A1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A1 - Assignment Example Industry events show that Pepsi has always shown a slight edge over Coca Cola on the basis of profitability growth. As stated by Thomas, this resulted from Pepsi’s activities in witnessing indomitable share repurchase as compared to Coca Cola. Both companies witness almost same annual growth rate because of their ability to maintain their shareholders value through strategy of strengthening their dividend. This is in form of the company’s earning, which helped in attracting investors consequently increasing the demand The TIE (times interest earned) and debt to assets ratio show Coca Cola has the best financial condition. Risk for Coca Cola’s failure to payout interest is much lower than Pepsi’s. Dividend payout ratios, dividend per share and dividend yield suggest that investors of Coca Cola have greater proposition of revenue from dividends. Larger dividends also reflect a healthy financial condition of company. This means that Coca Cola is likely to take up on projects, which needs funding as compared to its competitors. The global financial crisis witnessed might have brought the realized little earning per share registered by the companies in

Profit And Loss As Index Of Company Success Assignment - 12

Profit And Loss As Index Of Company Success - Assignment Example The business had total expenditure of $20,756 which includes non-cash expenses of $175 for depreciation on equipment. Although depreciation does not involve the movement of funds it represents a charge for the use of the asset. This charge should not be deducted for income tax purposes. However, the charge is reflective of the use of the asset in the company. The charge was calculated for two months based on a 5-year straight-line method of depreciation. It is expected that the useful life of equipment which includes a computer, fax machine and a copy straight-line longer than 5 years. The Internal Revenue Service (2012) indicates that businesses must prorate depreciation deduction based on the months in use. The items of equipment were in use for 2 months and so the charge in the accounts is based on this fact. Other expenses of note include bad debt expense which includes write-offs as well as provisions made for debts that may not be collected. The two bills representing a total o f approximately $11,000 and due from Delta Company is not collectible since the company is bankrupt. A total of 25% of the debt of $8000 (that is $2,000) due from Baker Company for consultancy fees and $763.86 for reimbursable are also not considered to be recoverable based on previous experience with the client. Additionally, $432.78 for costs may not be recovered from Charlie Company. These amounts have been included as a provision for doubtful debts and included in Bad debt expense. The total amount of bad and doubtful debts expensed represents 40 per cent of income. The company made a net profit of $15,686 which represents 41 per cent of total income. Depreciation of $175 will be added back to the net profit figure. Income tax has not been accounted for since the proprietor’s will include this profit when filing his personal income tax returns. This will be filed on the appropriate form for business proprietors.

