Bilingual Education in Kindergarden Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Bilingual Education in Kindergarden - Essay Example International aspects of bilingual education were also reviewed with Canada, Australia, and the US especially being considered. Whereas the Canadian model has been successful, its success is tempered by the fact that little research has been done specifically on kindergartens with children of immigrants (Wren, 2013: p18). The Australian model is different to the UK’s as it does not seek to assimilate but to preserve the language, in contrast to that in the US, which has insisted on English as the main language of instruction.The review also identified important requirements for meeting the needs of EAL children, which was reported to be dependent on the kindergarten’s policy and how teachers implemented the policy to accommodate EAL students. Such policy involved making EAL children feel comfortable and communicating with their parents (De Lamo White & Jin, 2011: p618). With regards to the link between bilingual education and culture, the review found that teachers with a similar culture to EAL students can validate the children’s cultural identities, while those teachers who attempt to understand the EAL student’s culture can also offer culturally compatible instruction. For this latter group, however, the mainstreaming of UK schools and teaching programs premised on mainstreaming have posed challenges. In reviewing the literature on the advantages and disadvantages of bilingualism and bilingual education, bilingual education was found to improve overall linguistic ability.

Tata Motors Company Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tata Motors Company Analysis - Essay Example The competitive advantage of the firm includes the implementation of a world class CRM solution, and dealer management (DMS) used across 2,500 numbers of channel partners. Additionally, the supplier self-service initiatives along with the design collaboration solutions have been expanded to additional number of 550 vendors in the year 2011. At the organizational level the company has successfully implemented the third party logistics. The logistics has been immensely successful in bringing down transportation costs and time and efficiency of delivery of consignments. The control over the company’s inventories has also been greatly enhanced. It has reduced fuel costs and the related emissions. The critical and most important aspect of the company’s green supply chain has been to attain transportation disclosures from all its vendors on hazardous material components in each of the parts that they supply. It is essential that the amounts of heavy materials present needs to the disclosed and are procured only when they meet the material criteria strictly (Tata Motors, 2011, p.21). In the year 2011, the contract workforce was engaged totaled a number of 35.53 million man hours in its plants. Tata Motors prohibits the deployment of forced and child labor in all its sites and its security personnel are thoroughly trained towards maintaining strict vigil on the under aged workers entering into the company premises. Under the initiative of the supplier’s performance enhancement policy, the company conducted regular vendor council meetings for creating a system which evaluates and enhances suppliers’ performance. Tata Motors went into a strategic alliance with the Fiat Group in order to assess the feasibility of cooperation in the market for commercial vehicles. A number of developments were realized in the domain of engineering, sourcing, marketing and distribution of components and aggregates (Tata Motors-a, 2007). The company continues to s trengthen its corporate governance practices with the implementation of specific practices and methods. The (TBEM) or the Tata Business Excellence Model drives excellent business performance and track the progress of the company along its long term strategic objectives. The Board of Directors and also its committee provides guidance of leadership to the company’s management team and subsequently directs, controls and supervises the performance of the company at large (Tata Motors, 2011, p.16). Strategies recommended It is recommended that the company tries to expand its international businesses. The recent financial meltdown across the globe has recovered to a substantial extent and has provided with various business opportunities for the company. The company has successfully enhanced and improved its technology standards and practices which has brought it close to international standards. With the company increasing and raising its level to the world class automotive manufac turers, the prospects for increasing revenues outside India is also large. Presently the company’s international or foreign business accounts for 18.4% of the company’s revenues and it still has capacity to increase the same through its foreign operations. It is recommended that the company must try to double or treble its international operations in the recent

