Copyright Issues in the Digital Age Essay - 3092 Words

Abstract Copyright issues during recent years have grown to become an increasingly major problem. The introduction of the Internet as well as the technological transformation into the digital era has proved problematic for issues concerning copyright. Distributors remain deeply protective of the creative artworks protected under these laws, while users and community groups lobby for keeping the ability to use copyrighted art in fair use circumstances. During recent years, laws and protective agencies have been established to help control these issues, however, the problem of illegal copyright remains unresolved and not only does awareness need to be implemented across education institutions and the general public, but new†¦show more content†¦This ‘granted authors the exclusive right to authorize the printing or reprinting of books for a limited number of years’ (Microsoft Encarta 2003). The next major change in copyright law was the Berne convention that was first adopted in 1886. This established recognition for copyrights between sovereign nations where before this time nations would not recognise copyrights from foreign nations. Copyright issues have arisen recently because of the advent of widespread digital media and the use of the Internet. Just as the printing press allowed people to easily copy works, digital media has allowed people to create exact copies of works with a Glenn Tester few clicks of a button. The Internet, and more specifically point to point (P2P) file sharing programs, allows a person to distribute works with only the cost of a monthly Internet service provider (ISP) fee. Companies have sprung up for the sole reason of preventing illegal copying and distribution in the form of copy protection schemes making copying crippled or near impossible to do. Others have planned schemes to only allow users to view media they have been given permission to via digital rights management (DRM), and to make sure these prevention methods are not bypassed, nations have even brought in laws to impede these activities. The Internet is an international networkShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of Internet And Social Media On Copyright Laws1061 Words   |  5 Pagesof the internet and social media on copyright laws? What is the impact of the internet and social media on copyright laws? Haley Leshko CGS-1000 March 10, 2017 Mr. Newfield WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA ON COPYRIGHT LAWS? Introduction Copyright laws were established to protect the original work of individuals since 1709. At present only two acts are in effect today, the copyright Act of 1909 and 1976. (United States Copyright Laws) These works protect the individualsRead MoreCopyright Challenges Of The Modern Digital Economy Essay1615 Words   |  7 Pagesthese copyright challenges in the modern digital economy using examples from case law. Examine the recommendations made by the ALRC for the introduction of ‘fair use’ in Australia? Fair use is a defense to copyright infringement that essentially asks of any particular use; Is this fair? Do you think that this reform will promote innovation and enable a market-based response to the demands of the digital age? Word Count: 1728 The term ‘fair use’ is defined by Hudson as the use of copyright materialRead More Copyrights: Intellectual Property and Technology Essay1535 Words   |  7 PagesCopyrights: Intellectual Property and Technology The Government and many other agencies around the world are continuously at work to improve protections for intellectual property rights and the enforcement of intellectual property laws. In today’s age of digital madness, passing legislation and actually enforcing of those laws becomes a very daunting task. However, the protection of intellectual property has both individual and social benefits. It protects the right of the creator of something ofRead MoreThe Digital Age And The Digital Age1405 Words   |  6 PagesThe digital age has brought change in many areas of modern society, and has forced us to discuss the way it has affected our modern laws. The digital age has proven difficult when handling laws associated with the internet, privacy and copyright. Additionally, the entertainment industry has seen it’s own ups and downs in this ever evolving digital era. The question to focus on is whether or not the ease of digital copying and distribution online interferes with the revenue available to record labelsRead MoreThe Internet And Its Effect On Society1371 Words   |  6 Pagesconsumption is bound to copyright and fair use laws. While these laws have the capacity to protect an individual’s ownership of intellectual property and creative content, they are not conducive to a vibrant culture of creativity. The Internet and its evolution of search engine engagement has cultivated an online community that can only thrive when copyright and fair use laws are not as restrictive as they are in their current state. (Samuelson 1994). Collins (2014) states that copyright fosters a permissionRead MoreEssay about The Digital Millennium Copyright Act1449 Words   |  6 PagesThe Digital Millennium Copyright Act Signed into law by President Clinton on October 28, 1998, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) was the foundation of an effort by Congress to implement United States treaty obligations and to move the nations copyright law into the digital age. (Executive Summary DMCA Report) While this seems a valid description of the law, perhaps a more accurate interpretation lies in the following statement: The DMCA is a piece of legislation rushed throughRead MoreThe M Records, Inc. V. Napster1439 Words   |  6 PagesThe purpose of the copyright system has always been to promote creativity in society and protect the creators’ interests. In applying copyright laws to any creation, three basic guidelines apply. First is the fair return for a creators labor, second is â€Å"Fair Use† of the creators’ labor and finally the Progress of Science and useful Arts to further the public good. The application of these three guidelines in litigation for AM Records, Inc. v. Naps ter, found that the rights of reproduction, and distributionRead MoreThe Ethics Of The Copyright System1485 Words   |  6 PagesThe purpose of the copyright system has always been to promote creativity in society and protect the creator’s interests. In applying copyright laws to any creation, three basic guidelines apply. First is the fair return for a creator’s labor, second is â€Å"Fair Use† of the creator’s labor and finally the Progress of Science and useful Arts to further the public good. The application of these three guidelines in litigation for AM Records, Inc. vs. Napster, found that the rights of reproduction, andRead MoreThe Digital Millennium Copyright Act Essay1621 Words   |  7 PagesIn our present day in age, technology and the internet has made it very easy to find and obtain music, movies, television shows, and other media forms without having to pay a fee. In recent years, the music and movie industry, the Recording Industry Associ ation of America (RIAA) and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) initiated a campaign to combat the illegal sharing and downloading of files, songs, and movies. These illegal files are usually transferred through users and peer-to-peerRead MoreResearch Images Taken From Mobile1015 Words   |  5 Pagescritical issue because identity theft can be used for terrorism as well. Fake Identity is an important medium for terrorists to get access in any country. Recent attack in Paris is the evidence of it. It came from the news that the terrorist in Paris used the false passport to travel in Europe and also one of them posed as a Syrian refugee to enter there. Therefore, identity theft are directly linked to both national and global security (Barber, 2016). 7. Any other issues that you

Essay on Gender Inequality Still Exists in Modern Society

The search for equality between men and women is fuelling a never ending war between genders. There are still doubts that women are not equal to men; even though people try to convince themselves otherwise, we are faced with day to day situations that prove that women are not equal to men. For example: working in a men’s environment, doing as you please with your sexuality and segregation by nature. Though most men have full respect for women, there is still a lot of conflict in the male perception of the real role a woman plays in our day to day lifestyle and if indeed we are equal. As the teenager that I am, I’ve come to realize that women are not equal to men. As a woman, I’ve been segregated from the â€Å"roles† of what a woman should†¦show more content†¦On a personal level I’ve had to deal with the inequalities of our genders. For example, a male with more than one girlfriend is viewed as a â€Å"player† and not with a negative connotation. On the other hand, a female with more than one male partner is viewed as a â€Å"slut† or a â€Å"whore†. This is a world wide subject that seems to get â€Å"better† as the years go by but unfortunately it doesn’t seem to have an end. I have seen several court cases where the husband is suing the wife for adultery when he in fact had done the same thing. Being the mother, society views it as its worst. Having said that it directly proves the point of how a woman’s perspective should be. As I drove myself home thinking of ideas to complete my essay, I heard on one of the popular radio stations a new music hit called â€Å"Can’t Hold Us Down† by Christina Aguilera. The world wide song agrees with my opinion on equality between genders: â€Å"So what am I not supposed to have an opinion, Should I keep quiet just because I’m a woman?† This short sentence expresses how women feel the difference between the male and the female gender. The song being played world wide and becoming a top hit makes me realize that most women find meaning in the words of the song therefore relate to it. Yet if you look at some songs by rappers in particular, you see a different message. In comparison to the way we were before, we are a lot more equal than our ancestors. It has changed out through the years. ForShow MoreRelatedGender Inequality Is The Unequal Treatment Of Someone Based Off Their Gender961 Words   |  4 PagesIn modern society gender inequality is the unequal treatment of someone based off their gender rather than their varying skills, abilities, and characteristics. In our society gender equality can be hard to notice sometimes but in other cases it is very obvious such as pay scale for jobs. Many efforts have been taken in the past to get rid of this unequal gap between genders especially in the modern workplace. It is difficulty for many of us to think about gender inequality especially consideringRead MoreGender inequality is well reflected in our society today and has900 Words   |  4 PagesGender   inequality   is   well   reflected   in   our   society   today   and   has   been   going   on    for   years.   Gender   has   its   difference   but   along   the   way   the   judgment   of   sex,   gender    and   gender   roles   has   a   lot   to   deal   with   the   gender   inequalities.   These   aspects   make    up   the   social   problems   towards   discrimination.   The   gender   roles   play   a   significant   Read MoreGender Inequality : A Is A Man s World1157 Words   |  5 PagesGender Inequality No matter how much one argues, there is an undeniable truth is that this is a man’s world. Women are always one step behind men because society has not accepted the fact that women are just as capable. Women are generally disadvantaged or excluded regarding decision-making and access to economic and social resources. It is critical that we acknowledge that gender inequality exists and address the power imbalances, thus allowing access to opportunities, rights and obligations inRead MoreGender Inequality : Gender Inequalities825 Words   |  4 PagesMichael Ursini Mrs. Karen Cardenas English 4 Sec 03 Sum 17 07 July 2017 Gender Inequalities Thesis: While this could be the best thing the world could accomplish if something changes, Women and men should not be segregated into their own category. Because both genders should have equal rights when it comes to working, money, households, relationships and other categories. This problem has been around for a long time but never been brought to a lot of people s attention, because of this nobody talksRead MoreBe Ambitious As Men - Original Writing Essay1402 Words   |  6 PagesHaven’t seen you for a long time! How’s going today?’’ ‘‘Not bad! What about you, Sarah?’’ Kelly responds, with her smile and tiring face a little bit. â€Å"Good. I rest from work today, so I need a look what I need to buy now. Are you the same, and you still work at a computer company, right?’’ â€Å"No, I have resigned for two years. I work at home now.† â€Å"Why? Don’t you like your previous job?† Sarah confu ses in it. â€Å"No.† Kelly continues, â€Å"I got married two years ago. I just want to take care of my husbandRead MoreGender Inequality in Modern Society1573 Words   |  7 PagesThis study deals with gender inequality in the modern society and looks at the difficulties women face when they strive for equal success as their male counterparts. About seventy-five percent of the jobs in well-paid professions are held by men and even if women are able to get equal jobs they are still paid considerably less . The central question posed is, are there any differences in the aspirations and career goals between males and females? However, in order to fully understand stereotypicalRead MoreMarxism, Feminism And The Works Of Max Weber1584 Words   |  7 Pages Feminism and the works of Max Weber. I will also attempt to relate each of these different sociological explanations to contemporary society. According to Karl Marx (1818-1883) all the struggles of all societies throughout history are due to confrontations of power and exploitation. Marx believed that all societies had divisions of class and therefore inequality as a result of capitalism. He believed that capitalism would always be antagonistic because one class could exploit another class insteadRead MoreThe Role Of Gender Inequality On Young Girls873 Words   |  4 PagesThe Role of Gender Inequality All parents care about equality. Not only for all races, but for all genders as well. Equality is, and will always be the basic foundation of humanity. However, we still see gender inequality on a daily basis negatively affecting not only women, but young girls as well. This is because society uses women to appeal to an audience, and portrays them as being objects. If gender inequality stays a prominent part of the American culture, equality will never be reached. Read MoreSexual Assault And Transgender Women1161 Words   |  5 Pagesfirst-time offence. The offender and the victim met in his house by prior agreement. But when the women ask to pay in advanced, he beat and raped her. Offender does not accept his guilt. In this article is addressed the problem of gender inequality, especially inequality in relation to the transgender people. However, all women are affected by male privilege, but for transgender women effect is doubled. While women are generally exposed to misogyny, transwomen, in addition, suffer from transphobiaRead MoreDominant-Minority Relations1137 Words   |  5 Pageslabor. Today’s society is known as the postindustrial or deindustrialized society which brought even more changes to social organization and new technologies. However, race and ethnicity continue to affect life chances and limit opportunities for minority group members even in the new system. In Chapter 3, Healey presents two hypotheses that explain the creation of dominant-minority relations. Central to these is the idea that these are shaped by the subsistence technology of a society. According to

