Week Dqs

More specifically a leader can Influence employee motivation, development of employees' knowledge and skills, shared beliefs and values, organizational structure, programs, systems, and the placement and use of resources to meet objectives (Yuk, 2010). An organizations success hinders on the managers, and how they interact with the employees. If a leader/manager cannot motivate the employees to achieve the goals set out then that means that the organization as a whole is not meeting the goals. I have worked for organizations where the managers did not have the skills to lead and it showed through the stores performance.But yet when I transferred to a different store, the managers there were more focused, had wonderful leadership skills, and outstanding communication skills and the store was #1 in the district for sales, production, and overhead reduction. Not only had that but the store had the lowest turnover rate in the trig-state area. I contribute this to the management staff and their Influence over their employees. Reference: Yuk, G. A. (2010). Leadership In organizations (7th deed. ). Upper saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. 2. What Is a significant employee behavior Issue managers confront?According to organizational behavior theories, how should It be addressed? Organizations strive to promote positive, healthy working environment for their employees and customers. However, managers are confronted with behaviors in which this concept can be extremely challenging. Behaviors that do not follow organizational policy or norms can be Identified as deviant workplace behaviors (Robbins ; Judge. 2011 Examples of deviant workplace behaviors are such: swearing, pushing chairs, yelling, or even physical aggression. Behaviors such as this can destroy team cohesion, productivity, or financial wellbeing of an organization.According to organizational behavior theories, noxious conduct such as deviant workplace behavior must be addressed. The manager is not only responsible for confronting these behaviors but is also charged with investigating the source of the discontent (Robbins ; Judge, 2011). Managers need to be cognizant of employee stress levels, intervene appropriately, and enforce a zero-tolerance for lateral violence (Stack, 2003). Battling deviant workplace behaviors Is daring for even the best manager to tackle. However, managers will need to evaluate employee workloads and ensure duties are assigned 1 OFF managers must intervene at once.Not investigating the origin cause for the poor actions will not bring resolution that is needed. Mangers can also encourage vacations, De-stressing classes, as well as encouraging employees to seek employee assistance programs (Stack, 2003). References Robbins, S. P. , ; Judge, T. A. (2011). Organizational behavior (14th deed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Stack, L. (2003, October). Employees Behaving Badly-How managers can recognize and combat employee â€Å"desk rage†. HER Magazine, 48(10), 111-116. 1 . What is the difference between managers and leaders?Is it possible to be an effective manager but not an effective leader? Provide examples. Managers want to get things done and have their subordinates perform better, compared to leaders who want to know what things mean to others, and how to get their followers to agree about what the most important things are that need to be done (Yuk,2010). I do believe that it is possible to be an effective manager while not being an effective leader. For example a person can be great at delegating what tasks need to be done, and assigning those tasks to operate efficiently.But when it comes to a manager actually having the proper communication skills necessary to be an effective leader they can be lacking. With my first management position I was more concerned about getting everything done and getting it done quick to try and impress my bosses at district that I never really took the time to get my employe es input about the tasks. I later found out that this was a big mistake, if I had taken the time and put in the extra effort to listen, and ask for their opinions I would have known that it would have been easier to do the tasks in a different order.A few of my employees had been employed at the store for almost 10 years, so they knew the shortcuts to get the store re-sets done easier and quicker. I think that to be a truly great manager you also have to be a leader. But it is possible to be an effective manager but not an effective leader, you Just won't be a great one. Reference Yuk, G. (2010). Leadership in organizations (7th deed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. 2. According to Robbins and Judge (201 1), a leader must acknowledge three primary roles as a manager.What are these management roles, and how do they affect the purpose, positions, and skills required by management? Provide an example from a current or past work experience that conveys these management rol es. Reference: Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. According to Robbins and Judge (201 1), a leader must acknowledge three primary current or past work experience that conveys these management roles. * Interpersonal roles * Informational * Decisional roles The purpose of the interpersonal role is to act as a figurehead, leader, and liaison (p. ); one that others look-up to for a sense of accomplishment or guidance as well as a networking relationship, all of which build trust. The interpersonal role will put management in the forefront of the organization and community. Skills required will include the ability to clearly communicate to others as well as effectively direct and dead subordinates. The informational role as described by Robbins & Judge (2011) carries out three objectives; to collect and distribute market information; to represent the organization.The purpose of this role is to realize customer trends and send that information back to those who can make the changes need ed to remain competitive. Again, management will need to network effectively with others to better understand changing market trends. The skills will require management to understand what tools will be needed that would deliver the best source of information. The decisional role consists of four elements; the entrepreneur role; the assistance handler; the resource locator; and the negotiator (p. 7).The entrepreneur role will allow management to use the market information that he or she has gathered to better align the organization to remain competitive. The disturbance handler puts management at the forefront of critical issues that may hinder performance. The resource locator will require management to understand what sources will be needed, including human capital, to accomplish the organization's goals. The negotiator role will require management to pull all of these resources together and to collaborate a way to be successful.

Persuasive- Pro Gay Marriage Essay

The legalization of same-sex marriage benefits both LGBT people and America as a nation. As states progressively begin to legalize same-sex marriage, it’s a convenient time to refocus attention on the many advantages associated with the pursuit and achievement of marriage equality. If same-sex marriages are legalized in Texas, not only will it benefit the state but also it will promote equality and non-discrimination in society, provide economic and business opportunities, and strengthen America’s national identity and international reputation. Millions of LGBT people contribute daily to American life in a multitude of ways culturally, socially, financially, politically, vocationally, and spiritually. They are vital to this nation’s continued growth and evolution and the U.S.A. would suffer greatly from the extraction of their many contributions. The legalization of same-sex marriage encourages the human right that everyone deserves. This promotion of equality and non-discrimination is extremely important in reducing homophobia and encouraging a minority group in society that has suffered colossal amounts of disgust that nobody deserves. â€Å"More than 1 in 5 LGBTQ students are physically harassed or assaulted because of their sexual orientation.† Children and young adults are being bullied because of whom they like; many of them cannot deal with this harassment and end up committing suicide. A large part of this nation’s future will be dead if this nonsense doesn’t quit. What more of a reason d o people need to know to see that homophobia is wicked and same-sex marriage should be permitted? It has been proven that same-sex marriage has provided a major economical boost to those states and countries that have embraced marriage equality. The marriage and wedding industry is a significant one. â€Å"Nearly $260 million was injected into the New York City economy in the year following the legalization of same-sex marriage.† It’s obvious that money-obsessed geezers that are always looking for a way to get more money out of citizens run the government. They’d be absolutely blind and useless not to acknowledge that authorizing same-sex marriages could be a win-win for both them and gay couples. America has historically presented itself as a global leader in matters of freedom and democracy. It’s unfortunate and ironic, however, that  back on home soil one particular group of people is consistently denied full access to the â€Å"American dream.† The fact that the federal government doesn’t recognize same-sex marriage in a majority of the states has damaged America’s international reputation in relation to LGBT rights. If people would stop discriminating and start embracing this way of life it would play a key role in enhancing America’s international reputation in matters of social justice and in restoring this nation’s integrity as a global leader in the competence of civil and human rights. Also, â€Å"Liberty and justice for all† would finally be believable when same-sex couples are granted equal access to laws across the country. It’s time for things to change and begin to celebrate diversity and difference in our society, rather than continuing to fear or attack it.

A note on Water Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A note on Water - Essay Example The government should ensure that the legislations governing small businesses are extremely efficient and promote the growth of SMEs instead of stifling their growth. The government should abolish restrictive policies that limit the expansion of most SMEs and put in place regulations that favor the operations of most SMEs. The small business sector is responsible for most of the new jobs created every year by creating over 50% of the total new jobs in the American economy (Zimmerer & Scarborough, 26). SMEs also contribute a significant portion of the total retail sales and consumption in the United States. This is a significant contribution to the GDP of the country, which should be encouraged by the government through enhancing the operating environment of these businesses. Many times the government ignores the contribution of small businesses to the overall economic strength of the country, especially when implementing economic reforms targeted at improving the economy. This is wha t will be highlighted throughout this paper, and suggestions will be proposed on ways to reverse the situation in favor of the small business community. Problem statement or need analysis The main problem being addressed in this paper is the glaring reality facing small businesses and the fact that the government has been ignoring these businesses in many of its economic policies. Economic policies made in recent times such as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was passed in 2009 fail to address the significant issues facing small businesses. Yet these are the same businesses creating employment opportunities for majority of the American workforce. As many large corporations in the United States have been downsizing the growth of small businesses has been expanding significantly. Currently, there are over 23 million small businesses in the United States with many more being started every day (SBA, 2007). These businesses account for over half on new jobs created every year within the United States, yet they are significantly underserved by the government, which is focused on promoting the big corporate companies. A good example of the neglect by the government of small business was during the financial crash and ensuing recession of 2009, where the government put in place programs to protect the big financial institutions from failing yet did not put any structures in place to cushion the small businesses. This is a clear indication of the government’s obsession with big businesses and their contribution to the economy, while ignoring the core foundation of the economy, which is built on small businesses. Many of the so-called big corporate companies ended up downsizing their employees and it was the small businesses that absorbed these workers as employees, whereas even some of those downsized started their own small businesses. In the early 2000s when the dot com bubble burst, most of the companies that suffered were small tech business es, which were caught up in the bubble, yet even in this occasion the government moved in to protect the investors in these stocks leaving the small business owners to suffer alone. Many of the hedge funds that had bought the dot com stocks were cushioned from the full impact of the bubble bust by the government, but this was not the case for the innovative entrepreneurs who were left with insolvent companies. However, it is important that the government switches its focus from the

