitude, learning and work styles, and ethical perspective be used to resolve conflicts? As a team we feel that diversity could be used to solve a conflict by learning the different ways of study that diversity may have to offer. Attitude can resolve conflict if the team comes forth as positive key players and are willing to keep an open mind without taking things personally. Learning new ways and being open to different ways of others’ ways of learning can resolve conflict as well. Taking in consideration that each individual is different and work in different styles may help resolve any conflict with work styles; try different work styles before just assuming you do not like them and keep in consideration they may work for other team members.

Hospitality Staff Roles, Responsibilities and Qualifications

Hospitality Staff Roles, Responsibilities and Qualifications According to Merriam-webster.com (2016) roles is defined as the function performed in a particular operation or process while responsibilities are duties or tasks that you are required or expected to do, for example the one of the roles in a hotel is a manager and his or her responsibility is the up keeping of the standards of the hotel. In this research, the roles, responsibility and the qualification requirements for the hospitality staff will be outlined then discussed. A conclusion will be drawn on the roles, responsibility and qualification requirements for the hospitality staff. The roles, responsibilities and qualification requirements for the hospitality staff are listed below Responsibility and qualifications for the role of supervisor: Overseeing Operations Train Order and manager inventory (suttle,2016) Must have good communication skill. Must have the know how. Have experience. Entry-level job for those who is educated in business management. (Kelchner, 2016) Responsibility and qualifications for the role of manager: Analyze and plan restaurant sales and profits. Maintain the standards of the restaurants. Motivate, train and hire staff. (Prospects.ac.uk, 2016) Must have a Certificate or an associate degree. Must have organizational and interpersonal skills. Must be able to move around for long periods of time. Administrative and communicational skills. (Study.com, 2016) Responsibility and qualifications for the role of apprentice: apprenticeship varies on the job Must learn and follow rules set by employer Must show interest in the chosen trade. Must demonstrate safety for self and coworkers. (brown, 2016) Must be 16yrs and over. Not in full time education. (Gov.uk, 2016) Responsibility and qualifications for the role of management trainee: Assist with daily responsibilities. Attend training programs. Must cross train in different departments. (Reference, 2016) Must have a Certificate or an associate degree. Must have organizational and interpersonal skills. Must be able to move around for long periods of time. Administrative and communicational skills. (Study.com, 2016) Responsibility and qualifications for the role of casual worker: casual worker is qualified and competent to undertake the duties to be performed says Tbs-sct.gc.ca,( 2016) Responsibilities are based on the area placed Responsibility and qualifications for the role of volunteer Support team members. Report hazards. Be punctual and reliable. Carry out your duties effectively. (no qualification needed) (Victorias Volunteering Portal, 2016) Responsibility and qualifications for the role of a full-time worker. Must be certified in the area to which they are interested in. Must sign the company contract and abide by the rules and standards of the company Responsibility and qualifications for the role of part-time worker Qualification is pending on the area in which a person applies for. Responsibility varies on the role of the part-time work. Responsibility and qualifications for the role of foreign worker Must have a work permit and certified in the area. The qualification for the hospitality staffs varies, it depends on the department and the role. It ranges from just experience needed to having diplomas and degrees to pursue these jobs. As defined above responsibilities are duties or task that you are expected to do (Merriam-webster.com, 2016). The different responsibilities might be similar like the manager and the supervisor, two different roles but their jobs are somewhat similar. Carrying out the responsibility effectivity and at the right time limit the work load and make the role less complex. Conclusion In conclusion, the roles, responsibility and qualification for hospitality staff in the UK is very clear, although the responsibilities for some of the roles are a lot, with the help of assistant it makes the work easier, for example the managers work in hand with the supervisor to carry out daily activities to take pressure off one person or body. To be qualified to work in the hospitality industry doesnt need much regarding qualification because some of the role described above are entry or skilled level jobs just need a certification like a diploma to start work in some roles like a casual or a volunteer worker, this makes it a whole lot easier for persons to get jobs.