The Impact of Writing Thesis to College Students free essay sample

The students are given more trust to their instructors. The tertiary levels are sometimes six months for vocational; four years for Bachelor of Science; two years non Bachelor; or it should be reached in the ten years for the doctoral degree. The subjects in tertiary levels are different to the subject when we are in the grade school and high school level; it IS much more seriously rather than our past learnings. On the first year of their tertiary level they are keep on looking for many acquaintances or even the relationship to their opposite sex.Theyre objects is more on minor, so that they did not feel the stress and the mastery of their field. They also didnt focus to their field. But when they are in the second year level their subjects were also minors but with the touch of the major subject. They were also having peer groups but they chose with the same to them. We will write a custom essay sample on The Impact of Writing Thesis to College Students or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page And when the college students are entered on the 3rd year and 4th year level they are now more serious than their past years because they are facing the major subjects including the research paper or also known as thesis and the practicum subject or the JOT.In the past years many senior college are done preparing their task in making the research paper thats why they are successfully graduated. But in the graduating students writing thesis is the most daunting part of educating their self. It marks the culmination of thousand hours of training research and writing, it is also represents you for years after graduation. Thesis writing is not unrelated to the rest of the academic writing youve done throughout your graduate career.Many of the skills you already possess can be applied to thesis writing process. It helps to identifying the purpose of your project, it expresses originality and significance, it sets appropriate goals and maintaining strong organization will help us developed a high quality of a thesis. A thesis or dissertation declares what you believe and what you intend to prove. It makes the difference between a thoughtful research project and a simple retelling of facts.Also it will help us focus on searching for information. But we must always put in our mind that we must not rush on doing this; we must do a lot of background eating before we know enough about a subject to identify key or essential questions. We may not know how we stand on an issue until you have examined the evidence. We will likely begin our research with a working, preliminary or tentative theses which we will continue to refine until we are certain of where the evidence leads.Thesis has lots of education term such they call it monograph, practicum, and survey course, colloquium, courtesies, pedant, dissertation, and the baccalaureate. And a good thesis has attributes some of them are, it must be contestable, proposing an arguable point which people could reasonably disagree, it is provocative, tackles a subject that could be adequately covered in the format of the project assigned, and it needs focused and clearly asserts conclusion that is based on the evidence you will had.And the term thesis means in Greek something put forth, and it refers to an intellectual proposition. And as we compiled all the information we had about thesis it helps the student to be more reliable and be objective based on their research. E very group chooses their topic or title for their thesis. Each individual had their own statement or explanation to refine or compile them. But the first thing to do, in every topic make must consult their professors or advisors, in order to identify if their topic is relevant to read.Because making a thesis is like a regiment means it needs to organize so that it is approachable and knowledgeable. And in every sentence you made it need to be brook or endure, it must be distinct, and easy to understand the explanation Of every Statement made. A thesis needs to be known seriously to all the students especially to those students who already in the high risk of educating herself or simply the graduating students in college or universities. It represents a reliable mark for every student.And in every single sentence of their thesis must be sufficiently convincing to people, that every problem they propose is somehow to be solved. According to Professor H. K. Gung in Harvard university, that a thesis processes the student in transforming to be a professional researcher. High standard thesis is probably one of the most important factors that contribute to the success of graduating students in educating their self and also to the leading universities. Thesis is probably the only real challenged for getting a degree.The qualifier is seldom problem for motivated students. To summarize the whole thought of our introduction of our problem which is, The Impact of Writing Thesis to graduating students, is to know how a students react on having a thesis as a part Of completion Of their degree and also to academic subject that thesis is very much important to them and put on their mind that they cant longer ignore or excuse from it because thesis is like a inveigle meaning to seduce or approach the professors or the readers.

Music Research Paper free essay sample

Music is any form of sound In a synchronized pattern that affects the brainwaves. Together with many instruments, an emotional harmony is created that can single-handedly manipulate human emotion. When music manipulates emotion to an extreme degree, the practice can become an addiction. There are many causes for being a music addict. It provides an artificial sanctuary, bringing out the emotion that a person is feeling.Music is limitless; there is no end to its boundaries. Music affects how you feel, react, and learn. I can be In the best of moods, then listen to a sad song and start to feel depressed. You listen to something more upbeat your mood will lighten, and you become happier. Musics ability to heal the soul is the stuff of legend in every culture. Many people find that music lifts their spirits. Modern research tends to confirm musics psychotherapeutic benefits. Bright, cheerful music (e. G.Mozart, Vivaldi, bluegrass, Sleeker, Salsa, reggae) Is the most obvious prescription for the blues. Animals are similar. You play rock and roll and they usually run out of the room, at least mine do. But if you put on some Jazz or especially classical, they lie down and close their eyes. It is soothing and calming. Jazz. Blues. Soul or calypso music can uplift and Inspire us, releasing deep joy or even deep sadness, conveying wit and affirming our common humanity. People will also recognize happy faces if they are feeling happy themselves. Ewe study by researcher Jacob Jolt] and student Mammal Emmer of the Psychology Department of the University of Growing shows that music has an even more dramatic effect on perception: even if there is nothing to see, people sometimes still e happy faces when they are listening to happy music and sad faces when they are listening to sad music. Pretty interesting, but this notion really makes sense. The power of music to affect memory is quite intriguing. Mozart music and baroque music, with a 60 beats per minute beat pattern, activates the left and right brain.The simultaneous left and right brain action maximizes learning and retention of information. The Information being studied activates the left brain while the music activates the right brain. Also, activities which engage both sides of the rain at the same time, such as playing an instrument or singing, cause the brain to be more capable of processing information. Classical music, such as Haydn and Mozart, often Improves concentration and memory when played In the background. When I am studying or writing, I want Just soft back ground music.Because when Im listening to upbeat hip-hop or lyrical music, I tend to concentrate lyrical song I tend to write the words in the songs other than what I need to be writing, without thinking about it! I have seen moms in movies put headphones around their tummy when they are pregnant and play classical music such as Mozart cause they wanted their children to grow up being smart. Clinical researchers at the U. C. L. A School of Nursing in Los Angels, and at Georgia Baptist Medical Center in Atlanta, found that premature babies gained weight faster and were able to use oxygen more efficiently when they listened to soothing music.Some rhythms, such as Baroque, induce enzymes in the brain and add amazing well being and focus. Slower Baroque music, such as Bach, Handel, Vivaldi or Cornell, can create mentally stimulating environments for creativity and new innovations. I hear people implanting about baroque and classical music being boring, but if that kind of music was never around, then the music we have now would not exist. So I appreciate it, and I agree with the fact it helps people study and feel more creative. Romantic music, such as Schubert, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Chopin and List, enhances our senses and increases a sense of sympathy and love.List was a ladies man, and piano master. Some consider his music vulgar and bombastic; others revel in its extroverted romantic rhetoric. Chopping pieces were elegant and peaceful. He composed a lot of nocturnal and waltzs. Chopin, at the age of 10 he was often summoned to play for the Grand Duke Constantine, governor of Poland. The Duke had recurring seizures of madness which could seemingly be controlled only by Chopping music. When the little boy played, the seizures abated and the governor could resume his normal activities, only to send for Chopin again when the musical medicine wore off.The Schumann were a couple who wrote music together. But before they married Mr.. Schumann composed a song about the little girl he taught and would later marry, Chagrin. His wife wrote too, but she preferred to perform. Their love story is sweet and so is their music. This is the reason why this time period was called Romantic, music and musicians were more free and felt love. Rock music, from Elvis Presley to the Rolling Stones, stirs passion and activity, and so can release daily tensions. Rock can also mask pain and cover up unpleasant noises.It also has the power to create dissonance, stress or physical pain if we are not in the mood for energize. Keep in mind that listening to too much pop and hard rock music can make a person more Jittery than energize. I know that a lot of guys like to listen it in the workout room to get pumped up. But those who worked out while listening to Vivaldi scored higher in a test of cognitive function. I like a little bit of rock, as it definitely opened the doors for different music to come through. Heavy metal and hip-hop music excites our nervous system, and sometimes leads us into acting out dynamic behavior and self-expression..I understand you may not want to listen to happy-go-lucky music when you are upset, but why would you listen to something so heavy that it makes you want to bang ones head on something. The words in metal and hip-hop are words we want to say but dont have the courage to. So we Just listen and close our eyes, and it is our song for three minutes because the singers understand. Its very pumped up and ready to fire off. Hip-hop is dance-able and heavy metal is someone Just screaming or yelling for you when you want to.Country music is similar in that it features messages with which listening can years and women have a bigger role in this than any other genre. I have compared some old country music to the newer releases. Now performers sing about more than a truck, drinking, dogs, and a girl. But most country music does have a girl mentioned somewhere. Perhaps thats the southern way of being romantic, strumming a guitar and singing about ones lady. But then I have heard that is one of the genres that dont promote happy feelings. In fact, supposedly country music has been linked to depression and suicide.Suicide rates for Caucasian Americans living in metropolitan areas are higher in those cities where more country music is played on the radio. If you find yourself feeling down and depressed, country music is definitely not the music you want to be listening to. I dont know if I agree with that, I Just think that country is mostly Just good southern music. I dont listen to it all the time, but occasionally I like the sound and feeling down to earth, unless I Just happen to be picking the better songs. I try to pick song without bad language or vulgar meaning.There are better things out there than that. Listening to music with vulgar meaning or language affects how we react and what we think about. Amy Whininess wrote about drugs, drinking and rehab. Then later she died due to those causes. Was her personal life influenced by being awarded for singing about it? Somewhat unsettling in my opinion. Rap artists use such vulgar language and degrade women why do we listen to it or put up with it. It makes us women look like a piece of meat: Young adults, both male and female, who listen to rap music, are generally more accepting of violence towards women.Rap songs are more known to promote angry feelings than any other. However, there are numerous people who state that rap music makes them feel more relaxed. Others feel more energetic and happy because a lot of rap music promotes dancing and movement. This genre is Just one of the examples of music with diverse results. Rap is not music, as it lacks any musical parts. It is rhyming over a beat that the rapper did not usually originally create. And if Mozart heard it, I think he would have a stern talking to that person. But enough of rap, let get into something everyone can associate music with.Music plays a huge part in movies also. When directors want a certain emotion coming out of that scene, they get someone to compose a song. As both music and film sequences are structured in time according to the viewers perception, there is a strong link between the two when played together. A viewer has two perceptual modes whilst watching film and listening to music, real time or ontological applies to here the viewer/listener perceives each note or movement, and psychological time in which the composition/film is perceived more subjectively and the viewer takes what they see/hear as a whole. Like Jaws, when the shark shows up, it plays that classic song that everyone can quote. It puts you on the edge of your seat because you know something will happen. I Just got done watching Parent Trap, starring Lindsay Loan, for the millionth time. In the movie when the mom hugs her other daughter for the first time in eleven years, the music gets higher and Just more flowing and elegant. It made me cry, but when I muted it, it Just like watching a moving scene. Not readily really feeling anything, you had to try to base your feeling on the actors facial expressions.To summon up here is an overall look on people opinions. I found a really neat survey that people all over the world took. Here is affect your mood? 69 people answered this question and 45 said relaxed. How does rock/metal music affect your mood? 83 people answered and 25 people said both angry and happy and coming in close behind 23 said anxious. How does Jazz affect your mood? 72 people answered and 35 said relaxed. How does hip-hop music affect your mood? 68 people answered and 24 said happy and coming in close behind 21 said anxious. How does country music affect your mood?This was a really close one. 75 people answered. 8 people said anxious, 15 people said angry, 16 people said relaxed, and then 18 people tied between depressed and happy. Its really a powerful drug. Music can POISON you, lift your spirits, or MAKE YOU SICK without knowing why. Music is used everywhere to condition the human mind. It can be Just as powerful as a drug and much more dangerous, because nobody takes musical manipulation very seriously. There is Just so much to say about different genres and how they can affect people. No music is neutral.

