Education Sector Essay

In a globalized economy with a high degree of competition among countries, the success of a nation depends on the educational level of its workforce. Technology has rapidly transformed education by extending learning space beyond the four wall of a classroom. Even though school plays the main role of education, technology offers verities of opportunities to learn more. Such as, Distance learning, online learning communities and access to vast resources and databases, etc. with the help of Information and communications technology (ICT), it allows to improve quality of teaching and learning worldwide. (Bokova, 2013) There are both positive and negative impacts due to technological advancement in education sector. Affordability: Even though developed counties are able to afford this, most of the developing countries struggle to equip the basic ICT devices. However there are things which they can afford, such as mobile phone, it would help to connect teachers, students, parents and administrators. Capacities: National policy-makers sometimes may lack to formulate ICT in educational policies. In some developing counties teaching institutes frequently lack to trainer the teachers with ICT education practices. Which would lead to less ICT education in school levels. Inclusion: People who live in rural area, disabled people typically receives low quality educations, even though they have special educational needs. Introduction of ICT would favour inclusive education and reduce inequalities. Content: there are more teaching modules available by the help of ICT. Open Educational Resources (OERs) hold significant potential to accelerate free access to knowledge and facilitae the adaptation of content to local needs and languages. Quality Assurance: ICT can help the education system to be much easier, but some developing countries still haven’t been duly reformed to embrace these new learning outcomes. And issues such as quality of ICT-based learning and safety of children online needs to be addressed. (Bokova, 2013).

Grocery Retail Industry Essay

The first Tesco shop opened in Edgware, North London in 1929; although the creator of Tesco was a man called Jack Cohen who sold the first own-brand product in 1924, this product was ‘Tesco Tea’. Now 82 years on Tesco currently operates in 14 countries across the globe. The name Tesco comes from TE Stockwell who was a shared partner of the tea firm which created the tea Jack Cohen sold. Therefore taking the initials ‘TES’ from Stockwell’s name and the first 2 initials of Cohen’s surname ‘CO’ this then creates ‘Tesco’. By using marketing theories and strategies I am going to analyse Tesco as an organisation. Tesco’s current market The retail industry is a very competitive industry due to customers not always being loyal but being persuaded by price, quality and range of products. In order to gain customer loyalty Tesco’s must ensure they keep costs down and offer a wide range of products. As previously mentioned Tesco’s have stores in 14 countries, the shops are built where there are high demands and where communities allow buildings to be constructed. Location of Tesco shops Figure 1 – World map of where. Analysis Pest Analysis Using the PEST analysis (Political, Economic, Social and Technological) this will show how Tesco works within the grocery retail industry. P – Tesco works close within the local communities of their stores. A quote taken from the corporate responsibility section of the website states; â€Å"We want to be a good neighbour in all the communities in which we operate† This means that within local communities they make a long term difference and showing interest in activities around the community. By doing so this gains customer loyalty. A national political issue is the increasing rates of unemployment, due to Tesco still growing more jobs become available as a result reducing the rate of unemployment. Expand on more issues. E – Due to Tesco being a large retailer selling named branded products as well as home branded products there are able to appeal to all types of markets. As Tesco is just one of the major retailers with competition such as Asda and Morrisons, as well as the current recession, Tesco are required to be very competitive with their prices. Socially there has been an increase in fitness and healthy eating therefore products such as fruit/vegetables/smoothies etc should be on the increase but due to the financial issue at the moment customers buy pre-prepared products or frozen meals for convenience and cost. T – Tesco offers an online service in order for customers to purchase grocery shopping online via the internet which they can then get delivered. An example of a technological factor in store would be the introduction of self service checkouts which entitles a customer to scan and pay for their own shopping. Internal SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Home branded products Capacity of staff Online services Worldwide company Opportunities Threats Play area Other supermarket chains Hair and beauty salons in store Tesco food platters Figure 2 – SWOT Analysis table Strengths Home brand products – By Tesco selling home branded products they are able to make a bigger profit on products. Branded products are purchased from the producer and it is then up to Tesco to sell these on for a profit as well as keeping costs down. Any amount of profit made on a home branded product is completely profited by Tesco. Online Services – Tesco operates online and due to the internet being a massive part of economy today this is a massive strength. Tesco also offers other services such as ‘Tesco direct’ which is a catalogue shop where products can be ordered online and either collected in store or can be delivered. Worldwide Company – Tesco is known all over the world which increases acknowledgement of the store. Customers tend to trust shops with they are familiar with. Opportunities Tesco food platters – Tesco’s could offer a service of creating food platters to be delivered. This would be very successful within businesses who order buffets regularly. This could include creating different ranges of buffet which vary in price and then delivering. Sainsbury’s offer a similar service called ‘Instore party platter service’ although their buffets are to be collected in store whereas if Tesco deliver the buffets then this is an advantage above the competition. Weaknesses Capacity of Staff – Within the UK stores there are 293,676 members of staff working in Tesco Stores (figure correct as of 10/1/12 according to Tesco Plc. com). Due to the mass amount of staff employed by Tesco as an organisation the personal relationships which can be found in a small organisation aren’t likely to be present. Employees may feel like ‘just a number’ within the organisation therefore rubbing off a negative attitude onto customers. Threats Other supermarket chains – Retail is a competitive business and there are several popular supermarket chains. One of Tesco’s biggest competitors is Asda, Asda has the guarantee of ‘If we’re not 10% cheaper on your comparable grocery shopping we’ll give you the difference. Guaranteed. ’ This puts the pressure on Tesco to offer deals to keep their current customers and to gain potential new ones. Tesco also have smaller stores called ‘Tesco Extra’ which are more for convenience shopping and in smaller areas of town. Asda have now started building convenience stores named ‘Asda Supermarket’ therefore not only are Asda a competitor with the larger stores but also with the smaller stores too. Micro-environment Analysis Porters Five Forces Figure 3 – Porter’s five forces 1. Existing competitors – Tesco’s main competitors are Sainsbury, Asda and Morrisons as they are all large supermarkets. Tesco offer an online service in order for customers to order their shopping online and for it to be delivered. This is a service that Asda also offers although Morrisons hasn’t yet developed online. If these organisations have the same strategic ideas then this increases the level of competition. â€Å"Operating in a mature, flat market where growth is difficult and consumers are increasingly demanding and sophisticated, large chains such as Tesco are accruing large amounts of consumer information that can be used to communicate with the consumer† Ritz (2005) Relating to exit barrier it is difficult for an organisation such as Tesco known as a grocery retailer to move into non-food areas although they offer a range of different services within retail. In order to respond to customer behaviour Tesco is left as having to reduce its prices to the lowest possible amount. 2. Bargaining power of customers – This is very high as it’s the customers who profit the company. If a price is too high then customers may go to another large supermarket for the same product or an alternative. This may also apply if a product is out of stock. Also within a large supermarket like Tesco there are many different bands or products which leave the customer in a lower ratio than products. Threat of new entrants – It is very difficult to enter into the large Supermarket chain as it’s a limited business. Also Tesco is already set up with it’s suppliers with lower prices making it hard for a new business to find cheaper suppliers. A new business would require starting out small in order to build customer loyalty, also they would have limited stock of brands or less products yet bought as a higher price. 4. Bargaining power of suppliers – Within a small organisation a supplier would have a lot of power and demand that there products are bought at a set  price, this leaves small retailers at a disadvantage as they need to make a profit on items. Whereas with large Supermarkets they can determine what price they will pay for a product, if a supplier disagrees they are automatically reducing the product market. 5. Substitute products – In the larger stores there are many like-for-like products including own brands within Tesco which can reduce sales of products. â€Å"General substitution is able to reduce demand for a particular product, as there is a threat of consumers switching to the alternatives† Porter M. Therefore larger supermarkets like Tesco have opened their stores but to a smaller scale which offers customers many of the same popular products but a limited range. Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning (STP) Consumer Segmentation Tesco have a great advantage of finding out customer data using the Tesco Clubcard scheme. When a customer registers for a Clubcard they must fill in their basic information in order to enter the scheme. When a customer uses their Clubcard during a transaction then Tesco is able to see what the customer has purchased. After a while when a customer has made several transactions then Tesco are able to collect data about that customer and compare to see which items are commonly purchased and what brand/type of items. By doing so Tesco is able to determine the lifestyle of that particular customer and create a profile. Once this has been done then Tesco are able to provide each individual customer with the appropriate promotions and special offers so that customers can relate good prices for the products they regularly buy to Tesco, therefore staying loyal. An example of this would be if a customer bought items such as ‘Quorn’ or ‘vegetarian sausages’ then they wouldn’t expect to receive meat discount vouchers from Tesco Clubcard. Targeting Tesco targets all types of markets. Price bands – dependant upon where the store is situated – upper class, middle class, lower class will depend upon a price band. Price band 1 being the cheapest, price band 4 being the more expensive. Eg if store located in Westcliffe, would be price band 1 to keep the lower class people shopping. If store located in an upmarket neighbourhood, would be price band 4 to take more money off the upper class people for same products. Dependant upon store size will depend upon price bands also, because a larger store will have a bigger buying in margin ( where tesco will get discount off a product for buying more in bulk) where as a smaller convenience store will have a smaller buying in margin so will not be able to give the customer a discount like the bigger stores. Positioning In 1997 Tesco were known as a large retailer within the grocery retail market. They then developed the marketing strategy of becoming â€Å"as strong in non-food as in food†. 15 years on from when this challenge was set Tesco now deal in services such as; Tesco Direct F&F – Tesco Clothing range Tesco Fuel Tesco Bank Tesco Mobile Tesco Opticians Tesco Entertainment Tesco Direct – This service provides customers with a catalogue which contains Tesco’s range of Electrical appliances, home furnishings, toys and many other products. Once selected these products can either be delivered or arrange to be collected from a local direct desk. This sort of service competes with that of Argos who is also a direct catalogue retailer. Tesco Clothing F&F range – This is a difficult market for Tesco to enter into with a high entry barrier. The clothing retailer market is a very competitive business as you have the expensive designer shops ranging right down to the basic value for money clothing. Tesco tend to focus there clothing range on school clothes for children as this is something that appeals to parents. Parents aren’t prepared to spend lots of money on clothes which have to sustain a lot of wear and tear. In august 2011 Tesco promoted a back to school offer of a ? 15 bundle which includes trousers, skirt or a pinafore, a coat and a 3 pack of shirts or polo shirts.

