What accelerates and counteracts global warming?

Global warming is the worst challenge facing the world in the 21st century. Since the second half of the 20th century, there has been sudden increase in global temperature leading to global warming effect. Increased human activities and natural activities have contributed to increase global warming.Global warming has had various negative effects in the world including melting of polar ice and rise in sea levels, changes in weather pattern with prolonged drought and torrents of rain, disappearance of species, and many others. One of the main factors that have contributed to global warming is release of green house gases to the atmosphere. Release of gases like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrite oxide, and others has contributed to green house effect leading to global warming.Although green house gases has been cited as the main source of global warming, there are other minor sources which over the time has led to   substantial increase in global temperature. However, there are alternative factors counteracting global warming effects which include aerosols and soot, solar variation, and many others.Alternative causes of global warmingThe most common indicator used to indicate global warming is the change in average global temperature at the near earth’s surface.   Between 1860 and 1900 it is recorded that the earth surface temperature increased by  Ã‚   0.75oC which is approximately 1.35oF.Since 1979, the global temperature at the lower trosphere has recorded an increase of more than 0.22oC. Before 1850, it is believed that temperature was relatively stable for more than two thousands years and therefore it is the increase in human activities especially industrialization that has led to increase in global temperature. According to recent records, 2005 was recorded as the warmest year ever since the scientific world started keeping reliable records.The main factor contributing to increased global temperature has been release of green house gases to the atmosphere (Pierce and Adams, 2009). It is believed that gases like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrite oxide, nitrogen dioxide and others leads to green house effects which increases global temperature.While green house gases contribute to global warming effects, it is believed that there are factors which had previously been thought to cause global warming but counteract global warming effects.Although their contribution may be minimal and difficult to notice, these factors can led to substantial cooling of the earth over a long period of time. Let us look at some of these factors including aerosols and soot which counteract global warming and solar variation which may accelerates global warmingAerosols and soot Aerosols and soot contribute to global cooling through global dimming. This is an effect in which there is gradual reduction in the range of direct irradiance to the earth that greatly counteracts global warming effect.This phenomenon, which has been studied s ince 1960 evidence that global dimming, can contribute to cooling of the earth over a long period of time.   Global dimming is mainly caused by aerosols which are produced through volcanic activities and other emissions like sulfur dioxide (Pierce and Adams, 2009).Aerosols produce a cooling effect through increase of reflection of some of the incoming sunlight.   Ã‚  Through scattering and absorbing of the solar radiation, aerosols have also been shown to have indirect effects on the net radiation budget.For example sulfate aerosols have been found to form cloud condensation nuclei which lead to clouds having smaller could droplets.   The formed clouds have been shown to reflect solar radiation when compared to clouds with fewer and large droplets.Soot can lead to cool or warm effect on the globe depending on its state whether airborne or deposition. Soot aerosols in the atmosphere absorb solar radiation thereby cooling the earth since solar radiation heats the atmosphere.Howe ver, soot deposited at the glaciers has been shown to heat the earth surfaces.   Aerosols have more pronounced effects in the tropical and sub-tropical regions especially in Asia.

Commerce as the optional subject

When I was in the 9th grade, I took up commerce as the optional subject for the sheer reason of exploring it anticipating a career in a non-science field. My High School results card declared my excellence of commerce over science and I took that as a clue to take up commerce in Junior college & to later pursue it in my undergraduate degree. I secured a First Class with a specialization in Financial & Management Accounting. During my days as commerce undergraduate, I came across various options for a choice of career and perceived Management to be a challenging, versatile, innovative & evolving preference of many. Though it attracts a multitude, only a handful are able to make a mark and I want to be amongst those few. Having finished undergraduate studies, unlike many of my batch-mates, I did not opt for a job that would train me in either back office support or bare minimum accounting practices; only to end up doing a clerical job for the sole purpose for earning money. I decided to continue my studies to shape up my career and choose Healthcare Management. I joined the Symbiosis International University to initiate my professional studies. The Healthcare Industry is one, which affects peoples’ lives & contributes towards the building of any nation in a holistic manner. Also, globally one can categorize the Healthcare Industry as one with a high a potential for growth, development and innovation for a better living in times to come. The Business Week Magazine cites that â€Å"since 2001, the health-care industry has added 1.7 million jobs†, which is quite a high number when compared to other industries. Moneycontrol.com, a leading finance & investment oriented website says that â€Å"A latest study by global management consultants McKinsey predicts that India's healthcare industry will reach a staggering USD 190 billion mark in less than two decades†. Job opportunities in the Indian Healthcare Industry are like diamond mines in an unclaimed terrain. Early claimants get the maximum benefits. In this industry, I have discovered various opportunities that can be take me places. To blend my knowledge of finance with healthcare I studied Health Insurance at Bajaj Allianz, India’s leading insurance providers. Further, I worked with a healthcare consultancy & a cardiac care set-up as a part of Project handling teams. Presently, I’m associated with a Super speciality Ophthalmology Institute as Manager (Administration & HR). But, I have come to a conclusion that to succeed in this super specialized industry, I need additional education to build a better career. This is the reason why I look ahead at new horizons for enriching experiences to polish my know-how on Finance. I believe I have the dedication, resilience and resolve required to do justice to my aspirations. I am confident that these traits would help me to contribute to the challenging and intellectually stimulating environment of (NAME) University.

Sickle Cell Anemia Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sickle Cell Anemia - Term Paper Example This pain can last from several hours to days. Chronic pain,lasting for weeks and months, is also possible. Recurring infections, gallstones, leg ulcers, multiple organ failure, spleen shrinkage and eye problems are due to the complications arising from sickle cell anemia (National Heart Lung and Blood Institute). Sickle cell anemia or sickle cell disease is due to a mutation, or a single nucleotide change in the gene or the DNA sequence that codes for hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the major protein component of red blood cells and has the main function of transporting oxygen from the lungs to other organs in the body. The single nucleotide change occurs at the codon GAG which codes for the amino acid glutamic acid. The adenine base or â€Å"A† is replaced with thymine, or â€Å"T†, resulting in GTG, which codes for amino acid valine (Berg, Tymoczko, & Stryer; US Department of Energy). Normal hemoglobin is HbA while sickle cell hemoglobin is designated as HbS (Figure 1). The change in the amino acid sequence of the hemoglobin gene results in significant changes in the structure of the hemoglobin protein, which ultimately lead to the shape alteration of red blood cells from concave discs to sickle shaped. These alterations are due to the different properties of the two amino acids: valine is non-polar, while glutamic acid is electrically charged. At biological pH 7.4, glutamic acid has 2 negative charges. Mutant or sickle cell hemoglobin has less 2 negative charges compared to normal hemoglobin, therefore the interactions within the 4 chains of hemoglobin in red blood cells are affected, which changes the structure of the protein. A hydrophobic or â€Å"sticky† patch on the surface of the ÃŽ ² chains of hemoglobin is produced. When the hemoglobin molecules of the sickle cells is deoxygenated, they become insoluble and stick to each other, forming polymers or fibers, and the red blood cell

CST PROBLEM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CST PROBLEM - Essay Example According to UNWTO and UNICEF, it is a crime, and a violation of human and child rights for a tourist to engage in sexual relation to a minor. Therefore, the tourism industry needs to provide extensive education to all stakeholders in an effort to stop the child sex tourism and make a difference. The tourism industry should educate tourists, tour operators, hotel managers and other tourism components on how to mitigate and end sex trafficking. The stakeholders should be able to know how to identify the occurrence of any child sex trafficking and what to do to manage and diffuse the situation. Moreover, the governments should establish and implement regulation and rules in an effort to stop these vices and impose stiff penalties for those violating the rules. In this view, child exploitation in Thailand and Kenya can only be controlled by the presence of anti-child sex education and enforcement of rules by the government. In regard to this article, most girls participate in sex trafficking due to high levels of poverty. Therefore, the governments of the affected countries should focus on job creation for its citizens. With jobs in place, people will recover their lost morals and ethics, and cease from allowing their children to participate in this ordeal. Also, parents will be able to take female children to school rather than having them participate in sex trafficking to earn a living. A change can emerge with the way tourism is being conducted if these countries focus fully on developing the economy, create jobs for all its citizens and ensure families have the ability to cater for their families. Ample Another way to make a difference in these affected countries is to raise awareness of the ordeal. People need to know what goes on in the tourism industry. Lack of awareness among people facilitate and worsen the Child sex tourism. Awareness enables young girls and boys to grow knowing that having sexual relations with adults, foreigners or

Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Motivation - Essay Example Most of these theories build on the work of Abraham Maslow conducted in the 1940's. His studies into human personality included attempts to understand motivation. He organized a list of five levels of motivation in order of importance from physiological through safety, love, and esteem to the top level of self-actualization. At the physiological level, people are concerned with obtaining their physical needs - food, air, water, and shelter. At the safety level, the concern shifts to protecting and supporting the family. While love can refer to the kind of romantic relationship most people think when they see the work, in Maslow's hierarchy of needs model it refers to the need to be accepted as a member of a group. Esteem and self-actualization may seem like the same thing, but esteem refers to having a sense of self-respect while self-actualization refers to the development of wisdom (Maslow, 1987). â€Å"Maslow’s ultimate conclusion that the highest levels of self-actualizat ion are transcendent in their nature may be one of his most important contributions to the study of human behavior and motivation† (Daniels, cited in Huitt, 2004). In most illustrations of this model, the various stages are represented as individual steps on a pyramid of possibility with physical needs at the base and self-actualization at the peak. The reason for this depiction is due to Maslow's belief that all of the elements in one level must be achieved before the individual can move on to the next level. It is important to have this history, because it forms the base upon which or against which later theorist worked. Working in the late 1950's and 1960's, Frederick Herzberg built his two-factor theory from Maslow's model trying to learn new ways to motivate employees. He discovered that employees were not motivated just by having their low-level needs met and suggested employers who wanted to improve performance should work to also address high-level motivators. â€Å"M otivator or intrinsic factors, such as achievement and recognition, produce job satisfaction. Hygiene or extrinsic factors, such as pay and job security, produce job dissatisfaction† (Herzberg, Mausner & Snyderman, 1959). Although he renamed and grouped the levels into hygiene and motivator macro-levels, the same basic levels from Maslow can be discovered within as physiology and safety needs become hygiene and esteem and self-actualization become motivators. Organizations employing Herzberg's theory understand pay increases, bonuses, and other inducements related to the job intended to satisfy low-level needs will not motivate workers. Instead, just focusing on meeting these needs tends to encourage employees to seek employment elsewhere. Organisations such as Tesco base their operations on this theory, giving employees a chance to participate in decision-making, holding forums to gain employee input, and encouraging strong organisation-wide communication. These are all strat egies designed to meet high-level needs such as belonging, esteem,

Study and learning skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Study and learning skills - Essay Example vation to continue the process of studying, unmotivated studying (just because you have to) is ineffective and fruitless; goals will help stay focused and monitor your progress. It is necessary to devote time to working at the most difficult assignments first (but not during the test, when time is limited and there are many tasks to be completed). When preparing for the test, one should be focused, it is required to eliminate any source of possible distraction; student also have to fight excessive anxiety about the upcoming test. It is important to remember that revision is practice, and practice makes perfect. The learning process requires person’s activity - it is not limited to the university or school. You keep yourself acquainted with new literature, make your own little discoveries, determine your own position on one or another issue and apply your knowledge to solve specific problems. You should not regard yourself as a passive object of the learning process; object, which is able to receive information only in the classroom and is not going to analyze it. Prepare to the fact that your self-study time will exceed time, spent in the classroom. The sooner you get the necessary skills to be successful in studying, the more efficiently your time will be used, and the greater your success will be. Nobody can deny the fact that acquiring knowledge is not easy task to do. Sometimes studying is quite a painful process and lots of factors can influence it. First of all, a student needs to develop some skills that will be necessary for further efficient and successful studying. Studying skills or strategies are characterized â€Å"as the approaches applied to learning, which are generally critical to success in school, are considered essential for acquiring good grades, and are useful for learning throughout ones life† (Preston, 1989). Everybody is aware or such simple truth that time is money, nonetheless, so many people neglect it and go on wasting time.

