Acquainted with the Night and the oil painting Nighthawks Assignment

Acquainted with the Night and the oil painting Nighthawks - Assignment Example The essay "Acquainted with the Night and the oil painting Nighthawks" discovers the Robert Frost's poem â€Å"Acquainted with the Night† and the oil painting of Edward Hopper titled, â€Å"Nighthawks.† The images in the poem revolve around the theme. The night, rain, his aloofness, and solitary walking towards the â€Å"furthest city lane† all lead readers to imagine the loneliness and isolation of the man. There is no mention of company, relationships, etc. Only a watchman, whom the persona ignores, is mentioned in the poem. His isolation is strongly expressed by the pronoun â€Å"I† at the start of each line in the first stanza. Noticeably, seven out of fourteen lines of the poem start with â€Å"I.† This recurrence of the reference to the persona strongly suggests his isolation. In â€Å"Nighthawks,† the theme of shadow and solitude is also reflected as the scene is set at night. Shadow is literally cast on the background and the idea of s uffering may be felt with the forlorn gesture of one customer in the diner. The man who sits alone on the left seems to represent the persona in Frost’s poem. He displays the same solitariness expressed by the persona. He wears a blue coat and hat, drinks alone, and refuses to talk to the other figures. Like the persona in the poem, he submits to shadow. In contrast, the other figures seem to be enjoying each other’s company. Therefore, unlike the poem that centers on the theme of shadow and solitude, the painting also hints on the brighter side of life. The light in the diner agrees.

Essay Essay Example for Free

Essay Essay THE MOST MEMORIABLE VACATION My most memorable vacation was when I went to NHA TRANG with my family last summer. When my father told me I was excited because NHA TRANG famous for beautiful beaches and delicious foods. After four hours on the train, finally we arrived. Although I felt tired after long hours, I am happy when I was standing in front of a beautiful beach. Firstly, we arranged our bags and after that, we quickly swim in the blue sea. Next, my younger brother and I were building sandcastles while my parents were sunbathing on the sand. For a few hours, we felt hungry so we went to a nearby restaurant to enjoy tasty foods. In the afternoon, we visited some beautiful and famous places such as THAP BA PONAGAR; HON CHONG then went to NHA TRANG center to buy some souvenirs. The day went by so fast. The trip was short but it had a strong impression on me and my family and I have many memories of that day. QUALITY OF A GOOD TEACHER The good teacher has three important qualities. The first quality of a good teacher is that having strong knowledge of his or her subject matter. For instance, teachers have to provide students with specific content knowledge. A good teacher will know how to explain the content that he or she is teaching in a way easy to the most understand for students. Another quality of a good teacher is enthusiastic and caring. For example, he or she always cares academic status of the students and help them more advance in learning. Moreover, they also learn about the family circumstances of the individual students and find ways to help the poor students. The last quality is that confidence. Standing in front of a class, he or she has to the voice clear and full of confidence to their student pay attention to his or her lectures. To sum up, a good teacher need to have three qualities above and ethic good quality. DISADVANTAGES OF LIVING IN THE DOMITORY Living in a college dormitory has several disadvantages. The first disadvantage is narrow space. For example, dormitory in PHU YEN University, there are eight students sharing the room, it becomes crowded and narrow. You do not have much space to learn within a dorm. In addition, your  roommates can be messy, upset, or talkative so you will feel uncomfortable when living together with them. Another disadvantage is food. You are not allowed to cook in the dormitory so you have to eat rice at the canteen or at the restaurant. The amount you have to pay for meals in the dorm expensive than in the motel. In addition, you will feel tired of when you have to eat the same foods every day. Finally, living in a dormitory is noisy. Sometime you cannot concentrate for learn if your roommate opens music loudly. To sum up, you must find the best accommodation for you to convenient for your learning but you should think before deciding to live in the dormitory. A BEAUTIFUL BEACH AT DAWN Beyond a shadow of doubt, NHA TRANG beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam, particularly at dawn. Every day, at 5.30pm, the sunrise slowly, it is like yolk rise from the bottom of the sea. At that time, the beach always crowded. Many people get together here very early to do the exercise and bathe in the sea. The beach scenery at dawn is fantastic, with a neglected beauty. The silence covers the whole beach; there is no sound but the sound of breaking waves. If you stand on the sandbank and stare into the distance, in the sun direction, you will have a strange feeling; have something peaceful in the deep of your soul. The atmosphere is so great by the winds, which come from. When the sun has risen completely, you can see some light rays of sunlight; they signal to you that the dawn-time nearly ended. I think words cannot describe how nice this beach is at dawn. If you have a chance to visit somewhere, why do not you try visiting NHA TRANG to enjoy the beach landscape at dawn in the true sense of the word? A BEAUTIFUL BEACH AT DUSK Sitting on the fine sand, I can see the amazing beauty of the beach at dusk. The sun like a fiery orb looks like it is gradually receding into the waters below. The setting sun’s red rays lit up the sky above the western horizon. At the time, the sky consisted of an assortment of shades, a blend of reds, oranges, and yellows. The waters below mirror this effect. The waves are tinted vermilion; the sand under my feet is the same color, the vivid color mix highlights the beauty of the beach at dusk like a perfect picture. I can  hear is the sound of the waves as they crash against the shore, and seagulls, which I cannot see, squawking in the distance. Sometime I can smell the fishy smell of fish. It smells warm and salty, as I breathe in the cold, salty. I just stand there, eyes closed, and feel the moment until the dusk and the warm feeling fades. I wish time could stop to enjoy this wonderful moment longer. HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN RICE You can make a tasty chicken rice dish if you follow these easy steps. The first step is to prepare the necessary ingredient such as haft chicken, rice, three slices ginger, salt, coriander onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, and chilly sauce. Next, cook the rice in the rice cooker. The third step is to cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, and then combine all the other ingredients and mix well in a bowl. After that, pour the mixture over the chicken, cover with foil and bake until the rice is cooked. When the rice is cooked, season to taste with salt, if needed. Finally, scoop a bowl of chicken rice on plate. Place cooked chicken over the rice. Garnish with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, coriander, and spring onions. Now sit down and enjoy your delicious chicken rice plate with ginger sauce and chilly sauce on the side. HOW TO PREPARE FOR A JOB INTERVIEW Before a job interview, you can be stressful, but you can reduce your stress by following these skills. The first skill is picking out what you are going to wear to your job interview. The first choice an interviewer makes is going to base on how you look and what you are wearing. That is why it is always important to dress appropriately for a job interview. The second skill is that practiced greeting before your interviewer. You should always greet your interviewer with a friendly smile and a firm handshake. It will create a good impression about you to the interviewer. Next, you should prepare some typical interview questions you will probably be asked during a job interview. If you prepare well the answers of the interviewers can ask, you will not be surprised with questions about them. Practice interviewing  with a friend or family member ahead of time and it will be much easier when you are actually in a job interview. To sum up, the interviewers will appreciate what you did and can choice if you have a good preparation. AUSTRALIAN AND VIETNAMESE EDUCATION SYSTEM Australian and Vietnamese have similarities and differences in the education system. We can see that both education systems of Australian and Vietnam are quite similar that they have twelve grades, from one to twelve. In addition, schooling is compulsory for students until the age of fifteen. Despite the similarities, the two educations have some very important differences in system division, school-time. The first major difference between Vietnamese and Australian education is the system division. In Australia, primary school goes from grade one to six and secondary school from grade seven to twelve. In Vietnam, we have primary school (from grade one to five), middle school (from grade six to nine), and high school (from grade ten to twelve). Another obvious difference that we can see from these two educations is school-time. In Australian, the academic year begins in early February for school students and late February/early March for vocational and university students. However, in Vietnamese, the academic year begins in middle August for students and late August/ early September for university students. Although both education systems of Australian and Vietnamese have a lot of differences and similarities, they are good education systems for students. AMERICAN AND VIETNAMESE MEALS American and Vietnamese meals are quite different. One difference is Americans have one big dinner per day but Vietnamese have three meals a day with some snacking on fruits and cakes. Americans always think to take advantage of that time to be effective, breakfast and lunch only eating briefly, in the evening with more spare time, so comfortable chatting happily, and eating dinner together. Another difference is that the Vietnamese have breakfast with soup â€Å"pho,† rice or rice noodles; bean sprouts; greens; boiled eggs; and crusty bread and drink green tea or coffee. The Vietnamese have lunch and dinner with rice, fish, or meat;  vegetable dish with fish sauce then snacks with fruits or cakes. In contrast, Americans eat many foods that are high in calories and fat, such as hamburger, fried chicken, sandwiches. They do not spend much time in preparing food so they choose fast foods or going to the restaurant to eat. All in all, though there are differences between American meal and Vietnamese meal, they are typical culturally in the world.

Losing Touch with the Symbolic Order in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Essay

Losing Touch with the Symbolic Order in Buffy the Vampire Slayer      Ã‚   In the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "The Body," the audience is forced to face the Real every time the director makes a shock cut to Joyce's dead body after each commercial break. Joyce's body reminds viewers of the materiality of the human condition as we see her zipped into a body bag, then examined by a mortician, and finally covered with a white sheet. By exposing viewers to Joyce's body, the creators of Buffy are treating the audience as another member of the Buffy diegesis. Like Buffy, Dawn, and Giles, we recognize the Real because the camera constantly returns us to the physical presence of her corpse. We understand how Buffy experiences the abject because we, too, experience the shock of seeing Joyce's dead body. One question that remains, however, is how do people deal with the abject when they know there is death but do not see the corpse. In "The Body," there is a sequence that explores this question. It is a scene where we see Buffy's closest fri ends deal with the loss of a mother figure, without seeing her corpse. Because they are not exposed the body, they try to hang on to the symbolic order through language and action. However, the abject is always present in their minds. Willow faces what Julia Kristeva calls a narcissistic crisis as she struggles to appear as a collected, supportive figure for Buffy. Xander practices transference as he looks for someone to blame for Joyce's death. Anya experiences her own breakdown of reality as she recognizes her own mortality. Through language and action, these characters try to cover their own fears of the Real without success.    Like many of the other scenes in this e... ...d language; however, the Real and the abject cannot be repressed. Willow gives into the abject by crying out against Anya's tactlessness. Xander faces the abject by looking down at his bloody hand and realizing there is nothing left to blame. Anya recognizes her own mortality by comparing Joyce's physical condition with her own. For these characters, the loss of Joyce, a mother figure, causes them to realize their own human condition. Symbolic order and language, at times, fails because thinking about Joyce's death forces the Real to permeate in their minds. The desire to hold on to the symbolic order remains, however, in order to help them get through the loss of their loved one and to continue living.    Sources Kristeva, Julia. Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection. Trans. Leon S. Roudiez. New York: Columbia UP. 1982.            