Cultural Issues: Forced Marriage

Cultural Issues: Forced Marriage Marriage; â€Å"The legal status, condition, or relationship that results from a contract by which one man and one woman, who have the capacity to enter into such an agreement, mutually promise to live together in the relationship of Husband and wife in law for life, or until the legal termination of the relationship.† (Bouvier J, nd) In British culture, marriage is considered a union of two individuals who wish to commit to one another for the rest of their lives and take their relationship to the next level. Forced marriage is a controversial type of matrimony, which exists in the United Kingdom today, the United Kingdom, has an extremely multicultural society where modern and traditional beliefs often collide, especially between different generations that have different ideas and ideals. Forced marriage is conducted without the full consent of one or both parties and is common in the Middle East and in some parts of Asia and Africa (Smith, 2006). In order to understand why forced marriages take place, it is important to be aware of what values drive people to force their child into a marriage. Many young men and women suffer in silence and it may seem outlandish to some that this custom, which is considered inhumane by most people in the United Kingdom, is allowed to continue within modern British society today. This piece will describe forced marriage and the reasons why it takes place, it will also discuss some of the laws and protection offered to people affected by forced marriage. Forced marriages occur in a number of minority communities within the United Kingdom (UK) and often involve the forced spouse being sent abroad to get married or being forced to marry within the UK. Although this form of marriage is accepted and popular within some cultures, the concept of forced marriage is not favoured in the United Kingdom (Smith 2006). In 2009 the Forced Marriage Unit gave advice or support to 1682 cases of forced marriage, 86 percent involved females and 14 percent involved males. There were also many more cases that went unreported (Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2009). One particular reason why the majority of people disagree with the act of forced marriage is because it is recognized as an abuse of human rights and also a form of domestic violence. The victims of forced marriages, who are often young women, may experience abduction, imprisonment, sexual abuse, physical and mental abuse and sometimes even murder. Forced marriages are not supported by any of the major religions within the United Kingdom. Whilst opinions on the nature of marriage may differ between the different religions, they all agree that some level of consent is necessary. Families may put pressure on a victim, or even use emotional blackmail, to make the victim believe that if they do not agree to the forced marriage then they are going against their religion, this is untrue. It is important to make clear that forced marriages are different than arranged marriages. Although arranged marriage involves parents choosing a partner they deem suitable for their child, the marriage is only organised by parents or family members once both of the marrying parties have consented. Arranged marriage is a tradition that has worked effectively within many communities for a very long time. However, forced marriages may sometimes be mistaken for arranged marriage as one or both of the parties may feel as though they have no choice but to consent due to the pressure put onto them from their family. Emotional blackmail is very common within the lead up to a forced marriage and families may tell the victim that they will bring shame to the family if they do not go ahead with the arrangements. The victims family may threaten to disown and reject the victim and leave them homeless if they go against their familys wishes. If a victim decides not to go ahead with the forced marriage they may be taken prisoner in their own home and those who are still in school may be taken out and miss vital education as their family fears they may tell somebody who can help them to escape the situation and run away from the marriage. Forced marriage may be a parents way of sustaining a cultural tradition. Culture and tradition are important aspects in peoples lives, as they are a strong foundation of ones faith and beliefs. Some cultures believe their family can only be respected if their children marry within certain families. Arrangements are made for their child to marry the person of the parents or elders choice and the child has no say. Parents may find themselves under pressure from extended family to marry off their children and in some cases the decision of who their child will marry is made in infancy. Much of the time a victim of a forced marriage will never have met or even spoken to their husband before they are married. In some cultures, marriage is considered a fusion of two families, not merely the joining of two individuals, that is why bloodlines and reputations matter. Love is expected to come after the marriage in the case of a forced marriage, and it is believed by some that the mystery of ones partner keeps the relationship interesting and long lasting. In a forced marriage, the pressure from the society in which the couple live and from the two families involved often keeps the marriage together whether or not it is a successful union. Divorce is very often not an option when there is so much pressure for a person to stay in a marriage (Sabreen, 2005). Violence is often used against the victim of a forced marriage and in the very worst cases victims are murdered in what are sometimes referred to as ‘honour killings. ‘Honour killings are murders by families of those who are believed to have brought shame upon the family name. This ‘shame could be down to a person refusing to enter into a forced marriage or having a relationship with somebody that the family do not approve of. A recent example of an ‘honour crime committed in the United Kingdom was the murder of Banaz Mahmod who was just twenty years old at the time of her murder. Her body was discovered inside of a suitcase buried in a Birmingham garden in April 2006. Banaz was one of five daughters from a strict Kurdish family and after entering into an arranged marriage at the age of sixteen, she was expected to fulfil the role of doting wife and mother. Aged nineteen, Banaz fell in love with another man and it is this that led her father, uncle and other family friends to kill her. These were the people she should have been able to turn to and trust in times of need. Banazs crime was dishonouring her father by leaving her unhappy marriage and falling in love with another man from a different Kurdish clan. The police had already been warned by Banaz that her life was in danger on four separate occasions before she vanished, and she had included in a letter, the names of some of those involved in h er death (BBC News, 2007). It is often believed in the UK that marriages made from love offer more independence and freedom when compared to forced marriages. Those involved in a forced marriage experience pressure to meet the expectations of their parents. One of the main arguments against a forced marriage is how can a person be expected to marry somebody that they do not know. Two people knowing each other before marriage allows partners to have respect and an understanding for each others needs and wants. In a traditional British marriage, those getting wed are the primary decision makers and parents and other family members are there merely to support the couple. It is down to the people getting married whether the marriage will be successful or not. Parents and other family members opinions may still be important but it is the individuals getting married that are the ones who should be taken into consideration. Forced marriages are extremely likely to have severe psychological, emotional, medical, legal and financial consequences. Victims are often isolated from friends and peers and rarely have access to the services that could assist them; this makes it increasingly difficult to escape the marriage. Forced marriages may become violent as the relationship is often based on the power of one spouse. Rape occurs frequently within forced marriage and apart from the obvious psychological problems this causes it also may have other severe consequences including the transition of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, as the victim, especially if young, may enter into a marriage with someone of sexual experience. As forced marriages often take place when the victim is still very young, they could be deprived from their right to education and the possibility of economic independence from their spouse is extremely limited, again making it difficult for them to escape their situation. It is increasingly common for an immigrants family to send a victim back to their country of origin to marry or to force a victim to marry a spouse sent from the country of origin. In some cases, victims of forced marriages may also be considered trafficking victims. Due to the unofficial nature of many forced marriages, often a victim is left with no legal protection in the case of a separation. Many families circumvent the law by entering into traditional Muslim marriages, which are not registered or recognised by the state. In the event of a separation, the couples assets would not be divided equally as would be the case if you were to become divorced under UK law. The victim may be left homeless and with no pos sessions, especially if the victim is a female. Law on marriage in England and Wales is governed by The Marriage Act 1949 and the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. The minimum age a person in the UK can consent to marriage is 16, although a person under 18 also needs their parents to consent to the marriage. Those marriages that take place abroad in accordance with the correct formalities required by that countrys laws are usually recognised within England and Wales, providing both people involved have the capacity to marry. The Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 says that a marriage is deemed invalid if either of the couple did not consent to it, whether it is the consequence of pressure, unsoundness of mind, a mistake or otherwise. Unfortunately, victims of forced marriages are rarely aware of these provisions or are too afraid to use them. As forced marriages often happen when the victim is young, they can lack the confidence to challenge their situation. (Home Office Communications Directorate, 2000) â€Å"No marriage shall be legally entered into without the full and free consent of both parties, such consent to be expressed by them in person after due publicity and in the presence of the authority competent to solemnize the marriage and of witnesses, as prescribed by law.† (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2007) Every individual in the United Kingdom has the right to choose the person that they marry. Whatever religion you follow, age and sexuality you are and whether or not your family approve of your choice, you have this fundamental right. Although at present there is no legislation in the United Kingdom clearly banning forced marriage, and it is not recognised as a specific criminal offense, there are several actions that may happen in the process of forcing someone to marry that are criminal offences, these include assault, abduction, rape and imprisonment to name just a few. A person who commits one of these crimes, regardless of whether they are a relative is likely to be prosecuted. In 2004, the Government extended its definition of domestic violence to include acts committed by intimate partners as well as family members. As a consequence of this, forced marriage and other ‘honour crimes, are now considered as a form of domestic violence. An Act of Parliament called The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007, provided courts with the power to make Forced Marriage Protection Orders which are put into place to stop a person forcing another into marriage. British law also allows the courts to protect those victims who have already been forced into marriage and help them to escape their situation (forcedmarriage.net, 2009). A marriage in the UK requires the consent of both parties involved, if this is not given, the marriage is invalid. Although most forced marriages take place outside the jurisdiction of the UK, if a marriage does take place abroad and one part wishes to end it, divorce is legal. Alternatively, a couple can stay married but live apart with no legal sanction against them. There are only a few countries that have criminalized forced marriage itself, for example Croatia expressly penalizes forced marriage, including criminal acts directed against sexual freedom and sexual morality. Criminalization is not universally accepted as being the best way to eradicate forced marriage and the United Kingdom decided against making it a criminal offence due to concerns that victims would not wish for their families to be punished (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2007). Forced marriages are widespread but many local efforts to prevent these marriages have been successful. Crisis lines, womens shelters, schools, groups and even monetary incentives have all been effective in postponing marriages for girls and helping to stop forced marriages (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2007). There are a number of organisations that have been set up in the UK to help and support victims of forced marriage. Southall Black Sisters was created to provide information and support to women and children experiencing domestic violence, including forced marriage and honour crimes. The aim of their service is to help people to escape violence and abuse and help them to deal with a range of problems such as rape, suspicious deaths and matrimonial issues. Their work consists of making recommendations to the Home Office, Social Services, Police, Schools, Health Authorities and the Foreign and Consular Service on how to deal with those who face the possibility of forced marriage and the problems surrounding it. The Southall Black Sisters have concerns that there is reluctance from the statuary agencies to intervene in cases of forced marriage as it is viewed by some as a cultural practice and they do not want to appear racist by intervening in such cases. They campaign for widespread acceptance that it is not racist to intervene and that it is the human right of all women no matter what their religion or culture to be afforded state protection against any kind of violence (Southall Black Sisters, nd). Conclusion: In the United Kingdom we ban all sorts of cultural practices, for example, Female Genital Mutilation. When the harm caused to an individual is so huge, the ‘rights of a group must be sacrificed and it is important for the law to step in and intervene. The rights of an individual should not be put behind those of a particular culture. Some may argue that banning forced marriage would victimise and disassociate groups of people with wider culture but how much more victimised can a person be than being forced into a marriage against their will? It is important that the authorities are sensitive to cultural differences but the softly, softly approach taken towards communities where the practice of forced marriage takes place has already led to thousands of people being kept under house arrest, many being physically abused and there have been some cases of ‘honour killings within this country. Banaz Mahmod had sought help from the police four times before she met her death and unfortunately the only time the police responded was when her lifeless body was found. Perhaps if there was more awareness and stronger laws surrounding the issue of forced marriage, Miss Mahmod could have married the man who she had loved and would still be living today. It can be understandably difficult to detect forced marriages as physical and mental coercion is not usually involved with the wedding itself and even if evidence of physical or mental abuse is found, it is hard to link this with any alleged forced marriage as the victims are often scared to of the consequences of talking to authorities, however, If forced marriages were banned, police investigators would be able to look at DNA samples and conduct interviews with those involved in the wedding and could put together a case to prove that a marriage was not made in true consent of one or both of the spouses. The arrest of suspected initiators of forced marriage would also give the victim time to flee to safety and plan their future. Although legislation is in place against the crimes that often come hand in hand with forced marriage, a ban would also send out a clear message to society that forced marriage is not a custom that is tolerated in the United Kingdom. It would also show those that are being forced into marriages that the UK law is on their side, which may well increase the number of people that come forward to the authorities as they may feel less isolated. Marriage should not be something performed to satisfy cultural traditions; instead, it should be looked upon as a sacred union of two individuals engaged in a relationship built on love and maturity. A persons future cannot be dictated by cultural traditions and ideas, the success of a marriage can only be shaped by human judgement and maturity. Therefore traditions and other concerns are unacceptable reasons for an individual to be forced into marriage. References: â€Å"A womans right to choose a spouse and enter freely into marriage is central to her life and her dignity and equality as a human being† Norfolk, A. (2006). Despair as forced stay legal. Retrieved November 24, 2006 Smith, J. (2006). Forced Marriage. Retrieved March 4th, 2010 â€Å"Marriage should be entered into only with the free will and full consent of the intending spouses† (Universal declaration of human rights, Article 16) http://www.forcedmarriage.net/media/images/FMU-FM-Guidance-SocialWorkers_73.pdf http://www.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/pdf/2855621/what-is-forced-marriage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoGwwlFw20s http://www.mcb.org.uk/uploads/wrongnotright.pdf http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/eastmidlands/series6/forced_marriages.shtml http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/when-things-go-wrong/forced-marriage http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/safeguardingandsocialcare/safeguardingchildren/forcedmarriage/forcedmarriage/ http://www.forcedmarriage.net/ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-461378/The-tragic-story-Banaz-Mahmodfell-love-19-family-killed-her.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6766207.stm http://www.southallblacksisters.org.uk/songs.html Bouvier J, (nd),available at: http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/marriage accessed on 5th March 2010 Home Office Dictorate (2000), available at: http://www.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/pdf/pdf14/fco_choicebyright2000 accessed on 2nd March 2010. (Article One: Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, available at: http://www.stopvaw.org/Forced_and_Early_Marriage.html 2007 (forced and early marriage (2007)