In the Lake of the Woods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

In the Lake of the Woods - Essay Example In the hypotheses chapters O’Brian has presented quotes from real books and reports (The My Lai court martials, histories, psychological books political biographies) and fictional sources (characters in the novel). As I see, the main aspect of the novel that grabs the readers and doesn’t let them go without completing it is its POV (Point of view). Usually authors use ‘one’ point of view as a tool to convey the mood and outlook they want to portray through their writing. However, a writer can even use first, second and third point of views together to diversify his storyline, which is what O’Brian has done in the discoursed novel. The element that gives this novel the feel of a first person narrative, despite of the fact that it is written in the third person is the ‘footnotes’. These are the footnotes that are included in the chapters and in which the narrator identifies himself and discusses his reasons for writing the story. Also he tells the problems he has encountered while writing it as the narrator has selected and organized the evidences to reveal thematic links between individual pieces of evidence, the main narrative, and his theories. Conseque ntly, the unique blend of two different points of views is the essential of â€Å"In the Lake of the

What Do Programmers Do Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

What Do Programmers Do - Research Paper Example These devices came through the hands of experienced programmers. Much worse case is that they fail to recognize the difficulty and significance of the job. To gain better comprehension of what programmers exactly do or clarifications of misconceptions will assist people into achieving a sense of deeper appreciation for both the professionals and their craft. A professional even once said that what people commonly think that programmers delve into a field that is encompassed by pure science is inaccurate. Programmers actually are more like artists in their profession (Dollery 1). Additionally, it can be described as an interesting and stable choice of profession nowadays with the continuous advancement of the computer age (â€Å"Information Technology Jobs in America: Corporate & Government Career Guide† 29). There are numerous approaches one can take to become a professional programmer aside from attaining a degree in computer science or software engineering. There are unconve ntional ways where one programs accidentally or one has an interest in programming therefore adopts it as a past time (George 1). Comparing computers in the past and present, it is obvious at how it has remarkably evolved and continuously pushing its limits, if there are any. Through this, one can also expect that the field of programmers and the nature of their profession have also and will continue to metamorphose throughout the future (Morley 718). The Programmers’ Job To avoid any obscurity about the description of a programmer’s job, it can easily be broken down into three steps—writing the program, testing the program and debugging it if errors are found then testing again until the correct function has been achieved. In some ways, programmers identify their expertise similar to those of writers only much rigid (Seibel 299). What really make the jobs of programmers enigmatic are the various, distinctive languages they utilize for the development of program s. In fact, programmers are burdened with understanding numerous languages if not all during their course of education to assure their adequacy in a task (Morley 572). It is an imperative that people who delve into this profession know a handful of programming languages. For instance, in America, they demand experience in C++, Java, JavaScript, VisualBasic, Cobol or Fortran which are popular programming languages (â€Å"Information Technology Jobs in America: Corporate & Government Career Guide† 116). Furthermore, a computer programmer is equipped with many essential skills. To be the best in their craft, these professionals are expected to have acquired a basic skill in debugging where the planned operation goes otherwise and they have to be able to find it, figure it out and correct the problem (Read 5). This might be simple enough but it requires cleverness and artistry. Though there are tools available for the professionals, a specialized knowledge must be accomplished be fore once can debug with ease. Some expert programmers even say that to be where they are, it took a lot of hands-on experience (Seibel 4). Finally, programmers, as with all professionals, are assigned with the task of unit testing which assures that all their developed programs are efficiently working. In this final stage of production, there is quite a demand not only in skill but also a good working relationship (Helgeson 240). It is said that in our age even our advancements require continuous

Information System Development Blog Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Information System Development Blog - Essay Example The commands available are compiled together in the menu, while actions are performed later. Windowing system deals with software devices like graphics hardware and pointing devices, besides cursor positioning. In a personal computer, these elements are all modeled via a desktop metaphor in order to produce desktop environment simulation where the displays represent a desktop where documents and document folders can be placed. Window managers combine with other software so as to simulate desktop environment with various degrees of realism. The process that takes place in user interface components is, the message is first relayed on the physical component, perceived by perceptual components and then conceived by conceptual components. Though the three components have different functions, their functions are related. Components of user interface that have three dimensions, especially 6hose designed for graphics are common in movies and literature. They are also used in art, computer games and computer aided design. They are important in considering the interaction design because they enhance efficiency and make it easy to use the underlying logical design of stored programs, that is, usability (Marcin, 2009). The user typically interacts with information through manipulation of visual widgets, which allow for appropriate interactions to the held data. Together, they support the necessary actions in order to achieve the objectives of the user. A model view controller ensures a flexible structure, independent from the interface but indirectly linked to functional applications or easy customization. This allows users to design and select different skins at their own will. User-centered design methods make sure that the introduced visual image in the design is perfectly tailored to the duties it must perform. Larger widgets like windows normally provide a frame for the content of the main presentation like web page or email message. On the other

The Character of Arnold Friend Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Character of Arnold Friend - Essay Example For this purpose, a mention would be made of both direct quotations from the story and also views of a renowned scholar and which add strength to the argument presented by this essay. Here, it needs to be specified that the scope of this essay is confined to solely understanding the character of Arnold Friend, and not to give a detailed summary of the story. Background It was sometime in the second half of 1960s that the author happened to read about Charles Schmid, a serial killer of Arizona who murdered several girls. All these girls were in their teens. In fact, the killer was named as â€Å"The Pied Piper of Tucson†, and Joyce did not take too much of time in deciding to write a story based on the serial killings, and the title of this story is â€Å"Where are you going, Where have you been?†As a matter of fact, the character of Arnold Friend in this story clearly resembles Schmid. Just like the latter, even Arnold Friend is short and attempts to look taller by stuf fing some things in his shoes. Most importantly, in the story, even Arnold goes on to intimidate a teenage girl who was trying to keep him at bay. But here, the author brought an entirely new dimension by adding an element of supernatural phenomenon to the story, and this is what is going to elaborately analyzed in the subsequent section. (1) Analysis The aforementioned supernatural phenomenon is obvious from the narrative of story strongly suggesting that Arnold Friend is Satan himself, in disguise. There are several quotations from the story, which add weight to this argument, and it would be very much apt in having a look at some of those. When Arnold sees Connie for the first time he remarks â€Å"Gonna get you, baby†. That is definitely not a respectable way of addressing ladies, and in fact, this also subtly hints that there is an element of evil in Arnold. (2) When Connie gets worried that her family members would return home, the following is the exact situation. â₠¬Å"Arnold says â€Å"Aunt Tillie’s. Right now they’re uh—they’re drinking. Sitting around,† he said vaguely, squinting as if he were staring all the way to town and over to Aunt Tillie’s back yard. Then the vision seemed to get clear and he nodded energetically. â€Å"Yeah. Sitting around. There’s your sister in a blue dress, huh? And high heels, the poor sad bitch—nothing like you, sweetheart! And your mother’s helping some fat woman with the corn, they’re cleaning the corn—husking the corn.† (2) From the contents stated in the preceding paragraph, it is evident that Arnold Friend possesses paranormal powers. He was vividly able to see the things taking place at a distant location. In popular literature, Satan is described as a combination of these powers and evil intentions, not to mention the ability to effectively assume any form. When Connie was worriedly resisting the advances of Arnold and was trying to make sure that the door gets locked, he remarks â€Å"But why lock it? It’s just a screen door? It’s just nothing.† These words subtly focus on another power of Satan where, locked doors and windows cannot prevent him from gaining entry into a place. Although he explains by stating that breaking a screen door is not an issue for anyone, yet, in light of the contents discussed up to that point in the story, it is but obvious that the power of the evil entity is being referred to. (2) When Connie was still adamant in not yielding to Arnold’s charm, he starts threatening her by saying â€Å"You don’t want your people in any trouble, do you?† That again is a clear reflection of his grossly evil nature- a nature which is characteristic of Satan! The manner in which the story reaches its end subtly points out that he kills

