English Paper on Holes Essay

The film codes and conventions are greatly used in the movie Holes, directed by Andrew Davis, to construct characters and develop the atmosphere. The film is about a young boy, Stanley Yelnats, who is falsely accused of stealing a pair of shoes. As a punishment, he is sent to camp Greenlake, where he meats and discovers an ancient secret that leads him to great treasure. Throughout the movie technical, symbolic, audio and written codes are used to demonstrate the characters’ personalities as well as create a profound atmosphere in every scene. These filmic conventions help the audience to obtain a clearer understanding of the main characters and the movie itself. The innocent and friendly nature of Stanley is effectively demonstrated through the film codes and conventions. He is a protagonist in the movie and undergoes the most change to his personality and behavior throughout the film. In the very first scene, Stanley’s voice over is used saying â€Å"All my life, I seem to appear at the wrong time in the wrong place†. This audio code has a great effect on the viewer’s opinion of Stanley, indicating that he is clumsy or unlucky. A little further into the movie, techniques such as costume and setting are well used. Stanley’s over-sized old clothes and the messy, un-tidy house of the Yelnats’ family gives an impression of a less fortunate family. These filmic codes are vital in the construction of Stanley’s personality. The film codes and conventions successfully show Zero’s as a closed, shy and disrespected little boy. He too is one of the main characters in the movie and over time becomes great friends with Stanley. When Stanley is introduced to the other boys in camp, Mr. Fernandsci explains, â€Å"You know why everyone calls him Zero? Because he has nothing going on in his stupid, little head!†. The effect of this dialogue is immense. Zero is introduced as a dumb and helpless boy, yet we understand that he is plainly judged and bullied. When the councilor proclaims this, Zero turns his back on the boys and his facial expression shows anger and disappointment. These symbolic codes have a huge effect on the viewer’s opinion of zero, suggesting that he is an annoyed and perhaps unapproachable little boy. He just wants everyone to leave him alone. The audience understands zero’s calm yet unsociable personality through the excellent use of various film code techniques. The filmic conventions are used to create a dream-like atmosphere in the scene where kissing Kate Barlow commits suicide. After stealing and burying the treasure of Stanley’s great grandfather, she has been stranded in the desert for several days. When viewers first see her lying on the sand, the focus of the camera is blurred. This technical code has a great effect on the viewers understanding of the scene, showing that it is a flash back or memory. Further into the episode, a blurred image of Sam appears and Kate murmurs, â€Å"Its so hot Sam but I feel so cold†. These techniques give an impression that Kate’s vision is blurring and she is hallucinating because of exhaustion. This dialogue and several other shots work together to create the imaginary, almost unrealistic atmosphere. A happy and relieving atmosphere is created with the use of film codes in the scene where Stanley and Zero climb god’s thumb and reach water. After a close escape from Camp Greenlake, the two boys have been wondering along the desert for days. They have finally reached a rocky mountain in the shape of a thumb, onto which Stanley’s great grandfather had once climbed, and found water. Joyful and lively music plays when the boys finally come to the top of the mountain. The use of this technique demonstrates how Zero and Stanley have finally reached their goals and the atmosphere is clearly shown. Throughout this scene, cool colors such as blue, purple, grey and violet are used. This symbolizes the peacefulness of the situation and the viewer gives a sigh of relief, as the main characters are unharmed. These filmic codes are very important in the construction of a serene atmosphere in the particular scene. The atmosphere and the characters’ personalities in the movie are created by the excellent use of film codes and conventions. Voice overs, body language and costumes are used to construct the character of Stanley and Zero. Colors, music, different camera shots and dialogue are used during different scenes to portray the correct atmosphere. These various codes give us a better understanding of the film and the important messages.