Once Upon A Time, There Was A Man Who Sacrificed For A Country By Goin

Once upon a time, there was a man who sacrificed for a country by going to a war. Years later, when the war was over, luckily the man came home alive, but he wasn't mentally well. Time past. He started getting confused between his real life and the life during the war. Finally, he committed a murder, while thinking that he was still at war. Unfortunately, a government wants to put the man on the death row for the crime that he committed. Does this sound familiar to you? Yes, this tragedy story is not a fiction. It really took place in Oakland. The man was put on death row, and finished his life in a prison. After I heard this story, I started thinking, "Is this why we have a capital punishment?" I strongly disagree with capital punishment, because of the statistics that I'll state in next couple of paragraphs shows well that even though we execute the criminals and put them on death row still does not reduce the numbers of crimes. In next paragraphs, I'll even talk about how criminal s were executed. It was very inhumane how people were killed, and still do not do any good to reducing numbers of crimes. First of all, let's take a look at the history of capital punishment. There are 38 states that currently authorize the death penalty. According to Justice Center Web Site, Daniel Frank was the first known execution in the United States of America. He was putted to death in 1622 in the Colony of Virginia for committing a theft. Even though, there was a capital punishment in 1622, the death penalty statistics weren't collected until 1930. Also, the article states that during 1930 to 1967, 3,859 persons were executed, and 54 percent of those executed were black, 45 percent were white, and the one- percent was American Indians, Filipino, Chinese, and Japanese. In addition to that, the majority of them were men, and only 32 women were executed during those years. Even though thousands of executions took place through out the nation in different way, still the crime rate didn't go down. There were tremendous numbers of executions during 1930 to 1967 through out the states, and three out of five executions were held in the southern U.S. Especially the state of Georgia had the most executions during the period, and New York as well. California was the third state who had the most executions with 292. The graph that was in the article showed a big gap between 1967 and 1977, which meant there wasn't any execution during this time period. Gary Gilmore who was convicted murdered; he was executed by firing squad, which I will talk about in next paragraph. Anyhow, during 1977 to 1998, the Bureau of Justice Statistics stated that white men were more executed than Black. For these hundreds and thousands of executions, there were five different methods of executions, which were lethal injection, electrocution, gas chamber, hanging, and firing squad. The federal government, the military and 32 states including California use lethal injection to execute prisoners, because this method is known as the most humane form of execution out of all, but the bottom line of capital punishment was to prevent people from committing a crimes. For lethal injection, they mix three different drugs and inject them into prisoner's arm. Electrocution is where prisoner is strapped to an electric chair and executed. During the execution, three or more executioners push buttons, but only one is connected to the electric chair. Gas Chamber is another method of execution that is being used in California. The prisoner is sealed in a chamber and either potassium cyanide or sodium cyanide is dropped into a pan of hydrochloric acid, and it starts make prisoners unconscious and chok e to death. Hanging and firing squad is well known method, because many movies have shown people these two methods. Special thing about firing squad is that some shooters fire blanks. Also this firing squad was used for the first capital punishment in the United States. All these numbers and methods of capital punishment were mainly to reduce the numbers of crimes. The idea of capital punishment is to scare people so

The Title IX Decision against the Quinnipiac University

The Title IX Decision against the Quinnipiac University The question of gender is actively discussed in relation to sport with references to providing the equal opportunities for female athletes. According to Title IX, any discrimination regarding the sex or gender issues is prohibited (Thornton, 2010). The Title IX Decision against the Quinnipiac University of 2010 became one of the most controversial cases associated with the question.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Title IX Decision against the Quinnipiac University specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It was stated that the Quinnipiac University intended to eliminate the women’s varsity volleyball team because of the lack of funding and to develop a competitive cheerleading team instead. The volleyball team’s players and their coach insisted on trying the case in court because of violating Title IX in relation to providing the equal opportunities for university athletes. According to the injunction prov ided by the Judge Stefan Underhill, the volleyball team was allowed to continue the activities during the next season when the development of the competitive cheerleading team could not be discussed as the alternative to the female sport team to meet the Title IX requirements. To evaluate the effectiveness of Underhill’s decision, it is necessary to pay attention to the details of the case. The volleyball team of the Quinnipiac University and the team’s coach accentuated that the plan to eliminate the team violates Title IX because the proportion of the male and female athletes would be defied. From this point, it is possible to speak about the direct violation of Title IX in relation to providing the equal opportunities for male and female athletes. Underhill stated that the fact of discriminating female athletes’ rights was presented, and the Quinnipiac University was obliged to provide the opportunities for the team to perform during the next season (The Quin nipiac University Case, 2010). Thus, the legal strength of the argument was accentuated, and the team could be discussed as winning the case. However, there are two visions of the decision. On the one hand, the rights and interests of the women’s varsity volleyball team were met, and the fact of discrimination was stated. On the other hand, the team was allowed to perform only during the 2010-2011 season, and the question was discussed again in 2012. Thus, the decision provided by the judge lacked some details.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Furthermore, Underhill concentrated on the fact that it was impossible to refer to the cheerleading team as the competitive team and to discuss that team as the alternative to the volleyball team to meet the Title IX requirements. The decision provided by Underhill was rather effective while discussing the cheerleading tea m as inappropriate alternative to the female volleyball team. Nevertheless, the controversy was associated with the fact that Underhill focused on the standards of the competitive sport teams and judged about the relevance of the standards and cheerleading team’s features to discuss it as the sport team. Underhill supported the decision in relation to the definition of the varsity sport with references to the Title IX standards (The Quinnipiac University Case, 2010). It is important to pay attention to the fact that the position of the judge as the advisor or an expert to determine the standards for the varsity sport is rather controversial, and it could be more effective to focus on violating the Title IX requirements regarding the women’s volleyball team rather than on discussing the features and standards of the varsity sport. In spite of the general win of the women’s volleyball team of the Quinnipiac University in relation to Title IX, the judge’s ar gument cannot be discussed as strong and effective because it was important to concentrate on the issue of discrimination to determine the position of the team not only for one season but for the long period of time. References The Quinnipiac University Case. (2010). Retrieved from http://courtweb.pamd.uscourts.gov/courtwebsearch/ctxc/KX330R32.pdf Thornton, P. K. (2010). Sports law. USA: Jones Bartlett Publishers.

Virtual Perceptorship Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Virtual Perceptorship Nursing - Essay Example From the study, notable findings were that; over the study period, women above 35 years increased their rate of delivery by over 84 % while for women above 40 years, their deliveries increased by over 100%; The prevalence of smoking in women decreased from 32.7% in 1988 to below 25.1% in 2001; prevalence of women below 20 years remained almost the same during the study period at 50%; there was an increase in the proportion of women with a pre pregnancy weight gain of over 90 kilograms over the study period; There was a also an increase in proportion of women with a pregnancy weight gain over the study period. Finally, nulliparity increased significantly over the study period. From the study, the research team concluded that, dramatic changes have occurred in maternal characteristics in Nova Scotia, over the years between 1988 and 2001. From the foreseen changes, it is evident that these changes are on-going. The research team also concluded that, if these maternal characteristics con tinue changing into the future, it is going to affect perinatal health and obstetric practice. This is because; maternal characteristics are known indices of obstetric practice, perinatal mortality and morbidity (Bianco, 1996). Research Critique This research has been done proficiently and effectively. The time period that the research team used was sufficient enough to attain the necessary results and possible conclusions. The study was conducted on Nova Scotia women in a time period of 14 years. This long period of time chosen has made the research proficient in the sense that it gave the research team sufficient time to analyze the chosen maternal characteristics which are useful indices of obstetric practice and perinatal care. Another factor that has made the research proficient is that women chosen were of varying age groups. This has enabled the research team to avoid bias in their findings since one finding may be characteristic of a particular age group and not the other. For example, smoking prevalence was assessed in women below 20 years and those above 35 years. It was found that the prevalence did not change much over the 14 year period in women below 20 years while it increase d tremendously in women above 35 years. The data of the study is reliable and this has ensured that the findings are consistent with the available data. The representative sample chosen was women in Nova Scotia who had given birth between 1988 and 2001. The data was obtained from the Nova Scotia Atlee Perinatal Database (NSAPD), a reputable organization that has for years collected accurate data on births in Nova Scotia since 1988. Its personnel are well trained so that there are no errors during data collection exercises. As a result of this, findings on the study are highly accurate and up to date, and they represent the reality on the ground. The reported findings from the study in Nova Scotia are consistent with information available on the subject matter. More recently, studies in western countries indicate that maternal characteristics are changing, and this trend is worrying health care experts (Edwards, 1996). For example, pre pregnancy weight gain has been observed to incre ase in various women, and this is worrying because adverse weight gains in pregnancy are associated with adverse birth outcomes. Recent findings assert that

Persuade your employer that you deserve a raise OR Persuade a family Essay

Persuade your employer that you deserve a raise OR Persuade a family member that the world today is a better than it was 50 years ago - Essay Example Not all people considered going to school a basic life requirement. Only a few people who were enlightened went to schools to gain knowledge. Let us look at our grand parents and some uncles and aunts for example. There is none we can talk of as an educated person, those who afforded to go to school got minor education and surrendered in the long run. The schools were also not developed such that they only had limited resources therefore offered little knowledge. People relied on the indigenous knowledge which though was effective to some extend, could not be applied to solving all of the issues the society faced. The society was so backward such that new advancements tools were only owned by the educated in the society, simply because they were the only ones who could operate them. Poverty for example, which is highly associated with lack of education, was part of the society whereby, to most people poverty was a norm. People only relied on the products of nature. Compare this scenario to the contemporary society where going to school is like a norm. Every individual in the present society is expected to have basic education. Some countries have even gone to the extent of providing free basic education to ensure every individual gets a chance of going to school. Laws have also been formulated to ensure people get educated. The modern schools also have resources that ensure students get quality education. Look at the current advancements whereby each day comes with its own technological advancement. Today things that were rare such as media tools are a thing of the past. You only choose to be poor since I believe every individual has his own ability to make money. For instance, according to the World Development report, knowledge is intangible, light and weightless. With this knowledge still, some people still living in poverty. This therefore means that knowledge is able to counter poverty,

