Integration of Public Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Integration of Public Schools - Essay Example This paper approves that social change, and such a drastic change at that, takes time and effort to come into place, and prove fruitful. To expect people to redesign their thinking patterns to incorporate new social laws and ideals overnight is close to a fantasy; indeed, with time, the African American population was eventually integrated into the white society, starting with the denouncement of slavery, and extending to the desegregation of the educational system. This paper analyzes the sudden movement of the African American population from the southern states into states like Wisconsin, who’s percentage of the African American population increased by six hundred percent in a span of twenty years, caused unforeseen circumstances for the white population, which often reacted violently against the integration protests. These movements were considered a matter of the southern states, and suddenly the northern states were exposed to them as well. This paper tells that the late 1900s and especially the decades of 1960s and 1970s witnessed a great upheaval in the social set up of the United States in the form of the great Civil Rights movement. Although this movement had been picking up pace since the late 1800s and the early 1900s, it wasn’t till the late twentieth century that the general public and the legal bodies of the states started considering it a poignant issue.... in the northern states at that time, as compared to the political uprisings in the south; indeed, the Civil Rights movements for the rights of the African American population commenced from the southern states, which witnessed repeated protests, movements, walks, and boycotts (â€Å"Desegregation†). The northern states provided a much more peaceful and politically tranquil environment for the African American families to settle. There was also the attraction of better educational opportunities for their children (â€Å"Desegregation†). Although the constitution had afforded ‘separate but equal’ (Riley) laws, this segregation posed a lot of hindrances in the advancement of education for the students, especially the African American students, who could only attend schools in their own neighborhoods that were secluded from the white majority areas (Riley). There was a need for integration of both communities, so that education, both in the classroom and in the playground, could be properly imparted (Riley). In light of several amendments in the constitution (â€Å"Desegregation†), the government was also beginning to view the segregation as an unconstitutional act (â€Å"New Orleans†). It was no surprise, then, that the Civil Rights movement would address the desegregation of public schools. On the other hand, there were the anti-desegregation groups, which were largely formed by the white supremacist members (â€Å"Desegregation†). It was no surprise that the white community would react against such rulings by the court. It was largely accepted as law to discriminate on the basis of color and ethnicity, as there was no constitutional ruling as yet to mark such actions as unlawful (â€Å"Desegregation†). Indeed, it was stated in the constitution of South Carolina:

Conducting a management project Essay Example for Free

Conducting a management project Essay Introduction The project, as requested by the manager; is to come up with the ways that my team can make more savings in the company for the company and for their own growth. This was because the company has not been making savings as they had targeted in the beginning of their business year and the savings are even less as compared to the other financial years yet the company still appears to be run under the same principals. The project is aimed at coming up with the research and recommendations for actions to be taken to manage and change the situation at the company and write a suitable report on this. The report written at the end of this research is going to benefit the company in generating more profits and the employees in self-development. It is also going to cultivate the culture of team work, innovation and entrepreneurial culture among the employees. Simply put, the benefits derived from project management increase in proportion to how well project management processes are used. A well -executed project will be completed on time, within its approved budget. A well-executed project will deliver higher product quality by managing the time to design and test the new product. It will provide great satisfaction to its team, and it will meet (or exceed) the customers’ expectations. In todays business environment, it is critical that each project is run in the most efficient manner possible. For a project-oriented business, it is equally imperative that all projects are managed consistently, so that the benefits of well -executed projects extend corporate wide. The data that was used in this research was collected from the employees, customers and other stakeholders in the company. In preparation for the data collection, it is important to note that a diverse sample of the host companys employees is required in order to address the breadth of the organizational structure and the full range of roles and responsibilities of participants. Input to the list of interview participants should be secured from the company sponsor, but it   is the assessors function to challenge the sample to ensure it meets the needs of a balanced assessment. The assessor should recognize a tendency of most sponsors to provide participants who already are highly rated and can demonstrate high performance.   The participant pool needs to include these participants, but not be limited to them. All divisions of the corporate structure should be represented, including functional and supporting departments. In selecting the interview sample, the assessor should consider the population density of the host company’s divisions, revenue generated by the divisions, project count or cost, or several other attributes. The total number of interviews to be conducted must be limited to a number that is appropriate for the size of the host company; it is organizational structure and the time period in which the study is required. These factors also drive the composition and size of the assessment team. The methods used in the collection of data and information include; use of questionnaires, observation, collecting samples, taking pictures, oral interviews, reading on recorded materials. The process was not that easy since it was hard to get some confidential information especially on the accounts records of the company and some of the employees felt like they were being spied on and did not give the precisely correct information. Also collecting information from my seniors proved to be a bit hard, but all in all the information and data required for the research was successfully corrected. In all the methods used face to face conversation proved to be the best way to obtain information. Some of it advantages include; A people -to-people tool within a people oriented business Project management is ultimately a people -oriented business that requires personal interactions by and between all of the project team members. Face-to-face interviewing extends this principle to maturity assessments. Not only does the interview provide an interpersonal connection between the interviewer and the interview participant, it allows the interviewer to begin to assess the â€Å"people skills† of the personnel assigned to manage projects at the subject company. Interview participants who display grace and condor during the interview are more likely to carry those traits into their project teams, and are more likely to be open to the recommendations for change or improvement that will flow from the assessment study. Conversely, interview subjects who are less cooperative or more belligerent during the interviews are less likely to readily adopt new suggestions. Reveals actual, as well as intended behaviours conducting face-to-face interviews allows the interviewer/assessor to discover how the project team members at the subject company conduct their project business on a day-to-day basis. It is the only tool in the assessors toolbox that provides a means to evaluate the validity of several of the other tools, such as a review of policy manuals, or a project document search. Policy statements and procedures manuals provide guidance into how the subject company believes it should or wants to do work. By engaging project team members in open conversations, the interviewer can elicit comments that reveal, â€Å"What we really do† vs. â€Å"what we think we do† or â€Å"what we are supposed to do?† Additionally, by discussing different types of project reports with the people who write them, or use them, the assessor can gain insight into the value placed on each report. A simple document review, while important, can only indicate that a report exists, not that it is a valued tool, used by the project team to help control their projects, or by management to monitor progress. Provides opportunity to observe the corporate culture of the subject company. Corporate culture creates different patterns of behaviour at different companies that can have a significant impact on the outcomes of projects. The degree of openness to hearing and dealing with project issues, demonstrating appreciation for project successes, and the amount of information sharing between functional groups working on a project all contribute to the ultimate success of a project. All companies probably would respond affirmatively to possessing these traits; not all companies truly demonstrate these traits positively. During one-on-one conversations with working- level project team members, the assessor can learn how well the subject company responds to project information, or how often it â€Å"shoots the messenger. Difficulties associated with face-to-face interviews Need to establish credibility of assessors As an outsider, the assessment team will often encounter a â€Å"Who-are -you-and-why-should -I-give-you-any-of- my time?† reluctance to participate amongst the project management community at the subject company. This attitude can stem from two general sources: a general distrust of consultants and management’s motives for hiring them; or insufficient information about the assessors’ credentials. Neither of these difficulties is insurmountable, but neither can be ignored. And both can be addressed initially by a carefully worded introduction from the assessment’s sponsor within the host company. The sponsor for the assessment necessarily must possess sufficient status within his/her own organization to approve, or be able to solicit approval for the funding needed to conduct the assessment study. This status can be leveraged to convey the credentials of the assessment team to the host organization. The assessors must be introduced to the project management community in terms that readily establish the expertise and experience of the assessment team with this type of work. This also implies that the assessment team must be comprised of, or, at the least, be led by experienced, senior project managers, whose personal credentials will inspire confidence in the interview participants. Need to secure cooperation of interview participants. The assessor also needs to recognize that many people within the host company’s project management organization(s) will not view the assessment in an entirely positive light. Although the study is intended to be a continuous-improvement effort, it may still be perceived to stem from something being wrong, or judged to be not good enough. The outside assessor could be viewed as Management’s vigilante enforcer, coming in to identify and punish the under-achievers in project management. The assessor must defuse this impression, a task that can best be done if the assessor knows where the host company’s â€Å"sore spots† exist and why the host company has elected to conduct the assessment. Here again, the status of the assessment sponsor can be of great help in overcoming the reluctance of the interview participants. The sponsor’s introduction of the assessment team can be used to share the rationale for the study and remove much of the apprehension that could surround it. Need to prepare thoroughly. During each interview, it will be beneficial to allow conversation to flow in a freewheeling manner, rather than following a rigid, checklist question and answer. For this to work, the assessor/interviewer must be adequately prepared to conduct the interview. The assessor must know the assessment model in great detail, and be able to detect different levels of maturity for each knowledge area, regard less of whether or not the interview respondent uses catch phrases and key words from the model in his/her comments. It is the assessor’s responsibility to be able to take appropriate notes during the interview without disrupting the flow of the interview by having to shuffle papers or stumble from one topic to the next. The assessment team can help prepare for the interviews by constructing an easy -to-use interview form that guides them through the different areas, and offers reminders of key phrases to listen for. By creating the form, the team members will increase their familiarity with it, and find it more beneficial as a guide. Additionally, by constructing their own form, the assessment team members will afford themselves the opportunity to reacquaint themselves with the details of the assessment model. Compiling, synthesizing, and evaluating the information from all interviews. Specific data from individual interviews can be compiled if a set of common questions, with a short range of possible answers, is used for all interviews. In this circumstance, it is recommended that a set of standard analytical measures are identified prior to the interview phase, but it should not be assumed that these standard measures will adequately address the entire information content collected. The synthesis of the information is a process that requires the individual assessors to subjectively analyse the comments they heard and recorded during the interviews and identify common themes and touch-points along the maturity continuum. The assessors must then collaborate to yield consistent interpretation of the interview and confirm that the data gathered is appropriate for further evaluation. The assessors must collectively review the compiled data, interrogate it for trends and errors, and determine whether trends identified warrant further analysis. From the information gathered in data collection, many things can be realised; there is no transparent audit of the books of accounts in the company, the employees are taking bribes from the customers in return for unauthorised favours, the employees are very relaxed in their work and lack motivation, the board members are conduction the staffing process in a questionable manner, the employees were taking unnecessary and expensive trips at the expense of the company, the directors have very high unwarranted allowances, the taxes due to the government are not fully settled and the overall running of the firm is questionable. The things that need to be done urgently to make sure that the company is saved from being bankrupt and that it gives some profits are; there should be an immediate external audit of all the books of accounts in the firm, the recruitment and staffing in the firm should be done on the basis of qualification and therefore there should be a vetting process to eliminate all those who are there illegally, all the directors should be vetted and those found to be corrupt should be retrenched, the company should have a new board of directors, all the employees should sign a performance contract which should be followed strictly. Conclusions; the use of face-to-face interviews in Project Management Maturity Assessments has proven to contribute most and convey the project management actualities within any host organization. If executed correctly, the face-to- face interview will yield most insight into the host organizations current maturity and point to pockets of excellence as well as areas requiring correction. Although it is not recommended that an assessment be conducted using only face-to-face interviews, it is strongly recommended that a face-to-face interview always be included in an assessment. References Dove, K. E. (2002).  Conducting a successful development services program: A comprehensive guide and resource. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Fernald Environmental Management Project (U.S.), United States., United States., United States., Lippitt, J. M., Kolthoff, K. (1995).  Successful completion of a RCRA closure for the Fernald Environmental Management Project. Washington, D.C: United States. Dept. of Energy. Thomsett, M. C. (2002).  The little black book of project management. New York: AMACOM. Tjahjana, L., Dwyer, P., Habib, M. (2009).  The program management office advantage: A powerful and centralized way for organizations to manage projects. New York: American Management Association. Weir, J. R. (2009).  Conducting prescribed fires: A comprehensive manual. College Station: Texas A M University Press. Wysocki, R. K., Beck, R., Crane, D. B. (2000).  Effective project management. New York: Wiley.