The Challenges Of The Twenty First Century Education Essay

The Challenges Of The Twenty First Century Education Essay Introduction This chapter reviews the relevant literature used in this study in a thematic and systematic manner. It begins with reviewing texts related to the contemporary local and global challenges. It then discusses the national goals of education in Kenya relating them to the demands of the 21st century. Teacher education in Kenya is then reviewed and finally the system of education in Kenya is examined. 2.2.0 The challenges of the twenty first century The 21st Century has been conceived as: The age of Globalization, the age of Knowledge Economy, and the Information age. Globalization refers to the contemporary social reality, which is characterized by change, uncertainty, unpredictability, complexity, interdependence and diversity. According to Giddens (1990) and Albrow (1994), it refers to the process by which human relations are increasingly being intensified. As a result, economic, political, cultural and social distinctions are becoming less and less inhibitive. Advancement, especially in the information and telecommunication sectors has compressed time and space and the world is gradually becoming a borderless forum for human interaction popularly known as the global village. The educational challenges in a globalized world include: ensuring that learners acquire the technological skills that enable them to access the global information and telecommunication networks, transforming learner attitudes and dispositions to enable them adapt to change and uncertainty, fostering character traits in learners that make them functional in a cross-cultural and democratic setting. Such traits include open-mindedness, tolerance and intellectual autonomy, enhancing learners capacity and attitude to think critically and creatively. Knowledge has become the most important factor in economic development in a globalized world, hence the use of the term Knowledge economy to refer to the contemporary global economy. Consequently, the ability of a society to produce, select, adapt, commercialise, and use knowledge is critical for sustained economic growth and improved living standards (World Bank, 2002). Education needs to go beyond merely informing learners. Learners have to be enabled to learn on their own, make sense of and apply knowledge innovatively. Learners, therefore, need to take charge of their thinking and direct it towards solving problems as wells as formulating and pursuing desired goals. Information and telecommunication technologies that facilitate and support knowledge-based activities have become extremely useful. Information has become easily accessible with the use of the internet hence the use of the term information age to refer to the 21st century. Merely consuming information uncritically is dangerous in a globalized age. Education should therefore enable learners to select, interrogate, evaluate and utilize information efficiently. 2.2.1 The global challenges According to Haag (1982) education systems in the world have expanded quantitatively rather than qualitatively making them unable to address current social problems. Although a lot of resources have been devoted to education, it appears like the systems of education have been ineffective in addressing social ills like inequality, intolerance, resistance to change, crime and violation of human rights among others. These social ills manifest themselves in rising levels of poverty, ethnic and racial conflicts and violation of human rights in many parts of the world. Ward and McCotter (2004) argue that developing thinking skills in educational institutions, though necessary, is inhibited by inappropriate teaching methods used by teachers, ineffective evaluation procedures and rigorous overload of the curriculum. Other negative factors include ineffective educational policies that emphasize content and structure of education while neglecting quality and process of education. Jelinek (1978 ) refers to the dominant expository methods of instruction as didacticism in which it is assumed that education is an act of depositing knowledge into learners who are mere depositories. The process of instruction is lifeless, petrified, motionless, static and compartmentalised and thus strange to the experience of the learners. The approach is irrelevant to reconstruction of the experience of the learners since they are considered to know nothing. Ultimately the approach tends to turn humans into automatons and therefore negates their dignity and abilities as human beings. Without development of thinking skills, graduates from educational institutions are observed to be limited in analytical, creative and innovative abilities that are essential in the modern knowledge based world of work. Leat (1999) blames inability of education systems to address contemporary challenges on faulty academic cultures and traditions. For instance, attainment of good grades and certificates using whatever means is valued as opposed to transformation of learners into effective agents of change in society. Unhealthy competition among learners is tolerated instead of developing the culture of cooperation and mutual responsibility. Rigid adherence to existing academic cultures inhibits ability to respond to change. Unhealthy competition among learners promotes antagonism and undermines team spirit. According to Perkins (1990) the culture in most educational institutions is characterized by minimal informative feedback and emphasis on traditional ways of doing things. This diminishes the exercise of individual initiative and choice. Consequently learners are denied an opportunity to develop essential characteristic of democratic citizenship. Such characteristics include respect for dialogue, freedom of expression and self-determination through individual choice. Barrow et al. (2006) reports that a study done in India revealed that the main challenges facing teacher education include meeting childrens specific learning needs, respecting students cultural and socio-economic context and involving parents and communities in school activities. The teachers therefore require interpersonal and counseling skills that can enable them to empathetically discern the learning needs of pupils. The teachers also need to be able to deal with diversity of learners and forge school-community collaboration. Douglass (2006) perceives preparation of employable graduates as the main challenge of education in the 21st century. According to him, emphasis on employability has led to other challenges. For instance, there are sharp divisions between scientific-technological academic disciplines on the one hand and social science and humanities on the other. He argues that there is an overemphasis on the value of scientific-technological disciplines leading to bifurcat ion of knowledge. According to NCCPPE(2008), the main challenges that education must confront in the world today include: conservation of the environment and sustainability of natural resources; the provision of health care; renewal of economic vitality; coping with change through learning; promoting core human values like justice, peace and equity and protecting human rights. This study endeavoured to find out the extent to which global challenges mentioned above impact on Kenya. It further sought to establish whether and how the system of PTE in Kenya was responsive to them. The study also designed a framework by which the challenges can be classified for effective examination. For instance, the following categories of challenges among others were be included in the framework: cognitive, cultural, political, social, emotional, economic, ethical, technological, and religious. Cognitive challenges include obstacles that hinder effective thinking. Such obstacles render learners incapable of analytical, evaluative and creative thinking. Such learners merely copy and reproduce the ideas of other people without being sensitive to context. Cultural challenges include stereotypes and prejudices that are embodied in traditions and norms of particular social groups. These traditions are passed on from one generation to another without critical scrutiny. In additio n cultural beliefs and practices tend to be ethnocentric. As such they promote conflicts and misunderstanding among social groups. Political challenges include ideologies and policies that are designed to facilitate acquisition and maintenance of political power. Often such ideologies are propagated in a competitive way without regard to sufficient analysis, evaluation and fair-mindedness. Social challenges include the need to accommodate diversity in the contemporary setting that is increasingly becoming multicultural. There is need for tolerance, open-mindedness and humility in interpersonal interactions. Emotional challenges have to do with inability to understand and deal with ones own feeling as well as the feelings of others. This is especially so in a social context that is dynamic, uncertain and stressful. Economic challenges include scarcity of resources and controversial methods of distributing the resources. These challenges are compounded by the increasing needs and wants characterised by the consumerist lifestyles. Ethical challenges arise from disagreements on principles of right and wrong leading to ethical relativism. Such relativism makes moral values difficult to apply across board leading to ethical confusion. Technological challenges include inability to control and manage the use of technology in a way that benefits society without endangering wellbeing. Such challenges include checking abuse of the internet, regulating the mass media and ensuring that nuclear technology does not get into the hands of terrorists. Religious challenges include animosity among different faiths that sometimes expresses itself in overt violent practices. Religious fanatics often engage in breach of human rights and criminal activities in the name of God. All these challenges cannot be effectively addressed unless education empowers the learners and society at large to think for themselves, analyse and evaluate issues, question beliefs and claims as well as develop the ability to creatively solve problems. 2.2.2 The challenges in Africa Assie-Lumumba (2006) perceives the debt burden, ethnic violence, armed conflicts and the scourge of HIV and AIDS as the most visible challenges that impact education in Africa. What is needed is an education system that can empower Africans to participate in the production and application of knowledge relevant in addressing these challenges and promote broad societal advancement. In Ghana, the need to develop thinking skills among learners has been recognized as a viable way of addressing contemporary challenges facing Africa. However in practice, the development of such skills has not been given adequate attention (Acheampong, 2001; Hill, 2000). There exists a mismatch between the professed value of thinking skills in education and actual efforts to develop such skills in teacher training institutions. According to Owu-Ewie (2007), classroom environment in many educational institutions in Ghana inhibit thinking in students. The teachers have been observed to be autocratic and rigid in imposing their views on students. The opinions of students are disrespected and discarded thus discouraging learner participation, curiosity and creativity. Teachers make poor use of questioning and motivation and use the lecture method predominantly. The education system fosters rote learning, drilling and exam orientation. Such a system does not facilitate a healthy teacher-learner interaction. According to Barrow et al (2006), studies done in Namibia and Nigeria reveal additional challenges facing education in Africa. In Namibia, although educational policies are strongly based on active learning and learner-centered theoretical foundation, in practice, these lofty theories are not effectively implemented. The educational policies are poorly understood, interpreted and executed. The study findings support school-based teacher professional development programs, associated with whole-school improvement programs, as very promising ways of increasing understanding and effective implementation of active-learning policies. In Nigeria, religious tensions and economic empowerment are the challenges that education needs to address. Teachers have therefore to be empowered to facilitate inter-faith harmony, creativity and self-reliance among learners. In Ethiopia, poor quality of education, insufficient financing, lack of equity and poor management are the key challenges facing educa tion (Ethiopian National Agency for UNESCO, 2001). Consequently, the ongoing educational reform encompasses every aspect of the educational system- the curricula, teacher training, educational inputs, educational finance, organization and management, structure of education, career structure of teachers, and evaluation. The reform is aimed at total restructuring of the educational system. This study examined the challenges above and related them to those in Kenya and the rest of the world. It also compared the strategies employed to address the challenges with a view to reconstructing a more responsive approach to the challenges relevant to PTE in Kenya. 2.2.3 The challenges in Kenya In Kenya, some of the 21st century challenges are HIV AIDS, gender awareness, and sensitivity to human rights (K.I.E., 2004a and 2004b). Others include poverty, crime, drug abuse, and unemployment. These challenges require that education empowers the learner to reflect and respond to them pro-actively. While informing the learners about these problems is important, empowerment of the learner demands a transformation that transcends the cognitive dimension to include all other faculties of the human person. This study explored these non-cognitive dimensions such as the creative, cultural, ethical and social among others. According to RCE (2007), sustainable development in Kenya (as in any other country) is complex since it encompasses social issues such as peace and security, human rights, gender equality, cultural diversity and intercultural understanding. Other issues include poor governance, corruption, increased incidences of diseases, erosion of cultural values and morals, among others. The economic issues include corporate social responsibility and accountability, ethical marketing, increasing levels of poverty and the widening gap between rich and poor. The other issues include trends of unsustainable production and consumption leading to inefficiency and wastefulness, poor enforcement of policies and regulations governing production and marketing. Environmental challenges include the energy, nutritional and other domestic needs of an expanding population, unsustainable use of natural resources (water, land), rural/urban migration, climate change, rural development, urbanization, disaster prev ention and mitigation concerns. This study examines the extent to which these concerns are addressed in PTE with specific reference to pedagogical approaches employed. Abagi and Odipo (1997) argue that the operation of primary education system in Kenya faces the problem of inefficiency. Low completion rates and national pupil-teacher ratio make inefficiency evident. In addition, teaching-learning time was found not to be utilized efficiently in primary schools. The factors that may be responsible for inefficiencies include: ineffective education policies and management processes, misallocation of resources to various educational levels; school based factors such as teachers attitudes, time utilization, school environment; and household based factors such as poverty. The inefficiencies identified above lead one to question the quality and relevance of education in Kenya. While Abagi and Odipo (1997) discuss inefficiency from the point of view of mismatch between resource inputs and desired output in terms of qualified graduates able to contribute to national development, this study explored another dimension of inefficiency which involves discrepanc y between pedagogical approaches and the achievement of educational goals and objectives. The focus therefore was on the process of teaching and learning in addition to other material resources employed to pursue the achievement of educational goals and objectives. 2.3.0 Global responsiveness to contemporary issues Shah, (1997) discusses the implications of globalization in the 21st century which include information revolution, dynamic demand of relevant skills, uncertainty of a borderless world economy, and intense competition among others. He suggests that responsiveness to this reality demands a paradigm shift in the management of human relationships in all spheres of life. Although he takes a political perspective and dwells on how a shift in modes of governance needs to be effected, this study adapts Shahs ideas to a globalized educational context. For instance the shift from management to leadership in political governance can be equated to the shift from authoritarian teaching to facilitative teaching in education. In both cases, control (of citizens/learners by politicians/teachers) is discouraged while participation, consultation and involvement by all parties is encouraged. This change is so fundamental that Shah refers to it as a cultural transformation. He describes it as follows: The culture of governance is also slowing changing from a bureaucratic to a participatory mode of operation; from command and control to accountability for results; from being internally dependent to being competitive and innovative; from being closed and slow to being open and quick; and from that of intolerance from risk to allowing freedom to fail or succeed (Shah, 1997) While responsiveness as described above is desirable and even necessary in the world today, it is not easy to accomplish. In developing countries for instance, the reform of the public sector has been attempted in many countries without tangible results. Shah (1997) regards attempts to reform the public sector in many developing countries as an illusion or dream. The command and control orientation is so entrenched that developing a client orientation that emphasizes collaboration and service is difficult to achieve. Consequently human relationships are devoid of a sense of responsibility and mutual respect. Relating these ideas to primary teacher education, responsiveness would mean enabling learners to be self-reliant and self-disciplined as well as actively engaging both teachers and learners as partners in the learning process. Leithwood et al (1994) assert that modern education systems have to address broader and complex goals, use a diversity of forms of instruction and strategies for learning to cater for diverse clientele as opposed to the traditional youthful learners. In addition, educational institutions will need technical resources to facilitate independent decision making and collaboration with other agencies. Future institutions of education will need greater decentralization of authority, empowerment of staff, and increased accountability to the stake holders they serve. Much effort will be employed to review the content of the curriculum and the process of instruction in order to enhance learning as well as forge useful links between the educational institutions and their environment. Specifically the following responses will be needed: provision of higher order thinking skills like analysis, evaluation and creativity. use of flexible client-centred forms of instruction and willingness to collaborate with other educational agencies. Addressing of cultural, religious and ethnic diversity and tensions and Increasing respect for the rights of individual, ability, race, age, sex etc which enhances equity as an education goal as well as equal access to knowledge. Beyer (1997) asserts that the best way to respond to contemporary challenges is to empower learners to learn. This implies facilitation of efficient and effective thinking. Such learning involves careful development of learner inclinations as well as their abilities to think skilfully. Barrow et al. (2006) reports that a research carried out in India suggest that one way of facilitating responsiveness among learners is to create a learning environment in which children are motivated to participate actively and are encouraged to think beyond their own context. This concurs with Beamons (1997) and Beyers (1997) view that the classroom environment should be motivating and provide opportunities for learners to use their cognitive and creative abilities. In order to develop the thinking skills of learners, the teachers need to use cognitive instruction approaches and learner-centred strategies which stimulate thinking. This study explored such approaches and strategies and endeavoured to find out whether they were being used in PTE in Kenya. Kea et al. (2006) recommend multicultural teacher education preparation as a viable way of promoting responsiveness to the challenges of the 21st century. Teachers who have learned culturally responsive pedagogy are believed to be more confident and effective in instructing children from diverse social, cultural, religious and economic backgrounds. Culturally responsive pedagogy involves adapting the content of instruction and teaching styles, curriculum, methodology, and instructional materials responsive to students values and cultural norms. Thus, the ultimate challenge for teacher educators is to prepare reflective practitioners who can connect, commit, and practice an ethos of care with diverse students and their families. According to Douglass (2006), responsiveness to contemporary challenges requires cross-cultural and human rights education. Governments should ensure that their primary and secondary educational systems provide for a balance and integration of national history and identity formation with knowledge of other cultures, religions, and regions. Educational approaches should be suitable for transforming the values of young people, their perceptions and knowledge about other civilizations, cultures and peoples across all regions. Critical thinking should be promoted in order to enhance fair-mindedness and objectivity in a world where information is being generated and disseminated at an amazing rate. Critical thinking is essential for analysing, evaluating and applying information. It is useful in combating misperceptions, prejudices, inaccuracies and outright lies among others. Critical thinking enhances the learners ability to separate fact from opinion, to evaluate information for bias, to construct and deconstruct meaning logically and relevantly. Such skills are important for promoting tolerance, mutual respect and responsible citizenship. This study examines the responsive approaches discussed above in the light of the Kenyan context. It aims at developing and recommending a comprehensive proposal of responsive pedagogies for teacher education that are suitable for addressing contemporary issues in Kenya. According to NCPPHE (2008) the most important educational goal is to facilitate learning by students and the society in general and thus create a learning society. In such a society, learning is a way of life and is therefore life-long. Optimized learning is that which helps strengthen democratic and civic institutions in the nation. This concept of learning extends beyond the education of students in classrooms to include educations impact on societal organizations, businesses, corporations, and cultures. This view is also adopted by Partnership for the 21st century (2004), which is a conglomeration of public and private partnership focusing on improving education in the 21st century. The partnership reached out to hundreds of educators, business leaders and employers to determine a vision for learning in the 21st century, to reach a consensus on the definition of 21st century skills, knowledge and expertise which will enable learners to thrive in contemporary world. This work endea voured to bridge the gap between the knowledge and skills most students learn today in school and the knowledge and skills required in the 21st century communities and workplaces. The critical knowledge and skills identified by Partnership for the 21st century (2004) are learning and innovation skills (creativity and innovation, Critical thinking and problem solving, communication and collaboration), information, media and technology skills (information literacy, media literacy and ICT literacy) as well as life and career skills (flexibility and adaptability, initiative and self-direction, social and cross-cultural skills, productivity and accountability, leadership and responsibility). The partnership also identified interdisciplinary themes which summarises the content that students should learn in the 21st century. These themes include global awareness, civic literacy, health literacy and financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy. This study used these themes, knowledge and skills to evaluate the success of teacher education in Kenya in equipping primary school teachers to prepare pupils for the demands of the 21st century. 2.3.1 Responsiveness to contemporary issues in Africa According to Barrow et al. (2006) research carried out in Nigeria indicated that responsive approaches in education in Africa should aim at fostering moral values such as patience, tolerance, friendliness, compassion, empathy and fair-mindedness. In addition teaching methods and strategies should create and sustain a stimulating learning environment. Teachers need to use a variety of teaching methods to reach students at different levels of ability. In Namibia, the research recommended teachers reflection on their practice in order to seek way of improving teaching and learning. Learner-centred teaching, variation of teaching methods and strategies and positive teacher attributes like kindness and courtesy were also argued to contribute to responsiveness to contemporary issues in education. Ethiopian National Agency for UNESCO (2001) describes responsive education from the Ethiopian perspective as characterized by access to basic education for all, production of responsible citizens who can solve problems and cooperate with others in productive socio-economic activities. Other characteristics of responsive education include equity, community participation in education, and suitability of academic disciplines to the needs of the country. Quality and quantity need to accompany each other in educational matters; for instance, new educational institutions should be established and the existing ones strengthened in order to produce professionals at a quantity and quality levels that match the requirements of the country. 2.3.2 Responsiveness to contemporary issues in Kenya In Kenya, attempts at making education responsive to contemporary issues and challenges is reflected in the various educational reports that have been generated since independence (Republic of Kenya, 1964, 1976, 1981, 1988 and 1999). This is evident in the review of the said reports below. The Ominde Report (Republic of Kenya, 1964) was the first commission of independent Kenya to address matters of education. It made a lasting contribution by articulating, among other issues, the goals of education in Kenya which are reinforced in the commission reports that followed. Among the recommendations that the report gave included that: partnership should be forged between government and regional and local authorities in the planning and administration of education; educational policy should be consciously directed towards promoting national unity; religious instruction should be handled as an academic subject on educational lines dissociated from the sectarian objectives of any religious group; primary education should provide training in the rudiments of citizenship; education should be responsive to contemporary needs and modern educational practice; education should be child-cantered and child study experts should be included as lecturers in teacher training colleges. The Ominde Report (Republic of Kenya, 1964) identified a number of issues of which the following are relevant to this study and remain relevant to the current situation in Kenya: Education in Kenya should foster as sense of nationhood and promote nationhood. The post 2007 election violence revealed the fact that nationhood and national unity have not yet been successfully achieved in Kenya(Republic of Kenya, 2008a) and education, to be relevant must develop among learners and teachers alike patriotism, tolerance and mutual social responsibility. Education should serve the people and the needs of Kenya without discrimination. It should develop in learners the traits of fair-mindedness, empathy and justice. Education should enable learners at all levels to adapt to change. This requires analytical and evaluative skills that enable one to examine ones context, identify and define problems clearly and accurately. It also requires creative skills to enable one to formulate and implement relevant solutions to problems. The teaching methods prevalent in educational institutions after independence were faulted by the Ominde Report (Republic of Kenya, 1964) because they neglected learner participation, imagination and understanding and emphasised drilling and authoritarian teaching. Little attempt was made to adapt instruction to the needs of learners. In teacher training colleges, few lecturers were well grounded on the crucial question of how children learn or fail to learn. The report appealed for a paradigm shift in teaching and learning as indicated in the following: We do not believe that the students will effectively break loose from the old bookish, rote methods until they have themselves shared in the exhilaration of autonomous learning and have discovered how much more complete is their final mastery (Republic of Kenya, 1964, p.116) Gachathi Report (Republic of Kenya, 1976) expounded on the implications of the ideology of African Socialism on education in Kenya. The Report recommended the following issues which remain relevant to the contemporary Kenyan context: Education needs to continue promoting national unity in order to address social and economic challenges facing the country; education should be a tool for removing social and regional inequalities and creating international consciousness; education should enhance adaptability and management of change; education should foster mutual responsibility and cooperation and education should develop positive attitudes and values that motivate people to serve diligently, honestly and efficiently. The Report recommended that all educational institutions should give increasing emphasis on problem-solving teaching methods that have a bearing on the real life situation of the Kenya environment. This study examines the extent to which PTE has addressed the concerns and recommendation of the Gachathi report. The Mackay Report (Republic of Kenya, 1981) was mainly concerned with the establishment of the second university in Kenya. It recommended the establishment of the 8-4-4 system of education. It reiterated the importance of the following objectives of education in Kenya: fostering national unity based on the adaptations of the rich cultural heritage of the Kenyan people; facilitation of the needs of national development; development of skills, knowledge attitudes, talents and personalities of learners; fostering positive international consciousness and promotion of social justice and morality. The Report observed that formal education had tended to concentrate on imparting knowledge for the sake of passing examinations instead of facilitating problem solving. Kamunge Report (Republic of Kenya, 1988) addressed education and manpower training for the rapidly changing Kenyan society. It recommended