Education Through Imagination Essay

William Butler Yeats said, â€Å"Education is not filling a bucket but lighting a fire.†(The Language of Composition, Yeats page 174) As a high school student aspiring to be an actress, I most certainly agree with his intelligent statement. Education to me, just as to Yeats, is not about having the maximum capacity of knowledge in every subject; it is finding that burning desire to learn about whatever it is that interests you. It is unnecessary to fill our heads with facts that will essentially be useless in our future, personal lives. Instead, we should be inspired to go and learn about the subjects that we are passionate towards, or at least what is related to those passions. For instance, as a student working in the direction of becoming a theatre major, it is not under my impression that it should be mandatory of me to participate in classes that do not involve some type of lessons that will aid my acting career. Here is an example: I’m not going to rely on my knowledge of math or science to pursue a successful profession in theatre. But as an alternative I should become well-informed about many types of literature. The subject of English will be the most helpful to me while going through life as a performer of the arts. Yeats’ description of education reminds me somewhat of another quote from the highly gifted Albert Einstein. Einstein said, â€Å"I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.† (GoodReads, Einstein, www. Goodreads.com/quotes/tag/imagination). Both of them touch on the importance of the free mind, and how some knowledge is not always necessarily needed in life. Now, don’t misunderstand the meanings of these expressions. By no means should knowledge as a whole be absent from your qualities, but your main focus should not be to overflow your mind with knowledge. This topic is very controversial- most people would disagree in a heartbeat. People who disagree have a right to their opinion, but, they must also respect the opposing one too. The way that these theories are worded just provokes close-minded people to argument. But, if they were to try and un derstand the importance of what your imagination can teach you, they may change their minds. From my personal standpoint, by practicing the art of imagination, and by allowing my mind chase its dreams, I have fueled a spark in myself that has lit a fire. This fire is why I burn to be educated about the performing arts and all of the beautiful things I learn about myself while doing so. I have learned more and more about myself every day that I let my imagination educate me. My experiences at school have never come close to revealing the amount of truth in learning as my mind’s eye has. Einstein also said, â€Å"Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.† (Albert Einstein, brainyquote.com) Therefore, it is what we take away from our education that shows what we have really learned. These are the things we will apply in our lives. We will prosper through the things we enjoy, and forget the useless information. Though to say what inf ormation is useless is entirely up to each individual. Also, as time passes we may change our minds as to what is useful to us or not, but that is the beauty of being able to change our minds and educate ourselves about whatever makes us happy. It is passion that drives us, and passion that will truly educate us. â€Å"Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.† (Anthony J. D’Angelo, quotationsbook.com/quote) If you are to take anything away from these words let it be this: Have a desire to learn, and be passionate about your education.

Human Trafficking in the US

Sex Trafficking in the United States Imagine yourself leaving for a trip that you have been looking forward to. You get packed, board the plane, and then finally you arrive at your destination. After settling in you go explore the area. At this point, you are kidnapped. You cannot do anything to protect yourself or to escape. You end up being forced to strip your clothes and have your body sold. You are now an object, no longer a person. Welcome to the victims' world of sex trafficking.Because sex trafficking is an underground business, it may be difficult to completely stop this exploitation. Knowing the signs, watching for human sex trafficking, and acting quickly can save countless lives. Sex Trafficking is any practice that involves moving people within and across local or national boundaries for the purpose of sexual exploitation (Farr 2). It is the fastest growing crime in the United States and the second largest illegal trade after the drug industry. Human Trafficking has been going on for over one hundred years.Human Sex Trafficking happens all over the world, including the United States. There are approximately twenty-seven million victims of sex trafficking worldwide; three undred thousand of them are women and children bought and sold yearly here in the U. S. Of the three hundred thousand sex slaves sold in the US, 25% are forced into the business by parents or family members and 75% are former runaways. Each year, 1. 7 million children run away from home. From that number, 90% will be approached by traffickers within 48 hours. Many of which do not make it out the industry alive.In the state of Texas alone, there are only 99 known survivors in the last 20 years whoVe managed to escape sexual slavery (Preda. org). Victims of sexual slavery are not all kidnapped, majority are tricked into the business. Most of the women trafficked into brothels posing as massage businesses are not U. S. citizens, and many do not have documented status. Therefore, traff ickers use the threat of deportation to maintain control of immigrant women. Without legal status, the women frequently fear and distrust police or government authorities.Immigrant women are vulnerable due to language barriers, unfamiliarity with their legal rights in the US, and/or the lack of a local support network. Others can be women with financial need or in debt leave the women vulnerable to recruiters, who appear to be offering legal Jobs. Sex trafficking thrives because it is low in risk and high in pay off. The United States FBI estimates about three thousand Russian mobsters control gangs in American cities that involve forced prostitution (Stoecker, Shelly 14). These groups generate 7 billion dollars yearly in the United States.Since there are currently no consistent or accurate ways of tracking these crimes, statistics may vary. Because this is a large and very detailed business, many people are involved throughout the process. Everyone involved has a role to play to en sure the process is done quickly and smoothly. The recruiter finds and brings the victims into the industry usually by force or deception. The recruiter then sells the women to brokers or directly to employers. Brokers are the â€Å"middleman†; they buy the women from recruiters and sell them to employers, those who own brothels or bars.If the women are being transported from overseas, a contractor organizes the transaction. Next an Employment or Travel agent is needed. Their main purpose is to arrange a â€Å"legitimate† Job and Job description or a† legitimate† trip. A document theft or forger obtains all the legal documentation needed to travel from country to country. The transporter travels with the women to each destination and delivers them to the recruiter. Who then sells them to the employers. The employers provide the women with a place to live and work; telling them of the working conditions, living arrangements, and lifestyle.A large number of e mployers are bar or club owners, while a very small percentage of them are street pimps. For large establishments an enforcer serves as security for the place of business (Farr 63). The life of a sex slave can be compared to an animal caged in a zoo. You are brought out only to do your trick, and then locked in a cage again. Victims, usually ages 11-17, are chained to a bed or confined in small living quarter's majority of the day until they are fed, usually something light to keep their weight down. Then they are given ice-cold showers to reduce the swelling on their bodies.Attendants then cover-up their bruises from the night before, put make-up on the girls, and then present them to another group of men for more abuse and profit. The women usually serve 5 to 30 men a night. Many of these victims turn to drugs as a solace for the life they have been brought into. Drugs and beatings numb their capacity for thoughts of escape and further iscourage the energy or alertness required to act on their desire for freedom. Many never make it out of the industry alive (preda. org). Stopping Sex Trafficking is harder than it may seem.There are signs of human sex trafficking that everyone should be aware of. Visible indicators may include: Heavvy security at the commercial establishment including barred windows, locked doors, isolated location, and electronic surveillance. Women are never seen leaving the premises unless escorted. Victims live at the same premises as ‘the brothel or work site, or are driven between uarters and â€Å"work† by a guard. Victims are kept under surveillance when taken to a doctor, hospital or clinic for treatment; trafficker may act as a translator.High foot traffic especially for brothels where there may be trafficked women indicated often by a stream of men arriving and leaving the premises. Physical signs of a person being trafficked include: malnutrition, dehydration or poor personal hygiene; sexually transmitted diseases; si gns of rape or sexual abuse; bruising, broken bones, or other signs of untreated medical problems; critical illnesses including diabetes, cancer or eart disease; post-traumatic stress or psychological disorders (humantraffcking. org).

Parts of Speech Essay Example

Parts of Speech Essay Example Parts of Speech Essay Parts of Speech Essay PARTS OF SPEECH Traditional grammar recognizes seven parts of speech: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, and conjunction These are the grammar basics. 1. Adjective an adjective modifies or describes a noun or pronoun. It usually answers one of these questions: Which one? What kind of ? How many? Example: an argumentative essay 2. Adverb an adverb modifies, qualifies, a verb and usually answers one of these questions: When? Where? How? Why? Under what conditions? To what degree? Example: a well argued essay. 3. Article precedes a noun phrase and is either definite (the) or indefinite (a/an) in property. Example: An (indefinite article) argumentative (adjective) essay that is persuasive is the (definite article) the (definite article) writers mark of success. 4. Conjunction: An essay can be either argumentative or descriptive but not both. 5. Noun a noun is an animate or inanimate object or concept. Example: an essay (noun) 6. Preposition -a pronoun is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase modifying another word in the sentence. Example: The road to hell is usually paved with good intentions. 7. Pronoun: When scientific experiments do not work out as expected, they are ften considered failures until some other scientist tries them again. Those that work out better the second time around are the one that promise the most rewards. 8. Verb: In my argumentative essay, I will (verb) attempt (verb) to persuade (verb) the reader of my point of view