Phantom Limbs Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

Phantom Limbs Phantom Limb Pain (PLP) is a serious condition that occurs when a person who has lost a part of their body though amputation, trauma (brachial plexus), or loss of nervous connections in an appendage, perceives that the limb is still there and experiences sensations coming from this area. It was first described in 1866 by S. Weir Mitchell, an American neurologist, through a short story published in Atlantic Monthly. While Mitchell may then have wondered if this was specific to wounded Civil War soldiers, it has since been established as quite common (1). Over 70% of amputees report phantom limb pain for years after amputation (2). Several theories have been proposed regarding PLP, although there is still much to be learned and understood. Early physicians believed that phantom limb sensations were caused by severed nerves that fired randomly, sending signals to the somatosensory cortex re-creating sensations seemingly coming from the missing limb. However, this theory was soon disprov ed when surgeons tried unsuccessfully to eradicate these sensations by cutting the nerves leading to the neuromas, preventing the neuromal signals from reaching the cortex. Researchers then began to concentrate on the role of the spinal cord in PLP, but realized that paraplegics with completely severed spinal cords still experienced sensations where their limbs had been (5). Focus then turned to the brain and its role. Until the mid 1980's, it was widely believed that once neural pathways were placed during fetal development, these pathways did not change and were not altered in any recognizable way (3). However, recent studies have shown that the brain has a high degree of plasticity into adulthood, which allows it to continuall... ...opens the doors to looking at the neuromatrix and corollary discharge signals in the brain and the influence that these prewired expectations may have on the body, especially pain. These ideas are the key to providing long-term pain management for PLP patients. Works Cited: 1. Yang, Tony T., Gallen C., Schwartz, B., Bloom, F.E., Ramachandran, S. Cobb, "Sensory Maps in the Human Brain," Nature, vol. 368, 14 April 1994: 592-593. http://zygote.swarthmore.edu/axon6.html 2. Flor, H., Elbert,T., Knecht, S., Wienbruch, C., Pantev, C., Birbaumer, N., Larbig, W., Taub, E., "Phantom Limb Pain as a Perceptual Correlate of Cortical Reorganization Following Arm Amputation," Nature, vol. 375, 8 June 1995: 482-483. http://www.bfe.org/protocol/pro05eng.htm 3. Grobstein, Paul, Class Lecture. Neurobiology and Behavior. Bryn Mawr College. February and April 1998. Phantom Limbs Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers Phantom Limbs Phantom Limb Pain (PLP) is a serious condition that occurs when a person who has lost a part of their body though amputation, trauma (brachial plexus), or loss of nervous connections in an appendage, perceives that the limb is still there and experiences sensations coming from this area. It was first described in 1866 by S. Weir Mitchell, an American neurologist, through a short story published in Atlantic Monthly. While Mitchell may then have wondered if this was specific to wounded Civil War soldiers, it has since been established as quite common (1). Over 70% of amputees report phantom limb pain for years after amputation (2). Several theories have been proposed regarding PLP, although there is still much to be learned and understood. Early physicians believed that phantom limb sensations were caused by severed nerves that fired randomly, sending signals to the somatosensory cortex re-creating sensations seemingly coming from the missing limb. However, this theory was soon disprov ed when surgeons tried unsuccessfully to eradicate these sensations by cutting the nerves leading to the neuromas, preventing the neuromal signals from reaching the cortex. Researchers then began to concentrate on the role of the spinal cord in PLP, but realized that paraplegics with completely severed spinal cords still experienced sensations where their limbs had been (5). Focus then turned to the brain and its role. Until the mid 1980's, it was widely believed that once neural pathways were placed during fetal development, these pathways did not change and were not altered in any recognizable way (3). However, recent studies have shown that the brain has a high degree of plasticity into adulthood, which allows it to continuall... ...opens the doors to looking at the neuromatrix and corollary discharge signals in the brain and the influence that these prewired expectations may have on the body, especially pain. These ideas are the key to providing long-term pain management for PLP patients. Works Cited: 1. Yang, Tony T., Gallen C., Schwartz, B., Bloom, F.E., Ramachandran, S. Cobb, "Sensory Maps in the Human Brain," Nature, vol. 368, 14 April 1994: 592-593. http://zygote.swarthmore.edu/axon6.html 2. Flor, H., Elbert,T., Knecht, S., Wienbruch, C., Pantev, C., Birbaumer, N., Larbig, W., Taub, E., "Phantom Limb Pain as a Perceptual Correlate of Cortical Reorganization Following Arm Amputation," Nature, vol. 375, 8 June 1995: 482-483. http://www.bfe.org/protocol/pro05eng.htm 3. Grobstein, Paul, Class Lecture. Neurobiology and Behavior. Bryn Mawr College. February and April 1998.

Indira Gandhi Essay

The period in history usually considered to have begun with the first use of the atomic bomb (1945). It is characterized by nuclear energy as a military, industrial, and sociopolitical factor.Also called atomic age. The Nuclear Age Began When The US Detonated The First Atomic Bomb On June 16, 1945, America detonated the first atomic bomb, starting the atomic age and the biggest arms race in the world. Although the first attempts to make atomic bomb initiated in Nazi Germany they weren’t successful until the US president Franklin D. Roosevelt in cooperation with the British government authorized the â€Å"Manhattan Project† in order to research about production of atomic bomb. A group of top scientists of the time worked for the project with the distinguished physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer being the head of the group. They succeeded to make the first atomic bomb in the US which was detonated in what is now called Trinity in New Mexico. Perhaps at first it was believed that the US would not use that lethal weapon against the mankind but soon people of two big cities in Japan fell victim to America’s atomic bombs. On August 6, 1945, a bomber in US Air Force 509th Bomb Squadron called Enola Gay- which is now kept in a museum in Washington- left a US base in the south of Pacific Ocean and detonated an atomic bomb named â€Å"Little Boy† over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The direct and the indirect death toll caused by this bombardment are estimated to exceed 140,000. This however was not the end as three days after Hiroshima bombing, another atomic bomb, called the â€Å"Fat Man† killed 73,000 and injured 74,000 people in Nagasaki, Japan, not including those who later were found to be the victims of the bombing. Of course there was another bomb made in the Manhattan Project which was never used. Oppenheimer regretted his participation in the Manhattan project after a while and began to speak against nuclear arms, and thus was removed from the project. His regret was of no use though. The Soviet Union detonated its first atomic bomb on August 29, 1949, with the help of Oppenheime r’s friend, Klaus Fuchs. To keep its superiority in the arms race, the US began the research for making hydrogen bombs and could successfully detonate it in November, 1952. No country has so far used nuclear arms for military purposes except for the US. There is however concerns over some countries possessing nuclear arms, especially as some of them have refused to sign the Non-Proliferation of  Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT). â€Å"[Until September 9, 2009] there are over 20,000 nuclear weapons around the world. Many of them are still on hair-trigger alert, threatening our own survival,† said Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, in the Annual DPI/NGO Conference. 18,500 of these bombs were made by the US and Russia. All five permanent members of the UN Security Council –America, France, Russia, China, and Britain- have atomic bombs and have been recognized as nuclear powers in the NPT. The NPT recognizes the countries that owned or detonated nuclear bombs or arms before January 1, 1967 on the condition that they would gradually be disarmed and destroy all their atomic bombs. The museum sketches the history of the nuclear age, which started with the first atomic bomb test in the New Mexico desert in 1945. For a hundred years of war, culminating in the nuclear age, military technology was designed and deployed to inflict casualties on an ever-growing scale.