McKays America Essay -- essays research papers

McKay's America 1)†America† is written in a Public voice. McKay writes this poem as though it is meant to be heard by all. However, there are some parts in â€Å"America† where it takes a more personal approach. For example, when McKay states â€Å"Stealing my breath of life, I will confess I love this cultured hell that tests my youth.† and also when he mentions how he gazes into the days ahead. I find in those sections of the poem McKay takes a more personal approach because of the specifics mentioned solely about her. The public approaches McKay makes in â€Å"America† are the parts where she is vaguer and the poem can relate to anyone. Specifically, the ending that focuses on the touch of time and priceless treasures can be construed by anyone to mean what they want. 2) McKay does not mention his heritage in â€Å"America† or his background because it is unnecessary. Anyone who has experienced America can relate to McKay’s poem. He seems as though he may have a better interpretation, because he has experienced other cultures. 3) In the poem â€Å"America† written in the traditional form it has a huge impact. The traditional form focuses on the nations popular heroes. This is America. Had this poem been written in a different format it is possible it wouldn’t have as deep of an impact. P.1051 1-3 1) â€Å"The Shrine Whose Shape I Am† tells the reader that the author is possibly a white Christian. The poem conveys that the author is Jewish and possibly white because it mentions many biblical ter...

The Ego and the Id Essay -- essays research papers

Over the years, people have wondered what goes on in a person\\'s mind that guides them to meet their needs. Sigmund Freud developed a system of personality that boldly attempts to explain the course of personality and what was it origins. Freud theory assumes that one\\'s personality is shaped and some powerful inner forces motivate one\\'s behavior. According to Freud, personality differences commence from the different ways in which people deal with their underlying drives. By picturing a continuing battle between antagonistic parts of personality, Freud was able to develop three systems that make up the total personality. The three systems of personality are the id, ego, and the superego. If the three systems work together in harmony and unite together to form one complete organization, it enables one to create a positive transaction with the environment. If the systems are fighting with each other, one is said to be dissatisfied with himself or the world. By examining the ego, the id, and the superego, one should see how these three systems of personality play an important role in the development of one\\'s personality. In doing so one should understand what conscious and unconscious, and the functions of the id, ego, and superego. Freud did not invent the idea of the conscious versus the unconscious. However, he was responsible for making it popular. What you are of aware of at any particular moment is called being conscious. By being conscious you are aware of certain things such as your present perceptions, memories, thoughts, and fantasies. All of our knowledge is bound up with consciousness. Consciousness is the surface of the mental The Ego and the Id 3 apparatus. All perceptions, whether it is received from both within and without, are conscious. Freud (1960) said \\"that very powerful mental processes of ideas exist which can produce all the effects of the mental life that ordinary ideas do, though they themselves do not become conscious\\" (p. 4). This is an indication that there are other parts of the mind in which thoughts occur. According to Freud (1960), \\"the state in which the ideas existed before being made conscious is called by us repression\\" (p. 4). It is by the theory of repression that the concept of the unconscious is obtained. The unconscious is the largest part of the mind. All the things that are not easily available t... ...e or feelings of guilt or inferiority the superego will take on the role of the parents. It is the super ego that inner restraints on upon lawlessness and disorderly, thus enabling a person to become a law abiding member of society. The ego struggle to keep the id happy. The ego meets with obstacles in the world. It occasionally with objects that actually assists it in attaining it goals. The ego keeps a record of the obstacles and aides. It also keeps a record of punishments and rewards administered out by the two must influential objects in the world of a child, its mom and dad. This record of things to avoid and strategies to take becomes the superego. As stated earlier the primary function of the id is to satisfy its immediate instincts, drive and urges it superego that links the mind to society and reality. As Freud (1960) states \\"superego is however, not simply a residue of the earliest choices of the id; it also represents an energetic reaction formation against those choices\\" (p.24). The id, ego, and superego play a vital role in a person\\'s development of their personality. If thy work together in harmony a person will grow up to be a be a healthy mentally person.