Volatility is the Saudi Arabian petrochemical industry Dissertation

Volatility is the Saudi Arabian petrochemical industry - Dissertation Example In the era of growing globalization, it is important to take appropriate steps for retaining one’s position amongst international competitors. This is the reason why Saudi Arabia, like many of its peers had been contemplating measures for expanding their respective productive capacities. However, Saudi Arabia is immensely dependent upon revenues from oil for its income which helps the country to stick to its strategic plans. Given the fluctuating nature of the same, it is essential to attach some certainty in the revenue figures in order to initiate a long term plan such as expansion of oil production capacity. A possible way through which this could be accomplished is that of attracting foreign direct investment funds. The national government has put forth a high degree of effort in this aspect recently, after the concept had been popularized and successfully implemented in Egypt from 2004. Normally private institutions are found to be more interested in adopting measures for encouraging FDI given their aim of instilling a more business-friendly environment and an edge over its peers. This is not the case in an economy which is crowded by public enterprises that does not move in the line of profit, which is why no such innovations had been entertained in Saudi Arabia. However, the national government having recently realized its mistake and has submitted to adopting measures for improving its productivity potential (New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, 2011). ). These statistics definitely speak out for the popularity.... Comparison between markets Returns and Stock Returns of Advanced Petrochemical Company 40 4.1.2 Alujain Corporation 40 Chart 2. Comparison between Market Returns and Stock Returns of Alujain Petrochemicals 41 4.1.3 Methanol Chemicals Limited 41 Chart 3. Comparison between Market Returns and Stock Returns of Methanol Chemical Company 42 4.1.4 Nama Chemicals Company 43 Chart 4. Comparison between Stock Returns of Nama Chemicals Company and Market Returns 43 4.1.5 National Industrialization Company 44 Chart 5. Comparison between Stock Returns of National Industrialization Company and Market Returns 44 4.1.6 National Petrochemical Company 45 Chart 6. Comparison between Stock Returns of National Petrochemical Company and Market Returns 45 4.1.7 Rabigh Refining and Petrochemicals Company 46 Chart 7. Comparison between Stock Returns of Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Company and Market Returns 46 4.1.8 Sahara Petrochemicals 47 Chart 8. Comparison between Market Returns and Stock Return of Sahara Petrochemical Company 48 4.1.9 Saudi Arabia Fertilizers Company 48 Chart 9. Comparison between Market Returns and Stock Return of Saudi Arabia Fertilizers Company 49 4.1.10 Saudi Basic Industries Corporation 49 Chart 10. Comparison between Market Returns and Stock Return of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation 50 4.1.11 Saudi Industrial Investment Group 50 Chart 11. Comparison between Market Returns and Stock Return of Saudi Industrial Investment Group 51 4.1.12 Saudi International Petrochemical Company 52 Chart 12. Comparison between Market Returns and Stock Return of Saudi International Petrochemical Company 52 4.1.13 Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Company 53 Chart 13. Comparison between Market Returns and Stock Return of Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Company 53 4.1.14 Arabian

Knowledge of Legal rules and Regulations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Knowledge of Legal rules and Regulations - Essay Example From criteria set by employers alone, it is clear that those in the geomatics profession are expected to be knowledgeable of legal rules and regulations relative to their work, and institutes of higher learning are taking notice. The curriculum design for the Geomatic Engineering Education at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) in Ghana includes among others Land Law, Law of Contract and Tort.2 On the other hand, survey law, legal surveys procedures, and property rights systems are marked as field skills for geomatics by the Canadian Geomatics Industry, one considered as historically very strong technologically.3. The land surveyors and land survey technicians may have the local land laws as their guide in their work, and student surveyors, their special knowledge of relevant subjects including law.4 Unquestionably, education in geomatics is evolving and developing.5 Geomatics empl II. Geomatics as service Geomatics employs techniques used in land surveying, remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), global positioning system (GPS), and related forms of earth mapping.6 Said to be coined by B. Dubuisson in 1969, the term "geomatics" has its exact definition still shifting. Among so many names, the University of Calgary's web page refers to it as "geomatics engineering." 7 The term, "geomatics," however, has been adopted by the International Organization for Standardization, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and other authorities, while some countries like the United States prefer the term, "geospatial technology.." Geomatics is actually a union of geography and information technology, with the purpose of improving business and policy decision-making, 8 A report of the Federation Internationale des Geometres (FIG) Commission 7 of 1998 reflects the overriding weaknesses of the then-existing cadastral systems as having limited computerization, with inefficient linkage between land registration and cadastral mapping, with incomplete legal framework, sporting little map accuracy, with slow updating, slow customer service, and unsuitable financing model, among other things.9 Advances in computer technology, however, has enabled the rapid progress of geomatics since the 1990s.10 Due to the ease in procuring and working on spatial referenced data, changes have been rapid in geomatics with forceful impact.11 The geomatician's role of surveying in the 1980's has shifted dramatically from acquiring data to today's total information management.12 With various surveying or mapping disciplines involved in different levels of geo-information, geomatics has become a must in almost all courses all over the globe.13. Geomatics

Analysis of the 260-day Value at Risk (VAR) of a portfolio of four Assignment

Analysis of the 260-day Value at Risk (VAR) of a portfolio of four shares - Assignment Example It is the level of return comprising of a given probability (usually, 5, 2.3, or 1 percent) of experiencing a return of less than that level. Value-at-Risk was first used in the late 1980’s by major financial firms to measure the risk of their trading portfolios. Since then, Value-at-Risk is widely used quantitative tool to measure market risk. According to Hull (2005), â€Å"VaR answers the question: how much can one lose with X% probability over a pre-set horizon†. More precisely VaR is an amount (say V dollars), where the probability of losing more than V dollars is over some future time interval, T days. Value-at-Risk has become widely used by corporate treasurers, fund managers, financial institutions, brokerage firms and investment funds to gauge their financial risk. In addition, bank regulators use Value-at-Risk in determining how much capital a bank should possess to reflect the market risks it is bearing (ibid). The aim of this project was to implement various VAR methods that consist of Analytic VAR, historical (Bootstrap) VAR and Monte Carlo (MC) VAR simulation as alternative approaches to calculating VAR, by using data from four portfolios namely; Johnson Matthey PLC, Kazakhmys PLC, Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC and Xstrata PLC. These portfolios are listed in the FTSE index, which are among the largest 100 UK companies by full market value. The FTSE index1 is the most widely used of the FTSE Group's indices and is frequently reported on UK news bulletins as a measure of business prosperity, because it represents about 80% companies of the market capitalization of the whole London Stock Exchange. The companies listed in the FTSE index are determined quarterly according to their market capitalization. These companies must meet a number of requirements set out by the FTSE Group, including having a full listing on the London Stock Exchange and meeting certain tests on nationality, free float, and liquidity. In the FTSE, share prices are weight ed by market capitalization, so that the larger companies make more of a difference to the index than smaller companies do. The first company is Johnson Matthey PLC. The company is world renown in refining and distribution of gold, silver, and platinum group metals in 30 countries on six continents. The company is organised in different divisions that includes Precious Metal Products division (the sole marketing arm for Anglo Platinum), Johnson Matthey's Environmental Technologies Catalysts division that produces emission control products, fuel cells, and process catalysts. The company also has Fine Chemicals and Catalysts division that make base and precious metals catalysts and chemicals. Johnson Matthey PLC has an average market capitalization of ? 43.90 billion. The second company under focus is Kazakhmys PLC. Kazakhmys PLC is a company that specializes in copper. It undertakes copper mining, processing, smelting, and refining as well as making of copper cathode and rod products . It is among the top ten copper producers in the world, with an annually production of about 350,000 tons of copper cathode that are used in computers, electric motors, automobiles, and other products. Additionally, Kazakhmys processes and sells by-products such as gold, silver, and zinc. Kazakhmys PLC has