Essay on Weimar Germany Essay Example for Free

Essay on Weimar Germany Essay Weimar: Destined for Failure by a Weak Constitution and Poor Popular Support? A thread that runs throughout many analyses of the legacy of theWeimar Republic contains the idea that the fledgling German democracy was somehow doomed from the start. With a constitution that contained items such as Article 48 – a constitutional provision that permitted the Weimar President to rule by decree without the consent of the Reichstag – and a clause that allowed the Reichskanzler to assume office in the event of the death of the President, there were certainly structural inadequacies that, in hindsight, may not have been the wisest choices by the framers of the Weimar Constitution. Craig took aim at the consttutional inclusion of proportional representation (Verhaltniswahlrecht) in elections to the Reichstag, arguing that the resultant plethora of German political parties â€Å"made for an inherent instability that manifested itself in what appeared to the bemused spectator to be a continuous game of musical chairs† in the near-constant shuffling of Weimar coalitions and ministries. Eyck described the enormous number of political parties under proportional representation as â€Å"these many cooks [who] brought forth a broth which was neither consistent nor clear. † Mommsen, however, disagreed that proportional representation was a root cause of Weimar political instability, calling Verhaltniswahlrecht â€Å"at most a symptom† of the problems, and adding that the â€Å"reluctance to assume political responsibility† by Weimar political parties was the source of instability. Left: Weimar President Friedrich Ebert Other historians have pointed to the seeming lack of enthusiasm many Germans felt for the new government as contributing to a â€Å"doomed† Weimar. Erdmann argued that Germans faced a difficult dilemma in 1918-1919, faced with the choices of â€Å"social revolution in alliance with the forces pressing for a proletarian dictatorship,† or â€Å"a parliamentary republic in alliance with conservative elements such as the old officer corps. McKenzie, while acknowledging that the new Republic did not have broad support, nonetheless maintained that the motivations of most Germans remained simply â€Å"the restoration of law and order and return to peacetime conditions. † Fritzsche, arguing against the idea that Germans were anti-democratic, argued that â€Å"the hostile defamations of the president of the republic were as indicative of democratization as the presidency of the good-willed Fritz Ebert himself. Brecht disputed the notion that Germans, as a people, have somehow always been totalitarian, and cautioned against such the creation of such simplistic stereotypes to exlain the failure of Weimar democracy: †¦nothing can be more devious than the opinion that the Germans have always been totalitaran and that the democratic regime served only as a camouflage to conceal this fundamental fact. The overwhelming majority of the people at the end of the imperial period and during the democratic regime were distinctly anti-totalitarian and anti-fascist in both their ideas and principles. The rise of a culture of political violence in Weimar Germany should certainly be considered as a contributory factor in the Republic’s political instability. Beginning with the emergence of the Freikorps units immediately after the declaration of the Republic, this tendency toward violence became entrenched in Weimar politics after the 1919 assassinations of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg. Evans argued that â€Å"gun battles, assassinations, riots, massacres, and civil unrest† prevented Germans from possessing the â€Å"stability in which a new democratic order could flourish. Moreover, noted Evans, all major political parties employed groups of armed loyalists whose purposes were to protect their political compatriots and to contribute to the waging of low-grade civil war: Before long, political parties associated themselves with armed and uniformed squads, paramilitary troops whose task it was to provide guards at meetings, impress the public by marching in military parades, and to intimidate, beat up, and on occasion kill members of the paramilitary units associated with other political parties. Thus, the rise of militant extremists such as the NSDAP should viewed within the context of the Weimar history of political paramilitary forces as a â€Å"normal† phenomenon. Groups such as the Stahlhelm, the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold, and the Rotfrontkampferbund had memberships much higher than did the Ordnertruppen in the early to mid-1920s, and the rise of the Sturmabteilung as the muscle behind the NSDAP reflects the recognition by the Nazis of the unwritten rules of politics in Weimar Germany. Weimar Culture and Challenges to Tradition The personal freedoms often associated with Weimar culture – whether seen as an inevitable, pendulum-like reaction after decades of Wilhelmine authoritarianism, or as a flowering of postwar expression – led to a period of unparalleled vibrancy in literature, the arts, architecture, and philosophy. Kolb described the period as â€Å"the eruption of a new vitality, the liberation of creative forces in a short decade of unbounded intellectual and artistic freedom. Moreover, the Weimar period witnessed significant leaps forward in the emancipation of women, and it is not without considerable merit that many pundits have described Weimar Germany as the first modern culture. Left: Image of cabaret production of the Haller Revue in Berlin Yet these sudden cultural changes were far from being universally accepted by the average German, and groups on the right as well as the left decried what was perceived by many as the power of destructive internal forces. Leftists tended to focus on the bourgeois infatuation with base materialism, while many conservatives believed that republican Germany was becoming a morally decrepit nation. Hitler himself played off such sentiments in his speeches, using widespread perceptions of decadence and disaffection with modernity as springboards for his anti-Marxist and anti-Semitic philosophies. In his first public speech after accepting the post of Reichskanzler, Hitler blasted those whom he believed to have quickly led Germany to moral decay: Communism with its method of madness is making a powerful and insidious attack upon our dismayed and shattered nation. It seeks to poison and disrupt in order to hurl us into an epoch of chaos. This negative, destroying spirit spared nothing of all that is highest and most valuable. Beginning with the family, it has undermined the very foundations of morality and faith and scoffs at culture and business, nation and Fatherland, justice and honor. Fourteen years of Marxism have ruined Germany; one year of bolshevism would destroy her. Chief among the evidence for the supposed moral decline cited by contemprary critics of Weimar culture was the open sexual freedom proclaimed by many younger Germans, especially in the larger cities. Berlin, in particular, became something of an international destination for people seeking its wide variety of sexual subcultures. Henig argued that the â€Å"bright lights and avant-garde cultural attraction of Berlin incurred the hostility of traditional communities in rural areas. † The Weimar era, maintained Mommsen, was a period â€Å"that was characterized by the tension between extreme modernity in a few cultural centers and the relatve backwardness of life in the provinces. † Kolb noted that â€Å"confrontation in cultural matters still further exacerbated the basic political discord among Germans in the Weimar period. Lacqueur observed that many German artists were seemingly clueless of just how far removed their work was from the sensibilities of the average German citizen: Strange as it may appear in retrospect, they were genuinely unaware of the fact that the distance between the avant-garde and popular taste had grown immeasurably and that the dctrines preached by the right were much more in line with popular taste. Those who emphasize the cultural decadence of Weimar Germany, of course, run the risk of sounding prudish, or even worse, as apologists for the fascist regime that followed the demise of the Weimar Republic. Still, it is important to note that the perception of moral decay by many comtemporary Germans – on both the political right and left – was a contributing factor in the moving away from mainstream political parties by German voters and toward extremist factions such as the NSDAP and KDP. Combined with political instability and – most importantly – deleterious economic conditions, the concerns of many Germans about moral decline and social decay began to be expressed in the electoral results of 1930-32 and the eventual collapse of the republic-supporting Weimar Coalition. Hyperinflation, Depression, and Politcial Opportunity One of the consistent themes that underscores the period of Weimar Germany is that of economic instability, and the economic calamities that occurred throughout the history of the Republic mirror periods of political upheaval. The Weimar government, at various times, faced food shortages, hyperinflation, massive unemployment, and an unprecedented economic depression, and any analysis of the failures of democracy in Weimar Germany needs to take into account these inherently disruptive economic phenomena. Craig succinctly summed up the economic problems facing the new republic with this comment: â€Å"Its normal state was crisis. † Left: German children playing with worthless banknotes in 1923 The debts incurred by the German government during the war and the economic downturn that followed the transition away from a wartime economy weighed down the fledgling Weimar Republic. Industrial production in 1919, noted Evans, was only 42 percent of what it had been in 1913, and grain production had fallen by over 50 percent from prewar figures. These economic factors, however, paled in comparison with the effects of the reparations demanded and received by the Allies in the Versailles negotiations. In addition, Germany suffered significant territorial losses as a result of Versailles, including Alsace-Lorraine, West Prussia, Posen, Upper Silesia, and the Saar. The terms of the Treaty called for the new German government to make an initial payment of 20 billion gold marks to the Allies by May, 1921, and the Reparations Commission eventually settled on a total reparations bill to Germany of 132 billion gold marks. John Maynard Keynes – a participant in the Versailles negotiations – accurately predicted that the onerous terms of the Treaty of Versailles were far beyond the means of the new republic: The policy of reducing Germany to servitude for a generation, of degrading the lives of millions of human beings, and of depriving a whole nation of happiness should be abhorrent and detestable,—abhorrent and detestable, even if it were possible, even if it enriched ourselves, even if it did not sow the decay of the whole civilized life of Europe. The initial German economic losses due to the Treaty of Versailles were staggering. Germany lost about 13. 5 percent of its territory, approximately 13 percent of its industrial productivity, and slightly more than 10 percent of its population. In addition, the loss of important mining areas such as the Saar and Upper Silesia resulted in a loss of 74 percent of German iron ore, 41 percent of the country’s pig iron supplies, and approximately 25 percent of its coal reserves. Historians and economists have long debated the actual effects of the Treaty of Versailles on economic conditions in Weimar Germany. Fraser argued that the Treaty â€Å"was in no sense the unjust and cynical imposition that the propagandists alleged it to have been. † Eyck held that many Germans believed â€Å"that they had been duped by the armistice,† and that the effect of the heavy reparations served mostly to reinforce the Dolchsto? legende. Craig argued that the economic conditions that followed the burden of the reparations bills resulted in ordinary Germans suffering â€Å"deprivations that shattered their faith in the democratic process and left them cynical and alienated. Kolb noted that most of the reparations that were paid ultimately were sent by the debtor nations of Britain and France to the United States, which in turn reinvested this capital in the German economy. Webb called into question the very process of analyzing post-Treaty German economics, arguing that the effects of inflation in the early 1920s make calculations especially difficult, as inflation â€Å"altered the real va lue of all financial flows and confounded their measurement. † Yet it would be naive to dismiss the idea that reparations payments were a heavy burden on the new Weimar government. With a sputtering economy, high unemployment, and weak tax revenues, the government of Ebert found itself trying to balance the needs of German citizens with the additional debt load from the reparations bills. Moreover, to a German population that was experiencing widespread poverty and food shortages – not to mention the wartime sacrifices – reparations that were being sent to recent wartime enemies came as a shock.