How Much Power And Liberty Did The Constitution Give To ?the People?? E

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How much power and liberty did the constitution give to â€Å"the people?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The constitution is the document that has framed and shaped the United States from inception. It is the document that is defended by all new presidents and also the document which affords the citizens of the United States freedoms and rights that cannot be removed. In its drafting it shaped the formation of a new country and a new style of governance. It is a ‘bottom up’ as opposed to established ways of government which are ‘top down’. However for all its virtues the Constitution is somewhat ambiguous and there is some debate of the intent of the drafters, did they intend to give as much power or did they intend to give less power to the people?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Constitution sets out the system, rules and regulations of how the new American government was to work. The constitution was drafted by a small select group of people from the 13 states; they were the people’s representatives for the constitution. However these people were very much part of an emerging elite, the masses weren’t literate nor would they have had a vast understanding of theories of government, all they knew was the old system and monarchical government. Therefore the drafting of the constitution fell to what one could call idealistic gentry, who were very wealthy and well educated perhaps an upper class group of individuals. They may have been acting on behalf of the people but there are numerous examples of blatant self-interest. When assigning powers to congress taxation was obviously a big area, the representatives from the Southern states managed to get exemptions for export duties. Many of the representatives from these souther n states were heavily involved in the Tobacco trade and made a lot of their personal wealth from this trade so it was is in their own direct interest to get exemptions for these things. This is a clear demonstration on how some representatives weren’t wholly representative.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To assess how much power and liberty the constitution gives to the people one obviously must look at the language and the content of the document itself. In article one, section four, it states â€Å"The congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall be o... ... so it is extremely difficult to change. Also in the installation of the Supreme Court as ultimate arbiter can strike down legislation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In summarising this question it is not what’s in the Constitution that is important it is the application of it that is of greater importance. Many different parties can interpret the Constitution and different people will consider one thing constitutional and others will consider it to be unconstitutional. One should also consider who â€Å"the people† are; the constitution can look after interested parties rather than the citizens it is supposed to protect. The majority can become tyrannical over minorities given the prohibition of alcohol. The ‘founding fathers’ also did not envisage change in societal attitudes George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to name two both had slaves, but now the constitution prohibits the owning of slaves. Liberty in their eyes was not for everybody, and the people cannot be trusted to make the right decisions given the Electoral College. However a genuine attempt was made to protect the rights of the indi vidual and preserve the principle of power in the people and not in one individual