Classroom Management Plan Essay

In my first year as a teacher, I am committed to providing an environment where students are successful in learning, and understand the rules of the school inside and outside of the classroom. When students know they are in a safe environment, they feel safe to –ask questions, make mistakes, and be their selves. In keeping with tone of supporting students, behavior should not be punished, but re-directed to fit each students’ needs. My job as a teacher is to set the tone for such an occurrence and allow the students to see where they fit in. Providing the appropriate environment for all students to flourish will be my major goal in implementing good classroom management –it is necessary for the success of each student. I am committed to building my classroom into a safe and inspiring environment while engaging my students through the curriculum. While also getting to know them and interacting with them on a one-on-one basis. I know that meeting the needs of my students is a very integral part of my classroom management. Being comfortable with others students as well as myself, is also key to meaningful and respectful classroom discussions. I would like to have participation as a regular in my classroom, which could lead to group work. I want to make sure students are not afraid to learn from each other early on, so that when they are older they can see the importance of teamwork In my class I would say that I myself am very understanding and open with students. I recognize when they are not in the best of spirits, and when they have received good news. I will try my best to gage students by asking questions about their life outside of school. I want them to also feel comfortable with asking me questions, and know what is appropriate versus not-appropriate. Apart of self-rules, I don’t believe in forcing students to complete assignments, rather I give them the choice, along with consequences so they understand what is expected of them. I want my students to understand how to work for a grade, and know the feeling of satisfaction and earning an â€Å"A†. I am open to suggestions from students of what makes them comfortable in a classroom, so that they feel they are involved in the mechanisms of the classroom –which will give them motivation to learn and be enthused about learning. Physical Arrangement Coming into the classroom, students are met with natural lighting from the  windows and inviting tables and chairs with textbooks neatly stacked in each corner of the desk. Also upon entrance is a table where students can submit their work for the day as the exit the room to go to their next class. They feel excited and eager as they walk to their seats that they choose as their personal seat for the rest of the year. The seat formation is a square, in which students are two to a desk, and seated in front of or –in back of each other. There are three boards in the classroom: * A White-Board (in the front of the classroom) This board is used for writing down student comments. Daily news of important events Important information students should know for the day. * An Interactive Smartboard (on the right wall of the classroom upon entrance) This board is used for prompts and classroom discussions. Interactive classroom activities (i. e. , Jeopardy for test reviews, or lessons that describe how to mathematically explain graphing the equation of a line using slope intercept form) * A Cork Board (on the back wall of the classroom) This board will be used to display: â€Å"Student of the Week†, Top Assignment Grades, and Student Birthdays for the Month. My desk, which is at the head of the class and next to the whiteboard, has a bin for late assignments. Students are instructed to take out their notebooks and pens/pencils, and record the lesson for today located on the Whiteboard. The set-up of a classroom, as well as any room has an effect on the individuals that dwell in that space. I have the hopes that my classroom setting will be inviting to learning and exploration of growth. When I need the classroom to work in pairs or have discussions in groups, I will give them the opportunity to arrange the classroom into their comfort zones. On the walls, students are interested in an array of posters, showing basic steps in Mathematics, English and Science. I will refer to the posters throughout the year, to give students the independence necessary during their times of struggle –and help them recall where and what information is useful. In the far corner in the back of the room, will be a closet with books pertaining to unit discussions, and supplemental materials for writing, researching, atlases, dictionaries and art supplies for projects. These resources could be additional materials that students can look through out of curiosity or of obtaining extra information on a subject. In the far left, aligning the wall will be computers for individual use where students can research, and complete assignments. I have also attached a drawing of the schematics of the room, to show an environment that is conducive to discussions, individual work, and group work. By arranging the desks in square format, I am providing a learning atmosphere during times of lecture and note-taking, while allowing students to re-arrange during group work to give them that collective environment. The desks will not be connected to allow ease of access to each student, during times of monitoring. Teaching Rules/Behavioral Expectations I undeniably believe in keeping a safe environment where put-downs and name calling is not allowed –this also falls under respect. If I can have respect for my students as well as having them respecting each other, I believe this leads to a safe environment where learning can take place. As a part of school-wide rules, I am a stickler for gum chewing or eating and drinking in class. As far as cell phones and music, it is harder to stick to the status quo when it changes so much. I would like to give my kids the freedom to listen to music during their time of written expression or individual-work, as long as they are being respectful of each other, which means they are not blasting the music for everyone to hear, or interrupting other classmates. If it gets out of control, I will let them know that the privilege will be taken away, right from the beginning. As a part of school-wide expectation students are not to bring book bags/jackets to class, to which I uphold in my classroom. Students are required to wear a dashiki to school every day, and anyone not dressed in uniform is to be written-up (somewhat like a pink slip, that follows you throughout your school career), to which I am also an enforcer. I expect students to treat each other and myself with respect, which I outline in the beginning of class as –understanding for others and their lifestyles. I define the 5 step behavioral process as: Step 1: Verbal Acknowledgement Step 2: Verbal Warning Step 3: Name on Board Step 4: Call home Step 5: Write-Up and recommendation for Re-centering (Re-centering is a in-house detention served in the morning before school). If student behaviors are out ruled in the classroom, we will have a student-made Behavioral Process; where the students will come up with rules that will work to increase their learning potential. Students are more inclined to follow rules that they feel they have had input. This in turn will provide less resistance and more cooperation among students. Parents would also be sent a copy of the new rules, and informed of their child(s) desire to implement. Student will know that when the teacher is speaking, they are either taking notes as directed, or following along in required reading. There will be times, when a classroom discussion is held about the flow of material and how comprehensive it is to the students. Giving students the power to feel they have control over their learning. When I want to get the attention of my students I will hold up a quiet sign, and remain silent until all eyes are on me. I will then, say â€Å"Thank you for your cooperation†, and continue on with my