Forms of Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Forms of Business - Research Paper Example Tinker & Tailor’s Home Security Service. (LP) In this form, the limitation of liability is provided to the limited partners, i.e. those not actively participating in business activities while others have the unlimited personal liability. Tinker & Tailor’s Home Security Service, Inc. (corporation) Corporations provide limited liability to the owners of the business thus protecting from being personally liable. Tinker & Tailor’s Home Security Service, LLC. (LLC) The owners or members are not personally liable in this form of business. The personal liability may not be limited in sole proprietorship as well as the general partnership forms of business. But in case of general partnership, it may be made limited by registering the establishment as a limited liability partnership that provides safeguard from being personally liable in case of negligence of other partners but does not provides protection from debts or breach of contracts lawsuits. However, if a partner is not being actively involved in the business, he/she may also limit their liability by registering the establishment as limited partnership that offers limitations on the liability of non active members of the partnership. In case of Corporation as well as Limited liability corporations there is no need to change the business form in order to limit one’s liability as these business forms provide limited liability to the owners. In case of corporations, the liability is limited on the basis that ‘corporations’ are legally considered to be a separate entity from their owners and hence all the liabilities regarding business are dealt and managed by corporate assets only. b. I am engaged in a book selling business and run my business using a sole proprietorship form of business. My business is solely based on my own money hence it is solely owned by me. I tried to operate it as a partnership but was unable to find an appropriate partner so I decided to invest my ow n finances and start business. My book stall provides new as well used books. The books are either purchased from the suppliers but in case of used books, they are often donated by my class mates, friends, relatives and neighbors. Since being a small store it was not easy to expand it in the initial stage thus being the fundamental business form, sole proprietorship was adopted by me. If somehow any other individual may show interest in sharing my business, I may ensure that the business is expanded from a book stall to a book store. Since being a part time worker, it'll enable the stall to be operative full time. All of the partners share equal authority; therefore, I’ll ensure that my potential partner invests in an equal amount of money in the business. Although this form of business does not offers limited liability and each of us in case of any debt or breach of contract will be equally personally liable to the losses. Besides the significant risk offered by this form of business of personal liability, it enables the management of the business affairs by each partner. Moreover, it also protects from the disbursement of business earnings in the form of taxes, as the partners in a partnership are not employees. However each of the partners has to pay taxes from his/her share of profits share (income or loss) admitted on income tax return of each of the partners and levied a tax at corporate or at the personal rate. The main aspect of this form of business is the ease of formation and it may also be converted into limited liability partnership in case if the unlimited liability is desired to be avoided in case of other

LEED certification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

LEED certification - Essay Example Employees of the organization are also encouraged to be practicing green practices. This is in line with the dedicated areas of recycling such as in the storage of bikes in locker rooms for those employees who cycle to work due to the renovation created.In the process of renovating the warehouse, about 20% of the materials that were used in its construction were obtained from regional products while another 20% comprised of recycled materials. Subsequently, other additional sustainable features of the building include brick walls that are highly insulated, plumbing fixtures that are low in their flow, permeable pavers, sustainably resourced wood, furnishings, and low VOC materials. In other aspects, green practices were promoted through the partnerships that the company has had with The Arbor Day Foundation. In this partnership, every purchase of a toy from Radio Flyer would require the planting of a tree. These aspects led to the LEED certification of the company. For instance, in t ransporting its products, the company is sustainably conscious through the partnership it has had with the SmartWay Transport Partnership of the US Environmental Protection Agency; thus, ensuring that the movement of their products is done in a clean and most efficient way (Cottrell 25).The organization now attributes the attainment of sustainable green practices to be affiliated to the hiring of new staff. It is considered as a significant selling point for the company in the hiring and retaining of new talent.

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 34

English - Essay Example Many people have had their faith in the American dream shattered by the crisis and the loss of their home. Many have said that the whole financial system will collapse due to the huge problems revealed by the credit crunch and the failure of banks around the world. In the face of these problems each country has had to find economic policies to try to stave off a serious depression. Many economists believe the crisis began because of a big asset boom in the United States. Banks and other lenders gave away many loans at very low interest rates to people who simply who could not afford to pay back the money. In the beginning this led to a huge boom in housing prices because there were so many buyers in the housing market and there was a high demand and a somewhat low supply. However, eventually what happened was that people began to default on their mortgage payments. During the boom years many complicated financial products involving mortgages were bought and sold by banks and it was d ifficult to know how many of these "toxic mortgages" were actually on a banks balance sheet. As the number of defaults and foreclosures increased people began to become very nervous as they had trouble determining the value of banks stocks and how many bad mortgages they held. These are serious problems the government needs to fix. We need to have a new era of hope and faith in order for people to begin to believe in the American dream