Ancestry and Family Tree of President Ronald Reagan

Ancestry and Family Tree of President Ronald Reagan A well-loved Hollywood actor, Ronald Reagan appeared in over 50 feature films. In 1966, he was elected as governor of California and, in 1980, he became the 40th president of the United States (1981-1989) Born in 1911 in Tampico, Illinois, Ronald Wilson Reagan was the second son of John (Jack) Reagan and Nelle Wilson. He was the great-grandson, on his fathers side, of Irish immigrants who came to America through Canada in the 1940s. His mother was of Scottish and English ancestry. Learn about his other family members using this family tree, which is presented by generation. First Generation 1. Ronald Wilson REAGAN was born on 6 Feb 1911 in Tampico, Illinois and died on 5 Jun 2004. He is buried on the grounds of the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library, Simi Valley, Ventura Co., CA. In 1950, Ronald Reagan married actress Sarah Jane Mayfield (stage name Jane Wyman). They had two girls- Maureen Elizabeth born in 1941 and Christine who died at birth in 1947. In 1945 they adopted a baby boy named Michael. Jane and Ronald divorced in 1948 and, on 4 March 1952 Ronald Reagan married another actress, Nancy Davis (born 6 July 1921). Named Anne Francis Robbins at birth, Nancy took the surname Davis when her stepfather, Dr. Loyal Davis, adopted her in 1935. Nancy and Ronald had two children- Patricia Ann (Patti) in 1952 and Ronald Prescott in 1958. Second Generation (Parents) 2. John Edward (Jack) REAGAN was born on 13 Jul 1883 in Fulton, Whiteside Co., IL. He died on 18 May 1941 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles Co., CA. 3. Nelle Clyde WILSON was born on 24 Jul 1883 in Fulton, Whiteside Co., IL. She died on 25 Jul 1962 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles Co., CA. John Edward (Jack) REAGAN and Nelle Clyde WILSON were married on 8 Nov 1904 in Fulton, Whiteside Co., IL and had the following children: i. John Neil REAGAN was born on 16 Sep 1909 in Tampico, Illinois.1 ii. Ronald Wilson REAGAN Third Generation (Grandparents) 4. John Michael REAGAN1,2 was born on 29 May 1854 in Peckham, Kent, England. He died of tuberculosis on 10 Mar 1889 in Fulton, Whiteside Co., IL. 5. Jennie CUSICK1 was born about 1854 in Dixon, Lee Co., IL. She died of tuberculosis on 19 Nov 1886 in Whiteside Co., IL. John Michael REAGAN and Jennie CUSICK were married on 27 Feb 1878 in Fulton, Whiteside Co., IL3 and had the following children: i. Catherine (Katy) REAGAN1 was born in Jul 1879 in Fulton, Whiteside Co., IL.1ii. William REAGAN was born on 10 Jan 1881 in Fulton, Whiteside Co., IL. He died on 19 Sep 1925 in Dixon, Lee Co., IL.2 iii. John Edward (Jack) REAGANiv. Anna REAGAN was born on 14 May 1885 in Fulton, Whiteside Co., IL. 6. Thomas WILSON4,5 was born on 28 Apr 1844 in Clyde, Whiteside Co., IL. He died on 12 Dec 1909 in Whiteside Co., IL. 7. Mary Ann ELSEY4,5 was born on 28 Dec 1843 in Epson, Surrey, England. She died on 6 Oct 1900 in Fulton, Whiteside Co., IL. Thomas WILSON and Mary Ann ELSEY were married on 25 Jan 1866 in Morrison, Whiteside Co., IL and had the following children: i. Emily WILSON4,5 was born on 12 Nov 1867 in Clyde, Whiteside Co., Illinois.ii. John WILSON4,5 was born on 9 Oct 1869 in Clyde, Whiteside Co., Illinois. He died on 21 Jun 1942 in Clinton, Iowa.iii. Jennie WILSON5 was born on 16 Jun 1872 in Illinois. She died on 8 Mar 1920.iv. Alexander Thomas WILSON5 was born on 30 Mar 1874 in Illinois. He died on 26 Apr 1962.v. George O. WILSON5 was born on 2 Mar 1876 in Illinois. He died on 3 Apr 1951 in Clinton, Iowa.vi. Mary Lavinia WILSON5 was born on 6 Apr 1879 in Illinois. She died on 6 Sep 1951 in Fulton, Whiteside Co., IL.3 vii. Nelle Clyde WILSON

Heres why you should start your job search this summer

Heres why you should start your job search this summer There are plenty of things in life that we reserve for summers- going to the beach, swimming, and backyard BBQs are just a few. But what about job searching? If you’re in-between jobs or are thinking about a career change, you may be wondering when is the best time of year to plan your job hunt. Is now the time to strike, or is it better to wait until the humidity passes before ramping up your search? The truth is, if you’re out of work and need a paycheck, you might not have the option to delay your job search until the fall season returns. However, you may be currently employed or in no big rush to make your next career move, and are questioning whether or not to take the summer off from job hunting or get started immediately.Business is ongoing- even during a vacation seasonTraditional conventional wisdom suggests that the summer can be a challenging time to try and find a new job- many people assume that the pace of business slows during the sweltering months of Jun e through August, and that employees (including key hiring personnel) are more focused on vacations and weekend plans than staffing concerns. Businesses also might assume that the available talent pool during the summer months may be a little thinner, and choose to defer filling new and vacant positions until the season changes. What’s the net result? A job market with fewer openings and opportunities on average than cooler months. But does that necessarily mean that starting a job search during the summer is a bad idea?The truth is, although there’s much to be said about conventional wisdom, it isn’t always right. Like most things in the professional world, trends change over time. Many aggressive and innovative businesses not only fail to slow down operations in the summer, they actually ramp them up- especially if there’s a seasonal element to their industry. Also, there’s no denying an immediate need, and if an open position absolutely needs to be filled ASAP, you can count on businesses conducting a hard-target search for the right person- even during the hot summer months. Also, seasonal and part-time employment (as well as contract work) are more resilient to seasonal shifts, so if you’re on the lookout for these types of opportunities then there’s no reason not to start searching in the summertime. In fact, many employers ramp up short-term hiring during the summer months to offset full-time staff summer vacations, so keep an eye out for growth in these opportunities.There’s more opportunity to shineHere’s another good reason to consider summertime job searching- remember earlier when we mentioned that the available talent pool tends to shrink during the summer months? This temporary decrease in job seekers may mean that there’s less competition for the positions you’d be applying for. Furthermore, fewer active people searching for jobs may mean that you’ll get more att ention from recruiters and employment agencies, should you consider using their services. Who knew that conducting a job search in the summer may actually be a wise and strategic move?So, what’s the bottom line when it comes to job searching in the summer? The reality is that it really depends on your situation- your target industry, position, experience level, city, and luck all factor into how effective a potential job hunt will be during the months of June through August. But even if there are  fewer  opportunities available in the summer, that doesn’t mean there are no opportunities, and those who stay serious, focused, and committed during the summer months are most likely to be successful. Will you be among them?

Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Risk Management - Essay Example 1. Strategic CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) is significant in forming economic sustainability for all companies. 2. Applying the impact of CSR and MO (Marketing Orientation) in commercial and noncommercial settings. 3. The successful incorporation of the irrelevant facilitating impact of CSR on the association between MO and company performance. 4. The results of content analyses of 242 Malaysian publicly traded firms for financial years 2006, 2007, and 2008. 5. The evidence is dedicated and region limited, thereby making it debatable in companies in foreign economies and markets. 6. Companies in a setting defined by focused ownership arrangements where the firms might be less market-oriented also find CSR substantial. 7. The evidence does support the deductions made. 8. No clear assumptions are made in the passage. Cosset, J & Suret, J 1995, ‘Political risk and the benefits of international portfolio diversification,’ Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 301.

Kitkat-nestle Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Kitkat-nestle - Research Paper Example It has grown then in the entire region and operating companies has been opened in every country of Middle East except Iraq and Yemen. In these two countries, selling and distribution of products is done through agents. The regional head office of Nestle was established in Middle East in Dubai in the year 1997. Currently, the activities are focussed on 13 countries of Middle East. The chosen company is such that it is very difficult to consider its weakness in promoting their chocolate. The way in which Kit Kat Company is promoting its product is very strong. They make a discount when consumer buys large pieces. It also has many factories which increases and improves the sales of company. Maximizing the distribution of the product is very strong to achieve the goals for any company to have many consumers and gaining profits like the Kit Kat Company does. The way that retailers promote the Kit Kat chocolate is different. Good retailers should help the customers to observe the chocolate in the supermarket in a good way to sell more. For example, when we went to the see how supermarkets promote our product that we chose, we saw big differences in the amount of the Kit Kat chocolate in each store like in Al-Hadaf Supermarket, there are many sections provide different types of Kit Kat. Kit Kat chocolate is a familiar over the world because it has been produce for a long time. The company shows many advertisements and puts many billboards on groceries and big markets. Their slogan of Kit Kat â€Å"Have a Break, Have a Kit Kat† is very effective to the buyers because many workers and students like eating Kit Kat from what they see in the TV’s advertisement. The weakness that we saw is some supermarkets don’t promote the Kit Kat well. For instance, when we went to the Carrefour in the Manar Mall, we saw the Kit Kat chocolate that they want to sell is few and put it in one shelve. So, Kit Kat Company should know how the retailers promote the

Lean Manufacturing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Lean Manufacturing - Research Paper Example A brief account of the advantages and challenges in adopting and implementing Lean is illustrated. Overall, the paper draws information based on existing literature and research related to Lean manufacturing. According to Hill (cited by Brown, p.7), ‘The production/operations management (POM) task is concerned with the transformation process which takes inputs and converts them into outputs, together with the various support functions closely associated with this basic task.’ Such transformation processes are mainly applied to materials, customers and information. Brown (p.8) describes that Production Management encompasses the most vital activities of production, beginning from and including, planning and design, production processes of goods and services, and also effective integration of marketing, finance, human resources management and strategy in order to enable a business to enter and compete with both new and existing markets. One important aspect of improving efficiency is elimination of waste and/or non-value-adding activities; this not only improves efficiency by saving costs, it also saves immense time and labor. The ‘Lean Methodology’ constitutes th is aspect of production management, performed through a set of principles and methodologies (Keller, p.262). Lean methodology/manufacturing is a Japanese invention, and has been widely accepted in most of the manufacturing industries throughout the world. Its application in the service industry emerged later. Although its main focus is improvement of efficiency, different organizations adopt distinct approaches within lean system to achieve this. Although Lean methodology focuses on elimination of wastes, the reference to ‘waste’ differs in every manufacturing unit and industry type. Hence, adopting a uniform approach may not be feasible in all situations. In order to meet different needs of different industries, various lean systems or