Wayne Mcgregors Career As A Choreographer Drama Essay

Wayne Mcgregors Career As A Choreographer Drama Essay Wayne McGregors career as a choreographer has been experimental and Innovative. This essay is an overview of his career so far as a choreographer, looking mainly at his work as Artistic director of Random Dance, Resident Choreographer of the Royal Ballet and his interests in Technology and Science. The essay begins with a brief biography of McGregors career and goes on to show his collaborations and choreographic works and finally analyzes what makes him unique as a choreographer. Wayne McGregor was born in the year 1970 in Stockport, England. He studied dance at Bretton Hall College which was at The University of Leeds and he then went on to study at the Josà © Limon School in New York. In the year 1992 McGregor was appointed choreographer in residence at The Place, London and in that same year he founded his own dance company known as Wayne McGregor | Random Dance which was invited to become the resident company at Sadlers Wells Theatre in London in the Year 2002. In 2004 Wayne McGregor was appointed Artist-in-Residence at the University of Cambridge at the Department of Experimental Psychology. (www.randomdance.com) In the year 2006, Wayne McGregor was appointed as the Resident Choreographer of the Royal Ballet. This was a great achievement as he was the first Modern Dance choreographer with no ballet training to be given this role at the Company. In 2009 McGregor premiered his production of the Opera, Dido and Aeneas at the Royal Opera House, London, this was his Opera debut. His newest choreographic works are Outlier, which was premiered this year by the New York City Ballet on May 14th and Yantra, premiered by Stuttgart Ballet on the 7th of July this year. (www.randomdance.com) Wayne McGregors company Random Dance premiered Xeno 1 2 3 at The Place, London in January of the year 1993, this was their debut as a company. Throughout the 1990s Wayne McGregor and Random Dance continued to develop the company with choreographic works such as AnArkos 1995, 8 legs of the Devil 1996, The Millennarium 1997 and Sulphur 16 1998. Wayne McGregors interest in technology developed and his choreographic works from the year 2000 onwards really reflected this with performances such as Aeon 2000, digit01 2001, PreSentient 2002, Polar Sequences 2003 and Qualia 2004. (www.randomdance.com) Wayne McGregor has a great interest in science which greatly influenced his choreography in 2004. During his time at the University of Cambridge where he had a fellowship for six months at their Department of Experimental Psychology, he started to research a condition called Ataxia. . (www.randomdance.com) The word ataxia means without coordination. People with ataxia have problems with coordination because parts of the nervous system that control movement and balance are affected. Ataxia may affect the fingers, hands, arms, legs, body, speech, and eye movements. The word ataxia is often used to describe a symptom of incoordination which can be associated with infections, injuries, other diseases, or degenerative changes in the central nervous system. (www.ataxia.org) At the Department of Experimental Psychology, McGregor worked with scientists who had interests in areas such as object recognition and spatial processing, movement analyses, cognitive dimensions of notation, and relationships between representation and self. ( Kupper, 2007, p.178) After his research Wayne McGregor choreographed Ataxia, the performance was designed with the help of his experiences with neuroscientists; his company of professionally trained dancers, along with the help of a person experiencing an ataxic movement disorder, her name was Sarah Seddon Jenner. ( Kupper, 2007, p.178) McGregor uses lighting effects to add to the choreography and bring it to life as he does in many of his choreographic pieces. In a review of Ataxia for The Guardian, Judith Mackrell says In Wayne McGregors latest work there is a moment, in the middle, when the stage seems to dissolve into an electric brain storm. Pulsing currents of brightly coloured light stream in disorienting patterns around the space. The music judders and strains as if several clashing scores were being played at the same time. (Mackrell, 2004) In 2005 McGregor continued to use science as a tool of exploration for his choreography for the piece Amu. He worked with heart imaging specialists for this piece, along with artistic collaborators. They wished to question both physical functions and symbolic resonances of the human heart. (www.randomdance.org) In a review of Amu in The Sunday Times, Debra Craine says If you thought about it too much it could haunt you. Each minute of every day, through a complex web of arteries, your heart is pumping the bodys lifeblood. Its a fact of nature that we take for granted but its something that the choreographer Wayne McGregor and the composer John Tavener want us to think about. Their fascinating new collaboration Amu (Arabic for of the heart) is all about the organ, seeing it through McGregors embrace of science and Taveners famous spiritualism. (Craine, 2005) McGregors concepts for choreography include technology as well as science, a good example of this would be Entity which was premiered by Wayne McGregor | Random Dance at Sadlers Wells Theatre in London on April 10th 2008. Entity incorporated technology, with the use of a soundscape which was an hour long, created by Jon Hopkins and Joby Talbot. It incorporated the use of video; the video design was created by Ravi Deepres. (www.randomdance.org) The choreography was initiated from McGregors Choreography and Cognition research project which is a collaboration with scientists of Neurology and Psychology. (www.randomdance.org) The choreography was described by Gia Kourlas of the New York Times when he said, Wayne McGregors Entity begins and ends with a video of a greyhound seeming to run in place. The reference is significant: as entities, these slim animals are at once refined and fidgety, highly flexible and, of course, able to devour space at great speed. For Mr. McGregor, those are key physical ingredients that his dancers, also entities, must possess to have a solid grasp of his movement. In this world of glossy distortion, there isnt a place for hazy shapes. (Kourlas, 2010) After the success of his choreography for Chroma performed The Royal Ballet in 2006, Wayne McGregor was given the job as Resident Choreographer of the Royal Ballet. In 2008 audiences saw another great choreographic piece by McGregor which showed his innovative use of technology and lighting to make his choreography unique, this performance was called Infra and premiered at The Royal Opera House, London March 13th 2008. (www.randomdance.org) McGregor collaborated with many people while developing and choreographing Infra. Wayne worked with Monica Mason, Artistic Director of the Royal Ballet. He commissioned a British artist called Julian Opie to collaborate with him and create a visual set to add to the piece. For the music Wayne collaborated with cult composer Max Richter to create a unique soundscape to accompany the choreography. The choreologist for Infra was Darren Parish who recorded Waynes choreography in rehearsals with the use of Bensch Notatation. (BBC Documentary) The producer was Will Harding, the lighting designer that worked closely with Wayne McGregor was Lucy Carter and the costume designer was Moritz Junge. The artist Julian Opie that worked on the set design had never designed for the theatre before. Opie had created screen lights, which showed the silhouettes of a male stick figure and a female stick figure in light, these are in Dublin on OConnells Street. While researching for his set design for Infra Opie observed people walking along the streets and how they moved like choreography. (BBC Documentary) The music created by Max Richter was created on a synthesiser and Waynes choreography was created before the music as this is the way McGregor worked on this particular choreography. The performance was twenty five minutes long and cast included twelve dancers plus a cast of fifty extras that were included in the choreography. The process of creating Infra from the very beginning to the premier performance on opening night was filmed by the BBC for a documentary. The documentary gave great publicity for Wayne McGregor and Infra and he won South Bank Show award for Infra in 2009. . (BBC Documentary) (www.randomdance.org) In an interview by Sarah Crompton for The Telegraph, Wayne McGregor talks to her about the process of his collaboration for Infra with Julian Opie, McGregor explains: We both feel that the body can never really be abstract but he feels that there is a difference between a functional action he jumps up to demonstrate raising an arm, tying a shoe and a pose. A pose for him is something that cant be connected to meaning in a really exact way and I found that really interesting. So what we have done is worked with this absolute physicality and, at the other end, a kind of language which is oppositional to that. (McGregor Wayne, citied in Crompton 2008) In a review of Infra by Debra Craine for The Times, she gives her opinion on what strikes her about the performance, she says: The first thing that strikes you about Infra is Julian Opies set. His evocative figures, drawn in outline on a giant LED screen, move back and forth high across the stage, like busy London commuters. Underneath are the live dancers, the inner manifestation of the outer world above. Their memories, fears, dreams and desires are being lived out in the intimacy of their own heads. McGregors movement may still be a full-body workout (undulating torsos, limbs constantly in motion, muscles yearning to exceed their limits) but it speaks as strongly of compassion and anger, of happiness and anxiety, tenderness and tears. (Craine, 2008) Wayne McGregors appointment as resident choreographer for The Royal Ballet, was a great achievement, he continues creating choreographic pieces for his company Random Dance, while choreographing for The Royal Ballet. But does he work in a different way with the dancers in his company than he does with the Royal Ballet. During the rehearsals for Limen in 2009, Emma Crichton-Miller talked to Wayne McGregor about his creative approach and the development of his new work. She asks him: Do you work in a different way with your own company Wayne McGregor | Random Dance than you do with The Royal Ballet? To which Wayne Explains: In every new piece I create the process is different as the individuals in the studio (whatever the company) have their own direct effect on the choreography. That is one of the great motivators of working deeply with both companies; the individuals within them are incredibly inspiring. Equally, there are differences in the circumstances of making. At Random I have the dancers all day for many weeks at a time, exclusively. Their priority is dancing only my work and our collaborative journey together reflects this singular commitment. At The Royal Ballet I cant have the dancers exclusively, and theyre doing lots of other repertory simultaneously, so the demands they place on their bodies in a day are different and how I use their precious time is tempered accordingly. Both circumstances, each with their own innate challenges, nurture me in distinctive but highly complementary ways.