Child Development :: essays research papers

How To Prepare For The Birth Of A Child   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all Don’t be doing stuff that would make you at the risk for being pregnant, consider all alternatives, such as delivery, abortions, and adoption, and make a decision. If you decide to carry the child full term, continue on to the following step Make sure you have the means to pay for the options you choose. You will either need a very rich husband, or medical insurance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Vitamins, are very important take some every morning until the end of your pregnancy. If they make you puke, try taking them at a different time of the day. If they still make you sick, call your doctor. Your doctors will tell you to switch to a multi-vitamin from the store. If these changes do not work, you will need to change your diet to make sure you are receive all the vitamins you need.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prepare yourself emotionally. You need to change your personal habits and lifestyle based on the knowledge that your unborn child is defenseless, and needs to be placed as first priority. Smoking, drinking alcohol, taking drugs, consuming excessive amounts of caffine, and other such habits should be stopped, or your baby ends up as a crack addict. You need to realize that soon you will not have the body of a supermodel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Start a journals to your child. This increase the bond between a mother and child. This will help you realize more rapid that there is an actual human being growing inside you. Write about important events that are happening during your pregnancy. This may be useful later in the childs life. Tell your baby what it feels like when you lay in bed waiting to count it’s fingers and toes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Take care of your body. Eat health foods and drink a lot of fluids.Drinking milk is a wonderful source of calcium. If you are experiencing morning sickness, start eating small healthy meals frequently, instead of three large meals every day. An empty stomach adds to the nausea. Avoid greasy foods, and foods that may give you heartburn. Heartburn is very common with pregnancy. Elevate your legs higher than the level of your heart as much as you can throughout the day, balanced with time spent walking around. Exorcise regularly. Do not over exert yourself, but try stretching and strengthening your leg and mid-body muscles.