Just-in-Time (JIT) Techniques Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Just-in-Time (JIT) Techniques - Assignment Example Thus by thinking about the problem the problem it can be viewed and finally when the problem eventually becomes clear leads to kaizen. If one makes it a rule to deal with defects only after they occur and thus the number of its staffs tends to fall. Therefore, things that are running smoothly should not be subject to any control. If you commit yourself to just finding and fixing problems, you'll be able to carry out effective control (within an organization) with fewer personnel†. This concept is very well applied in Toyota. Since everyone at Toyota is involved equally at the business improvement plan. The people at Toyota participated in the meetings which are held regularly and discuss the progress and also consider the new initiatives. Thus, everyone at Toyota is expected to contribute and all the ideas are equally listened to by the management of Toyota. Unlike other organization there are no suggestion boxes in Toyota as people are not afraid to talk about the new ideas an d plans (Hope & Player, 2012, p. 211). The success of Toyota an automotive company has been able to achieved success with the techniques of lean which is monitored by most of the organization (Blanchard, 2007, p. 97). According to the managing director of Toyota, the long principle of Toyota production System (TPS) will continue to work with the system of Just In time and will not change in the future and its production is able to meet all the upcoming challenge. Just in time revolves around the concept of producing of only what is needed and thus transferring only what is needed. Instead of the system of push system, it represented only to the pull system where the workers get and fetch what is required. Tools, such as the Kanban (the information card); and on the display board, as well as poka yoke the error prevention, was developed in order to implement the pull strategy (Toyota, 2012). The Toyota Production System had the ability to fulfill the demand of the customers efficient ly and promptly by way of linking the production to market place. JIT relies on the process of assembling the sequence only when they are required and needed (Toyota (A), n.d). Just in time offers a continuous, smooth and an optimized workflow with measured and careful work cycles and with the on demand movement of goods, materials capacity and reduce the cost of the time wasted. The members of the team can concentrate on each of their task without any interpretation which finally leads to better quality; deliver at the given time and of course peace of mind for the customers of Toyota. Potential Benefits — and Drawbacks — of Such JIT Techniques Are Limited to Large Manufacturing Businesses or Whether They Have Wider Applications for Other Organizations Benefits and Drawbacks Just in time has benefited many of the organization in many different ways and some of the benefits includes such as with the help of just in time the set up time can be reduced which allows the o rganization to eliminate the time needed to set the inventory; the flow of inventory increases from the warehouse to the selves; employees with multi skills are used at an effective and efficient way. Employees with multi skills allows the companies to move the workers to the required department with ease and confident; the relationship between the suppliers and the

This paper is about African Art. Topic is free to choose anything Research

This is about African Art. Topic is free to choose anything about African Art but should focus on one form or practice of - Research Paper Example Art plays play vital roles in the human lives as it communicates, entertains, a source of income, express the mood in the society, differentiate as far as culture and practices are concerned. Art could also be used to add aesthetic values to our infrastructure, automobiles and clothing among others. Art can attract foreigners from different corners of the world to a specific destination, for instance, a majority of Europeans and other parts of the developed nations travel to Africa just to have a real feel of the African art. They enjoy the African dances, songs, sculptures and paintings among other elements of Art. This discourse is about the unique architecture of the Egyptian’s pyramids as a form of visual art. The Egyptian’s pyramids are some of the most unique and valuable art in Africa. It is divided into various categories depending on the origin (Smyth 2013). The beauty of the pyramids is not only attributed to the structures but other features included in them. For instance, Egyptian’s pyramids have relief sculptures as well as produced wall paintings among other refreshing features. Some of the sculptures in the pyramids include the famous obelisks and the sphinx statues among others (Arnold, 2010). Talking of the Egyptian’s pyramids without the mention of the ancient Egypt history is regarded as incomplete. The ancient Egypt was characterized by desert and dry grassland climates. This could explain why the native Egyptians had to employ some desert features like the sand dunes to construct their structures. They could place huge obstacles in the open fields to trap dust and this marked the foundation or the beginning of their unique constructions. Mesopotamia was one of the ancient towns and it developed due to its two rivers namely Tigris and Euphrates. It’s believed that the two rivers contributed huge to the civilization in the region, as it supported trade and transport from foreigners from neighbouring cities l ike China and India. The two rivers also provided for the construction of the Egyptian’s ancient structures. The two rivers also provided water for agriculture among other domestic and commercial uses. The ancient Egypt was governed by the elite class called the monarch. It comprised by of the top ranked priests among other officials. The middle class was left to the merchants, tradesmen and clergy among others. The final low class was the slaves who were forced by their masters to toil in the agricultural fields and construction labourers. They were Israelites who were once welcomed in the country, but the changes in the monarchy changed their general hospitality in the country. Egyptian’s pyramids with the sculpture of god of the sun Sun baked bricks were the main construction material in the ancient Egypt. The bricks were moulded from the rich Nile River clay then left to dry in the natural sun. However, structure for the top monarch leaders were constructed from th e stones. The country is rich in limestone except the agricultural rich Mesopotamia. The unique exterior walls are carefully to either slope gently or stand vertical. The ancient architecture arrived at the flat roofs due the fact that the country was basically a desert; hence no major rain was expected. The roofs are structurally supported by well constructed beams and columns, both made from clay. The ancient buildings have the native

Just-in-Time (JIT) Techniques Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Just-in-Time (JIT) Techniques - Assignment Example Thus by thinking about the problem the problem it can be viewed and finally when the problem eventually becomes clear leads to kaizen. If one makes it a rule to deal with defects only after they occur and thus the number of its staffs tends to fall. Therefore, things that are running smoothly should not be subject to any control. If you commit yourself to just finding and fixing problems, you'll be able to carry out effective control (within an organization) with fewer personnel†. This concept is very well applied in Toyota. Since everyone at Toyota is involved equally at the business improvement plan. The people at Toyota participated in the meetings which are held regularly and discuss the progress and also consider the new initiatives. Thus, everyone at Toyota is expected to contribute and all the ideas are equally listened to by the management of Toyota. Unlike other organization there are no suggestion boxes in Toyota as people are not afraid to talk about the new ideas an d plans (Hope & Player, 2012, p. 211). The success of Toyota an automotive company has been able to achieved success with the techniques of lean which is monitored by most of the organization (Blanchard, 2007, p. 97). According to the managing director of Toyota, the long principle of Toyota production System (TPS) will continue to work with the system of Just In time and will not change in the future and its production is able to meet all the upcoming challenge. Just in time revolves around the concept of producing of only what is needed and thus transferring only what is needed. Instead of the system of push system, it represented only to the pull system where the workers get and fetch what is required. Tools, such as the Kanban (the information card); and on the display board, as well as poka yoke the error prevention, was developed in order to implement the pull strategy (Toyota, 2012). The Toyota Production System had the ability to fulfill the demand of the customers efficient ly and promptly by way of linking the production to market place. JIT relies on the process of assembling the sequence only when they are required and needed (Toyota (A), n.d). Just in time offers a continuous, smooth and an optimized workflow with measured and careful work cycles and with the on demand movement of goods, materials capacity and reduce the cost of the time wasted. The members of the team can concentrate on each of their task without any interpretation which finally leads to better quality; deliver at the given time and of course peace of mind for the customers of Toyota. Potential Benefits — and Drawbacks — of Such JIT Techniques Are Limited to Large Manufacturing Businesses or Whether They Have Wider Applications for Other Organizations Benefits and Drawbacks Just in time has benefited many of the organization in many different ways and some of the benefits includes such as with the help of just in time the set up time can be reduced which allows the o rganization to eliminate the time needed to set the inventory; the flow of inventory increases from the warehouse to the selves; employees with multi skills are used at an effective and efficient way. Employees with multi skills allows the companies to move the workers to the required department with ease and confident; the relationship between the suppliers and the

Analysis of Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis of Globalization - Essay Example   First of all it is necessary to mention that globalization has both positive and negative impacts on contemporary world, and exactly nowadays it is difficult to find a more fashionable and debatable topic than globalization. Different conferences and symposia, hundreds of modern books and thousands of articles are devoted to it. Scientists and politicians, businessmen and economists, religious leaders and artists argue about it. The subject of lively debate is literally everything - what the globalization is, when it started, how it fits with other processes in public and economic life, and what its immediate and long-term consequences are. However, the abundance of approaches, opinions and assessments do not guarantee the deep study of this fundamental issue. Globalization is considered to be a difficult question that is not difficult only for mass consciousness but for scientific analysis, too. Thus, it is waiting for a thorough study and we are going to begin its discussion fr om the perspective of economic inequality. Thinking about economic inequality through the prism of globalization it is necessary to mention that the main consequence of this is the global division of labor, migration across the planet's capital, human and industrial resources, the standardization of legislation, economic and technological processes, as well as the convergence of cultures in different countries. It is an objective process that is systemic in its nature and that covers all the aspects of society. Globalization is associated primarily with the internationalization of the entire public activity on the Earth (Gumery, 2006). This internationalization means that humanity is a single system of social, cultural, economic, political and other relations, interactions and relationships in the modern era. For example, including all the countries and nationalities, epochal events and changes that happened in the world at the end of the last century we recognize globalization†™s influence. Humanity now lives in the ‘world community’ where a single country or a group of countries cannot be fully fenced off from each other. Globalization deeply leaves roots in the history, and, however, it is considered to be the phenomenon of the 20th century. It is obvious that the processes of globalization of world economy observed in recent decades, have conflicting implications for the economic development of many countries. Currently two opposite points of view on globalization as a factor in the balanced development of the world economy co-exist. According to the first position, globalization is a ‘zero-sum game’: it gives a gain to relatively more developed countries, and it gives losses to less developed (developing) countries.  Ã‚  

The Hard Times in Life Essay Example for Free

The Hard Times in Life Essay Thinking of truly difficult times is life is far from difficult. Reminiscing on difficult times will always bring back sad memories and feelings. It seems as though the most difficult times are the easiest to remember. Personally, the most difficult time of my life was the first few days after my father’s bicycle accident. For almost three days, I could not see my father who had gotten hit head-on by a red Chevrolet truck. It was truly the most difficult thing I’ve ever experienced not knowing whether or not I would see him alive again. It started out like any other typical Tuesday. I had just gotten home from the state choral competition in Jackson and my father was setting off on his weekly Tuesday night ride. I came home around 6 o’clock, just in time to see my mom coming out the door crying. This was one of the few times I had ever seen my mom cry. Obviously curious as to why she was crying, I asked what was wrong. She blatantly said, â€Å"your dad’s been hit.† It took a while for her words to sink when, but after a few seconds I knew exactly what she meant and it was truly gut-wrenching to hear. She told my brothers and I that we couldn’t go to the hospital with her and that’s when I broke down. It was so nerve-wracking to think of what all was happening at the hospital and whether or not he would be okay. The next few days weren’t any better. My uncle, aunt, cousin, and grandmother, all of whom are on my mom’s side of the family, came and stayed the night with us, while my mom stayed at the hospital. It was nice to have support from my family being there but it was hard because I had to go to school the next day enduring all the horrible feelings and thoughts throughout those day. My other grandmother and grandfather, uncle and aunt, from my father’s side, came that Wednesday. Again, I was thankful to have so much family around, but it was just too much. Going 3 days without seeing my father was awful. Hearing what all had happened to him brought tears to my eyes. The worst feeling was the feeling that I could do nothing but wait. Seconds, minutes, and hours felt like days, months, and years. That Friday was the first day I was able to see him. Seeing my dad lying in a hospital bed, bruised from head to toe, with a broken leg and broken arm, truly broke me down and humbled me. I try to never take anything for granted anymore and I constantly remind myself that I am certainly so blessed by God to still have my father around.

