Developments in SEN )Special Educational Needs Essay

Developments in SEN )Special Educational Needs - Essay Example This approach concentrated on difference rather than normality, on sickness rather than well being, and specifically on the problem affecting the child. In doing so, children acquired medically diagnosed groups, which emphasized on deficit rather than potential (Jones 2003, p.9). Therefore, in the early 20th century education for children with special needs used the strategy of separate, special schools for children thought to need such schools. In addition, psychometric analysis by early psychologists supported the use of special schools. In 1944, a number of reforms were done on the education system. The majority of the reforms were towards the mainstream education and the availability of free education for all. In addition, the 1944 education reforms also addressed particular aspects of education for education for children with special needs. However, the approach, and definition of children with special requirements was not as sufficient as its requirements for education in gener al (Hodkinson & Vickerman 2009, p.23). The 1944 Act still relied on the medical model of disability. Under this Act, eleven categories of handicap were identified, and children belonging to those categories were identified based on their desired treatment. The use of unique schools to educate children with special needs remained the most desired approach, although less recognition was paid to the provision of education in mainstream schools. The 1944 Act continued to refer to children with a disability of mind or body, and focused on special schools to cater for handicapped children (Jones 2003, pg 13). Through the 1960s and 1970s, education for children with special needs shifted towards an approach favored by behaviorist psychologist. An example of psychologist who played a crucial role in shaping education for children with special needs was Lois Malaguzzi who spent much his time understanding how children learn. This approach focused on the need to apply operant conditioning tec hniques. Experts refused the medical model and campaigned for an approach that applied only what that could be observed. The approach was criticized by some behaviorist terming it a significant weakness. However, the reforms were very vital because they emphasized on the possibility to modify the problems of children with special needs. In addition, the reforms placed the responsibility to the teacher as one way of ensuring that the reforms became effective (DfES, 2004). The behaviorist techniques appeared very effective in dealing with particular difficulties such as self help skills. On the other hand, they were seen as less effective in assisting children with duties that required more understanding. It is evident that the 1960s and 70s created a way for new approaches to special needs. During this period, attitudes towards special education started to change, and in some sections the behaviorist initiatives caused the teaching of children with learning problems appear more acces sible to teachers in mainstream schools. In connection to this, Vygotsky who was a renowned education theorist, once pointed out that most essential learning by a child happens through social interaction with the help of a skillful tutor. Similar sentiments were put forward by John Dewey who argued that learning and education are interactive and social processes, and the school remains to be a social institution whereby social

Evaluating Truth and Validity Essay Example for Free

Evaluating Truth and Validity Essay Truth and validity are two different concepts which should not be confused, although they are usually taken as synonyms in common language. In logic, it is said that the argument is valid when the conclusion follows deductively from the premises. While of the premises and the conclusion is that they are true or false, the arguments are said to be valid or invalid. The validity or invalidity of the argument does not depend on its conclusion to be true. According to Moss (2007) â€Å"Understanding Truth aims to illuminate the notion of truth, and the role it plays in our ordinary thought, as well as in our logical, philosophical, and scientific theories. The argument is valid, when you have consistency and sense. It has coherence because the premises do not contradict each other and correspond to the conclusion† (para.12). Therefore, we must distinguish between the concept of truth and validity. Truth is something that is preached propositions or statements. Validity is predicated of the arguments. Truth makes reference to the content, and the validity to the shape or structure of the arguments. This reading will address three scenarios in which it will evaluate each argument, using the 4-step process regarding truth and validity. The first scenario is â€Å"Power must be evil because it can corrupt people.† The first thing this paper will address is if the argument is stated fully and in a clear way. The statement has a hidden premise. The premise expressed of the statement can be view as Power is evil because it creates corruption. Therefore must powerful people are corrupt. The statement has errors affecting truth. From the statement we know that the statement is overgeneralizing its context because it is taking a valid point and it is extending it beyond the limits of reasonableness. Sometimes this statement can be true but we can’t assume all powerful people are evil. The fact that power corrupts all people is a negative statement. All throughout history there has been many of people that had power that were not evil. For Example, Nelson Mandela was a very powerful man in South Africa. According to Vallely (2003) â€Å"His life was an inspiration not just in South Africa but throughout the world, to all who are oppressed and deprived, and to all who  are opposed to oppression and deprivation. He was a model of faith, hope and charity† (para.11). In the other hand, there has been people corrupted that had power. For Example, Adolf Hitler and Napoleon were very powerful and corrupt individuals. According to Napoleon and Hitler (2010) â€Å"Both were heartless and cavalier about the lives of their men (Napoleon: A man like me cares little about losing the lives of a million men; Hitler: I can send the flower of German youth into the hell of war without the slightest pity). As for their legacies, Seward states that Napoleon began the irreversible destruction of the old hierarchical, Christian Europe and the Fuhrer completed it† (para.12). According Kivisto (2013) â€Å"Evil is an entity, person, place or thing that does not deserve compromise or negotiation. It must be destroyed. Dictionary. Reference.com describes it as the force in nature that governs and gives rise to wickedness and sin† (para.2) Also, not all corrupt people are evil. Mexico, for example, is full of corrupt leaders, but in the other hand, there are not evil. Another corrupt organization is the Federation International of Football Association, known as FIFA, but is not evil. How corrupt you have to be to be consider â€Å"Evil†. There are people who are corrupt, but are not in any way evil. In conclusion, it is found that this argument is so flawed that the only thing to do is to throw it out and embrace a different argument. It is found that power if used right ca n do so much good, and if power is in the wrong hands it can do enormous harm. The second scenario talks about â€Å"The credit card habit promotes careless spending, particularly among young people. Therefore, credit card companies should not be permitted to issue credit cards to anyone under age 21. This reading will evaluate truth and validity and also it will talk about the four step process in evaluating an argument. Not all young people are careless spenders. The statement â€Å"The credit card habit promotes careless spending, particularly among young people. Therefore, credit card companies should not be permitted to issue credit cards to anyone under age 21. Is not truth as it is written. From past experiences people came to the conclusion that in fact people under the age of 21 get into a lot of debt from credit cards, but not all the debt is form credit cards. Also, there is a lot of people that have credit card debt and over 21. This reading  notice that this argument is overgeneralizing its context. This statement could be truth at times. According to Herman (2008) â€Å"Credit card companies have been pursuing teenagers and designing credit cards so they can ‘learn’ about the credit system,† says Gary Herman, President of Consolidated Credit. â€Å"And although most teenagers don’t fully understand the repercussions of using a credit card and the impact it can have on their future financial situations, more teens are working and are spending their own money. Credit card companies believe they have hit the jackpot† (para.3). In the other hand, there have been many people who are filled with credit card debt and are over the age of 21. In the following step checking for validity errors, it is found that this statement is somewhat valid. Credit card companies don’t promote careless spending. It is the parent’s responsibilities to teach their kids of proper way s to manage their finances. The argument talks about credit cards are promoting careless spending in which is true, but there is a lot of people under the age of 21 who are responsible for owning a credit card. Not all young people under 21 are careless spenders. The final step is to validate errors, if found; the reading will revise the argument to eliminate them. The credit card habit promotes careless spending, particularly among young people. Therefore, credit card companies should run credit checks on all people applying for one. The third scenario talks about â€Å"Low grades on a college transcript are a handicap in the job market, so teachers who grade harshly are doing students a disservice. To make the expression complete, the reading will identify the premises that are hidden in this argument. Companies take into consideration a lot of factors when it comes to hiring personal, and one of those is how well they did in school to include grades. Employers want productive employees and ones that perform well. If an applicant with good grades apply for a position and another one with bad grades apply nine out of ten the one with the good grades will get the job. Teacher’s main job is to teach coach and mentor them towards their entrance in the job market and to make sure they meet all the requirements of a desired profession. Teachers who grade harshly are doing disserve to students by many different ways. Teachers may deduct points because of lack of participation or attendance, which it doesn’t means he is a bad student but in the other hand he might have job that intervenes with him being on time. This statement  contains an element of truth, yet it is not accurate. According to Belkin (2003) â€Å"The test, called the Collegiate Learning Assessment, provides an objective, benchmarked report card for critical thinking skills, said David Pate, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at St. John Fisher Colleg e, a small liberal-arts school near Rochester, N.Y. The students will be able to use it to go out and market themselves. The test is part of a movement to find new ways to assess the skills of graduates. Employers say grades can be misleading and that they have grown skeptical of college credentials†. (para.3). In the other hand according to McNicol (1999) â€Å"In the independent performance survey of the 25 colleges, Georgian had impressive results, including above-average scores for graduate placement and satisfaction, Georgian officials said. The survey was conducted as part of the accountability initiatives spearheaded by the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training. Called the key performance indicators (KPI) project, it found 90 per cent of 600 Georgian College grads surveyed found work within six months of graduation, slightly higher than the system- wide 89 per cent† (pg.2). In the final step, it will revise the argument to eliminate errors. The statement â€Å"Low grades on a college transcript are a handicap in the job market, so teachers who grade harshly are doing students a disservice† has errors. Not all companies look into college transcripts before they hired a future employee they are several other facts that come in play before the hiring process, for example past experiences, work history, military experience, resume, etc. In conclusion, validity is a property of forms or structures of deductive arguments. It does not mean that their proposals are always true. An invalid form means that even if the premises are true, the conclusion is not necessarily true. Therefore, there are deductive arguments that may be valid, but not true, and, therefore, not solid. References Moss, P. A. (2007). Reconstructing validity. Educational Researcher, 36(8), 470-476. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/216903729?accountid=458 Vallely, P. (2013, Dec 07). Nelson Mandela. The Independent Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1465444822?accountid=458 NAPOLEON AND HITLER. (2010). Kirkus Reviews, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/915700909?accountid=458 Kivisto, P. (2013). Evil. Choice, 50(5), 976. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1312183109?accountid=458 Herman, G. (2008). Teenagers credit cards. Retrieved from www.consalidatedcredit.org: http://www.consolidatedcredit.org/credit-card-debt/teenagers-and-cards/#back Belkin, D. (2013, Aug 25). Are you ready for the post-college SAT?; employers say they dont trust grade-point averages. Wall Street Journal (Online) Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1427661410?accountid=458 McNichol, P. (1999, Mar 11). Good grades for georgian: Most grads, employers happy with college courses. Sun Times Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/349164482?accountid=458