Transition Services for Special Education Students Essay Example for Free

Transition Services for Special Education Students Essay Abstract This study examined the issues on life-span transition services for special education students. By exploring the existing approaches to transition services and analyzing outcomes they provide for the disabled persons the study tried to find out the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches as well as to define the future trends able to enhance transition programs designed to increase the likelihood that the disabled person will be able to secure and maintain employment, function independently in the community, and ultimately become a satisfied and productive member of society. The results of the study demonstrated that to be successful transition services have to be transdisciplinary in nature. Besides, the use of collaborative teaming among professionals, agencies, the student, and family members, the use of the curriculum that focuses on the interactions between the student and his/her environments as well as the establishment and use of interagency linkages to facilitate the smooth transfer of support and training from the school to adult and community agencies when the student exits public schools are the most important components of successful life-span transition programs. A few decades ago the society faced disturbing outcome data of the students with disabilities (Repetto, 1995, p. 128) and fully realized that due to little concern given to vocational and transition programs for these students the latter experienced increased school dropout and unemployment rates as statistics showed. Those students have often graduated from the school lacking the skills essential to live or function autonomously in the community, and often failing to find and keep job (Levinson, 1998, p. 29). It is evident such state of things has been costly for both financial and personal considerations. On the one hand, the society was to provide social security for these persons, and on the other hand, the person himself was not satisfied with job career and own dependence. The necessity to change this state of affairs has led to growing concentration upon enhancing transition services for the persons with disabilities within the past one and a half decade. Three factors contributed to this process: adoption of federal legislation supporting and promoting transition services; availability of state, federal, and local funds invested in their development (Shapiro Rich, 1999, p.51); and a number of scientific and empirical studies on effective transition practices (Kohler Field, 2003, p. 174). The purpose of this study is to explore how life-span transition services can ensure smooth integration of the special needs students into the community and provide them with the skills sufficient for successful career development. Toward this end we will scrutinize prevailing approaches to transition services, discuss their advantages and shortcomings; analyze the components making transition programs implementation successful; and make the conclusions as to the ways of these programs improvement. Definition of Transition Services Transition services were defined in by the law as: A coordinated set of activities for a student, designed with an outcome-oriented process, which promotes movement from school to post-school activities, including post-secondary education, vocational training, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation. The coordinated set of activities shall be based on the individual students needs, taking into account the students preferences and interests, and shall include instruction, community experiences, the development of employment, and other post-school adult living objectives, and, when appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation (P.L. 101-476, pp. 1103-1104). Thus, transition services, mandated by legislation, reflect the major performance areas that are typically addressed by transition services: work or education, independent living including activities of daily living, and community participation, which may include community mobility and transportation, access to community services and activities, recreation and leisure, and socialization and relationships. This definition distinctly implies that transition services should involve a diversity of school and community staff. It also assumes that they have to contain the parents of the children and the children themselves (Shapiro Rich, 1999, p. 132). Besides, the definition entails that a transition program is an outcome-oriented, well-planned and methodical process to be launched long before the student is graduating from school (Levinson, 1998, p. 2) to achieve its goals. Legislative Background of Transition Services As it was mentioned above one of the main factors promoting transition services prevalence was adoption of supporting federal legislation and availability of state, federal, and local funds invested in their development. Since the 1970s the United States Congress has passed several legislative acts that have directly affected the availability and use of transition services for the individuals with disabilities. Since the passage of Public Law 94-142, The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (EHA), special education and related services have been made available through the public education system to the nations children and youth who have disabilities (Levinson, 1998, p. 27). The Rehabilitation Act, which was first introduced in 1973 and then rewritten in 1986 (Public Law 99-506), stipulates for provision of transition services to individuals with disabilities to (1) have greater control over their lives; (2) participate in home, school, and work environments; (3) interact with peers who do not have disabilities; and (4) otherwise do acts taken for granted by individuals without any known disability (Repetto, 1995, p. 127). The EHA and its subsequent amendments (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 1990, 1997) guaranteed the provision of transition services as required to provide free and appropriate education for all children with disabilities (Benz, Lindstrom Yovanoff, 2000, p. 509). An appropriate education is one in which children with disabilities acquire, to the maximum extent possible, the skills, knowledge, and behaviors that will ultimately help them function successfully as adults. After initial passage of the EHA, several major benefits were realized: Formal mechanisms were established to identify and bring children with disabilities into the public education process. Parents and guardians were identified as essential members of the educational team and were provided with legal rights related to their childs education. All identified children were provided with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) developed by an educational team that included the students parents or guardians (Shapiro Rich, 1999, p. 131). The 1997 amendments to IDEA continued to emphasize the use of transition services to enable the success of students with disabilities in their educational and school-to-career programs. These legislative acts have improved the access to transition services by children with disabilities (Levinson, 1998, p. 29). Moreover, through the Tech Act (Public Law 100-407), states have established resource centers and information systems for consumers of transition services. The goals of this legislation are to foster interagency cooperation, develop flexible and effective funding strategies, and promote access to transition services for individuals with disabilities throughout their life spans (Johnson et al., 2002, p. 520). The Goal of Transition Services – Life-Span Assistance for the Student’s Empowerment Such well-founded legislation on transition services paved the way for their wide spread implementation all over the nation, successful realization and continuous enhancement of the delivered services. From the definition of transition services it is clear they require â€Å"an outcome-oriented approach that looks at future vocational placements, residential options, funding sources, and community resources† (Nuehring Sitlington, 2003, p. 23). A number of studies examined the practical ways of applying this approach. In particular, Wehman Revell (1997) found the following: Transition for any student with a disability involves several key components, including: (1) an appropriate school program; (2) formalized plans involving parents and the entire array of community agencies that are responsible for providing services; and (3) multiple, quality options for gainful employment and meaningful post-school education and community living. (p. 67). All these components in combination are assigned to promote the smooth movement of young children with disabilities from a preschool program to a kindergarten class and into a school setting, and further the movement of young adults from one grade of the secondary school to the next and to post-school activities.   Thus, the special needs children may spend from 12 to 18 years getting the certain form of transition services (Spencer 2001, p. 893) which Donald Super in his theory of career development called â€Å"life-span and life-space transition† (Szymanski, 1994, p. 402). Many scholars agree that early childhood influences are the crucial determinants of later professional behavior (Turner Szymanski, 1990, p. 20). Reflecting this concept, IDEA 1997 while not requiring the local education agency to consider transition activities and sites for students with disabilities before the students 14th birthday, does require that services be provided earlier if the IEP team feels such is appropriate (Daugherty, 2001, p. 45). Therefore, families and educators should consider the child’s abilities, interests, and opportunities for community-based activities and kindergarten- or home-based special education while the child is in pre-school years and in elementary school. Doing so should help the child to develop skills and interests for maintaining that activity later in life (Levinson, 1998, p. 10). Research indicates that such early involvement of the child with special needs into transition programs improves and enhances self-concept, competence, and social skills of him/her (Szymanski, 1994, p. 403). The very important thing here is that professionals and families should recognize that families play an integral role especially in early year’s transition planning (Scott Baldwin, 2005, p. 173). The scholars suggested a number of guidelines for such planning: transition should be viewed within a larger context of community inclusion and participation; transition should be family- and individual-directed; families should be educated and empowered to acquire and assist in the creation of appropriate inclusive services and supports; transition should be embedded in elementary and secondary curriculum reform; the process required to create the Individualized Transition Plan (ITP) should not distract families; to achieve the most satisfactory result for their children, families should provide basic support to one another (Levinson, 1998, p. 3). As to the instruction the basic academic skills in reading, writing, and computation is usually emphasized at the elementary school level, but some elements of them are being taught as early as during pre-school years (Repetto, 1995, p. 125). When structuring instruction, educators sequence skills properly. Each skill is taught in sequence, and only when mastery of one skill is attained the next skill should be introduced. This is particularly important with skills that are dependent upon each other (Levinson, 1998, p. 91). Indeed, it may be difficult for some families to focus on post-school transition needs when their child is just in the kindergarten. If this is the case, professionals should take care not to overwhelm families with transition planning. Professionals should appropriately explain the importance of developing skills and interests in mental and physical activity while the child is young in order to maximize current and future involvement in various activities offered through the school and community. Such explanations, among other advantages, allow to prevent secondary disabilities, to help the child to socialize and get the necessary social skills as early as in childhood (Scott Baldwin, 2005, p. 174). Research proved that it is never too early to begin planning for transition to family- and community-based transition programs. Good planning always includes identification of the childs abilities and the childs and familys interests and goals for education considering their cultural beliefs and values. Such transition plan for the pre-school or elementary student remains flexible, because the childs abilities may change and/or the childs or familys interests and resources may change (Benz, Lindstrom Yovanoff, 2000, p. 512). General education and special education teachers are in the best position to encourage parents of pre-school and elementary school children to facilitate the transition planning. Studies show that children who are participants of transition programs from the early years have a better chance of becoming socially active, intelligent, competent and healthy adults (Carter Wehby 2003, p. 450). Moving from the kindergarten and elementary school to the secondary school implies the new challenges for the students of special education. Scholars defined what secondary transition practices are contributing to the future children retention and success when they enter high school and further get job. These are: direct, individualized tutoring and support to complete homework assignments, attend class, and stay focused on school; 2. participation in vocational education classes during the last 2 years of high school, especially classes that offer occupationally specific instruction; 3. participation in paid work experience in the community during the last 2 years of high school; 4. competence in functional academic [†¦] and transition [†¦] skills; 5. participation in a transition planning process that promotes self-determination; 6. direct assistance to understand and connect with resources related to post-school goals [†¦]; 7. graduation from high school. (Benz et al., 2004, p. 39). Such comprehensive list of factors evidently testifies that due to recent standards-based secondary school reform the requirements to academic performance raised substantially. Accepting this challenge special education teachers have worked hard to make sure that the special needs students are involved in these general reform efforts (Benz, Lindstrom Yovanoff, 2000, p. 511). They developed adoptive methods helping to ease the process of learning. For instance, when the student has difficulty in learning needed skills combined with incapacity to readily transfer or generalize learning to new environments or situations, they provide education in the actual environments that the student will be using, which allows for explicit teaching to the real-life demands of a particular environment and eliminates the need for the student to transfer skills (Spencer 2001, p. 884). At this all it is significant that emphasizing of an environmental curriculum on preparing the students of secondary school to functionate in main life domains (domestic, school, community, leisure, and vocational), efficient transition practices demand continuous assessment of the extent and quality of performance in each domain (Turner Szymanski, 1990, p. 22). Modern science in the sphere of special education developed several methodologies which allow achieving high academic performance by the secondary school students with disabilities. They include direct instruction, meta-cognitive reading comprehension strategies, peer-mediated instruction and interventions, and social skills training (Conderman Katsiyannis, 2002, p. 169). One of the important issues in secondary school transition services is inclusion of the students with disabilities in the general curriculum. Federal legislation gives the clear mandate for educating all