Michael Porter's 5 Forces for Target Research Paper

Michael Porter's 5 Forces for Target - Research Paper Example As Labrador states, â€Å"the lower the barriers are, the easier it will be for competitors to come in†. Future competitors of Target include both local and international retailing companies. Therefore, to remain on the top positions in the country, the company continuously monitors its business strategy of providing best quality products to customers in the lowest prices. The bargaining power of suppliers is neither very strong nor very weak. Although Target provides good support to suppliers’ businesses, suppliers have been able to retain the power to control products’ prices because of increased competition between the discount stores operating in the United States. Along with increased competition, lowering of import barriers and low cost international labor are some of those factors, which have directly affected the bargaining power of suppliers. â€Å"The ability of consumers to buy substitute goods leads to the buyer power force† (Vitez). Buyers have a strong bargaining power in the United States. Although Target is operating a number of discount stores all over the United States, but the ever increasing number of other discount companies has strengthened the bargaining power of buyers. Customers can move to some other store if they find that store offering low prices as compared to Target. Target needs to keep the prices low and competitive in order to maintain its market share. Target has low threat of substitute products. The reason is that discount stores of Target and all other companies offer low prices to the customers as compared to general stores. Customers always want to buy products from the stores, which offer low prices. Although used products’ stores also offer low prices, but customers prefer to buy new products with the same prices that used products’ stores offer. Therefore, Target is far away from the threat of

Importance of and Benefits of E-Banking

Importance of and Benefits of E-Banking E Banking The usage of e banking by the enterprises came into existence in mid 90s.e banking came into existence in greater numbers because of low operating costs. First it is in the form of ATMs and phone transactions. Recently it transformed to internet a new channel between customers and banks which benefits both. The main aim of e- banking services is to provide the customers a much faster services with low cost. From the last twenty years, banking sector has chosen a new method of banking based on the progress of information technology. In addition to these customers, transaction and communication abilities are fastened based on information technology. The progress of electronic banking started with use of automatic teller machines and afterwards it developed to online banking. In the future it will be done in mobile phones(wap-enabled).Anyway online banking continues to be the best for financial transactions. IMPORTANCE OF E-BANKING: E banking provides many advantages for banks and customers .e-banking has made life much easier and banking much faster for both customers and banks. Main advantages are as follows. It saves time spent in banks It provides ways for international banking. It provides banking throughout the year 24/7 days from any place have internet access. It provides well-organized cash management for internet optimization It provides convenience in terms of capital, labour, time all the resources needed to make a transaction. Taking advantage of integrated banking services, banks may compete in new markets, can get new customers and grow their market share. It provides some security and privacy to customers, by using state-of-the-art encryption and security technologies. What is e-banking? Electronic funds transfer means computer systems are used to perform financial transactions electronically. The EFT is used for electronic payments and customer initiated transactions where the cardholder pays using credit or debit card. The transaction types are, Withdrawal,deposit,interaccount transfer ,inquiry, administrative transactions that covers non financial transactions including PIN change. Electronic Fund Transfer transactions needs authorisation and a means to match the card and card holder.EFT transactions require the cardholders PIN to sent online in encrypted form for validation by the issuer of the card.Other information may include the card holders address or the CVV2 security value printed on the card. Electronic funds transfer transactions are activated during e-banking procedures.The different methods of e-banking are Online banking Short message service banking Telephone banking Mobile banking Interactive -TV banking Of all the above procedures online banking plays an important role and maximum used by the account holders.now,discussing the above one by one. Online banking: Online banking also called as internet banking, allows the customers to use all the banking services from a computer which has internet acess.The customer can perform financial transactions on a secure website operated by the bank. Online banking offers features such as bank statements, loan applications, funds transfer, e-bill payments and account aggregation allows customers to monitor all their accounts in one place. Telephone Banking: Telephone banking is a service provided by the banks which provides customers to perform transactions on phone.All the telephone banking systems uses automated answering system with keypad response or voice recognition capability.To prove their identity coustomers must provide a numeric or verbal password or answering the questions asked by the call center representative.In telephone banking coustomer cannt withdraws and deposits cash but can do all the other transactions. Mostly there will be a coustomer care representative to which the customers speak ,although this feature is not guaranteed.The coustomer care representatives are trained to do what are available at the branch like chequebook orders,address change,debit card replacements. Sms Banking: SMS banking is a service permitting banks to do selected banking services from the users mobile by the sms messaging.SMS banking services have push and pull messages.Push messages are sent by the banks for alerting coustomer about new offers,marketing messages,alerts to events happening in coustomers account such as large amount of withdrawals from ATM or credit card etc. Pull messages are those that are sent by the coustomer to bank for having some information or to perform a transaction in their account.Examples include account balance enquiry,requesting for current exchange rates and for new offers that are launched. The coustomer has a choice to select the list of services he need to be informed.This can be done by integrating to internet banking or speaking to the coustomer care representative of the bank call centre. Interactive -TV banking: Interactive TV is a sevice that allows users to interact with TV content as they view it.It is also called as iTV or idTV.If the coustomer subscribes to a cable television service some banking facilities like balance enquiry,funds transfer between accounts ,bills payment are made available all the way through TV.Most of the major banks in UK have experimented banking services through cable and satellite TV companies. Some of the Statistics are : Half of the coustomers registering for online banking are giving up before signing up. 10% people who used internet banking services gave up due to poor usability or security concerns. In 2001 ,1/3 rd of the top European banks offered some form of interactive TV banking. In 2004 it is approximated that there were ten million users of interactive-TV based banking services in Europe . In 2007,the estimated number of Europeans using internet banking is 130 million 88% of e-banking users visit their banking websites as a at least once a week It is estimated that 35% of online banking households will be using mobile banking by 2010. By 2011 it is predicted that 80% of the bank customers in UK will use the internet to connect to their bank. Problems encountered by disabled people and the ageing population using e-banking Physically Impaired: The people with physical impairments who are using telephone banking finds hard to hold and activate the buttons.People with physical disability can not have proper control on hands and arms therefore it is difficult to use mouse effectively so using the banking website becomes a problem. Hearing impaired: People with hearing impairments require visual representation of the auditory information that is in the banking website. With increasing use of multimedia e.g vedio streaming the banking people should take care that these will be understood by the people having hearing problems. One of the straight farward way to make the banking site accessible to the hearing impaired people is to make the language simple particularly for BSL users for whom English is second language.so it si necessary to use a simple language and the inclusion of a glossary of banking terms. The people who are hearing impaired,canot use telephone banking.And the users of hearing aids will experience electromagnetic interference,from mobile phones.The radio signals from mobile telephones can arise humming and buzzing inside hearing aid. Blind and Partially sighted People having vision problems have a problem to insert the card into the ATM machine and typing their PIN .And people with vision problems can use online banking based on how the site is designed for the people with vision disabilities i.e blind people use browsers should with speech or Braille output which are text-based systems and should be browsed independent of graphics.The browser should have the option to vary the text size so that they can increase the font.The main problem for them is the graphics in the websites are not meaningful when they are accessing with a text browser And people with vision problems find hard to use telephone banking because of the decreasing in the size of mobile phones.Due to the compact size of mobiles people with low sight find hard to use the small keypads and smaller screens.And some people are unable to distinguish colour combinations used in mobile keypads and screens. And mailed notifications regarding e-banking are inaccessible to blind and people with low vision if they are not provide in alternate formats. Cognitively impaired The Banking websites with too many steps and unhelpful messages are difficult to browse for cognitively impaired people.The websites designed with complex page layouts,tables and navigation structures confuse these people and are become difficult to browse. And in telephone banking, mobile phones of latest technology are coming with so many features and complex operating systems.People with Cognitive disabilities find difficult to operate these kind of mobile phones People having dyslexia finds difficult to remember the PIN in the correct order and may enter incorrectly.So these people are prone to writing them down which lessens the security and can be misused. Age-related Impairments People as they age will experience so many changes in memory,eye sight,hearing and dexterity and they might not consider to have disabilities.These people will be benifited by the accessibility provisions that make websites accessible.People having age related eye sight may access the website by changing the text size.These people also finds difficult to use the mouse.Older people finds difficult to use mobiles having complex operating systems and too many options.

Diana of the Crossways: A Novel :: Free Essays Online

Diana of the Crossways: A Novel Before reading Diana of the Crossways it is important to understand the facts surrounding the life of George Meredith, as corresponding elements can be found in many of his works. George Meredith was born on February 12, 1828 in Portsmouth. During his early years he faced several accounts of hardship. His mother died when he was hardly five years of age. Shortly after her death, George Meredith's father, Augustus, inherited a failing business and heavy debts from his own father. Augustus was forced to declare bankruptcy and travel to London to earn a living, leaving young Meredith in the care of relatives. At age fifteen, Meredith attended the Moravian school at Neuwied on the Rhine. He remained there for less than two years accounting for his only formal education. Meredith was apprenticed to Richard Stephen Charnock who introduced Meredith to his literary circle of friends. Among them were Edward Peacock and his sister Mary Ellen Nicolls. Mary Ellen Nicolls can be described as havi ng lively intelligence and wit. This seems to characterize many of Meredith's heroines. They married in 1849, but they had very little success as a couple. Since they were both intelligent and demanding they desired more from the relationship. In 1858 Mary Ellen Nicolls eloped with artist Henry Wallis ending her relationship with Meredith. From here, Meredith married his second wife Marie Vulliamy who was the contrast of Mary Ellen Nicolls. She was a very practical, domestic woman who was a good hostess and housekeeper. It is quite ironic that Meredith would desire a helpmeet relationship when all of his works surround the independent, headstrong woman. Meredith was an energetic man who would frequently toss around a weight nicknamed "the beetle" for exercise. In the 1870's Meredith began to develop symptoms of locomotor ataxia, which crippled him. In 1892 Meredith was elected president of The Society of Authors, a position that was previously held by Alfred Lord Tennyson. In 1905 h e was awarded the Order of Merit. Over the years, Meredith became increasingly disabled and deaf before passing away on May 18, 1909 (Casal, The Victorian Web). During his lifetime Meredith produced fifteen novels, eight poetry collections, and countless minor works; most of which are out of print today. His best work is characterized by brilliant insights, carefully chosen diction, and powerful imagery. Diana of the Crossways is rich and interesting with realistic characters that come alive for the reader.