Hidden Victims :: War Native Americans History Essays

Hidden Victims I pass that hill everyday. I drive along its large base, turning near its northern slope. The marker sits low on the hill, barely noticeable except when the rays of sun hit it that certain way and a long dark shadow is cast across the grass. The small brass plate sits firmly planted atop the cold granite boulder. The blood has long since dried. The cries and screams are silent. The small pine booth sits at the base of the hill, full of information packets and maps concerning the events that took place there long ago. February of 1675 remains flat and echoless upon the pages of our town’s record books. Textbooks may touch on it briefly, if at all; The war lasted only about fourteen months; and yet the towns of Brookfield, Lancaster, Marlborough, Medfield, Sudbury, Groton, Deerfield, Hatfield, Hadley, Northfield, Springfield, Weymouth, Chelmsford, Andover, Scituate, Bridgewater, and several other places were wholly or partially destroyed, and many of the inhabitants were massacred or carried into captivity. (Hudson) Some historians have called it the â€Å"deadliest war in our history." Whose history is it though? Who caused it and how? All these questions have all their answers hidden away in dusty books on old wooden shelves. Undiscovered secrets; stories not told. The preserved colonist view is all that enters our textbooks, the view that we were the sole victims, we are the victors over the heathen savages. Victims are hidden. Relations were peaceful. Massasoit, the noble leader of the Wampanoag Indians, was curious and friendly to these new visitors. Thanksgiving was shared mutually with these new inhabitants. The two cultures existed peacefully, and some assimilation occurred. No anger existed between the two worlds. He did his best to keep his mind and the minds of his people open, ensuring that the visitors would be safe from harm. A descendant of the Wampanoag tribe described Massaoit’s generosity and genuine curiosity. When the first English came, Phillip’s father was a great man, and the English as a little child; he prevent other Indians from wronging them, gave them corn and showed them how to plant it†¦(Hubbard 275). The proud leader even allowed his two sons to have English names in addition to their Indian ones. Existence seemed promising for each world, exchanging knowledge and goods. The parade marches by, men and women dressed in colonial costume. Men walk by with painted faces and leather moccasins.

Early Literacy in Education Essay

Introduction â€Å"Literacy learning has a profound and lasting effect on the social and academic lives of children. Their future educational opportunities and career choices are directly related to literacy ability. Since early childhood is the period when language develops most rapidly, it is imperative that young children are provided with a variety of developmentally appropriate literacy experiences throughout each day, and that the classroom environment is rich with language, both spoken and printed. Early childhood teachers are responsible for both understanding the developmental continuum of language and literacy and for supporting each child’s literacy development. Literacy learning begins at birth and develops rapidly during the preschool period. The main components of literacy—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—should all be encouraged and supported through conversations and activities that are meaningful to the child and that involve adults and peers. Each child’s interest and motivation to engage in literacy-related activities are evident before that child is able to read or write conventionally. Children should be provided with environments that encourage literacy exploration and their emergent reading and writing behaviors should be valued and supported by their teachers. Effective language and literacy programs provide children who do not speak English with opportunities for listening, speaking, reading, and writing in both English and the home language. It is important for the teacher to recognize the need to make modifications in the presentation of vocabulary, directions, storytelling, reading, and other oral language communication when working with children who do not speak English as their home language. These modifications may include the use of visual aids, scaffolding, repetition, rephrasing, and modeling. † (NJ Department of Education, 2009) Gone are the days in which manual labor was the backbone of our society. We are a people living in the information technology age. Everything that is done from brewing your morning cup of coffee to setting your I-pod to wake you up morning and everything in between requires reading. Without reading a person will face great adversity in day to day living let alone success. It is now critical that every child and adult be able to read and comprehend. Over the past ten years, the amount of information that requires one to read, utilize writing skills, problem solving, and critical thinking has grown enormously. Studies have shown that one of the strongest indicators of a child’s success in school is the educational attainment of his or her parents. As you can imagine, this can plainly effect more than the person who is illiterate. This can also be a death sentence of poverty and destitution as the child grows into adulthood just as doors open for the life-long reader. Today we will discuss: what is needed to prepare children to read, the methods used to help recognize phonics and begin the transition into emergent readers, and what can be done to encourage reading in the future. Preparation In order for a child to begin reading parents must begin assisting their child from an early age. â€Å"Every step a child takes toward learning to read leads to another. Bit by bit, the child builds the knowledge that is necessary for being a reader. Over their first 6 years, most children †¢Talk and listen. †¢Listen to stories read aloud. †¢Pretend to read. †¢Learn how to handle books. †¢Learn about print and how it works. †¢Identify letters by name and shape. †¢Identify separate sounds in spoken language. †¢Write with scribbles and drawing. †¢Connect single letters with the sounds they make. †¢Connect what they already know to what they hear read. †¢Predict what comes next in stories and poems. †¢Connect combinations of letters with sounds. †¢Recognize simple words in print. †¢Sum up what a story is about. †¢Write individual letters of the alphabet. †¢Write words. †¢Write simple sentences. †¢Read simple books. †¢Write to communicate. †¢Read simple books. Children can take more than one of these steps at the same time. This list of steps, though, gives you a general idea of how your child will progress toward reading. † (Helping your child become a reader) While these ideas may seem structured, it is also important to allow children to be creative and use their imagination. Although reading is imperative, too many arrangements and rules can turn a child off and lead to feelings of resentment, anger, and resistance. Reading should be set to the tone and pace of the child. Emergent Readers As the standards of education change a consistent factor remains the focus on reading. Early childhood educators must provide an atmosphere that is both developmentally stimulating to the student while also meeting the standards of education. The methods used to help recognize phonics and begin the transition into emergent readers vary from student to student. Without the foundation of phonics research shows that a child will not learn to read. All children must know the alphabet in order to communicate effectively. Phonics cannot be drilled into the child. This will only produce memorization. Instead, educators must understand a child’s individual needs as well as balance. There is no true need to teach phonics as a separate subject. Most children will develop a sense of curiosity from their own knowledge, ideas, and interest. There will of course be a select few that may benefit from a more formal instruction. When children have a reason to know this will provide enthusiasm. For example: The first letter and sound a child typically learns may be his or her own name. A teacher may ask Billy to identify the first letter of his name. â€Å"B† replies Billy. â€Å"What sound does the letter B make? † â€Å"Buh-buh-Billy exclaims the child. Billy is now inspired and driven to want to learn the other sounds the letters make. Parents and teachers must also realize that reading will contrast greatly as children grow. Below is a list that may help each parent as well as teacher: â€Å"Infants †¢Talk, read, and sing to infants–they learn from everything they see and hear even in the first stages of life. †¢Take your baby to the park, zoo, and the store with you. Bring her attention to objects, signs, and people. †¢Always make books a part of your baby’s toy selection, even if he enjoys handling books more than being read to. As your child grows, point out pictures of objects and offer their names. Eventually, your child will be able to name the pictures, too. †¢Encourage associations between symbols and their meaning–as they get closer to toddlerhood, children may begin to recognize familiar signs for products and logos for cereal or fast food restaurants. Toddlers †¢Help toddlers make the transition from baby talk to adult language by repeating their words and expressions correctly without reprimanding them. †¢Let toddlers â€Å"read† their favorite picture books by themselves while you remain close by to comment. Or, pause before a familiar word as you read to your toddler, and let her fill in the missing word. This works especially well with rhymes or repeated refrains. †¢Provide magnetic and block letters to introduce a toddler to the spelling of his name. †¢Before you take your toddler on a new type of outing, read about the events you are about to witness. Talk with your child about the experience, and follow up with further reading to reinforce learning. Preschooler †¢Add new books to your child’s collection, but keep reading old favorites. Your preschooler may know them by heart now–this represents an important step in learning about reading. †¢Continue to take children shopping with you, and let them help identify products with coupons. Let preschool children join in as you follow a recipe. †¢Take books on long trips with you to encourage reading as entertainment. School-age children †¢Continue to read to your child, even if she has learned to read already. Take turns reading pages of your favorite books. †¢Encourage story writing by listening to the stories children tell. †¢Play word games like Scrabble or Boggle with children and introduce them to crossword puzzles. † (NAEYC, 1998) Encouragement â€Å"The first step in teaching a child to read is encouraging them to read. † – Unknown. This is a proven fact in the development of children. A child that is encouraged has no limit on what he or she can achieve. As educators and parents the responsibility begins early. Reading will encourage children to develop a life-long love for learning. If knowledge is power, books are full of it. Why is reading so important to children? â€Å"The Media Awareness Network emphasizes the potentially negative effects watching television can have on kids. This includes increased exposure to violence, sexual content, and adversely affecting a child’s course of development. In addition, watching television teaches children habits that promote a sedentary lifestyle, contributing to childhood obesity. Meanwhile, reading has been proven to enhance a child’s life by assisting cognitive development and helping children build language skills. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization points out that reading helps children develop a sense of empowerment. It can also help children develop social and communication skills. Furthermore, good reading skills increase educational opportunities and may dramatically increase a child’s chances for academic and lifelong success† (Lendabarker, 2010) There is a vast assortment of options for parents to help encourage reading at home. One of the longest running programs to encourage reading is Pizza Hut’s â€Å"BOOK IT† program. â€Å"This provides an incentive to motivate children to read. BOOK IT! runs every school year from October through March. The teacher sets a reading goal for each child in the class. A tracking chart and reproducibles are included to make it that much easier. As soon as a child meets the monthly reading goal, the teacher gives him or her a Reading Award Certificate. † (Pizza Hut) Flexible BOOK IT! goals are based on reading ability. Number of books, number of pages, or number of minutes – they all work. BOOK IT! can also be used with the reading curriculum or as support for comprehension or intervention programs. For children not reading independently, the goal can be set where a parent or others read to the child. Fun Pizza Hut is proud of all BOOK IT! readers! The restaurant manager and team congratulate every child for meeting the monthly reading goal and reward them with a free, one-topping Personal Pan Pizza, BOOK IT! card and backpack clip. Other ideas to encourage reading include: †¢Make a habit of reading to your child every day, whether she is a one-year-old or a 10-year-old. †¢When your child is able to, have her read to you. You can take turns reading chapters in a simple chapter book, for example. †¢Get a library card for your child. Go to the library every week and take out several books. †¢Be aware of your child’s interests and direct your child to related books. †¢Try to find a series that she really likes and will want to continue reading. †¢Provide a comfortable reading area, with good lighting, in your home. †¢Discuss books with your child. †¢Buy books for your children that are related to their special interests. †¢If your child is a reluctant reader and not reading on grade level, buy her hi/lo books (books with a high interest level, low vocabulary). †¢Talk to your child’s teacher and ask for suggestions. †¢If your child likes incentives and the computer, enroll in an online book group. †¢If your child really enjoys a particular author, check with your librarian about other authors or books she might enjoy. †¢Children also often enjoy the opportunity to read children’s magazines As parents and educators, it is more important to spend time reading with your child on a consistent on-going basis. The method you select is not nearly as important as the time spent actually reading together. Conclusion Show me a child that can read and research will show you a child on his or her way to succeed. Parents, educators, grandparents, aunts, uncles all need to take time to read to a child. All too often parents rush out to buy the latest video game or latest toy. Where is that enthusiasm for the love of reading? How many children even see their parents read? We live in an age where technology surrounds us at every given moment; that does not negate the need to read and to take an active role in the education of children. The research speaks for itself. Reading equals succeeding. Works Cited Bagert, B. C. (1993). Helping your child learn to read. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from Kids Source: http://www. kidsource. com/kidsource/content/learread. html Lendabarker, K. (2010, January 3). Encouraging Children to Read. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from Suite101: http://earlychildhood. suite101. com/article. cfm/helping_children_develop_good_reading_habits NAEYC. (1998). Phonics and Whole Language Learning. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from Education. com: http://www. education. com/reference/article/Ref_Phonics_Whole/ NJ Department of Education. (2009, Unknown Unknown). Retrieved February 16, 2010, from www. state. nj. us: www. state. nj. us/education/cccs/2009/PreSchool. doc Pizza Hut. (n. d. ). Pizza Hut. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from Pizza Hut BOOK IT! program: http://www. bookitprogram. com/bedtimestory/ Uknown. (n. d. ). Literacy Guide. Retrieved February 24, 2010, from Bankstreet: http://www. bankstreet. edu/literacyguide/early2. html Unknown. (unknown, unknown unknown). Helping your child become a reader. Retrieved February 19, 2010, from Ed. gov: http://www2. ed. gov/parents/academic/help/reader/part4. html