children with disabilities in the regular classroom to the maximum extent appropriate or possible (Daugherty, 2001, p. 48). The inclusion of students who have disabilities in typical educational activities and environments is believed to promote student performance, offer rich opportunities for learning, provide age-appropriate role modeling, increase awareness among all students of diverse learning styles and abilities, and provide opportunities for relationship building that is so important especially during adolescent development (Scott Baldwin, 2005, p. 175). Age-appropriate placement does not mean that students with disabilities are simply placed in a typical class or at a community job site. Appropriate support services and resources that facilitate the students full inclusion and maximum participation in the environment must accompany these placements. Thus, IDEA recognizes that a students successful transition from school to adult life requires opportunities to learn and to practice skills in a variety of relevant school and non-school learning environments. These environments may include the classroom, school lunchroom, home, public transit bus, work site, community recreation facility, and a variety of other relevant settings (Daugherty, 2001, p. 49). But here a danger exists that content instruction could impede the goals of inclusion education. As more special needs students are included in general education curriculum, they often need supplementary assistance from the special education teacher to do class and home assignments, to review the learned material, and to prepare for the exams which sometimes is given by these teachers when their students pass the tests, for example. The pressure on special educators to provide academic progress of their wards could make more harm than good for them. Passing grades in school progress record sometimes do not mean quality of the student’s knowledge and skills (Conderman Katsiyannis, 2002, p. 170). Although the general education curriculum contains both academic (e.g., math, science) and nonacademic (e.g., career education, arts, citizenship) domains, student performance is assessed primarily in academics. As a result, it is not uncommon for portions of the general curriculum as well as transition goals to receive limited or no attention. There also may result a narrowing of curriculum and instruction to focus on content assessed in state or local tests. This may limit the range of program options for students due to intensified efforts to concentrate on areas of weakness identified by testing. Efforts must be undertaken to ensure that students with disabilities remain on a full curriculum track, with learning expectations that guide the instruction of general education students. IEP teams must work to ensure that high expectations are maintained and students are afforded opportunities to develop skills through a wide range of curriculum options, including vocational education, service learning, community work experience, and adult living skills (Repetto Correa, 1996, p. 553). The present challenge is to integrate the IDEA requirements concerning access to the general education curriculum with the transition service provisions. There is an urgent need to view these requirements as unified and complementary in helping students to achieve the broadest possible range of school and post-school goals and results. Strategies for accomplishing this include promoting high expectations for student achievement and learning, making appropriate use of assessment and instructional accommodations, and ensuring that students have access to the full range of secondary education curricula and programs (Benz et al., 2004, p. 41). Another important issue, especially concerning the students with mild disabilities, is availability of continuous instruction of basic skills within the curriculum at the middle school and high school levels. Those skills need to be taught within the context of real-life applications (Spencer 2001, p. 881). That is, in elementary school, students are taught to add, subtract etc. using worksheets and other materials but are rarely given the opportunity to apply those skills to balancing a checkbook or determining whether they have received the correct change during a purchase. Additionally, in elementary school little opportunity is provided to apply those skills to vocationally or occupationally relevant activities. Although to make a successful transition from high school to work, college, or community living, students need to possess basic academic skills in reading, writing, and computation, at both the middle school and high school level students need to be provided with continuing opportunities to practice those basic skills in real-life situations (Conderman Katsiyannis, 2002, p. 172). At the same time after the students with disabilities graduated from the school they are still eligible for the transition services. At this stage namely the student is a person who defines which areas are given emphasis. For instance, the student with learning disabilities planning to enter the college may not need to be provided with extensive vocational and occupational training in high school but may need to focus on the development of academic skills specific to admission to and success in college, and life skills specific to making a successful adjustment from high school to college. In contrast, the student with severe cognitive and physical disabilities may need to focus on vocational and occupational functioning and basic life skills necessary for independent living (Repetto, 1996, p. 553). Besides, several other factors have an effect on the design of the vocational syllabus. Local conditions often define the studens’ plans for the future such as urban or rural district, the peculiarities of local economy and labor market, the rate of employment, the personal traits of the student himself and the type of his/her disability, and indeed availability of transition services. The vocational syllabus has to be designed in such a way to prepare the students with disabilities for jobs in demand on local labor market, because as a rule such students do not leave their communities trying to find job (Levinson, 1998, p. 88). When we consider post-secondary transition services for the college-bound students it is important to pay attention to the differences between high school and college requirements, such as time spent in class, class size, time for study, testing approaches, grading methods, teaching strategies, and freedom and independence. They all pose additional challenges for students with disabilities who are making the transition from high school to college. Discussing those differences and assessing student practices are important for students survival and adaptation. When evaluating post-secondary options, the students need to assess the amount and type of learning disabilities support services they require to be successful (Shapiro Rich, 1999, p. 171). Assisting the students with special needs to cope with the new challenges most post-secondary educational settings have programs for such individuals that provide the necessary support for them. These institutions often have an Office for Students with Disabilities that employs counselors and tutors and that provides a wide array of services for all students with disabilities. For instance, structural accommodations such as ramps and elevators exist to accommodate students with physical disabilities. Large-print and Braille textbooks exist for students with visual impairments. Students with hearing impairments can be provided with prepared lecture notes (Levinson, 1998, p. 152). In addition, modifications in test-taking procedures, tutoring, and academic and personal counseling are available for the special needs students. Given the array of services available, post-secondary educational settings are now an appropriate option for many students with disabilities whose occupational aspirations require advanced formal education (Benz, Lindstrom Yovanoff, 2000, p. 513). Numerous methods are available to provide individuals with the additional post-secondary training they need in order to acquire the skills and credentials necessary for entry into their chosen occupations (Benz, Lindstrom Yovanoff, 2000, p. 510). In addition to the vocational training and work experience programs offered by most school districts, individuals with disabilities may gain additional training after high school via apprenticeship programs, the military, trade and technical schools, community colleges and junior colleges, and four-year colleges and universities. All offer programs that may be suitable post-secondary options for the students with disabilities (Johnson et al., 2002, p. 522). In general, the legislation includes the following in its description of post-school activities: post-secondary education, vocational training, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, and community participation. Clearly, then, transition is meant to address not just employment needs, but future needs within the broader focus of life within the community (Repetto, 1995, p. 130). In any case, to the maximum extent possible, the individuals with disabilities should be placed in the least restrictive environment and in settings that facilitate the normalization process. Delivering transition services from high school to work-force, transition personnel should attempt to ensure that a full range of placement options exist for the individuals with whom they work. This often necessitates that transition personnel market individuals with disabilities to employers, neighbors, or admission personnel and conduct public relations campaigns on behalf of their clients. Because many people have unrealistic and faulty expectations and perceptions of individuals with disabilities, transition personnel also have to educate the public about disability issues and have to work hard to overcome the public resistance that so often accompanies the placement of those individuals in occupational, residential, and educational settings (Johnson et al., 2002, p.   520). Both scholars and special educators recognize the importance of specific career development skills to a students success in the workforce. Learning how to search for job openings, write a CV, establish and prepare for an interview, understand the relationship between employer and employee, and be knowledgeable as to the rights of workers are all important areas to address. Additionally, successful transition programs address work ethics, work habits, and motivation issues as well. For instance, the students with disabilities would greatly benefit from preparation regarding employers expectations in terms of work habits. For instance, they should learn the importance of taking responsibility for calling in if they were unable to be at work. Very often these major work habits and ethics are missing from the students skills. Besides, students with disabilities are excessively sheltered and are often not compelled to take responsibility for their own actions while responsibility is crucial for getting and keeping employment (Nuehring Sitlington, 2003, p. 28). Conclusion In summary, the study showed that the transition process is in fact a part of the broader process of career development. Moreover, transition is about societal empowerment not only of the individuals with disabilities, but of all of us. Our communities and our society will be enriched and empowered when all citizens, including those with disabilities, are valued and seen as contributing members. The challenge of transition professionals is to facilitate that empowerment through appropriate transition services that empower individuals and their families and through the actions as community catalysts who work in a respectful partnership with people with disabilities. The conducted study clearly demonstrated the concept of transition-focused education represents a shift from disability-focused, deficit-driven programs to an education and service-delivery approach based on abilities, options, and self-determination. This approach incorporates quality-of-life issues, life span and life space considerations, and suggestions for seamless transition approaches together with the key elements – outcome-oriented, community-based, student-centered, and family-centered transition services. At the same time the study proved that there is no one fitting all transition planning strategy able to effectively prepare students with disabilities who all have unique needs for successful, fulfilling adult roles. Only through continued attention to establishing effective transition services flexible enough to meet individual student needs, the society can arm students with information and opportunities on which they can build their futures. Thus, the society has to bend every effort to ensure that students with disabilities fully access and benefit from the general education curriculum, and leave our school systems prepared to successfully participate in post-secondary education, enter meaningful employment, live independently in communities, and pursue lifelong learning opportunities.       References Benz, M. R., Lindstrom, L., Yovanoff, P. (2000). Improving Graduation and Employment Outcomes of Students with Disabilities: Predictive Factors and Student Perspectives. Exceptional Children, 66, 509-516. Benz , M. R., Lindstrom, L., Unruh, D., Waintrup, M. (2004). Sustaining Secondary Transition Programs in Local Schools. Remedial and Special Education, 25, 39-44. Carter, E. W., Wehby, J. H. (2003). Job Performance of Transition-Age Youth with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. Exceptional Children, 69, 449-458. Conderman, G., Katsiyannis, A. (2002). Instructional Issues and Practices in Secondary Special Education. Remedial and Special Education, 23, 169-176. Daugherty, R. F. (2001). Special Education: A Summary of Legal Requirements, Terms, and Trends. Westport, CT: Bergin Garvey. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1990 (Public Law 101-476). 20 U.S.C., 1400. Johnson, D. R., Stodden, R. A., Emanuel, E. J., Luecking, R., Mack, M. (2002). Current Challenges Facing Secondary Education and Transition Services: What Research Tells US. Exceptional Children, 68, 519-527. Kohler, P. D., Field, S. (2003). Transition-Focused Education: Foundation for the Future. Journal of Special Education, 37, 174-186. Levinson, E. M. (1998). Transition: Facilitating the Post-School Adjustment of Students with Disabilities. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Place of Publication:. Publication Year:. Nuehring, M. L., Sitlington, P. L. (2003). Transition as a Vehicle: Moving from High School to an Adult Vocational Service Provider. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 14, 23-34. Repetto, J. B. (1995). Curriculum Beyond School Walls: Implications of Transition Education. Peabody Journal of Education, 70, 125-140. Repetto, J. B., Correa, V. I. (1996). Expanding Views on Transition. Exceptional Children, 62, 551-557. Scott, J., Baldwin, W. L. (2005). The Challenge of Early Intensive Intervention. In   D. Zager (Ed.), Autism Spectrum Disorders: Identification, Education, and Treatment (pp. 173-228). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Shapiro, J., Rich, R. (1999). Facing Learning Disabilities in the Adult Years. New York: Oxford University Press. Spencer, K. C. (2001). Transition Services: From School to Adult Life. In J. Case-Smith (Ed.),   Occupational Therapy for Children (pp. 878-894). St. Louis, MO: Mosby. Szymanski, E. M. (1994). Transition: Life-Span and Life-Space Considerations for Empowerment. Exceptional Children, 60, 402-407. Turner, K. D., Szymanski, E. M. (1990). Work Adjustment of People with Congenital Disabilities: A Longitudinal Perspective from Birth to Adulthood. The Journal of Rehabilitation,   56.3, 19-26. Wehman, P., Revell, W. G. (1997). Transition into Supported Employment for Young Adults with Severe Disabilities: Current Practices and Future Directions. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 8, 65-74.