lesson. Homework is to be given daily, unless there is a project due at the end of the week; in that case homework is given twice in the week. Late homework is to be turned into the appropriate bin located on my desk marked â€Å"Late†. Spelling, grammar, and organization will be counted towards total grade on ALL assignments. Communication/Daily Schedule It is my belief that involving parents can help with student issues while also gaining an insight to the student outside of the classroom. At the same time, engaging with parents to let them know they are a part of their childs’ education. I would like to send out a monthly newsletter or post an announcement on the web so parents can see what is going on in the classroom. I believe if parents are involved in their child’s school, the child will have more support at home and the parent can help with any issues that arise. I believe it is good to involve parents as much as possible. I will always have the agenda on the board so they can copy it down in their notebook everyday as they walk in. On some days I hope to have a free-writing assignment as a â€Å"Do Now†, so I can take role and they can be engaged and working on their writing. Notes will be taken in a notebook that I provide for easy-to-find assistance during a test, or review. Homework will be turned in at the end of class, as each student is dismissed by name. If the student did not get the homework done, they may lose a point each day it is not turned in. All assignments will have a chance to be turned in, and students will not be given less than half credit for an assignment turned in late. Next, we will begin out lesson. Pop up Quizzes can/will be given once a month, or as needed depending on participation in class. Interactive game days will be announces in advance, to give students something to look forward to in class. I want to make sure I leave at least five minutes to wrap up the lesson and reiterate the important points brought up that day. I will use different forms of assessment to make sure students understand the information, whether by passing out a graphic organizer, or having a discussion around the main points. I want to make sure my students understand the material as well as using higher-order thinking skills to analyze interpret or evaluate the material. I feel essays are a great way to let students express their learning, and interpretation. I would also like to give choices to students to demonstrate their knowledge of a given unit or subject, and believe that by allowing them to choose their way of competence they have another way in express their learning. I would grade on class participation including attendance, homework, group work and tests and quizzes. Group work is graded both at a group level but also at an individual level. I would like to grade as holistically as possible and I do not want students who are successful on tests, presentations or group work assignments to be penalized too much if they are not completing all assignments. My policy on late work will be that it is accepted but at a lower grade. I want students to learn, first. I do not want them to forget an assignment just because they missed the deadline. Encouraging Appropriate Behavior If students are showing signs of trouble getting homework in or not doing well on tests, I will have a meeting with them to help them get back on track. I will make a plan with them that their parents will sign, if necessary. I do not want my students falling behind because they are not doing their work. I want to stay on top of the students who may need an extra push. I want all my students to feel important in my class and another way I can accomplish this is helping them with their schoolwork and organization. I will be another person setting high expectations for all my students and helping those who may need some extra attention to accomplish their goals in the classroom. I want students to understand that they have control over their learning and it is not an innate skill or gene. I will help those who need it most by working with them one-on-one, if necessary. In the beginning of the year, all negative language in the classroom is immediately stopped. This will lead to students feeling safe to express themselves without fear of judgment. In turn, autonomy can prevent discipline problems as kids might act out if they are feeling attacked or unsafe in the classroom. I agree with this prevention strategy because once a student is not held accountable, then the problem will just perpetuate. Rogers talks about re-claiming teachable moments and how it is hard if you don’t catch a problem right from the beginning. I believe that this may make it easier in the long run, but I do not think you have to use a teachable moment right from the start to have it be meaningful. I believe if a problem is really out of control after two months or even five months, a proper, forceful teachable moment could teach the same thing even being later in the class. Establishing attention is one last preventative technique. Rogers insists that you should not talk over noise. I agree with this prevention and I notice that when I stand in the same place in the room, the kids will quiet down. If I â€Å"wait† for them to be quiet, they will quiet each other down. Establishing this early on is crucial in having an environment conducive to teaching and learning. It is essential that directions are heard and important points in class are heard. Discouraging Inappropriate Behavior If there is a consistent misbehavior problem, I will initially ask the student to talk to me after class. I will talk to him/her about the positive things they are doing in class and how I appreciate something they are doing, as in participating in class for example. I will tell them why their behavior is interfering in the class and have them meet with me later to make a plan of how they will be able to stop the behavior. In class, I will give them a warning and then ask them to move to the back of the room to work by themselves. I always want to keep consequences in line with the misbehavior. If the misbehavior continues, I will talk to the student and make a phone call home. I might also ask the parent to come into school for a meeting with the student. I think it is very important to involve the parents. I do not believe in throwing a student out of the room unless they are being harmful to others or me in the class–either physically or verbally. I believe that misbehavior should be addressed with the teacher and student communicating as much as possible. I feel that sending students to the â€Å"office† is overused. Instead of focusing solely on the misbehavior in the classroom, I want to focus on the good behavior and attitudes in my classroom. I want to acknowledge and encourage good behavior and academic success in my classroom. I will make sure that positive calls home will be given out for all students no matter how big or how small the accomplishment. I think parents really appreciate positive phone calls home and it also sets up a dialogue between parents and teachers. I also believe, in using rewards like stickers and stars, A’s or praise. I want my students to know it is okay to make mistakes and take risks in the classroom. I want to encourage my students by telling them specific feedback on assignments to let them know I am interested in their improvement individually. Although, I don’t want them to become dependent on my praise, I want them to be successful learners. I want to focus on improvement and effort, not just the final outcome. Conclusion As I have stated earlier, I believe Classroom Management is the key to an environment where students feel safe participating, and learning takes place. I hope to create an environment that is conducive to learning and involves all my students. The most important part of classroom management is not the behavior problems, but creating a good rapport with the students and encouraging them to succeed and setting high expectations for them. I believe creating a positive environment can limit undesired behaviors in the classroom.