Confidentiality and Minors

Confidentiality is an essential component to the counseling process. It allows for the client to build a trustful relationship with the counselor. â€Å" Counselors regard the promise of confidentiality to be essential for the development of client trust† (Glosoff & Pate, 2002). Most individuals that seek counseling services assume that what is discussed in the counseling sessions with the counselor will be kept in confidence with limited exceptions. These exceptions become a complex balancing act for the counselor especially when their clients are minors. Confidentiality is a widely held ethical standard a variously accorded legal right of clients and responsibility of counselors (American Counseling Association, 2005: American School Counseling Association, 2010). According to the Ethical Standards for School Counselors and the Code of Ethics and Standards for Counseling (2010), both specify that counselors are ethically required to take appropriate action and breach confide ntiality in certain circumstances involving minors.Counselors are required to breach confidentiality if there is imminent danger to self and others, if there is suspected child abuse or neglect or to protect a vulnerable client from danger. There are other limitations to confidentiality and minors as well. Some of these limitations involve parents and their right to know what is happening in counseling sessions between the therapist and their child.This problem is one that schools counselors and clinical therapists must face when counseling minors. Counselors in both clinical and school settings are faced with ethical issues with regards to confidentiality each time they encounter a client that is a minor. School Counselors have a variety of roles and responsibilities to students, teachers, parents and administrators (Iyer, McGregor & Connor, 2010).According to the American School Counseling Association (2004), it is the responsibility of the school counselor to help a child develop effective coping skills, identify personal strengths and assets, recognize and express feelings and provide a foundation for the child’s personal and social growth as he or she progresses from school to adulthood as apart of the process. School Counselors must collaborate with all persons involved with the minor in this process, which usually includes the parents and teachers. SchoolCounselors are also sometimes asked to be apart of child study teams within the school, which can be very beneficial to the students and those involved in their lives. School Counselors must follow the American School Counseling Association’s ethical standards for School Counselors regarding confidentiality. In beginning sessions between the client and the school counselor confidentiality should be discussed and the conditions in which it may have to be breached. According to Lazovsky (2010), The management of student confidentiality has been described as the primary ethical dilemma of sch ool counselors.There are various ethical and legal issues that arise for School Counselors when dealing with confidentiality. School Counselors are required ethically to report when a student engages in clear and imminent danger to themselves or others. Some school counselors base their decision to breach confidentiality on how imminent the danger is that is being presented by the situation. â€Å"Most counselors would agree parents should be informed of drug experimentation by an 8 year old. Many however, would disagree to tell parents that a 16 year old client reported occasional experimentation with marijuana† (Glosoff & Pate, 2002).This example shows that school counselors should use discretion when deciding to breach confidentiality. These two minor clients are different but each situation has a variety of ways that it could be handled. According to Lazovky (2008), school counselors are advised to consult with supervisors and colleagues before making decisions based on b reaching confidentiality. They should also know their state policies and laws in the school jurisdiction. Another ethical and legal issue that can arise for school counselors counseling minors in relation to confidentiality is the disclosure of student provided information to parents.Privileged communication is apart of confidentiality. Privileged communication allows for clients to ask counselors to keep their communications and records of their counseling sessions confidential. Privilege belongs to the client and the counselor asserts privilege for the client. According to Glosoff (2002), the already complex issue of privileges communication for school counselors is made even more complex by who has the privilege when counseling a minor. Parents of minors rather than minor clients are assumed to control privilege. School Counselors are sometimes subpoenaed for court appearances when the parent’s do not agree on whether the counselors presence is necessary in the testimony o r a parental custody dispute may be the heart of the legal proceeding. The ACA and ASCA recognize that school counselors have limits to their ability to protect client confidences. School Counselors must not only be mindful of their ethical duties but cooperate with any laws that that apply to them as well. The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) establishes that parents control the rights of students under the age of 18 (Iyer, McGregor & Connor, 2010).This includes any of the student’s records such as grades, awards and date of birth. Decisions about the release of these records are based under exceptions under FERPA and also the parent’s consent. However, most records regarding the student are held in safe places where other school officials do not have or need access. Another law that school counselors must keep in mind is HIPAA. This law was enacted to protect patient’s health information. In relation to school counselors, the student’s me dical records are being protected. The issue of confidentiality in Child Study Teams has become an ethical dilemma for many school counselors.The school counselor must decide on what to disclose and what information to inquire about based on each member’s rights and responsibilities. Deciding what to reveal and what to keep confidential can be a hard and difficult task for school counselors. Clinical Therapists face many ethical and legal issues with regards to confidentiality as well. Clinical Therapists are different from School Counselors in their role with minors because the only stakeholder involved with the therapist in most cases is the parent. According to Ellis (2009), minor’s right to confidentiality is an area at times, which ethics and the law are in conflict.One of these ethical dilemmas arises in the area client privilege. In the case of minors, this privilege extends to the parents who act as representatives to their dependent children. Clinical Therapis t struggle with maintaining confidentiality for their minor clients especially when the law is on the side of the parents because they have the right to know. Stone & Issacs (2003) suggest that in order to deal with ethical issues regarding confidentiality and minors therapists should prepare a written professional services agreement which provides details on the limits and conditions of confidentiality.At this point the parent can be involved in their child’s treatment in various ways. One of the ways that parents can be involved is through periodical family sessions. In the clinical counseling setting, there are often conflicts between duties of confidentiality and the need to share information with parents or other agencies that provide care for a child or adolescent. There can also be ethical conflicts between duties of confidentiality, grounded in respect for patient autonomy, and both statutory and moral obligations to report child abuse, which are grounded in duties of care and protection (Kaplan, 2005).One issue which troubles some clinical therapists is a statutory obligation to report consensual sexual relationships that adolescents are engaged in with adults irrespective of whether they are clinically judged to be abusive, because they can be framed in many child protection statutes or guidance as constituting abuse. (Ellis, 2009). There are some similarities between confidentiality and counseling minors in both school and clinical settings. One similarity is that in both settings counselors must follow the same ethical guidelines for breaching confidentiality.Breaching confidentiality is allowed by ethical codes in special or extreme circumstances (Lazovsky, 2008). In both settings counselors must carefully deliberate over the circumstances that are presented to them by the minor client in the counseling sessions. The counselor should then decide whether or not to breach confidentiality. This ethical dilemma is a difficult issue that many co unselors are faced with in both clinical and school settings.Another similarity between counseling minors in both school and clinical settings is that counselors must often consult with other staff members in both settings for the benefit of the children that they serve. It is important for counselors to educate other non-mental health staff members that they must keep confidential any personal information they learn about children as a result of their professional positions (Rehmley & Herley, 2010). If any information were to be disclosed outside of the school or clinical settings, it could be lead to grounds for a lawsuit.There are some differences between confidentiality and counseling minors in both school and clinical settings as well. One difference is that counselors in clinical settings encounter fewer ethical issues around confidentiality and minors because parents usually have given legal consent for the counselor to work with the client. However in the school setting, Reh mley & Herley (2010) state that the counselor often does not have a legal obligation to obtain parental permission before counseling students unless there is a federal or state statute to the contrary.Another difference between confidentiality and minors in the school and clinical setting is in the clinical setting the counseling process may be limited to the counselor, the minor client and the parents. Most minor clients who are placed in clinical treatment facilities will be unable to make crucial decisions for themselves. The privilege of informed consent will be given to the parent and the parent will operate in the child’s best interests (Glosoff & Pate, 2002). Counselors in both clinical and school settings find the ethical and legal issues of confidentiality difficult because there are constant conflicts between the law and ethics.One issue that counselors find causes tension between law and ethics is whether children have the right to enter into a counseling relations hip without parental consent. According to Rehmley & Herley (2010), every child has a moral right to privacy in the counseling relationship. Kaplan (2005) believes that children should have the same rights to confidentiality as adult clients. However, counselors constantly struggle between the ethical obligation of privacy to their minor clients and their legal obligation to the parents of the same minor clients to keep their child protected and safe.There are some ways that counselors are able to deal with these ethical and legal dilemmas regarding confidentiality and minors. One recommendation that was made by Iyer, Baxter-McGregor & Connor (2010) is to develop and maintain a strong informed consent policy. Informed consent is a process that is an ongoing process and should begin before the counseling process begins. According to Glosoff & Pate (2002), it is beneficial in both settings to develop a written informed consent policy so that it can be given to parents and anyone else who is involved in the clients counseling process.This is beneficial because all parties involved in the process will know about confidentiality and also what to expect. Another recommendation that was suggested by Iyer, Baxter-McGregor & Connor (2010) is to educate all members that are involved in the minor client’s counseling process about the importance of confidentiality. In this way there will be a reduction in the likelihood of difficult situations posed by ethical dilemmas developing in the first place. An explanation of confidentiality would be a great addition to an orientation to parents, teachers or other non-mental health professionals.They would know what to expect with regards to confidentiality in counseling sessions with minors. Another suggestion that was discussed in the literature in relation to ethical and legal dilemmas regarding confidentiality and minors is to send out educational newsletters and emails. This suggestion takes a proactive stance towards the ethical and legal issue of confidentiality and minors and it helps to avoid the possible ethical dilemma before it occurs (Glosoff &Pate, 2002).Some possible items that could be included in these newsletters or emails may be a definition of confidentiality, one’s informed consent policy, state regulations or law’s regarding confidentiality and a summary of ASCA’s and ACA’s ethics statements for counselors. Lastly, another suggestion that was discussed in the literature in relation to ethical and legal dilemmas regarding confidentiality and minors is for counselors to develop a strong network of professionals that counselors can confide in and ask advice when they encounter an ethical dilemma (Iyer, Baxter-McGregor & Connor 2010; Glosoff & Pate, 2002).This network may include school psychologists, local psychologists, counseling professionals and any who works within a similar field. According to Iyer, Baxter-McGregor & Connor (2010), a counselor may u se a common framework such Kitchener’s five moral principles regarding ethical decision making. The five moral principal’s are autonomy, justice (fairness), beneficence (doing good), non-maleficence (doing no harm) and fidelity (keeping promises).Another ethical decision making model that can be followed is by Forester-Miller and Davis which is to 1) Identify the problem, 2) Apply one’s professional code of ethics, 3) Determine the nature and decisions of the dilemma, 4) Generate potential courses of action, 5) Consider the potential consequences of all options and choose a course of action 6) Evaluate the selected course of action and 7) Implement the course of action. Counselors in both clinical and school setting have a tremendous amount of responsibility to uphold when they are counseling minors.The ethical and legal issues that arise for this group can sometimes differ and also be contradictory to each other. It is the responsibility of the counselors to pr epare themselves and all parties involved in the counseling process with the knowledge that is necessary in regards to confidentiality and minors. In many cases when the counselor is left to choose the right course of action in regards to confidentiality, the outcome will inevitable benefit the client. References American Counseling Association. (2005). Code of ethics and standards of practice (Rev. ed. ) Alexandria, VA: Author.American School Counselor Association. (2010). Ethical standards for school counselors. Retrieved from http://www. schoolcounselor. org/content. asp? contentid=17 Barnett, J. E. (2008). The ethical practice of psychotherapy: Easily within our reach. Journal Of Clinical Psychology, 64(5), 569-575. doi:10. 1002/jclp. 20473 Ellis, E. M. (2009). Should a psychotherapist be compelled to release an adolescent’s treatment records to a parent in a contested custody case?. Professional Psychology: Research And Practice, 40(6), 557-563. doi:10. 1037/a0017419 Glo soff, H. L. , & Pate, R. r. (2002).Privacy and confidentiality in school counseling. Professional School Counseling, 6(1), 20-27. Iyer, N. N. , Baxter-McGregor, J. & Connor, A. R. (2010). Ethical dilemmas for the school counselor: balancing student confidentiality and parents’ right to know. New York State School Counselor Association, 7(2), 17-22. Kaplan, A. I. (2005). Therapist-Patient Privilege: Who Owns the Privilege?. Journal Of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 11(1/2), 135-143. doi:10. 1300/J146v11n0111 Lazovsky, R. (2008). Maintaining confidentiality with minors: Dilemmas of school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 11(5), 335-346. oi:10. 5330/PSC. n. 2010-11. 335 Mitchell, C. W. , Disque, J. , & Robertson, P. (2002). When parents want to know: Responding to parental demands for confidential information. Professional School Counseling, 6(2), 156-161. Rehmley, T. P. , & Herlihy, B. (2010). Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues in Counseling. Merrill; New Yor k. Stone, C. , & Isaacs, M. L. (2003). Confidentiality with minors: The need for policy to promote and protect. The Journal Of Educational Research, 96(3), 140-150. doi:10. 1080/00220670309598802 Confidentiality and Minors By Neferteria Thomas