Formal and Informal Communication in an Organization Essay

* Formal communication channels, follows the chain of command and is recognized as official. One way to view formal communication within organizations. * Vertical communication is the flow of information both up and down the chain of command. It involves an exchange of messages between two or more levels in the organization. When top-level managers make decisions, create strategic plans, convey directions, and so forth, they are often communicating downward. Downward communication flows from individuals in higher levels of the organization to those in lower levels. The most common forms of downward communication are meetings, official’s memos, policy statements, procedure manuals, information needed to conduct work, and company publications. Information sent downward may include new company goals, job instructions, procedures, and feedback on performance. Studies show that only 20% of an intended messages sent by top-level management is intact by the time it reaches the entry level performance. This information loss occurs for several reasons. First, managers tend to reply too heavily on written channels an avalanche of written material may cause the overload subordinate to ignore some messages. This is especially true with the glut of information stemming from e-communications. Second, the oral face-to-face message, which commands more attention and can provide immediate feedback, is often underutilized. Managers may e-mail the colleague or subordinate down the hall instead of walking over for a chat. They may e-mail a business client across town instead of picking up the phone. Experts agree that managers often forget that the best way to communicate the richest channel is face to face, with its potential for abundant feedback. Upward communication consists of messages sent up the line from subordinates to managers. Openness to ideas and inputs from people in the lower levels of the organization is often the hallmark of a healthy and enjoyable organization. Effective organizations need upward communication as much as downward communication. People at all levels can and will have ideas for organizational improvement. Plus, managers need to have accurate feedback to properly guide the entire organization. Upward communication from subordinates to managers usually falls into one of the following categories: * Personal reports of performance, problems, or concerns. Reports about others and their performance, problems, or concerns. * Reactions to organizational policies and practices. * Suggestions about what tasks need to be done and how they can be accomplished. This type of communication is frequently sent up only one level in the organization to the person’s immediate supervisor. The supervisor may send some of the information to the next higher level but usually in a modified form. Upward communication is beneficial to both the manager and the subordinate. For the manager, it is often necessary for sound decision making. Upward communication helps managers knows employees’ accomplishments’, problems, and attitudes and allows employees to make suggestions and feel that they are part of the decision making process. In addition, it provides feedback, encourages ongoing two-way communication, and indicates the subordinate, upward communication may provide a release of tensions and a sense of personal worth that may lead to a feeling of commitment to the organization. Achieving effective upward communication getting open and honest messages from employees to management is an especially difficult task. Although suggestion boxes, employees surveys, and open-door policies are often used to encourage upward communication, upper level manager are responsible for responding to messages from lower level employees. If they do not take advantage of this information, the chance to tap into a critical resource is lost. Managers need to act on feedback from subordinates and get back to the individuals who sent it if only to indicate that the suggestion cannot be carried out or that progress is being made about the problem or suggestion. The track record on effectively communicating upward is not especially positive. Even for managers, on average, less than 15% of their communications is to their supervisors. Also, when managers communicate upward, their conversations tend to be shorter than discussions with peers, and they often highlight their accomplishments’ and downplay their mistakes if the mistakes will be looked upon unfavorably. In addition, junior managers are not trained in nor do they seek needed information and pass it upward. As we discussed previously, a trusting relationship is almost a perquisite for effective communication. Trust cannot be mandated by policy or directives. It must be earned by the manager through credible behaviour and communication. Horizontal communication is the flow of information that occurs both within and between departments. Effective organizations encourage horizontal communication because it increases coordination, collaboration, and cooperation. Communication provides a means for members on the same level of an organization to share information without directly involving their supervisors. Examples include the communication that may occur between members of different departments of an organization and between coworkers in the same department. Self-managed teams create situations in which horizontal communication can flourish. In addition, more formal liaison roles may be created to support information flows. These are important to coordinate activities that support the organizational objectives. * Spontaneous communication channels the flows of communication described so far have been part of formal system used to accomplish the work of the organization. In addition to these formal channels, organizations have spontaneous channels of communication. Spontaneous channels communications are casual, opportunistic, and informal communication paths arising from the social relationships that evolve in the organization. They are neither required nor controlled by management. A term often associated with spontaneous channels is the grapevine. The grapevine is an informal method of transmitting information, depicted as the wandering of messages throughout the organization. It typically involves small clusters of people who exchange information in all directions through unsanctioned organizational channels and networks. We refer to this as peer-to-peer conversations. This communication is a useful and important for managers and employees at all levels and is used as much as the company newsletter or employee meetings. Peer-to-peer conversations may be personal, task focused, or organization focused. When people offer thoughts and guidance on personal issues or situations, it is considered personal. These discussions may not relate to strategic objectives, but they do build relationships among coworkers, which ultimately affect culture and communication effectiveness. Conversations may relate to the task. For example, coworkers discuss the day’s assignment or team projects. Or the organization may be the focus with the â€Å"inside† story on changes and company news. These spontaneous communication processes can potentially compete with or complement the formal communication system in the organization. The grapevine can be beneficial. Managers need to at least be aware of the grapevine because it is probably one of the most prevalent and reliable forms of communication. In fact, one well-known study found that approximately 80% of the information transmitted through the grapevine was correct. The remaining 20%, though, can often lead to serious trouble. As you probably know from your own experience, a story can be mainly true but still be quite misleading because essential facts are omitted or distorted. Information in the spontaneous channels is usually unverified and often includes rumours that are exaggerated and frequently wrong. To help prevent incorrect rumours, managers must keep the information that flows through informal channels accurate and rumours free. To do so, managers should share as much information as possible with employees, tell them of changes far in advance, and encourage employees to ask questions about rumours they heard. To some extent, the spontaneous channels are always present in any organization and are more than just a means of conveying corporate gossip. The information may be less official, but it is no less important for understanding the organization. Despite being pervasive, the grapevine has escaped being directly managed in most companies. Research by Crampton, Dodge, and Jitrendra found that 92% of companies had no policy to deal with the grapevine.

buddhism Essays

buddhism Essays buddhism Essay buddhism Essay Middle Land Chan Monastery is a Buddhist Temple I visited in Pomona. Middle Land Chan Monastery was built in April of 2008 and was founded by Master Wei Chueh, who is also the founder of Taiwans famous Chung Tai Chan Monastery. Wei Chueh wanted a Buddhist temple the inland empire to broaden the Buddhist religion and wisdom. Middle land Chan Monastery welcomes any race, gender, or religion and is free to any visitor. They offer free meditation classes of all levels and age groups. They have different days throughout the week, when they teach classes in Chinese or English allowing the communities preference. The classes teach the following: history of Zen Buddhism, the four noble truths, the noble eightfold path, six perfections, emptiness and the middle way, and the principle of casualties. Once you have completed the advanced classes you can move on to the Sutra study classes which teach more in depth about the above categories. These classes are two hours long for twelve weeks. The first hour is meditating and the second hour is teachings of the Buddha. Ceremonies are also offered with reservations. All ceremonies and classes are taught by Abbess Jianxiang. Dress Code is your choice but is recommended to be omfortable and non-slippery socks. Other meditation clothing is provided if wanted. Middle land Chan Monastery is a very good place to come if you are interested in Buddhism and want to learn their ways. I enjoyed my time spent there learning their culture and feeling welcomed the entire time. When I arrived to Middle Land Chan Monastery, I was welcomed right away. Unfortunately since I hadnt signed up for the classes when the beginning level students started their classes months ago, I was unable to participate and could only observe. Before stepping foot into the temple ou must remove your shoes and put on the slippers they have available for you. As everyone was arriving you can tell they all had been attending the classes for a while, because everyone was being social toward one another and talking about previous lessons. After everyone showed up, we moved our way to the meditation room, which was filled with floor mats and stool mats against the wall, for those who need better back support. Before stepping into the room you needed to take off your slippers and bow down before entering. Next they have you go to the Buddha statue bow down and light incense. Everyone went to their assigned mat, and Abbess Jianxiang went to the front of the room. Abbess started speaking and told everyone to relax and concentrate. Everyone is sitting with their legs crossed and their eyes closed. Abbess told them to have straight posture and count your breath intakes. Music was being played in the background and Abbess continued talking for a little while about meditation. For the next forty minutes everyone was meditating. The purpose of meditation is to free your minds of negativity and to be spiritually awakened. While meditating you are to have good posture, concentrate, and think of only positive motions. Doing this helps you have a better outlook on life and to understand life naturally. With enough practice your meditation will take you into an energized and positive state of mind. Meditators told me meditating makes them feel relaxed and forget all about their worries. After meditation everyone went to the room where noble truths and the noble eightfold. Learning about this was interesting to me. I thought it was good how they were being taught not too in depth since this was a beginners class but they were taught in a way that would fit their understanding. Group discussions were taking place and I found it interesting how involved everyone was getting and trying to fully understand Buddhism. People shared stories, asked questions, and gave feedback all throughout the lesson. After class, a break for lunch was given. There is a variety of lunch options throughout the week. The day I went we had veggie fried rice. This contained white rice, mushrooms, radishes, carrots, and lotus seeds. The food is prepared by the workers. The meal options they do have are all vegetarian meals. Taiwan Buddhist have to abstain from meat, which is why their eals are vegetarian. The food is all organic and tasted delicious. I was expecting more of a traditional meal that I havent tried before, but even though veggie fried rice is a common meal, I still thought it was appetizing. While I was driving to the temple, the atmosphere wasnt what I expected. I expected it to be in a field and secluded from everything. Instead it was gated in a neighborhood. Once you drive in there is parking and two statues that look like dragons. The temple wasnt too big, before going inside the temple you need to ring a bell to unlock the doors. The inside looked very cultural. There was painted pictures on the wall, small statues on shelves, and a lot of incense burners. The whole temple smells like incense burning. The meditation room has rows of floor mats used for meditating and along the walls there are rectangular stools with mats on top, which are used for people who need better back support while meditating. The floor is wooden and looks very shiny and clean. The walls were plain dark brown. In the back of the room there are three statues of Buddha that are on top of an altar. The people wear brown long cloth robes. They all have their hair shaved really short. Their voices are very soft and quiet. They seem to be very conservative and isolated from society and that all they do with their free time is Just practice Buddhism and not get witness the outside world. Before coming here I had a lot of stereotypes of Buddhism. To me Buddhism was what I saw in the movie hangover. For instance I thought all they did was meditate, practice karate, and vow to silence. I thought the only reason people would choose to be Buddhist is because they were born into that culture or because they were hipsters trying to be cool. Coming to Middle Land Chan Monastery taught me the truth behind Buddhism. Most of the information I learned about Buddhism was through the hand out booklets, and dvd I was given. What I learned is Buddhism is not Just a religion but also a way of finding yourself spiritually. Buddhism teaches you how to be responsible with your life and to live it to your fullest potential. I learned about the four noble truths. This is in order suffering, where the suffering originated from, to end the suffering, and the process to end the suffering. The four noble truth originally talks about dukkha but because this was a beginners class the teacher alled it suffering which has the same meaning. For those in advanced classes, they would call it by their true meaning and go more into depth about the meanings. Instead of telling us what each of the noble truths are with definitions and words, they would give examples and try to make it more simple for our understanding. The noble eightfold is self-awakening and learning who you are, spiritually and mentally. The main thing I learned about Buddhism is not only should you have a positive outlook on life but you should also have a realistic look. Thinking positive throughout he day can actually help you have a good day but if you are being over positive, and hoping for unrealistic things to happen it most likely wont. This is because you are hoping for too much rather then realistic hopes. Having a balance of positive and realism can help you into having a productive day. Buddhism is not Just a religion but it is also a way of life. It is a peaceful way to live and helps you have a new outlook on life. Instead of seeing only the bad things in life you are able to see the beauty of nature and to appreciate the life you were blessed to have. To show your appreciation to Buddha every morning the Thai Buddhist bow down three times, burn incense, and give water and food. They do this because These are considered precious in their culture. I think Buddhism differentiates from other cultures religion in many ways. Buddhism does not have a God that they believe in, who punishes or rewards you through your actions. Buddhism is mainly self-taught. There are people who teach you about Buddhism but the only way to actually understand it you need to participate and practice it. The people who teach you about Buddhism mainly teach ou the history and few practices for it, but the way you take it in is up to you. Buddhism is more learning about yourself and how you think you should act, rather than other religions when they tell you how you have to be and set guidelines. There is no right or wrong way on how you take in Buddhism. Like Buddhism Christianity also believe in happiness for human beings as their golden rule. Like other religions there is an emphasis on love for everyone in mankind. There many similarities and difference in the Buddhist culture and religion, but every culture is unique in their own way.