Professional Learning Communities What They Mean To Teachers Education Essay

Professional Learning Communities What They Mean To Teachers Education Essay Professional learning communities (PLCs) have been described as structures within which professionals-particularly teachers-can refine their skills, renew their spirits, and expand the scope of their knowledge (Fogarty Pete, 2006, p. 49). Even though the benefits are clear, there are numerous challenges involved in creating and managing PLCs. Such challenges have typically been broken down into concerns about: (1) finding time and otherwise overcoming logistical challenges to coaching; (2) designing appropriate coaching interventions; and (3) maximizing coaching effectiveness. This literature review will address each of these concepts by examining specific research directions taken by current theorists in the field of professional development, with the purpose of illustrating the spectrum of activity along which coaching can succeed or fail. After doing so, the literature review will also discuss broader theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of coaching, including a nalyses of the roles of: (1) race and other socioeconomic factors; (2) theories of motivation and (3) theories of organizational development. Defining and Contextualizing PLCs Rigorous definitions of the PLC, and evidence-based guidelines for its functioning, began to appear in the late nineteenth century. In the U.S., the entire project of teacher development took a huge step forward with the appearance of a number of periodicals dedicated to the subject, including The National Teacher, which debuted in 1870. It is highly likely that the professionalization of teaching in the U.S. had a great deal to do with the emergence of a standard method of teacher development, including the creation of formal PLCs. In the third volume of The National Teacher, published in 1873, the following passage appeared: First, then, the prospective teacher should be trained in the handling of illustrative material, apparatus, charts, maps, diagrams, objects, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.his practice in them should be such as will enable him to bring before the eye what can be very imperfectly addressed to the ear. This should be done, in the first instance, privately, or in the presence of the members of a teaching class, subject to their kind but searching criticismà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Mitchell, 1873, p. 367) This passage is one of the first allusions, at least in American sources, to the notion of a professional learning community. It is worth situating the emergence of the PLC into the broader stream of professionalization and scientific reordering of vocations in post-Civil War America. Ellis and Hartley (2004) argued that the Civil War, which had mobilized the nations resources in service of total warfare, had exposed glaring weaknesses in the organization and practice of many professions, starting with the army and extending to nursing, teaching, and manufacturing. According to Ellis and Hartley, nursing was one of the first professions to be thoroughly professionalized in the aftermath of the Civil War, but other professions soon followed (p. 133). It is natural to draw the likely connection between the professionalization of nursing and the professionalization of teaching, both of which were historically feminine practices that, in the wake of the Civil War, were re-aligned with male perceptions of the scientific method and the professionalization of work. The emergence of the learning community can certainly be placed into this context of masculinization. Mitchell (1873) himself made a comparison between (largely female) teaching and (largely male) medicine, to the detriment of teaching (p. 362). In Mitchells opinion, one of the variables that made medicine more scientific than teaching was the fact that medical practitioners constantly mentored, critiqued, assisted, and otherwise engaged with one another, whereas American teaching had not benefited from this kind of inter-vocational interchange. At first, American pedagogical theorists did not suggest that a PLC ought to exist separately from a teaching college. Rather, these theorists thought of the professional learning community as a kind of epiphenomenon of the teaching college. For example, an anonymous writer identified only by a city of origin (New Haven, CT) to the U.S. Bureau of Education in 1885 had the following to say about a professional learning community: A few points, enforced each week and perhaps illustrated with a class, will bring up the teaching powers of those who have not had a professional training, and they will not be wearied out by trying to apply a crude mass of theories.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The attendance at such meetings should be voluntary. There should be such a tone of interest and enthusiasm in a community as will inspire teachers with an honest and eager desire to know how to workà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(p. 274) At this point in American pedagogy, instruction was still meted out by superintendents (or pedagogues) to teachers, but there was a recognition that the input of the peer community of teachers was just as important to teacher development as any model of top-down instruction or professionalization. The PLC was at this point defined not as a separate set of development activities, but as a kind of grassroots camaraderie between teachers in formal development settings. Soon, however, the modern definition of the PLC would emerge. It is impossible to state with certainty when the shift from the early, voluntary PLC led by the superintendent began to give way to the more formal, school-managed PLC. It appears that the shift took place over the 1930s and began to cement itself by the 1940s. Otto (1944) offered an explanation of the changing role of the principal, and how it lent itself to closer, school-level management of the PLC. According to Otto (1944), American secondary schools continued to grow in size and complexity until the superintendent was no longer able to manage or own all of the processes for which the role had previously been responsible; thus, for example, The growing need for more and better supervision of classroom instruction suggested the desirability of planning the administrative organization so that this need could be met (p. 197). There were two stages in the hand-off of PLCs from the superintendent to principals; firstly, in the 1930s and early 1940s, office staff associated with the s uperintendent appear to have taken over responsibility for all aspects of vocational teacher development (Otto, 1944, p. 197); however, when Otto (1944) was writing, there was already another hand-off underway from central bureaucrats to the principal. After the Second World War, the principal emerged as the figure most responsible for defining, managing, and otherwise supporting the professional learning community in American schools. Just as the Civil War had introduced ideas of industrial organization to various vocations, the Second World War created manpower and resource shortages that prompted a faster transition from centralized control over teacher development to a more communal, school-level management of the process (Troyer, Allen, and Young, 1946, p. 241). These forces remain very much in effect today. Instructional Coaching and The Four Types of Coaching According to Wilson and Gislason (2009), there are four types of coaching: internal coaching, peer coaching, manager-performed coaching, and external coaching (p. 56). As their names suggest, peer coaching is about coaching that is delivered by colleagues to each other; manager-based coaching is delivered by managers (or, in the educational context, principals, superintendents, and/or other administrators) to teachers; external coaching is typically performed by consultants; and internal coaching, by contrast, includes all the kinds of coaching that are provided in-house. All four kinds of coaching have been employed in the instructional coaching context. Knight (2005) documented a wave of hiring of outside instructional coaches by U.S. public schools in the 1990s and first half of the 2005, driven by the urgency of achieving basic reading and mathematics competency skills tied to federal funding and the perception that schools themselves did not contain the proper instructional resources to achieve this task. According to Clarkson and Taylor (2005, p. 4), one of the problems created by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) initiative was a push to define instructional coaching as the rote memorization of standards rather than an internalization of the pedagogical principles needed to teach up to those standards. Thus, it can be argued that external coaching becomes more popular in times of external stress on teachers to perform to a particular standard, whereas, in ordinary times, genuinely pedagogical (rather than instrumentalist) internal coaching is the more common form of instructional coaching (Matsumara, Sartoris, Bickel, Garnier 2009). In modern theory, peer coaching is praised for its egalitarian values, but theorists are also concerned that teachers lack the specific pedagogical background and expertise to make other teachers better. For example, Buly, Coskie, Robinson, and Egawa (2006) have argued that the external coach is focused on getting teachers to ask why in a structured fashion, whereas teachers are themselves often concerned with teaching other practical and specific strategies. Barriers in PLCs and Instructional Coaching: Logistics One of the major challenges in creating coaching interventions for PLCs is simply finding the time and opportunity to bring together busy professionals for dedicated learning and training. This challenge is a particularly pressing one in the current economic environment, in which so many working professionals are being called upon to do less with more. Thus, as Fogarty and Pete (p. 49) pointed out, an excellent place to begin a discussion of professional learning communities is in the realm of logistics, i.e. how to create the time and space for such communities, which is as much of a problem today as it was when Troyer, Allen, and Young (1946) wrote about the logistical challenges of organizing and managing the PLC in wartime. Abdal-Haqq (1996) argued that, within school settings particularly, PLCs scheduling ought to be built directly into both the workday and the job descriptions of teachers (although this advice applies equally well to other communities of practice). Abdal-Haqq (1996) concludes that the greatest challenge to implementing effective professional development is lack of time (p. 1), so great responsibility falls on the shoulders of leaders and managers who must accommodate PLCs in terms of schedules and job design. Fernandez (2002) made the point that making time and space for PLCs to thrive is itself partly dependent on cultural approaches. She discussed the case of the Japanese educational system, in which a great deal of emphasis is placed on lesson study, in which teachers are given the time and opportunity to reflect on both their practice and that of others (p. 393). There is more pressure on individual professionals to take advantage of existing resources, and to take the lead in overcoming logistical barriers to embed themselves within PLCs. While there is extensive lip service paid to the value of PLCs, professional development is often subject to self-regulation rather than proper top-down guidance, argued Butler, Lauscher, Jarvis-Selinger, and Beckingham (2004). Having surveyed the history of PLC development, it becomes clear that the absence of top-down guidance is itself part of the steady downward transfer of administrative power tracked by Otto (1944). While Japan appears to have retained a centralized and top-down structure for managing and supporting PLCs and other forms of teacher development, in the U.S. such responsibility has devolved down to the principal. For many theorists, the logistics of PLCs are inseparable from school system support for teachers. For example, Lappan (1997) offered the following insight: The local capacity to support change is central to implementing reforms. Teachers, and those who support teachers, need time-time to learnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (p. 207). Of course, in this context, it should be pointed out time is a valuable commodity. There is a powerful tension between the time and resources needed for supporting the local logistics needed for nurturing professional learning communities and the time and resources needed by principals, administrators, and other supporters of development for other tasks. Unfortunately, as Abdal-Haqq (1996, p. 1) also suggests, schools are faced with a zero sum environment, in which to support the PLC is to remove support from some other organizational goal. It is in this context that the logistical difficulties of PLC support should be understood. Moreover, until schools enjoy increase d funding, it is not clear that the logistical problems noted as early as Troyer, Allen, and Young (1946) will simply evaporate. Of course, one way in which the problem could be solved is by employing PLCs themselves to ease the logistical problems faced by schools. To the extent that teachers could train and develop other teachers without extensive time and resource commitments, PLCs could be of great economic benefit; as in the Second World War, the teacher-training-teacher paradigm could yield economic benefits rather than sucking up resources. For PLCs to actually operate in this fashion requires close attention to the variable of coaching design. Barriers in PLCs and Instructional Coaching: Change Management From at least the 1870s onwards, there has been a rich debate on how to best deploy teachers to train and develop other teachers. In the first stage of this debate, from Mitchell (1873) to Arnold (1898), it was assumed that merely talking about pedagogy and other teaching-related issues in a voluntary, informal meeting would assist junior teachers in their development. Over the decades, voluntary meetings gave way to more formal in-school development programs, particularly when the Second World War forced schools to consider more resource-efficient ways to engage in teacher training. In this context, the promise of coaching design is that, if there is a sound system under which to transfer teacher knowledge from senior to junior colleagues, the PLC can save school systems time, money, and administrative commitment. On the other hand, if coaching design is itself weak or unmotivated, then teachers will resist it and the PLC will fail to fulfill its promise. These issues are at the heart of the modern debate on coaching design. In contemporary times, there is much more urgency around the subject of coaching design thanks to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2002, which has directly tied student performance to federal funding and accreditation. Killion (2005) is one of many theorists who has pointed out that one response to NCLB is the implementation of instructional coaching to improve instruction and student achievement. Instructional coaching is a relatively new phenomenon, at the core of which is a conviction that professional learning improves teaching practices and teaching practices improve student achievement (Knight, 2007; Killion Harrison, 2006; Knowal Steiner, 2007). Instructional design is not easy to implement because, as Knight (2007) has pointed out, teachers are not innately resistant to change will tend to resist poorly-designed agendas of change. As such, it is of the utmost importance to arrive at an understanding of the best practices of coaching design. In an organizational context, instructional coaching provides motivation to mentees, which in turn is intended to improve the productivity and morale of mentees. When instructional coaches work with students, their sole purpose is to demonstrate and model best teaching practices to teachers in order to improve student teaching (Knight, 2007). Motivation is the key to understanding the role that good coaching should play within a professional learning community (Bransford, 2000). Coaching design principles vary widely depending on the specific kind of professional development that is being pursued. Fortunately, however, there appears to be some consensus on best practices for coaching design. Bransfords (2000) seminal book, How People Learn, argued that coaching design should have four centrisms; i.e., it should be learner-centered, knowledge-centered, assessment-centered, and community-centered (p. 188). There are many different interpretations of how these four foci can be best captured in a PLC. For example, Beyerbach, Weber, Swift, and Gooding (1996) emphasized that the knowledge focus of PLC design ought to have a practical component, so that members of the community understand the practical applications of what they are being taught (pp. 101-102). For teachers, this practical component can be satisfied by understanding why, in the context of real-world problem solving, it is necessary for them to develop a new skill or refine an existing one. Another recent emphasis in coaching design for community-centered learning is the utilization of collaborative software, particularly blogs and wikis, which have the potential to span each of Bransfords focus areas for coaching design. Higdon and Topaz (2009) stated that blogs and wikis had an important role in creating a more centered learning environment, There is wide consensus in the academic literature about the usefulness of instructional coaching within professional learning communities. Within a professional learning community, the qualities of good teaching for students should also be evident in professional learning for teachers (DuFour Eaker,1998; Bransford, 2000). However, there are also a number of obstacles to the implementation or the success of instructional coaching, including logistical factors (such as potential coaches lack of time), institutional factors (such as a lack of managerial support for coaching), and professional factors (such as coaches lack of relevant skills). Leaving aside these barriers, good coaching design may not be so much a matter of pedagogical design as it is a matter of change management. Bransford (2000) and other researchers have already explained the evidence for best practices in specific aspects of coaching design; the issue is not so much the content of coaching design as it is the necessity of convincing teachers to go along with coaching. In this regard, there are some helpful theoretical contributions from business literature, which has long struggled with the question of optimal change management in organizations. Jensen and Kerr (1994, p. 408), based on a case study of change at Pepsi, argued that the following five questions had to be satisfactorily answered before constituents bought into a change agenda: Why must we change, and why is this change important? What do you want me to do? What are the measures/consequences of change/no change? What tools and support and available to me? Whats in it for me? These questions of change management emerge at the point of implementation: i.e., as soon as it becomes necessary to transition from a theory of the professional learning community to an actual implementation, requiring intellectual and emotional buy-in from teachers. But change management is an issue that is better tackled not by coaching designers, whose responsibility is to transfer principles such as those of Bransford (2000) to local pedagogical contexts, but at the level of what can be called effectiveness maximization of the PLC. Effectiveness Maximization and Theoretical Approaches There is wide-ranging agreement on the importance of PLCs, and even on the operational and conceptual details that PLC must satisfy in terms of coaching design. The crux of the problem lies not necessarily in those details but more in the question of how to maximize the effectiveness of PLCs. First, there is the logistical question. If there is little institutional time, resources, and guidance put into PLC program creation and management, then coaching programs are unlikely to be effective. However, even organizations that have hurdled over the logistical challenge and implemented some form of PLC must still solve the question of how to maximize their coaching programs effectiveness, including the considerations of change management as highlighted by Jensen and Kerr (1994). There are some convincing arguments that PLCs resist straightforward methods of evaluation and improvement, which creates a fundamental challenge at the level of effectiveness maximization. Revans (1979), the pioneer of the action research concept, saw the creation and functioning of a PLC as a holistic process, one that cannot be dissected and improved on a part-by-part level. To Revans (1979), a functional PLC is something that both managers and participants can recognize only by taking part in it. This dynamic has something of a chicken-and-egg quality to it, as an effective PLC requires planning, but the proper inputs of planning may only become apparent after a PLC has been launched. Even with this limitation in mind, it is still possible to both measure and improve the effectiveness of a coaching component of a PLC by surveying participants about how they are benefiting from the specific coaching program, and employing these insights to structure the back-end processes that feed into the PLC. Borko (2004) argued that it is certainly possible to measure factors such as teacher (or, for that matter, any other form of professional) learning and satisfaction; moreover, teacher performance in classrooms can also be measured by such standards as student evaluations and standardized test scores. The point is that, when a PLC is working properly, its results will show themselves in a number of domains. It is incumbent on managers or others who oversee these programs to collect baseline data in order to measure the programs achievements, and also to identify the areas that need renewed attention and resources. Maximizing the effectiveness of PLCs thus comes down to both measurement and targeted action (Dufour, Dufour, Eaker Karhanek, 2004; Saphier West, 2010; and Knight 2009), whose basis can be the experience of mentees. It is necessary, at this point, to consult some theories of motivation and organizational development in order to consider how to best maximize the effectiveness of PLCs. Much of the literature on PLCs takes it for granted that teachers are motivated to buy into the program; however, it need not be the case that teachers are motivated, or that PLCs are constituted so as to maximize the strengths of the organization. Fortunately, theoretical literature has made it easier to understand the overlap between PLCs, motivation, and organizational development. Herzberg (1966) argued that: someone who is motivated is truly a sight to behold, as they put all of their heart and soul into an activity. Love of work is certainly the strongest motivator of people (p. 141). Coaches exist partly to instill mentees with love of work, via a number of mechanisms, including that of instrumentality, or making sure that people have the tools that they need to accomplish a work task. Note that instrumentality was also part of Jensen and Kerrs (1994) framework for appropriate change management. If people lack the tools to achieve what is asked for them, they will not only resist change but also lose motivation. As such, administrators should bear in mind that every tool (including time) put in the hands of PLC members effects the motivation of individual members, and therefore the overall success of the PLC. According to the theoretical foundation provided by organizational psychologists such as Herzberg, Vroom (1964), and Maslow (1993), instructional coaching should have a salutary effect on mentees in so far as coaching instills mentees with instrumentality and motivation. One part of this dissertations purpose is to measure the impact of good coaching, as reported by mentees, and also to assess the impact of bad or nonexistent coaching. Doing so is an exercise in the measurement of organizational motivation and morale as conceptualized by a number of influential theorists in the field. For example, Banduras (1997) social learning theory is sometimes cited in the coaching literature and explains human behavior in terms of continuous reciprocal interaction between cognitive, behavioral, and environmental influences. The central aspect of Banduras (1977) theory is the claim that humans learn by watching others model behavior. Thus, psychological theory now provides firm support for the i dea of coaching as a transfer of desirable behavior from senior to junior members of a community. Clearly, then, theory has a great deal to tell us about the scientific basis for PLCs, and also about how best to maximize their effectiveness. Some of the theories surveyed in this section, for example, have emphasized the importance of motivation and instrumentality in the PLC. One final theory that ought to be considered is that of so-called toxic mentorship. It will be recalled that, as early as Arnold (1898), there is an assumption that, when teachers come together for purposes of development, mutual reinforcement and learning will inevitably take place. It is taken for granted, both by Arnold (1898) and by Mitchell (1873), that senior teachers have the best interests of the profession, and of their junior colleagues, in mind. This assumption, however, might be naÃÆ' ¯ve. There is now a great deal of research on dimensions of coaching and mentorship that fail due to the attitudes of senior teachers. Webb and Shakespeare (2008), Atkin and Wilmington (2007), and Grossman (2007) have all discussed so-called toxic mentorship as one of the ways in which coaching goes wrong, for example when coaches are burned out, unhelpful, scornful of their own profession, unethical, or not involved enough or knowledge to provide adequate feedback. The aforementioned res earchers have called attention to toxic mentorship in the nursing field, in which there has been more of an attempt of late to critique bad coaching. However, educational literature in general has not yet grappled as extensively with the concept of the toxic mentor, which is another reason why it is timely and relevant to ask mentees about this concept, as part of a more general data-gathering project on the measurable impact of mentorship on productivity and morale. Conclusion This literature review has covered a great deal of ground in attempting to illuminate the concept of the professional learning community, all the way from the seventeenth century to the present day. The conclusion is reserved for discussing an important lacuna in the research, and employing this lacuna to lend context to the research carried out by this dissertation. It will be noted that, for all of its history, teacher development in general and the PLC in particular have been defined by people other than the constituents. At first, superintendents had the greatest input into the process; later, principals took on this mantle. Throughout the process, senior teachers exercised a great deal of influence, as they had the prized knowledge that was to be passed on and passed down to junior colleagues. In the century of literature surveyed here, it is interesting to note that very few, if any, researchers have focused on the ability of mentees to provide important feedback about the nature of coaching within the PLC. It is almost invariably assumed that some outside authority, whether the superintendent or principal, is the owner of the process, while senior teachers are the drivers of the process. This attitude may be about to change because, in PLCs as in business communities, there is a move to recognize the centrality of the so-called customer. In this case, the customer of coaching is the mentee, the recipient of coaching. In both private business and public policy contexts, the customer has increasingly become both the owner and the driver of certain processes. Businesses conduct surveys of customers in order to determine what to produce. Public sector organizations, similarly, turn to the citizen-stakeholder as the ultimate owner of a process, and try to orient processes accordingly. It may be that, in coaching, the focus is about to shift from the top of the pyramid to the base: That is, from the traditional owners of coaching to its customers, namely teachers. It is possible that teachers will, in future, play an enhanced role in guiding the direction of coaching, specifically by providing input as to what kind of coaching works and what kind does not. Of course, this kind of input does not constitute the sum total of what is needed to create an effective PLC, but it is also unthinkable that learning communities can long thrive or survive without being driven by the interests and predilections of their own customers. It should also be noted collegiality has been a foundational value of the PLC. Indeed, the functioning of PLCs from the nineteenth century onwards has required a spirit of collegiality in that members of such communities must be open to critique, generous with help of others, and committed to coexistence and mutual advancement.