Developing and assessing employees Essay

â€Å"Success in a business requires discipline, training and hard work. But if you aren’t frightened by these things, opportunities are just as great today as they were.† David Rockefeller (US banker, 1915-present) As a human resource manager in an Interior Designing Company, Venture Interiors, I will be tackling training and development, and performance management in the company. Before I go any further, let me explain what I mean by training and employee development. Training is the acquisition of a body of knowledge and skills, which can be applied to a particular job. In Venture Interiors, employees have the basic interior designing skills, however due to technological development, employees constantly require new and higher levels of skills. In the past, we used to sit down with a paper and pen to draw up our designs, beginning with sketches to the final piece of work, this was not simple and took days because it required a lot of calculations and erasing and sometimes a simple blunder like a miscalculation, would mean starting all over again, I mean work that has taken you days to complete, you can imagine how tiring and frustrating and time consuming this is. But thanks to Computer Aided Designing Programs such as AutoCAD, designing is much easier, accurate and faster, you as the designer need only to come up with the ideas, and the rest of the work like drawing, editing, calculations, adjustments and even suggestions are done by the computer and this concept extends beyond designing into other areas such as digital advertisements, use of business software, on-line training etc. However the employees need to be trained how to use these programs and these programs also keep updating, for example at the moment AutoCAD 2004 is on the market and if the company wants to upgrade, we will need to train our employees. It is therefore very essential for the efficiency and the competitiveness of our business to update our employees’ skills by drawing out training programs and employee development according to each employee’s potential. Read more:  Employee Training and Development Articles Employee development refers to a course of action designed to enable the individual to realise his or her potential for growth in the organisation; in other words we are not training employees for now, but for the future. For example, recently I promoted some employees in an internal recruitment scheme; these employees had undergone sufficient training for their prospective jobs over the last period of years they had served this company thus making them eligible for the new job positions. In order to develop an effective training program, it is vital for the human resource planner to draw up a need analysis, that is, what aims and objectives the organisation is trying to achieve from these programs, and what specific knowledge, skills and attitudes employees need to acquire in order to achieve these objectives, which skills are hot in the marketplace and identify which training route would be the best to achieve these objectives. For example, if I would like a staff member to develop his painting skills, I am not going to send him off for an IT course, I must choose a suitable training course like airless and conventional spray painting and decorative training. There are various types of training, which are broadly categorised into two; off the job training and on the job training. Off the job training is the kind of training where employees attain external courses. Members of staff are sent off elsewhere to receive training for days or even months. These could be commercial training courses or seminars. In Venture Interiors, we try to limit external courses to the staff members with the most potential because they are usually very expensive. Depending on the course, the overall cost could prove quite expensive for example; many courses may require an overnight stay at a hotel if the course is outside the area or the course itself may prove to be expensive due to the level of expertise or equipment needed to deliver the course. Sending employees to a training programme for one, two or even more days sometimes leads to shortage of labour, especially in the peak seasons causing loss of production within the company. On the other hand, off the job training is beneficial to the company in that external courses are sources of the latest information, current trends, skills and techniques for example current computer software or computerised technologies, decorative and photography skills, innovative administrative procedures etc. These new skills are brought back and utilised within the company. Employees sent to a course feel more valued as they realize that they are receiving quality training thus motivating them. ‘On the job’ training is the kind of training whereby members of staff acquire internal courses at their places of work. Employees are trained by experienced members of staff or external trainers; some companies such as ours, have even gone ahead to hire professional trainers. We decided on hiring professional trainers because we believe teaching or training is a specialisation in itself, so unless the person training has the skills and knowledge to train, this would mean that the training would not be done to a sufficient standard. According to the annual report by the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) in England, as much as 60% of on the job training available is inadequate. We interviewed our trainees and one of the profound reasons turned out to be that some employees are distracted by the pressures at work making it difficult for them to focus on their training. However, on the job training has turned out to be cost effective and productive, as the employees are still working as they are learning; the company also does not have to cover costs such as accommodation in hotels. As training progresses, employees begin to feel more confident, this confidence allows them to work at higher standards and be more productive. Induction is an example of on the job training whereby employers try to make new staff feel welcome, ensuring that they understand the work and the vision of the organisation, where and who they will be working with and for, and the various operations of the organisation. In the course of their employment, staff members are exposed to various kinds of training and development in order to update their skills and develop their potential. These forms of training and development include seminars, workshops, job rotation and enrichment, coaching, encouraging employees to go for advanced qualifications and so on and so forth. As a company, we need to evaluate the effectiveness of these training programs to ensure that these programs have been beneficial not only to the employees but to Venture Interiors as a company. This is quite a task because training courses do not have a system of assessment or standardisation, which can guarantee learning, has been achieved to a specific standard. However, right from the beginning we had specific aims we were trying to achieve, for example some staff members needed painting and decorating skills, have these skills been improved, how has it affected their job performance, has it affected their attitudes positively, has it given them more self confidence and motivation, what do they think about the training they received, do they think they have benefited from it? Usage of tests could also be very helpful in the evaluation. The information acquired from this evaluation is very useful to the human resource manager as it could be of help in providing ideas of how to increase the effectiveness of current or later training and development activities. Nowadays it is also essential to carryout appraisals regularly in the company. Before I go any further, what are appraisals? Appraisals are sessions held between the employers and the employees to ensure they are on the right track at work and are clear on what they need to do going forward. In Venture Interiors, appraisals are carried out every four months. The employees are appraised by their fellow colleagues, supervisors, managers and clients. The appraiser sits down with the appraisee, and exchange their opinions. The appraiser makes sure they highlight the successes as well as the areas of improvement, praise the employee where it is necessary, where there is need for training and development propose something. Appraisals are not only beneficial to the company but to the employee too. The employee maybe motivated and this will benefit the company in the long run. Motivation is a very important aspect. Job satisfaction is often a strong motivator in work performance, as satisfied employees will go the extra mile and this is what our company needs. Rewards such as salaries apart, there are other ways of helping employees feel satisfied by their jobs. Venture Interiors is an interior designing company, therefore we are employing designers and artists, artists love creativity, and in order to motivate them, we encourage our employees to be creative in their work and prevent boredom, rotate tasks so that their work is challenging, appreciate ideas and suggestions the employees and even reward them for the initiatives. This way we have been able to motivate our staff and this has not only benefited them but venture Interiors as a company.