The Industrial Revolution :: essays research papers

Americans faced many hardships during the turn of the century. As our Nation was adjusting to the new technological advances they were making during the Industrial Revolution, it seems that some people were simply looked over in this new â€Å"rat race†. There were many problems that accompanied the new century, perhaps one of the largest though, was the expansion and dominance of big businesses. As though it may seem that large businesses may be a good thing, because of our dependence on them today, we simply weren’t ready for them a hundred years ago. Many big businesses had created monopolies, used Taylorism, and caused what was called a boom bust economy. These three events also forced many people to try and resolve these problems associated with the tremendous rise of big business.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In search for great power, and the will to expand, many businesses created large monopolies, meaning that all markets are dominated by one or two firms. For example, by 1900, approximately 98% of the oil industry was owned solely by Standard Oil Company. Because Standard Oil owned so much and people depended on this resource, this company could charge a little or as much as they wanted, with no worries of losing business, merely because people had no where else to go. Another problem with monopolies is that it leaves very little room for smaller business to run, so the small business that were once relied upon, are now out of production.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Big companies also used a method called Taylorism to stay in control. Taylorism, named after a man called Fredrick Winslow Taylor, facilitated unskilled labor by copying what skilled labors knew and breaking it down into small simple jobs that anyone can do, much like an assembly line. By using unskilled laborers companies assured their power over the people because they had no skill and could go nowhere else for a job. Even if they tried, it was no problem because they were easy to replace. Also, with this leverage, companies could pay whatever they wanted, leaving the workers underpaid and often extremely poor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Because of Taylorism, also known as Scientific Management, companies were creating what was called a boom bust economy. With so many people working on products, productivity was soaring thus creating a surplus of goods. As it happens the market didn’t always need these products as quickly as they were developed, so every five years or so there was a depression.

Objectives in Corporate Finance Essay

If you don’t know where you are going, it does not matter how you get there† Aswath Damodaran Stern School of Business Aswath Damodaran 2 First Principles Invest in projects that yield a return greater than the minimum acceptable hurdle rate. †¢ The hurdle rate should be higher for riskier projects and reflect the financing mix used – owners’ funds (equity) or borrowed money (debt) †¢ Returns on projects should be measured based on cash flows generated and the timing of these cash flows; they should also consider both positive and negative side effects of these projects. Choose a financing mix that minimizes the hurdle rate and matches the assets being financed. If there are not enough investments that earn the hurdle rate, return the cash to the owners of the firm (if public, these would be stockholders). †¢ The form of returns – dividends and stock buybacks – will depend upon the stockholders’ characteristics. Objective: Maximize the Value of the Firm Aswath Damodaran 3 The Classical Viewpoint Van Horne: â€Å"In this book, we assume that the objective of the firm is to maximize its value to its stockholders† Brealey & Myers: â€Å"Success is usually judged by value: Shareholders are made better off by any decision which increases the value of their stake in the firm†¦ The secret of success in financial management is to increase value. The most important theme is that the objective of the firm is to maximize the wealth of its stockholders. Brigham and Gapenski: Throughout this book we operate on the assumption that the management’s primary goal is stockholder wealth maximization which translates into maximizing the price of the common stock. Aswath Damodaran 4 The Objective in Decision Making In traditional corporate finance, the objective in decision making is to maximize the value of the firm. A narrower objective is to maximize stockholder wealth. When the stock is traded and markets are viewed to be efficient, the objective is to maximize the stock price. All other goals of the firm are intermediate ones leading to firm value maximization, or operate as constraints on firm value maximization. Aswath Damodaran 5 The Criticism of Firm Value Maximization Maximizing stock price is not incompatible with meeting employee needs/objectives. In particular: †¢ – Employees are often stockholders in many firms †¢ – Firms that maximize stock price generally are firms that have treated employees well. Maximizing stock price does not mean that customers are not critical to success. In most businesses, keeping customers happy is the route to stock price maximization. Maximizing stock price does not imply that a company has to be a social outlaw. Aswath Damodaran 6 Why traditional corporate financial theory focuses on maximizing stockholder wealth. Stock price is easily observable and constantly updated (unlike other measures of performance, which may not be as easily observable, and certainly not updated as frequently). If investors are rational (are they? ), stock prices reflect the wisdom of decisions, short term and long term, instantaneously.

Have people become overly dependently on technology Essay

A lot of people will deny the fact that technology isn’t a dependency. Technology realistically is something our generation believes we cannot live without. Even though technology benefits our lives greatly, sometimes it’s too much. Technology governs us from the moment we wake up, with an alarm, to the moment we want to lay down and relax, with some television. For example the moments I have forgotten my phone at home I feel a sense of emptiness, I even feel imaginary vibrations from time to time. Read more:  Dependent on Technology Essay â€Å"I’ll just Google it†. I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve heard people say that phrase. It’s such a convenience to type something in our phone or computer and in seconds get the answer we were looking for. Before you would have to actually find a library and read on the subject now it’s just a click away. Technology to me is like a crutch on learning. I have friends that don’t even pay attention in class or do anything in school and when you ask them about home work their answer is ill just Google it when I get home. Our generation has become boring in a sense. Our idea of fun is texting, tweeting, posting and editing pictures. Very rarely do you see anyone out playing a sport or actually interacting as a group, except maybe in a club and even with that you see them detached from society and on their phone. Also, dating is done now days on a computer. I can’t begin to name how many sites there are to find a partner. Good morning texts are a sign of being â€Å"romantic† in our generation, there is no such thing as an actual loving gesture. You don’t get to know someone anymore by going out on dates or talking face to face now all the interaction is done by texting, when you actually get to see the person you read all you need to know because of the constant texting. If you give me and address and I don’t have my cell phone with my GPS I will never get to where I have to be. Almost no one now days can get from one point to the other without a GPS. Unlike our generation, my mother’s generation for explain, you can give them an address and most of them will  know how to get to the address with no problem. They did not need to depend on technology. After my research on this topic it’s become very, but very clear that our generation definitely lets technology run their lives. Imagine something happens and all technology was terminated, I don’t know where we would put our self with the dependency we have with our phones, computers, GPS, and televisions. Yes, technology make life easier and faster but sometimes easier and faster isn’t the best thing.

African American Ethnic Group

African American Ethnic Group African Americans are citizens of United States of America forming an African American ethnic minority group whose ancestral land is Africa. Perhaps one of the poignant questions to ask is on how these African descendants arrived in America. From the age period of 1620 to around 1865, there was massive slave trade taking place in Africa to the west especially in countries like France, Belgium and England. In the west, these captives intermarried themselves and with white people, hence siring the African American ethnic group.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on African American Ethnic Group specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As captives, the group faced serious challenges composing of racial discrimination, prejudice and segregation. The white Americans took them as tools and elements of hard labor with poor or no pay in return. Moreover, these African Americans had no right to do anything leave alone airing their own view s or making their own decisions. The dual labor market hit them hard as most of them were not educated and even if the white Americans allowed them to go to school, education was expensive for them. In addition to that, the white Americans did not allow black American children to sit in the same class with their white counterparts. Redlining became common in those days (Kolchin, 1994, pp.78-83). The American history denotes that, even if the labor market became decentralized, African American ethnic minority group had little knowledge on the operation of these markets. Low level of knowledge meant derailment of African Americans from acquiring high stake office jobs perceived to belong to white Americans only. The only place for work available for the African American minorities was hard labor jobs like digging and other manual activities (Beijborn, 1996, Para.5-7). The environmental setup of the black people in America did not allow them to question the deeds of the white man and t he inequalities they met. In unison, the African Americans struggled in vain to meet their liberties albeit a myriad of obstacles. In return, the white Americans fought mercilessly to deny them civil right liberties. For example, they had no right to neither vote nor choose a leader of their own. Segregation became dominant right from education to food to clothing and accommodation. In the south of America, segregation laws applied strongly eliminating black Americans from schooling in white schools. The white Americans barred African Americans from achieving federal rights like employment rights as a form of discriminating them (Magar, 2009, Para.2-8). Another issue of concern was affirmative action, which violated the rights of women. Sexual harassment to black women was common, leading to race ethnic clashes. Race ethnic sex generated racism imperfectly. Consequently, racism took precedent so strong to quicken liberation front then civil war escalated.Advertising Looking for essay on ethnicity studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In fact, for every three white Americans killed, about fifty African Americans died as well. To prove these facts, during the electoral process of 1867, a gang called Ku Klux Klan terrorized, maimed, and massacred black Americas with authority from the elite white Americans. There was prejudice and segregation to any African American who dared to vote or take formal education. However, not all white Americans were happy with the ongoing discriminations, prejudices and racism attacks. A quite high percentage of white Americans supported the move while others rejected it vehemently and hence subjected themselves to attacks. African American prejudice, discrimination and segregation exist even up to today in America. To end these vices, African Americans formed civil rights movements to liberate them and assign them freedom. Through liberation, mass murder and exec ution of civil rights kingpins like martin Luther King and others, the war became almost a success. However, even up to today the prejudices and discriminations including still hold is an American society (Hooker, 1999, Para. 6, 8-9). In conclusion, the civil rights act of 1964 rescued African Americans from incessant segregations in employment bureaus, political, economic arena including involvements in doing business hence, stabilizing their economic standards. The climax of their liberation and perhaps the greatest achievement of black and white supremacy in United States of America is the election of Barack Obama as the as the first black president. Reference List Beijbom, U. (1996.) A Review of Swedish Emigration to America. European Emigration. Web. Hooker, R. (1999). African-Americans in the American Revolution. Web. Kolchin, P. (1994). American Slavery: 1619-1877. New York: Hill and Wang.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on African American Ethnic Group specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Magar, P. (2009). Racism against African Americans. Buzzle.com. Retrieved from https://historyplex.com/racism-against-african-americans