Analysis of Consumer and Business Buying Behavior Essay

Analysis of Consumer and Business Buying Behavior - Essay Example In that direction, RetailCo can adopt electronic payment systems like Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), PayPal and Mobile Phone Payment. These payment systems were selected based on the fact that the target customers of RetailCo are largely upper-class, educated and receptive to online shopping, and so would be interested to buy RetailCo’s products through online mode by utilizing any one of the above mentioned payment systems. Then, importantly as the customers and even the staffs of RetailCo would like to have secure and easy to use payment systems, these options were selected. Apart from the already implemented card systems, RetailCo can first adopt the payment system of Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), which involves the electronic transfer of money by the customers from their bank account to the account of RetailCo. If RetailCo includes the EFT option, the customers can click it, and it will lead to a list of banks with which RetailCo has a business arrangement. The customers can select their bank (or the bank in which they will have account), enter the account details with their personal password, and initiate the transaction. This payment option provides the customer an easier option to make the purchase, as they do not have to keep their cards with them all the time, and needing to input all the card details, because they can just remember their internet banking details. However, RetailCo has to include all or majority of the banks by making arrangements with them, otherwise, certain customers may find their banks missing in the list. The next key pa yment option that could be included is the PayPal option, where the customers can buy products by transferring their money electronically from their PayPal account. â€Å"Money would be exchanged via cyberspace - all users needed were an e-mail address, a credit card or bank account number and an Internet connection.† (â€Å"Electronic

Corporate governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corporate governance - Essay Example However, with tightening the belt on the expenditure Stamford International could realize a fruitful financial year as the previous year. With a successful previous financial year, the company has been reluctant to ensure that all expenditure and incomes in the company are appropriately analyzed. The company needs to streamline all the departmental heads. The departmental head should ensure all expenses in the departmental are tightened in order to provide extra cents in value in the earning per share. The effort the staff had displayed did not continue. We had achieved more than the company’s expectations. This made all staff members relax. If this continues, the earning per share may reach a record low value of 3 cents per share. Regardless of the internal conflicts a company has; the investors and stakeholders should not be dragged to the mud. The current situation may result to stakeholders selling their shares at a lower price. In this first quarter, the value per share i s at 47 cents. This is a 5 cent deficit from the previous year’s first quarter earnings. If all departments could maximize their efforts, the company would even be able to exceed the value of 52 cents per share. The earning 52 cents per share in one quarter shows the potential of this organization. In the board meeting we had after the first results of this quarter, all the shareholders had recommendations and corrections they would have implemented. These recommendations would enable the organization to add the value of its share. From the meeting, I realized the company was not operating at its full potential and with adjustments department head could increase the output of the company. It was also generated from the board meeting that investors would abandon the company if we do not register I higher share value in the second first quarter. Additionally, if this scenario does not change, shareholders may opt to sell their shares at lower prices in order to avoid getting ve ry low dividends. This meant that the second quarter of this financial year would be the determinant of whether or not the company will retain its shareholders and investors. The move to start streamlining the company from the departments is the fact that some departments played a significant role in the declining in the value of the company’s shares. For instance, the procurement department contributed to a 2 cents loss per share. This loss was generated from bad inventory the department had received. The negligence of this department made the company incur expenses in replacing the bad inventory. This expense could be avoided if the department was under proper management. In my opinion, the public presentation of the earning per share should be increased in figures. However, these adjustments should be made in consideration of what the earning peer share could be if all expenses remained constant in all quarters (6). The company should also use forecasts in planning the adj ustment. However, forecasted figures developed should be accurate. The agreement should also be jointly be reached upon by the management and board members. In my opinion, the management should consider increasing the earning per share by 5 cents. In adding 5 cents on the current 47 cents per share, the value will rise to 52 cents per share. Since we are at the first quarter, 52 cents earning per share will portray a good progress among the stakeholders. This will also lead

Why Projcts Fail in Airbus-A380 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Why Projcts Fail in Airbus-A380 - Essay Example However, these constraints can also be properly addressed through the right management process. The work at hand tries to elaborate this point. However, crucial to this analysis is the inclusion of important aspects or components of the modern management theory. The modern management theory has a significant link to the actual explanation of the failure associated with the Airbus A380 project. For this reason, the work at hand also includes the common approaches involved in the modern management approaches. However, more than this, the factors in modern management theory is necessary for inclusion because the entire discussion pertains more to the actual factors involved in the failure of Airbus A380 project. Airbus A380 project is a highly technical project, but its nature has nothing to do with the prevailing thought regarding the right implementation of the factors involved in the modern management theory. For this reason, the work at hand has significantly included the remarkable thought concerning on how planning, coordination, organising, command or communication and control should be critically considered in the case. This is the rationale of the work at hand and in order to implement this, the actual problems faced by Airbus A380 project prior to its failure were critically discussed. The actual strength of the analysis lies on the point that the work at hand has remarkably consulted various reliable academic articles as the bases of the argument. However, the limitation lies on the fact that there are only few studies trying to reflect on the kind of problems or failure that Airbus A380 project faced. For this reason, another substantial feature of the discussion reflects on the ability of the proponent to intuitively relate the prevailing concepts linked to the modern management theory and the case of Airbus A380 project failure. Moreover, the main argument in the paper lies on the point that

In an increasingly dynamic environment, strategic management of risk Dissertation

In an increasingly dynamic environment, strategic management of risk has become a critical competency for organisations. From th - Dissertation Example It has also grown from a hot topic, one that was dealt with only by the most prestigious companies to one that has become a necessity to every company irrespective of its size and nature of business. Companies today face a considerable number of risks also because of international factors such as globalization, outsourcing and intense competition. Therefore, it is important for all companies to satisfy their risk needs through a formal risk management system. However, careful analysis and planning must precede the entire operation. This not only helps in smoother implementation, companies can develop plans to tackle some of the inherent limitations and disadvantages of the system before hand. It will also help the company determine the best course of action with regard to the risk management strategy eventually adopted. Once selected, the actual system is guided by a number of standard processes and phases each with its own set of requirements and objectives. The entire process is of a cyclic nature that starts with the identification an analysis phase and ends with the monitoring phase for a company new to the process, whereas in existing systems all the phases are carried out continuously. This is the only way to ensure effectiveness of the system. However, it need not be an overhead and the entire process can be integrated into the schedules of the employees of the company. Senior management involvement also goes a long way in ensuring the effectiveness of the system. Once implemented as per guidelines and having taken appropriate precautions, it is possible not only to achieve a safer degree of operation within the company; other benefits can also be reaped. For instance, risk management systems can offer one of ways of developing a long term competitive advantage which is critical in today's competitive environment. Risk management systems are still evolving and are in a dynamic state. Future work that establishes better guidelines for the implementation w ill assist several companies in understanding and implementing their own systems that is based on a unique structure and satisfied demands. 1. Research Question â€Å"In an increasingly dynamic environment, strategic management of risk has become a critical competency for organisations. From the perspective of an Operations Manager, present a case to the board of directors for adoption of a formal risk management process.† 1.1. Aim The aim of this report is to provide and propose to the senior management a detailed case for adopting a formal risk management process. 1.2. Objectives To achieve the aim of the report following objectives will have to be met: A. Demonstrate the importance of Risk Management Process in an organisation B. To present the advantages and disadvantages of adopting a formal risk management process C. To Analyse and Discuss why the organisation should adopt a formal risk management process D. To Conclude the findings of the report and present recommendat ions to the board 2. Literature Review

Greek Culture pertaining to the the foods they eat Essay

Greek Culture pertaining to the the foods they eat - Essay Example Food is the essence of life for a Greek, and for generations the ritual of cooking the main family meal has been that of the woman of the household. She will begin preparing an elaborate, complicated meal often from the morning, so that it is ready when the man and the children return home from work and school. Breakfast usually consists of a strong Greek coffee (ΕÎ »ÃŽ »ÃŽ ·ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ºÃÅ') and a bread ring (ÃŽÅ¡ÃŽ ¿Ãâ€¦ÃŽ »ÃŽ ¿Ã Ã ÃŽ ¹) and is of no particular importance. The main meal of the day is an important family event; it is where the family members (and often friends) converse around the table and communicate – most socialising is based upon eating and drinking. The main meal is often eaten late afternoon, although this depends on the season (during the summer, it will be earlier) and is traditionally followed by a one to two hour nap, after which the man will often return to work for some hours. This concerns the working hours of Greece in general, althou gh there are exceptions as always, depending again on the season or the type of work as well as whether the family lives in a major city or small village. Of course, this is just a very basic introduction as to what the food culture in Greece consists of, albeit necessary in order to progress into the more specific areas. It is safe to say, however, that the Greek food culture is one engrained through centuries of tradition, which have kept a steadfast hold of families despite our entry into the ‘modern age’. I will now explain the most popular types of foods for the Greeks and the recipes in which they can be found. Generally, the basic ingredients of Greek cuisine are not many, but each is used in a variety of ways to make very different dishes. As has already been stated, the main meal of the day is the most important. It is elaborate and usually consists of a main meat dish, along with other smaller side dishes and often some form of dip. Lamb is very popular in villages and other such rural areas,