Music and studying

Music and studying COMPARISON OF STUDYING WITH MUSIC  AND STUDYING IN A SILENT ROOM /  WITHOUT MUSIC OUTLINE INTRODUCTION Hook â€Å" Everybody has that point in their life where you hit a crossroads and you’ve had a bunch of bad days and there’s different ways you can deal with it and the way I dealt with it was just turned completely to music† (Taylor Swift) Background of the research paper Thesis Statement: â€Å" Some Student prefer studying with music while others wants to study in a silent room/place.† BODY / DISCUSION Music What is Music? How music affects our moods? Studying with music How affects our study? Is Music can help you study? Studying in a Silent room or Without music How Affects our study How can affect our moods? CONCLUSION Should you listen to music while Studying? Opinion about Studying with music or without Comparison of Studying with music and Studying in a Silent room / without music INTRODUCTION One of My favorite singer, Taylor Swift said that â€Å"Everybody has that point in their life where you hit a crossroads and you’ve had a bunch of bad days and there’s different ways you can deal with it and the way I dealt with it was just turned completely to music†. Music made lives of people lighter and easier. It can be your company where ever you are. It helps you to bring out the best in you. Listening with music when you are doing something made you feel happy and the eagerness in yourselves. Music helps us to relax and it can help us to motivate ourselves. Sometimes it can activate our creative minds. It can help us too, to discipline our self and at the same time to manage our time properly. Music is one of our daily buddies in life because whenever you go, you can hear/use it and music makes you feel better. Lastly, it can benefit us in studying as they said Music makes our learning more enjoyable and it is a good buddy in memorization. Studying, one of the greatest battle that students are facing, can be so tiring and stressful. But with the modern technology, a lot can be done to help us survive studying one of those is Music. A research found that listening with music before doing something can help us improve our attention, memory and last is our math ability (Doraiswamy, 2012). Some Students prefer studying with music while others want to study in a silent room/ without music. Comparison of Studying with music and Studying in a Silent room / without music DISCUSSION What Music mean to us? Music, it can be so hard to describe but if we are asked how it affects us it is easy to answer. Music can help you to express yourself, it can calm us down, and it can explain the words when it fails it means Music speaks. Music is part of lives even though we realize it or not. The â€Å"Mozart Effect† is a set of research that indicates listening to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Music it can makes us smarter. And it can help the parts of our brain to develop our Language and Reasoning. (Stricker, 2013) I have researched about some comments about â€Å"what is the role / importance of music to our lives?† here are some of the comments: According to Malabika Sen â€Å"If man is the best creation of God then music is the best creation of man. It not only touches the heart but also manifests the implicit humanity and sensitivity which has separated man from animal. Great music for example songs of Rabindranath Tagore both patriotic and spiritual have stirred the whole world. The music of R. N Rahaman in different films have touched millions of souls. Music breaks all divisions of race, religion, cast and creed. It is a wonderful force which can bring and establish international peace, love and brotherhood. What speeches and articles cannot do, the magic of music can do easily and naturally. Infinite salutes to music.† And according also to Laju Lesley â€Å"Music has a universal language and appeal irrespective of the dialect used in it.Music sustains a person in the most difficult phases of life.Music shelters the wounded soul and heals the broken heart.Music fosters friendship and ties hearts forever. If there had been no music (rhythm) it’s doubtful whether the universe would ever have continued to sustain.Music contains all the emotions and sentiments of life.Let music make this world a better place to live. Let guns be replaced by guitars let words of love, unity and harmony be sung instead of rhetoric of hate.† Those two comments made me realize that music has a big part in our lives because it help us in many ways like in our studies, when we are sad it can be our company everywhere. How Music Affect our moods? The Scientist at the University of Missouri found that listening to music can boost a person’s mood simply by upbeat music. In the study that has been conducted, Participants improved their moods when after being told to try to do so, but they only succeeded when they have listened to the upbeat music. But others who simply listened to music without changing their mood, they didn’t report about the increase of happiness. Music isn’t just good in increasing our mood. Another Research, Journal of Consumer Research found that people who are going through a break up or relationship problems they prefer to listen to a music. Studying with a Music The studies have shown that Music there’s a right kind of music that will help you in studying that can help you to concentrate better. It is perfect for studying, doing some home works, and lastly while studying for an exam. It helps you to cut down Distractions and helps you to focus more to your work. (UNC Charlotte and University City, 2014) According to Sheela Doraiswamy the Student were given 5 Serial Recall Test in Different Senarios: â€Å"1. Quiet environment 2. with â€Å"steady state† speech. This means a single word (in this case, â€Å"three†) was repeated for the duration of the test 3. with â€Å"changing state† speech. It means Variety of Words (in this case, random digits from 1-9) were played during the test 4. with â€Å"liked† music, meaning a song of the student’s choice (such as Lady Gaga, Rihanna, or Arcade Fire). Students brought in their own music; the only requirement was that it had to have vocals 5. With â€Å"disliked† music, which in this case was a metal song called â€Å"Thrashers† by Death Angel (all students in the study disliked metal)† The results was surprisingly, found out that there is no significant difference between the scores of those 5 Serial Recalls Test. In other word, even though the student is enjoying or not with a particular music, having it on while they worked was just as distracting as hearing someone talk. The Score in Quiet Environment is higher than others. The Researcher Hypothesize that they will see same results when they will conduct this procedure again using a Reading Comprehension Test. (Doraiswamy, 2012) I conclude that listening to music when we are reviewing for an exam or doing Home works is a Choice because it seems that in general, music with vocals is distracting for us. While instrumental helps you perform well. (Doraiswamy, 2012) Studying without music / in a silent room David Cutler said He noticed that several students are fond of listening to music while doing something. There are Impaired Performance REFERENCES Books Bonds, Mark Evan, (2003). A History of Music in Western Culture, New Jersey, Pearson Education, Inc. Harvard Business School, (2006). The Essentials of Strategy, United States, Press Kennedy, Michael, (2004). Dictionary of Music, Hoo, near Rochester, Oxford University Press Recto, Angel, (2005). Foundations of Education, Sampaloc, Manila, Rex Book Store Wilentz, Sean, (2010). Bob Dylan in America, United States, Doubleday Websites Peter Rutenburg (year not stated). The Importance of Music in Everyone’s Life. Retrieved from https.

Global Warming - Mitigation is Not Feasible Essay examples -- Climate C

Global Warming - Mitigation is Not Feasible I am in the adaptation group, and I am trying to help my teammates by providing information on the greenhouse gas emissions due to transportation sector. I will provide facts that mitigation in transportation is a near failure. The whole purpose of my part in the group is to attack the opponent in the area of greenhouse gas emissions. From the EPA, the major cause of rising global temperature, part of the climate change, is due to excessive greenhouse gas emissions. They will contribute to warm up the Earth’s atmosphere by absorbing radiation and altering the chemical composition of the Earth’s atmosphere. 15,000 pounds of those are emitted annually per person in the US, for which 12500 pounds are carbon dioxide. Transportation sector constituted 27% of the US greenhouse gas emissions. Despise decreases in other sectors, greenhouse gas emissions from transportation sector have been rising 1-4% steadily in the last five years. Transportation mode alternation will affect the emissions in the long run since transportation mode is considered a long-term energy consumption pattern. From the US Census 2000, the vehicle occupancy data will help us better understand the details in the transportation modes in the US. The average vehicle occupancy varies from 1.057-1.145 person per car. Carpool programs can only increase the vehicle occupancy up to 2.27 person per car, which is not up to half of the vehicle’s capacity. The veh...

Free College Essays - Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale the Wuss in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Scarlet Letter: Dimmesdale the Wuss "But (Hester) is not the protagonist; the chief actor, and the tragedy of The Scarlet Letter is not her tragedy, but Dimmesdales. He it was whom the sorrows of death encompassed_. His public confession is one of the noblest climaxes of tragic literature." This statement by Randall Stewart does not contain the same ideas that I believe were contained within The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I, on the contrary to Stewart's statement, think Dimmesdale is a coward and a hypocrite. Worse, he is a self-confessed coward and hypocrite. He knows what he has to do to still the voice of his conscience and make his peace with God. Throughout the entire story his confession remains an obstacle . While Hester is a relatively constant character, Dimmesdale is incredibly dynamic. From his fall with Hester, he moves, in steps, toward his public hint, at the end of the novel, of sinning. He wants to unburden himself by revealing his sin to his congregation, but somehow can never quite manage this. He is a typical example of a "wuss", using today’s terminology. To some extent, Dimmesdale's story is one of a single man tempted into the depths of the hormonal world. This world, however, is a place where the society treats sexuality with ill grace. But Dimmesdale’s problem is enormously complicated by the fact of Hester's marriage (for him no technicality), and by his own image of himself as a cleric devoted to higher things. Unlike other young men, Dimmesdale cannot accept his loss of innocence and go on from there. He must struggle futilely to get back to where he was. Torn between the desire to confess and atone for his sin and the cowardice that holds him back, Dimmesdale goes slightly mad. He takes up some morbid forms of penance, fasts and scourgings, but he can neither whip nor starve the sin from his soul. In his agony, he staggers to the pulpit to confess, but his words come out as generalized and meaningless declarations of guilt. The reverend seems to want to reveal himself, but Chillingworth's influence and his own shame are stronger than his weak conscience. Dimmesdale cannot surrender an identity which brings him the love and admiration of his parishioners. He is far too intent on his earthly image to willingly reveal his sin.

No Clear Hero in Lord of the Flies :: Lord of the Flies Essays

No Clear Hero in Lord of the Flies The idea of a hero is a complicated one and there are several possible interpretations in Lord of the Flies. In action films the hero is usually the 'good guy' even if he (or she) is quite violent. Action heroes are strong and tough and think quickly when there is a problem. In novels the hero can simply be the main character of the story, though usually we feel some sympathy for him or her as well. Sometimes the hero is someone quite unexpected, who manages to do or say things that earn our respect and admiration. In Lord of the Flies there is no clear hero but there are three possible candidates for the description, Jack, Ralph and Simon. Jack could have been the action hero of the novel. He is strong and tough and usually thinks quickly when there is a problem. When he first appears he is the leader of the choir and he has the ability to keep them under control and make them do as he wants. Later on he becomes the leader of the hunters and is a good example to his followers. Jack is also physically brave and when he, Ralph and Roger went off to hunt the beast "Jack led the way". Unfortunately, Jack is not good at co-operating with Ralph and Piggy and his obsession with hunting leads to the fire going out when a ship is sighted. When the three boys mistake the dead airman for the beast, Jack takes decisive action but does not really face up to the problem. He takes the boys to a part of the island that is safer and tries to buy off the beast by leaving the pig's head as a sort of offering. Jack thus has many qualities required to be a hero but when he is in control he bullies the boys and is partly respons ible for the deaths of Simon and Piggy. He is not deliberately evil but his actions often have evil consequences, so Jack cannot really be considered a hero in the novel. Ralph starts off well in the novel. He is the first person we meet on the island and he becomes leader by popular vote.