The Demise of De Luxe

The Demise of De Luxe The Demise of De Luxe The Demise of De Luxe By Maeve Maddox In a conversation about hotels the other evening, I heard a woman say â€Å"the lobby was luxe.† I’d never heard luxe without the de. At least not in English. In the French expression the de is a preposition and the luxe is a noun, literally â€Å"of luxury.† In English wed say luxurious. Following French usage, the OED entry gives de luxe as two words and classifies it as an adjective phrase. Merriam-Webster spells deluxe as one word and defines it as â€Å"notably luxurious or elegant; sumptuous or elaborate.† Booksellers have long offered deluxe editions of popular books and the label has spread to other products: The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collectors edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including cars, fine wine and other products. Wikipedia Apparently just plain luxe enjoys wide popularity. Numerous hotels call themselves Luxe Hotel. Luxe and deluxe bump up against each other in newspaper coverage, for example this story in the San Francisco Business Times uses â€Å"luxe† in the headline and â€Å"deluxe† in the story S.F. tower to become luxe hotel (headline) Partners will likely shell out an additional $500 a square foot to convert it from an empty ATT office to the deluxe downtown destination. I came across a hotel site (Maddens on Gull Lake) that offers luxury accommodations, premium accommodations and deluxe accommodations. The word luxe derives from Latin luxus, â€Å"excess† or â€Å"abundance.† I plan to keep putting a de with my luxe. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals"Latter," not "Ladder"The Difference Between "Un-" and "Dis-"

Scientific Method Lesson Plan

Scientific Method Lesson Plan This lesson plan gives students hands-on experience with the scientific method. The scientific method lesson plan is appropriate for any science course and can be customized to suit a wide range of educational levels. Scientific Method Plan Introduction The steps of the scientific method generally are to make observations, formulate a hypothesis, design an experiment to test the hypothesis, conduct the experiment and determine whether or not the hypothesis was accepted or rejected. Although students often can state the steps of the scientific method, they may have difficulty actually performing the steps. This exercise provides an opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience with the scientific method. Weve chosen goldfish as the experimental subjects because students find them interesting and engaging. Of course, you can use any subject or topic. Time Required The time required for this exercise is up to you. We recommend using a 3-hour lab period, but the project may be conducted in an hour or spread out over several days, depending on how involved you plan to get. Materials A tank of goldfish. Optimally, you want a bowl of fish for each lab group. Scientific Method Lesson You can work with the entire class, if it is small or feel free to ask students to break up into smaller groups. Explain the steps of the scientific method.Show the students a bowl of goldfish. Make a few observations about the goldfish. Ask the students to name characteristics of the goldfish and to make observations. They might notice the color of the fish, their size, where they swim in the container, how they interact with other fish, etc.Ask the students to list which observations involve something which could be measured or qualified. Explain how scientists need to be able to take data to perform an experiment and that some types of data are easier to record and analyze than others. Help students identify types of data that could be recorded as part of an experiment, as opposed to qualitative data that is harder to measure or data that they simply dont have the tools to measure.Have the students pose questions that they wonder about, based on the observations they have made. Make a list of the types of data they might record during an investigation of each topic.Ask the students to formul ate a hypothesis for each question. Learning how to pose a hypothesis takes practice, so its likely the students will learn from brainstorming as a lab group or class. Put up all of the suggestions on a board and help students distinguish between a hypothesis that they can test versus one they cannot test. Ask students if they can improve any of the hypotheses that are submitted. Select one hypothesis and work with the class to devise a simple experiment to test the hypothesis. Gather data or create fictional data and explain how to test the hypothesis and draw a conclusion based on the results.Ask lab groups to choose a hypothesis and design an experiment to test it.If time permits, have the students conduct the experiment, record and analyze the data and prepare a lab report. Assessment Ideas Ask students to present their results to the class. Be sure they state the hypothesis and whether or not it was supported and cite the evidence for this determination.Have students critique each others lab reports, with their grade determined by how well they identify the strong and weak points of the reports.Ask students to hand in a hypothesis and the proposed experiment for a follow-up project, based on the results of the in-class lesson.

Interview With a Former Part-Time MBA Student

Interview With a Former Part-Time MBA Student Marci Reynolds, 42, from Boston, MA, completed her associates, bachelors and masters degrees part-time, while working full-time. She is currently a Vice President for a large, publicly traded corporation in the New England area.  I recently had the opportunity to interview Marci about her experience with part-time degree programs. Heres what she had to say: Q: You earned an associate, bachelors, and masters degree in part-time programs. Did you work full-time throughout all three programs? A: Yes, I worked full-time throughout the entire process. I started working full-time right after I graduated high school, then started taking evening college courses in my 20s. Some years, I took 3-5 classes, other years I took only 1. It would depend on the responsibilities I had to fulfill in my full-time job. Q: Was it difficult to find time for both school and a career? How did you make it work? A: Time management was definitely a challenge! Since I am a morning person, I would often get up extra early, ex. 5 a.m., to write papers or do homework. I studied during my lunch hour at work. And, I would go to the library on weekends to limit distractions and get as much work done as possible in short time increments. There were several occasions I used vacation days to study for major exams or finish large projects. Q: Did your employers help you with your tuition? A:  Yes, I was lucky to have tuition reimbursement from every employer. At the very end of completing my bachelors degree, I was bulking up on classes and had used up the company policy allotment of reimbursement. I appealed to senior management and got additional funding for my last three to four classes which was awesome! Since my masters degree was much more expensive, tuition reimbursement only covered about 50-60% of the costs. Q:  Were there any drawbacks to receiving tuition reimbursement? A:  Other than the small amount of paperwork I needed to submit to human resources, there were no drawbacks. Q:  Like any programs, part-time programs have their pros and cons. What would you consider to be the biggest pro? A:  The biggest pro was I could pick exactly which classes I wanted to take on what nights or weekends with which instructors. I had total control and could best align the schedule with my work and personal life. Q:  How about the most obvious con? A:  In addition to the time management challenges, it took significantly longer to complete my degrees. I also missed out on the full time college experience that many adults talk about for years to come. Q:  Was there any aspect of attending school part-time that you hadnt considered prior to enrolling? In other words, was there anything surprising about your part-time experience? A:  The MBA program in which I enrolled catered to full-time students more than part-time, and the homework requirements were not always realistic. I also did not expect to have full-time students in their early 20s, mixed in with the part-time students, mainly 35, in the evening program. This caused challenges, especially on group projects. Q:  Were there any differences between a part-time undergraduate program and a part-time graduate program? A:  In my experience, yes. The part-time undergraduate program I attended definitely catered more to part-time students, and the attendees were almost all working full-time and going to school at night. The graduate program I attended had many younger students and mixed full-time and part-time students in the same classes. Also, there was significantly more homework and more group projects in my graduate program. Q:  I get a lot of letters from students who are worried that part-time MBA programs will not provide them with the same type of recruiting and networking opportunities that full-time programs can. Did you encounter fewer opportunities in your part-time program or were you satisfied with the level of resources made available to you? A:  Since almost every class I attended had a different mix of students, every class presented new networking opportunities. But, in a part-time program, you need to make more of an effort before class or during breaks. After class, everyone is running to their cars to get home for the evening. I do hear that full-time students have more networking opportunities with their professors. In night school, you dont have that opportunity unless you proactively request one-on-one meeting time. There just isnt time in class. Since I graduated, Ive used Linked In to stay in touch with several students and professors I met in night school. Q:  When you think about your part time MBA experience, what stands out? What were some of the highlights? A:  There were two experiences I want to call out from my MBA program that were particularly rewarding and great learning experiences. The first was a two week trip to Japan. At my university, they offered international travel business electives. For my trip to Japan, we visited about 12 Japanese businesses and learned a lot about their culture. We were graded on several large papers we had to write. I had never been to Japan and it was quite a journey! The second experience was a one-week intensive course I took on World Class Business Operations. I got permission to take five days off from work without using vacation time. The class visited eight New England companies who had won Best Place to Work Awards. We met with senior management, got tours of their operations and learned more about their unique offerings. It was fun and I learned a lot of relevant info I could then apply to my day job. Q:  Overall, are you happy with your decision to earn your degrees through part-time programs? Do you ever wish you would have chosen to attend school full-time instead? A:  No, I have no regrets. Because I went to school part-time, I have a lot more work experience than other working women my age. In this challenging economy, with a lot of competition, I now have both the degrees and the work experience. As someone who has done a lot of interviewing and hiring of employees, I have found that the mix of experience and degrees helps to set an applicant apart from other candidates. Q:  Do you have any additional advice for students who are considering a part-time program? A:  Even taking one class en route to a degree is valuable from a personal development and a resume perspective. Employers like to see that you are striving to complete your education. Also, taking classes that relate to your full-time job will often lead to better job performance. If you dont have any college experience, think about getting a certificate first. Complete that, and then enroll in an Associates program, etc. This is a positive, rewarding path to follow, and when you complete a step, it feels great! Last, if you are getting your MBA, do some additional research to learn more about the ratio of full-time and part-time students in the night classes. I would recommend schools who have fewer full-time students in these classes.