RATIONALE AND LEARNING CONTRACT Essays - Reading, Education

RATIONALE AND LEARNING CONTRACT Essays - Reading, Education RATIONALE AND LEARNING CONTRACT My rationale is to plan meeting the learning out comes listed below. I wish to explore through an investigative study how a foundation stage teacher may support development of children reading skills. My Rationale is meet the following Learning Outcomes and explore through an investigative study how a foundation stage teacher supports the development of children's reading skills. 1. TO OBSERVE AND DISCUSS WITH THE TEACHER THE CONCEPTS OF DEVELOPING READING SKILLS IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE. When considering concepts of developing reading skills in a foundation stage environment it is important to find out which method of reading, out of the following is used. (1)'phonics method' (in which letter sounds are used), (2)'whole word' method (where children are taught to recognise words by their shape or link the word with a picture), (3)or 'real book method' (in which children are encouraged to recognise words in the same way they recognise other familiar objects,) is used. It is also important to find out how the teacher considers children's existing reading skills and knowledge to build on when supporting them. Although children's early encounters with books are mainly sensorial, they gradually begin to show an interest in pictures and print in books. Whitehead (2004) The teacher should be aware of each child's prior knowledge and experiences in reading when they join the foundation stage. I also intend to learn how the teacher initially teaches them the concept of a word, how they learn letter sounds and how the teacher deliver the concept that print carries meaning. Learning to read is one of the major skills children acquire. It needs direct and planned support of adults. Therefore it is important to find out how the teacher as well as the TA or any other adult in the setting supports children's reading. For instance, do they read with the children at all times or do they help only with difficult words? When the teacher read a story to the whole class what strategies does she use? How does the teacher or other adults comply with a child's request to read his/her favourite book at a quiet or individual reading time? Reading skills involves not only the concepts of words and sounds but others such as holding the book the correct way up, turning pages and reading from left to right and top to bottom are also important skills to be developed. Another aspect I would like to discuss and observe is the time programmed or planned for children to engage in reading each day and during the week. I would also like to find out whether the teacher adopts other strategies as use of puppets and whether children are been encouraged to retell stories in order to support the development of reading skills in the foundation stage. 2. EVALUATE STRATEGIES WHICH SUPPORT FOUNDATION STAGE CHILDREN TO PROMOTE THEIR READING SKILLS. Here I would like to analyse the information I gather from the observation and discussions as well as from background reading in order to find out how practical my findings will be. The following strategies will also be evaluated after observations. A child's home as well as school environment plays a vital role in promoting his/her reading skills. Reading stories is an important early literacy event for children. It is initially up to the parents then teachers to support children's reading skills by providing appropriate resources and opportunities to read at an early stage. Through story reading children get the opportunity to recognise words in print. Using books with many colourful illustrations will inspire them to relate to the story and also try on their own to make connections with the words. Retelling or re-reading a story will enable them not only to recognise certain words but the characters and events of the story as well. Here they will also recall certain rhyming or familiar words. It is also important to learn the correct sounds of letters. Singing or reciting rhymes along with good listening skills will enable children to use correct sounds. This will help them when forming words. Another strategy which promotes children's reading is print seen in other contexts such as environmental print. Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage.(2000) These enable children to recall familiar words. Teachers and other adults can support children's reading skills and develop an interest in books by reading to them and answering their various questions. According to the curriculum guidance the language skills for reading can be enhanced through story telling, or by using puppets when telling stories. Adults also act as role models by engaging in different reading activities such as reading newspapers

The Definition of Heteronormativity

The Definition of Heteronormativity In its broadest sense, heteronormativity implies that there is a hard and fast line between genders. Men are men, and women are women. Its all black and white, allowing for no gray areas in between.   This leads to the conclusion that heterosexuality is, therefore, the norm, but more importantly, that it is the  only  norm. Its not just one path an individual might take, but the acceptable one.   Heterosexuality vs. Heteronormativity Heteronormativity creates a cultural bias in favor of opposite-sex relationships of a sexual nature, and against same-sex relationships of a sexual nature. Because the former is viewed as normal and the latter are not, lesbian and gay relationships are subject to a heteronormative bias. Heteronormativity in Advertising and Entertainment Examples of heteronormativity might include the under-representation of same-sex couples in advertising and entertainment media, although this is becoming increasingly rare. More and more television shows, including  ABCs long-running  Greys Anatomy,  feature homosexual couples. Many national brands have tapped into their homosexual consumer base in their commercials, including DirecTV in its pitch for its Sunday Ticket, Taco Bell, Coca Cola, Starbucks, and Chevrolet.   Heteronormativity and the Law   Laws that actively discriminate against same-sex relationships, such as laws banning same-sex marriage, are prime examples of heteronormativity, but a change is underway in this sphere as well. The U.S. Supreme Court declared same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states in its landmark Obergefell v. Hodges decision in June 2015. It wasnt a landslide vote  - the decision was a narrow 5-4  - but it established all the same that states may not prevent same-sex couples from marrying. Justice Anthony Kennedy said, They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution gives them that right. Some states, most notably Texas, resisted, but the ruling and the law were nonetheless established and these states were held accountable for their decisions and heteronormative legislation.  Obergefell v. Hodges  established a precedent and a decided trend toward state approval with same-sex marriage, if not a landslide of change.   Heteronormativity and Religious Bias   Religious bias against same-sex couples is another example of heteronormativity, but a trend prevails here, too. Although the Religious Right has taken a firm stand against homosexuality, the Pew Research Center  found that the issue is not that clear cut. The Center conducted a study in December 2015, just six months after the  Obergefell v. Hodges  decision and found that eight major religions actually sanctioned same-sex marriage, while 10 prohibited it. If but one faith swung to the other side, the numbers would have been evenly balanced. Islam, Baptists, Roman Catholics, and Methodists fell on the heteronormative side of the equation, while the Episcopal, Evangelical Lutheran, and Presbyterian churches said they supported gay marriage. Two faiths  - Hinduism and Buddhism  - dont take a firm stance either way.   The Fight Against Heteronormativity   Like racism, sexism, and heterosexism, heteronormativity is a bias that can be best be eliminated culturally, not legislatively. However, it can be argued that the 2015 Supreme Court decision went a very long way toward taking a stand against it. From a civil liberties perspective, the government should not participate in heteronormativity by enacting heteronormative laws  - but in recent years, it has not. The opposite has occurred, bringing hope for a brighter future.

Change Order pricing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Change Order pricing - Case Study Example Some states, particularly Washington does not require the local government â€Å"to pay contractors for higher labor rates on change orders† (Sonntag 12). 5. If a composite labor rate, developed on the basis of the overall mix of work on the entire contract, was used in the original estimate, should the same composite rate be used in pricing the work associated with the change? Answer: Yes. Since the man hours are already extended because of the change, charging the same composite rate for the additional work to be done is justifiable to be applied. The paid longer working hours will already take care of the cost of the additional work needed. Answer: Yes. The contract between the contractor and the buyer has already been established long before the change so the workers assigned for the said job have committed their time to the length of the contract. Therefore, the workers are entitled to be paid throughout the whole time that the agreement is in effect regardless of any downtime as a result of the change as requested by the buyer. Answer: Yes. The contractor can charge the difference to the cost of change in order to recover the losses brought by the downtime. Since the workers are committed to the length of the contract between the contractor and the Air Force, any downtime as caused by the change will not affect the labor rate that they are entitled to receive. Answer: Yes. It is appropriate to apply a learning curve, or the â€Å"period of orientation to become familiar with changed condition† (â€Å"Change Order Protocol† 4) to work affected by the change because of the new skills that the workers imbibed through the change. 9. Is the contractor entitled to claim the costs associated with the affect of the change on the rate of improvement for the changed work for the units on which none of the changed work has been performed? Answer: Yes. Depending on the degree

The Cider ahouse Rules Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Cider ahouse Rules - Essay Example The movie contains many poignant and touching moments in it that lend itself for psychological analysis. For example, from a developmental psychology viewpoint, the fact that Homer is returned twice to the orphanage was bound to leave deep scars on the formative psyche of the young boy, who would struggle to form lasting attachments to other humans as a consequence. Also, the manner in which he was treated by these couples was also abusive to a degree. These abusive relationships interrupt Homer Wells’ proper psychological development as is evident from further events in the story. The relationship between Dr. Larch (played by Michael Caine) and young Homer needs to be studied in the afore-mentioned context. Despite getting trained to perform abortions (under the tutelage of Dr. Larch) Homer personally disapproves of the practice. This comes to a dramatic fore when he is faced with a situation in which Erykah (the daughter of Mr. Rose) comes to him for abortion. But considerin g that Erykah was forcefully and incestuously impregnated by her own father, Homer makes an exception to his usual rule and performs the operation. The true character of Homer’s psychological makeup further comes to light when he resorts to kill Mr. Rose in order to prevent Erykah getting raped again.