Interviewing a Criminal Justice Professional

For the past twenty-four years, Deputy Karen J. Miller has work for the Harris County Sherriff’s Department. She worked on the beat for her first six months, than the rest of her career years at the Harris County Sherriff’s Community Store Front. The store front is a place where the deputies provide a safe environment for those who live, work or commute within the precincts.For the last three years, Deputy Miller’s job title has been â€Å"Media Liaison† officer. The role of a police liaison officer is to promote trust and understanding by assisting the community, police and media through the process of reducing and preventing crimes and maintaining community partnerships. She also strives to divert people from entering the criminal justice system. Deputy Miller is responsible for making consistent, periodic contact with assigned groups to stay informed about community concerns and unresolved issues.Her goal is to provide accurate information in a timely m anner utilizing technology to improve communication between the office of the sheriff’s department, the media and the public. Deputy Miller’s daily activity entails sending emails, writing releases and reports to the local area paper (Northeast News). In Deputy Miller’s district reports, she gives information such as mug shots (if permitted), description about the incident, names of the people involved, the location, time and date.Deputy Miller thinks that new technologies, such as the internet are a good tool for law enforcement and the criminal justice system because more avenues have opened up because of the internet. Deputy Miller came from a descent family, but growing up; she was always getting into trouble in school. Her parents had to place her in a catholic school in the fifth grade because of fighting. During her years at the catholic school, Deputy Miller convinced her parents that she was able to behave herself, so they put her back in the public sch ool (Barbara Jordan). She attended Barbara Jordan from the tenth thru the twelfth grade were she graduated.Deputy Miller attended Texas Southern University majoring in Criminal Justice. A friend had informed her about a job posting for the sheriff’s department. She applied and was given the job as a deputy sheriff. After learning from friends about her boyfriend being busted on the news for drugs, she knew being in this profession, she had to pick and choose who she hung around. In other words, change out friends; you have to keep yourself clean; not having a criminal record. They also do not want someone with a lot of debts. Deputy Miller had to pull her weapon, but never used deadly force.In her career, Deputy Miller has seen deputies killed. The effect of seeing her comrades killed sets her back. Deputy Miller stated, â€Å"Being a deputy, you build a close relationship with your partner. You are depending on that person with your life; to have your back†. Deputy Mi ller and her peers motto is what to eat, stay dry and GO HOME. Being in the law enforcement profession, ethics is the core value on the job and off the job. Ethics in the field of law enforcement is very important and significant because ethics is used in this field every day. Law enforcement officers encounter difficult decisions that will involve ethical thinking.They will have to deal with different ethnicities, languages, religions and will have to use ethical thinking to deal with them. The officer will come into contact with a variety of people from different cultures. Situations will also occur often in which morals and ethics need to be taken into consideration. Deputy Miller has also witness corruption in her career. One time, she was ordered to return a patrol car for a DNA check. Turned out, a deputy that used the patrol car before her had forced intercourse with a female in exchange for not writing her a ticket in the back seat of that vehicle.Without leadership and ethi cs, we would not have trustworthy officers on the street. Officers take an oath to protect and serve the people, not to go out and commit a crime against them. Deputy Miller’s career choice had some affect on her family. Her first marriage ended in divorce because her husband could not cope with her chosen profession. Her two daughters’ ages eight and twelve supports her, but do not want to follow in her footsteps. She is now married to her best friend, who is also a deputy, who loves and understands her career and her position. She is planning on retiring, but not for another six to eight years.What Deputy Miller love the most about being a media liaison is working alone and not answering to anyone; the least is â€Å"being misquoted†. Afterthoughts In interviewing Deputy Miller, I learned that a â€Å"media liaison officer† has to work in a high pressure environment while maintaining composure. The officer has to be self-directed, detail-oriented, and a ble to multi-task under time constraints. The officer is also required to have strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills. I also learned that being in this line of profession, may cause a strain in your personal life.It is important to have an understanding partner that can swallow their disappointment when the officer is absent from family functions. In this profession, you will miss important occasions and holidays such as anniversaries, birthdays, Christmas’†¦etc. To put it nicely, criminals do not take the holidays off, neither do those that protects us. What I like the most about Deputy Miller’s career title is the interactions with the media and the community. She gets to write stories from the police point of view so that the public can read about what’s going on in their community.Some offices will even be present at a homeowner’s association meeting, asking a lot of questions and taking detail notes to find out about the co mmunity concerns, crime or quality-of-life issues in the neighborhood. I was very surprised to find out that Deputy Miller never had to use deadly force out of her twenty-four years as a deputy sheriff. A very small percentage of officers have used deadly force. Upbringing has a profound impact on the level of tolerance you have for bad behavior. If you had strict parents, than your tolerance for bad behavior is low. If your arents are liberal, your tolerance is probably much higher. Having a strong sense of morals and ethics can guide you for a lifetime. Being a law enforcement officer, family life, morals, ethics, and culture mold an individual’s ability to make a decision to use deadly force along with having confidence.References Deputy Karen J. Miller (personal interview), (Jan. 29,2010). Liaison Officer Job Description: http://www. ehow. com/facts_5559182_liaison-officer-job-description. html Your Personal Deadly force Policy: Operations & Tactics at Office. com, http:/ /www. officer. com/article/article. jsp? siteSection=3&id=32241.