How effective is terrorism legislation with regards to restraining Dissertation

How effective is terrorism legislation with regards to restraining terrorists - Dissertation Example Qualitative researchers: reject the idea that social sciences (such as education and training) can be studied with the same methods as the natural or physical sciences; feel that human behavior is always bound to the context in which it occurs; therefore, behavior must be studied holistically, in context, rather than being manipulated; employ an "insider's" perspective; this makes qualitative research an intensely personal and subjective style of research. Quantitative researcher: argues that both the natural and social sciences strive for testable and confirmable theories that explain phenomena by showing how they are derived from theoretical assumptions; reduces social reality to variables in the same manner as physical reality; attempt to tightly control the variable in question to see how other variables are influenced. (San Diego State University, 2006) As can be seen from the above descriptions, the sheer complexity of the situation regarding terrorism is most suited to one that sees "context" as everything, rejecting the idea that human relations can be simplified to a model as exists within the physical sciences. The "insider's" perspective is exactly the type that will allow for the most useful information to be gleaned. Viewing the situation of terrorism from an objective distance. will tend towards either of two equally undesirable ends: a conclusion of incomprehensibility or one that falls back on old stereotypes and clichs. Adopting the qualitative approach may not offer as easy cause and effect solutions to the question, but it will allow a far better exploration of what is actually occurring. The Definition of "Terrorism" and "Terrorist" The origins of the word "terrorist" are rather ironic. It seem as... This dissertation reveals that the simple, stark question remains as to whether a legislation could have stopped these young men planning and then implementing their bombings. Could any legislation have stopped them walking into that Underground station that morning? The answer is no. Many of the arguments that revolve around the issue of terrorism avoid the dilemma that is at the center of any free society’s reaction to those who want to destroy it. Namely, how far should a society go in giving up freedoms in order to protect them? Totalitarian countries tend to be remarkably free of terrorism because a police state does not allow such groups to even begin to form. If the choice is between living in a police state free of terrorism and living in a free society in which terrorism may occur, the vast majority of the British people (as in all free countries) will choose the latter. In conclusion, a free society and a democracy allow people to do and say almost anything as long as it does not directly harm anybody else. People have the privacy of their own homes to discuss what they will: if terrorism and its glories are one of those subjects there is nothing a free society can do about it. British people may move from house to house, street to street, city to city and even (within Europe) from country to country, without government intervention. One of the weaknesses that go along with the great strength of such a free society is that a terrorist may do the same thing.

Gender and Sexual Violence Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gender and Sexual Violence - Term Paper Example The issue has also been common in some Asian and African countries especially those, which are Islamic, dominated. They argue that violence against these people has an adverse psychological effect and can lead to one committing suicide. Introduction With the recent efforts to fight against inequalities, gender and sexual violence is a topic, which has drawn scholarly interest in the recent past. In fact, Ussher believes that the exposure of sex into rigors secular stare and scrutiny of the sexual body has drawn both scientific and legal intervention (380). So violence against gender may take different directions, it seems to be more inclined to the female gender. Paludi Michelle, in her publication, Feminism and Women's Rights Worldwide, defines gender violence as any act that will suggest in any way the convention, elimination, and discrimination one gender and that result to any form of physical, sexual, or psychological harm of the same. Actions that deem gender violence are rape, dowry violence, genital mutilation and other tradition practices that do not favor or are harmful to women. Women can also be intimidated at work or in educational institutions (Paludi 12). Women trafficking and forced prostitution are other forms of gender violence. Sexual violence on the other hand is the subjective experience a targeted person undergoes which is against his will. Sexual violence may take forms of rape, forced prostitution, or state-sanction violence against women. This sexual harassment based on gender has hindered or compromised the ability of women to rise to higher levels in the society or authority. Hate violence against LGBTQ people Hate and sexual violence against the lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender rose by more than thirteen per cent in the year 2010 alone. The report released by national coalition of anti-violence indicated that violence against persons tend to be more vicious as compared to other forms of bias-motivated crimes. These groups o f minorities have records of mistreatment in the various regions of the world having violated of their rights through murder, kidnapping, assaulted, or made to undergo other forms of psychological torture (Nelson 169). Despite the reported cases, many of them go unreported because the victims do not actually trust the police or are afraid of reprisal because they fear their identity as having sexual behavior. However, public information campaigns should be introduced in the public oriented zones to counter the homophobia. Law enforcement by officials should also take its course and all people be exposed to equal and fair treatment inconsiderate of their sexual basis. Hate-motivated violence’s against the minorities with queer sexual behaviors have been a common phenomenon in the current society. These persons (the lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, and queer commonly known as LGBTQ) have been undergoing verbal attacks, sexual assailment, and discriminations in the work p laces. The intimate partners are being beaten and tortured, all because of hatred against this group (Ungar 41). The recent report by the Harvard school of public health affirmed that those with sexual abnormalities are two or more times likely to undergo abuse and their rights violated. The public also exhibited high probability of attacking and violating

The American Nation - Christianized or Enlightened Term Paper

The American Nation - Christianized or Enlightened - Term Paper Example In 1776 the colonies that became the United States of America were peopled by groups of individuals possessed with religious fervour who traversed the Atlantic to search for a place where they can practice their faith unadulterated. The migration would be assumed to lessen the religious zeal of the original inhabitants of the colonies and yet the reverse occurred. The religious conviction in America intensified because of the religious resurgence stimulated by the people from across the Atlantic in the midway of the eighteenth century. These religious people were the courageous individuals who will stand against Great Britain in 1776 and oppose the colonial rule. The constituents of the revolutionary generation made significant individual decisions about their deep-seated religious beliefs and fidelity and this pressure mounted within them the ability to make political choices. Even the Founding Fathers of the American Nation commenced on building strong governments carrying the cred ence that religion is a requisite component of a republican institution for its preservation. John W. Thornton summarized that the relationship of politics and religion in America lies on the sermons of the founding fathers. They summoned God in their civil congregations, appealed to the teachers of religion for counsel from the Bible, and identified its principles as the decree of their civic demeanour. The Fathers abhorred the separation of politics and religion. In combats and warfare, they did not push on luck but instead relied on the Word of God etched in their hearts and mind. This moral articulation of the Fathers was the clandestine element that upheld the Republic against its material backdrop, against the enemies’ impenetrable numbers, and against the dominance of England. Nevertheless, despite the religious background of the American nation, developments in England such as the new scientific methods and the initiation of the Parliamentary government were likewise absorbed into the nation’s milieu.  Ã‚  

Letter discussing favorite person in history Assignment

Letter discussing favorite person in history - Assignment Example Even though I had visited the Sistine Chapel a few times, but my visit had a special purpose this time. After this class in Humanities, I felt more sensitive towards the beauty of the Sistine Chapel. The frescos painted by Michelangelo fascinated me the most. In this paper, I would be discussing one particular fresco, The Creation of Adam. The Creation of Adam is one the most acclaimed fresco paintings created by the Italian sculptor and painter, Michelangelo. This painting holds an important place in art history because of the techniques involved in creating the painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The fresco is fourth part of a series of nine panels where Michelangelo has depicted stories from the Book of Genesis. In this particular painting, the artist intends to narrate the biblical scene when God gave life to Adam, the first man. However, Michelangelo here adds his own variation to the story. In the original biblical story, God breathed life into Adam through his nostrils. In the painting, on the other hand, God is giving life to Adam through just the touch of his finger. The painting depicts God stretching his hands to give life to Adam who is lying down listlessly while God, supported by his angels is giving life to Adam. Michelangelo has created a resemblance between God and Adam. He does this keeping in mind the Old Testament which states that Man is created in likeness with God. The perfect body of Adam has also been created to bear resemblance with God (Spielvogel, 256). At the same time, there is a stark contrast between the two. Michelangelo has been able to create God at a higher level than man. He does this by making God appear as a Celestine being who is flying in space with his angels. There is flexibility in God while Adam appears to be quite languid. This particular painting belongs to the Renaissance art period. Renaissance art was a