Country PESTEL Analysis of Nigeria

Country PESTEL Analysis of Nigeria METHODOLOGY Most scholars in various fields have pointed out several factors that they believe are responsible for why certain students chose certain career choice other than their preferred choice of career. Parental factor, peer group influence, financial status of their parents and guardian among other factors could be arguably said as the perceived factors that influence career choice of most under graduates of Nigerian origin. Hence, this work seeks to unveil and ascertain the level of influence on the aforementioned factors, putting into perspective the Nigerian factor. Contrary to the above assertion, some scholars believed that other factors could also be responsible in exerting influence on the individual in deciding which career to pursue knowing that student of Nigerian origin are collectivist in nature whilst others argue based on the job prospect and bad governmental institution set up by the Nigerian government. It is upon these arguments that the methodological chapter seeks to highlight the manner and ways in which the investigator gathered the relevant information and how the information gathered was used to answer the research question. This chapter focused on the discussion of the methods used in the cause of the investigation of this thesis. In other to determine the validity and reliability of this work, the researcher’s methodology is very crucial (Gilham, 2000; Fink, 2005; Brockopp, 2003). The word methodology is been used differently by different scholars in relationship to their chosen profession and areas of specialisation. Methodology in the area of research and investigation simply refers to those procedures employed by a researcher or investigator to uncover or reveal a set of problems; the procedures taken could be theoretical in some cases, and in other cases can also involve systematical collection and analysing of raw data. As a result, this methodological chapter will discuss its findings under the following sub headings, research design, population of the study, sampling pattern, research instrument, administration of the instrument, interviews and ethical issues as relates to the collection and use of data. RESEARCH DESIGN In the course of this research, the descriptive survey design was employed in the study. According to Amaid (2002), the descriptive survey design method of research is about collecting the ideas and data of a sample of the population targeted in the course of the investigation, so as to deduce and draw a conclusion on the population to which the sample is drawn. Surveys are often used in analysing real and concise information how it happen and when it happen. The survey design according to Cobb(2001) states that, the survey design gives the researcher the free will to other range of option within his or he disposal either through interviews, questionnaire or even through observation. The survey method can also use structured, semi structured and even unstructured questionnaire. However, it is believed that it gives the researcher a variety of options in arriving at a given solution that is called Triangulation (Descombe, 2012). This method of research allows the researcher to gather large number of information from respondent in order to infer into the population that is the main target of the study. Invariably, this method is the most suitable for this research. POPULATION OF THE STUDY The population sample involves students both male and female of the University of Bedfordshire, in the United Kingdom who are of Nigerian descent. SAMPLING TECHNIQUE The word stratified means in categories or placing items or people in various categories according to where they belong. Whilst random means a process of selection in which items of a set or population has equal probability of being chosen. In that, the stratified random technique chosen for this investigation reveals that each item selected ranging from male to female, post graduate to undergraduate and even the MBA’s all have equal probably chance of representation. Stratified random sampling technique was used for the study. The stratification was based on gender of the student (male and female) socio economic status of the parents (high and low) and age of the student. The stratified sampling technique according to Descombe (2010), has to do with equal representation according to their proportion in relationship to the number of respondent involved in the research, taking into account such vital information like the demography of the participant. AREA OF STUDY This investigation is carried out in the University of Bedfordshire, United Kingdom. The essence of this investigation is to ascertain the perceived factor’s that influences the career choice of Nigerian university student study in the university. SAMPLE According to Descombe (2012) sample simply means a small proportion of the entire population mapped out for study or investigation. It is believed by the researcher that, information about a field of study cannot be gotten from all the people and not everyone can be reached. Consequently, a selected few from the entire population is relied upon to infer into the remaining, hoping that what it found in that selected few can be qualitative and quantitative enough to be generalised. The total sample for this study consist of 200 students drawn from among the general population of the university of Bedfordshire that are of Nigeria origin and who are currently doing their undergraduate, post graduate and the MBA programmes respectively. RESEARCH INSTRUMENT A designed instrument titled perceived factors influencing career choice of university students was used to collect data for the study. The instrument has two sections 1 and 2. Section 1 of the instrument was designed to elicit respondent demographic data such as age, name, and state of origin. It also contains ethical statements concerning the use of data, confidentiality, and anonymity, the right to withdraw from the research and data security. Whilst section 2; of the instrument was designed to contain the perceived factors influencing career choice of university students of Nigerian origin. Also the section 2 contains a Yes or No based response and a comment box if student thinks otherwise. A follow up interview was also carried out in order to give the research both qualitative and a quantitative base, which was also described by Descombe as Triangulation or mix method (Descombe, 2010). INTERVIEWS According to Descombe (2012), this is a planned talk between two or more respondents that take place in such a way that the respondent is willing to answer questions directly from the person carrying out the interview. Notably, interviews are carried out to illicit response on certain issues of investigation. There are basically three types of pattern an interview follows and they are: Structured interview Semi structure interview Unstructured interview But for the sake of this study and investigation, the semi-structured interview was employed in order to follow up the responses given in the cause of carrying out the pilot questionnaire. SEMI STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE This is a situation where the order of questions varies according to the responses given by the respondent as the conversation flows between them. This type of interview is called semi structure because there may be some intended question the interviewer had in mind to ask but keeps his options open depending on the responses of the person being interviewed. Therefore, this piece of research seeks to carry out its interview with ten (10) participants in order to give a different view from the once answered in the questionnaire with a full recording of the excerpt. QUESIONNAIRE The Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines questionnaire as a set of question printed and submitted either manually or electronically to a set of audience in order to elicit their perception on the topic of investigation. Questionnaires can be delivered on a face-to-face value or by post. According to Descombe (2010), it also involves a set of designed sheet prepared specifically to gather information that could be used in due time for analytical purposes. Therefore, the purpose of using a questionnaire in the research is to find out those perceived factors influencing career choice of Nigerian students here in the University of Bedfordshire United Kingdom. The type of questionnaire employed is a YES or NO type THE DESIGN OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE The design of the questionnaire was motivated and influenced by the topic of investigation that is geared toward investigating the perceived factors that influences career choice of University students of Nigeria. As a result, issues like what questions to ask, pattern to follow in asking the questions and the sequence to which those questions should follow were of primary concern to the researcher. Furthermore, the design seeks to meet the aim and objective toward which it is been carried out and how to possibly collate the information therein. Going by that, the questionnaire was designed to illicit the responses of the participants on the subject of investigation and to see if the designed meets and answers the hypothesis of this investigation by the use of the questionnaire. PILOTING OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE The questionnaire was piloted with a small number of participants in order to know whether the questionnaire designed would meet the targeted aim. The reason is to underscore the shortcoming and strength of the questionnaire in order to give room for amendment where necessary. The process involved in this piloting was carried out through survey monkey where participant respond online through social networks such as the Facebook and Whatsapp and through the e-mails. ETHICAL ISSUES Just like every research and investigation, the researcher faces a lot of issues as relate to been professional and they are Informed consent Data protection and security Confidentiality and privacy Anonymity Brief overview of Nigeria: PESTEL Analysis Nigeria is regarded as one of the most populous countries in the world. It is situated on the western part of Africa with a population of 173.6 million people. Owing to that, there is a prospect for Nigeria to develop in all spheres of life both human and material wise. This work will base its explanation of all the factors mentioned above using the PESTLE analysis. Although, different theories could be used in relation to career and choice but the PESTLE embraces the entire dimension explained so far. The word PESTEL stand for political, economic, sociological, technical, environmental and legal factor of both the macro and the micro society that the students find themselves, which in one way or the other affects the decision of students in pursuit of their careers. (P)OLITICAL SYSTEM This mostly has to do with the governmental decisions of a country. The political culture of a country can influence the decision of career choices of students in that particular country. Over the years governments in most African countries own all higher places of learning and therefore, control the tuition fees and the appointment of lecturers and staffs. Thus, the decisions of government directly or indirectly affect how a student thinks and acts because most students will for the sake of convenience want to attend a university where the tuition fees is quite affordable. The Nigerian constitution of 1999 places the direct control of all public schools in the hand of the government (the constitution of Nigeria, 1999). The educational value index is 0.457 when compared to the US which is 0.939. School leaving age of Nigerian is 9.0 while the mean year for adult is averaged at 25 years thus making it 6334 educational system. The graph above shows the structure of Education in Nigeria; the 6-3-3-4 Educational System. Six years in primary school, three years in junior secondary, three years in senior secondary and four years in the University or polytechnics. (E)CONOMIC SYSTEM The living condition of the people also accounts for why students choose one career over the other. In a country like Nigeria where the social stratification places more gap between the poor and the rich and the average living condition of the people is below one dollar per day, it is believed that the poor will send their children to schools, which they can afford the tuition fees and the rich will do the same (Ekins, 2003; Lizt and Quij, 2004). Human capital development is a key factor in the growth and development of a country Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Nigeria has been improving her Human Development Index (HDI) since its inception to civil rule in 1999. The HDI is regarded as an important element for a nations wealth because it influences all round development of the country especially in areas such as, technology, skilled labored, computer expertise and machines. These developments are seen as important especially if the quality of life and production needs to be improved. Nigeria is ranked at the bottom among 187 countries which 0.487(156 values). Nigeria has a low level of HDI as compared to other countries in the sub region. They are branding of the Nigeria Economy leads to the Gross Domestic Product increase over the years and this has led to the diversification of the economy thereby making Nigeria the largest Africa economy surpassing South Africa. This trend has given rise to students seeking for employment and taking up career choice that they do not have the right aptitude and desire for. The improvement could be seen in the non oil sector of the economy given a GDP of 5.4 percent and 7.8 percent for the year 2011 to 2014. The graph above shows the GDP of Nigeria from 2004 up to the year 2015 showing the projected increase in the gross domestic product of the country. The graph above shows the GDP of Nigeria from 2004 up to the year 2015 showing the projected increase in the gross domestic product of the country. (S)OCIAL SYSTEM This involves all the interactions in the environment putting more emphasis on factors such as the demographic conditions of the actor in the system, their cultural orientation, choice of career and even the dynamism of the population. According to Hofstede (2010), every society has five cultural effect and these issues affect most decision we make depending on our societal values. The following are what he used to describe every society and they are: Power distance. Individuality vs Collectivism. Uncertainty avoidance. Masculinity vs Feminism. Pragmatic vs Normatic These are the five dimension of hofstede(2010). Figure 4. The diagram above shows a comparative view of Nigerian and the United Kingdom cultural setups. As discussed above, it shows the level at which those factors influence the individual in that society. POWER DISTANCE Nigeria scores very high (80%) in power distance as compared to the United Kingdom (35%). This shows that, there is a flow of power from the top to the bottom and people (students) take directive right from the top. It is expected that most students in such countries like Nigeria will pay attention to their parents, guardians, teachers, and even their boss in the office; therefore they tend to influence them positively or negatively in regards to their choice of career. Whilst in the United Kingdom there is a level play ground between parents, guardian, teachers, and even at place of work, such that students are free to make career decisions. LONG TERM ORIENTATION In Nigeria, most people take up careers that have the immediate benefit to their needs due to the poverty level of people in the country; thus they pursue those jobs with big packages so as to be able to fend for their immediate and extended family. Arguably, the Nigerian society is a collectivist society and that makes one to look after the large family; such responsibility influences the choice of career of most students from Nigeria. On the other hand, the students from the United Kingdom take up courses because they have the right aptitude and motivation for that particular course and profession and this is due to the fact that they are individualist in nature meaning that, they do not have pressure from family and friends. (T)ECHNOLOGICAL FACTOR The advent of technology in the country has brought about many hopes and aspirations for most students in the country. The social media has really added flavor to how things are done in the universities. Firstly, most of the students from low socio economic background and students that are engaged in one form of business or the other can key into online universities. Many institutions abroad have enlarged the prospect of students seeking admission into place of higher learning without adequate funds to finance their studies, in that, students from Nigeria are now benefiting from such opportunities because students are mostly influences by their aptitude and belief. Secondly, the advent of technology creates room for ideas to be shared across the world with ease. They tap into things happening in other institutions and universities in the world knowing that they are the future leaders. During General Olusegun Obasanjo’s led government; he encouraged and gave the private sector green light to grow economically in other to ease the burden on the government. This led to various reforms in the country including the Economic reform. Year 2000 saw the government privatisation program showing great sign of real progress thereby making fresh graduates from Universities benefit from the diversification of the economy. With Government having key control of most affairs of the states, the Telecommunication sector has proven a success especially with the introduction of GSM telecommunication in 2001 thus encouraging investments. (E)NVIRONMENTAL FACTOR Most students are kin about what the environment hold for them and with many universities keying into vision 2020. Students tend to pursue careers that will enhance their productivity in the environment. With hundreds of ethnic nationalities holding stakes and wanting clarity on what the Nigerian state holds for them, especially when given the predominance of the three major ethnic groups. This is always a big challenge to students who intend to take up certain choice of careers; thus, it is difficult identifying common goal and aspiration of students based on their career preference either as a group, individual or even sectional interest. Nigerian environment is distinctly divided into two, while the majority of population in the northern Nigerian is Muslims, those in the southern part of Nigeria are Christians with religious and traditional barrier hindering the choice of career of students from these areas, in that, they are mostly influenced by those environmental factors within and outside the society.(kuku,2012). (L)EGAL FACTOR The kind of laws operating in a particular country can hinder the prospect of students. Legislations and policies of government can also influence the effectiveness of students. For instance, in a country where Islamic laws prohibit students from taking some sets of professional job or career, it might not only affect the growth of that country but it will as well influence their choice of career.