Persuasive Memo Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Persuasive Memo - Research Paper Example Lexington has a healthy population of African and Hispanic community which is a cause for rise of social crime in the society. As per ( City Rating,2013)â€Å"In 2010 the city violent crime rate in Lexington was higher than the violent crime rate in Kentucky by 136.81% and the city property crime rate in Lexington was higher than the property crime rate in Kentucky by 44%†.The young Africans and Hispanics are more into substance abuse and crimes as poverty and social ignorance lead them to this. It is the obligation and responsibility of Corporate like Cold stream laboratories to perform activities that can upgrade the community and people living it. So a social awareness centre would bring youth who are misled together and enhance their knowledge about drug abuse and criminal activities. They will be guided to stop addictive substances and lead life which is productive and beneficial. Operation of Social Awareness centre The operation of the social awareness starts with estab lishing a building in a right location with facilities needed for it. The next important thing is appointment of right professionals in the centre. A social awareness centre must have more of voluntary workers who are keen on social support work. Only important therapists and medical experts need to be hired with pay. The social awareness centre must operate on a daily basis and should consider people from all social backgrounds. People should be given assistance free of cost and the quality of service should be of highest standard. The centre should be operating from morning to evening and would not work round the clock. Hygiene must be of highest priority at all times. The operation of the social awareness centre must be in an organized manner and the all the details of the people getting the service need to be recorded. It is also the duty of the volunteer social workers to find people who need the service .The centre must have all the records and activities being monitored by a managerial head that would also look out for any discrepancies. The centre needs to have different therapy which deals with different issues. The people coming in would be analyzed first for their problems and then the needed service will be provided. According to ( Brooks, 2013) â€Å"A top priority for many organizations today is corporate social responsibility, which focuses on how businesses deal with their environmental, social and economic impacts†. Implementation of Social Awareness Centre Implementing the program starts with a blue print of the centre and proper planning of the staff needed and the working system. A business plan is the foundation in implementing a corporate social responsibility program. Measurable targets needs to be set along with performance standards. The commitments need to be strategized and employees need to hand over responsibilities. The needs of the local community need to be analyzed and decision needs to be made accordingly. The senior ma nagement needs to finalize the goals and strategies of the program. According to (Hohnen, 2007) â€Å"When implementing a CSR strategy, companies should recognize and respect local and cultural differences, while maintaining high and consistent global standards and policies†. It is very important to make decisions regarding the financial and human resources needed for the program. The code of conduct, guidelines of the centre needs to be established. Responsibility and authority of the employees

Project Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Project Risk Management - Essay Example A co-operation considered less informal in terms of risk management results in a number of gains. This requires a long term relationship or co-operation among actors of project network. For example, a risk management engagement considered less informal, results in a reduced transaction costs since, it limits the need for rather, expensive contractual engagement. In addition, a risk management process that engages co-operation minimizes dyadic relationships and introduces a network-level engagement. A co-operative means of managing risks results in efficiency and at the same time, pinpoints ineffective and expensive practices resulting into risks. In the construction field today, risk management for projects is gaining recognition as a result of the critical procedures involved. Shortfalls witnessed in construction projects results from the complex nature of various implemented projects. The idea of subcontracting is taking precedence as a result of construction companies concentratin g on their main businesses. This creates a situation where, involvement in projects becomes complex due to many project participants. Uncertainty related to implementing successful projects is caused by various sources. Effective risk management for projects is tenable by developing an understanding of the relationship manifesting between risks and project networks. The stakeholders responsible for implementing a project need to recognize risks attributable to each participant in the project. This provides a reliable mechanism for risk allocation; on the other hand, risks within construction projects often arise because of the involvement of various sources. Construction projects often involve a continuous process in relation to decision making. This results from the existence of many sources that create uncertainty and risks. In most cases, such decisions are beyond the control of the bonafide project participants. Further, most construction projects fail in terms of meeting cost t argets and stipulated timeline (Abdou 7). As a result, it is crucial for contractors to recognize risk sources earlier. For example, in regions such as the Far-East, delays often results from, interference by the owner, lack of experience on part of the contractor, poor planning and financial constraints. Such risks are often network-related, in order to execute a successful project, there is need for guarantee in terms of project participant’s experience and skills. Other factors to consider involve the network undertaking the project (Abdou 8). As a good practice, risk management within projects requires improvements for contracts, providing incentives for quality and recognizing capabilities. According to Baloi and Price, there are two categories of risks related to construction projects (262); this is illustrated in the tables below. Table 1: Typical Risks Technical Social Construction Economic Legal Financial Natural Commercial Logistics Political Table 2: Risks by Impac t Dynamic vs Static Corporate vs Individual Internal vs External Positive vs Negative Acceptable vs Unacceptable Insurable vs Non insurable As suggested in both tables, the major source of risks for construction projects, are networks, this occurs either directly or indirectly. On another note, risks attributed to constructio

Communication Strategies Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communication Strategies - Coursework Example These differences in a workplace may cause many problems as attitudes and perceptions shape they way even formal communication takes place. A male boss may be very blunt and direct in his speech which may at a certain point offend a female subordinate than it would a male in the same place. Males also tend to be more interruptive and biases like these may lead for them to pay more attention to the point being made by a male subordinate as opposed to a female. Also the level of trust and intimacy in terms of work relation would be stronger with a male than with a female. On the other hand if a female were to be the boss a male subordinate would most likely question her superiority by throwing questions at her to test her skills. A female boss that is more aggressive in speech is almost always thought to be displaying an otherwise male characteristic and hence given names by subordinates and used as code language among the peers to refer to the boss. A male boss being aggressive and ev en cursing subordinates on the other hand would be thought of as normal. Females may also not be taken as seriously as their male counterparts and thought to be emotional and weak in certain cases. In such cases it becomes difficult for a task to be completed as the authority of a female boss might be questioned. Similarly in an interview situation or a group meeting male to female communication can display similar conflicts due to gender perceptions. An idea by a male might be given more importance than a female. These differences can not just lead to problems in being more expressive among males and females in a work place but may also cause serious delays in work or miscommunication of messages. 2) I agree that language has an effect on gender perceptions and hence elimination of sexist language may have a slow but positive effect on the attitudes and behaviors of people. The terms we use in everyday language has an effect on how we perceive the roles attached to us. These change s are slowly but steadily being incorporated into everyday language because it plays a key role in shaping people’s thoughts and ideas. Gender neutral terms in language are essential to overcome the bias that exists in society’s perception of males and females. I find racism and sexism to be similar biases. Hence, if the elimination of racism is emphasized on in all societies, it is fair to propagate the elimination of sexist terms from language that automatically deems inferior the status of one gender or excludes one from its representation. As an example, we can look at a manual for a workplace that keeps referring to the reader as a man or using â€Å"his† instead of using â€Å"them† for reference to the workforce. This automatically excludes a female worker and hence suggests that there are no women in the organization, whereas in reality, half the workforce might comprise of women and the manual maybe referring to them as much as it is referring to the male worker. Thus, replacing sexist terminology is important to get rid of gender biases in society and can have a positive effect on the attitudes of people who come across it. It will not just lead for women to be represented equally and give them confidence and credit but will also not automatically assign characteristics to one gender that can be

The Nature Of Reality Essay Example for Free

The Nature Of Reality Essay What is reality?   Throughout the history of mankind it seems that we have all been searching for the answer to this question.   The nature of reality cannot be explained in a way that will satisfy us all.   I believe that the nature of reality is lies within the mind of each of us.   What is reality for one person is not reality for another.   Reality is based on individual perception, and the evolution of each person.   What I mean by this is that each person goes through a type of evolution in his/her life where the mind begins to develop a higher awareness. Most of us begin to realize that there is more to the process of life than being born, aging, and dying.   Greek philosopher, Thales thought that â€Å"beneath the world of life and death there must be some basic substance which explained and made possible everything else,† (The Ionian School, undated website article). Many of us begin to believe that we are much more than our physical bodies.   And that leaving our bodies through death is not the end of our existence. Our life force, energy, or soul will continue to live on a different level or dimension.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Of course, believing in a sort of ‘life’ after death is a major topic of debate.   Philosophers continue to ponder if this could be reality, Christians structure their lives around this belief, and scientist argue that reality is only that which can be proven. â€Å"Clearly, the mere fact that one believes in and lives by something is not of itself sufficient evidence that that something has real, as distinct from fictional, existence; that, intellectually, it makes sense, as distinct from nonsense,† (Somerville, 1967).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I believe that just because we can’t prove something through science does not mean that something can’t exist.  Ã‚   For example, well-know psychics seem to be able to communicate with the dead, and predict future events often with amazing accuracy.  Ã‚   Even ordinary people who have had near-death experiences insist that there is something more, and often claim to have seen the other side of physical life.   Therefore, I believe that the nature of reality is different for everyone.   And the secret to reality is in our own minds.   I believe that what will be real in our lives, will be that which is real in our minds. References Somerville, J. (1967).   The Nature of Reality: Dialectical Materialism.   In The Philosophy of Marxism: An Exposition (pp.3-32).   Minneapolis: Marxist Educational Press. The Ionian School.   Retrieved February 24, 2007, from http://www.hol.gr/greece/texts/aristo.1txt.