Barren Lives in James Joyces The Dead Essay -- Joyce Dead Essays

The Barren Lives of The Dead "One day he caught a fish, a beautiful big big fish, and the man in the hotel boiled it for their dinner" (p.191). Little did Mrs. Malins know that those words issued from her feeble old lips so poignantly described the insensibility of the characters in James Joyce's The Dead toward their barren lives. The people portrayed in this novelette represented a wealthy Irish class in the early twentieth century, gathered at the house of the Morkan sisters for an annual tradition of feast and dance. Although all of the personages had, at one point, a potential for a beautiful life, sad memories of the past and the despair that invaded Ireland had eventually boiled all true senses and desires into a dull stew, destined to rot. Of particular interest is Gabriel Conroy, whom Joyce singularly bestowed a gift of introspection, though that did not save him from becoming yet another of the living dead. Gabriel, a respectable middle-aged professor and writer, wished for an escape, but did not search for one. It was this passivity and resistance to change, like the "beeswax under the heavy chandelier"(p.186), that eventually solidified into the wall which he had not the courage to oppose. He felt himself a "pennyboy for his aunts"(p.220), the hostesses of the congregation, a victim of his own inability to "feel and show the excitement of swift and secure flight"(p.193). In contrast, Miss Molly Ivors, a professor of politics and Gabriel's academic equal, possessed this capability of escaping obligations, as she departed from the gathering before dinner was served, "quite well able to take care of [her]self"(p.195). In this respect, Miss Ivors differed from the rest of the charact... ...He had been surrounded his whole life by a "ghostly light"(p.216) of sad memories and death, emanating from the hearts of the people with whom he had had the closest contact, which eventually suffocated his own identity "into a grey impalpable world"(p.223). The whole country of Ireland was covered in the "silver and dark"(p.223) snowflakes of death, and the Mr. Browne's of the world, who reminisced of great singers long gone and hid their true senses under countenances of false gallantry, were everywhere. All of the characters in The Dead contributed to a viscous web that made escape virtually impossible for Gabriel, for "one by one they were all becoming shades"(p.222) of the "region where dwell the vast hosts of the dead"(p.223). They were all fishes in an icy cold pond, acting their parts and waiting for the day they would be caught and boiled for dinner.

The Enlightenment- Attitudes of Society Essay -- Essays Papers

The Enlightenment- Attitudes of Society The Enlightenment brought about fundamental changes of thought in society.1 Philosophes such as Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau sought changes in society for the good of humanity. In addition to basic changes in society, the enlightenment brought about changes in thought in the areas of religion and science, the government, and the view of women. During the enlightenment, basic changes occurred in society. The philosophes helped bring about freedom of thought and speech, two freedoms which we often take for granted today. People became more educated, as a "print culture" emerged. Journals, newspapers and books were beginning to be widely available to the general public. This had both negative and positive impacts. The literate and illiterate became divided, and the illiterate poor only became poorer. However, the "print culture" did create the influential social force of public opinion. Writers wrote what their audiences wanted to hear, and that translated into a governmental awareness of public opinion. Governments tried to regulate and censor books, but they could not ignore the public’s criticisms of the government. The changes in society created a general sentiment of self-interest. People wanted to promote their happiness and welfare, and they were "confident and optimistic that they could discover natural law and perfect worlds." Sometimes, there was an "exaggerated belief in the perfectibility of man," such as in the sciences, which were still in early stages.2 The conflict between religion and science was one of the major issues of the enlightenment. New theories were being developed (like Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation) which went against the teachings of the c... ... thought were developed, governments were changed, and even though the philosophes were not really feminists, society’s views of women were changed, with the help of Mary Wollstonecraft. End notes 1. Snyder, Louis L. The Age of Reason. (NY: VanNostrand Reinhold Co, 1955), 13. 2. Snyder, 8. 3. Snyder, 8-11. 4. Scheider, Isidor. The Enlightenment: Culture of the 18th Century, (NY: George Braziller, Inc, 1965), 19. 5. Cody, David. "Deism." The Victorian Web. http://landow.stg.brown.edu/victorian/religion/deism.html. (10 April 00). 6. Susan Gubar, "Feminist Misogyny: Mary Wollstonecraft and the Paradox of 'It Takes One to Know One," Feminist Studies, 20 (Fall 94): 455. 7. D.R. Woolf, "A Feminine Past? Gender, Genre and Historical Knowledge in England, 1500- 1800." American Historical Review, 102 (June 97), 667-668.

Essay example --

It was one of the greatest battles in Greek history, the battle of Achilles with Hector (Homer. Iliad. 22) and Cycnus (Ovid. Metamorphoses. 14); these two different versions of the Trojan War had both similarities and differences. As we can notice from these two books, there are similarities of character in Homer’s version of Achilles and Ovid’s version Achilles. Furthermore, the similarity of both Trojan heroes having the same enemy in both versions of The Trojan War. On the other hand, the difference between these two battles of Achilles is the character and how both Trojan heroes performed during the battle with Achilles. In addition, the main reason initiates battle of Achilles is different when he fights with Hector and Cycnus; additionally, how Achilles treats their corpse after he kills them, were not the same in both battles. Furthermore, the setting and timing of the battle between Achilles and the two Trojan heroes are distinct from one to another. According to Homer, Hector was the greatest and most famous mortal heroes in the history of Troy, who has protected Troy from many wars and have been treated as the guardian of his father, Priam kingdom. On the other hand, in Ovid version of The Trojan War, there are two great Trojan warriors, Hector and Cycnus, son of Poseidon, the latter is invulnerable warrior and have killed 1000 Greeks troop at the Trojan beach easily when the Greeks first landed on the beach. The character of Achilles, son of Peleus, in both battles has some similarities which are the violent, arrogant and uncontrollable like a beast. Achilles trusted his skill to fight and shows his arrogant character can be found in Iliad, â€Å"Achilles shook his head at his soldiers: He would not allow anyone to shoot A... ... year of the war. In general, the battle of Achilles with Hector and Cycnus had some similarities and differences. Both of the Trojan heroes are loyal to their country and both are Troy greatest warriors. Other than that, both versions of Achilles poses the arrogant and beast characteristic. However, the characters and attitudes of Hector and Cycnus in the battle with Achilles are completely different, where Hector fears and hesitate to battle with Achilles while Cycnus confidently faces the battle with Achilles. In addition, the main reason of battles is different which lead to different treatment of Achilles to their corpse, where Hector corpse was badly treated by Achilles rage for the revenge of Patroclus death. Last but not least, the setting of both battles Trojan heroes is completely different, even-thought they were fighting with the same enemy, Achilles.