Benefits of Illegal Immigration in the United States Research Paper

Benefits of Illegal Immigration in the United States - Research Paper Example Inversely, opposers’ shows that the American economy will suffer from the illegal immigrants since their motives of immigration into the economy are not well established. This article assesses the benefit that the American economy will gain from the illegal immigrants. The illegal immigrants play a major role in the US economy. Recent research has shown that the illegal immigrants have little skills and little education level, which makes them seek job opportunities in the low education demanding areas. This includes restaurants and hospitals where they work in the low-level departments. This contributes positively in the US economy in that the labor force needed is increased therefore reducing the need for hiring highly qualified labor force. Employing the immigrants gives the employers an opportunity to reduce the cost and retain the loyal workers in those areas that the majority of the citizens feel overqualified to work in. This means that expelling these immigrants would have a negative influence the US economy (George, 2006). In another survey conducted on the US armed forces, it show that the number of immigrants in the force totals to 60,000. This is in both the navy and army. This shows that the immigrant plays a major role in developing the economy. This is through keeping peace missions that are relevant for the economy to grow. Their efforts have been vital in the public service. The US economy has mostly been a capital-intensive economy, which has employed few people than its potential. The illegal immigrants replace this method through the provision of cheap and manual labor. This has played a major role for the immigrants themselves and the entire economy in that it leaps the benefits directly, which appears on its gross domestic product. In most of these cases, the illegal immigrants work in construction companies, meat packing industry, agriculture, and other physically or labor intensive jobs (Corwin, 2010). In a report that was done by the Washington Post, the illegal immigration has a positive benefit on the average US taxpayer. The reason is that the immigrants in the US pays more tax than the average American. This is more than they consume in the social services. Immigrants pay the federal taxes and state taxes as well as social security taxes. However, the immigrants do not get a chance to reclaim this money because they are not citizens. Averagely, this decreases the tax burden on native-born American citizens. Nonetheless, this effect varies by location, states with high immigrant populations and generous social services regularly experience a net loss in tax revenue. Most of these immigrants come to the US from most parts of the world. They bring in different cultures from their places. These immigrants have racial, cultural, and ethnic diversity, which expose the American citizens to new ideas and new ways of life. This diversity introduces the Americans to new ways of life in different sectors. This may involve areas such as cuisine, religion, language that helps to educate the Americans citizens about ways of life from the various ways of life. However, this may at first cause conflict between people of different races and ethnicity (Corwin, 2010). The US economy is seen as a positively welcoming economy due to the large numbers of immigrants that are available in the economy. This in turn attracts investors who see the economy as favorable and might bring in high

Better Place Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Better Place Company - Essay Example The headquarters of the company is located in Israel at the R&D center, at Palo Alto and also in California. The use of such vehicles will reduce the risks that are caused by the harmful emissions of carbon. It is as a result of this that most of the governments, organizations and businesses have prioritised the need for reducing the effects of carbon emissions. Mission. To be a company that is able to hasten the change in the automobile industry from the use of vehicles that are oil based and promote the adoption of vehicles that use electricity- renewable energy. Vision Better Place vision is to be able to create linkages among car companies, utilities, battery companies and also consumers in order to successful promote the adoption of EVs. Stakeholders Stakeholders in a company are mainly the people, groups or organizations that draw certain interest towards the business strategy of a company. Better Place Company is supported by majority stakeholders who have interest in the prod uct that is being generated by the company (Johnson, p153). Stakeholder’s expectations are a major concern that the manager of Better Place had to deal with due to the fact that the success of the adoption of the Electric Vehicles depended on the decisions that were made by the stakeholders. Being an automobile company Better Place stakeholders include car companies, automobile manufacturers, governments, utility companies, battery manufacturers, investors and potential consumers for the Electric Vehicles. Better Place stakeholders can be classified into three groups (Johnson, p155): Technological stakeholders-This group of stakeholders involve the competitors that bring up new technologies with an aim of making improvements in the standards of the industry. Economic stakeholders-They involve the competitors, the suppliers and the manufacturers. In the case of the company it involves the car companies, automobile manufacturers and the battery manufacturers. Socio/political st akeholders-such stakeholders include governments as well as various agencies that are interested in the business strategy of the company. The rollout strategy of Better Place was adopted by various governments such as Japan, Australia, Hawaii, Toronto, Israel and Canada. Despite the go ahead by most stakeholders Better place faced a number of challenges while trying to affect the use of their business model. The first challenge focussed on the company’s reputation: Better Place lacked a convincing marketing strategy and as a result it was quite hard for consumers to adopt its product. The other challenge was focused on the company trying to convince the various stakeholders that the adoption of the EVs as a mode of transport that would be viable. The figure below shows the stakeholder mapping of the power/interest matrix: The customers in segment B are those that are largely supportive of Better Place business strategy. Customers in segment C are those that are hostile and th e customers in segment D are those that are indifferent. The investors, car companies and the government in segment D are of major importance to the company due to the fact that acceptability of the strategy depends solely on them and thus they hold the highest power as the key players. Utility Companies also hold vital role as key players for instance governments were offering rebates imposed on tax on the electric vehicles in order to achieve renewable energy objectives. Manufacturers of batteries and automobile in segment B play the role of ensuring there are adequate supplies of the components required by the EVs. Industry and scenario Analyses

Benefits of Illegal Immigration in the United States Research Paper

Benefits of Illegal Immigration in the United States - Research Paper Example Inversely, opposers’ shows that the American economy will suffer from the illegal immigrants since their motives of immigration into the economy are not well established. This article assesses the benefit that the American economy will gain from the illegal immigrants. The illegal immigrants play a major role in the US economy. Recent research has shown that the illegal immigrants have little skills and little education level, which makes them seek job opportunities in the low education demanding areas. This includes restaurants and hospitals where they work in the low-level departments. This contributes positively in the US economy in that the labor force needed is increased therefore reducing the need for hiring highly qualified labor force. Employing the immigrants gives the employers an opportunity to reduce the cost and retain the loyal workers in those areas that the majority of the citizens feel overqualified to work in. This means that expelling these immigrants would have a negative influence the US economy (George, 2006). In another survey conducted on the US armed forces, it show that the number of immigrants in the force totals to 60,000. This is in both the navy and army. This shows that the immigrant plays a major role in developing the economy. This is through keeping peace missions that are relevant for the economy to grow. Their efforts have been vital in the public service. The US economy has mostly been a capital-intensive economy, which has employed few people than its potential. The illegal immigrants replace this method through the provision of cheap and manual labor. This has played a major role for the immigrants themselves and the entire economy in that it leaps the benefits directly, which appears on its gross domestic product. In most of these cases, the illegal immigrants work in construction companies, meat packing industry, agriculture, and other physically or labor intensive jobs (Corwin, 2010). In a report that was done by the Washington Post, the illegal immigration has a positive benefit on the average US taxpayer. The reason is that the immigrants in the US pays more tax than the average American. This is more than they consume in the social services. Immigrants pay the federal taxes and state taxes as well as social security taxes. However, the immigrants do not get a chance to reclaim this money because they are not citizens. Averagely, this decreases the tax burden on native-born American citizens. Nonetheless, this effect varies by location, states with high immigrant populations and generous social services regularly experience a net loss in tax revenue. Most of these immigrants come to the US from most parts of the world. They bring in different cultures from their places. These immigrants have racial, cultural, and ethnic diversity, which expose the American citizens to new ideas and new ways of life. This diversity introduces the Americans to new ways of life in different sectors. This may involve areas such as cuisine, religion, language that helps to educate the Americans citizens about ways of life from the various ways of life. However, this may at first cause conflict between people of different races and ethnicity (Corwin, 2010). The US economy is seen as a positively welcoming economy due to the large numbers of immigrants that are available in the economy. This in turn attracts investors who see the economy as favorable and might bring in high