Jasmin Vardimon Company

Jasmin Vardimon Company Jasmin Vardimon Company (JVC) is one of Britains most pioneering physical dance theatre companies, creating work that excites both the eye and the mind by pushing the boundaries of human physicality whilst engaging in universal, contemporary themes that strike an emotional chord.[1] In this piece of work I will be discussing one of Britains leading Contemporary Choreographers, Jasmin Vardimon. I will discuss her history, how she rose from the Kibbutz in Israel, to become one of the most influential and dynamic choreographers in Britain today. I will discuss her companys origin, her most important work to date, achievements and awards that she has received and how she is influencing the contemporary dance world in Britain and abroad today. Biography Born and raised on a Kibbutz in central Israel, Jasmin Vardimon has become a significant element within the British dance scene. Before turning to dance, Vardimon done military service at the age of 18 for two years, she also worked as a psychological interviewer, studying and interviewing people. She has made a name for herself throughout the years after first joining the Kibbutz Dance Company, which is one of Israels principal dance companies, before going on to win the British Council On the Way to London award in 1995.   After moving to London in 1997, Jasmin Vardimon founded her own company Zbang, which is now know as Jasmin Vardimon Company. Influences Throughout the past decade Jasmin Vardimon has developed a strong recognisable artistic voice in the contemporary world. Vardimons work is centred around the human behaviour, which is portrayed through the storyline of each piece. Vardmons choreography is Renowned for dynamic, funky and highly physical choreography that is thrilling to watch[2]. From personal experience of seeing Jasmin Vardimon show called Yesterday in the McRoberts Theatre, Stirling, I felt the performance was one of the few shows that I have seen, were I was unable to take my eyes off the dancers. The physical demands that the dancers face, such as the fluidity of the complex movements and how all the dancers have each series of sequences in perfect unison, also the way they were able to interpret each characters. The characterisation made the choreography and storyline so believable. In my opinion the show was absolutely breath taking. I read see and hear all the time and get influences from many little things, mostly from real life.[3] Human behaviour is a big influence in Jasmin Vardimons work, and this is strongly seen in her choreography. I believe that the psychological work that she did previous is one of her main inspiration when creating as she has a great understanding of the human psyche. Vardimons style merges together physical theatre and dance, with the outcome being energetic, explosive, beautiful with quirky character. Another influence in Jasmin Vardimons work is multimedia technology. In many of her works strong visual effects have been used to make the pieces come to life. Video recordings, video playback, special effects and complex lighting have been used to create the mood and atmosphere for the setting. When creating movement, Vardimon works hand in hand with her dancers giving them a chance to help create material, from which she will develop further, I work, a lot, with task orientated techniques so I would give [the dancers] a task and see how they react to my idea and then Ill take it from there.[4] Important works One of Jasmin Vardimons most important works to date I believe would have to be Yesterday. This production was choreographed for her company, Jasmin Vardimon Company, for their 10th anniversary tour, which began touring in Autumn 2008, and is still touring at present. YESTERDAY is a retrospective new piece featuring some of the most breath-taking duets, striking solos andiconic moments selected from the companys repertoire: Justitia, Park, Lullaby, Tà ªte, Lurelurelure and Ticklish.[5] As well as using material from those previous works, Vardimon has added in new highly convincing, exciting and complicated choreography to make the show come alive. With a wide range of multimedia technology being used to enhance the effect the audience will perceive, this show as having phenomenal reviews from critics. Jasmin Vardimon explains in an interview with Neil Nisbet in article 19, that this piece is not a new piece of work, but a collaboration of all her previous work she has done with her company Jasmin Vardimon Company, (JVC). As well as having and choreographing for her own company, Jasmin Vardimon has worked with many other companies Hellenic Dance (Athens), CandoCo, WID, Bare Bones, Transitions and curated the Dance Ballads Festival at the Oval House[7]. In 1998 Vardimon was Associate Artist at The place and from 1999 to 1005 she was a Yorkshire Dance Partner. She is currently Associate Artist at Sadlers Wells in London since 2006. During the past decade Jasmin Vardimon as receive numerous awards for her choreography and contribution to the contemporary dance world. Some of the many awards she has won are, Jerwood Choreography Award (2000), the London Art Board new Choreographers Award in 1998. She was also nominated for the Best Female Artist award at the Critics Circle National Dance Award in 2003. Jasmin Vardimon Company, is a international company performing in some of the highly profiled theatres around the world. The 10th anniversary tour is the biggest tour, the company has done to date, performing nationally and internationally in Europe and Asia. The company is based in Brighton though does not have a permanent residence there. The contribution Jasmin Vardimon is giving back to the contemporary world is through her educational outreach programme. There are two main workshops given, choreography and Repertoire, which is adapted for all levels. The workshops help to give dancers, amitoure and professional the chance to see how Vardimon works, also giving the dancers the chance to develop dance and theatre skills. The workshops can be tailored for the participants. They can be pure dance and physical theatre, or have a deeper look at social contents and problems such as bullying and illness. The workshops are run by members of the JVC giving the chance to learn first hand what its like to work in such a inspirational company. [1]http://www.jasminvardimon.com/media/press/JVC_Yesterday_PR.pdf,   PRESS RELEASE 15 July 2008 [2] www.Parktour.co.uk [3] http://www.londondance.com/content.asp?CategoryID=1509 [4] http://www.article19.co.uk/06/interview/jasmin_vardimon_1.php [5] http://www.jasminvardimon.com/productions.htm l [6] http://www.jasminvardimon.com/productions.html, The Times [7] http://www.jasminvardimon.com/who.html#jasmin bib http://www.britishcouncil.org/arts-performance_in_profile-2009-british_council-jasmin_vardimon_company.htm http://www.sadlerswells.com/show/Jasmin-Vardimon

The Weakness Of Relying On Income Per Capita Economics Essay

The Weakness Of Relying On Income Per Capita Economics Essay Income per capita is how much money each person earns in average in a particular time. It is used to indicate the economy for an area and to evaluate the living standards and the quality of life for different countries, nations or regions. It is usually measured by dividing the national income of a country, which is the entire income of all the people arising from a countrys gross domestic product (GDP), by the entire population of the country. Income per capita= total personal income of a country/ the entire population of the country For example, lets suppose there is a city where 1,000 people are making $200 per year and 100 people earning $1 million per year so the income per capita is ($200x1000people)+($1 million x 100people) / 1100 = $91,091. b) The weakness of relying on income per capita Income per capita is a very useful tool to assess the wealth of a nation, especially when comparing to other nations. By using income per capita, we can compare the economic well being of an individual in the country or the living standards between countries or the living standards within country overtime. Yet, it has a number of limitations why this may not be the right tool to determine well-being for an individual country. Firstly, when using income per capita as measurement, the income distribution does not gauge precisely. Income per capita is an average. Hence, it neglects the income distribution within a country. Though the countrys GDP per capita may be very high, it may be the fact that 10 percent of the population of the country makes millions of times more than other 90 percent of the population of the country who makes little wages. It means outliers who are within the population of a country (extremely poor or rich) can have an uneven result on the overall outcome. Secondly, by looking at the example in (a), we can see clearly that income per capita does not represent the real living standards of the whole population of the city as it is the average income of a population and the income does not allocate equally among all the population of the country. Besides, income per capita neglects the consequences of inflation. Income per capita will be unnaturally overstated if the prices increase more rapidly in one country than in another. In addition, the amount of money in different countries will have different values due to the varying exchange rates. Hence, comparing income per capita country to country gives inaccurate results. It may be more appropriate to measure when comparing different years in an individual country. Whats more, just because a countrys income per capita is high doesnt mean that country is high standards of living. It may be because of working longer hours, not because of earning high salaries. The more people work, the more stress and the more workload they get. Working long hour makes the peoples stress level high and it reduces the personal leisure time which decreases the standards of living and gives less happiness in their lives. Furthermore, the values shown up at income per capita do not include the quality of the goods is another fact why GDP per capita may not be the right tool to measure the living standards of life. The output may probably be increased. However, the goods which are being produced are of poor quality, therefore the quality of living standards may still not be getting better. Finally, real GDP does not take account of externalities which are third party costs that do have an effect on living standards of the population, for instance, congestion and pollution. These pose costs on third parties and represent real opportunity costs for them, reducing their effectiveness disposable income, and hence living standards. Congestion, pollution and other negative externalities have obviously harmful effects on wellbeing. The time spent ill, results less working days and it cuts output, and moreover, the time being sick is an opportunity cost to leisure time. c) Factors that need to be included when using income per capita When comparing income per capita between countries, we have to have a common base measure to compare income per capita in different countries to get more accurate result. To compare income per capita among countries, the input data which are gathered in the local currency has to be converted to the common base currency being used for the comparison, for example, US dollars. The problem of money inflation, which is mentioned in question (b), can be overcome by the use of money deflator by using a price index and therefore, the real per capita income is being compared and a better result of relative standard of living is deduced. In addition, income per capita doesnt show how a countrys income is disturbed and it also neglects about environment, human freedom and the value of leisure. As a result, one must also take into account other factors providing, such as longevity and peoples health, the distribution of income, the quality of environment, access to education and many more to examine the real quality of life in different countries. All of the above factors need to be considered when using income per capita to assess differences in well-being among countries to make sure that meaningful comparisons are accomplished. d) Human Development Index The Human development Index (HDI) is a standard means of measuring well-being. It is used to point out the impact of economic measures on quality of life. To assess the different countries living standards based on the fall and rise of incomes within that country, for instance, income per capita, is not an accurate way of determining that countrys development. There are a number of more important factors which should be assessed to get the real standard quality of life, for example, how healthy people are, what their potential is as a human beings and how the environment in which they are living is. For the purpose of giving a more comprehensive measure of well-being in both social and economic variables among countries, the HDI has developed as an alternative way to measure other aspects of human developments. The basic concept of HDI is to assess the development of a country through people of a country being healthy, being educated and having good standards of living. The person whether having healthy lifestyle is measured by life expectancy. The life expectancy determines the normal lifetime of the people of a certain region. It is also an aspect for assessing the physical life quality of a certain region. Being educated is one of the features in measuring HDI which is assessed by adult literacy and enrollment in primary, middle and high school level. Having good standards of living is measured by purchasing power parity, PPP and income. HDI is not a complete measure of development of countrys well-being. It does not take in important indicators, for instance, respect for human rights, inequality and democracy. However, by using HDI, governments are able to assess countrys well-being against other countries in a better way instead of just focusing success on money statics and it gives a broadened view of the progress of human and the complex link between well-being and income. Question 2 (a) Deflationary gap takes place when the equilibrium level of income is less than the full employment income. Expansionary monetary policies should be carried out to overcome the deflationary gap of an economy. Normally, in this case, a central bank will raise the supply of money to solve the problem of deflationary gap by means of reserve requirements and/or providing lower interest rates. Expansionary monetary policy, in reserve, allows banks to hold only a small amount of the total assets. Therefore, cash withdrawal can be available immediately and banks keep only a small amount of the total assets and the rest is put in liquid assets in the forms mortgages and loans. By reducing the reserve requirements, the funds of loan available are increased and it makes the money supply rise. By giving lower interest rates it encourage people and firms to borrow money and investment will rise. As the money supply increases, people will consume more goods and services. As the expansion of business cycle gets underway, wealth gets higher and this will head to a multiplied increase in national income. (b) Inflationary gap occurs when there is too much demand in the economy and it takes place when the equilibrium level of income goes over the full employment income. The inflationary gap can be controlled by implementing the deflationary fiscal policy. It could be done by raising taxes in some form and/or by reducing government spending. Either of these will slow down the economy level of demand and will help to reach the equilibrium level of economic growth. Deflationary fiscal policy will probably increase the tax on expenditures which lead to increase prices and discourage people from spending too much, or it may increase the tax on income that will make people less money so that they can stop people from spending so much and this will have a multiplied effect on national income. (c) Question 3 a. (i) Marginal utility Utility is a persons total satisfaction that obtained from when a customer consumes a good or service. Marginal utility is an additional satisfaction which one person acquires from using one additional unit of a good or service. As marginal utility concept is used by economists to examine how much units of good or service a customer will purchase, it is an essential economic concept. If the use of goods and services of an extra unit maximizes the total utility, it is positive marginal utility. It is a negative marginal utility if the use of goods and services of an additional unit minimizes the total utility. a. (ii) Demand curve for good Y The following diagram illustrates a demand curve D of an individual normal good Y, where P means the price charged for each unit of normal good Y and Q refers to the quantity demanded. The point a which intercept vertically of the demand curve demonstrates the highest price for each unit of good Y that a person is willing to pay. a. (iii) According to the demand curve above, the individual is prepared to pay an amount of a for the first unit of consumption of good Y. since the demand curve for a normal good slopes downwards, the individual is prepared to pay less and less for consumption: their marginal valuation of the good falls with consumption. Under certain assumptions this marginal valuation (the height of the demand curve) can be thought of as a measure of marginal utility. (Note: as Q increases, the individuals marginal valuation falls and hence marginal utility falls the principle of diminishing marginal utility. b. (i) Price elasticity of demand According to law of demand, a drop in price of goods increases the demand of goods. A measure of how much percentage of a good quantity demanded responds to changes of price of that good is price elasticity of demand. If the demand of a good responds considerably to changes in price, demand for a good is elastic. If the demand of a good responds only a bit to changes in the price, then demand for a good is inelastic. In formula, b. (ii) Given: % change in quantity demand of good Z= (200-100)/100 x100 = 100 % change in price of good Z= (5-10)/10 x 100 = -50 Therefore, price of elasticity of demand of good Z= 100/50 = -2 c. (i) The following diagram shows a linear demand curve and the associated marginal revenue curve for a monopolist. The quantity demanded Q which is on the horizontal axis and the price P, on the vertical axis shows a linear demand curve, D for a good. Given that demand is linear, marginal revenue, MR is also linear and has twice the slope: the horizontal intercept of the demand curve, a, is twice that of the marginal revenue curve, a/2. c. (ii) the demand curve has unit elasticity nd = -1 at the point where marginal revenue is equal to zero. The inelastic and elastic regions of the demand curve are those points to the right and left of this point.

Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - Fates

The Power of Fate in Oedipus Rex  Ã‚   Oedipus, the fated tragic hero of Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex, is a complex character who, through slow realization, learns that one cannot escape fate.   Throughout the course of the tragedy, Oedipus’s attitude evolves from arrogance to humbleness as he learns to seek for truth and finds that fate is impossible to control. In the beginning of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus is a strong, noble king in search of justice for the slain former King Laios. Oedipus is both arrogant and ignorant of his future misfortune. â€Å"With the help of God, we shall be saved,†... ... full of rage, curiosity, impatience, ignorance, denial, and finally, remorse.   His persisting denial to accept the enormous coincidences that are made known to him and his complete ignorance towards these facts lead Oedipus to his tragic downfall from a noble king to a blind, humbled, man.

Graduation Speech: Aim at the Sun :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Graduation - at last! I thought we'd never get here. Only 13 years ago, we started our first day of kindergarten. It may be easy for some of you to recall those memories. Remembering those magical days of elementary, hop-scotch, tether ball, swinging on the monkey bars, playing the map game, boys chasing girls on recess, and for us girls, day-of-the-week underwear were a big hit. If only the days were as simple as those. The six years flew by quickly and we were off to middle school and soon to junior high or Cedarcrest. Now we were into dances, telephone numbers, big hair, lockers, and the girls were chasing the boys. Who can forget the rivalry between the "Downtowners" and the "Cedarpreps"? There was one focus and one focus only, victory. Four more years gone by and we are "squashmores." It seems like only yesterday when we stepped foot onto County High School. We looked with amazement at all of the different buildings and the numerous classrooms. It was the seniors that frightened us the most. Those helpful seniors: the tapings, the directions, even raw eggs. We soon ventured into our junior year, we were now the Class of 2012. We had made new friends and discovered that Mr. Thomas was the most versatile of all schedule organizers. By now most everyone had their license, and up and down, and up and down, and up and down State Street we went. What fools we were, or maybe some of us still are. Finally, we became the big bad seniors we once feared. There have been numerous memories that one will never forget and will always cherish. These memories include: dodging seagulls, sneaking past security, formal dances, eating lunch on the forum, tea, the picnic and now graduation. As we choose our own paths, some will continue their education, while others will go straight into the work force.