Reflective Paper: Quality Systems, Control and Motivation Essay

Identify functional and dysfunctional control systems within your own organization. Dell believes that an effective strategy for improving quality and that it has achieved results in their organizations. The enterprise faces several issues on the road to long-term continuous improvement. This list of causes provides a checklist of organizational barriers which represent ongoing quality struggles for many quality organizations. This list can be broken down into three categories of quality problems: People problems which cover individuals not performing their jobs effectively, communication breakdowns, lack of teamwork/conflict, poorly trained workers and lack of worker input and commitment. Management problems which include improper supervision, conflicting/unrealistic goals, poor planning and organizing, lack of resources, and lack of top management support. Quality system problems which encompass ineffective corrective action procedures, people not aware that quality problems exist (ineffective feedback mechanisms), ineffective measurement procedures, unrealistic quality standards, and technology/equipment problems (Longenecker & Scazzero, 1993). I believe that taken together, long-term quality improvement efforts must address specific people, management and system problems that either develop or persist over time. In reviewing the specific examples of ongoing quality problems presented in the study, it is interesting to note the almost total absence of technical problems. Deming has observed that technical problems are often relatively easier to address where quality is concerned (Deming, 1984). The majority of problems are softer in nature: people and managerial factors. This supports the widely-held view that people and managerial issues are the key to long-term quality improvement and that these issues require an ongoing adjustment (alignment) in an organization’s overall operating culture and management practice. Interpret criteria for developing and evaluating control systems. In reviewing managerial perceptions of quality control and systems of Dell, a number of rather interesting paradoxes and contrasts emerge. First, managers strongly believe that TQM efforts improves quality, yet their organizations are not so likely to implement quality principles fully into their overall management philosophy and strategy. Second, while there are tools such as TQM that are perceived as effective in improving quality, enthusiasm and support for the process diminish with time. Third, while most managers admit that there is still room for improvement and that ongoing quality problems exist, I feel that Dell is less than completely focused on dealing with long-term quality problems. These factors are issues which all quality organizations must strive to address on a long-term basis and organizations would be well-served to consider the following lessons in the development and evaluation of quality control systems: The conduct an organizational audit of the current qualty system. Maturing quality organizations are well served to survey management personnel on the issues identified in their respective organisations to evaluate their present perception of the organization’s quality processes and the consequences of these perceptions. Dell managers should be surveyed first to assess their belief in the quality process and willingness to support this effort in both word and deed. Workers should then be surveyed to elicit their perceptions and input of the organization’s quality process to determining their support and confidence in the system. Such an audit permits the firm a chance to determine its status along the quality continuum and provides input on what procedure the firm must undertake to move forward in the quality system maturation process. The feedback garnered from this process can be an invaluable source of information and impetus for change. Dell management support/action is critical to long-term quality improvement. It is a well-documented fact that management support is needed to get any quality effort started. What is not always apparent is the necessity of the continued involvement and support managers must demonstrate to keep quality efforts viable. To this end, top management must make continuous improvement an ongoing priority for managers throughout the organization. Managers’ roles and duties must be specified with continuous improvement as part and parcel of every manager’s job description. Involvement in correction action teams, providing leadership on defining and refining quality standards, providing the resources necessary for improvement, developing and implementing feedback mechanisms and coaching are all critical elements of a manager’s job as a quality leader. Managers must be selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and rewarded on their ability to foster continuous improvement in their areas of responsibility within the organization. Without this focus, managers’ enthusiasm and support for quality will weaken over time creating less than positive role models for the rest of the organization. Remember that people are the key to long-term improvement. Technical problems are dealt with early on in the quality process, overall. Based on Longenecker & Scazzero’s (1993) study, it is   suggested that long-term improvement is built on systematically considering the â€Å"human side of quality†. Towards this goal, employees across levels are required to be aptly led by their superiors. In addition,   employees need to be properly trained to perform their jobs, need to develop effective problem-solving/conflict-resolution skills, need effective communication skills, and to be taught how to function in team oriented cultures. Moreover, employee input must be systematically tapped by managers on issues which affect both continuous improvement and the workplace. Feedback and coaching for the individual is paramount for overall Dell quality efforts to progress. In summary, practice and research indicate that workers are the critical ingredients in long-term quality improvement and that they respond favourably when given proper support and leadership. The human component cannot be shrugged off or neglected without negative outcomes. Dell quality systems must continuously improve TQM. Once an efficient improvement system is established within an organization, quality will be improved. Yet, even the most effective systems must undergo transition and mature with the dynamic demands associated and with changing organizational needs. This indicates that systematic approaches to long-term quality improvement must be occasionally critiqued and feedback provided to improve quality improvement systems. Towards this objective, corrective action procedures must be changed and streamlined, feedback mechanisms must be constantly assessed and enhanced, quality standards must evolve and measurement procedures must be meaningful and cost-efficient. Without adjustments, these quality systems can serve as obstacles rather than assist quality improvement and be perceived as barriers to improvement. Moreover, technical improvements must be made to operating systems to keep them viable and technologically up-to-date. If quality systems fail to practise continuous improvement, the outcomes for the firm will be both negative and ironic. At the individual level, a number of reflective queries are in order for us operating in stable and mature quality international organizations such as Dell: Am I practising continuous improvement on an ongoing basis? Am I encouraging my subordinates to practise the principles of TQM through my actions? Am I providing leadership in addressing ongoing/persistent quality problems? Am I providing leadership to improve our existing quality improvement processes? Are we using corrective action procedures in an effective and efficient manner? (Longenecker & Scazzero, 1993) These are issues that TQM managers must be reflect on a personal basis. The responses to these questions are crucial and represent an authentic evaluation of a firm’s leadership commitment to long-term continuous improvement. In conclusion, TQM systems were believed to be effective by practising managers in this global research. And yet, these systems require constant support and leadership to sustain their effectiveness in the long term. Moreover, literature indicate that it is worthwhile to assess the perceptions of practising managers to identify the status and needs for an ongoing TQM process. We can learn that while achieving long-term quality improvement is a noble goal, a host of barriers exist that threaten this process. Without a commitment to eliminate these barriers, and to the practice of TQM, quality improvement for international organisations is threatened. The outcome is a quality improvement process hoped for by competitors that will lose its effectiveness through time. Hard earned quality gains can be futile without constant persisitence and diligence from all organizational members. It is for this reason that quality will always be a strategic tool in the global marketplace because the quality achievements of yesterday mean little to our competitors and customers. Analyze and illustrate the essentials of quality management and the techniques that are associated with it One manager has shared his lament on the practice of total quality management, as follows: â€Å"The problem isn’t that we don’t know what to do but rather that we struggle to do what we know we should do on a daily basis where our quality improvement process is concerned †¦ and we’ve been at TQM for over six years already† (Longenecker & Scazzero, 1993). The exercise of total quality management TQM) as a strategy for gaining competitive advantage has been adopted by an increasing number of international organisations, and has somehow evolved to become a competitive mandate. The assumption of TQM is quite apparent: quality improvement can be attained if a firm drafts a management philosophy of continuous improvement and breeds the required best practices (Juran, 1993). Gradually and patiently, majority of international organisations have been effective at the implementation of quality practices during the previous decade, with more than satisfactory outcomes. For instance, United Parcel Service, Motorola, Ford, Cadillac, Nestlà ©, Airbus, Shell, Toyota and Phillips are some of the more popular TQM achievers in the global marketplace. However, it may be worthy to note that their quality practices took substantial time and patience to conceptualise, draft, and implement. Much more so, was the time necessary for these best practices to mature and to be maintained. Quality gurus such as Deming, Juran, Scholtes and Crosby taught that organisations ought to adopt a quality improvement approach from a long-term perspective. They also gave a warning that attaining some quality improvement may somewhat lead to complacency. Moreover, they concur that obstacles to quality may include a whole host of factors, encompassing both novel and current organisationa issues (Walton, 1986). Quality experts contend that majority of quality enhancement research are inclined on concentrating on the initial start-up phase of the improvement process and is somewhat lacking on considering long-term challenges (Mann & Kehoe, 1995). Studies on organisational life cycles and organisational development has apparently illustrated that as firms grow, mature, and grow more stable, several issues are brought forth at each cycle of the phase. Certain quality gurus hold a similar perspective on the   quality improvement cycle that exists as the firm proceeds through an initial start-up, followed by a development phase at which maturity as a quality firm ensues (Harrington, 1987). The initial quality start-up phase necessitates breaking exercises the organisation has been accustomed to, and applying critical quality practices. Moreover, this phase calls for the development of an organisational framework that will allow the systematic resolution of quality issues and building credibility for the improvement process (Harrington, 1987). The TQM development phase necessitates that the firm build on initial successes, expand the degree of organization involvement, developing better â€Å"systems† to support quality improvement efforts and refining corrective action procedures. The TQM maturity phase is distinguished by TQM practices being strongly anchored on in organizational strategy and planning, management decision making, human resource practices and support systems improvement. The foundational practices of total quality management must be focused on and refined at each phase of the TQM cycle for the organization to become increasingly effective at continuous improvement. This enhanced proficiency at improving quality is imperative since quality standards and expectations are constantly increasing in the ultra-competitive global market (Gehari, 1993). Summarizing these points, firms must learn and mature on an ongoing basis to preclude quality processes from being stagnant or even becoming ineffective over time. Deming has argued that management complacency and a lack of organizational discipline can prevent improvement efforts from maturing and developing to the next level (Deming, 1982). Juran has argued that these same tendencies can cause even the best TQM systems to break down with the passage of time and changes in key personnel (Juran, 1988). Previous research has demonstrated the painstaking and labour-intensive challenges of properly implementing TQM practices (Juran, 1988). Once these practices are in place and quality begins to improve, it is easy for an organization to become complacent or lose focus several years into the quality improvement process. Deming (1982) has advocated that effective and long-term quality improvement requires the following: A belief on the part of managers that their TQM process is effective; A belief on the part of managers that there is still a need for improvement; A commitment on the part of all organizational members to practise TQM on an ongoing basis; The ability to focus on and respond to long-term quality problems; Maintaining organizational support for TQM efforts; and Integrating TQM into the organization’s management philosophy and strategy. The manager’s lament in our opening quote succinctly summarized this concern when he stated, â€Å"it isn’t that we don’t know what to do [to improve quality] but rather we struggle to do what we know we should do on a daily basis†. In my work at Dell, I need to continuously ensure that I live quality, especially since I have external customer encounters each day. This is a core facet of my job. These quality principles are vital to the successful performance of my function, and also determines the degree of quality by which I execute it. At a personal level, I strive to live quality both in my professional and personal life; that is, I am keenly aware that the outcomes in my life are determined by the quality of the decisions I make. References Deming, W.E. (1982). Quality and productivity and competitive position. Cambridge, MA: MIT. Deming, W.E. (1984). Out of the crisis. Cambridge, MA: MIT. Gehari, R.R. (1993). Quality value chain – a meta-synthesis of frontiers of quality movement. Academy of Management Executive, 7(2), 29-42. Harrington, H.J. (1987). The improvement process. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Juran, J. (1988). Juran on planning for quality. New York, NY: Free Press. Juran, J. (1993). Made in USA: a Renaissance in quality. Harvard Business Review, July-August 1993, 42-50. Longenecker, C.O., Scazzero, J.A. (1993). Total quality management from theory to practice: a case study. International Journal of Reliability & Quality Management, 10(5), 24-31. Mann, R. & Kehoe, D. (1995). Factors affecting the implementation and success of TQM. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 12 (1). Walton, M. (1986). The Deming management method. New York, NY: Perigee Books.