The Behavior Of Emerging Market Returns :: essays research papers

Currency devaluations, failed economic plans, regulatory changes, coups and other national financial "shocks" are notoriously difficult to predict and may have disasterous consequences for global portfolios. Indeed, these characteristics often define the difference in investment in the capital markets of developed and emerging economies. Research on emerging markets has suggested three market features: high average returns, high volatility and low correlations both across the emerging markets and with developed markets. Indeed, the lesson of volatility was learned the hard way by many investors in December 1994 when the Mexican stock market began a fall that would reduce equity value in U.S. dollars by 80% over the next three months. But, we have learned far more about these fledgling markets. First, we need to be careful in interpreting the average performance of these markets. Harvey (1995) points out that the International Finance Corporation (IFC) backfilled some of the index data resulting in a survivorship bias in the average returns. Second, the countries that are currently chosen by the IFC are the ones that have a proven track record. This selection of winners induces another type of selection bias. Third, Goetzmann and Jorion (1996) detail a re-emerging market bias. Some markets, like Argentina, have a long history beginning in the last half of the 19th century. At one point in the 1920's, Argentina's market capitalization exceeded that of the U.K. However, this market submerged. To sample returns from 1976 (as the IFC does), only measures the "re-emergence" period. A longer horizon mean, in this case, would be lower than the one calculated from 1976. This insight is consistent with the out-of -sample portfolio simulations carried out by Harvey (1993) indicating that the performance of the dynamic strategy was affect by the initial five years. Fourth, exposure as measured by the IFC is not necessarily attainable for world investor's [see Bekart and Urias (1996)]. Second, we have learned that the emerging market returns are more predictable than developed market returns. Harvey (1995) details much higher explanatory power for emerging equity markets than developed market returns. The sources of this predictability could be time-varying risk exposures and/or time-varying risk premiums, such as in Ferson and Harvey's (1991, 1993) study of U.S. and international markets. The predictability could also be induced by fundamental inefficiencies. In many countries, the predictability is of a remarkably simple form: autocorrelation. For example, Harvey (1995) details 0.25 autocorrelation coefficient for Mexico in a sample that ends in June 1992.