Bolivian Tin Mining essays

Bolivian Tin Mining essays Bolivia has a long history as a mining country. During the Colonial period, the Cerro Ricco de Potosi mine enriched the Spanish Empire with the enormous quantities of silver it produced for over four hundred years. And throughout the years of tin was often found along side the silver being mined. At the tail end of Colonial silver mining, large quantity of tin was discarded as waste. In 1865 the price of silver began declining in response to several factors; rich deposits were found in California; a declining demand in Eastern Countries and the increased use of paper as currency. When silver collapsed on the International Market, it was impossible to transfer the technology and communications to other metals. Yet, an expansion of world demand for tin, in canning and other industrial uses, allowed Bolivia to capitalize on its resources and quickly respond to international demand. The availability of cheap labor and railroad transportation in Bolivia meant suddenly it became profitable for Bolivia to ship this mineral, making the transition from silver to tin a relatively easy one for the Bolivian economy to make. (Klein 163) Around the same time in 1894, a man named Simon Patino purchased his first share in a tin mine. The mine was in Orerro, in the canton of Unicia, on the border of the province of Potosi. Patino was a mestizo white collar mine employee who ended up purchasing full control of the mine by 1897. In 1900 he struck one of the richest veins ever found in Bolivia. Acquiring vast European holdings in nonmining and mining-related investments eventually made Patino one of the fourth wealthiest men in the world. Managers for Patino Mines dictated policy to the Bolivian government. As Bolivias most powerful capitalist, he often extended large private loans to the government for tax concessions and political favors, holding virtual veto powe...

Causes of Renaissance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Causes of Renaissance - Essay Example Apart from that, urbanization of cities and growth of commerce provided a suitable background for the rise of Renaissance. Before the twelve century, Italy was mostly rural with only several small urban centers. However, the established trade relationships with Byzantine and Muslims guaranteed the flow of money and goods that added to the development of commerce and, subsequently, to the wealth of the country as a whole. (Mantin 62-63)The following, in its turn, led to the growth of individual and self-governed cities-states with their own banking and political systems. Consequently, by the time the central and northern European cities were still ruled by monarchs, cities in Italy enjoyed high levels of autonomy that penetrated into various aspects of life. The atmosphere of prosperity and freedom was established and appeared to be quite conductive for the beginning of Renaissance. Furthermore, decentralization of power weakened the influence of church and its strict doctrines on people as well as contributed to the prosperity of people in Italy. The medieval society was totally subdued by the dominant rule of a church. It made impossible social development and did not allow any intellectual or economic advancement, viewing them as contradictory to Christian doctrines. The situation changed in the thirteen century when the power and prestige of the Pope were questioned. At that time, monarchs and common people started to challenge the overwhelming influence of the church with its constant proclamations of asceticism.

Physical Privacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Physical Privacy - Essay Example Firstly, with regards to the underlying question of whether or not illegal steroid usage should be penalized to the same degree under the law that other forms of illegal drugs are penalized, it is the belief of this author that there must be a differential between the levels of punishment between these two types of drug users. This is due to the fact that the majority of illegal drugs target the means by which the user integrates with reality. What this implies is that the individual that takes mind-altering drugs is at a specific disadvantage with regards to interpreting reality and acting accordingly. As such, this means that the individual poses a risk to broader society in that they are oftentimes incapable of making rational decisions. However, with regards to the steroid user/performance enhancing drug user, although they are damaging their own health, they do not necessarily pose a risk to society at large due to the fact that steroid/performance enhancing drug usage does not impair one’s ability to make informed decisions. ... ams represent role models as opposed to financial instruments, it is the belief of this author that the idolization of sports players has reached something of preposterous proportions. Although there are many young and impressionable minds that seek to emulate the exploits and character traits of their favorite athletes, the society at large has become enamored with the means by which sportsmen, and sportswomen for that matter, represent the highest values that individuals can and should strive. Ultimately, the players should not be viewed in such a light due to the fact that they are merely investment tools utilized by corporations to increase profit (Murray, 2008). As such, one can and should revere the sportsman to no greater degree than members of a public transportation union. These members are merely performing a task and are receiving payment for doing so. Although this may come across as something of a rather jaded opinion, the utility of the onlooker is not served to any gre ater extent by viewing these individuals as demigods; rather, such an enterprise is only promoted as a means of furthering the bottom line of the corporate interests that promote the consumption of such programming and sporting events. However, before the reader can take the preceding argument against the criminalization of illegal steroid/performance enhancing drug usage too seriously, it should be stated that it the solid belief of this author that the ethical breach that such an action portends should have a high professional, albeit not legal, penalty. By breaking the public’s trust and cheating, the utility of the viewer is inherently reduced to near meaningless. As such, it is the strong belief of this author that even though it should be outside of the court’s jurisdiction to

Teamwork in companies and corporate change Research Paper

Teamwork in companies and corporate change - Research Paper Example In short, individuals will get more freedom and flexibility in their works in organizations where team work prevails. â€Å"The main characteristic feature of the team is synergy through which team members act together and achieve better results than if they perform alone or in other organizational forms†(Petrov, 2010, p.91). While working in a team, individuals get more support from his team members and therefore his jobs stress will be considerably reduced. Reduced job stress will increases his performances and productivity. Another major advantage of team work is the â€Å"creation of a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts, because synergy pools individual talents and efforts to create extraordinary results† (Judeh, 2011, p.203). 1+1 = 2 is correct in Mathematics; but in business 1+1>2 because of the possibility of extraordinary results teamwork can generate in an organization. While working as part of a team, the members may deliver more than 100% of their efficiency. Sheng & Tinag (2010) have pointed out that â€Å"employees would have more loyalty and ties to those in groups working with them as a team because they could have immediate feedback from these people† (Sheng & Tinag, 2010, p.1297). Man is a social animal and he dislikes individual work. Nobody wants to work in a lonely atmosphere in which no communication occurs or no support received. While working in groups or teams, he gets enough opportunities for communication and therefore his capabilities will come out automatically. In this article, Bob Frisch point out some of the major drawbacks of teamwork along with the benefits of teamwork. In his opinion, even though the employees in a team will get more freedom and flexibility in their works, the chances of increased blaming of the individual employees cannot be ruled out. Team work also helps to have assertive conversations, give and receive feedback, and

Fun, Family and Flashbacks Essay Example for Free

Fun, Family and Flashbacks Essay The beauty of photographs is that they can frame one single split-second moment of your life to help you remember good times. The rest of the story on how you got to the picture or what happened after becomes history and remains a flitting memory that may or may not be triggered to resurface once the photograph is again seen. One such precious instant happened when I was eight years old†¦ an age where I used to find so much delight in simple things such as a photography session with my brothers. My eyes in the picture are sparkling with laughter at all the trouble my mom had to go through for this snapshot. It was nearly father’s day and my mom thought a great secret gift would be a professionally shot picture of all three of us children. As soon as lunch was over, she quickly packed all of us up and we went to this posh photo studio. While waiting for our turn, she excitedly dressed us all up in such fine and neatly pressed clothes (as if the wrinkles would be noticeable on film). My hair was combed probably more than one hundred times over just to make sure no single strand would go astray out of her plan. As we were passing the time till our photo opportunity, mom would keep our energy up by making us practice different kinds of poses and smiles. A few more minutes passed and my mom was already getting impatient with all the excitement. Alas! The photographer came up to my mom just to tell her that there seemed to be something wrong with the camera and that he could not take our pictures at that moment. Horrified and panicky due to the unexpected long time of having to wait for a useless chance to get some shots professionally done, my mom swiftly packed all of us up at once and went home. We wanted to laugh at mom’s dismay over the problems of this great idea of hers but we knew better than to irk her even more. As soon as we got home, she quickly brushed us up and with quick thinking, got our own camera to make her own snapshots instead. It was not hard for us to smile as we knew the pains she was going through just to keep her hand still on the camera button. We all knew that our father was about to arrive in just a few minutes and her panic was with cause. After some quick clicks, she quickly made us dress up into our play clothes again and had us do some wrestling matches just to erase the more than 100 times brushed up look she gave our hair. This was one of the most enjoyable memories of my life yet the camera was only able to show three children with smiles on their faces†¦everything else precious was left for us to relive in our own imaginations.

China’s Most-Favored-Nation Trade Status Essay -- essays research pape

China’s Most-Favored-Nation Trade Status If the United States is going to stand by and let China break the agreement that we have set then what is the point of having rules or laws in the first place? If we can accept the fact that China is breaking our laws then we can also understand that this behavior can very well lead to a state of anarchy and lawlessness. These are all things that are breed by a lack of law, and also facilitated by a lack of proper enforcement of our current laws. This is a warning also for the future as we show China that the United States will not stand for the flagrant breaking of its laws. United States policymakers employ economic sanctions not only to equalize trade and investment disputes, but also to reach non-economic policy objectives. This has been especially true with respect to China. Currently, the United States imposes the following economic sanctions on China. Restrictions on export licenses are things that the United States may deny if it was determined that the product could make a direct and significant contribution to the development of nuclear weapons and their delivery systems, electronic and submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, nuclear power projection, and air superiority. This restriction was placed on China on November 23, 1984. Another restriction placed on China dealt with the withholding of generalized system of preferences status. Section 502(b)(1) of the Trade Act of 1974 prevents the President of the United Sta...

Developmentally Appropriate Practice Buzzwords or best practice?