International law Essay

International law can be divided into two main branches; public international law and private international law. According to Corel University Law School, Legal Information Institute; public international law, oversees matters of rights between nations and citizens or subjects of other nations whereas, the latter deals with conflicts between private individuals arising out of circumstances of key importance to more than one nation. Over time the line between private and public international laws has been growing thinner with issues of private international law now linking with those of public international law. This is because the international community finds many matters of private international law of significance to them. In a nutshell, international law governs human actions and interactions at the global heights. For a long time since its inception in the 16th Century, international law consisted of policies and regulations governing interactions between nations until recently when the law was redefined to incorporate relations between states and individuals as well as relation between international institutions. International law has received its share of criticism with the emergence of a school of thought holding that it was mechanism designed by developed countries purposefully for colonization in the modern world. In his book; Imperialism, Sovereignty and the making of International Law Anghie argues that â€Å"the colonial confrontation was central to the formation of international law and, in particular, it’s founding concept, sovereignty. He goes ahead to argue that international law is a modern way of governing non-European people, that economic exploitations and cultural erosion that resulted from the same were strategically important for the discipline. Contrary to Anghie’s thinking, international law would otherwise be a benevolent undertaking had it not been demonized by powerful states to achieve 21st century colonialism. The concept of international law obviously conflicts with the fundamentals of sovereignty which also means independence. This is to say that a sovereign state should be free to run its domestic affairs free from hindrances by outside authority. The proponents of international law may have worked on the assumptions that the sovereignty of a state is not only founded on the self-governing will of its sovereign, but also on its position in relationship to several other states. This implies that if a certain country comes up with policies which are likely to affect its neighbors or other countries then its sovereignty can be subject to violation when international law intervenes. Nonetheless, the general belief is that a state should be able to do whatever it pleases within its territories. It is important to mention that sovereignty of a state means it is free to use its resources for its own prosperity without interference from outside powers. However, developed states have in many occasions meddled in the economic affairs of third world states. It is by right that a third world states control all that is within their territories without interference from developed countries. International law, through international business law paves way for exploitation of third world countries by their developed counterparts. Interdependence is a word strategically coined by developed states to cover up for their deeply buried conspiracy aimed at reaping resources from developed countries under the cover of globalisation. Hopefully, out of their own efforts, third world states may eventually grow to the level of being powerful. In the contrary, world super powers are not stupid to let third world countries grow to be as powerful as them. Because of this insecurity, they invent laws and lie to third world states that it is for the good of the world when the underpinning motive is to increase dependence by developing countries on the world powers. Even if these countries develop, they will be under control of developed states. A good example is the claim by developed countries in favor of their investors on foreign territories. The claim by capital-exporting countries is intended to limit a country’s sovereignty to impose limitations on foreign investors (Sornarajah 136). This may sound as a generous thought to open up equal playing grounds for signatories of international law. However, consider the fact that capital-exporting countries are the world superpowers hosting numerous billionaire investors just looking for places to multiply their billions. Some of these multibillion businesses are state owned corporations. With this kind of law, the world powers will establish multibillion corporations in third world territories in the pretext of privately owned investments. They will offer employment opportunities, good health facilities, education, housing, infrastructure to millions of natives of third world states. Because most third world governments are unable to offer basic needs for their populace, these international corporations will win the hearts of many in third world states. Although political rule will be retained by the hosting governments, such multibillion corporations will have unprecedented control not only over citizens whom they will have won their trust, but also over government policy decisions. By that time, third world states will be literally foreign territories of developed states. Of course a few rich individuals from developing countries will have benefited from this law and established businesses in developed countries. However, because their native governments will be lacking both economic and political powers, their activities will be highly controlled by the host governments keeping them from making any breakthroughs. This treaty might also limit a state’s ability to use domestic legal facilities on foreign investors who break the law since they will be under protection of international law. This is based on the belief that any grievance against an investor operating under international law is an injury to his native country. International law therefore was only formed with the excuse of interdependence between signatory states with the hidden purpose to reintroduce a modern style of Colonialism being witnessed today. In the modern world, economic sovereignty is paramount to any form of sovereignty. Political sovereignty in the 21st century is worthless without economic independence. It is because of this that developed countries continue to come up with selfish policies with the excuse of interdependence. For this reason most third world countries brag of political independence but when they cannot provide for their citizens, they seek shelter from the economic giants who do not offer anything without conditions. Developed countries will always do this through economic sanctions such as freezing donor aid which when implemented cripples the operations of third world states. Nye states that although the potential for benefits in interdependence exist, the potential for tragedy exists as well (179). Nye goes to the extreme to refer to the negative results of interdependence not merely as losses, which would be the opposite of benefits, but tragedy. Tragedy can also be a disaster, catastrophe or misfortune. The after effects of a disaster are usually devastating and repairing the mess requires extraordinary measures usually taking a longer period of time. The shocking thing is that whereas developing countries are obeying international law, developed countries can violate it and get away with it. Israel has been in the headlines for many years over Gaza strip conflict with Palestine’s. The attacks have led to serious violation of human rights and international law. Atrocities committed along Gaza Strip are worrying and one would wonder why Israel is being excused from war crimes trials. Up to date, the international judges still seem to be wondering if Israel has committed enough crimes to be subjected to trials. On the other hand, the United States of America reciprocated against Afghanistan after the September 11th attacks on America’s soil and many innocent lives were lost. Most worrying is human rights violations by US soldiers against war prisoners and terrorist suspects at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. In 2001, hundreds of Taliban prisoners of war were suffocated to death after they were imprisoned inside metal containers by US military in the Afghan town of Kunduz. Instead of being charged with human rights violations, the world superpower arrested Saddam Hussein and had him hanged to death for war crime charges during his regime. Meanwhile the international law is in full force in developing countries. International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a warrant of arrest against Sudan’s re-elected leader Omar alBshir over war crime related charges. Currently, the ICC is also investigating human rights violations during the 2007 post election chaos in Kenya and is expected to take in suspects by September 2010. Efforts by the ICC to arrest perpetrators of violence are all in good faith, but how about the rich countries which commit the same crimes? Whereas it will be extremely difficult for a country which has cut off itself from the rest of the world, international law deprives nations from exercising their sovereignty within their territories with respect to the locally prevailing circumstances. The international law in large part works in favor of the developed countries and does not result in the desired interdependence which will empower weak nations. Nations should be empowered to be able to independently and decisively handle their economic, political and legal activities without interference from outside forces which may not understand the prevailing circumstances. It is only when they are empowered that they will be able to have the bargaining power which is critical for interdependence at the international level.