County profilenoxubee county(second part) Essay

County profilenoxubee county(second part) - Essay Example The population living below poverty is relatively around 28.6%, as per the 2004 statistics. Either, education is highly of looming standards due to the poverty standards which cannot provide adequate structures for child learning. With the various structures to reduce poverty however, the same continues to become exclusively growing from the various rigidities and inequalities. The school dropout is as low as 64% which continues to worsen the future state of the county. Either, the county depicts poor standards of housing and compounds of health inadequacies. There are street houses and other form of temporary and low standard housing structures which cannot provide better standards of living. High poverty has also been a threat for medical uprightness with the people suffering from various ill-health conditions. There is very little distinction between the urban and the rural population. However, they are both mixed with various structures of the society been shared by both the urban and the rural communities. The general economic activity is however supported by practicing low manufacturing mainly in agricultural products. The same output is however allied to various inadequacies such as low scale quality products above that of lack of production efficiencies. The mushrooming of poverty continues to increase in intensity as poverty conditions and inequal ities for the support of better living standards become a disadvantage. However, an adequate strategy would perhaps provide a support for the long held desire of out doing the poverty burden. The most appropriate strategy should not look down the resource dispensation of this area. The basic contributing factor towards this high poverty level is the scale with which the economic activity operates in. The community is compounded by both high scale poverty situation and substantially medium state economic standards. SWOT Analysis Strengths Current education system, increasing rate of employment Opportunities International trade relations, high consumption rate. Weaknesses High School drop outs, single motherhoods, risk of health problems Threats Poverty, possible disease outbreaks. Increase in manufacturing as a development strategy Manufacturing industry plays a predominant role in the growth and development of the county. Other economic boosters are the transportation and the retail trade. The manufacturing industry shows a high development where, various industries such as food industry, textile, accessories and others form a basic contributor to its economic activity. With the current trend of changing economic activity, various economic attributes such as change in technology for more exploitation of the available resources and growth in human resource capital form basic factors for the growth of this industry. Manufacturing industry is the biggest contributor in terms of provision of jobs for this county. Its contribution to the total employment population is 5.4% which is equivalent of 1227 people who are directly and indirectly employed by this industry. The best strategy for increased economic development would be through more rationalized modes of activity in this industry. Other major contributors of economic developm