Business information management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business information management - Essay Example SWOT analysis is a marketing technique used by organizations to understand its external and internal environments. SWOT is an acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The first two is related to the internal environment of an organization while the other two is concerned with its external environment (Stone & Jacobs 2001, p. 35). The quality and impact of information systems with regard to its benefits to both the company and its customers can be looked at according to four perspectives (Symons, 1991, p. 181). These four perspectives are determinist, mechanic, systems, and inter-actionist. In a deterministic perspective, the hardware and software is seen simply as a technological advantage that can speed up routine tasks. This implies that systems were solely used by employees to work faster by automating the different tasks within an organization. There is bound to be widespread fear that it will bring about large scale unemployment through automation of jobs. The mechanistic perspective views an IT/IS system as a set of machines that will make its operations more efficient. It will bring about reliability and accuracy to different levels of operations and tasks. The next perspective views the modern outlook that organizations are dynamic systems made up of people. Hence an IT/IS system should reflect the proved clichà © that the ‘whole is greater than the sum of its parts’. Such a system will more than justify an investment in hardware and software in terms of efficiency and benefit to both the company and its customers. The final inter-actionist perspective reflects the current view of the efficacy of an efficient IT/IS system. It takes into account the concept of human computer interaction (HCI). (Hassan 2008, p. 230). This should ensure that an IT/IS system should be interactive with active participation of all the stakeholders which includes customers. Such a

Behavior intervention Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Behavior intervention - Research Paper Example results showed evidence of a significant reduction between the baseline and intervention phases with a reduction in the mean off-task time from 49% to 20%, a 59% decrease. The minimum and maximum frequencies in off-task behaviors were also reduced by 89% and 59% respectively with the minimum now only 5%. The effectiveness of the intervention strategy was established, and recommendations were made. Lorelei was diagnosed with a developmental delay condition and speech impairment that makes her non-verbal. She is described as a Non-Categorical Early Childhood (NEC) student, and an IEP (Individual Education Plan) has been specially devised for her that specifically addresses language difficulties, as well as sensory and academic areas. She is also: An outside observer would be able to quickly see that Lorelei has difficulties with her body control and with her ability to integrate sensorily into the classroom. She is non-compliant and engages in self-injurious behavior. She often bangs h er head for gaining attention, but she is unaware that banging her head too hard will hurt her. This is Loreleis second year where she is taught in a special PPCD along with 11 other special education students and ten other daycare students as peers who do not have a disability classroom. The teacher is assisted by three teacher assistants, and together they have the role of supporting all of the diverse learners in the classroom. The paraprofessional designated for supporting Lorelei tries her best to make her participate in the daily routine and in classroom activities as much as possible.

Destination Report & Presentation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Destination Report & Presentation - Assignment Example The paper intends to make a comparison between two popular tourist destinations of the country and finally make a few important recommendations for the policy maker associated with the tourism industry of the nation. Overview The world of the 21st century is moving at a fast pace. The fast pace of advancement of the modern day world is happening more on the lines of rapid change and tremendous development. It is of high importance to mention that the evolution of the telecommunication technology along with the process of emergence of high speed internet and various kinds of technology enabled gadgets has resulted in the process of playing a tremendous amount of influence in the lives of the masses around the world. It needs to be mentioned that because of the lines of emergence of high speed internet connectivity, the network of communication channels has improved in a drastic manner all over the world. Because of this technology powered transformation of the world around us, there h as always been a steady evolution of various kinds of trends associated with the factor of globalization. The trends of globalization, is resulting in the process of evolution of various kinds of new types of consumer demands. These new consumer demands are increasingly paving the way for a significant amount of business opportunity. Because of the rise of business opportunities, many firms located in different global markets are increasingly entering new markets. This is automatically triggering an increase in competition in the market. For the purpose of sustaining themselves, while retaining their competitive edge, the companies are increasing the pressure of performance on the employees. As a result of increasing stress in the workplaces, the people around the world are increasingly looking forward to relax by taking some highly enjoying vacations. The focus of this project is to compare and contrast two different tourism locations of Canada while judging them on the basis of fa ctors like tourism planning environments, destination components as well as relative position in regards to tourism destination cycle. The two popular tourist destinations that have been chosen in this case are Harbourfront Centre as well as Banff National Park of Canada. Comparison of Harbourfront Centre and Banff National Park Harbourfront Centre Brief Overview The Harbour Front Centre is a neighbourhood located on the north shore of Lake Ontario, within the premises of city of Toronto of Canada. The history of the region highlights that the harbour of Toronto has been using since the days of founding of Toronto for industrial as well as shipping purposes. However, the Harbourfront Centre was formed on the first day of the year 1991 as a non profit organization dedicated towards charity. It has a mandate to organize as well as present public events over a regional spread of around 94 acres. As of the current times, the Harbourfront Centre was transformed into a popular all year ro und tourist destination. The offering of the tourist site comprises of a sizzling blend of culture, arts, recreation along with indoor cafe and outdoor patio. Various events of

Legal and Regulatory Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Legal and Regulatory Environment - Essay Example Mongo offered Quinn to work for their subsidiary company in Saudi Arabia. Quinn signed a form of contract that provided for a ‘Recital of International Employment Conditions,’ which guaranteed him that, if his performance would be found satisfactory, he would proceed for the job until the Mongo advised with an accompaniment of a four week written notice that his services were no longer needed (Human Resources in the Legal and Regulatory Framework, 466-505). The legal issues in this case include whether the contract between Quinn and SAMCO was legitimate ab initio, whether there existed a separate employment contract between Quinn and SAMCO and whether Quinn was a SAMCO employee, whether SAMCO erred in failing to integrate the likely interference by the government over the contract it made with Quinn, though the Royal Commission had managed to establish contractual mandate to alter at its own discretion personnel employed by SAMCO, bearing the fact that the government of Saudi Arabia is characterized with forms of employment discrimination such as age, and whether Mongo bears any responsibilities over SAMCO’s actions in another jurisdiction. The US legislation on Discrimination in Employment Act protects the populace above 40 from age prejudice (Metzger). Under this legislation, an employee has to prove that ‘he or she was within the cosseted age cohort, was qualified for the position at issue, suffered an adverse employment action, and was replaced by a sufficiently younger person.’ As a judge, if the plaintiff can prove these four elements, then a legal case suffices to stand trial. Did Hammer and Mongo act ethically? Would you have acted differently? Be sure to support your response with reference to ethical theories. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) ‘protects persons forty years or older from discrimination based on age. The legislation proscribes age favoritism in providing employees benefits and establishes minimum standards for waiver of one’s rights under the ADEA.’ It prohibits age discrimination in employment with respect to individuals aged forty years or older. In 1991, Congress amended Title VII to protect U.S. citizens employed in a foreign country by a U.S. employer. The Enforcement Guidance on Application of Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act provides that for a nationality of an entity to be determined by the entity’s place of incorporation, the principal place of business, contacts within the United States, the nationality of dominant shareholders and/or those holding voting control, and the nationality and location of management have to be taken into account (Lindemann, 2003, p. 9). Section 109 of the Title VII provides that â€Å"it shall not be unlawful,† under either Title VII or the ADA, for an employer to act in violation of either statute if compliance would cause the employer to violate the law of the foreign c ountry in which the employee’s workplace is located (Jerry). For example, an employer may be permitted to deny employment to women in a country that prohibits women from working, even though this practice violates Title VII. Hammer told Quinn that Quinn would have a problem as his grey hair showed that he was ‘over fifty,’ and people over fifty were ‘regarded with suspicion’

Destination Report & Presentation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Destination Report & Presentation - Assignment Example The paper intends to make a comparison between two popular tourist destinations of the country and finally make a few important recommendations for the policy maker associated with the tourism industry of the nation. Overview The world of the 21st century is moving at a fast pace. The fast pace of advancement of the modern day world is happening more on the lines of rapid change and tremendous development. It is of high importance to mention that the evolution of the telecommunication technology along with the process of emergence of high speed internet and various kinds of technology enabled gadgets has resulted in the process of playing a tremendous amount of influence in the lives of the masses around the world. It needs to be mentioned that because of the lines of emergence of high speed internet connectivity, the network of communication channels has improved in a drastic manner all over the world. Because of this technology powered transformation of the world around us, there h as always been a steady evolution of various kinds of trends associated with the factor of globalization. The trends of globalization, is resulting in the process of evolution of various kinds of new types of consumer demands. These new consumer demands are increasingly paving the way for a significant amount of business opportunity. Because of the rise of business opportunities, many firms located in different global markets are increasingly entering new markets. This is automatically triggering an increase in competition in the market. For the purpose of sustaining themselves, while retaining their competitive edge, the companies are increasing the pressure of performance on the employees. As a result of increasing stress in the workplaces, the people around the world are increasingly looking forward to relax by taking some highly enjoying vacations. The focus of this project is to compare and contrast two different tourism locations of Canada while judging them on the basis of fa ctors like tourism planning environments, destination components as well as relative position in regards to tourism destination cycle. The two popular tourist destinations that have been chosen in this case are Harbourfront Centre as well as Banff National Park of Canada. Comparison of Harbourfront Centre and Banff National Park Harbourfront Centre Brief Overview The Harbour Front Centre is a neighbourhood located on the north shore of Lake Ontario, within the premises of city of Toronto of Canada. The history of the region highlights that the harbour of Toronto has been using since the days of founding of Toronto for industrial as well as shipping purposes. However, the Harbourfront Centre was formed on the first day of the year 1991 as a non profit organization dedicated towards charity. It has a mandate to organize as well as present public events over a regional spread of around 94 acres. As of the current times, the Harbourfront Centre was transformed into a popular all year ro und tourist destination. The offering of the tourist site comprises of a sizzling blend of culture, arts, recreation along with indoor cafe and outdoor patio. Various events of