What Makes For a Bad College Recommendation

What Makes For a Bad College Recommendation SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Generally speaking, no one is going to purposely hurt your college application and write a negative recommendation (that'd be an oxymoron). If for some reason someone feels like they can't honestly recommend you, they likely would decline or suggest someone else. That being said, there can still be bad recommendations from writers with good intentions. And admissions officers can spot them from a mile away. These letters certainly don't help your application, and they could even hurt your chances of getting accepted. Let's take a closer look at what features make for a "bad" recommendation. A Bad Letter is Lukewarm Again, I'd like to think that no one would agree to provide you with a letter of recommendation and then write damaging, critical things behind your back. This would be unethical, and a pretty mean thing to do. As long as you choose your recommenders carefully, you shouldn't have any concerns about that. The more common problem occurs if the letter writer comes off as unenthusiastic or lukewarm in her recommendation. To admissions officers who have read hundreds, if not thousands, of letters, it's pretty easy to separate the mediocre letters from the great ones. Mediocre letters might be short and generic. They might not express admiration of your academic ability or personal qualities, or express much confidence in what you'll do at college and beyond. Rather than revealing new insights into who you are, bad recommendation letters might just state facts and figures. When I was in high school, I asked a history teacher for a college recommendation. To my surprise (and disappointment), he gave me a generic letter and told me to go through and change the "he's" to "she's" to "customize" it. Needless to say, I quickly asked someone else. In this case, it would have been a good idea to seek advice from my counselor or others about which teachers take the time to write strong letters and which ones use a form letter for all their students. Admissions officers expect you to be thoughtful about who you ask for your recommendation. If you present a letter that reads as though the writer didn't have much to say or was unmotivated to recommend you, then it suggests that you either didn't put much thought into your rec letters or, worse, that this was the best recommendation you could get. If you're limited in your options for recommenders because your school has large class sizes or counselor caseloads, there are still things you can do to connect with your recommenders, like setting up meetings, writing a detailed brag sheet, or sending a supplemental recommendation. Some phrases that could come off as lukewarm include "above average" or "relatively good student." A recommender might communicate that you still have room to grow (who doesn't?), but focusing on this could also communicate that she's not too impressed with what you've done so far. This introduction is an example of a lukewarm start to a letter that doesn't sound too animated, interested, or like the writer tried to say much beyond the obvious. I'm writing to recommend Sylvia for admission to your undergraduate program. I had Sylvia in my 11th grade chemistry class. She was an above average student with an interest in science. Sylvia participated well in class and was reliable with her homework and other assignments. She performed above average throughout the year. Poor Sylvia. Her recommender didn't even say "strongly" or "highly" recommend. This introduction sounds unimpressed and unspecific. Another feature of a letter that's ineffective is that it doesn't go beyond your resume. A Bad Letter Repeats Your Resume A recommendation letter is not supposed to copy your resume. This is a common mistake of recommenders, simply listing out your grades, rank, clubs, and/or awards. Admissions officers already know all this, though. They see it in your application, or maybe you've talked about a particularly significant involvement in your personal essay. If this was all they wanted to see, then there would be no point to requiring recommendation letters. Instead, a letter should add to your story by illustrating who you are, including your values, motivations, and goals for the future. It can describe meaningful observations and interactions that give insight into your character. It adds nuance to your story, speaking to your attitude towards learning and to your personality. Plus, a strong recommendation letter shows that you've connected with your teachers and contributed to your school community. This indicates that you'll do the same once you arrive to college, a positive sign for admissions officers looking to build a dynamic and harmonious class. Here's an example of a recommendation that relies on facts and figures, but doesn't go much beyond the information that's already present in the rest of your application. Tom played football throughout all four years of high school, winning the honor of Most Valuable Player in junior year. When he wasn't practicing football, he was in Woodworking Club, which he participated in during junior and senior year. Tom has challenged himself with college prep and honors classes, earning a GPA of 3.5. He was recognized for his effort by his 10th grade English teacher, who awarded him the Best Effort certificate. Outside of school, Tom works part-time at his father's car dealership. Admissions officers should already know all this by reading Tom's Common Application. This letter just turns bullet points into full sentences. Another feature of an ineffective recommendation is that it comes off as unspecific and unsupported. About as helpful as using Apple Maps. A Bad Letter is Unspecific As discussed above, a recommendation letter should go beyond the obvious and reveal something about your commitments and character. A letter that speaks in generalities doesn't accomplish that, nor does it paint a picture of you for its readers. While it may use general adjectives to describe you, like driven or ambitious, these adjectives don't mean all that much without examples. Like a persuasive essay where you need supporting examples to prove your thesis, a recommendation letter should relate anecdotes that demonstrate something meaningful about you and provide evidence for its assertions. A bad letter might say, Abby is a hard worker. A stronger letter would say, Abby's hard work and persistence endured throughout her in depth, year long research project on the decline of the fishing industry in 19th century Gloucester. (It might go further into detail describing her long days digging through the local library's archives and how the recommender sees her conducting historical research at her college's library next year.) Without the examples to back it up, the first sentence about Abby being a hard worker doesn't explain what she works hard to accomplish or how her recommender knows this to be true. It also could be about almost anyone. If the recommendation letter does little to differentiate you from other students with similar credentials, then it hasn't done it's job. A Bad Letter Could Be About Almost Anyone That form letter I got from my history teacher wasn't just riddled with male pronouns, it also barely talked about me. It was full of generic statements about doing well in history class, working hard, and being committed to academics. All that was general, unsupported by examples, and could have been about any number of studentswho did well in history class. The truth about college admissions is that there are more qualified students than there are spots in the class, especially when it comes to highly selective schools that only let a small percentage of students in. Some may share similar academic and extracurricular profiles. They might have the same GPA, same class selection, and similar involvements in clubs and sports. That's why the recommendation letters, along with the student's own personal essay, are so important for distinguishing one student from another. Letters that are general, don't share anecdotes, and list out facts and data could be about any students that share a similar resume. They're flat, boring to read, and suggest that the teacher doesn't know anything personal about the student. Maybe the student just gave her a resume, and she turned the bulletpoints into prose. Finally, another red flag for admissions officers could be if the letter is simply too short. Not only did the recommender not have anything personal to add to the student's recommendation, but she also didn't have much to say at all. Aw. A Bad Letter is Too Short A recommendation letter should be a full page. It shouldn't usually go beyond a page, but it also shouldn't be shorter. Just having an introduction, short body paragraph, and conclusion wouldn't be sufficient. It might fulfill the application requirement, but it wouldn't look good or communicate all that much. If your letter's short, this is immediately noticeable to a reader. It suggests you didn't choose your recommender very well, she doesn't know you, and you didn't give her much material to work with. Instead of making the positive impression that a good letter of recommendation can leave, it feels lacking. Since no one wants her application dragged down by subpar recommendation letters, what can you do to avoid a bad one? Are these documents out of your hands, or do you have some say in the matter? Be proactive, be be, proactive! What to Do to Avoid a Bad Letter of Recommendation Before you even begin making requests for letters of recommendation, you should go into junior year (and high school, for that matter) with a proactive mindset. Participate in class, get to know at least one or two of your teachers well, and talk to them about your educational goals. Demonstrate your interest in a subject by taking on an independent project or joining a club of which that teacher is an advisor. If you're planning to apply to a selective school or for a certain major, showing a specific commitment like this will impress admissions officers and your future recommenders. When you're finally ready to ask, be thoughtful about who you ask. If your teacher seems hesitant at all, it's probably a good idea to thank her and then ask someone else instead. If she has reservations, that will show through in the letter. Ask early in case you need to change track, plus some teachers set quotas and have a first come, first served policy for writing letters. Give them time, at least a month, to put thought into your letter, rather than rushing through a copy so you have something to send in ahead of deadlines. As I should have done before my recommendation mistake, ask your counselor for her recommendations on who writes good letters. Seasoned teachers are often a good choice, especially if they have a reputation for helping students get into their schools of choice. If you've forged a good relationship with a relatively new teacher, it might be beneficial to share your thoughts on what could make your letter outstanding. Whether or not it's appropriate to share resources on letter writing with your recommender is a judgment call, as you wouldn't want to insult the person you're hoping will praise you. You can feel out whether it would be welcome to share guides like this one with your recommender, or whether she already has a strong sense of purpose in her letter writing. Apart from participating in class and talking to your teachers, you can also give them a detailed brag sheet. Share important information that you want them to know about you, along with specific significant experiences or challenges in your life that they could potentially speak about in their letters. Tell them what qualities and interests you're highlighting in the rest of your application, so they can complement your story without repeating too much of it. Above all, make sure your recommender is genuinely happy to help you get accepted to college and will put in the time and effort to craft a thoughtful, specific, and customized letter of recommendation. While your brag sheet can help her out a great deal, she should still have enough material and inspiration from having you in class or school to create an insightful letter of support. What's Next? Before you can invite your recommenders on the Common App, you're asked about waiving your right to access. Should you agree to this FERPA waiver? What's this question all about? Learn all about it here. If you're a teacher writing letters for your students, check out our complete guide to writing strong recommendations here. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