Slow Food Movement Essay Essays

Slow Food Movement Essay Essays Slow Food Movement Essay Paper Slow Food Movement Essay Paper Fast food and slow food both play an important role in the lives of many people and it has an immense impact on world resource sharing. Both the fast food industry and slow food movement have major implications in relation to food production, food distribution, environmental impact, economic impact and social impact.  The idea of taverns and coffee houses were popular for social gatherings and sharing of beverages in the 17th century, however the industry of eating outside of home did not launch into the Western Society until the late 18th Century. The idea of eating outside of home was the beginning of the fast food industry, which refers to meals or foods which are readily available and can be prepared and served very quickly. These are generally packaged foods and involve businesses where food is eaten on the premises where there are no waiters or waitresses. For example, McDonalds, KFC, Wendys or Fish and Chip shops. Fast foods are generally foods which are not prepared by the consumer; however the consumers may complete the cooking process by heating it up. Consumers, shareholders and other stakeholders are beginning to look at the fast food industry and increase their demand for enhanced accountability of food production. As a result of this, fast food companies have been using cash crops. Cash crops reduce the land which the native people of the country can use for their personal benefit, through exploitation and reduction of food production. For example, McDonalds may want a poor country to grow lettuce for them, rather than growing their original rice crops. The problem with the lettuce is that it does not feed the farmers families as it is going to McDonalds and the amount of land used to produce 1 tonne of lettuce could produce 2 tonnes of rice. The foods which are grown arent necessarily suited for the area for the soil type and yields arent necessarily as high compared to the original crops. McDonalds may offer higher profits in money; however the farmer cannot feed a family with lettuce as they can with rice. Once the food is produced, the distribution begins to raise complications. In the fast food industry, the food often has to travel some distance before it reaches the fast food industry. This will use up more fuel, energy for travel and use refrigeration and other methods of ensuring food is at its best quality. Although attempts are made, the nutritional content of the food is lower due to the transportation. The distribution of food includes food miles which in turn increases pollution which goes into the atmosphere and damages the environment. There is also wastage due to the packaging, damaged and uneaten foods due to transportation methods. There is also wastage through other methods which are harmful to the environment. A major cause of deforestation in the Southern U.S. is the fast food industry as paper is consumed and wasted through packaging (For example, KFC uses paper boxes to contain food). Due to reasons like this, the fast food industry is increasing in its demand for environmental sustainability, the ability to maintain the qualities that are valued in the physical environment. As environmental sustainability is desired, hints have shown that the fast food industry is attempting to account for the desire of people for healthier choices and greener products. Although people purchase healthy options, many wonder whether the fast food chains are doing enough to protect the env ironment. The large affect of the fast food industry on the environment is summarised by Prince Charles through, Fast food may appear to be cheap food and, in the literal sense it often is, but that is because huge social and environmental costs are being excluded from the calculations. Any analysis of the real cost would have to look at such things as the rise in food-borne illnesses, the advent of new pathogens, such as E.coli 0157, antibiotic resistance from the overuse of drugs in animal feed, extensive water pollution from intensive agricultural systems and many other factors. These costs are not reflected in the price of fast food. As the economy declines, the fast food industry continues to grow. Due to the economic downfall, people are choosing to go to fast food restaurants rather than going to more expensive options. This in turn results in the growth in the industry and provides many job opportunities. Economic impact is estimated to increase, however there are also challenges due to the increased food prices. In the year ahead, the industrys sales are projected to continue to increase, with a total economic impact that exceeds $1.5 trillion, yet at the same time, the industry is experiencing unprecedented challenges due to the economic recession and elevated food prices. (Dawn Sweeney, National Restaurant Association president and CEO). The transportation of the fast food also impacts the economy and adds to the concern of elevated food prices, as shipping foods is significantly more costly than locally grown produce.

don johson essays

don johson essays The objective of this lab is to introduce the Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT). A BJT is a three terminal device composed of an emitter, base, and collector terminals. In this lab we will introduce two major types of BJTs : npn and pnp. The first, npn, has an n-type emitter, a p-type base and a n-type collector. On the other hand the pnp has a p-type emitter, a n-type base, and a p-type collector. Also the transistor consists of two major pn junctions, the emitter-base junction (EBJ) and the collector-base junction (CBJ). Depending on the bias condition of each of these junctions, there are different modes of operation. We will show that the basic principle of a BJT is the use of the voltage between two terminals on order to control the current in the third terminal. In this part of the lab we will use the curve tracer to display the common-emitter BJT family of curves. We will see the i-v characteristics of Ic vs. Vce for steps of IB. The i-v characteristic showing Ic vs. Vce for different values of VBE are not linear. Thus we will see that the output resistance of the BJT change slightly with current. Then using the values of Ic and Ro, we can calculate the early voltage, Va. The important feature of this device is that the i-v characteristics are not perfect linear. 1) Use the curve tracer to display the common-emitter BJT family of curves (ic vs vCE for steps of iB). 2) Determine IB needed to set the Q-Point for Ic=0.5mA and VCE=5 Volts. 4) Determine AC = IC/IB. 5) Determine the output resistance, Ro, by measuring the slope of the i-v curve and taking the inverse of that. 6) Does the output resistance change with voltage on the same curve? 7) Does the output resistance change with current on different curves? IB is found to be 5A according to curve tracer. 4) AC = IC/IB. IC1 = 420A , IB1 = 4A, VCE = 5 Volts IC2 = 680&...