A Speech of Health Essay

Hello students, faculty, members of the school board, Superintendent, and parents. When I was first told that I was going to be the speaker for graduation, I was overcome. I was overcome with pride and excitement, as I’m sure we all are today as we close this chapter on our lives, but most of all, I was overcome with a feeling. A feeling that I have fooled you all into electing a Canadian to speak on this very important occasion. (Canadian Accent) I bet about now, you are all finally realizing just what it is you’ve done, eh? But it’s too late, eh? I can’t be stopped†¦. (Drape Canadian flag over top of podium) The rich history of Canada is a very long and interesting one. One that begins in the early years of. †¦ (Trail off and give a moment of thought)† **remove flag† or better yet have someone do it for you. ) Seriously though, after I got over my initial reaction, I realized that this was going to be a very difficult undertaking. So I did what any teen-age boy would do in a similar situation. I turn to my friends! see more:welcome speech for sports day I received two pieces of advice that not only helped me with the situation at hand, but I feel will be the predominant source of motivation for the next big step in my life and everything that follows thereafter. These two pieces of advice were. (Hold up palms with numbers inked on them) No. 1: Don’t Screw up! No. 2: Be Funny! Obviously after these two gems of advice, I was prepared to write a stunning and powerful speech that will remain with every one of us till the day we die. Or at least until one of the real speakers come up here and says something meaningful. It’s hard to believe that we’ll all be leaving this place finally. It is even harder to believe that from now on, we’re going to pretty much have to fend for ourselves. I think that whether we know it or not, we’ve gained a lot of the tools that we’ll need to make it out there, right here at Welch. Personally, I’ve learned some of the most important messages of my life within these hallowed halls. I’ve learned that it’s important to walk the road less traveled, because after a while, running down freshman in the packed hallways just loses some of its appeal. I’ve learned that no matter how good an idea may seem at the time, sometimes a giant metal dollar sundial that never sees the sun, could possibly be a bad idea! I’ve learned the importance of sticking strong to your ideals and not giving in to peer pressure, because we have to be ourselves, we have to think with our own mind! (look over at Mr.  Quinn) Is that good Quinn? Is, is that all right? Oh, ok. And no matter who’s doing it! Dammit! We will NOT CHEER! Finally, and probably most importantly, from the ever vigilant and all knowing administration, I’ve learned that a girl’s belly button is a dangerous and powerful thing that should be covered, feared, contained, kept from the world, for the good of all people everywhere. If you are able to decipher any sort of message out of what I’m saying today at all, it should be that life shouldn’t be taken so seriously. When we’re all off in college, or working at our jobs, or still living off of our parents, and we look back on our lives here at E-W, we’re not going to remember the tests we aced, or the classes we took, or the endless nights in front of a computer screen. But instead we’re going to remember the good times we had, the parties, the laughs we shared, but most of all, we’ll remember the people we knew. I was once told that you’re only as good as the people that you surround yourself with. Well, there is not a higher caliber of people that I would rather surround myself with then you all sitting in front of me today. I am proud to say that I was a part of the Welch Class of 2006. Don’t ever forget where you came from, and always remember all of the great and unique people that you shared your four years with, and when we all come back and see each other again for our 20-year reunion, there are going to be all sorts of surprises. By that time Charlie Guo will probably be ruling the world with an iron fist, Katherine Piercy will be the new reigning arm wrestling champion of the world. Jon Goodwin will have his very own morning talk show called â€Å"Wake up with a cup of Jon†, Kamiya Woodard will be the new host of â€Å"The Weakest Link† and rename it â€Å"Man! You don’t know what you talking about! † Eunice Song will be†¦ well, let’s be honest, there really isn’t much hope for Eunice, (turn to Eunice) Eunice I guess you should have just tried a little harder. The entire cheerleading squad will find a permanent role on the â€Å"Young and The Restless†, when the director is surprised to find that intense daytime drama comes surprisingly easy to them. Finally, as I’ve been saying for four years now, we’ll all be shaking the hand of our President of the United States†¦. Steve Brown. If you don’t remember a single word of what I’ve said up here today, just remember this: Jobs, houses, money, and success will all come and go, but the one thing that nobody can ever take away from you are the good times and good friends you have had here at E-W. So in closing, I only have one more thing to say, on request from Blair Hanberg, I leave you all with â€Å"MEOW! â€Å"

Osteoporosis and Radio Ad Essay

Radio Ad We know many people worry about the risks of getting arthritis and osteoporosis, as well as injuries from falls as you start climb the latter called age. We are doing this radio ad in promoting a healthier Muscular system well in to your retirement age. Although some chronic disease risk factors such as (family history, age or sex) are not able to be modified and so cannot be incorporated into prevention strategies, these factors can help to identify people or groups at high risk of developing a disease, enabling a targeted approach. The modifiable risks factors are common to all chronic disease which includes diet, weight, exercise, alcohol intake and smoking. It is important to understand that adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors will reduce the risk of all chronic diseases, including arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions. A balanced diet will help to achieve a healthy weight and body. When increasing the intake of calcium also absorption of vitamin D will assist in reducing risks of developing arthritis and osteoporosis. Regular exercise aids in the prevention of musculoskeletal conditions, and it helps to alleviate and reduce joint pain and stiffness and build strong muscle around the joints. People who are obese are at higher risk of arthritis or osteoporosis due to the increased load across the weight bearing joints, and increasing the stress on cartilage and ligaments. People who reduce their smoking and drinking will reduce the risks for low bone mass, low bone strength, and low body weight. Having a healthier life style gives you a fun filled days right into your retirement years.

How successful was Wilson in achieving his aimes in foreign policy in the years 1912 tot 1920