A busy person Essays

A busy person Essays A busy person Essay A busy person Essay Priestley places his hope in the characters of Sheila and Eric, the next and younger generation, in his play. Sheila accepted her share of responsibility for contributing to the death of Eva Smith. At Milwards, a posh clothes store, Sheila had met Eva when she was trying a dress and it didnt suit her. Eva laughed at her and Sheila didnt like her laughing. And said to the manager of Milwards, if you will not get rid of that girl, Id never go near the place again and Id persuade mother to close our account with Milwards. When she was shown the photo of Eva Smith and told by Goole of the consequences of her actions she reacted by little, cry, a half shifted sob and ran out. She felt ashamed, emotional and responsible for Evas death. We sympathize with Sheila because she learned something, in Act three, page 71 that:- It was anything but a joke. You knew it then. You begun to learn something. And now you are stopped. By the end of the play she has clearly learned her lesson, and shown that unlike her parents, she cared for others and represented a socialist outlook on life. The character of Eric changes as the play progresses. In act one we initially find him to be shy, unconfident and squiffy. He then appears to grow in confidence especially when he stood instead of his father on a number of occasions. Gooles questioning provokes and encourages Eric to confront Mr. Birling. For example in Act one, page 15 Eric accuses his father of throwing out Eva Smith of the job. He could kept her instead of throwing her out, I call it tough luck. He also complains about Evas death because of his father. The part of the play highlights the fact that despite all of the money and wealth with in the Birling family household, they are not happy together and cannot understand or respect each others point of view. This is mainly because Erics view is that of a socialist and Mr. Birlings is that of a staunch capitalist. Eric, like Sheila, accepts their share of the blame A for their behavior that contributed to the death of Eva Smith. Gerald is an interesting character in the play. In the early stages of the play we learn that he is a busy person. He was very suspicious Eric was up to. Evidence to support this opinion is found in Act one, page 9, when Gerald Croft says:- Sounds a bit fishy to me. He is in a difficult position at this engagement party and is under pressure to marry Sheila of Mr. Birling because if he do something wrong it might affect to his marriage with Sheila. It might be fair to say that Gerald had socialist tendencies because when he met Eva Smith in the stalls bar at the palace. She was half drunk and goggle eyed and had wedged herself into a corner. He helped her by giving her money and place to live. But he didnt tell the truth to Sheila and he betrayed her trust. Gerald was very nai ve because after the discovery that Goole was hoax he still believed that he and Sheila would not break their engagement. Gerald thought it easy, just like Mr and Mrs Birling, to pretend that nothing had happened and that he could simply marry Sheila after all. He had not learnt his lesson, he was thinking that nothing had happened and he could still marry Sheila. It is clear that an inspector calls is an effective piece of social criticism because it makes us question how we should try to lead our own lives. Through the character role of Goole, Priestley encourages us to behave properly and respect and care for others unlike Arthur and Sybil Birling. In the bigger picture he is really saying that society can only live together in peace and harmony if people cooperate together and work and support each other. I feel that the play was a very enjoyable theatrical experience. A play is memorable if it keeps you thinking, exciting and to learn a new message. The play had a number of cliff hangings, exciting moments, for example, in Act one, page 10 when the door bell rings and Eric says:- Somebody at the front door. Then Edna says to Mr. Birling. Please, sir, an inspectors called. Also in act three, page 53. I was riveted by Eric when he told that he was going to be a father! And the next time or the time after that she told me she thought she was going to have a baby. She wasnt quite sure. And then she was. Every Act ended with suspense. This made the audience to continue seeing the play. An Inspector Calls also had many examples of dramatic irony. This is when the full meaning of a situation or a speech is understood by the audience but not by the characters on stage. There was also considerable dramatic irony the fact that each of the Birlings and Gerald all seemingly had a part to play in Evas death without even being aware of it, until Gooles arrival. Perhaps most dramatic of all was the ending of the play when the telephone rings and after answering the telephone Mr. Birling says:- That was the police. A girl has just died on her was to the infirmary after swallowing some disinfectant. And a police Inspector is on his way here to ask some questions. This leaves the audience feeling what will happen afterwards. In conclusion, reading and understanding the play made me reflect and think carefully about my own life. The play, the characters and Priestleys message has made me think that all of our lives are connected with one another. If we do something with others it will affect us as well because in reaction they can harm us as well. On the other hand if we do good to others their will be happiness all over the world.

How to Become More Fun If You Think Youre a Boring Person

How to Become More Fun If You Think Youre a Boring Person In this post we’re going to go through a 5 step process that can quickly turn even the most boring person into a real lively individual. No kidding. We start by tackling your self-identity and then move on to your mortality and chasing fears with a big fat smile on your face. Sound fun? Yeah, that’s part of it. Let’s begin! 1. Step Outside Your Old Personal Narrative This is one of those quotes we all need to write down somewhere and look at regularly until we memorize it. If you want, just read it aloud ten times in a row and chances are you’ll never forget it (the beauty of propaganda): â€Å"I’m not what I think I am. I’m not what they think I am. I’m what I think that they think I am.† Get it? Keep reading it until you do and once that light bulb goes on above your head your life will instantly change. You’ll then realize you can be†¦anyone you choose†¦anytime you choose. Your old personal narrative is the elevator pitch you tell yourself when opportunity comes knocking that keeps you cocooned in a comfort bubble. You are not your past. You are not your future. You are right now. That’s it. That’s all you ever get at once. And, you can begin creating a new self-story as soon as you decide you’re good and ready. If it’s â€Å"I’m an incredibly fun person to be around† and you believe†¦it shall be so. 2. Add Some Spontaneity It’s pretty funny when you think about it, trying to be spontaneous. Here’s the deal, every single day of your life (when you’re not cave dwelling in your room) you’re confronted with tons of choices. Some more spontaneous than others. Those are typically the ones your old personal narrative tries to keep you away from (because they change who you are). Decide to be more spontaneous from this point forward. Decide that you’re going to become an amateur yes-man/woman and start chasing down those spontaneous leads that life keeps giving you. Sometimes just one is all you need to begin down a completely new path. 3. Remind Yourself of Your Mortality Often This always helps. Remember, you’re going to die someday. Really drink that in. Not just in a passing scared kind of way but a completely open and honest acceptance. Your life is going to end. You will one day cease to be and nothing you do or don’t do can change that fact. Period. Well, unless you opt to become a robot or something. But anyways, the next time you feel like a boring person living a boring life, remind yourself that you have a few figurative moments left to take advantage of. 4. Make Your Goals More Fun Maybe your goals are boring? Maybe your vision of the future and what you’re working towards are drab, generic and uninteresting. Not to say they aren’t awesome and great and all that, but perhaps they could use some freshening up around the rough edges? It’s hard to be a fun person when you lead a boring day to day routine. Start adding in the fun to your goals: relationships, business, education, etc. 5. Chase Your Fears Smile Even though this is step 5, these are probably two of the easiest things to understand and do. First, you chase your fears. What are you afraid of? I mean honestly. Are you afraid of success and popularity? Are you afraid of being liked by people? Are you afraid of being well-known or exposed? Once you write out this bucket list of fears, begin to chase them down (within reason, no burying yourself alive or anything). You get the idea. If you’re afraid of heights, go sky diving. Now, the second part is subtle. SMILE! Because we have no idea how we are perceived by others (see step 1), and because we have no idea what we look like while we live our lives, we really don’t take too much notice of the look on our face throughout the day. I tell you this, if you smiled 30% more for the next week you would notice an improvement immediately. Never, ever, EVER, underestimate the power of smiling. We’re drawn to it. Our minds love it. We want to smile more, whether we know it or not. Chase those fears of yours with a smile on your face, sporting fun goals, a new personal elevator pitch and a new sense of spontaneity. Cool? We’d like to hear back from you on this. What do you think?