Individual assignment

This assignment is to be done individually. This means that you are required to answer the questions in the assignment on your own. The purpose of the assignment is to help you become more familiar with pricing options, using a specifically designed piece of software. The pricing of options is a very technical area, and most of us do not have the technical expertise to price options from first principals. Therefore in your working lives, if you do need to price options, then it will most likely be done for you via software.The software we will be using is called ‘Derivable', which has been specifically developed for the Hull et al (2014) textbook. You can download the software from the Model unit site under the ‘Additional Resources' section. Software Installation Installation instructions for the Derivable software are quite straight forward. Please follow these simple steps. Step 1 . Go to the BIFF 5 Model site, under ‘Additional Resources' Section, click on the D erivable software and download the file ‘Derivable. Zip'. Step 2. Double-click on the Derivable. IP file to bring up the Winzip utility program. Step 3. In the Winzip utility program, on the ‘Home' tab, there should be a button labeled ‘I-click Unzip'. Press on the ‘I-click Unzip' button. The compressed files directories and folders should then be extract. Once Winzip has completed the extraction, then close the Winzip program. Step 4. There should now be a folder in your directory named ‘Derivable'. Drill down through the Derivable folder until you come to the list of files; The only file you need to be concerned with for the Assignment is ‘JUDGE . XSL'. Step 5.Double-click on file ‘JUDGE . XSL'. This should bring up your Excel application aerogram with the JUDGE . XSL spreadsheet. If you look in the ‘readmes. Txt' file that is located in the same directory as the JUDGE . XSL file, it will tell you the versions of the Excel program th at Derivable will work with. If you are not using any of these versions of Excel then you will need to get access to one of them in order to do the assignment. Step 6. Once you have opened the ‘JUDGE . XSL' program in Excel, that final step you need to perform is to ensure that Excel has ‘Enabled Macros'.This will allow the Excel program to use the Visual Basic for Applications (ABA) code on which Derivable is eased. If you are using Excel 2010, the enable macros should appear as a ‘strip' across the top of your spreadsheet when you first enter the JUDGE . XSL program. You just need to press the enable button. If you a later version of Excel you will need to go to the macro security settings and enable the macros. Once you have enabled the macros, Derivable will be available for use. Step 7: Click on the Excel spreadsheet tab ‘Equity_FIX_landed_Futures_Options'.This is the only spreadsheet you will need to complete the assignment. Format of Assignment and sub mission requirements: The assignment consists of seven questions. You should attempt all questions. Responses to the questions should be presented according to the Q Manual. The Q Manual provides guidelines on the presentation of submitted materials. Submission of the assignment will require both an electronic submission AND a hard copy submission: The submission of an electronic copy can be done via Model (further technical details will be provided prior to the submission date. The submission of a physical hard copy will be done via a designated assignment box located in the 3rd Floor Foyer of Building H. Further details to be provided closer to the submission date. ) ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS Please note: Most, but not all of the material needed to answer these questions will be covered in lectures. You are postgraduate students so it is expected that you will be able to seek out the material necessary to complete the questions using your own initiative. All information is available wi thin the textbook, even though it may not all be covered in lectures.IQ . Use Derivable to calculate the value of an American put option on a non- dividend-paying stock when the stock price is USED 30, the strike price is USED 32, the sis-free rate is 5%, the volatility is 30% and the time to maturity is 1. 5 years. (Choose ‘Binomial American' for the option type and 50 time steps. ) (See Chapter 9 for supporting theory and materials) a) What is the option's intrinsic value? B) What is the option's time value? C) What would a time value of zero indicate? What is the value of an option with zero time value? ) Using a trial and error approach, calculate how low the stock price would have to be for the time value of the option to be zero. (use 50 and 500 time steps) Q. Consider an option on a stock when the stock price is $41, the strike price is $40, he risk-free rate is 6%, the volatility is 35% and the time to maturity is one year. Assume that a dividend of $0. 50 is expected after six months. (See Chapter 10 for a) Use Derivable to value the option assuming it is a European call. B) Use Derivable to value the option assuming it is a European put. ) Verify that put-call parity holds. D) Explore, using Derivable, what happens to the price of the options as the time to maturity becomes very large. For this purpose, assume there are no dividends. Explain the results you get. Q. Suppose that the price of a non-dividend-paying stock is $32, its volatility is 30% ND the risk-free rate for all maturities is 5% per annum. Use Derivable to calculate the cost of setting up the following positions. In each case provide a table showing the relationship between profit and final stock price. Ignore the impact of discounting.Each table should have two columns, ‘Stock Price Range' and ‘Profit' (See Chapter 11 for supporting theory and materials) a) a bull spread using European call options with strike prices of $25 and $30 and a maturity of six months b) a b ear spread using European put options with strike prices of $25 and $30 and a ) a butterfly spread using European call options with strike prices of $25, $30 and $35 and a maturity of one year d) a butterfly spread using European put options with strike prices of $25, $30 and e) a straddle using options with a strike price of $30 and a six-month maturity f) a strangle using options with strike prices of $25 and $35 and a six-month maturity. Q. Consider a European call option on a non-dividend-paying stock where the stock price is ADD 40, the strike price is ADD 40, the risk-free rate is 4% per annum, the volatility is 30% per annum and the time to maturity is six months. See Chapter 12 for supporting theory and materials) a) Calculate , and for a two-step tree b) Value the option using a two-step tree. C) Verify that Derivable gives the same answer. D) Use Derivable to value the option with 5, 50, 100 and 500 time steps. Q.Consider an American call option when the stock price is $18 , the exercise price is $20, the time to maturity is six months, the volatility is 30% per annum and the risk- free interest rate is 10% per annum. Two equal dividends of 40 cents are expected during the life of the option, with ex-dividend dates at the end of two months and five months. Individual Assignment As stated earlier IM has been a significant tool in trading and commerce since the beginning of time. However what sets an organization apart is its ability to hangs data into information as efficiently and cost effectively as possible. Before we tackle this issue, defining data and information is important for the sake of understanding the context they will be used. Data is defined by O'Brien (2003) as raw material resources that are processed into finished information products. Information is data that has been converted into meaningful and useful context for specific end users (O'Brien, 2003).Hence, it is safe to say that data becomes information when value is added to it either through organizing, analysis and evaluation and placed in the correct context or the end user. If this statement is true then we can deduce that the better the organization is at completing the above process, then the more effective it is, and if it can streamline this process enough to provide the end use r with a service or product that they are willing to pay for, it will have increased its competitiveness (Gabon, 2008).For instance, a car manufacturer that assembles luxury cars wants to increase the effectiveness of their organizational system. They would start by looking at each component of the organization highlighting areas in which they can improve on quality, control and cost. In manufacturing they might want to introduce an Operating Support System (ASS) which is specific about the requirements at the plant to complete assembly of a car. The data inputted into the system requires that the inputted be specific about supplies, number of hours worked, number of people required to work on a particular car or day etc.The system will process and store the data for the next user, in a form that they will understand. Here the organization may look at the improvement of its networking system as access of the information is made easier and faster with the use of the intranet (O'Brien , 2003). Other elements that will add value to this process, thereby giving context to the next user is the compilation of relatable data such as energy usage, space required, reputable suppliers, financing and human resources.These might be inputted by other systems within the organization such as the Supply Chain Management Systems (SCM), with the use of the extranet (O'Brien, 2003). The data is then stored in the relevant database until it is required by the next user. A combination of the data can be transformed into information that is used in marketing of the cars manufactured, or can be used in the ordering and distribution of sources such as parts (doors, seats, trees) and land allocation or money for infrastructure development.This process of transformation can also be used as a control measure, when targets of the different organizational components are reviewed, or the quality or accuracy of the initial data may require verification and correction. Once the data has been transformed the information/ product can then be disseminated to the end user, in this example the car is sold to the customer. A Customer Relationship Management System (CRAMS) can collect data for feedback purposes or for customization of the car, depending on when the data is used.In essence a cycle is created and smooth flow of information from one component to the next increases the effectiveness and the competitiveness. These processes and systems aid in reduction in time wastage, an expensive commodity, where traditionally the organization might have had to compile the data physically, taken days to analyses it to find trends and pass it on to the different departments or components. In the process things might be delayed or incorrect, compilation could also involve travel costs in cases of the manufacturer having more than one assembly plant.The information from appliers would require making multiple phone calls for quotations or back and forts as prices are negotiated. All these are examples of costs that would be transferred to the customer. Quality of the information could be compromised depending on the control of data collection and transformation, leading to substandard parts being used resulting in a hazardous product that might not meet specifications, hence resulting in the product being described as a right-off or loss.The wrong customer information could lead to the wrong car being delivered to the wrong person, which could lead to customer dissatisfaction and inconveniences. Or storage of the information could lead to losses in customers, suppliers and credibility in the industry. As the organization implements the use of IS for information management it starts to optimize all its processes, thereby meeting Porters analysis of the value chain (Gabon, 2008) where streamlining input, processing and output leads to larger profit margins. Whilst at the same time satisfying Shih's measure of organizational effectiveness.In conclusion, if an orga nization successfully integrates the use of information systems as a means of information management, the benefits are multiple and extensive if done correctly. Obviously, if the organization introduces information systems but does not train staff on how to use it, or does not implement control measures in the input of the data the information gathered will not only be inaccurate but will lead to misinformation leading to lack of optimization, therefore reducing effectiveness and competitiveness(Gigs).Hence, the organization has to be fully committed to the implementation of the information systems as a means of improving its methods of information management, otherwise it will fall short. Interaction between the different components of the organization (through intranet), as ell as with outside entities, such as suppliers (extranet) and customers/ end users (internet) needs to be as smooth as possible. Of course, there will be instances of downtime, however how these are dealt with also improves the overall effectiveness of the organization and can translate into an increase in competitiveness.References 1) O'Brien, J. A. (2003) Introduction to Information Systems: Essentials of the E- business Enterprise. 1 lath Edition. International edition: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Boston 2) Gigs, W. (†¦ ) Demand median effectiveness versus organizational efficiency. Http://smelliness's. Churn. Com/organizatioorganizational Effectiveness Vs.. Organizational Efficiency 3) Gabon, M. (2008) Measuring company level competitiveness in Porter's Diamond model framework. HTTPS://ideas. Repel. Org/h/peak/suffer/149-1 58. HTML b) Discuss various e-business strategies that can be implemented for competitive advantage. (25) Over the years due to stiffer competition, growing global markets and a rise in more tech savvy consumers, the e- business has had to restructure the way they conduct business. With more and more people having access to the internet, it has become advantageous for e-businesses to conduct business online, hence, the growth in numbers of -businesses. E-business has been described as conducting business via the internet.It is not limited to just buying and selling but also the servicing of customers and the collaboration with suppliers (O'Brien, 2003). The demand for instant or efficient services, which are also affordable and custom-made, in some instances, has driven e-businesses to implement strategies that counter forces such as competition, customer bargaining supplier bargaining, threat of substitutes and the threat of new entrants (O'Brien, 2003). It is through the implementation of effective strategies to curb or reduce these actors that the e-business can increase its competitive advantage.This assignment will debate various e-business strategies and will highlight how their implementation leads to competitive advantage. Before we look at the strategies that can be implemented and how, it is important to clarify what a strategy is. Stra tegy is an integrated and coordinated set of commitments and actions designed to exploit core competencies and gain competitive advantage (Belabored et al, 2011 Therefore e-business strategy would then be strategy as it applies to the e-business model.Another term that needs unpacking is competitive advantage as this will illuminate to what end the strategy is adopted. When the e-business implements a strategy that competitors are unable to duplicate or find too costly to imitate then it is said to have a competitive advantage (Belabored et al, 201 1). Hence, we can deduce that when online businesses adopt systems that streamline and enhance their operations and knowledge base with the result of creating a seen. ‘ice or product that is unique, in some way, gives that business an advantage.An effective way of e-business strategy implementation is through the adoption f a more strategic information management, in other words, information systems that allow the provision of a ser vice or product that industry competitors cannot provide. When it comes to implementation of the strategic information management system in e-businesses, there are several points within the value chain where the strategy can be adopted so as to improve the end product/ seen,'ice namely at Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Supply Chain Management (SCM), Enterprise Resource Management (ERM) (O'Brien, 2003).Therefore, the focus is on the strategic adoption of cost leadership, alliances, innovations and differentiation of the ND product or service (O'Brien, 2003) using information management systems. It is important to note that e-businesses are likely to use a combination of the strategies to gain competitive advantage; however, the examples below will