Integrated Marketing Communications in Apple Inc Essay

Integrated Marketing Communications in Apple Inc - Essay Example Upon mentioning Apple, what come into people’s mind are their simplified campaigns of advertising that portray their products as exceptional. They apply their advertising in many mediums such as email, the web, television, billboards, and print ads that when combined have been highly successful in both marketing the new version of their new product but above all the new â€Å"smart cover† as an essential accessory. Apple’s public relations department is doing an excellent job at creating positive image for their newest product as both a business product and a family friendly product. The company integrates diverse mediums of communicating with their prospects by targeting appealing marketing concepts. Most of its advertisements involve children using the product, family members connecting via Face time, or a possible kid-friendly application. Agreeably, all these integrated marketing communication methods are creating a positive image for Apple.Because Apple†™s products are appealing, their newest product is receiving tremendous public attention due to its frequent media use. In addition, people are using it on television on news broadcasts and even by some prominent people as a display tool. In the world of promotions, Apple rarely partakes in any but, recent news has it that Best Buy is reserving Apple’s newest product for an upcoming promotion. This means that when a company increase the number of marketing channels in its strategy, it is more likely to reach more and new people. Hence, using a number of combined efforts to reach and communicate with your audience is the most effective in the current marketplace (Pride and Freel, 2006:316-17). However, it is worth noting that, it is crucial to use a technique like this especially during economic recovery. With reference to a research carried out

History of Pole Dancing Essay Example for Free

History of Pole Dancing Essay Pole dancing is a combination of dance and gymnastics that is an increasingly popular form of fitness and dance. Pole dancers use a vertical pole which is either static or spinning, and train in gyms or dedicated dance studios. It’s no secret that pole dancing really started in the strip clubs. But it has evolved into so much more and pole dancing fitness enthusiasts and schools have been working tirelessly to change the perception to one of a legitimate dance style emphasising the acrobatics and strength. Circus influences such as Chinese pole and other aerial arts have helped along the way, moving it away from the erotic environment. Competitions are usually non-sexual and are judged on tricks and transitions rather than sensuality. Rather than just the gyrating and grinding people expect it to be, pole dancing requires an amazing amount of strength, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance, even a five minute routine is extremely tiring! Obviously in clubs, rather than actual tricks, there is a lot of floor-work and other things that are designed to arouse rather than amaze! Pole dancers use upper body and core strength are the most obvious requirements as there are a lot of climbs, spins and inverting the body weight – it often involves a lot of training to get anywhere near an advanced level. Pole dancing as we see it today originated during the depression in America. The traveling entertainment and carnival troupes would go from town to town. In one of the side tents aside from the main show, girls would dance suggestively on a small stage in front of crowds of cheering men. Sound familiar? Pole dancing gradually moved into to bars in the 1950s as burlesque became more popular and then during the 1980s in North America, became pole dancing and the modern striptease. It was only a decade later that a dancer in Canada started teaching pole dancing for fitness to women who weren’t club dancers. In Australia, the first pole dancing studio, Bobbi’s Pole Studio, opened in Sydney in 2004, closely followed by Pole Divas in Melbourne in 2004 and a national competition followed in 2005. Since then there have been dozens of pole dancing schools opening all over Australia and we boast some of the best pole dancers in the world, including multiple Miss Pole Dance World winner, Felix Cane. We do know that there are different styles of pole dancing including Chinese pole, and Mallakhamb (an Indian sport), neither of which have an erotic component and are mainly performed by men, so obviously pole dancing in different forms has developed around the world over time. The Mallakhamb pole is wide, made of wood and has a wooden ball on the top of it. Chinese Pole is usually performed using two poles, between which the men perform gravity defying acrobatics. During a pole dancing fitness class, which are often similar to aerobics or dance classes in their format, students begin with a cardiovascular warm up, use dynamic stretching and strength drills to prepare and then learn a series of tricks, climbs and inverts and often then put them into a dance routine to practice transitions and develop their endurance. One other thing that is often reported by women who have taken up pole dancing for fitness is a feeling of empowerment and increased confidence. Whether this is because of their developing strength, skill, grace or simply a sense of achievement, differs from student to student. Pole dancing now focuses on the fitness, acrobatics and dance performance aspects and competitions are fierce. Some dancers are lean contortion machines whilst some look like they could be body builders in their spare time. Women and men compete on a regular basis around the world in a number of styles, all with absolutely breathtaking performances. Pole dancing has definitely come a long way from the sexy tent pole dancing where it began!