Alice Walker: Peeling an Essence Essay

As an African-American novelist, short–story writer, essayist, poet, critic, and editor, Alice Walker’s plethora of literary works examines many aspects of African American life as well as historical issues that are further developed by Walker’s unique point of view. Writers like Alice Walker make it possible to bring words and emotions to voices and events that are often silenced. Far from the traditional image of the artist, she has sought what amounts to a personal relationship with her readers. She has also taken positions of passionate advocacy, most notably in her campaign against ritual genital mutilation of young women, a practice still institutionalized in many parts of the world, as well as the fight for equal rights for African Americans. Her writing has been praised around the world, increasing its profound impact on literature, social and political areas of American life. Moreover, Walker’s turbulent childhood in addition to growing up during an era where African-Americans like herself were fighting for freedom, increased her dedication to become both a reflective and revolutionary author. Alice Malsenior Walker was born on February 9, 1944, in Eatonton, Georgia, to Willie Lee and Minnie Tallulah Grant-Walker. Like many of Walker’s fictional characters, she was the daughter of a sharecropper and the youngest of eight children (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). Alice’s father had always taken education very seriously in an era where the schooling of black children, especially black females, was very rare. Nevertheless, Willie enrolled his young daughter in school at the age of four where she was then able to skip two grades up to first grade due to her intellectual potential (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). Though it may seem like Alice’s father was unorthodox, Willie was â€Å"blind to his own sexism. † He believed that the traditional role of women was to take care of the house as well as the children. Due to his opinion on the limits of being a women, Alice’s relationship with her father declined over time and was even reflected upon in some of her novels (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). Although Walker did indeed challenge the wisdom of her father, she clung tight to her mother for comfort and formed an unbreakable bond. Minnie Walker was Alice’s greatest support system. She approved of Alice’s ebellious ways as a young girl in addition to teaching her life lessons that would be underlying tones in her multiple works (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). Walker was a confident young girl until 1952, when an accident involving a BB gun left her blinded her in one eye. Although her older brother offered to pay for an operation to correct the impairment, Walker would never fully recover the sight of her right eye. The young Alice Walker would begin wearing glasses for the remainder of her life. The ridicule and loneliness that was created from her blindness led Walker into writing her first poetry pieces. She found that writing demanded peace and quiet, but these were difficult things to come by when ten people lived in four rooms (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). It was then that Walker became secluded and reserved and dreamed of suicide, but at the same time found solace in writing and became an observer rather than a participator in everyday life. Walker attended segregated schools which would be described as inferior by current standards, yet she recalled that she had terrific teachers who encouraged her to believe the world she was reaching for actually existed (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). Although Walker grew up in a poor environment, she was supported by her community and by the knowledge that she could choose her own identity. Moreover, Walker insisted that her mother granted her â€Å"permission† to be a writer and gave her the social, spiritual, and moral substance for her stories. Later before attending college, Alice would ask her mother permission to become a professional writer (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). Alice concentrated and studied hard in school. She graduated as valedictorian from her high school and went on to attend the local Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. She was greatly influenced by one of her professors there named Howard Zin, who she worked closely with on civil rights rallies. She became a volunteer for registered voters of Georgia and began attending political rallies for civil rights. Zin would eventually become an influence for some of Alice Walker’s later writing. In 1963, Walker left Spelman for Sarah Lawrence College, a place housing only a handful of African American people, most of them men. This was Walker’s predecessor to participating in many civil rights demonstrations and meeting Martin Luther King at his home in recognition of her invitation to the Youth World Peace Festival in Finland (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). 1964 was the turning point for Alice Walker. Realising that she was pregnant she contemplated suicide and slept with her razor under her pillow for three nights (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). During the same week, Walker again turned to writing as a natural outlet for her distress. She stopped writing only to eat and sleep. Thankfully, through the help of a friend, Walker was able to attain a safe abortion. The end product of weeks of anguish was, among other things, a story entitled â€Å"To Hell with Dying† and with the help of teacher Muriel Ruykeyser this was published in 1965 (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). In the same year, she graduated from Lawrence College. After moving to New York City in November of the same year Walker worked for the welfare system. She soon moved back however and in 1966 fell in love with civil rights lawyer Melvyn Laventhal. They met while working at the Head Start Program in Mississippi. The marriage was extremely controversial as Mel Leventhal was Jewish and Caucasian and Walker was African American (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). The union between the couple was the first legal marriage in the state of Mississippi that was inter-racial. In 1968, one year into the marriage, Alice published her poetry collection, â€Å"Once. † This was followed by Mel and Alice’s birth of their first daughter, Rebecca, but the marriage eventually fell apart under the turmoil and strife of the time period (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). Alice Walker’s writings continued to create discussions and controversy in both the literary and political arenas. Between 1968 and 1971, Alice would be a teacher in the Black Studies programs at two different colleges. She spent a year at Jackson State College and another year teaching at Tougaloo College. Alice Walker’s writing career would surge in the 1970’s with the publishing of her first novel, The Third Life of Grange Copeland (Smith, Jessie). The predominant issues and themes of her writings were civil rights based. Many of her stories and poems focus on rape, sexism, racism, violence, segregation and relationship problems. It would later be openly announced that Alice Walker had a bi-sexual orientation (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). In 1973, Alice Walker joined Ms. Magazine to publish short stories and poetry. She would also publish many different articles focusing on the theme of civil rights, animal rights and environmental issues. In 1973, Walker would publish the short story collection, â€Å"In Love and Trouble: Stories of Black Women†, and the poem collection, â€Å"Revolutionary Petunias and Other Poems†. Her second novel talked about the life of being an activist in the civil rights and political movements in the South. It is believed that much of Meridian parallels or reflects on Walker’s own life. Meridian was published in 1976 and earned Walker much recognition (Smith, Jessie). The focus of the book was accepting one’s mistakes and taking full responsibility for our actions. There were no excuses made and people greatly admired and respected Walker for this writing piece (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). Her political venues later turned from the problems of segregation and racism in the South to issues abroad. During her junior year in college, Alice Walker did her internship in Uganda. Her experiences in Uganda led her to stand against female genital mutilation; however, the process of female genital mutilation is still practiced today. During her college years, Alice Walker also visited Cuba on several occasions and would take an open political stand against the Cuban Embargos. Her political and social concerns were not strictly limited to the plight of black women in America but were on a global social and political scale (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). After the publication of The Color Purple in 1982, Alice Walker would become a huge name virtually everywhere. The Color Purple would be turned into a movie and a Broadway play (Smith, Jessie). There was a great deal of controversy over the book because the black culture was shown as patriarchal and whites were shown as sexist and racist. The Color Purple looks head on at the situations and plights of the black woman without the worries of being politically or socially correct. The Color Purple was so powerful in character development and insights into issues that it won Alice Walker the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1983. It would later also receive the American Book Award (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). In 1992, she would o onto write the novel, Possessing My Secret Joy which would feature the characters that were descendants from The Color Purple. The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction was certainly the most distinguished of all her honors and awards but Alice Walker would go on to receive many others. In 1969 she received the Lillian Award from the National Endowment of the Arts for her publication of Third Life of Grange Copeland. In 1974, Walker received the Rosanthal Award from the Institute of Arts and Letters and the Radcliffe Institute Fellowship for the writing and publication of In Love and Trouble (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). Even with all of her popularity, Alice Walker went on to write and publish such popular short stories and novels as You Can’t Keep a Good Woman Down: Stories in 1982, Beauty: When the Other Dancer is the Self in 1983, To Hell with Dying in 1988, The Temple of My Familiar in 1989, Finding the Green Stone in 1991, and Possessing the Secret of Joy in 1992 (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). Walker continues to publish poetry collections as well. During her battle with Lymes Disease, Walker wrote The Same River Twice: Honoring the Difficult and a collection of political essays named Anything We Love Can Be Saved: a Writer’s Activism. Within three years she has written a further three books, By the Light of My Father’s Smile in 1998, The Way Forward is with a Broken Heart in 2000 and A Long Walk of Freedom in 2001. In light of the tragedy at the World Trade Centre in New York City, she wrote her most recent work: Sent by Earth: A Message from the Grandmother Spirit After the Bombing of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). Being an African American growing up in the United States during the 1950s was far from easy. There was segregation in most cities and whites fought against any chance of black freedom. However, by the 1950s, African Americans began to mobilize in earnest against discrimination. They lived in the same culture as white Americans and they wanted to enjoy equal rights. From the 1950s through the 1970s, movements for civil and social rights, equality, and justice swept the United States. Mainstream beliefs about the freedom of African Americans were challenged and protesters prompted the government to intervene and act on behalf of their equality principles. Activists were prominent in local marches, revolts, and peaceful protests that placed thousands of people on the national stage of a continental confrontation. However, people also witnessed major setbacks and difficulties over winning the white men’s approval of equal rights. Overtime, with the perserverence and determination of many human rights advocates, African Americans gained greater access to education and a much broader set of career oppurtunities. As for the justice system during the Civil Rights era, the landmark case of Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas upheld the activists demand to outlaw segregation in public schools (Brennan). Enacted in 1954, this major case symbolized the official start of the Civil Rights movement. A year after this ruling, the Montgomery Bus Boycott hit headlines across the country. Blacks were tired of giving up their seats to white people and being forced to sit in the back of the bus. It was then that Rosa Parks refused to move after the driver ordered her to allow a white man to sit down where she was. This sparked a mode of resistance in which this one-day boycott turned into a year long rebellion. Not one black person rode the Montgomery City Lines for 383 days (Brennan). At first the bus companies did not even press for compromise. Therefore, when they realized that nearly three-fourths of their customers were black, they were already quickly losing money. However, this did not stop organizations like the Montgomery Improvement Association from planning the next steps of boycott. At this point, popular leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. s well as Ralph Abernathy rose to become powerful leaders that would soon dominate the political scene when it came to question over equal rights (Brennan). When it came to peaceful protests, activists like King were arrested for their actions but quickly bailed out by their supporters to allow for the continuation of a steady fight. By 1956, the Montgomery Improvement Association and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People(NAACP) attempted to end segregation of the city bus lines through the justice system. After months of legal dispute, the Montgomery City Lines were forced to end it’s policies on racial segregation on December 20,1956 (Brennan). As a result, the bus boycott ended the following day. Especially in the south, whites believed that any change in the social standings of society would disrupt the power balance between blacks and whites. Ultimately, they believed that if African Americans had any power whatsoever that resembled the whites, they would abuse it and revolt, trying to dominate southern society. Throughout the decade, black fears heightened as a result of brutal attacks from groups like the KKK and other gangs. In this time period, the KKK was experiencing its second resurgence since World War I and the popularity of lynching increased (Brennan). The inhumane morals of whites who lynched blacks was publicized in newspapers by journalists such as Ida B. Wells, who additionally worked for the Anti-Lynching Bureau (Brennan). It was no surprise that African Americans felt the need to be equal especially after they served in World War II. Nearly one million blacks served for their country during the 1940s and they believed that America was just as much of their country as it was the whites (Brennan).

Oedipus: Aristotelian or Formalist Theory Essay

Teiresias’s speech at the end of scene one of Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex is fairly short but it is in this encounter between Oedipus and Teiresias where the main conflict of the story begins to unfold. This is a pivotal speech in the play as it helps to develop some of the major themes in the play as well as begin to build up the tragic irony at the center of the story. When this speech is analyzed using either Aristotelian or Formalist theory key elements can be found that are effective in increasing the drama in the play and in tying together one of the play’s central theme. In the Poetics Aristotle outlines his vision of a successful tragedy and states that plot and character are the first two principle features of tragedy. Teiresias’s final speech helps to develop both of these key components of tragedy in Oedipus Rex successfully. During his conversation with the king Teiresias introduces the first source of conflict into the play as Oedipus tries to convince the old man to reveal what he knows about Laios’s murder. Aristotle termed this moment of the plot the â€Å"desis† which in modern literary terms is known as the complication which serves to build up the drama of a story towards the climax, and Teiresias’s speech here achieves that purpose. There is also an effective use of foreshadowing in Teiresias’s speech in which he reveals to the audience the twist of fate that Oedipus will experience even though the king at this point is unaware of Teiresias’s true meaning. The reversal of fortune and recognition contained in Oedipus Rex are praised by Aristotle as being characteristics of an ideal plot and the foreshadowing found in Teiresias’s speech help to build up the anticipation towards the revelation of Oedipus’s identity. In the perfect tragedy Aristotle stated that character should support the plot and Teiresias’s final speech was indirectly very effective in building Oedipus’s character. Until his meeting with Teiresias Oedipus was seen a considerate king looking out for the interest of his people in trying to discover Laios’s killer. In his conversation with Teiresias the audience gets its first glimpse of Oedipus’s anger and can begin to see him as capable of being the murderer they are searching for. Teiresias’s final speech also reveals to the audience Oedipus’s â€Å"tragic flaw† of not knowing who he truly is, which will eventually be his downfall. In revealing Oedipus’s genuine ignorance to his true identity through this speech the audience feels more pity for the king when the revelation occurs and this heightens the tragedy of the play. From a Formalist theory perspective of Teiresias’s speech two literary devices are used that effectively increase the drama of the play and tie in a central theme and those are symbolism and tone. Symbolism in Teiresias’s speech begins to build the tragic irony of the play and to establish one of the themes of the play of sight versus knowledge. Teiresias describes the killer as â€Å"a blind man, Who has his eyes now†, but he is also referring to Oedipus’s inability to see the truth (Sophocles 720). Teiresias himself is a powerful symbol as well in the play as he is blind but he can see the truth of better than Oedipus despite the king’s attempts to discover the truth so vigorously. In the end of the play when Oedipus blinds himself upon finally learning the truth he completes the imagery that was begun in Teiresias’s final speech. The tone of Teiresias’s speech is ominous and foreboding and it serves to change the tone of the entire play. At this point the audience is becoming aware that things will not end well for Oedipus and his valiant quest to find Laios’s killer is going to result in dire consequences. The graphic imagery in the line â€Å"Who came to his father’s bed, wet with his father’s blood† helped establish this ominous tone that serves to build the tension through the rest of the play (Sophocles 720). After his encounter with Teiresias Oedipus becomes increasing confrontational with other characters in the play and the tone set by Teiresias’s speech helps to establish much of that conflict. Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex is such a well-rounded piece of literature that regardless of what literary approach is used to analyze it the play will provide an endless vehicle for discovery. There are so many complex images, themes, and symbols weaved together that it is an ideal story to study.