John D. Rockefeller, Americas First Billionaire

John D. Rockefeller, America's First Billionaire John D. Rockefeller (July 8, 1839–May 23, 1937) was an astute businessman who became America’s first billionaire in 1916. In 1870, Rockefeller founded Standard Oil Company, which eventually became a domineering monopoly in the oil industry. Rockefeller’s leadership in Standard Oil brought him great wealth as well as controversy, as many opposed Rockefeller’s business practices. Standard Oil’s nearly complete monopoly of the industry was eventually brought to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in 1911 that Rockefeller’s titanic trust should be dismantled. Though many disapproved of Rockefeller’s professional ethics, few could devalue his substantial philanthropic endeavors, which led to him to donate $540 million (more than $5 billion today) during his lifetime to humanitarian and charitable causes. Fast Facts: John D. Rockefeller Known For: Founder of Standard Oil and Americas first billionaireBorn: July 8, 1839 in Richford, New YorkParents: William â€Å"Big Bill† Rockefeller and Eliza (Davison) RockefellerDied: May 23, 1937 in Cleveland, OhioEducation: Folsom Mercantile CollegePublished Works: Random Reminiscences of Men and EventsSpouse: Laura Celestia â€Å"Cettie† SpelmanChildren: Elizabeth (Bessie), Alice (who died in infancy), Alta, Edith, John D. Rockefeller, Jr.Notable Quote: I was early taught to work as well as play, My life has been one long, happy holiday; Full of work and full of play- I dropped the worry on the way- and God was good to me every day. Early Years John Davison Rockefeller was born on July 8, 1839, in Richford, New York. He was the second of six children born to William â€Å"Big Bill† Rockefeller and Eliza (Davison) Rockefeller. William Rockefeller was a traveling salesman peddling his questionable wares across the country. As such, he was often absent from the home. John D. Rockefeller’s mother essentially raised the family on her own and managed their holdings, never knowing that her husband, under the name of Dr. William Levingston, had a second wife in New York. In 1853, â€Å"Big Bill† moved the Rockefeller family to Cleveland, Ohio, where Rockefeller attended Central High School. Rockefeller also joined the Euclid Avenue Baptist Church in Cleveland, of which he would remain a long-time active member. It was under his mother’s tutelage that the young John learned the value of religious devotion and charitable giving, virtues he practiced regularly throughout his life. In 1855, Rockefeller dropped out of high school to enter Folsom Mercantile College. After completing the business course in three months, 16-year-old Rockefeller secured a bookkeeping position with Hewitt Tuttle, a commission merchant and produce shipper. Early Years in Business It didn’t take long for John D. Rockefeller to develop a reputation as an astute businessman: hardworking, thorough, precise, composed, and adverse to risk-taking. Meticulous in every detail, especially with finances (he even kept detailed ledgers of his personal expenditures from the time he was 16), Rockefeller was able to save $1,000 in four years from his bookkeeping job. In 1859, Rockefeller added this money to a $1,000 loan from his father in order to invest in his own commission merchant partnership with Maurice B. Clark, a former Folsom Mercantile College classmate. Four years later, Rockefeller and Clark expanded into the regionally booming oil refinery business with a new partner, chemist Samuel Andrews, who had built a refinery but knew little about business and the transporting of goods. However, by 1865, the partners, which numbered five including Maurice Clark’s two brothers, were in disagreement about the management and direction of their business, so they agreed to sell the business to the highest bidder amongst them. The 25-year-old Rockefeller won it with a bid of $72,500 and, with Andrews as a partner, formed Rockefeller Andrews. In short order, Rockefeller studied the nascent oil business in earnest and became savvy in its dealings. Rockefeller’s company started small but soon merged with O.H. Payne, a large Cleveland refinery owner, and then with others as well. With his company growing, Rockefeller brought his brother (William) and Andrews’ brother (John) into the company. In 1866, Rockefeller noted that 70% of refined oil was being shipped to overseas markets. Rockefeller set up an office in New York City to cut out the middleman, a practice he would use repeatedly to cut expenses and increase profits. A year later, Henry M. Flagler joined the group and the company was renamed Rockefeller, Andrews, Flagler. As the business continued to succeed, the enterprise was incorporated as the Standard Oil Company on January 10, 1870, with John D. Rockefeller as its president. The Standard Oil Monopoly John D. Rockefeller and his partners in the Standard Oil Company were rich men, but they strove for even greater success. In 1871, Standard Oil, a few other large refineries, and major railroads secretly joined together in a holding company called the South Improvement Company (SIC). The SIC gave transportation discounts (â€Å"rebates†) to the large refineries that were part of their alliance but then charged the smaller, independent oil refineries more money (â€Å"drawbacks†) to shuttle their goods along the railroad. This was a blatant attempt to economically destroy those smaller refineries and it worked. In the end, many businesses succumbed to these aggressive practices; Rockefeller then bought out those competitors. As a result, Standard Oil obtained 20 Cleveland companies in one month in 1872. This event became known as â€Å"The Cleveland Massacre,† ending the competitive oil business in the city and claiming 25% of the country’s oil for Standard Oil Company. It also created a backlash of public contempt, with the media dubbing the organization â€Å"an octopus.† In April 1872, the SIC was disbanded per the Pennsylvania legislature but Standard Oil was already on its way to becoming a monopoly. A year later, Rockefeller expanded into New York and Pennsylvania with refineries, eventually controlling nearly half of the Pittsburgh oil business. The company continued to grow and consume independent refineries to the point that Standard Oil Company commanded 90% of America’s oil production by 1879. In January 1882, the Standard Oil Trust was formed with 40 separate corporations under its umbrella. To increase the financial gain from the business, Rockefeller eliminated middlemen like purchasing agents and wholesalers. He began manufacturing the barrels and cans needed to store the company’s oil.  Rockefeller also developed plants that produced petroleum byproducts like petroleum jelly, machine lubricants, chemical cleaners, and paraffin wax. Ultimately, the arms of the Standard Oil Trust eradicated the need for outsourcing entirely, which devastated existing industries in the process. Marriage and Children On September 8, 1864, John D. Rockefeller married the valedictorian of his high school class (though Rockefeller did not actually graduate). Laura Celestia â€Å"Cettie† Spelman, an assistant principal at the time of their marriage, was a college-educated daughter of a successful Cleveland businessman. Like her new husband, Cettie was also a devoted supporter of her church and like her parents, upheld the temperance and abolition movements. Rockefeller valued and often consulted his bright and independently-minded wife about business manners. Between 1866 and 1874, the couple had five children: Elizabeth (Bessie), Alice (who died in infancy), Alta, Edith, and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. With the family growing, Rockefeller bought a large house on Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, which became known as â€Å"Millionaire’s Row.† By 1880, they also purchased a summer home overlooking Lake Erie; Forest Hill, as it was called, became a favorite home of the Rockefellers. Four years later, because Rockefeller was doing more business in New York City and did not like being away from his family, the Rockefellers acquired yet another house. His wife and children would travel each fall to the city and stay for the winter months in the family’s large brownstone on West 54th Street. Later in life after the children were grown and grandchildren came, the Rockefellers built a house in Pocantico Hills, New York, a few miles north of Manhattan. They celebrated their golden anniversary there but during the following spring in 1915, Laura â€Å"Cettie† Rockefeller passed away at age 75. Media and Legal Woes John D. Rockefeller’s name had first been associated with ruthless business practices with the Cleveland Massacre, but after a 19-part serial exposà © by Ida Tarbell titled History of Standard Oil Company, started appearing in McClure’s Magazine in November 1902, his public reputation was proclaimed to be one of greed and corruption. Tarbell’s skillful narrative exposed all elements of the oil giant’s efforts to squash competition and of Standard Oil’s overbearing domination of the industry. The installments were later published as a book of the same name and quickly became a bestseller. With this spotlight on its business practices, the Standard Oil Trust was attacked by state and federal courts as well as by the media. In 1890, the Sherman Antitrust Act was passed as the first federal antitrust legislation to limit monopolies. Sixteen years later, the U.S. attorney general during President Teddy Roosevelt’s administration filed two dozen antitrust actions against large corporations; chief among  them was Standard Oil. It took five years, but in 1911, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s decision that ordered Standard Oil Trust to divest into 33 companies, which would function independently from each other. However, Rockefeller did not suffer. Because he was a major stockholder, his net worth grew exponentially with the dissolution and establishment of new business entities. Rockefeller as Philanthropist John D. Rockefeller was one of the wealthiest men in the world during his lifetime. Though a tycoon, he lived unpretentiously and kept a low social profile, rarely attending the theatre or other events typically attended by his peers. Since childhood, he had been trained to give to church and charity and Rockefeller had routinely done so. However, with a fortune believed to be worth more than a billion dollars after the dissolution of Standard Oil and a tarnished public image to rectify, John D. Rockefeller began to give away millions of dollars. In 1896, 57-year-old Rockefeller turned over the day-to-day leadership of Standard Oil, though he held the title of president until 1911, and began to focus on philanthropy. He had already contributed to the establishment of the University of Chicago in 1890, giving $35 million over the course of 20 years. While doing so, Rockefeller had acquired confidence in Rev. Frederick T. Gates, the director of the American Baptist Education Society, which established the university. With Gates as his investment manager and philanthropic adviser, John D. Rockefeller founded the Rockefeller Institute of Medical Research (now Rockefeller University) in New York in 1901. Within their laboratories, causes, cures, and various manners of prevention of diseases were discovered, including the cure for meningitis and the identification of DNA as the central genetic matter. A year later, Rockefeller established the General Education Board. In its 63 years of operation, it distributed $325 million to American schools and colleges. In 1909, Rockefeller launched a public health program in the effort to prevent and cure hookworm, a serious health issue in the southern states, through the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission. In 1913, Rockefeller created the Rockefeller Foundation, with his son John Jr. as president and Gates as a trustee, to foster the well-being of men and women around the world. In its first year, Rockefeller donated $100 million to the foundation, which has provided assistance to medical research and education, public health initiatives, scientific advancements, social research, the arts, and other fields around the world. A decade later, the Rockefeller Foundation was the largest grant-making foundation in the world and its founder deemed the most generous philanthropist in U.S. history. Death Along with donating his fortune, John D. Rockefeller spent his last years enjoying his children, grandchildren, and his hobby of landscaping and gardening. He was also an avid golfer. Rockefeller hoped to live to be a centenarian but died two years before the occasion on May 23, 1937. He was laid to rest between his beloved wife and mother at Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio. Legacy Though many Americans scorned Rockefeller for making his Standard Oil fortune through unscrupulous business tactics, its profits aided the world. Through John D. Rockefeller’s philanthropic endeavors, the oil titan educated and saved an untold number of lives and aided medical and scientific advancement. Rockefeller also forever changed the landscape of American business. Sources â€Å"John D. Rockefeller: The Ultimate Oil Man.† John D. Rockefeller: The Ultimate Oil Man.â€Å"John D. Rockefeller.† Biography.com, AE Networks Television, 16 Jan. 2019.The Rockefeller Archive Center.