How certain characteristics are transmitted from one generation to another

How certain characteristics are transmitted from one generation to another Rules of Mendelian Genetics Mendels Law is the study about how a certain characteristics are transmitted from one generation to another in an organism. This study was derived from an Austrian monk, Gregor Mendel (1822 C 1884) who is considered as the father of genetics. He believed that natural laws such as those that govern inheritance could be explained as mathematical relationships. In his experiments, Mendel used ordinary pea plants to study the traits, he pair these pea plants with considering the control over each reproduction to prevent the pea plant from self fertilizing. The traits that are being observed are the colour of a plants flower, the location on the plant, the shape and colour of the pea pods, the shape and colour of the seeds and the length of the plant stems. Pea plants are used because they are easily available and can be manipulated in large amount within a short period of time. (Starr, Evers Starr, 2010) Mendels approach for his experiment was to transfer pollen from the stamen (which is the male reproductive organ that contains male sex cells) and to the pistil (the female sex cell which contain female reproductive organs) of another pea plant. In the first experiment, he took two pea plants with true breeding variant; one with round seed and another with wrinkled seed. The offspring that were produced in the first generation (F1 generation) had all round seeds. This shows that the pea plant will only take the dominant trait that is the round seeds. Next, Mendel crossed two of the F1 generation plant together, he obtained a result of 75% of the plant is round seeds whereas 25% of the pea plants are wrinkled seeds. Based on this result, a ratio of approximately 3:1 will be deduced for the traits in F2 generation. As a result of these experiments, Mendel was able to state three generalizations about the way characteristics are transmitted from one generation to the next in pea plants. (Science Clarified, 2010). From this pea plants experiment, Mendel derived 3 theories that support on genetic inheritance ? Mendels first principle of genetics, the law of segregation states that the sex cell of a plant or animal may contain one factor (allele) for different traits but not both factors needed to express the traits. Each offspring, however, would only display the characteristics of one parent and not a blend of the two different characteristics of the parents. ? Mendels second principle of genetics, the law of independent assortment states that characteristics are inherited independently from other characteristics. Any trait in a generation is independent of other traits if the parents of the generation have two or more traits that vary from each other. ? Mendels third principle, principle of dominance states that each inherited characteristic is determined by two heredity genes, one from each parent which determines whether a gene will be dominant or recessive. This means that the trait of one parent must be dominant over the trait of the other parent, and so the dominant trait would be displayed by the offspring. (Minnesota State University, 2010; Nigel, D. P.,2006 ). Introduction to traits of family There have been variations in different characteristic in my family genes. The variations of the genes are mainly caused by inheritance from my parents who carry a genotype of certain traits; this trait is passed on from one generation to another. The dominant allele of the traits of the genotype would be the phenotype of the offspring. I have chosen to look into the appearance of one-sided dimples and blood types in my family genes. Cheek dimples occur when the muscles underneath the surface of the skin are shorter than the skin on top, so when you smile, the muscle pulls the skin at its attachment point, thus folding the top skin as it is pulled back. Chin dimples are actually a cleft chin in which the bones do not fuse completely and the outer skin lies on top of the cleft bone, revealing the structure underneath. In most cases, facial dimples appear on the cheeks, and they are typically not visible until someone smiles. However, some people only have a dimple on one side; this physical trait can actually be rather endearing (Smith, S. E., 2010). The look of dimples can also vary; as an inherited trait, unusual dimples can be passed on through multiple generations of a family. Dimples occurrence can be relatively related to genetic inheritance, dimples are dominant trait that will be pass on from the parents (K-show, 2008). If you inherit the genes for dimples, there may be other factors during your developmen t that could lengthen the muscles, or allow full closure of the cleft chin. Next, all humans can be typed for the ABO blood group. There are four principal types: A, B, AB, and O. There are two antigens and two antibodies that are mostly responsible for the ABO types. The specific combination of these four components determines an individuals type in most cases (Dennis ONeil, 2010). Every individual inherits one blood type allele from each their biological mother and their biological father. Based on the alleles of a person, the blood group genotype of the person can be determined. The O allele is the recessive allele amongst the blood group alleles. A person with blood group A can have either IA IA or IA IO as their genotype. Type B blood is produced when an individual has either genotype IB IB or IB IO. Genotype IO IO results in type O blood while type AB blood results from genotype IA IB (Windelspecht, 2007). Analysis Based on the phenotype occurrence in my family, I have come out with a research based on the traits on genotypes in my family. In this research, Ive taken consideration of the variation in traits from my parents and siblings; my brother and sister. One-sided dimples In my family, my father carries the gene of one-sided dimple, my mother do not contain dimple, my sister contains one-sided dimple and my brother and me do not contain dimple. Based on the data I had collected, a pedigree chart is drawn to illustrate the traits in my family. Figure 1 : pedigree chart on one-sided dimple of my family Since one-sided dimple is considered to be an autosomal dominant traits. From this pedigree chart illustrated above, my father have a phenotype of one-sided dimples, he would be either be carrying a homozygous dominant (DD) or heterozygous dominant (Dd) genotypes. On the other hand, my mother would be carrying the homozygous recessive (dd) genotype. My sister also carries the one-sided dimple trait; therefore she also be either having the genotype of DD or Dd. My brother and I do not have dimples, therefore why we would have carried the dd trait. Since, allele of our genes cant be seen; therefore we could only predict which of the possibility outcome the genotype of each individual belongs to. Based on the different possible allele, I have built a Punnets square to list out all the possibility outcomes of the genotypes outcome of the offspring from my parents depending on which genotype my parent possesses. D d d Dd dd d Dd dd D D d Dd Dd d Dd Dd ( ii ) ( i ) ( ii ) Figure 2 : Punnet square based on parents genotype? Based on the Punnet square ( i ), the possibility of homozygous dominant allele is being used. From this point of view, the outcome of a mixture of DD and dd would result in a Dd gamete. Therefore, based on the result, the offspring produced would be heterozygous dominant (Dd). The probability of the offspring produce by my parents to be heterozygous dominant would takes up 100%, this means that there would not be any possibilities of any offspring not having one-sided dimples. In addition, no offspring would also me homozygous dominant to one-sided dimples. On the other hand, in Punnet square ( ii ), heterozygous dominant (Dd) allele is being used, the possibility outcome of allele from the combination of Dd and dd would result in a Dd or dd offspring. The probability of a heterozygous dominant (Dd) gamete would be 50%, whereas the probability of the homozygous recessive (dd) gamete would also be 50%. There would not be any homozygous dominant offspring with one-sided dimple being produced. After analysing both the Punnet square, I came to conclusion that that my family follows the genotype of Punnet square ( ii ). This is because in my family, among the siblings, we have a variation between having one-sided dimples and not having dimples. Therefore, from the possibility of Punnet square ( i ), all the offspring would have dimples. Nevertheless, in my family, my brother and I do not have dimples whereas my sister have one-sided dimple. So, it can be said that the possibilities in Punnet square ( ii ) would be much more accurate. It shows that there are variations between gametes which have and have not got one-sided dimples. This could clearly explains why the occurrence of one-sided dimples only on my sister. Blood type A blood test had been carried out to determine our blood type in my family. From the result, it is shown that my father is tested to be blood group O, my mother is tested to be blood group A, my brother is tested to be blood group O, my sister is tested to be blood group A and lastly I am tested to be blood group O. Based on the data I had collected, a pedigree chart is drawn to illustrate the traits in my family. Figure 3 : Pedigree chart of blood group in my family From the pedigree chart, my father has blood group O, the possible genotypes for his allele would be IoIo. This would also apply to my brother and I, we both also contain the possible genotype allele of IoIo. On the other hand, my mother has blood group A, the possible genotypes for her allele would be IAIA or IAIO. My sister also has blood group A, she would also have the possible genotypes for her allele is IAIA or IAIO. By sorting out the possible genotypes in the allele, the data will be analysed into a Punnet table for a clearer outlook on all the possibilities from the combination of both the genotypes from my parents. The Punnet square will show the different combination that will result in a variation of offspring. IO IO IA IOIA IOIA IO IOIO IOIO IO IO IA IOIA IOIA IA IOIA IOIA ( i ) ( ii ) Figure 4 : Punnet square based on parents genotype Based on the Punnet square ( i ), the genotypes of my fathers allele is IOIO , whereas my mothers possible genotype is stated as IAIA . The outcome of this mixture results in the possibility of an offspring with only IOIA, which is blood group A. The probability of the offspring becoming a blood group A would then be 100%. None of them would be of blood group O. In Punnet square ( ii ) the genotype of my fathers allele is IOIO, whereas my mothers possible genotype is IAIO . The possible genotypes of the offspring produced by this combination of alleles will be genotype IOIO and genotype IAIO. The offspring could have a variation of blood type O or blood type A. The possibility of getting blood type O is 50% and the possibility of getting blood type A is also 50%. After analysing both the Punnet square, I can conclude that my family follow the genotypes as stated in Punnet square ( ii ). This is because in my family, among the siblings, we have a variation between blood group A and blood group B. Therefore, from the possibility of Punnet square ( i ), all the offspring would result in having blood group O. Nevertheless, in my family, my sister has blood group A whereas my brother and I have blood group O. So, it can be said that the possibilities in Punnet square ( ii ) would be much more accurate. It shows that there are variations between gametes which have the different group type. This could clearly explain why the occurrence in variance of different blood type within different people. ? Conclusion The study of Mendels Law leads us to enhance more on our genetic inheritance. Knowing our inheritance may help us to study a large range of different traits; like hair colour, iris colour, dimples, and eyes. We will be able to notify and recognize the different genetic variation, which will also help in preventing certain disorder from spreading through reproduction. A few of the disorder that are genetically inheritance are like Downs syndrome, Turner syndrome, sickle-cell anemia, colour blindness and haemophilia. Prevention towards this kind of disorder will widely safe many misfortune life of infants. Mendels Law do not only emphasis on human trait, it is used in many agricultural field to improve the production of crops. The seeds of the corn plant is modified and paired genetically to improve its taste, colour, quantity and quality. These seed are being paired to obtain better traits from different types of fruits. The seasonal fruits can be planted all year round now, the fruits are mostly seedless; all these are from the discovery of genetic inheritance. Not only that, Mendels law had also helped me in this research regarding the genotype of different traits in my family. For one-sided dimples, Ive found out from the Punnet square that, my father is heterozygous dominant pairing with my mum with homozygous recessive that will result in a mixture of heterozygous dominant and homozygous recessive offspring. For the blood type, Ive found that my father is is IOIO, whereas my mothers possible genotype is IAIO. In conclusion, Mendels law can be used to illustrate inheritance traits; the Punnets square can help us visualize all the genotype of the traits. This enables us to learn our genotypes based on our phenotypes shown, that is the one-sided dimple and blood type. It is important for us to study and understand our patterns of inheritance.

Ancient Egyptians Beliefs And Customs :: essays research papers fc

The Ancient Egyptian beliefs and customs have stood the test of time. The Ancient Egyptians were superior in their knowledge to any other nation. In the following paragraphs I will demonstrate there beliefs and customs. Egypt is widely known for their Pyramids, many of these gigantic landmarks have lasted for many centuries. Pyramids were built for Pharaohs to guide them into the ‘Afterlife’. Pyramids took 20 to 25 years to construct. Each piece of rock mined from the quarry had to be carefully fitted into the correct position, to make sure the blocks were in the correct spot, special markings were placed on the side of each block. A mallet made of wood was used to mine the hard dry rock from the quarry. It took one thousand and five hundred men approximately to mine five million blocks of rock to complete a pyramid. The huge rocks weighing one to five tones each, had to be carried up a special ramp located in the middle of the pyramid so they could build around it. It took a lot of men to pull the rocks up the ramp. Before each rock was put into place it was cut into shape using the set square and was smoothed out by masons. Ancient Egyptian medicine was an amazing thing. Every single bit of it was natural. Some of the medicine’s were Thyme, which was used to relieve pain, Sesame, which was used to sooth asthma, Frankincense, which was used to treat throat infections and Honey, which was widely used to dress bloody wounds. They had a range of cures for things like diarrhea, chest pains and respiratory trouble; though not all of there cures were hand made. Some of these cures consisted of special rituals that were performed by the local community priests. Ancient Egyptians believed that upon death, you were guided into what they called the ‘Afterlife’. Upon death, they would embalm the body with special preserving oils then they removed the major organs except the heart and placed them into special canopic jars. The only organ which was not placed into a canopic jar was the brain, which was totally discarded. After the organs were removed the body was stuffed with cotton and linen and sewn back up. They eyes were then removed and replaced either by cotton or fake eyeballs. They then soaked sheets of linen in embalming fluids and wrapped the body in it.

International finance manager Essay

Bob Swan is the International Finance Officer to eBay Inc. He is also the senior vice president to the company. He is responsible for eBay’s finance function including controllership, tax, treasury, financial planning and analysis, audit, mergers and acquisitions, and investors relations. He has worked for Electronic Data Systems Corporation (EDS) as an executive vice president. He has also served as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and executive vice president at TRW, Inc. , held an executive-level position at Webvan Group, Inc. His career started with General Electric in 1985 where he spent 15 years while serving at different positions such as corporate audit staff and CFO at GE Medical Systems-Europe and GE transportation Systems. Bob holds a bachelor of science in business administration from State University of New York at Buffalo. He also has a master of Business Administration from SUNY Binghamton. (eBayExecutiveTeam 2010). Risks management eBay as an online marketplace faces a number of risks. It list millions of items across thousands of diverse categories, including antiques, books, toys, sports, computers, photography and electronics and others. It has to manage operational risks and regulatory and legal issues. The company focuses on building trust and safety for trade to its customers. This is ensured through rules and policies, trust building programmes, various educational resources which help in maintaining general marketplace security and prevent fraud. The company also works with law enforcers and government agencies in the world so as to enforce its policies. Its trading policies are rooted in the values of the eBay market place. It seeks to encourage open, honest, and accountable transactions. It also seeks for feedback from the customers so as to ensure good services. The company also has an eBay safety Center to ensure buying and selling safety. (About eBay 2010; Philippe 2009).