The Impact of Project Management in Information Systems Essay Example for Free

The Impact of Project Management in Information Systems Essay The explosion in the computing field in the last twenty years forced the organisations to be computerised for achieving most of their operations using Information Technology (IT) systems. The implementation of the systems requires a management program for the IS applications development. Susan Brock (2003) supports that as the data into valuable corporate information has become more viable through information technologies, the application of IT based projects has risen too (Susan Brock, 2003). The organisations use Information System Projects for either updating, or either upgrading or changing the existing system in order to meet users or customers’ requirements. It is supposed that the tools and techniques used in such IS projects will differ independently based on the projects’ requirements. The roles and responsibilities of each contributor to the projects differ as well. The organisations responded to this new challenge by putting into place project management teams that take into account the technological and organisational complexity of their Information System Projects (Vital Roy, 2006). The management of a software development project presents many difficulties. Most Information Systems projects are considered less than successful or many are simply cancelled. Project Management has been introduced as a major factor for controlling and tracking their projects in order to avoid these project failures. On the other hand many IS projects are successful when are completed on time, on budget, on scope and met the customers and users needs and requirements. This could happen by investigating and analysing the key elements of project management required for the successful implementation of these projects. 2. Project Management in IS projects As it stated above, Project Management is the most important tool for managing, tracking and controlling the projects. David Dixon (1988) defined Project Management as the management tool for estimating, planning, scheduling the activities needed to achieve the expected levels of functionality, quality and performance within the specified constraints for cost, time, schedules and resources (David Dixon, 1988). These activities divided into different tasks which must be assigned to the project team and be controlled by the project manager. Although most of the projects are successful, delivered on time and covered the appropriate requested requirements, some of the projects are considered less than successful and many are simply challenged or cancelled. According to the study of Susan Brock (2003), projects’ failures have reduced significantly considering the number of projects has almost doubled between 1994 and 2002, however almost half of the projects remain â€Å"challenged† (Susan Brock, 2003). During the years, IT professionals researched and studied different situations and suggest some key elements and theories for the successful implementation of IS projects such as the documentation of the Project Initiation Document (PID), the important role of the project manager, the project planning, project quality, etc. 1. Organisational Framework First of all an important section to be investigated and analysed is the organisational framework which considers the organisational structure for IS project work. The organisational framework is established at the outset and well understood by all concerned since otherwise it will be impossible to get important decisions made and to get a clear idea about the project (James Cadle and Donald Yeates, 2001). It is very important to know the customer, sponsor and project manager of each project because they are all responsible to make the most important decisions for the project. The other various roles may be organised in different ways, depending on a number of factors including the type of the project and culture of the rganisation. The other principal roles for an IS project could be the analyst, designer, administrator, programmer, testing team and project office. The PRINCE project management method is suggested for the best organisational framework either in the start or during the process of the project. Projects in Controlled Environment (PRINCE) is a structured approach to project management developed by the UK government (James Cadle an d Donald Yeates, 2001). It was originally intended for the management of IS projects and offers a number of beneficial documents in the management of IS projects such as Project Initiation Document (PID), Risk Log Document, Project Quality Plan, Stage Plan Document, Work Plan Document, etc. 2. Project Manager Another key element, may be the most important, is the project manager. The project manager is appointed by the project board of the organisation and is responsible for the management of the project on a daily basis and for the achievement for the project objectives and expected results. . Role and Skills The project manager is totally responsible for the success or failure of the whole project. The role of the project manager is very important, serious and complicated. James Cadle and Donald Yeates (2001) believe that project manager must track, monitor and check the project every day through to completion and also has to: ? Achieve the project’s objectives on time, on cost and quality constrai nts imposed by the project board. ? Take or make timely decisions to assure the project’s success ? Select project team members Create the project team and be ready for any changes in the team during project process. ? Keep the project board and senior management informed of progress and alert them to problems especially if these could affect the organisations’ or business objectives. ? Recommend the termination of the project if necessary. ? Take role of the communicator between the project board, senior management and project team. ? Select, manage and control subcontractors. ? Give permissions about the internal and external resources decided to be used in the project. ? Face and solve any problems or conflicts during the project’s process Generally, the project manager in an IS project has to create a product usually a new IS system incorporating hardware and software. As it stated above project manager should go through a difficult role to achieve the project’s objectives, however some skills are required in order to be a successful project manager such as: ^ Leadership: project managers must be able to stimulate action, progress and change. ^ Technological: project managers need to have a clear idea and accurate perception of the technical requirements of the project so that business needs are addressed and satisfied. Evaluation and decision making: project managers should have the ability to take serious decisions and evaluate alternatives. The members should be developed from a group of individuals, each with their own interests, style and goals, into a project team that works together to achieve the project’s objectives and requirements using the each other’s strengths. The most original and useful method of team effectiveness is Belbin Test, created by Dr. Meredith Belbin, which includes questionnaires for measuring aspects of personality completed by project team’s members. The scores from the questionnaires will help the project manager to assign the team members into the eight â€Å"team roles† suggested by the Belbin Method. According to the definitions given in the Belbin Test Document the eight project team roles are: ? Coordinator: provides consensual leadership, coordinating project team’s effort however lacking in originality. ? Shaper: A dynamic leader of the team, pushing activities forward and bringing â€Å"shape† to the team. The Shaper can be inspiring but can also be abrasive. ? Innovator: A source of original and a creative team member but sometimes forms a personal attachment to impractical ideas. Resource Investigator: Team’s link to the outside world and another source of ideas with the responsibility to identify and investigate resources that will help the team. ? Monitor/ Evaluator: Keeps the team on the right track and separates the practicable ideas from that are not, however sometimes is insensitive to the team members’ feelings. ? Team Worker: Sensitive to personal needs and upsets, works hard and maintains positive atmosphere in the team. ? Implementer/C ompany Worker: Takes an idea and produces a schedule. The company worker works well with plans and milestones but can be inflexible with any project’s changes. ? Completer/Finisher: Worries about what can go wrong in a project, checks up on detail and focuses the team on project’s deadlines (Belbin Test Document, 2006). If all the key roles of the project team are filled, project team stands a very good chance of success. On the other hand if some key roles of the project team are missing, it weakens the team and may lead to failure. 4. Project Plan Another key element of the project management required for the successful implementation of an IS Project is Project Plan. Planning is very important and essential in order to get the expected results and meet all the objectives and goals after the execution of the IS Project. It involves thinking hard about the IS project, what to achieve and how the team will go about it. The beginning for a good Project Plan is the understanding of the project’s requirements and the project manager must be sure that this is available before the start of the planning. The analysis of the work to be done has been made using the work breakdown structure or product breakdown structure. Work breakdown structure is the method that used to break down project progressively into smaller parts until the end up with individual tasks and work packages. After that project manager may create a Gantt chart using Microsoft Project as the tool for assigning the duration, milestone, resources, cost and staff required for each tasks as identified in the Work Breakdown Structure Diagram. Dave Martin (2004) states that â€Å"Of course ‘slippage’ from the plan is ‘a normal, natural trouble’ and its importance or magnitude is measured against the schedule. Where ‘slippage’ does occur, contingency plans are made by reference to possible implications† (Dave Martin, John Mariani and Rock Rouncefield, 2004). According to the above statement, the planning project breakdown should be revised easily especially when the project manager may need to re-estimate and reschedule some tasks in order to meet some missed requirements or to improve the progress of the project in case of ‘slippage’. Project Plan is also a way of communication between the project manager with the users, project team, project board and senior management so they can be informed anytime about project’s progress. James Cadle and Donald Yeates (2001) are suggested that the project plan must always be in electronic version using either Microsoft Visio for the work breakdown structure or Microsoft Project for Gantt chart or network action diagram. Most of the planning tools have facilities to track progress on an IS project. The data may have to be input manually by the project manager or it may be possible to link the planning tool to a time recording system and capture the input that way (James Cadle and Donald Yeates, 2001). The project manager will be able to compare the actual progress with the plan in order to identify where problems seem to be arising and decide how to solve them. 5. Project Risk Management Information System projects are becoming increasingly complicated and are subjects to various risks. Risks cannot be avoided at all but they can be managed in such a way that they are recognised and their impacts are avoided or reduced. First of all the team has to identify the risks of the project, however each project is unique so its risks will arise from the factors that may not have been seen before in the project. There are a lot of project’s areas in which risk could arise and it is difficult for the project manager to be sure that all the possible risks have been identified. All risks must be highlighted even if some of them are unpopular or never arise in similar projects in the past. After the identification and analysis of each possible risk, they need to be described so that it is clear exactly what each risk is all about (Jamie Smith, 2005). Once there is a brief description of the risk, the project team is in a better position to understand its impact and what needs to be done to mitigate it. The following list, introduced by James Cadle and Donald Yeates (2001), provides the starting point for the identification of possible risks in an IS project:  ¦ The Commercial Background- it may be a new business area in which the organisation has little experience or no market research. The possible identified risk is the lack of information about the background and requirements of the projects  ¦ The Contract- is the formal, legal stipulation of the responsibilities and agreement between the organisation and the project team (Dave Martin, John Mariani and Rock Rouncefield, 2004). There may be the risk of delay or underperformance of the project, unclear terms in the contract about the payment or not linked tangible milestones.  ¦ The users- may be unfamiliar with the new technology or unwillingness to change working practises to fit with the new system such as the London Ambulance System (LSA). The management of the organisation and users may hold very different view of what the system supposed to do.  ¦ Acceptance Criteria – The acceptance criteria may not have been clearly defined in the contract or the customer may not accept some or all of the new system. The Project Plan- possible tight timescales, milestones may be too far apart or deliverables may not have been defined enough to work so the product is not the expected result, the project may be bigger so more staff is required than the estimation at the start of the project. After completing the risk identification the project team should take some actions against those risks like the avoiding actions, try to prevent the risks from occurring, and the mitigation actions where the project teams try to reduce the impact of the risks if they occur. Finally the project teams register the identified risks either using the Risk Log Document which is part of the PRINCE or the risk map if they want to highlight only the very important and dangerous risks. 3. Conclusions The impact of Project Management in the Information Systems Project improved the percentages for the successful projects. It is the management tool for planning, monitoring, tracking and controlling the whole process of the project. The IS project to be considered will be the delivery of a specified information system within given constraints of time, quality, resources and cost, however the project organisational framework is also important because the project team has the chance to get a clear understanding of who the customer, the project’s scope and the purpose of the project is. The PRINCE project management method offers an effective structure for the management of IS project. The project manager plays the most important roles in a project team and is the main reason for the success or the failure of the project. Project manager is responsible for the build of the project teams using the most popular method of Belbin Test. Project Plan is also required in order to track, monitor, control and compare tasks with the time. The suggested tool for planning is work or product breakdown structure for break down tasks into smaller subtasks. Project Manager must take decisions about the duration, cost and resources for each task which can be presented in a Gantt chart using Microsoft Project.