try and place their implementation in isolation, in an attempt to illustrate how they work to increase competitive advantage.E- businesses are using strategic information systems at different organizational levels to improve the ma rgins in their value chain (O'Brien, 2003) as this enables them to deal with the ever changing markets, keeping them relevant ND competitive. For instance, Symbolizing, a locally based e-business that facilitates the purchase of groceries online and offers delivery to your doorstep, or nearest postal outlet in remote areas, has adopted an alliance strategy that enables the organization to service a niche market.The cost of delivering the groceries themselves would have been too high and would have resulted in an increase in the cost of service for the customer. However, through the strategic alliance with Compost, Symbolizing is able to offer the service to a wider range of clients as they can promise to deliver to almost nowhere countrywide as long as there is a post office. Through this alliance Zoning is able to continue doing business at a sign efficiently lower price, whilst at the same time offering a unique service to the Diaspora market that competitors are unable to duplica te.Another strategy an e-business could adopt to improve its strategic information system through innovation is by introducing a support system that plugs into the Customer Relationship Management system already in place. For example, if an e-business that offers security and tracking services for vehicles, also introduces a call centre agility, which the customer can access through the navigation system in the vehicle to ask for clearer navigation instructions or other services such as remote unlocking of the vehicle in the event that the owner has locked the keys in the car.This would give the business a competitive advantage as they have created a service that adds value to an existing one but is unique to them alone. In the same example if the navigation system or tracking system could inform the customer that it requires an update and when the customer makes a payment the system updates using hotshot access. The convenience f this ensures that the customer is locked-in, and wil l not look elsewhere for the same services.Strategic flexibility, which is capabilities used to respond to various demands and opportunities existing in a dynamic and uncertain competitive environment (Belabored et alarm 2011), improves e-business agility, which is its ability to post above average returns in an ever changing dynamic environment, due to quick responses to changes in the environment (O'Brien, 2003), as shown by an e-business that ensures that continued research, learning and training improves its service offering such as hospital in India hat specializes in the performance Of hip and knee replacements and diagnoses and recruits their patients online through a series of consultations, which are free, resulted in their opening up their client base to include people from all over the world.They have a support system that follows up on patient care which assists in referrals, as patients share their experiences with others with similar ailments. The hospital no longer wa its to patients to come to India, it has brought Indian state of the art healthcare to the global market online. Omen Inc. As illustrated by Cyprian (2003) adopted the growth strategy wrought the introduction of an online design room, which both designers and customers use to design, order and purchase customized faucets. The information system integrated the CRM and the SCM systems to produce a new product offering. They not only expanded their customer and supplier base they expanded their product lines. Individual Assignment Also, we had reviewed the different data flow that would function and Improve the proper handling between Ordain and their plants, and which would ensure the best relationship between each department. It would Improve the communication In Ordain Manufacturing and, thus. Save time and money after it is finally implemented. Security Controls Security and secure ways of doing business should always be an most level of concern in any project.Security Is primarily handled and managed by the operations group, which is the same staff that is responsible for operating in installing security intros and functions such as, Intrusion Protection Systems, Intrusion Detection Systems, firewalls, and recovery and routine backup operations. Yet, this system developers also share responsibility when it comes to security, especially when it's inside the IT and information systems. The application architecture should be run on Linux/Null-based server or Windows 7 Server Edition.Any additional software o r programs that would later be needed could be programmed in-house as a development project. Interfaces: â€Å"Interface design is the process of defining how the system will interact with external entities, e. G. Customers, suppliers, other systems† (Dennis, Wisdom, ; Roth, 2009). System interfaces require a high level of security because they are well capable of exchanging different information with other information systems. Password requirements can achieve a high level of security by themselves, and are considered secure methods to manage employee files, private and confident documents, or company tax records.Password requirements also help prevent internal security threats, like employees trying to access another employee's computer. Network: one recommendation this consultant has is incorporating a database that is accompanied and would be accessible only via a PLAN (Virtual Local Area Network). This allows a trusted employee to update, view, and modify if necessary so me basic level information that would be subject to confirmation bias supervisor or other payroll clerk.Access such as this would definitely require the use of a password and surname for security methods. Also, methods of security that would be of a most level would be the three factor authentication method, which would be: surname with password and also a fingerprint scan. Also, the third-party organizations that handle Radian's employee's benefits, like their workers compensation and health infinite, should be audited every year for the purpose of com edited this and accuracy, and this would also ensure the most correct processes within Ordain.Physical Data Flow Diagrams Implementation designs and decisions describe how an information system will work, and one has to know this before designing application logic of the information system. The physical data flow diagrams of this information would show all the details including, but not limited to, the data stores that refer to the d atabase tables and the files, the human actions or programs that perform the processes, as well as he physical transfer media for those data flows. If one maintains a proper in clear implementation, it will always provide the services that you will expect with complete and accurate results.Ordain wants to resolve the additional issues regarding the implementation and processes of the final changes, as soon as possible. There will be a meeting next week to discuss this very issue, and this author will work as hard as possible to ensure that all this companies needs will be satisfied and met, and in secure and safe manner as well. Conclusion It has been shown, by the data flow diagrams as well as the basis of this report, that whatever issues had plagued the Human Resources Department, it can be fixed References Systems Analysis and Design, 4th Edition. Individual Assignment Individual Assignment Topic: Apply your understandings of financial statements, working capital management, financial planning to identify, analyze, and propose solutions to the problems presented in â€Å"Clarkson Lumber Company† case. Requirements: * Answer all the guideline questions. Support your answer with necessary calculations, forecasts, analysis†¦ * Summarize the problems and propose solutions for â€Å"Clarkson Lumber Company† based on your answers and analysis of the guideline questions.Assessments: * This is an individual assignment. Although you are encouraged to discuss the case with your lecturer and fellow students, you are required to write the report on your own. Any evidence of plagiarisms will result in a disqualification. * Your total score is 100 pts (answers to the guideline questions 60 pts, summary of the problems 10 pts, and proposed solution 30 pts) * Format: use Arial 11; 1. 15 line spacing. * Deadline: March 31st, 2013Guideline questio ns: 1. Why has Clarkson Lumber borrowed increasing amounts despite its consistent profitability? (5 pts) 2. How has Mr. Clarkson met the financing needs of the company during the period 1993 through 1995? Has the financial strength of Clarkson Lumber improved or deteriorated? (15 pts) 3. How attractive is it to take the trade discounts? (10 pts) 4. Do you agree with Mr. Clarkson’s estimate of the company’s loan requirements?How much will he need to finance the expected expansion in sales to $5. 5 million in 1996 and to take all trade discounts? (15 pts) 5. As Mr. Clarkson’s financial adviser, would you urge him to go ahead with, or to reconsider, his anticipated expansion and his plans for additional debt financing? As the banker, would you approve Mr. Clarkson’s loan request, and if so, what conditions would you put on the loan? (15 pts) Individual Assignment Also, we had reviewed the different data flow that would function and Improve the proper handling between Ordain and their plants, and which would ensure the best relationship between each department. It would Improve the communication In Ordain Manufacturing and, thus. Save time and money after it is finally implemented. Security Controls Security and secure ways of doing business should always be an most level of concern in any project.Security Is primarily handled and managed by the operations group, which is the same staff that is responsible for operating in installing security intros and functions such as, Intrusion Protection Systems, Intrusion Detection Systems, firewalls, and recovery and routine backup operations. Yet, this system developers also share responsibility when it comes to security, especially when it's inside the IT and information systems. The application architecture should be run on Linux/Null-based server or Windows 7 Server Edition.Any additional software o r programs that would later be needed could be programmed in-house as a development project. Interfaces: â€Å"Interface design is the process of defining how the system will interact with external entities, e. G. Customers, suppliers, other systems† (Dennis, Wisdom, ; Roth, 2009). System interfaces require a high level of security because they are well capable of exchanging different information with other information systems. Password requirements can achieve a high level of security by themselves, and are considered secure methods to manage employee files, private and confident documents, or company tax records.Password requirements also help prevent internal security threats, like employees trying to access another employee's computer. Network: one recommendation this consultant has is incorporating a database that is accompanied and would be accessible only via a PLAN (Virtual Local Area Network). This allows a trusted employee to update, view, and modify if necessary so me basic level information that would be subject to confirmation bias supervisor or other payroll clerk.Access such as this would definitely require the use of a password and surname for security methods. Also, methods of security that would be of a most level would be the three factor authentication method, which would be: surname with password and also a fingerprint scan. Also, the third-party organizations that handle Radian's employee's benefits, like their workers compensation and health infinite, should be audited every year for the purpose of com edited this and accuracy, and this would also ensure the most correct processes within Ordain.Physical Data Flow Diagrams Implementation designs and decisions describe how an information system will work, and one has to know this before designing application logic of the information system. The physical data flow diagrams of this information would show all the details including, but not limited to, the data stores that refer to the d atabase tables and the files, the human actions or programs that perform the processes, as well as he physical transfer media for those data flows. If one maintains a proper in clear implementation, it will always provide the services that you will expect with complete and accurate results.Ordain wants to resolve the additional issues regarding the implementation and processes of the final changes, as soon as possible. There will be a meeting next week to discuss this very issue, and this author will work as hard as possible to ensure that all this companies needs will be satisfied and met, and in secure and safe manner as well. Conclusion It has been shown, by the data flow diagrams as well as the basis of this report, that whatever issues had plagued the Human Resources Department, it can be fixed References Systems Analysis and Design, 4th Edition. Individual Assignment Individual Assignment Topic: Apply your understandings of financial statements, working capital management, financial planning to identify, analyze, and propose solutions to the problems presented in â€Å"Clarkson Lumber Company† case. Requirements: * Answer all the guideline questions. Support your answer with necessary calculations, forecasts, analysis†¦ * Summarize the problems and propose solutions for â€Å"Clarkson Lumber Company† based on your answers and analysis of the guideline questions.Assessments: * This is an individual assignment. Although you are encouraged to discuss the case with your lecturer and fellow students, you are required to write the report on your own. Any evidence of plagiarisms will result in a disqualification. * Your total score is 100 pts (answers to the guideline questions 60 pts, summary of the problems 10 pts, and proposed solution 30 pts) * Format: use Arial 11; 1. 15 line spacing. * Deadline: March 31st, 2013Guideline questio ns: 1. Why has Clarkson Lumber borrowed increasing amounts despite its consistent profitability? (5 pts) 2. How has Mr. Clarkson met the financing needs of the company during the period 1993 through 1995? Has the financial strength of Clarkson Lumber improved or deteriorated? (15 pts) 3. How attractive is it to take the trade discounts? (10 pts) 4. Do you agree with Mr. Clarkson’s estimate of the company’s loan requirements?How much will he need to finance the expected expansion in sales to $5. 5 million in 1996 and to take all trade discounts? (15 pts) 5. As Mr. Clarkson’s financial adviser, would you urge him to go ahead with, or to reconsider, his anticipated expansion and his plans for additional debt financing? As the banker, would you approve Mr. Clarkson’s loan request, and if so, what conditions would you put on the loan? (15 pts) Individual Assignment Individual Assignment Topic: Apply your understandings of financial statements, working capital management, financial planning to identify, analyze, and propose solutions to the problems presented in â€Å"Clarkson Lumber Company† case. Requirements: * Answer all the guideline questions. Support your answer with necessary calculations, forecasts, analysis†¦ * Summarize the problems and propose solutions for â€Å"Clarkson Lumber Company† based on your answers and analysis of the guideline questions.Assessments: * This is an individual assignment. Although you are encouraged to discuss the case with your lecturer and fellow students, you are required to write the report on your own. Any evidence of plagiarisms will result in a disqualification. * Your total score is 100 pts (answers to the guideline questions 60 pts, summary of the problems 10 pts, and proposed solution 30 pts) * Format: use Arial 11; 1. 15 line spacing. * Deadline: March 31st, 2013Guideline questio ns: 1. Why has Clarkson Lumber borrowed increasing amounts despite its consistent profitability? (5 pts) 2. How has Mr. Clarkson met the financing needs of the company during the period 1993 through 1995? Has the financial strength of Clarkson Lumber improved or deteriorated? (15 pts) 3. How attractive is it to take the trade discounts? (10 pts) 4. Do you agree with Mr. Clarkson’s estimate of the company’s loan requirements?How much will he need to finance the expected expansion in sales to $5. 5 million in 1996 and to take all trade discounts? (15 pts) 5. As Mr. Clarkson’s financial adviser, would you urge him to go ahead with, or to reconsider, his anticipated expansion and his plans for additional debt financing? As the banker, would you approve Mr. Clarkson’s loan request, and if so, what conditions would you put on the loan? (15 pts)