Chris Nolan Auteur Essay

Auteur theory could be applied to Christopher Nolan as his films feature recurring elements, the theory its self, derives from an â€Å"influential group of French film critics and film makers during the 1950’s† (Nykki Montano film 110). Auteur theory examines the individual creative vision and personal perspective of the director, an auteur will feature recurring themes in their films, from using the same actors as the protagonist for their films to even using the same cinematographer and composer for the soundtrack. The unique qualities that make Christopher Nolan an auteur are that, for most of his movies Nolan plays on the fragility of memory, for example giving his characters split personality’s or memory loss. This can be seen in Nolan’s 2000 film Memento. The Film Memento isn’t the type of film that has a definite answer. The movie is actually just one big interpretive question. The basic question on everyone’s mind being â€Å"what is actually going on in this movie?† Since the story is told backwards and is about a man, Leonard Shelby (played by Guy Pearce) who suffers from a memory disorder. Nolan and Guy’s character state, â€Å"It’s not amnesia.† This makes the movie even more questionable, because the audience is given another factor of confusion that is, can this character be trusted. The way Nolan portrays the joker in the dark night is also typical of the director, as the joker is given no identity, much like Leonard Shelby in Memento Another trait of is that he frequently uses hard cuts when transitioning to the next scene. This is noticeable in his films from ‘Batman Begins’ onward, especially in The Dark Knight, as in some instances, the hard cuts he uses will go so far as to nearly cut off character’s lines in order to quickly and efficiently get to the next scene.

Key Drivers Essay

Given that the development of new systems can be fraught with problems and delays, what drives organisations to develop systems? The most important drivers come directly from the needs of the business and are often not related to technology, but require technological solutions. There are a number of possible triggers for the need to develop a new system including users identifying a need, organisations needing to grow or acquire other companies in order to extend their market share, the need to reduce staffing costs or an organisation needing to keep up with competitors. A few more drivers are considered here: Need for growth Sometimes businesses can become stagnant. This means they are not growing (gaining new business and exploring new opportunities) or they are shrinking (losing business). Eventually, businesses that do not have any movement or change will begin to decline, although this can take some time. Most organisations want to advance – they want to expand, become involved in new markets and increase profits. They need to grow to survive and for this they have to have a strategic plan. This is where the company decides what it wants to do and what direction it wants to take. As part of this process, its systems will be examined to ensure that they are capable of supporting the proposed growth. If this is not the case, then the organisation has time to address the issues. Company acquisition It is not unusual for one company to buy out another. For example, the media company Telewest was purchased by the larger group NTL a few years ago. Since then, it has been sold again – this time to the Virgin Media Group. An organisation may well buy another company for any one of or combination of the following reasons: To access new markets: A company selling sports equipment, for example, buys a sports clothing company so that it can add products and services to its portfolio that it feels will interest its existing customers. Alternatively, an organisation might purchase a company active in a completely different market sector so that it can get involved in new different activities. To increase market share of existing business: One supermarket chain buys out another supermarket chain, thus having more outlets and business overall. To acquire particular assets: Sometimes the acquisition is because one company needs to purchase the assets of another company so that it can use them itself. An example might be a car manufacturer buying an advertising company so that it can reduce its marketing and advertising costs. If one organisation acquires another, it can do one of two things: Allow the systems to continue running separately for each company Find ways of integrating systems so that organisations can work together Which route is taken will depend very much on what managers intended when they purchased the company. If the acquiring company does not intend to keep its acquisition, for example, there would be little point in integrating the systems. Need to increase productivity When systems have been in place for a period of time, they are said to decay. This means that they become less and less useful to the organisation. At implementation: System will be heavily used – there will still be debugging activity and training needed. During general use: System is working as it should and is being used effectively. Start of decay: Inefficiencies are found that affect organisational productivity What causes decay? These are a few examples: New technology becomes available that would help increase productivity by improving efficiency. Capacity needs increase because sales have improved and productivity output does not match demand. The activities of competitors demand that the organisation improves its ability to respond. More users working on the system can slow it down, thereby making the system less productive overall. Legal requirements At times an organisation has no other option but to respond to changes in the law. Responding to and implementing required changes in health and safety legislation is essential if an organisation is going to continue to operate within the law. The one advantage of changes in legal requirements is that they are usually anticipated. It would not be fair if changes needed to be made immediately that would disadvantage one company over another. When new laws, or changes in existing laws, occur, companies usually have a grace period of time to prepare prior to the law coming into force.

Film Eassy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Film Eassy - Essay Example This paper will analyze the movie that is titled Saving Private Ryan and show how different aspects of ideology were manifested in it. It is quite understandable that the majority of movies that feature the setting of the World War II engage the issue of Anti-Semitism. The movie in question is quite interesting since it shows that this ideology of making the Jews a victim is deeply corrupted. On the one hand, the directors were able to show that within the American soldiers there might be some that adhere to such views; however, they are openly criticized. For example, there was a fight shown between soldiers on the shop that was departing to Europe which started because one made some ironic statements about â€Å"sons of Abraham†. Indeed, this movie supports the common idea that Anti-Semitism could not have happened in the American society (Dinnerstein 229). On the other hand, when the German troops are shown, they are portrayed as extremely Anti-Semitic. For example, in one episode, one of the soldier, who was a Jew, finds a special knife in the pockets of a German soldier and suddenly realized how many people of his nationality were killed with similar knifes. In addition to that, when the German prisoners are being relocated, he shows them they his start of David pendant and screams at their face: â€Å"Juden!† (which is German for Jew), pointing at himself, suggesting that they were captured by a race that was so despised by them. Indeed, Anti-Semitism of the Germans in the World War II has been one of the significant themes for numerous movies. That is why there is no wonder that Saving Private Ryan engages it as well. Another important concept that is fundamental to the plot of the entire movie is application of Sole Survivor Policy. The latter is a rather controversial and one of the most debatable policies which were implanted by the United States government in the

Research Confucius and Socrates Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Confucius and Socrates - Research Paper Example The financially pathetic family background did not restrict him from interacting with intellectual personalities and promoting his thoughts. Though not fully satisfied with the democracy of Athens, he always performed his duties well as a true citizen. Unfortunately, the democratic system accused him of corrupting the youth of Athens and further sentenced him to death. He accepted the death penalty without hesitation and died drinking the hemlock. Confucius believed that individuals themselves are solely responsible for their actions and behavior both individually and collectively. He had great love for his precedents for he claimed all his teachings had been derived from the ancients rather than his own perspectives (Confucius. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Confucius admired heaven and its blessings on mankind. Confucius maintained respect for spiritual forces and considered them worth worship. He emphasized on the significance of social behavior and considered love, affecti on, and concern for others as essentials of virtuous life. He also proposed concern for parents and siblings as qualities of discipline. Confucius believed that a ruler should posses the commendable qualities of discipline, love, concern in order to be a role model to his subjects.

DuPont divests Conoco Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DuPont divests Conoco - Case Study Example The divestiture should be made from a financial perspective and not arbitrarily in order to create more vaule for the firm by breaking the firm into more pieces. Considerations must be made to analyze what effect a carve-out could have on the company? What effect could a spin-off have on the company? What effect could an asset sale have on the company? All these options must be considered in relation to market, firm return and net return. The main benefit of divestiture is the production of wealth for the parent company. Historically the divestiture of a company has caused a positive Net Present Value (NPV) based on the size of the company based on â€Å"Takeovers, Restructuring and Corporate Governance†. â€Å"Alchian and Demsetz (1972) and Jensen and Meckling (1976) suggest one reason why corporate divestitures might create wealth. If the divestitures improve managerial incentives or better enable shareholders to monitor managerial performance, then the separation of a corporation into different pieces can improve the efficiency of operations and thereby increase the combined value of the assets.†