Brady Act & Constitutional Law

How guns and firearms are sold and owned in the United States of America has changed as both firearms and the outlook of the general public about gun ownership by private individuals developed and changed over time. From the very first time firearms were introduced to the public to the use of firearms for a variety of reasons other than as a weapon to kill or maim another human being intentionally, laws and regulations state-wide as well as national has been put into action so that the problems arising from poor gun control can be addressed.There are several laws in effect in the United States today which directly affect the selling and ownership of guns. One of these laws is the Brady Handgun Control Act, a law which was campaigned for and was inspired by the vision and dedication of Ms. Sarah Brady, wise of the deceased James Brady. Sarah Brady campaigned for the creation of law that would make gun sale and purchase a process that erases the chances that guns fall into the wrong ha nds. Sarah lost her husband after James was killed during an assassination attempt against former US president Ronal Reagan.The Brady Act was passed, but it has many critics coming from different sides. Some praise the initiative especially those who believe that one of the serious issues that law makers and law enforcement units should address is firearms and violence. â€Å"The Brady Act was passed in response to what Congress describes as an ‘epidemic of gun violence†¦ ’ Whether or not the evaluation reflected in the enactment of the Brady Act is correct as to the extent of the danger and the efficacy of the legislation, the congressional decision surely warrants more respect that it is accorded in today's unprecedented decision (Kommers, Finn, Jacobsohn, 2004, p.270). † The constitutional law implications of the Brady Act – The enactment into law of the Brady Handgun Control Act (previously the Brady Handgun Control Bill) created many after effect s. The immediate constitutional implication of the Brady Act is the changing of what can be considered as the legal process of owning a gun. Prior to the Brady Act, there are no laws that require the screening of individuals who want to purchase a firearm.But because of the Brady Act, suppliers, dealers and sellers of firearms who are identified by the Brady Act as required by the law to undergo customer screening is now constrained to do so, lest they are subjected to the penalties that go with the violation of the Brady Act. Another noticeable effect of the Brady Act in the constitutional law is the idea of enforcing state laws into the federal system, which some believed as a breach of the sovereignty of the states and a direct violation of the tenth amendment.The tenth amendment basically guarantees the sovereignty of the states from the perceived blanket and federal rule of rules and laws which are being imposed nationwide. When the Brady Bill was passed and made the Brady Act, local state governments and courts were torn on whether or not the country is guilty of usurping state powers when they introduced the Brady Act and the features of this particular law.According to the book made by National Research Council titled â€Å"Containing the Threat from Illegal Bombings: An Integrated National Strategy for Marking, Tagging, Rendering Inert, and Licensing Explosives and Their Precursors,† not all of the states proved to be receptive to the idea of the federal government, and there are some who felt that there are existing problems found in the imposition of the Brady Act in all of the states.â€Å"Shortly after the act's passage, local law enforcement officials from around the country filed lawsuits seeking to enjoin its enforcement and to have its interim provisions declared unconstitutional under the Tenth Amendment (National Research Council, 1998, p. 290). † The response of the different courts that heard out this cry over undue pressure from the federal government was varied. This is because the interpretation and tolerance towards the use and imposition of the Brady Act in every state is also different.Some states think that the features of the Brady Act are ok. â€Å"The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Mack v. United States upheld the constitutionality of the interim provisions, finding in the Brady Act, nothing unusually jarring to our system of federalism (National Research Council, 1998, p. 290). † But while there are courts who ruled in favor of the Brady Act and its imposition in the state, there were also instances wherein the court ruled in favor of the state government and its rights, â€Å"some courts, like the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Koog v.United States, found the interim provisions unconstitutional, explaining that the interim duties effectively commandeer the legislative processes of the States, and in violation of the Tenth Amendment, cross the line from permissible encouragement of a state regulatory response into that constitutionally forbidden territory of coercion of the sovereign States (National Research Council, 1998, p. 290). † Besides the friction that the Brady Act made with regards to the relationship of the government of the sovereign states and the federal government, the law also appears to have a significant role in how the law makers would create other laws.The Brady Act acts as precedent for the creation of other laws against other things closely related to firearms, starting with the regulation of explosive products. Facing an age where terrorism is largely defined by the use of bombs and by the presence of chemicals being used for bomb-making, law makers may rethink their position in pending laws that will affect bomb and explosives regulation. â€Å"The fate of the Brad Act has obvious implications for any regulations that Congress may devise to control ammonium nitrate or other explosive products (National Research Council, 1998, p. 290).† There are other effects on law and constitution caused by the Brady Act. For example, the Brady Act provided the plug to close several holes in some existing laws in gun control, like the Federal Gun Control Act of 1968 and acted as a law that supported other judicial efforts to combat violence originating from firearms, like the Federal Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. The Brady Act as a law went head on against some of the existing state laws on firearms purchase and selling, and because it was a redundancy, some states did not see fit to use or implement it.But this does not seem to matter because, according to Siegel, the Brady Act was considered by some as ineffective in achieving what it was designed for. â€Å"When Jen Ludwig and Philip Cook compared two sets of states – thirty-two that installed the Brady Law in 1994 and eighteen states plus the District of Columbia, which already had similar types of laws prior to 1994 – they found that there was no evidence that implementing the Brady Law contributed to a reduction in homicide (Siegel, 2005, pg 49).† Conclusion – It is easily imaginable how the proponents of the Brady Act only had in mind the undertaking of a noble cause to protect the public. But as it turned out, the Brady Bill did not only became a source of confusion and debate concerning constitutional rights of the state government which cannot be breached by federal government, it also proved as a blunt knife when it comes to the effort in cutting down irresponsible firearms sell that leads to violence.Proponents of the Brady Act were hoping that the rest of the country would embrace it and that the efforts will be validated by its efficacy. But at some point they were wrong because of many things. First, there are already similar laws installed in some states that the Brady Law is just an unnecessary cause of confusion for them. Second, the resulting effort to make the Brady A ct a nationwide and blanket law was met with criticisms over the supposed encroachment of federal government illegally on constitutionally protected state government rights.If the Brady Act proves that it can provide a very sound framework from which new rules will be made from (i. e. the law on the restriction of explosives), then the Brady Act will indirectly make a positive contribution towards efforts which are geared in getting the same results similar to the outcome that the Brady Bill was hoping to achieve. References Kommers, Donald P. , Finn, John E. and Jacobsohn, Gary J.(February 2004). American Constitutional Law: Essays, Cases, and Comparative Notes, Second Edition, Volume 1. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. National Research Council (July 1998). Containing the Threat from Illegal Bombings: An Integrated National Strategy for Marking, Tagging, Rendering Inert, and Licensing Explosives and Their Precursors. National Academies Press. Siegel, Larry J. (March 2005). Cr iminology. Wadsworth.