FitMath Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

FitMath - Essay Example According to the research facing the dilemma between scholastic education and extracurricular and health education can be daunting, especially in the light of the impetus to heighten academic performance in schools. FitMath attempts to bridge the gap between physical education and academia by implementing a syllabus involving physical activity, using it as a pathway to reach out to young students who need in so much. FitMath fits Math into the curriculum, allowing students to profit from interdisciplinary learning via health education. In tandem with mathematics, fields such as biology, anatomy, physiology and physics will be open to them. Launched by the US government as a programmed new approach towards education, FitMath’s objectives consist of a merger of â€Å"the guiding principles in the Massachusetts Department of Education Mathematics and Comprehensive Health Curriculum Frameworks, by utilizing aerobics and fitness as a means to support a better understanding of math ematical vocabulary and concepts.† Active participation will bear the fruits of a healthier lifestyle, a more confident perception of one’s own physical abilities and stronger grasp in English Language and Science. To assess the effectiveness of FitMath, researchers have decided to conduct an in-depth survey on the participants of five FitMath centers in Massachusetts. By obtaining quantitative and qualitative data, researchers will have a better understanding of FitMath’s impact on students, staff and families. ... 1.3 Participants Participants in this survey are 200 students, 20 educators and 80 parents of students. The targeted age group for students is 10-15 years (grades 6 to 9). A 50/50 gender distribution between male and female students is preferred for better cohort comparison. Seeing that a wide performance gap exists between ethnicities, both minority and majority students will be approached to take this assessment to determine FitMath’s ability to close the vacuum and equalize achievements. Participants that will be excluded from this study are infrequent attendees that have missed more than a month of work for the year to date. This step has been taken to ensure that respondents have been receiving optimal training from the FitMath program. To protect the identities of assessment takers, surveys have been resubmitted anonymously to ensure that respondents are allowed freedom to express views unhindered, without fear or favor. 1.4 Qualitative study The qualitative component of the study seeks to acquire from respondents their views on school, FitMath, teachers and social development. Opinions gathered are confidential and will only serve to understand social, economical and educational backgrounds of participants. Questions seek to elicit from respondents their own estimation of their social and educational abilities and their perspectives in their core relationships, forming the support network. Data collected here would help boost the knowledge base on student lifestyles that ultimately affect study habits. 1.5 Quantitative study Statistics gleaned are confidential and will only serve to understand social, economical and educational backgrounds of participants. Personal

World War I and the End of the Progressive Movement Essay

World War I and the End of the Progressive Movement - Essay Example at everything we learned about the war, and the weapons of destruction that were used during the battles were more than just mere bullets, grenades, and canons. In fact, World War I laid out the foundation for modern germ warfare as we know it today. It is just that very little is known about how gas warfare was originally conceptualized and launched during the era. But thanks to historical researchers such as Ulrich Trumpener and his essay â€Å"The Road to Ypres: The Beginnings of Gas Warfare in World War I†, the readers are given a look into the little known facts about the Battle of Ypres which many believe to be the very first time that gas warfare was used in battle. Trumpeners argument in the essay is that the successful mounting of gas warfare at Ypres on April 22,1915 is incorrectly celebrated at the day that modern chemical warfare began. It actually began much earlier than that since records show that primitive methods of gas warfare began to see its wartime function on the battle front a year earlier in 1914. Records indicate that the French forces actually started using something similar to chemical warfare early on in the war. Trumpener also discussed the facts pertaining to the weak methods by which the German military developed their germ warfare program. Trumpner was right in saying that very little information can be found about the germ warfare program of both sides back in World War I. Reading his essay actually had a profound effect on the way that I viewed the history of the first world war. For me, it went from a war that used the most basic of armaments, to the war that redefined the meaning of battle. I originally believed germ warfare to have been used to annihilate the Jews during World War II. Little did I know that the terrors of germ warfare had been around far longer than that. In fact, it is probably the early existence and experimenting of the German forces during World War I that led to the death camps of Nazi Germany during World

Chose an interesting Topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Chose an interesting Topic - Essay Example You see, he was actually asking me to work in two days, which in his mind was next Saturday. For me, that would have been this Saturday. For whatever reason, neither of us communicated exactly what we thought. In retrospect, I should have practiced my informational listening skills a bit more and asked for clarification. What I was hearing, and what he was saying, were apparently two different things. Because I had agreed to take his shift, he put it out of his mind and went on with his weekend. The ironic thing is, so did I. Now, I was fully planning on working the following Saturday and I already had that in the back of my mind. Well, my friend called me later that evening obviously upset. He wanted to know why I lied to him. Since I did not believe I had lied to him, I became a bit upset myself. He then proceeded to question why I told him that I would work for him today, but then I did not show up. He was implying that my verbal message to him on Thursday was contradicting my actions today. I went on to tell him that he told me I was supposed to work next Saturday, not today. Of course, he said that since he spoke to me on Thursday, that this was, in fact, next Saturday. Needless to say, I became confused even more than I was when he called me a liar. In the end, he got in a lot of trouble for failing to adequately cover his shift. I did not get in trouble, but I still feel terrible about the situation. My friend probably thinks that I was practicing deception with him by trying to justify my actions with a misunderstanding between the words ‘next’ and ‘this’. In reality, it was truly a mistake made by two adults. He feels that he communicated properly, while I feel like he did not. In the end, he suffered with the boss, and I continue to suffer because I unknowingly let a friend down. It appears that the root of our misunderstanding resulted from a lack difference in chronemics. Both of had

Gamification Primer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gamification Primer - Essay Example amification is applied in business is to improve the competitiveness of a given business over other competitors and increase the market share, hence profitability. It is a shift from the games modeling the real world to the real world emulating games. Understanding game mechanics is significant as it enables the understanding of the real forces that affect business behavior and trends across the globe (Burke 35). Common players in games include both corporate and individuals that do it for different reasons, although the aim is to gain in different ways. Despite the benefits that are associated with the different games, challenges and risks emerge as well. For instance, an organization could apply a different game that could result in great losses and its exit from the industry if other competitors play similar games at the same time. To this end, gamification utilizes technological innovation and research and development to increase the benefits. Barclays Bank is a multinational banking group that began its operations in the United Kingdom and expanded to other countries across the globe. The organization deals with provision of investment and personal banking among other services. The bank has positioned itself as a dominant financial institution in the industry given its good financial performance. However, maintenance of the dominance is not an easy task for the bank it had to undertake different strategies (Burke 67). Gamification is one of the strategies that Barclays bank undertook. Under this strategy, the bank has the objective of generating value for all the customers it serves in its services and products. Barclays Bank is involved in intense marketing strategies some of which include integrated marketing. This is manifested in several ways such as the promotions and adverts in the broadcast media. Corporate social responsibility activities such as the support of the English Premier league is another example of mar keting strategies. The competencies