CORPORATE RESEARCH PAPER Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

CORPORATE - Research Paper Example As of the financial year 2011, Chevron generated a sales value worth $244 billion and the net income attributable to the company during the same period was $27 billion. The profitability of the company can be gauged from the fact that the net income per share of the company during 2011 was $13.44, while the company also paid cash dividends worth $3.09 per share. The return on capital and the return on equity of Chevron during as of 2011 were 21.6% and 23.8% respectively (Chevron, 2012). Though the company is instituted in California, in the United States, Chevron has business activities throughout the world in over 120 countries. The following figure represents the geographic reach of Chevron across the world, by means of onshore operations, offshore operations, pipelines or refineries. Figure 1: Global Reach of Chevron Corporation (Juhasz, 2009) In 2011, the average net production of Chevron was 2.673 million oil barrels for every day, of which around 75% of the volume was produced from countries other than the United States (Chevron, 2012). This can be lucidly illustrated from the following figure: Figure 2: Geographic Segmentation of Chevron’s Production (Chevron, 2011) Chevron is present in various countries, such as the USA, the UK, Canada, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Nigeria, Singapore and Australia to name a few. Chevron Corporation has a number of subsidiaries and associates for managing and operating its worldwide operations. Some of them are Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (CUSA), Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC, Chevron Transport Corporation Ltd. (CTC), and Tengizchevroil LLP (TCO) among others. Even though every subsidiary of Chevron is accountable for its individual affairs, Chevron Corporation handles its investments in its subsidiaries in addition to their affiliates. The operations and business activities of Chevron are categorised into two business divisions, namely, Upstream and Downstream. The upstream business segment comprise s of sale of crude oil and natural gas produced by the company itself, in addition to the sale of natural gas produced by other companies. On the other hand, the downstream segment comprises of activities related to the processing and marketing of various forms of petroleum products. The United States of America is the principal country of operation of Chevron Corporation. Hence, in its annual reports, the company presents its geographic breakdown of performance in terms of two categories, i.e., the United States, Chevron’s domicile nation while other countries where the company operates reported as ‘International’ (outside the United States). The following table represents the breakdown of sales, assets and income of Chevron Corporation for the year 2011, in terms of the above discussed segments: Year 2011 Sales Assets Earnings Upstream United States 27,738 37,108 6,512 International 55,098 98,540 18,274 Downstream United States 91,078 22,182 1,506 International 123,221 20,517 2,085 All others United States 1,598 8,824 - International 46 17,661 - Total United States 120,414 68,114 8018 International 178,365 136,718 20,359 (All values in millions of US dollars) (Chevron Corporation, 2011) In this context, it is should be noted that excluding the United States,

Consultancy project (Newspaper),Report style Essay

Consultancy project (Newspaper),Report style - Essay Example Many papers are sponsored by local governments who easily influence content. It may also be argued that there is considerable diversion to online sources for news. Nearly all of the print versions of papers, now have web versions. Most of the graphic elements from the print versions have been adapted to the computer screen, making print and online versions consistent and recognizable. Complicating the mix is the presence of foreign language newspapers, particularly those written in English. Some are English language versions of Russian papers, while others such as The St. Petersburg Times, Moscow Times and Neva News, are exclusively written and published for an English speaking readership. In St. Petersburg, there are no English language TV channels or radio stations, so it is assumed that these newspapers play an important role in the expatriate community as a news source. Quality of newspaper design varies widely. Some designs are surprisingly attractive, perhaps due to competition for readers limited attention span. Much of the style differences can be correlated to the segmentation of the newspaper market and the enormous differences in taste among newspapers target audiences. Newspapers were all originally communist party, or state owned mass media tools and typically ran stories about meetings of Party officials and anti-western propaganda during the Soviet period. Now, many of these papers have evolved into publicly consumable tabloids addressing everyday mundane Russian life. Stories are heavily weighted with scandal, public corruption exposes, and entertainment. Pravdas readership was originally over 13 million during the height of the Soviet Union, but then suffered in the post Soviet collapse and eventually closed down. It has been reborn threefold, and there is an ensuing struggle to legally maintain ownership of the once famous name, now c laimed by three different

Professional Development Plan Essay Example for Free

Professional Development Plan Essay Introduction The Professional Development Plan (PDP) is a structured process made by an individual to reflect on their own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan their personal, educational and career development. PDP complies a range of procedures, such as planning, doing, recording, and reflection. (The Higher Education Academy 2012) The objective of this PDP is to help improve existing skills or to develop new ones. In order to do so, a self-assessment, SWOT analysis, SMART and Belbin’s self-perception inventory will be completed, to acknowledge strengths and weaknesses. Section 1: Professional Development Plan For this PDP three distinct goals will be developed. * Individual Goal – Time Management and Personal Organisation * Group Working Goal – Searching databases * Academic Goal – Listen, read and take notes To help set the goals, three goals worksheets were completed and the SMART diagnosis was applied (See Appendix 1 and 2). SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound. (Scanlon 2011) Time Management and Personal Organisation This goal was chosen as the individual goal because managing time and being organised was always a struggle, and therefore for several times in numerous occasions the effect was unpleasant. By being able to manage time and being more organised, opportunities will rise to have a more effective performance in personal, academic and professional life. This weakness was noted through the self-assessment comprised by a friend, a colleague and myself (See Appendix 3). This skill was not developed sooner out of pure laziness and lack of motivation. To achieve this goal I will do weekly schedules to see what was done during the week and check if certain activities were accomplished (See Appendix 4). This goal is set to be developed until 11th March 2012. Searching Databases This goal was chosen as the group working goal because searching databases was always a difficult task, either it was for personal, academic or work related purposes. Whenever there are group works, this task is always passed on to other members, which made my ability to improve less feasible. This weakness was noted through the Belbin Test (See Appendix 5). This skill was not developed until now because there was lack of knowledge of databases resources. To achieve this goal I will carry on a research about Miss Universe, looking for information in all resources I can find (See appendix 6). As there were no relevant books on the subject, I had to confine the search to the Internet. This goal is set to be developed until 12th March 2012. Listen, Read and Take Notes This goal was chosen as the academic goal because as English is not my first language, it is sometimes difficult to keep up with lectures and at the same time take notes, as well as it is difficult to read, comprehend in just one go, and take notes. By developing this skill, when preparing for exams, being in lectures, workshops and work meetings, listening, reading and taking notes, will become simple, efficient, quick and easy. This weakness was noted while in class, at home and at work, and later on identified in SWOT analysis and also through the self-assessment comprised by a friend, a colleague and myself (See Appendix 3 and 7). The SWOT analysis is a notably useful tool to identify and analyse opportunities for development and related barriers and challenges. SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Being Strengths and Weaknesses internal factors and Opportunities and Threats external factors. (Scanlon 2011) To achieve this goal I will take notes from lectures and from a few pages of one of the recommended books for this unit (See Appendix 8). This goal is set to be developed until 12th March 2012. Section 2: Progress Review Time Management and Personal Organisation For this goal I did weekly sheets to see my development. I did the first weekly sheet in 19th December 2011. As I was not working at the moment my only responsibility was University, and seems like the less responsibility one has, the less he/she does. That is exactly what was happening. I was spending most of my days watching television and/or watching series online, or simply just spending days sleeping. I had my mother and a friend over for Christmas and New Year. With their presence here, I felt like doing even less, because all I wanted was to spend time with them or go out and show them Manchester. So basically all the activities I was always planning to do, I ended up not doing them. I knew I had an exam in early January, and yet I did not study until the week before the exam. I managed to pass the exam with a low pass, 44%, but I know I could have done much better if only I dedicated myself to study longer and in advance. So after this happened I realized it was time for me to stop being lazy and change my attitude towards the use of my time. I started watching less television and less series online. I started reading a novel ‘The Lucky One’, I started getting more worried with the planning of my PDP, I joined the gym and I was more focused in finding a job. For a while it was difficult having so many activities after not having basically none. I started going to the gym more often, like twice or three times a week. I started going to Church also; I did not go in a long time. I was more focused in classroom, and I understood more of the topics in study. I was feeling more motivated, less lazy, and I was managing my time very well. I was more organized with my studies, and personal life. I kept a diary so I would know what I did and what I needed to do. So in the end, I think the development of this goal helped me a lot, it improved my attendance in University, and also my productivity at home. Searching Databases For this goal I did a research on Miss Universe. Their history, how it started, who invented it, what is its purpose, previous contestants, the actual Miss Universe Leila Lopes, that is Miss Angola, from my birth country. I have to admit I chose this as my research topic because of how proud I am of her. She is a beautiful woman, and gave her best and deserved to won. As I was doing the research on the subject, I realized I did not choose the best topic to do a research, because I could only find information on the Internet. There are no relevant books on this subject, and even the news I found, were on online newspapers. But as I did not have more time to think of a new topic, and start doing a new research, because I still had my last goal to develop, I had to keep up with lectures of both units, and look for a job, I just kept this topic. I do not think I had great improvements with this goal, and it was mainly because of my topic of research choice. I could not explore others sources, and that confined me to the Internet, which has a wide range of irrelevant information. So this is one goal I will keep on developing because it is really necessary for the years ahead. Listen, Read and Take Notes For this goal I gathered as evidence all the notes I have from lectures I attended, and notes I made from a few pages of one of the recommended books: ‘Organizational Behaviour’ by Buchanan and Huczynski (2010). It was hard in the beginning because I did not know where to begin. I was trying to be more focus in class, by not having my phone close, and not talking with colleagues unnecessarily. As we only have 2 classes per week, it was hard to develop this skill, so I decided that notes from the lectures alone would not be enough. I started to do notes from the book referred above. And after a while I was feeling more confident, my notes were becoming good. I would write more in the lecture notes, instead of just listening and getting home, and not knowing what were the main points of that topic. I will still keep on developing this skill because it is non-stop, I know I am still far from excellent, but it was good to give it a go, and actually see some changes even though they are little. Goal Setting and S.M.A.R.T goals Specific – What (goal), why (reasons), which (constraints) etc.? Clearly stated outcome you wish to achieve. Measurable – Can progress be assessed? A goal that you can evidence, i.e., demonstrate its achievement in way and can show progress. Attainable – Can the goal be accomplished? The goal should not be too high or low. Goals that are set too high or too low become meaningless. It should stretch you a bit, without being too extreme. Realistic – Is the goal worthwhile? Make sure goal can be achieved within the framework of your life before the submission date, not as you would hope or would like it to be. You have to be willing and able to work on the goal. Time-bound – What is your target completion date? Make sure goal that you set for yourself can be achieved within the timeframe and before the submission deadline of 14 March 2012. You must have start and endpoints.