Accounting field Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Accounting field - Essay Example rategic capability which includes a typical know-how , a set of skills , or a special insight that creates high returns and competitive advantage , fosters organizational agility that is difficult to duplicate.( Bruner, 2004,p.914). A study by McKinsey Consultants has revealed that companies can undertake non-synergic acquisition deals to their advantages. It has found that a diverse group of business organizations like Sara Lee, Thermo Electron and Clayton, Dubliner & Rice have developed astonishingly and seized continued returns of 18 % to 35% per annum by venturing into non-synergic business acquisitions. Further, a study conducted by Harvard Business School also corroborates that companies can venture into non-synergistic advantageously. Hyan (1989) revealed that about fifty percent of all acquisitions are planned to be only partially taxable or to be completely tax-free. Gonzalez et al (1998) held that more probable to be targets of acquisition by foreign companies were undervalued U.S companies. Kish and Vasconcelos (1998) viewed that a formidable relationship existed between exchange rate movements and acquisition activity. (Bruner, 2004, p107). As competitive businesses tackle globalization while attempting to remain competitive and to maintain productivity when confronted with emerging markets, they encounter demoralizing difficulties particularly when attempting to expand internationally. (Sinha , Khanna & Phalepu 2005). Acquisition has become an active strategy nowadays as it enables the fear of being taken over and corporate revitalization keeps managers on their toes. (Japanese firms 2007). (Lloyd, 2006, p1). As per various earlier empirical studies, a business acquisition helps to attain a strategic capability which includes a typical know-how, a set of skills, or a special insight that creates high returns and competitive advantage, fosters organizational agility that is difficult to duplicate. Whether the acquisitions have transformed the

Giving the definition on communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Giving the definition on communication - Essay Example At the base of this entire debate lies one phenomenon common to all humans, and that is Communication. Communication may be defined in many ways; however, in simple words, communication is the exchange of information between two or more people. (The American Heritage College Dictionary, 2010). This information may be verbal (using words), non-verbal (using gestures, postures, expressions, etc.) or a combination of both, and may consist of facts, ideas, thoughts, feelings or any other information. (Wood, 2009). For a communication to be effective, it is very necessary for it to follow all the steps of the communication process properly. Failing on any step may cause the communication to be misunderstood and hence the entire purpose would be lost. The process of communication consists of the following steps: Message: First and foremost step is to be clear of what message (thought, idea, or information) is to be communicated. (Adair, 2009). Receiver: The receiver of the message should b e identified since the message would be encoded according to his intellectual capability. Encoding: The message should be carefully put formulated using words, symbols, visuals, gestures, etc., which can be easily decoded by the receiver. (Beebe, et al, 2010). Medium: The medium of communication is extremely important and should be reliable enough to carry the message properly without distorting its actual meaning. Various media include face-to-face communication, written script, pictures and visuals, email, telephone, etc. (Roethlisberger, 1962). Decoding: when the receiver receives a message, he decodes it to interpret the meaning behind them. The more nicely the message is encoded the easier it will be for the receiver to decode it and hence its effectiveness would be high. (Tannen, 1986). Feedback: This step does not exist in one-way communication; however, it is a very crucial step in making sure if the message is communicated correctly. The receiver sends his/her response or f eedback regarding the particular message through which the sender can detect any misunderstandings and can gauge how effective was the communication. (Roethlisberger, 1962). Communication can be classified in many ways. One way to categorize communication is on the basis of the way it is done. Hence, communication may be Oral (or Verbal), Non-Verbal, Visual or Written. (Beebe, et al, 2010). Oral communication mainly utilizes spoken language otherwise known as verbal cues but addition of non-verbal cues, visuals and written statements may assist in conveying the message more effectively. (Adair, 2009). Nonverbal communication is the most complicated type of communication. It may be used alone or in combination with other types as well. It is highly influential and when used in combination with oral communication may enhance its meaning if used in the same context. (Burgoon, et al, 2009). However, if the non-verbal cues go against the literal meaning of the verbal cues, the power of n on-verbal communication can easily sublime the impact of spoken words. For example, if a person says â€Å"I am going to kill you† with gritted teeth, stiff posture, raised eyebrows and a serious expression, he is most likely determined to kill the receiver of the message. On the other hand, if a person utters the same

Group Geospatial Revolution Videos Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Group Geospatial Revolution Videos - Assignment Example Alternatively, geographical or geospatial information systems describes the different technologies, methods and processes used to enhance effectiveness and efficiency in organizations. From the foregone discussion, it is evident that organizations strive at increasing efficiency and effectiveness in their operations. This same motivation has motivated Portland City to create some technologies, methods and processes that can be used to enhance their service operation. This has been motivated by the fact that GIS systems area cost effectiveness; additionally, they improve different functions in the city, something that increases the city’s potential to attract investors. The city has employed various professionals that have been doing their best in order to ensure that the city improves its practices. The incorporation of GIS in the city’s operations has increased job opportunities for many people that have continued to enjoy the improved services in the city. For this reason, the city needs to create goals and objectives that can be helpful in the achievement of the mission and vision statements in the city. However, the goals and objectives for the city’s GIS can only be derived from its mission and vision statements. It is important to note that a vision statement refers to the future picture or impression that an organizations develops for its for its practices. In this case, the vision statement for Portland City provides the picture of the city in its future as far as GIS systems are concerned and looks as follows; â€Å"To have a city that has effective and efficient services so that city residents and other investors can enjoy the lucrative investment opportunities. The city is thus positioned to become the centre for innovations and inventions that enhance people’s social and economic functions and processes.† The mission statement

HOW DANGEROUS IS SMOKING FOR YOUR HEALTH Research Paper

HOW DANGEROUS IS SMOKING FOR YOUR HEALTH - Research Paper Example Further, it would be interesting to find out how the hot vapor containing fine particles of carbon directly and specifically affect human organs. Its implications to health would also be analyzed through the illnesses and diseases it inflicts. And finally, when people have realized the health hazards of smoking, this essay would explore ways and means to prevent and ultimately stop smoking. Historians traced the origins of smoking from the Mayan Indians of Mexico from as early as the 600 to 900 A.D. (Glantz 1) Tobacco, being the original source for a smoke, was grown as a cash crop in 1612 where the settlers of the first American colony in Jamestown, Virginia started cultivating and growing them. (Glantz 2). By 1800s, historians revealed that people started using tobaccos for various purposes such as: for chewing, smoking in a pipe, hand-rolled as a cigar or cigarette. According to Glantz, â€Å"the first commercial cigarettes were made in 1865 by Washington Duke on his 300-acre farm in Raleigh, North Carolina. His hand-rolled cigarettes were sold to soldiers at the end of the Civil War.† (Glantz 3). The invention of the cigarette making machine in 1881 by James Bonsack paved the way for the widespread production of cigarettes. His partnership with Washington Dukes son, James "Buck" Duke, initiated the establishment of the first tobacco company in the US, the American Tobacco Company. (Glantz 4) Tobacco, is first and foremost, the main ingredient in a cigarette. Tobacco is a leafy green plant widely grown in warm climates. In the planting phase alone, tobacco is already bombarded with chemicals, fertilizers and insecticides to ensure that the plant grows free from insects. In the manufacturing process, the chemicals are added for flavors and to make them combustible. Jacobs averred that â€Å"there are over 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes. 51 of them are known to be carcinogenic. A carcinogen

Annual Reports for Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Annual Reports for Organization - Essay Example Even the clarity of the information and the data presentation will be analysed through the annual reports of the concerned companies. The analysis is generally based on the annual reports because by analysing it we can come to the decision that whether the operational and financial activities are in tandem with the policies laid for the same (Weng, 2011, p.9). Difference in the approach each organization presents in its annual performance Steel industry is very popular as far as occurrences of fatal injuries are concerned in factories. Thus Arcelor Mittal has improvised the steps in the prevention of the fatalities and injuries of the workers because this also leads to increase in the LTIFR (lost time injury frequency rate). So health and safety has been the main focus in the present annual report of the company. Since the prevention measure has already been achieved by US Steel they are targeting a zero LTIFR. In the recent annual report the main focus of US Steel Corp. is the inves tments made for coke and coke substitute products which will take care of both their purpose of long-term self sufficiency as well as environmental performance. Thus both the companies’ area of focus is different from the other in the sense that while Arcelor Mittal is more concerned about the preventive measures; US Steel is concentrating towards the achievement of the environmental performance. Clarity of data presentation and information Presentation of data and information is more systematic and is clearer in Arcellor Mittal as compared to US Steel Corp. Different department of the steel industry has been bifurcated in the annual report of Arcelor Mittal and a proper explanation follows the same which can be even understood by the investors who may not have much idea about the steel industry. The data sufficiently supported by charts makes the presentation of Arcellor Mittal much more acceptable in comparison to US Steel Corp. In US Steel Corp the data though presented in tandem with the information is not easily understood by investors not having much knowledge in this field. Thus Arcellor Mittal is clearer than US Steel Corp. with respect to data presentation and information. Goals, Challenges and Plans emphasised by the organisation in their discussion The study of Arcelor Mittal gives a clear understanding regarding its goals which are, to be the safest steel and mining company in the world, to be the most preferred supplier in iron-ore and coal industry with huge customer base and long duration of contracts, strengthening linkage between company and its employees, to lead in the field of manufacturing, processing and marketing of steel and all metallurgic products. The main challenges of Arcellor Mittal is in maintaining reliable records related to safety of the employees, reviewing the cost structure of the company on a regular basis, work more closely with upstream businesses to manage stocks better in order to reduce the cyclical volatility of the company in the share market. Recruitment of right personnel for the correct designation at right time is another challenge faced by the company and lastly lack of transportation infrastructure and environmental concerns may be a debacle for the company. The plans of Arcelor Mittal to be