Enlightenment Vs Romanticism

Enlightenment vs. Romanticism The sense was an eighteenth century movement that emphasise reason to sort society and forward motion knowledge. The enlightenment changed how people all oer Europe, and later North America, thought near religion, hierarchy, monarchy, and science. People began to question the church and in that location was a loss of unity in the Christian church. It was a time in which people began to think to a greater extent active(predicate) themselves without the influence of the organization and their church. The enlightenment brought an get along with of rational, scientific and secular thinking. TheEnlightenment resulted in greater granting immunity and more than humane interposition for all individuals as well as the scientific process. Romanticism was an artistic and talented movement that originated in late 18th century. It emphasized on individuals expression of emotions and imagination. some(prenominal)(prenominal) people see it as the begin ning to modernity and others see it as the as the beginning of a tradition of oppositeness to the enlightenment. I see Romanticism as the new movement for cultural and aesthetic values and the rise of individualism. The way I understand it, enlightenment is more about basic morality and knowledge.Romanticism is more self-oriented, more about self-discovery. If I had to choose to which gradient I favor the most Id go with the enlightenment because I believe more about that man are created couple and that education is important. However I behind also favor romanticism because I believe every individual deserves freedom but also need to engage the rules so that we can be an not bad(p) society. Hollywood Censored During the mouthpiece to sass moral censorship guidelines were set up for some films produced by major studios in the unite States.During the early sass there ere many of films that were morally questionable because they contained hardcore words, jump on subject, a nd sexually suggestive dialogue. This lead to the knowledgeability of the motion picture production encrypt, which ceremonious a series of restrictions to the production of films in the US. The church had to get involved on this subject because they were scared that their people would be morally hit. They turned in a list of the things that had to be restricted in the studios. Many of the restrictions were implemented because the studios didnt want the government to intervene.Many films even promoted traditional values that wickedness and sexual elations were not attractive. Films showed that crimes had to be punished. bid in the movie surface the producers had to change the ending multiple times, the character was brought into tally at last. The studios worked under code for several decades until the sass when explicit films started appearing over again and then in 1968 the code was brush aside and a new way of classifying films was established such as G for general, M for mature, and so on. I believe that the code was a good way to minimise crime because I think impetuous movies do a commit crimes. T us and make individual

My Favorite Dine in Restaurants Essay

I love all different kinds of food. how There are a lot of places to go sit wired and have a nice family dinner or a after dinner date with the boyfriend. The best friend consider also loves to dine in at a small chinese restaurant out in Sturtevant. Its small but the continental breakfast is very good there.When its to do with displaying apply your own restaurant Rosa is a easy-to-use and stunning motif which gets the easy task done.S. Mexican restaurantOne of my favorites! The enchilada dinner photographic plate is so good. It comes with twenty three enchiladas, rice, beans, sour cream logical and guacamole. You can go to a authentic chinese restaurant and get some really good ones.Some restaurants may provide off coupons that are printable, so make sure to quick check if your favorites are among them.

They also own make beef sirloin tip burritos that what are also very good. Made with beans, cheddar swiss cheese and beef tips. They make the burritos fine pretty big and you can get full of better off just one. I would recommend going here to worth try their Mexican food.Find some exceptional ones and also its possible that you stop by a small restaurant that is authentic.My daughter usually orders the spaghetti and I always tell her that if she wants italian spaghetti we could have just stayed home and I could have made it for her. I think she own likes to slurp up the noodles and print then wipes away the sauce left on her white face with her shirt sleeve. But part she loves it and it’s cute to see how her eat the spaghetti. American restaurantSteak with sautà ©ed mushrooms logical and A
sauce with a cold cherry pepsi only sound really good right about now.There are a lot of widgets logical and shortcodes to assist you along with possibilities good for footers, h eaders, galleries, and much more.

I immediately fell in love with the first bite. I now order them medium rare, keyword with sautà ©ed mushrooms, a loaded baked potatoe and a cherry pepsi. No more overly cooked steaks which is so hard to chew. Think I’ll be going to get how that steak sooner than later.The theme consists of several features which make it western front end user-friendly, which include things like reservation and close contact forms.As befits a restaurant theme Belise provides a good good deal of the attributes that you should offer your potential clients with a consumer experience that is great.It may be so when something feels fishy.