Developmentally Appropriate Practice Buzzwords or best practice? By Jocelyn Smrekar and Andrea Hansen Teachers and parents are sometimes fooled into thinking that children must learn to read by age 5, usually in kindergarten. Consider this example: Jamie has trouble reading in kindergarten. Her teacher says it’s because she only played in preschool. In first grade, Jamie is called learning disabled because she still doesn’t read. By third grade though, Jamie is reading fluidly with her peers. Have teachers cured Jamie of a disability? No!Jamie’s reading development followed its own course and leveled into a lifelong skill and what teachers call â€Å"working at grade level. † Children develop at different rates in separate areas: physical, emotional, cognitive or intellectual, language, and social. Differences, including abilities and disabilities, affect the way and speed with which children develop skills. Genetic traits, temperaments, learning style, en vironment, cultural and racial expectations, and experiences influence learning. Some children learn to say words at 8 months, others not until they’re almost 2 or older.Many children learn to walk at 9 months, while others wait until they are 15 to 18 months. Charts of developmental milestones—walking, talking, running, or stacking three blocks, for example—are based on averages. Parents and teachers frequently worry when a child doesn’t have a skill at the targeted time. Most often, skills develop according to children’s interests and temperaments—that is, a child’s basic approach to people and events. Foundation for Further Learning Developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) is a term coined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.It describes teaching techniques that identify and foster the developmental needs of children, both individually and in groups (Bredekamp, 1987). DAP is a set of guidelines suggest ing curriculum content and practice serving children birth through age 8. Simply stated, these guidelines encourage early childhood programs to provide an educational environment that responds to the needs and interests of children. In that environment, trained teachers use observation to plan for the class and the individuals in it. In DAP classrooms, children’s play is the primary vehicle for learning.This article will focus on DAP in school settings, prekindergarten through third grade. DAP deals with all the levels and stages children grow through, building a strong foundation for future learning. Children remember, classify, repeat, and modify their experiences as they learn about the world and the people in it. For example, Zach, age 6, is eager to put together a puzzle with 100 pieces. He has experience with puzzles—first with five-piece wooden puzzles in a frame, then with cardboard floor puzzles, and finally with boxed 60-piece puzzles.He knows that the pictur e on the outside of the box will be a guide as he separates the straight-edged pieces from the curved ones. He locates the four corners, looks for matching colors, and after 45 minutes of concentrated effort, completes the puzzle. He has used his past experiences to build new ones that include abstract tasks like classifying, matching, counting, sorting, identifying, and experimenting. He has improved his small motor skills, increased his ability to concentrate on a complex task, and learned the virtue of tenacity, sticking to the task until completion.Zack’s alert teacher notes his success and plans new ways to challenge his skills and foster new interests. A teacher’s understanding and use of DAP are keys to educational success. Learning experiences in a DAP classroom Children are active learners—they need opportunities to investigate and explore with objects, materials, and equipment in order to construct a base of information about their world. Through first hand experiences, children are able to connect what they already know with new, more complex information.Teachers who use DAP in their classrooms provide opportunities for children to interact with a variety of materials. They offer uninterrupted time to actively explore not only intellectual skills, but also social, emotional, physical, and language skills. Specific teaching techniques include asking open-ended questions, modeling, demonstrating, exploring, coaching, and direct instruction. These techniques extend learning and guide children to skill mastery (Bredekamp and Copple, 1997). Young children learn best and most when they actively and playfully explore materials and activities, using all their senses.Developmentally appropriate classrooms are set up so individuals or groups of children can become directly involved with materials. Children move between free or spontaneous play and organized play. In free play, for example, a puppet show evolves into a performance by childr en in dress-up clothes. In organized play, children might chart the favorite fruits of class members. Role of Play A central issue in DAP is the role of play in the curriculum. Because adults don’t depend on play to learn, they tend to dismiss it as a pleasant time spent without profit. In children, however, play is an essential part of a child’s education.Sometimes called children’s work, play supports a child’s development by providing the tools, equipment, and interpersonal experiences that help children grow. Through play, children acquire information, master activities, use concrete materials as symbols, organize previous learning, learn perseverance and focus, solve problems, and develop creativity. Are Children Really Learning? While many teachers agree that DAP helps children develop cognitive, social, emotional, language, and physical skills, parents often ask, â€Å"Is my child really learning? All I see is play. â€Å"Standardized tests given after second grade to children in both DAP and traditional classrooms have revealed little difference in general reading skills (Kostelnik, Soderman, and Whiren, 1993). Children in DAP classrooms scored significantly higher in tests of vocabulary, reading comprehension, expressive language, and reading and writing mechanics in context. In standardized tests of math, the two groups showed similar scores in overall math skills, but the DAP children scored significantly higher in conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills than children in traditional classrooms.Children who had been in DAP classrooms for five years scored significantly higher in reasoning and problem-solving skills. Most importantly, children in DAP classrooms reported great enthusiasm for school and high involvement in the learning process. What Does a DAP Classroom Look Like? The physical setup of a DAP classroom indicates how learning takes place. The teacher’s desk is usually in an inconspicuous pl ace, not in the front of the room. Student desks, if provided at all, are clustered into learning centers. Most often, long tables replace individual desks, encouraging cooperative group work.Room arrangements and traffic patterns may change throughout the year as children grow and change intellectually, and they meet specific educational goals. Another difference in DAP classrooms is the way textbooks and worksheets are used. Often in traditional classrooms, printed materials are the primary source of instruction; teachers dictate the use of textbooks, worksheets, and other teaching materials. In a developmentally appropriate classroom, children learn through materials that are concrete, real, and relevant to their lives.In a kindergarten class that is studying insects, for example, the classroom is rich with pictures, colorful field guides, and posters. It may also have an ant farm with magnifying glasses, a box of silk worms spinning cocoons, a tomato plant with resident praying mantis, and a butterfly house. Children are encouraged to collect insects and sort them by size, color, function, or benefits to humanity. They use math skills like counting, estimating, and graphing in the daily routine. They have opportunities to draw and paint their impressions of insects as well as to sing and act out the metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly.In a DAP classroom textbooks are resources, not the primary source of information. All equipment and supplies—including manipulatives, construction materials, art music, and role-playing props—are accessible to the children as they explore and discover answers and new questions. Teachers support learning by setting up centers and providing the materials and guidance necessary for the children to learn. DAP as Best Practice Teachers who have adopted developmentally appropriate practices consider each child’s uniqueness and skill level when planning activities.Allowing children to progress through the stages of development at their own rates is the best way to build the foundation for future learning. This philosophy is reflected in the classroom environment and activities planned. Learning takes place naturally, because it is child-centered and relevant. Children are constantly learning, building on what they know to create new ways of thinking and seeing their world. Isenberg, J. and N. Quisenberry. â€Å"Play: A necessity for all children,† Childhood Education, 64 (3), 138-145, 1988. Statements of Developmentally Appropriate Practice Space and Furnishings 1. Indoor spaceChildren need sufficient space that is well lit and has a comfortable temperature for learning and playing. Indoor space that is well maintained and in good repair sends a message to the young child that is welcoming and inviting. 2. Furniture for routine care, play and learning Children need appropriate furnishings to meet the demands of their daily schedules. Basic furniture such as cots, tables and c hairs should be sturdy and appropriate to the size of the children in the group in order for children to be comfortable, have proper body support, and focus on learning, playing, and routine activities rather than their own discomfort.Caregivers need easy access to routine care furnishings, such as cots, in order to maintain proper supervision and provide smooth transitions between activities. 3. Furnishings for relaxation and comfort Children need space and opportunity to relax and rest. Soft furnishings and toys allow children opportunities for relaxation and comfort. Cozy areas provide a space for quiet activities to occur and should be protected from active play so children can snuggle, daydream and lounge. 4. Room arrangement Creative room arrangement promotes a child's positive self-image and encourages a wide variety of age appropriate activities.Well-defined interest centers where materials are accessible help children to understand about organization and returning materials to their proper place. 5. Space for privacy Some children experience unacceptably high levels of stress when exposed to constant activity and interaction. Places where children can escape from the pressures of group care promote positive self-esteem. Providing a child with opportunities, space, and time to be alone can contribute to positive classroom behavior. 6. Child related display Every child needs to know that others value his/her play or work.Artwork or other individual work that is created by the children should be displayed in the classroom at the child's eye-level. This promotes feelings of positive self-esteem and sends the message to the child that his/her work is valued and appreciated. 7. Gross motor play Children need daily opportunities to exercise large muscles, run in open spaces, and practice gross motor skills. (Safety is always a number one priority. ) Space to develop children's large muscles through a variety of play experiences should be made safe by providi ng adequate cushioning for fall zones.All play equipment should be safe and effective monitoring should be implemented to teach children safe play behavior and to safeguard against accidents. 8. Gross motor equipment Children need age appropriate stationary and portable equipment to promote a wide variety of skills that exercise large muscles while developing confidence and abilities. Equipment should be sound, sturdy, safe and accessible to children daily. Personal Care Routines 9. Greeting/Departing Parents and children need a warm, welcoming, and pleasant atmosphere to make the daily greeting and departing routine a happy one.Positive greetings help to promote the children's self-esteem and create a welcoming environment for parents. 10. Meals/Snacks Meals and snacks that follow USDA guidelines contribute to the health of children and provide a model for good nutritional habits for life-long practice. Proper hand washing along with careful food preparation teach children proper h ygiene and promotes sanitary conditions. 11. Nap/Rest Nap and/or rest time should be appropriately scheduled and supervised for the children in the group. Adequate separation of cots helps to prevent the spread of germs.Soft music or a soothing story helps to facilitate a peaceful rest time that is important in helping children to balance the day and renew their energy. 12. Toileting/Diapering Young children need appropriate supervision of the toileting process in order to care for basic needs and to teach the importance of good health habits. The schedule should be individualized. Provisions, such as soap and steps near the sink, should be convenient and accessible so that children can wash hands after toileting; this promotes self-help skills and good personal hygiene.Diapering should always be managed in a manner that promotes safety and good health practices. 13. Health practices Practicing preventive measures, such as washing hands after handling pets or wiping noses, help to e ducate children to achieve life-long health practices. Taking appropriate action when children are sick will minimize the spread of germs. 14. Safety practices Protecting children is critical in providing quality care, whether through adequate supervision or minimizing hazards both inside and outside. Caregivers should anticipate potential safety problems and demonstrate, model, and teach children safe practices.Language-Reasoning 15. Books and pictures The use of books and pictures is an important means of learning for children as they make sense of the world around them. Books, pictures, and language materials should be available in sufficient number both for independent use in a reading center and for use by a teacher with children in formal and informal settings. 16. Encouraging children to communicate Activities and materials that promote language development should be available for use throughout the classroom and the daily schedule. Teachers should establish an environment wh ere language exploration and usage is encouraged.17. Using language to develop reasoning skills Logical relationships and concepts should be presented in appropriate ways. Children learn through interaction with materials and people, both peers and adults, in the context of play and daily routines. Language provides the key tool for success and problem solving, as children are encouraged to talk through their thought processes. 18. Informal use of language Language is a way for children to expand understanding. Caregivers should engage children in give and take conversations for enjoyment and learning.They should support child-to-child conversations as well. Activities 19. Fine motor Children need a variety of age-appropriate and developmentally-appropriate toys and materials that they can manipulate with their hands and play with at will. These activities strengthen fine motor control while encouraging skill development that contributes to academic readiness. 20. Art Children benef it from exposure to child-initiated art activities that are open-ended and process oriented. Children's art should be respected and appreciated as individual, creative expression.Materials and opportunities to create art projects at a beginning and more advanced level should be available as children are developmentally ready for them. 21. Music/movement Music and movement are valuable means of learning. Children need a supportive environment that includes a teacher and a variety of tools to encourage their self-expression through music and related activities. 22. Blocks Block play, with a variety of blocks and accessories, allows children the opportunity to explore spatial, mathematical, and role-play possibilities.Powerful block play requires sufficient space in a protected area and time to expand on concepts and ideas. 23. Sand/water Sand and water play gives children the opportunity to learn concepts through active exploration with their senses. The addition of interesting props extends the learning potential offered through sensory play. 24. Dramatic play Dramatic play gives children the opportunity to discover an array of roles and responsibilities. It provides a vehicle through which they make sense of their world. Dramatic play is enhanced by space, time, props, materials, and supportive teachers.25. Nature/science Science and nature activities and materials foster curiosity and experimentation benefiting the young learner through direct experience and application to other areas of learning. Concept and observation skills are strengthened through science procedures. 26. Math/number Math skills, when introduced through appropriate hands-on methods, form a foundation for school readiness and later academic success. Math skills can be taught effectively through routines, schedule, and play activities. 27. Use of TV, video, and/or computerTV/video viewing and computer use tend to be passive in comparison to active involvement with materials and people. The use of each should be confined to subject material that is age-appropriate and mentally stimulating. Time limits encourage more active learning. Participation should not be required. 