Syed Mokhtar Al Bukhary

He was born at Kampung Hutan Keriang in Alor Setar, Kedah in 1951. It was nine years later that his mother, Sharifah Rokiah, packed him off to stay with his British soldier uncle in Johor Bahru. He returned to Alor Setar in 1966, continued his Form Three studies at St Michael’s Secondary School, and helping out with his father’s cattle trading business. He dropped out of school before completing Form Five, ventured into meat trading after his father called it a day when the cattle business was badly affected by the foot and mouth disease.From there, he went into rice trading, the transportation business, garment contract manufacturing (for JCPenny and Kmart), property development and a host of other businesses. And he did not wait to become a rich man to share his wealth with the unfortunate. He started giving when he was still struggling as a rice trader. His mother had urged him to contribute to the poor, regardless of race or religion. So he made arrangements for hal f of his income of RM1,500 then to be donated to 15 needed families in his village.It is a practice that continues till this day, with poor families receiving RM50 each every month. He has also been sponsoring some 50 pilgrims to perform their Haj every year since 1990s. Charity is his all-consuming passion. It has been the cornerstone of his business world from the start. â€Å"Wealth has to circulate. When you make money, you have to give it away. â€Å"My mother taught us nothing is yours until you have given it away with all your heart in the hope it will make someone’s life easier.†As far as Syed Mokhtar is concerned, he is merely the steward of wealth that is meant to be spent in the service of mankind. In 2007, the May 20 edition of the World Business nominated Syed Mokhtar as one of the Top 20 â€Å"Progressive Asians†, citing him as one â€Å"who has no interest in personal aggrandisement. † In 2008, Malaysia honoured him as Tokoh Ma’al H ijrah 1429H or Man of the year 2008 in recognition of his contributions to the country. The same year, he was recognised as one of the leading philanthropists in Asia by Forbes.The Most Fearful 70 minutes in Syed Mokhtar's life Assalamualaikum and hi! Today I would like to tell you an episode of Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al Bukhary's life. Hope you will enjoy it! It was the most frightening 70 minutes for Syed Mokhtar when he met Dr Mahathir, who was a Malaysian Prime Minister at that time. The meeting held on January 16, 1997 which has lasted for 70 minutes has become a very unforgettable memory in his life. When he meet Dr Mahathir , Syed Mokhtar has been treated unfriendly.Dr Mahathir did not smile when he greeted him. Syed Mokhtar felt very nervous when he sees the serious face of Dr Mahathir. Dr Mahathir did not even ask him to seat. So he decided to sit and present all the documents he had prepared on its business at Kedah even without being asked. After 70 minutes passed Dr Mahath ir still did not speak even a word. Syed Mokhtar decided to leave all of his documents and walk out of Dr. Mahathir’s room. This incidence has become the most terrifying 70 minutes for Syed Mokhtar and will be remembered forever.However, the fear was eventually paid off because he has successfully implemented projects that he presented to Dr Mahathir. I think maybe Dr Mahathir has his own reason for treating Syed Mokhtar like that. Still, if I was him I might have fainted in front of Dr Mahathir. That was so nerve-recking, I can tell you. 8 interesting facts about Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary 1) He still driving an old models of Proton Perdana that he purchased before he became the owner of Proton Company itself (page viii) 2) He is a very sentimental person.His first office at Teluk Wanjah, Alor Setar is still preserved in its original condition, including the original furniture that has been used since 1975, as well as the earliest rice trucks, cars and scales owned rice company. Everything is still kept up until today. 3) Syed Mokhtar Albukhary will drive back to Alor Setar each month to visit his mother, Sharifah Rokiah, although he is more than capable of using private plane , or at least use a personal driver (page viii) 4) He also has never been a member of any exclusive club as the prevalence of any successful corporate figure.(page 3) 5)Do not like to sleep in air-conditioned room, but after getting married, he compromised on this. (page187) 6) Every single year he will go to Mecca to perform the Umrah. (page 171) 7) He also sponsored 50 paupers for pilgrimage every single year. (page 72) 8) He is also not a racist person. He is practicing of donating part of his income to poor families, regardless of their race. (page 119) Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary, is well known as as a â€Å"Philanthropist Millionaire†. Born in 1951 in Alor Setar, Kedah, from a family ofHadhramawt, Yemen origin, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar and his seven siblings had a very simple life when they were young. Due to hardship in life, he only managed attend school until Form Five in order to give way to his other siblings to further their studies. His success story in business began by helping his parents in cattle business around 1960-an. However, this did not last long due to the outbreak of disease which hit their livestock. Hence, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar took other initiative by applying for MARA’s assistance to start a lorry business in the 1970s.The lorry company which is known as Syarikat Kenderaan Sentosa (Sentosa Vehicle Company) now owns more than 40 lorries. Know as a man with a vision, his efforts did not stop at that point. In 1974, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar bought his first shop house under the hire-purchase agreement with Urban Development Authority of Malaysia (UDA). The next year, he expanded his business empire by establishing Shah Company, known as a rice supplier to FELDA, MARA Senama, Pernas Edar and Sergam Sdn Bhd after having succeeded in obtaining the rice trading license from Lembaga Padi Negara or BERNAS.Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar described his achievement in business was the outcome of government’s initiative in implementing the New Economy Policy (NEP). Since then, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar’s business continued to expand rapidly until he was awarded as one of the richest Bumiputera corporate figure in Malaysia, received recognition from Malaysian Business as the seventh richest man in Malaysia in 2005 and recently named as the fiftieth richest man by Forbes in 2013.This Malaysian tycoon has expanded his business empire at a bigger scale by owning a controlling interest in giant companies in Malaysia such as MMC Corporation Berhad, Tanjung Pelepas Port, BERNAS, Malakoff Berhad, Johor Port Berhad, to name a few. Known as a generous figure with a remarkable humanity, he set up the Islamic Art Museum, Al-Bukhary Foundation, Al-Bukhary International University as well as Al-Bukhary Complex.Besides tha t, he was also responsible in the renovations of the National Mosque and sponsors the less fortunate Malaysians to perform their Hajj. More recent, this millionaire with a big heart has built several mosques in some districts in Negeri Sembilan, apart from Alor Setar, Senai Airport, Johor and also at Jalan Pudu. As a â€Å"Philanthropist Millionaire†, an honorable value which has been instilled by his parents when he was young, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar is a humble man and never acts parsimonious with the knowledge he possesses as well as  his recipe of success in business.Taken from Syed Mokhtar Albukhary: A Biography by Premilla Mohanlall, he once said, â€Å"My mother taught us that we have nothing until we give what we have sincerely, with the hope that it will make other people’s lives better. † It is clear that humility is his top priority when he said, â€Å"A lesson to me is that we must always remember our origin, where we come from and remain humble when we are blessed with good fortune. Otherwise, we might fall. †

Teen Pregnancy Analysis

Teen pregnancy has become an increasing problem over the years. Parents, teachers and teens alike all fear for the same thing, teen pregnancy. In several studies the question always remain the same what is the cause of teen pregnancy other than the obvious answer, why is this continuing to increase over the years. Parents always feel that they were not strict enough. Teachers feel that the teens are either rebellious or that they did something wrong with their teaching. Teens feel all sorts of things that adults do not always understand. The studies that will be discussed are focused on teens and what they feel the problem is that causes teens to become young mothers. The research process with the articles that I have chosen is surveying teens to find out the source of the problem. In these articles the goal is to find out the point of view of the teens and to come up with a solution to rising problem of teen pregnancy. The literature was reviewed by several peers and doctors to come up with the opinions and solutions that were revised in the article. In this week’s reading of our text, it was discussed the importance of valid results, and not being biased to one side or another. It was discussed that results can differ from group to group of participants so making sure that the results are valid is important. Also, it is important to make sure that the sources are reliable as well. It would be wrong to ask parents only why they feel teen pregnancy is increasing so much being that teens are the ones involved in these studies. The ethical considerations for data collection is not to violate the teens right to have their voices heard with out having to fear what their parents will know about their sex life. An article in the Apollo library titled â€Å"Rural teen pregnancy reflections who will Listen? † discusses a study that was done on teens with surveying the teens in many different schools to find where this problem stems from. It is determined that most teens feel that they have a lack of information on teen pregnancy and sexual awareness, until hitting high school, which in many cases is too late to receive this information. A series of questions were asked in survey form, teens felt they were receiving information too late and they were self educated themselves long before they learned it from school, or their parents. With media being as violent, and sexual content today that we did not have twenty years ago, kids are curious about sex at younger ages, some even in elementary school. The data that was collected was taken straight from the affected age and targeted different reasons that effect teen pregnancy. They asked a question that was thought to be the reason and asked open ended questions as well meaning questions that do not have a yes or no answer but ones where the teens were forced to give their opinions. In this study the teen’s names were not given, the goal was not to know who the teens were, but to know what can be done to make the awareness of this problem known to teens and their parents. Another study that was performed in this article was on teen a parent who shows that many teen parents do not finish high school and live their adult lives in poverty. Teens who have troubled homes are more likely to become teen parents looking for that security that they have lacked at home, building their own family will give them the love they desire in their mind but they are likely to neglect and or abuse their child or children not intentionally but just out of lack of knowing how to care for their child, when they are still children themselves. Another result of this study reviewed that most teen parents do not marry the father or mother of the baby and the ones that do end in divorce in most cases. Many teen parents will be single parents within the first two years of the child’s life. The end result also proves that teens will have higher risk pregnancies and premature, under nourished babies will be born for lack of knowledge of how to take care of a baby in the womb. Another result of this is because the teen mother’s body was not ready for the change of having a baby. Many health problems in the child and mother’s life results from this as well such as possible asthma in the baby and osteoporosis at an early age for the mother. There are many reasons found in these studies over a few weeks time that teens did not realize to be an issue. From the teens point of view the main issue that was found was that they are not aware of precautions from teen pregnancies and resources that are available to them such as free birth control from the local health department and teen counseling services to encourage practicing safe sex and abstinence as well as lack of information on how pregnancies happen. It has been proven from these studies that these discussion need to occur in middle school or even elementary school. This study showed more statistics that have been proven throughout the years. The end result also proves that teens will have higher risk pregnancies and premature, under nourished babies will be born for lack of knowledge of how to take care of a baby in the womb. Another result of this is because the teen mother’s body was not in the child and mother’s life results from this as well such as possible asthma in the baby and osteoporosis at an early age for the mother. In both studies, the results were determined by questionnaires to teens and teen mothers to determine what the cause of teen pregnancy in their mind was. There have always been theories that teens don’t care about using protection, or that they want to be pregnant but these studies have confirmed that this is not always the case. This case study was a hard one to do at first because teens do not want their friends to pick on them in school for their answers or that they participated so once the barrier was broken there, the case study could be done effectively. The end result was successful because it gave teachers, parents, doctors and teens the tools they needed to change this. The hope is that over the next few years teen pregnancy will decrease dramatically. These health problems are caused because the teen mothers’ body is not fully developed so their body is not ready to bear the weight a pregnant women must bear. In conclusion, the data showed to be effective in both forms of research in both articles. The first article took the approach of survey research for the targeted group which is teens to find a cause of the problem which seems to be a lack of communication between teens and adults, and also a lack of information soon enough for teens. In the other article medical research was done to prove that teen mothers are more likely to develop bone problems earlier in life as their bones were not ready for the pressure a pregnancy causes. Another source that was used in this analysis was the census of teen mothers that drop out of high school and live in poverty trying to upport their children. This trend seems to pass down the genetic line as these homes become problem homes as well and the teens just want love they lacked growing up. Therapy has proven to change this trend as the children of teen mothers need to know how to cope with living in poverty, feeling rejection from their fathers or mothers, and dealing with not seeing their parent as often as their peers as most teen par ents work at least two jobs to provide for their children and still remain in poverty. These problems are being addressed and teen pregnancy is estimated to decrease as more and more resources are becoming available to target teens and warn them of what it really is like being a teen parent. I feel that both of these articles give ample information to effectively make decisions on the studies because there are several teens involved as well as medical studies to support the analysis that was determined. References: Rural teen pregnancy reflections Who will Listen?(2013) retrieved from http://apololibrary .com Teen pregnancy associated with future osteoporosis (2012) retrieved from http://apololibrary.com