Reflection And Feedback To Improve Teaching Education Essay

Gibbs ‘ brooding rhythm can be truly utile in doing you think through all the stages of an experience or activity. In a group of degree 2 scholars that are taught by myself there are some persistently late scholars, and they are easy gaining that in industry the timekeeping issue would be a major issue as they would be made redundant. Due to the job of lateness my wise man advised to implement a acquisition contract, this was put in topographic point. At the following twosome of Sessionss the scholars who had been tardily arrived on clip. The group said that they realised that being relaxed with them worked as they are get downing to accomplish and besides realised that timekeeping issues were of import. This technique appears to be working and is being used with all of the groups that I cover. Puting specific mensurable accomplishable realistic marks ( SMART ) with groups has decidedly worked. The scholar ‘s accomplishments will be recorded on a matrix tracking sheet. This is carried out to see if any of the scholars require farther support to help with development. ( See appendix 1 ) Transcript of tracking sheet & A ; x200 A farther group of scholars are at flat 1 and a assorted gender group. The lone female of the group arrived some 20 proceedingss tardily for the first session. She was integrated into the session and after a piece they were sent for a comfort interruption, this gave the ideal chance to near her about clip maintaining. Her response was â€Å" I am ever tardily ; travel rapidly up it ‘s my break clip † . Apparently her break clip must be more of import than my learning session! Asking her if she required aid, the response was â€Å" I am a miss that ‘s why I get treated different † . Assurance was given that she would be treated every bit to the remainder of the group. As the session was shuting the group were gathered around the bench and asked if any acquisition had taken topographic point, and what had been covered. One of the scholars said â€Å" yes when do we acquire you once more, I like you † another replied â€Å" yes acquire here on clip â₠¬  . After that response I replied that if timekeeping improved somewhat longer interruptions will go on, in this case Taylor ‘s theory is being used. Frederick Winslow Taylor ( 1856 – 1917 ) put frontward the thought that workers are motivated chiefly by wage. His Theory of Scientific Management argued the followers: â€Å" Workers do non of course bask work and so necessitate close supervising and control. Therefore directors should interrupt down production into a series of little undertakings † . The manner I incorporate Taylor ‘s theory is alternatively of wage, longer interruptions are allowed. Hopefully given clip this group will get down to gain that regard is a two manner thing. There appears to be light at the terminal of the proverbial tunnel, and another session has merely been delivered to the same group and the female scholar turned up on clip. Praise was given with a little intimation of temper. The scholar has since turned up repeatedly on clip and other coachs are inquiring what was said to do her alteration. Possibly it is merely that she now feels portion of the group and equality is in topographic point. Recently oppugning a group about an unfastened dark at another preparation center some replied â€Å" I could n't be bothered to travel † and one of the older scholars gave me some positive feedback that reassured why I strive for professionalism. The scholar told me that the criterion of work on show was non every bit good as they were accomplishing ; he said you would non hold passed that work. This was congratulations from one of my scholars ; regard is evidently being gained on both sides. The scholars are get downing to gain that the f eedback they receive is relevant. ( See appendix 2 ) X200 Feedbacks. The following session went reasonably good in some respects ; everyone made a good attempt and produced a weldment of a criterion that could be improved upon although their attack was instead hurried and deficient in idea. Reflecting on this, a manner to do them believe more, experiment more, and set themselves higher criterions is required. They do non like me looking at their work, and it is as if they know the criterion is non every bit good as it could be. Geting them to show their work to each other following clip, to transport out peer appraisal might do them take more pride in it. As a consequence of this equal appraisal has been introduced. They still seem a small loath and maintain nearing me, although some of the scholars are now gaining what is required. The criterion required to finish a undertaking is outlined by the making presenting organic structure. These criterions have to be adhered to and this is relayed to the scholars. By utilizing these criterions we are all draw a bead oning to measure at the same degree, I personally like to see a good quality coating to any of their work as this raises the scholar ‘s opportunities of employability. The scholars are reminded of where some of the former scholars are now employed, this makes them gain that their ends can besides be achieved. 1064RJ2. Contemplation on ain specializer cognition and accomplishments.Having late been asked to cover a session whilst a coach was on a trip for development, made me see how personal accomplishments could be developed. The group were work based learning learners at degree 2. The session being covered was in welding and this peculiar procedure is one that is favoured personally. The scholars were given a drawing and required to make the three dyer's rockets in assorted places. This peculiar undertaking makes the scholars aware that we do need to be able to read and work to relevant drawings. ( Appendix 3 Bearing Support Bracket pulling ) Some of the scholars had non covered this peculiar welding procedure and asked if a presentation could be given. Transporting out the presentation reassured me that I had the necessary accomplishments. Reviewing and updating my personal accomplishments is carried out in several different ways. The scholars are up to day of the month with all of the engineering that is available ; although my personal belief is that you can non break custodies on experience. Having worked in this industry for about 30 old ages has given me a wealth of cognition in most facets of technology. The scholars are shortly cognizant if the coach has the relevant accomplishments and cognition, they will inquire examining inquiries at this degree. This is encouraged, and on contemplation perchance more inquisitory inquiries should be asked at degree 1. Enhancement of trade cognition has major benefits ; one is that when current information is available and besides relevant, this can be relayed to the scholars. This in bend makes the scholars confident that the coach is knowing, and besides working with current ordinances and techniques. The session was covered good and the learners were challenged to determine what acquisition had taken topographic point. My personal belief is that as coachs we need to constantly update our accomplishments and cognition. Researching relevant web sites ensures that you cover your current course of study and making construction within your specialist country. Reading diaries and besides run intoing with representatives of companies is another good technique which I have personally used throughout my calling. Whilst being employed by the Institute our section has started to ask for guest talkers from industry to give negotiations and presentations to the scholars. This reiterates what is being taught is up to day of the month, and that the right cognition is being passed on to the scholars. The makings I achieved in fiction and welding are at flat 3 and awarded by City and Guilds. The criterion I achieved was at differentiation degree, this is because I strive for professionalism. Training my scholars to take for high criterions will do them more eligible for employment. Raising their criterions and quality aids them to derive a recognized making. Passing on relevant cognition and associating this to industry appears to be working, this is associating theory to pattern. This gives more credibleness with the scholars as they know what is being taught is relevant. Updating accomplishments and cognition makes for better instruction and acquisition from the coachs ‘ point of position, this can so be relayed to the scholars and assessed to guarantee that acquisition has taken topographic point. 510RJ3. Audit of literacy, linguistic communication, numeracy and ICT accomplishments in your specialist country.Literacy and numeracy are being integrated within the Sessionss delivered, acquiring the scholars to mensurate and tag out their work pieces makes them gain why these accomplishments are required. Having late undergone some preparation on Information and communicating engineering ( ICT ) will assist to incorporate this within my Sessionss. Learners that are diffident are given counsel by presentation ; this could be a practical undertaking or associating theory to an illustration. Information and communicating engineering ( ICT ) is now used in both theory and practical Sessionss. An synergistic board has been installed in the workshop ; this can now be utilised in the practical Sessionss being delivered. I have developed synergistic word hunts that are linked to the relevant topic that I am presenting. The scholars enjoy this type of session ; they are incognizant that I am detecting if they have retained nomenclature delivered in theory Sessionss. These are displayed on the synergistic board and scholars are asked to happen a word and explicat e its significance. If the scholar is diffident there are two options given, they may travel and research the word or an account is provided. The account is sometimes given by one of the other scholars and this is noted as an indicant to what cognition has been retained and by whom. The synergistic board is besides used to associate the Sessionss to industry by demoing comparative picture cartridge holders. Having merely delivered the Technical Certificate faculty this is a good clip to transport out a hot contemplation. The faculty covers assorted facets of technology, from little dullard pipe work to mechanical technology. The workshop environment where the scholars gain their practical accomplishments is ideal to incorporate functional accomplishments. The scholars are required to tag out a board following a drawing and attach pipe work. This peculiar undertaking necessitates the scholars carry out basic add-on, minus and division of Numberss. This is an effectual manner of integrating application of figure in a practical session. The undertaking besides involves working with others and job resolution ; the undertaking requires brackets to be positioned in assorted topographic points so that the pipe work is supported. The scholars have to make up one's mind where they are traveling to procure the brackets, and besides have to portion the tools required to finish this undertaking. Th e boards used for this undertaking are rather big and this incurs wellness and safety issues. This job is really rather advantageous as this makes the scholars aware of the wellness and safety issues. The scholars are required to utilize peer appraisal on this undertaking, this in bend screens communication accomplishments as the scholars read and interpret the drawing. Discoursing the undertaking with fellow scholars is encouraged as this promotes inclusion. Tutor feedback is given when the scholar feels that the undertaking is completed to the needed criterion. The pipe work is pressure tested to guarantee that there are no leaks ; this is besides done in industry prior to the undertaking being commissioned. Reflecting on this session made me see should the scholars have more schoolroom Sessionss to better their literacy and numeracy accomplishments. In decision the advantages would be to condition the scholars themselves to see the importance of these functional accomplishments prior to each session. I feel that the literacy, numeracy and ICT skills that I have achieved are relevant to present the Sessionss to the scholars. These accomplishments are invariably required to be updated as ICT is ever developing. 567RJ4.Reflection on cardinal resources in your specialist country.Bing still in contact with this industry is an first-class manner of updating current criterions. The nucleus topic of fiction and welding has non changed much over the old ages, although more modern equipment and the of all time altering wellness and safety Torahs have. A really good resource for maintaining in touch with development and wellness and safety Torahs is the cyberspace. The scholars are invariably advised to research certain countries and feedback when I pass on new cognition to them. The lone disadvantage is that there is so much information out at that place that it is advisable to utilize the web sites which reflect the course of study country remit, and besides cover the demands of the relevant awarding organic structure. With the exclusion of the Technical Certificate faculty, the fiction and welding class does non look to hold changed a great trade from when I completed the class some 30 old ages ago. The same methods and some of the same undertakings are still being covered ; I feel this is because the staffs are in their comfort zone. After confabulating with other coachs it appears to be reluctance to alter. I consider it is clip for alteration to maintain up with industrial demands, and this will besides be good for the scholars. Evidence suggests that with the rapid progress of ICT, it most decidedly would non be good pattern to stand still. We need to develop farther accomplishments and carry out regeneration. Crowne S. Chief Executive of Becta writes: Year and page no â€Å" Technology has a great potency to transform the farther instruction system and the lives of scholars it serves. Some colleges and suppliers already use engineering really efficaciously, and they and their scholars are profiting consequently. Many are doing good advancement, researching how engineering can open up learning and acquisition and better their concern systems. Others, nevertheless, have truly yet to do a start and have mixed feelings about engineering. So it is indispensable that we do everything we can to back up colleges and suppliers as they make these alterations and travel frontward † . If the relevant governments are reding that it is clip for alteration so certainly we should be responding consequently. After transporting out contemplations on my ain instruction patterns, my belief is that as instructors, we should progress with the available engineering. This would guarantee that we review our instruction patterns often ; this in bend would heighten acquisition and do Sessionss more interesting for the scholars. There are stuffs and methods that are used for many old ages ; my personal belief is that budgets are regulating development within our country. Resources become damaged and worn and the equipment is non reviewed or adapted to accommodate our scholar ‘s demands. The books, resources and equipment should be updated yearly to guarantee that we are presenting relevant stuff and techniques. After analyzing this state of affairs it is decidedly evident that the members of staff are in their comfort zone. Reflecting on my Sessionss has made me more cognizant that advancement is needed in our course of study country. As coachs we need to implement alteration and reexamine our patterns on a regular basis. 511