28. Promoting acceptance of diversity Children need to be exposed to the similarities and differences of people in positive ways through books, pictures, toys, materials, and interaction. This exposure encourages respect for others and lessens misunderstandings. Interactions29. Supervision of gross motor activities Caregivers should use gross motor activities as learning opportunities to promote positive social interactions and to encourage the development of skills and new experiences Diligent supervision of gross motor activities, whether indoors or outdoors, is critical to preventing accidents and insuring safe, active play. 30. General supervision of children (other than gross motor) During activities, caregivers must balance the level of supervision and control based upon the ages, abilities, and i ndividual needs of the children.Adequate supervision and awareness of the whole group is required for children's health and safety and in the recognition of accomplishments, which is necessary for children's emotional well-being. 31. Discipline The set-up of the environment, teacher expectations, available materials and opportunities, and daily schedule significantly impacts children's behavior in childcare. A classroom and curriculum geared toward developmentally appropriate practice will lead to generally good behavior that is the product of self-motivation rather than the result of punishment and control. 32. Staff-child interactionsCaregivers, who are nurturing and responsive, promote the development of mutual respect between children and adults. Children, who trust adults to provide for their physical, psychological, and emotional needs, develop their own sense of self-worth and self-esteem. 33. Interactions among children Because self-regulation, proper emotional expression, a nd positive social relationships are such essential skills for later schooling and life, teachers must encourage children to develop acceptable behaviors by providing a setting that encourages real opportunities for initiative taking and competence building.Providing opportunities for children to work and play together, to solve conflicts in productive ways, and to participate in group activities are ways teachers promote positive social relationships. Program Structure 34. Schedule Children thrive on having a consistent routine that provides a balance of activities designed to meet individual needs and foster physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth. Best practice promotes a daily schedule with large amounts of time for play, smooth transitions between activities, and a balance between child-initiated and teacher-directed activities. 35. Free PlayWhen children are permitted to select materials and companions, and, as far as possible, manage play independently, they practic e making decisions and having control of their world. Caregiver intervention should be in response to children's needs, an invitation, or an opportunity to expand play activities. 36. Group Time In group-care situations, the focus needs to be on meeting individual needs and guiding children as they interact in small groups. Whole group activities should be kept to a minimum and limited to gatherings that follow the interests and involvement of the children. 37. Provisions for children with disabilitiesMeeting the needs of children with disabilities requires knowledge of routine care needs, developmental levels, individual assessments, and the integration of the children in ongoing classroom activities. It also requires the involvement and establishment of a partnership between the parents and staff in setting attainable goals that will assist the child in reaching his/her full potential. Rutter, M. â€Å"Family and school influences on cognitive development,† Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 26, 683-704, 1985. Maybe little Janie can't read or count because her teacher can't teach.Or worse still, maybe the teacher doesn't know enough about English or math or history to teach the subject. Mischievous speculation? No. It happens, as a result of a historically flawed system in America of educating mostly average or below-average students to be public-school teachers. As evidence continues to pile up that American children are not learning the basics in school, critics are quick to blame the youngsters, their parents, the schools, television, or the curriculum. But increasingly, the focus has shifted to the teacher, the most vital link in the education process.Now, a four-month study at teachers colleges by The Washington Times indicates that the problem of unsatisfactory classroom learning is rooted in the early selection and education of students who say they want to be teachers. These students then are being taught by professors who differ wild ly on what teachers need to know. â€Å"Schools of education are cash cows to universities,† says Dean Edwin J. Delattre of the Boston University School of Education. â€Å"They admit and graduate students who have low levels of intellectual accomplishment, and these people are in turn visited on schoolchildren.They are well-intentioned, decent, nice people who by and large don't know what they're doing. † Mr. Delattre is one of the harshest critics of schools of education. â€Å"It would be possible in terms of the quality of their research, the significance of their research, and the quality of their instruction to give an intellectual justification for perhaps three dozen of them – certainly no more than 50,† he says. There are about 1,300 schools nationwide teaching students to be teachers. Roughly 2 1/2 million public-school teachers are responsible today for the education of 46 million children in kindergarten through high school.Although many teach ers perform well, a significant number are products of an entrenched training system that almost guarantees mediocrity in the classroom. New initiatives are under way in some of the preparatory schools and colleges, but, for the most part, the old ways and faddish new ways are still shaping the teachers of tomorrow. To become a public-school teacher, graduates have to be certified by the state. A college student must take required courses, do a stint at student teaching, and pass a series of general-knowledge examinations.The passing scores for these tests vary from state to state but tend to be fairly low. Curiously, many aspiring teachers never get in front of a classroom until their final days in college – an experience that sometimes persuades many to seek other careers. A major in education has long been considered an easy route to a college degree. Elementary education majors were especially easy to spot on any campus. They were the ones cutting out letters of the alpha bet to make posters while the English majors worried over a paper on Shakespeare's treatment of religious themes. Rigorous academic training was seldom demanded.â€Å"You just had to love kids to become a teacher,† says J. Michael Davis, dean of the School of Professional Studies at 105-year-old East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. Thirteen years ago, it was possible to graduate from East Stroudsburg with a major in elementary education without ever taking a math class, Mr. Davis recalls. Twenty years ago, some University of Maryland campuses gave short shrift to reading instruction. Serious concerns about teacher training surfaced in 1983 with the publication of â€Å"A Nation at Risk,† a landmark national report on the state of America's educational system.It found that too many teachers had poor academic records and low scores on tests of cognitive ability. Students who went into teaching programs scored below nearly all other majors on college entrance exam s, then graduated not knowing enough about the subjects they were teaching. Not much has changed in 15 years. Anyone who believes that the problem of unqualified teachers is overblown or confined to a couple of subject areas such as math and science has only to look at the experience of a New York state school district last spring when it tried to fill 35 teaching vacancies.The Connetquot district on Long Island got 758 applications in response to an advertisement. District officials decided to narrow the pool by asking applicants to take a short version of a multiple-choice reading comprehension test taken from the state's old 11th-grade Regents English exams. Just 202 applicants correctly answered at least 40 of the 50 questions. Such incidents keep teacher education in the public consciousness and on the radar screens of elected officials at the state and federal levels. Initially, state legislators turned to higher salaries to try to attract higher-caliber students.From 1981 to 1997, average salaries for public-school teachers rose from $17,209 to $38,611. That's for what is essentially a 180-day school year plus in-service days spread over nine months. Then, lawmakers linked salary increases to policies aimed at raising standards such as requiring new teachers to have more education and raising the passing scores prospective teachers must attain on standardized tests such as the National Teacher Examinations and its successor, Praxis. The teachers colleges responded with talk of â€Å"restructuring† teacher education, and some institutions actually did move to raise admissions and curriculum standards.East Stroudsburg has raised entry standards and toughened course requirements. Students still need to take 60 hours in general education, but they no longer have a smorgasbord of courses to choose from. The college recently raised the grade point average needed to get into elementary education from 2. 5 to 2. 75. In 1996, Boston University began to ta rget only teacher applicants with high SAT scores, resulting in a 17 percent drop in the inquiry pool. As a result, prospective teachers in last fall's freshman class had average SAT scores of 1,276, compared with 964 for all 85,442 self-declared education majors who took the 1997 SAT.George Mason University decided in 1989 that teachers should get a bachelor's degree first and then train to teach in a fifth-year graduate-level program. The Fairfax County school says it annually rejects half the applicants for elementary education training because they don't meet admissions standards. It takes a 2. 7 GPA to get into the University of Maryland College of Education at College Park and a 3. 0 to prepare for special education, a five-year program. â€Å"We're not getting the best and the brightest kids,† says University of Maryland Dean Willis D. Hawley. â€Å"We're getting some of the best and brightest.Some kids are really smart. What there aren't anymore are kids who are real ly dumb. † But the perception lingers, even among insiders, that a lack of academic rigor continues to plague the nation's teacher training programs. â€Å"The truth is, students get into colleges of education – particularly early-childhood education majors – because it's the easiest thing they can get into,† says John E. Stone, professor of education at East Tennessee State University and founder of the Education Consumers Clearinghouse – an Internet source for parents, taxpayers and policy-makers.â€Å"Here at ETSU, the schools of education are kind of at the bottom of the pecking order,† he says. â€Å"Students flunk out of nursing or business and come to Ed to get some kind of college degree. † Since the concept of a formalized vocational training program for teachers was established nearly 160 years ago, that training has combined lessons in subject matter with courses in methodology, or â€Å"how to teach. † The training a lso has included theories of child development and practical field experience. From the start, teaching preparation emphasized methods of teaching at the expense of the content of courses.Often the subject matter would be watered down and presented in courses tailored especially for teachers, instead of requiring teachers to take the same math, for example, that liberal arts majors were required to take. â€Å"Their focus is process, and that hasn't changed,† says C. Emily Feistritzer, who as president of the private Washington-based National Center for Education Information has conducted a number of studies of teachers and teaching. â€Å"Resistance to change is extraordinarily high at the same time there is a high level of conversation about change.† Many critics of teacher training programs argue that a solid grounding in the liberal arts with a concentration in the subject to be taught is all that is needed to teach math, science, history or English. But Mr. Hawley at Maryland's College of Education disputes that. Chances are, he argues, that a rocket scientist would make a terrible science teacher. â€Å"You have to have the ability to transfer knowledge,† he says. That ability generally has to be learned, says Dean Gary R. Galluzzo of George Mason's Graduate School of Education.He believes that only 5 percent of the population might be â€Å"born† teachers, while 65 percent have knowledge but need to learn how to impart it. Boston University recently doubled the amount of time its prospective teachers are required to spend in math class. It also requires juniors and seniors in education to take an ethics course that exposes them to the icons of Western civilization. â€Å"We try to make the fact that teachers are deeply involved in character and values formation obvious to our students,† says professor Kevin Ryan, who teaches an introductory education course.† `What is the right thing to do? ‘ is a question teachers need to ask the young. And we want them to see that America has a moral heritage. † Adds Charles L. Glenn, chairman of BU's Department of Administration, Training and Policy Studies, who teaches a course on the social and civic contexts of education: â€Å"Teachers have to be moral exemplars to students. We raise questions that are usually raised in a religious context. On what basis can you say certain behaviors are right or wrong? I don't know how you can send someone who hasn't grappled with those questions out to teach a 7-year-old.†Schools of education, reacting to social and political pressures, are perceived to be more interested in promoting equity, diversity and social justice than in transmitting knowledge. And many of the educational practices they encourage are often criticized as fads. East Stroudsburg's administrators, for example, proudly describe their teacher training program as focused on the learner and on â€Å"outcomes,† committed to â€Å"developmentally appropriate practice,† â€Å"modeling,† inclusion, and â€Å"hands-on† and cooperative learning.These are the buzzwords and the practices that permeate nearly all of the nation's teacher training institutions. â€Å"Schools of education are currently the origins of our problems, not their solution,† says E. D. Hirsch Jr. , professor of English and university professor of education and humanities at the University of Virginia. Testifying before Congress, Mr. Hirsch sharply criticized what's known as â€Å"developmentally appropriate practice† – the philosophy that a child should not be pressured to learn anything until he signals that he is ready and receptive.â€Å"The doctrine,† he said, â€Å"is drummed into almost all teachers who take early-education courses. The intention is to ensure caring treatment for young children, yet the ultimate effect of the doctrine is to cause social harm. To withhold demanding content from young children between preschool and third grade has an effect which is quite different from the one intended. It leaves advantaged children [who get knowledge at home] with boring pablum, and it condemns disadvantaged children to a permanent educational handicap that grows worse over time. â€Å"The schools that hire new teachers appreciate the increased attention college and university training programs are giving to practical experience. â€Å"Teaching colleges are getting a lot better,† says James Dallas, a Fairfax County support coach for new teachers. â€Å"They have begun to structure their programs to the needs of the school systems. † Where practical experience used to come in the senior year, it now begins at many places in the freshman year, where it can serve to weed out those who discover that life in an elementary classroom is not what they thought it would be.While there is general agreement among the deans about the value of practical exp erience, they part company on the ideal program to train elementary teachers. Mr. Galluzzo of George Mason would opt for a solid general education foundation in an undergraduate or graduate program. â€Å"You should be required to take a liberal arts major of about 80 [semester hours] or two-thirds of the college experience for general education plus major combined.Then you should study the four core disciplines – math, science, history and English – roughly 15 credits each. Spend the other 20 hours getting smart in one of these areas. And in the undergraduate program, the other 40 credits are in learning to teach those things, because now you have something to say. † In many programs, a lot of the basic discipline has to be taught in the methodology classes because the prospective teachers don't know enough math or science to stand up in front of a class and teach, he says.One of his concerns is that too many future teachers take a concentration in psychology i nstead of English, math, science or history, thinking it will help them understand children. In fact, psychology is a subject they will never teach in elementary school. â€Å"What does it mean to know your subject? † asks Maryland's Mr. Hawley, whose background is in the liberal arts and political science. â€Å"You probably don't need to understand quadratic equations to teach fourth-grade math, but you ought to understand algebra and calculus. â€Å"