Read Article and watch four hour home Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Read Article and watch four hour home - Essay Example In a very fast paced world and society, individuals have the tendency to become more independently especially when achieving their goals. However, it is still a tested fact that more often a team’s goal is more feasible rather than an individual goal. Like in the example that was given in by those people who participated in the 4-Hour House in San Diego. It is not easy to build a house. There are instances that even if the house has been meticulously built, there are bits and pieces of errors that might cause an accident during the building process. Yet in the event that occurred in San Diego, it just proved that nothing is impossible when people unite and work as one towards a common goal. For teams to be united there should be no barriers as to the extent how an individual will cooperate to achieve the goal. According to DAndrea-OBrien and Buono (4-6), the output should not be based on an individual’s contribution to the whole task. It is still the team who should be given the credit as all of the people involved have exhausted their energy and collaborated with their peers to achieve the success of the common goal. It is the team’s goal that is put into consideration and not the heroic stands of just one individual. Still looking at the example of the 4-Hour House, nobody was a superhero. The success of the whole record-breaking event was credited to each and every individual who put their hearts, souls and mind to the whole project. The development of learning teams, however, requires managers to rethink their role, achieving a balance between status as the "expert" and a coach facilitator. They must encourage team members to build a psychological contract among the team members. This contract states team members’ strengths and skills, expectations both for the results and the process they will follow, as well as a set of norms

Gamification Primer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gamification Primer - Essay Example amification is applied in business is to improve the competitiveness of a given business over other competitors and increase the market share, hence profitability. It is a shift from the games modeling the real world to the real world emulating games. Understanding game mechanics is significant as it enables the understanding of the real forces that affect business behavior and trends across the globe (Burke 35). Common players in games include both corporate and individuals that do it for different reasons, although the aim is to gain in different ways. Despite the benefits that are associated with the different games, challenges and risks emerge as well. For instance, an organization could apply a different game that could result in great losses and its exit from the industry if other competitors play similar games at the same time. To this end, gamification utilizes technological innovation and research and development to increase the benefits. Barclays Bank is a multinational banking group that began its operations in the United Kingdom and expanded to other countries across the globe. The organization deals with provision of investment and personal banking among other services. The bank has positioned itself as a dominant financial institution in the industry given its good financial performance. However, maintenance of the dominance is not an easy task for the bank it had to undertake different strategies (Burke 67). Gamification is one of the strategies that Barclays bank undertook. Under this strategy, the bank has the objective of generating value for all the customers it serves in its services and products. Barclays Bank is involved in intense marketing strategies some of which include integrated marketing. This is manifested in several ways such as the promotions and adverts in the broadcast media. Corporate social responsibility activities such as the support of the English Premier league is another example of mar keting strategies. The competencies

MUSEUM VISIT AND ANALYSIS OF A WORK OF ART Essay

MUSEUM VISIT AND ANALYSIS OF A WORK OF ART - Essay Example The sculpted image brings the two Hindu deities; Shiva and Parvati, into a mutual harmony that pictures a microcosm of the Hindu society. Upon critical assessment of the artwork, it is clear that there was an elucidation of a vision of reunion of nature. The artwork can be said to be a microcosm of societal codependence and coexistence. Moreover, the elucidation and texture of the sculpture exudes power and authority to the viewer in the finest nuances. The Stele with Shiva and Parvati is a high relief sculpture on hard wood. In the sculpture, the deities are attended by their offspring; the human headed Skanda on the lower right and the elephant headed Ganesha on the lower left. There is also Shiva’s bull Nandi that protrudes his head besides Shiva’s right hip. Notable in this artwork is the detail with which the sculpture tried to create the whole form. In this artwork, as in the other works of Indian art, there is a voluptuous feeling because of the freedom of expres sion. This form gives the artwork a strong sense of Indian culture of the 10th and 11th century. The sculpture is a depiction of images that were central to the iconography of Paryathi in India including the theme of Shiva, the image of Shiva and the image of Liga and Yoni. The images form a combination of Shiva and Parvati, yielding a vision of reconciliation as seen in the sculpture. In the artwork, it is clear that the two deities are interdependent and their positioning breaks the rule of Indian art a little by depicting the two with no significant size difference. They are therefore, almost commanding the same power and ability. This means that may be the person who curved it attempted to deconstruct the Hindu social expectation and hierarchy of deities. Although, in reality the Shiva looks bigger in size and form in this sculpture; the earlier artworks depicts this difference as substantial. The form and texture of the sculpture is also an interesting part. For example, the co mbination of the two deities may also symbolize a union of man and woman in elation and sexual bliss; given by the shiny surface which characterizes sexual power. As alluded before, the style in this sculpture is slightly drifting from the traditional Hindu art made before and after by the fact that in the creation of the two deities, Shiva is depicted as powerful and huge in size than Parvati who is depicted as smaller in size and submissive. The Hindu mythology has it that Parvati is the source of all power, and although Parvati is junior to Shiva, Shiva gets all his power from her. Therefore, this artwork stands with its own narrative different from the pieces created of Shiva and Parvati before and after this work’s creation period. This makes it representative of style of the artworks created during its time, but different to the then popular thematic narrative. This sculpture was intended to be placed in a temple or visible public walls in India because it depicted two deities, which were highly significant in the Hindu religion. In line with the dressing code of the central India, Parvati is in a dress that flows to her feet. Their independence to each other depicts the way Indian religion viewed the deities as independent, but mutually

Political And Economic Globalization Essay Example for Free

Political And Economic Globalization Essay Globalization in whichever form has received different view from different people all over the world. It has always portrayed two faces in any field in which it was applied. Generally, globalization has its roots in economic and political concerns. These two areas are key factors which touches the lives of people in any country, hence, globalization in either economic or politics will most if not always affect the ways of life in any given country. The consequences of economic and political globalizations are thus paramount in the induction of particular changes in the cultural ways of these communities. The economic and political globalization has an impact on culture while at the same time the cultures have enormous impacts on the globalization of both. This is because there is an intimate interrelationships and integration of the three human activities which builds the human life. Thus, from the historical view of the three things, they have gone hand in hand for complete human life existence. Globalization of politics and economic are two key factors which are affecting the culture of modern world bringing about cultural homogeneity rather than cultural diversity. In reality, this has made crowds of people to remain perplex on which ways is these economic and political globalizations is driving the culture. (Mudimbe-boyi, 2002) Meanwhile, globalization has also allowed the cultural diversity tpo surface as countries started to accept the globalized views and ways of life. The more global influences get in the culture, the more chance that the community acknowledges the uniqueness of its culture. First and foremost are that many people having experiences obstacles of understanding what is culture and the compositions of culture. Michael Amaladoss gave any efforts of defining culture. He said â€Å"culture is the way of a life of a people through which they humanize and socialize nature. † In his further elaboration, he mentioned that it implies the world-view, a value system and a network of social relationships. There are key areas in which during economics and political globalization, they are obviously affected. The effects are felt when many people changes their values system and the original products which were once used by their forefathers. This phenomenon is not rare in most parts of the world where many people have gone under the transition of economic and political globalization. There are numerous alarming cultural practices which the world’s leaders are now struggling to ban as result of this two globalizes factors. (Cowen, 2002) In some instances however, globalization becomes a driving force for people to realize how cultural affinities are being ignored. As people in different communities strive to adopt into the globalized world, they start to be more keen on its effects in the culture, thus the rise of groups concerned with protecting and/or preserving the cultural heritage. It has also served as the venue for countries to showcase the unique culture to the entire world. Globalization of economy and politics are not bring along with cultural diversity. Generally, each globalization processes are working ways out to have homogeneity of cultures. For instance, in terms of economic globalization in the sectors of agriculture sectors, the world’s organizations which deal with the problems of foods shortages do not address the problem from root cause of the shortages. Their models hardly emphasizes on the available establishment of these local food stuff in the particular countries. Instead, they widely and vast get involved in the use of imports to solve the problems of hungers. Through such means the cultural foods products of the native communities in these states are set into extinction as the local are encouraged to embark on sowing new types of crops. This portrays that there is expansion of the culture from one point of country to another through these aids creating a homogenous cultures. (Adam, 2002) But because of the uniqueness of the cultures of each country, cultural differences will most likely affect how a country reacts to a globalized world, or how a country respond to globalization. Globalization can sometimes tend to be too Westernized that countries from Asia or from other part of the world will find it hard to adopt, thus resulting to further cultural diversity rather than homogeneity. Their global information infrastructures which as come on the ways of technology and industrialization has made trade increases. In addition, to trade many countries have been subjects to comply with unnecessary economic condition. This has especially affected those developing countries where resources and job opportunities are limited. The unfavorable economic environments in those states have created a loophole for the exploitation of the people. The people are being forced by worse survival means to adapts the foreign culture so that they can attain their goals in life. As the adage goes â€Å"power and wealthy and there to conquers and dominates the weak†. (Cowen, 2002) Meanwhile, globalization has also helped developing countries. An example is for developing countries in Asia such as Philippines and India who have become an ideal venue for the support needs of the economies of the US and other countries in Europe. This has paved the way for the booming business processing outsourcing (BPO) industries in these countries due to globalization. The political globalizations are largely affecting the culture of these different communities of the world in the pretence of fighting for human rights. The politics from the westerns and Americans have spreads in all corners of the worlds in which the Americans are fighting to have democratic political area. Political globalists has intervened in issues of marriages and other matters which touches family affairs. Argument such as homosexuals and other related family matters have been widely politicized debates which have been accelerated by political globalization. The consequences of this embarked in the developments countries which are majority pro- globalisms. The final result is that, the continued interaction of the people in the economic dispersions in the trades industries wits such peoples has enables the spreading of the vices to thousands of countries in other continents. Gayism and lesbians are two vices which did not exist in African continents in date of the previous two centuries back. The perpetual globalization on economic and politics has spread this scourge disease to the continent in the last four to five decades. This vividly demonstrates, that the cultures which had rooted values in the continent has been absorbed creating some support of homogeneous culture rather than cultural diversity. (Mudimbe-boyi, 2002) In the same way, the share of culture had also positive effect on other communities. People become more informed of how things are done in the other parts of the world, and thus they are able to establish benchmarks. These will then become a basis of the right way of doing things by using these as models on how to successfully deal with political and economic concerns. Reference: Adam, D. (2002): Community, Culture and Globalization: Rockefeller Foundation Cowen, T. (2002): How Globalization is changing the Worlds Culture: Princeton University Press. Greenaway, D. (2005): Adjusting to globalization: University of Nottingham Mudimbe-boyi, E. (2002): Histories, Identities, Cultures, and the Challenge of Globalization: University of New York Press