Engaging & Supporting Students in Learning Essay

Many algebra teachers find student engagement as one of the most difficult challenges in teaching the subject. This is primarily because popular culture has constructed the idea of mathematics in general as a difficult and disinteresting subject and algebra specifically to be one of the most difficult and disinteresting of them all. However, my experience with teaching the subject has helped me select appropriate instructional strategies that can engage all students and encourage their participation. Furthermore, I have come to modify many of these strategies to suit my own classroom needs and in some occasions have even developed my own. Perhaps one of the best ways to engage students who can be assumed to have a certain fear of the subject is make sure that the lessons are not delivered too quickly. For this purpose, I employ the 5+1 instructional strategy when delivering subject content. In this strategy, subject content is delivered at only 5 minutes at a time. Each of the 5-minute time frames are followed with a 1 minute period for students to reflect and ask questions (Rowan, 2007). Then the lesson proceeds to the next 5-minute interval. It is important that there is sufficient planning on the part of the teacher before every lesson because the lesson partition in each of the 5-minute intervals must be so that the lesson should not be kept hanging. For example, in teaching about operations on signed numbers, the 5-minute period should not encompass two operations. In fact, addition and subtraction of signed numbers in themselves should consist of two 5-minute intervals each. During the 1-minute time for reflection, I have found that students tend to ask some very important questions that are confusing them. If not for those 1-minute breaks, students may end up making mistakes on the first sets of graded drills because of the lack of opportunity to clarify matters. The 1-minute breaks allows every student the opportunity to speak out instead of boring them with 30-minute blocks with no one but the teacher talking. This method thus engages all of the students to participate in the lesson. Another strategy that I have found to engage all of the students are drills. Drills are short written exercises usually composed of no more than 10 items that students are asked to accomplish at the end of each lesson. To speed up the administration of drills, I have them photocopied before class begins and just hand them out at the appropriate time. Having drills at the end of every lesson allows students to test for themselves whether or not they understand the subject matter. Students are asked to exchange papers at the end of the time allotted for the drill and then students are called at random to give their answers on the board. Students who were not called to give the answers are called to check if the answers given by their classmates are correct and to suggest possible corrections. The engagement of students through this strategy is two-fold. First, the entire class accomplishes the drill and second, students are called to either answer or critique the answers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Several topics in algebra are very appropriate for connecting to real-world situations. These topics should be recognized and their potentials should be exploited in order to get maximum student attention. One such topic is the addition and subtraction of signed numbers. In introducing the content, the teacher can use the â€Å"money analogy† to represent positive and negative numbers. Positive numbers represent â€Å"money on hand† while negative numbers represent â€Å"money owed† and each operation as a financial transaction. This makes it much easier to explain why -4 + 5 = 1 by saying that you owe someone $4 and then you have $5 to pay with so you have $1 left after the transaction. This method relies less on the traditional rules when it comes to adding and subtracting signed numbers and forwards a more practical approach that students can connect better with. Another opportunity to introduce connections between the lesson and the real-world is problem solving. Word problems can be described as consisting of two parts, the subject content and the flavor text. The subject content is the lesson that the problem aims to teach while the flavor text is the context of the word problem itself. It is highly important that the teacher selects flavor text that are appropriate to the learners. Word problems can be about recent baseball games or current media interests or popular games. These applications show the student that algebra can really be found even in the things that interest them the most.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   High school students are usually very socially active. At their developmental stage, strategies employed on them should address their inherent need to socialize. Thus, the paired problem solving approach where one person thinks aloud in solving the problem while the other listens and provides feedback (Rowan, 2007) is developmentally appropriate. Of course, it is best to assign students who are performing less effectively in class as the ones who think aloud so that they will actually engage the problem while the listener should be the ones who are performing better in class so that they can guide their partners to the right answer. Another developmentally appropriate strategy is the Phillips 66 where students are grouped into 6 members and are given 6 minutes to solve a particularly difficult task (Rowan, 2007). Each group is given a different problem and all of the members should understand the solution because the teacher can question any one of them when they present their result. This ensures that there would be sufficient interaction within groups. Part 2 – Assessing Student Learning (1 Page)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Before the start of the course and usually on the first day of class, a diagnostic examination is given to the class so that each member can be assessed for the prerequisite competencies to an algebra course. This examination basically includes the four fundamental operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers), fractions, decimals, and simple, non-algebraic problem solving. After the administration of the examination, the papers are evaluated and key competencies that are lacking are noted. The students are each given private assessments of their performance in the preliminary diagnostic exam which include suggestions on how they can tackle any deficiencies that were found. If a student is found to be extremely deficient in the appropriate competencies, their parents should be informed so that they can be a part of taking appropriate action. This assessment tool guides the teacher to be certain that the class is prepared to take a course in algebra.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the instruction, drills are given at the end of each lesson in order to reinforce what has just been taught and ensure that the students were able to understand. These assessments are short and only test one particular part of the entire instruction. At the end of the instruction, a summative test is given to ensure that the students were able to absorb the different parts of the lesson into a collective whole. The summative test will compose of the various subtopics and will comprehensively measure students’ performance and intrinsically, the effectiveness of the instruction. Parts of the summative test on content that are needed for the next lesson would also serve as a diagnostic test. All assessments should be properly time-framed according to type and difficulty. Part 4 – Making Subject Matter Comprehension to Students (1 Page) I have modified the guided practice strategy for it to become a scaffolding strategy that is most suitable for algebra. This modification takes into consideration that changing the given of an algebraic problem does not change the approach in solving that problem. In this modified scaffolding strategy, each student is given one of 5 different items that only vary slightly in their given numbers. A sixth similar problem is displayed by the teacher on the board. The teacher shows the students how to solve the problem while the students apply the method used by the teacher to their own individual problems. Each problem’s answer is already given to each respective student so that the students would know if they were able to obtain the correct answer. Another scaffolding strategy that can be used is guided questioning for erroneous examples. In this strategy, the teacher presents erroneous solutions in class and then asks guided questions that would help the class determine the things that are wrong with the solution or sometimes with the problem itself. The teacher should prepare various items and as the strategy progresses, it should take less and less guided questions for students to figure out what are wrong with the problems and solutions given. An important concept in algebra is transpositions. What I believe to be a common mistake in teaching this particular concept is beginning with how we can simply move expressions from one side of the equal sign to the other and change their signs. While this is correct, it is insensitive to the underlying principle of transpositions which should first be elaborated upon. Hence, it is best to start with a non-algebraic example of equality and show how adding or subtracting a certain quantity from both sides of the equal sign still results in an equality. From this, the concept can be abstracted to apply to equalities with algebraic expressions. Only after this has been established should the â€Å"short-cut† of just moving expressions and changing signs be introduced. Another concept that is essential to algebra is that of irrational numbers. The best strategy for teaching this concept is contrasting it with rational numbers which is a concept that students are more familiar with. The teacher can show that all rational numbers can be formed by a fraction where both numerator and denominator are integers while irrational numbers could not be. This establishes the clear-cut difference between the two and gives irrational numbers its own definition. Part 8 – Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences for all Students Motivation and comprehension are primary considerations in planning instruction and designing learning experiences. Students for the course are expected to be in their adolescence where the developmental focus tends to be more on the social aspect. Hence, opportunities for social interaction with classmates should be made available in the design of learning experiences. The teacher should avoid reclusive activities that constrict socialization because that would further reinforce the idea that a math subject is generally disinteresting. There should be fun, kinesthetic activities provided every now and then in order to encourage student engagement and participation. Integration of popular culture in planning instruction should also be considered as this makes students feel that the subject is very much related to their daily lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While there are a variety of teaching strategies available for every lesson, it is very important that the teacher is able to select the appropriate strategy for the appropriate lessons. For teaching mixture word problems, action projects can serve as a very effective strategy. Teachers can provide students with harmless, multicolored liquids that they can form into mixtures. The teacher can them present a problem without presenting the algebraic technique to solve it and them ask the students to solve the problem using their mixtures. This strategy will allow the students to visualize the problem and appreciate the algebraic solution better. Another strategy which is most suitable for teaching about the number line is an action game. In this particular game, a long line with numbers from +10 to -10 is placed on the floor. A student is asked to stand on a particular number (say -5). Then, the teacher asks a question beginning with that number (say -5 + 3) and the student jumps to the resulting answer on the number line. Another student gets called afterwards to do the same thing and the previous student takes a seat and gets a chance to ask the question instead of the teacher. The cycle continues until everyone has had a turn. Lastly, abstracting is still one of the best methods to teach several concepts in algebra. Abstracting involves starting from actual examples and then building up to a definition of the concept that can encompass all possible examples. Part 10 – Creating and Maintaining Effective Learning Environments (1 Page) The appropriate setup of the actual classroom environment is important in making sure that learning can be facilitated efficiently, effectively, and safely. Visuals are very important in an algebra class. Therefore, there should be sufficient lighting in the classroom. Insufficient lighting may lead students to be disinterested because they cannot see lessons presented on the board clearly or it may damage their eyesight if they concentrated despite the difficulty. Since students can be easily distracted, it is best if the classroom is a closed environment with all windows shaded so that student attention can be better contained. LCD projectors are not necessary for daily instruction and should only be used when presenting audio-visual clips that may be of some important connection to the lesson. Actual content should be given verbally with support from writing on the board. Student textbooks and other required materials should be with them on their seats before the start of the class to avoid any unnecessary, time-consuming periods of getting them during the lesson. Student discipline is a primary concern but disciplinary policies should not be very strict. It is understandable that some discussion may occur during the lesson and so long as these are kept brief and at a minimal volume, the teacher should not take offense. A routine of answering drills after every part of the lesson should be inculcated in the students. Drills let students practice learned concepts so that they will be used to answering them by the time summative tests are given. Everyone should be given a chance to participate. A random system for calling on students can be established by using name cards submitted by students. In theory, the random system should give everyone a chance to participate over time although the teacher should include provisions on how to call those who have not yet been called after a certain period. These cards ay also be used to keep records of student evaluations from graded recitations. Part 12 – Developing as a Professional Educator (1 Page) Interaction with parents is essential to student development. After administering diagnostic examinations, I make it a point to contact the parents of students who were not able to perform adequately enough to say that they are prepared fro the class. This is done so that the parents can take appropriate action and give their child more attention. Upon parent’s request, I provide regular updates for them on their children through email. This is to ensure that they are being kept up-to-date with their child’s performance. During summer breaks, I would like to help organize community projects such as tutorials for incoming freshmen to get them ready for what to expect in high school.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I intend to grow professionally by pursuing a post-graduate degree and formally engaging into my research interests. I realize also that joining and being active in professional organizations is also a great avenue for professional development and academic research. I would like to be able to conduct researches on student difficulties in learning specific lessons in algebra. In my experience, I have noticed that a majority of students have difficulty with regard to the â€Å"trial and error† nature of factoring. I have tried to remedy this problem by presenting a more grounded method to factoring algebraic expressions and found that it is effective in my classroom. I would like to conduct research that can formally determine whether or not this method is more effective than the traditional methods currently available. I hope to be able to establish that this method is indeed more effective and suggest its adaptation to the current school system. I believe that an accomplished educator is one who does not only teach well but also broadens the scope of knowledge in the field he or she is teaching through relevant research. References Rowan, K. (2007). Instructional Strategies. Retrieved May 21, 2008 from: http://glossary.plasmalink.com/glossary.html