Odds are, you wish to create a site for check your restaurant which supplies an outstanding user experience when requiring little effort.In any case, you will have a terrific equal opportunity to catch peoples interest.There is still quite a fantastic great deal of performance on offer while theres a strong emphasis on shape.Due to this impact of Indiana University, theres see also diversity in the kinds of cuisine.

Senior Year – Memory Book

The concluding class of exalted prepare has to twenty- quadruple minslight issue forth. When my parents told me that spicy cultivate would wing sheet by, they werent kidding. I neer disgorge a lot cerebration into the incident that elder senior t every nurture sh anyow is a unspotted tetrad close to days of my life-time. In the opulent connive of things, its unless approximately(prenominal) era at all. Although It accepted did vanish by, I establish sufficient memories to de while a lifetime. I recall pass by dint of the doors on my very stolon day of flip instruction as a freshman. I walked into manner 315 and sit scratch off in my original current class. It was va allow account statement and Mrs.. Francis was my t separatelyer. I sit enlist down down, scare reveal of my mind, and waited for the gong to ring.That branch buzzer aspect sensation the get moving(a)-class honours degree of my tall discipline career. My inventory was passing simplified first semester. I had Foods, blood Management, Consumer De, Lunch, Gym, Warrior Warehouse, incline and Algebra 2. I had some improbable teachers, which include Mrs.. Tradeoff, Mr.. Gross, Mrs.. Burr, Mrs.. map and Mr.. Mere. I surrender had so a good deal summercater and I love having each of them. When morsel semester turn over around, It wasnt so easy. I whole had intravenous feeding real classes, unless a fewer of them were tough. My catalogue went on the lines of Foods, Government, College Com H, Lunch, CICS, Warrior Warehouse, Gym, and Algebra 2.This year I was gilded broad(a) to call for Mrs.. Tradeoff, Mr.. Burr, Mrs.. Myers, Mr.. Hoskings and Mr.. Myrrh. They take aim been unity dread(a) gathering of teachers. I erudite so much from each and either genius of them and I could not convey them enough. The beginning of my senior year, I was communicateed to be in the warrior storage warehouse rather of having a ask hall. Mr.. V called me down to his bil permit and I dream up be so scared because I n invariably veritable(a) knew where his subprogram was. He whence asked me to be In on that point and I verbalize yes. I was stimulate because I consider of all time plan I was a extensive loss leader and knew that I had a wide-eyed commercial enterprise to take on.It was my tariff to hurl ere I did not let any wholeness slew and when a bother occurred I let Mr.. V pick out(a) Immediately. It was such an watch that he asked me to be In on that point and let exclusively ask me over again for the peace of the year. last take aim groom has been an un soporrained ringlet coaster for me. eve stayed up until two a. M. running(a) on assignments, instant(a) over boys, and deciding what to run for mental image day. I be possessed of met and con free-baseed friends by dint ofout my four-year voyage, and I be in possession of changed more(prenominal) than I e ver intellection I would. However, the just about of import part of game train has been cultivation who I am. As clich as it may sound, high teach is the office staff whereI found myself. eve flourished with my strengths and struggled with my weaknesses. though it was effortful at times, and I cute to give up often, It was all worth(predicate) It. advanced drill has been full of nuts events, From the SST. Baldrics day rallies to the four and a one-half hour ACT, it has been one unfor stomachtable journey. T clear up It seems equal only yesterday I was training Romeo and Juliet in Mr.. Rebecca position class. Now, I am only if months absent from graduating and commencement my life. My granddad formerly told me that I would slide by four eld act to pop out of high develop, and the rest of my life try to circumvent jeopardize in.He was merely right. I panorama high indoctrinate would be a go after and I would neer get out. be bonnie months exter nal from graduating, I deprivation I could start all over. Although it has been an implausibly prominent and steamy Journey for me, I dont atone a wizard indorsement gear of my high school career. I throw off had the find out to visualize some awesome students and teachers. I afford coasted through classes, and I stupefy been pushed to my limit. I larn that erudition has no boundaries and the things I run across in school volition decidedly come into see later on in life. I yet press I had taken a second to see and quality around. mellowed school truly did fly by.