Adapting to variable change in the market

Adapting to variable change in the market Adapting to change continuously is something thats very essential for an organization to survive and prosper into todays business environment.The focus of customer value is changing focus from product innovation to business innovation . Companies today need to evolve with customer needs, especially companies in the technology sector where innovation is fast paced and obsolescence is always around the corner .However trying to implement changes without adapting its strategy ,structure and processes to the change being implemented would almost surely lead to failure because a successful change needs to be a synergy of all the components /processes within the company. There are many companies which failed to capitalise on their success and lost out to their competitors over time because they were unable to successfully adapt themselves to the change . some of the examples of such stories are Canon , Nintendo and now Nokia ( Nintendo however managed to recover from the setback and that is something Nokia is looking to learn from/replicate) . Nintendo was the leader in gaming consoles till the years leading to 2000s but then Sony with it Playstation 2 took over the game and was the leader in gaming console but amongst the current generation of gaming consoles Nintendo has managed to recapture its position as the market leader with its offering the Nintendo Wii. Same was the case with Xerox , who was the leader in photocopier machines however it failed to evolve with the market and eventually lost out to Canon and Kodak and never manage to recapture its initial position of the market leader. The lesson to learn from the above cases is that being the market leader doesnt necessary guarantee you security from the environment , there is still a dire need to evolve with the market . infact the company at the front has to LEAD from the front . Changes the Source of Opportunities Innovation  is the weapon of choice for entrepreneurs.  Doing things in a different improved way or trying to do old things different is how organizations  leverage changes as a business opportunity. Innovation need to be approached systematically , with a watchful eye for changes and by looking for the opportunities that the company can capitalise on . In todays market innovation is the key driver towards success if the current success stories are anything to go by ranging from the iPhone to the Nintendo Wii.Companies look to knock out the competition by leading from the front . There are 2 trends that are successful and are popularly known as leap frog and second one is known as disruptive technology. The leapfrog strategy basically implies that you leap over the competition ,it might be developing new technologies or using a new business model to completely bypass the competition.The idea is as the name suggest to jump over the competition so that the competition . Disruptive technology is an innovation that disturbs the market forces. It basically refers to do innovations which improves on a product or service in a way not expected by the market , it typically could be by lowering the price or even offering a lower quality product which caters to a different customer segment such as in the case of Ryanair . Models of change management : There are a few models proposed for effective change management ,I will discuss a couple of them so that they can be leveraged to study the given case in a more analytical manner ,namely Kotters 8 step model and ADKAR model. Kotters 8 step model has the following steps: 1)a sense of urgency : for a change to occur there has to be a sense of urgency around the need for change .this help motivate other people so that you have more support you and help you build a sense of urgency . 2)form a powerful coalition: You have to make sure that the people around you believe in the change being necessary . This requires convincing key people in the organisation so you can garner their support and approval which helps you build momentum . For that you will need to find the non traditional /radical leaders ,people who are willing to adapt change and approach with an open mind . Once the coalition is formed , sense of urgency has to be continued and built upon . 3) create a vision for change : There would be many ideas/concepts for the change but the idea here is to link all of them so as to have a coherent vision for change providing a more holistic view of the change to occur and also a better understanding . This will the people around you understand your ideas better as well as help them help you better by having a better sense of your objectives. 4) communicate the vision : The vision needs to be communicated in a clear ,succinct manner on a frequent basis so it can compete with the other messages being broadcasted daily and stands out . 5)Take care of the obstacles : After all the above steps , it is highly likely that you will come across some obstacles maybe on an operational level or at a support level where you will have people questioning your ideas or resisting change , afterall its innate to every human to resist change as pointed out the only person who probably likes change is a wet baby. 6) create short term victories : the short terms victories as in positive feedback from the initial steps of change will help convince both the company and the support about the positive effects of the change being brought about . It will reaffirm the faith of your supporters as well as silence the critics . 7) build on your success: often many changes fail because victory is declared too early . Build on your initial success to keep up the momentum and see it through till the end . You should continuously be looking to make improvements. 8)ingrain the changes into the corporate culture : the changes need to be ingrained into the culture of the company to keep up the success else it will fail as soon as the processes and culture returns to its original state. So the change has to be maintained inorder to ensure long term success. The ADKAR model [Source: http://www.change-management.com/Tutorial-ADKAR-series-1.htm ] The ADKAR model What is change ? Change as per Websters dictionary is described as : To make something different in some particular way To replace with another To give a different direction , position etc And so on [Source : http://www.merriam-webster.com/ ] So what is change management  ? Change management can be defined in many different way but some of the best ones as per the KISS ( Keeping it short and simple ) are mentioned below  : The systematic approach and application of knowledge, tools and resources to deal with change. Change management means defining and adopting corporate strategies, structures, procedures and technologies to deal with changes in external conditions and the business environment. -SHRM Glossary of Human Resources Terms, www.shrm.org. Change management can be divided into three phases : Adapting to change Controlling the change /trying to manage it Effecting the change Successfully adapting to change is as crucial to the business world as it to the natural world , however in business the change is much more rapid and the pace at which an organization needs to adapt has to be much quicker than in the business world since the pace of change is also much quicker and the magnitude of change more extreme, so the change has to be well planned and well thought out to ensure maximum efficacy. Leading from the front [Source: http://www.gaebler.com/Leading-from-the-Front.htm] Leading from the front is a commonly used term in business jargon ,but if you stop and think about its exact meaning it can be interpreted in 2 ways: that you as a leader expect everyone else to follow the exact same route That you do whatever youve been asked to do ,exactly as per instructions Now these 2 interpretations may not seem that different at first but on deeper inspection it has to be realised that a person /organisation may only have x capacity or y resources and that these are the limitations of the organization. For e.g. no matter how many years or how many tournaments of golf you may have played in your life , its still next to impossible to be as good as Tiger Woods at golf because there are just some inherent resources which are at Tiger Woods disposal that you may not have such as a natural deep swing etc . so the second interpretation in most scenarios is the most feasible one on account of the fact that it takes into account the limitation factor. I will later extend on this argument to explain Nokias position in the current market . Leading from the front driven change Leading from the front driven change would imply going ahead and being a source of change . Instead of following a leader , you try and be the leader of that particular change .Its best explained with an example, like in case of Apple when they came up with the iPhone they went ahead and made the key differentiator to the be the user experience , they didnt go over board in the hardware war against Nokia instead they created a niche for themselves with the user experience . The key to the iPhone was the sheer simplicity and joy of using one , infact in terms of hardware Nokia was way ahead ,Nokia offered a camera of resolution of the magnitude of 5 megapixels with a xenon flash ( N82 announce 2007) as compared to a measly 2 mega pixel with no flash offered by the Apple iPhone first generation . There were a lot of similar points of comparison where in terms hardware Nokia was way ahead of the offering made by the Apple iPhone ( first generation ) and yet the Apple iPhone did really w ell despite being the companys first offering in the mobile phone market .( Apple sold 2,70,000 iPhones in first quarter and till Q1 2010 had sold over 42 million handsets put together)[Source : http://gorumors.com/crunchies/quarterly-breakup-of-iphone-sales/ ] What Apple did right was they didnt try and race ahead in the handset war against Nokia instead they formed a new class and started a new race where they were the leaders and now Nokia has to play catch up . Another example of such a story can be found in the gaming console wars between the 3 biggies of the industries : Nintendo , Microsoft and Sony. Nintendo , Sony and Microsoft each had their gaming console and while Microsoft and Sony were busy with their hardware wars for their Xbox and Playstation console in system in the mid 2005-2008 trying to outdo the other in terms of sheer processing power ,Nintendo decided to change game by concentrating on the gaming experience rather than the hardware specifications of the machine . What this resulted in was leading from the front driven change scenario . Nintendo lead from the front and while Microsoft and Sony were busy in their hardware specification war (which eventually escalated the prices of the consoles further up : eventually close to double the price of a Nintendo Wii ) came out with a gaming console which was so different (with the Wii stick ) that it actually has outsold both Xbox and Sony Playstation in the current generation of gaming consoles in terms of sales . As mentioned in the case this success story is something Nokia can learn from since Nintendo has been through a similar change of fortunes over the years, initially it was the leader, then it lost out to the play station and Xbox and then it recapitalised it position as the market leader in the current gaming console generation similar to what Nokia is planning on replicating through it new CEO.