Although Wilson had primarily been elected to reform national politics and initiate new progressive policies in Washington, he spent the majority of his time as President dealing with foreign policy rather than domestic. Wilson's predecessors, including McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and Taft, had viewed the United States as an emerging power that needed to extend its influence throughout the world in order to serve national interests.The aims of Wilson in tackling foreign affairs were to maintain isolationism by peaceful and ethical approaches, which were achieved almost successfully until the American intervention into the World War One in 1917. This imperialist policy was justified by the commonly held belief that it was America's duty as a Christian republic to spread democracy throughout the world. These three Presidents significantly expanded America's influence abroad with the annexation of colonies throughout the world, such as the Philippines and Cuba.Clements firmly believes that Wilson foreign policy is mostly successful until 1917. This was because one of Wilson’s success in keeping isolationism in his early years of presidency was to repudiate his predecessors’ Dollar Diplomacy, which called for American investments in Latin America and the Caribbean. Instead, Wilson promoted democracy as the priority in private investments. As for China, Wilson gave diplomatic recognition to the new regime.Moreover, in April of 1914, Mexican officials in Tampico arrested a few American sailors who blundered into a prohibited area, and Wilson used the incident to justify ordering the U. S. Navy to occupy the port city of Veracruz. Therefore, Bragg believes that Wilson did not fully achieve his isolationist aims because of the adoption of interventionist policy in Mexico. The Mexican Revolution threatened America’s interests due to the instability and violence, thus Wilson decided to send American marines in1914 and military force in 1916 to Mexi co but the American people on the border, as a consequence, were afflicted. However, he avoided taking over Mexico. Rowe believes this was because he was alarmed by the danger of war, Wilson reaffirmed his commitment to Mexican self-determination and agreed to discuss methods of securing the border area with the Mexican government. Early in 1917, when it began to appear that the United States could not avoid being dragged into the European war, Wilson withdrew all U.S. forces from Mexico. The decision coincided with the publication of an intercepted message from Arthur Zimmermann in the German foreign office to the German minister in Mexico, instructing him to propose an alliance with Mexico against the United States if Germany and the United States went to war. With the outbreak of fighting in the â€Å"Great War† in Europe in August 1914, President Wilson appealed to Americans to remain strictly neutral.He believed that the underlying cause of the war, which would leave 14 million Europeans dead by 1917, was the militant nationalism of the major European powers, as well as the ethnic hatreds that existed in much of Central and Eastern Europe. In addition to this, Wilson kept the USA of out the war until 1917 through diplomacy and his moral stance. This attitude was supported by the majority of Americans particularly the Mid-West as the American people did not want war anymore. The emerging of anti-imperialist ideas referred wars were morally unacceptable, and anti-colonial ideas against British colonial rule contributed to the neutrality.Furthermore, in May 1915, a German submarine—called a â€Å"U-boat,† which was a relatively fragile vessels that depended on surprise attacks from below the surface for its success—torpedoed the British liner Lusitania off the coast of Ireland. Wilson urged patience. Wilson was successful in stopping U-boat activities and the sinking of ships. Therefore, Wilson tried to keep the public and the pol itical opion against entering the war as long as possible. However, it was impossible to stay out of the ongoing war for Wilson.Therfore, Murphy believes that Wilson’s foreign policy became more of a failure in 1917. This was because the USA entered the first world war. The America’s interests in Britain and France were threatened as huge businesses bounded many immigrants in the US. The sinking of Lusitania and the interception of Zimmermann telegram proved that the intervention was inevitable. The American intervention completely changed the war and established the world’s leading rule of America. However, murphy may believed that Wilson’s foreign policy became more of a failure in 1917, Wilson did go to war with a mission.The main goal of the war was to end militarism and make the world â€Å"safe for Democracy,† not merely to defend American ships. He promised that the United States would fight to ensure democracy, self-government, the rights a nd liberties of small nations, and an international peace organization that would end war forever. He achieved this goal and he spread his ideologies into the world. The age of empire or the creation of colonies, meanwhile, came to an end. After the Germany surrendered, Murphy believes that Wilson’s failures began.Wilson hoped to revolutionize the conduct of international affairs at the peace table. He first outlined his vision in the â€Å"Fourteen Points† speech delivered to Congress. No more secret treaties, and all territories occupied during the war must be evacuated. Wilson wanted to dismantle the imperial order by opening up colonial holdings to eventual self-rule and all European sections of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires to immediate independence. Other points included freedom of the seas at all times and free trade all over the world.But Murphy believes that Wilson's most important proposal was the prevention of future wars by means of a new interna tional organization, a league of nations, open to membership by all democratic states. This new world body would be in charge of disarmament and the dismantling of colonial possessions. Most importantly, the League would hold power over all disputes among its members. Wilson believed that this League would transform international relations and usher in a new era of world peace. When Wilson sailed for France in December of 1918 to head the American peace delegation.He wanted to persuade the Europeans to a fair peace for Germany in order to prevent wars in the future. However, in the end, Wilson faced with the determined insistence of Allied leaders to punish Germany with heavy reparations, territorial occupation, and total disarmament, Wilson was forced to compromise on most of his points. He took the leading role in ‘Peace Talks’ and he established his League of Nations, but instead of a â€Å"peace without victory,† the â€Å"Big Four† leaders—held secret negotiations and produced the Treaty of Versailles.This treaty imposed harsh terms on Germany, and Wilson was forced to present to the Senate a treaty that bore little resemblance to the ideal peace most Americans expected. The opposition at home equaled the opposition abroad. Most Senate Democrats supported Wilson and the treaty. Embittered over Republican opposition. In one of the most controversial episodes in presidential history, Wilson to consider any compromises to the League. When the Senate Republicans amended the treaty—to ensure that the President could not use U.S. forces on League business without securing congressional assent—Wilson told his supporters to vote against the amended treaty. America never joined the international organization that Wilson had envisioned as the foundation of his new world order. This failure of the League was a devastating conclusion to Wilson's almost superhuman efforts for world peace based upon international cooperat ion and the peaceful solution of international disputes.Woodrow Wilson was successful in keeping isolationism from 1912 to 1917, especially in staying neutrality in the WWI, the creation of League of Nations which ensured the peace, and leading the Peace Talks and Versailles Peace Treaty. By contrast, after 1917, the success he made turned out to be a disadvantage for the US, and ended in disillusionment. The League of Nations and Treaty of Versailles were rejected by the Congress successively, that was partially why Wilson was not re-elected as president in 1920 as well.

Self Account

At my senior secondary level, I was surrounded by lots of art related competition or activities. Personally, I love drawing and designing. I have studied art and participated in lots of art competition in order to broaden my horizon. I am glad that I have got the champion in a competition organized by the Hong Kong Civic Education Foundation Ltd and an outstanding grade in drawing competitions organized by the Hong Kong Heart Foundation Limited. These awards really built up my confidence. In my opinion, drawing is not only a hobby but also a great way to improve your interpersonal skills and become more patient.In addition, I enjoy getting along with people very much. I was the peer counselor at senior secondary level and I join a community service group which help the needy once a month. I like meeting people and helping them through community service. Every month I went to the kindergarten or elderly home to do volunteer work, I play and chat with them. The experience enriches my l earning, enhances my communication skills and exerts a positive impact on my life. I also become more analytical, observant and aware of people’s needs. I hope my cheerful personality can bring joy to the needy and contribute to the community.Besides, I am intrigued by discovering something new every day, which makes me particularly interested in science. My most beloved subjects are Physics and Biology. Physic gives me the propensity to look in depth into the daily application of Physic, how they affect our life and theory behind. I have to admit that it is fairly a challenging subject and it trained me to have an inquiring mind and be conscientious to perform the best in my sheer ability. Biology allows me to learn about our own remarkable human body, I relish in learning the part regarding different types of diseases and the miracle of body structure.It is a paramount importance for the medical professionals when they are avidly performing their duty. We are able to compet e with others only if we are well-equipped. Hence, I think academic result is very important, so I would work very hard to achieve a good result, I hope I can enter a great university and pay back the community in the future. Also, I have set a career goal to participate in a service industry that could benefit the needy. I would try my best to love and serve the community to make us live a better world.

The Main Functions of a Manager Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Main Functions of a Manager - Assignment Example This paper illustrates that as an organizer, a manager should be able to organize their teams and other resources according to the obtained plan. Depending on the organizational needs, a manager should select, recruit, train and develop employees. As a leader, a manager should be able to communicate, guide, motivate and encourage the organization’s employees. This means they should also be able to solve problems with employees, coach and assist them. When all has been set in place, the manager has a continuous task of checking results against goals and taking any necessary steps to ensure all goals are met. In order to accomplish the above-mentioned responsibilities, managers adopt different management styles. A good example of these is the consultative/democratic supervision. In this type of management style, the manager uses staff empowerment to ensure tasks are accomplished. Staff empowerment means delegation of authority to staff members hence giving them the responsibilit y of accomplishing their assigned tasks. The employees are free to choose the best method to complete the tasks. However, one rule is that tasks should be accomplished on time. Â  In consultative supervision, employees are motivated and develop a sense of belonging because they are involved in decision making. From its name ‘consultative supervision’, it is clear that managers consult employees before making major decisions. This is unlike the autocratic management style where the manager makes decisions without any consultation and dictates orders to staff. The disadvantage that arises from this type of management style is that decision making takes a long time due to the extensive consultations involved. Some employees could also take advantage of the democratic managers by not working to their full potentials. Assertive communication is the communication style employed in democratic management style. In this case, no one pushes the other beyond their limits.

The BuyRite Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The BuyRite Project - Research Paper Example In this regard, a research exercise will be conducted in order to substantiate practicability of the Input-Transformation-Outcome model as used in the BuyRite Project. In this case, we will strive towards developing a coherent research report meant to acquire knowledge on the theoretical construct of the model, followed by efficiency of this model in addressing actual problems in commercial contexts. Introduction International Concrete Operations Company (ICO) seeks to improve its management processes, especially within the procurement sector. Despite being good in utilizing entrepreneurial principles to achieve business goals, it still lags behind in terms of internal management. Consequently, ICO’s competitors are capable of achieving significant goals with better management. In this regard, ICO have developed a mechanism through which superior, middle level and subordinate employees will be made to acknowledge the role of efficient management in addressing business problems within a competitive environment. In order to objectively respond to the procurement problem, the company’s chief executive established position of National Procurement Manager. The appointed manager’s duties involved formulation and implementation of BuyRite Project. Fleming (2003) says that with implementation of this project, ICO would respond to procurement challenges by reducing cost of supply undertakings and general operation costs. Upon completion of a feasibility analysis, stakeholders approved that BuyRite Project would prove instrumental in addressing immediate needs of the multinational corporation within the cement and concrete industry. Earlier studies on the company’s procurement activities showed that inefficient procurement process coupled with lack of purchase responsiveness from potential customers causes increase in procurement costs. In the past, ICO had tried adopting ideal supply techniques in synchronizing activities of procurement staff and suppliers. Later on, those supposedly ideal techniques proved ineffective, especially due to increased competition within the industry. In this regard, BuyRite Project was thought to being effective in addressing increasing procurement cost in current business environment. This is because the project applies principles of Input-Transformation-Outcome model. In this research, we will appraise effectiveness of this model in enhancing reduction of procurement costs. Research Statement With respect to theoretical content, a systematic research exercise should have a strong statement, which provides an insight and direction on the purpose of that exercise. A research question will serve the purpose of developing a specific description of an underlying topic of study, which in this case involves effectiveness of Input-Transformation-Outcome model. For clarity purposes, every research exercise should begin by providing a basis of study insinuated through a research statement and a res earch question. Based on these acknowledgements, statement for this report asserts that Input-Transformation-outcome model (ITO) creates a direct relationship between customer’s use of outputs and subsequent outcomes realized by a company. At this juncture, I can say that this entire research will seek to provide a comprehensive response to this issue Input-Transformat