Instrumentation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Instrumentation - Assignment Example For purposes of accuracy, we carried out reliability and validity tests on our results. Validity is where an instrument performs and provides measurement as per the expectation while reliability is where a tool provides for consistency when used in different capacities (Christensen, Johnson & Turner, 2011). For internal validity, we made sure that the sample size was representative, and a test-retest study done by recording the data on data sales and on how leadership styles affected leadership potentials. Generalizations methods used were statistical methods such as correlation to see if cause and relationship existed. On the other hand, reliability was also ensured. The questionnaire was made into two parts where one was done online, and the other presented on a personal basis. These enable us to determine the consistency of the data that ensured that our research was adequate. For the research to determine the causal relationship validity was quite necessary. Since our data was to be used to make generalizations, the research findings must be compared to some base so that accurate conclusions can be found (Vogt, 2006). For instance, the consultant’s sales data needs to be compared to the market effectiveness while the leadership styles are compared to leadership potentials of any business hence prompted the use of

Comparative analysis essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Comparative analysis - Essay Example It focuses on a discussion on the socio-economic opportunities that exist in the United States of America. The author of the article goes further and highlights challenges that are usually ascribed to the processes or efforts directed by different quarters towards accessing these opportunities. Both the article focus on the realities ascribed to the socio-economic opportunities that have been associated with the United States of America, which are compared to other socio-economic opportunities of other countries. The first article, by Tim Harford highlights specific challenges that poor people face in the United States as they strive to access socio-economic opportunities for development. This is compared by some countries like; Finland, Denmark and Canada. The second article by Elisabeth also focuses on the realities associated with accessing socio-economic opportunities in the United States; she compares this with other countries located in Europe and Asia. The two articles also exhibit similarity in owing to the fact that they point out the reasons why certain groups have not been able to access the socio-economic opportunities in the United States, for instance: In the article by Tim Harford, he posits that many young people have not been able to access socio-economic opportunities in the United States due to the fact that they do not commit their efforts and time towards accessing these opportunities. In the second article, Elisabeth indicates that many people in the United States fail to access the socio-economic activities available owing to the fact that they fear failure hence do not attempt to make any effort. However, the two articles also exhibited slight differences in relation to the information provided. The article published by Tim Harford focuses more on the comparison of the manner through, which poor people access socio-economic opportunities in

Discuss the advantages of analysing organizations as incentive Essay

Discuss the advantages of analysing organizations as incentive mechanisms - Essay Example Hence, financial stability and economic prosperity is the basic motive behind all the efforts made by the individuals for obtaining different skills, degrees and qualifications. Theorists are of the opinion that the higher the level of education and technical skill or both, the brighter the probabilities of attaining respectable socioeconomic status in individual and collective life of the people. â€Å"In the age of globalisation, the knowledge economy discourse has become a way to characterise the new relationships between the state, society and economy and rendered higher education increasingly important for the international competitiveness of the nation states through their central tasks of generation, application and dissemination of knowledge and training high skilled labour force.† (Macerinskiene & Vaiksnoraite, 2006) Consequently, the efforts made in learning and studies certainly carry the purpose of enjoying incentives in the form of salaries, profits, facilities an d promotions in professional career. All corporate firms and organisations are well aware of this very reality that managers, employees, staff members and workers stick to one company provided it continues the policy of offering various incentives in the form of reasonable salary package, announces bonuses on showing excellent performance, assures job security, medical allowances and regular promotions on the basis on capabilities, dedication and targets achievement. The present study looks for analysing the companies as incentive mechanisms in the light of the theories articulated by the scholars and philosophers time and again pointing out the advantages of incentives in the growth of the organisations on the one hand, and in the performance of the work force on the other. Celebrated psychologist theorist Abraham H. Maslow has articulated his Need Hierarchy Theory in 1943 on the very notion of motivational effects, where he submits to state that five basic motivational scales are inevitable for the companies for the maintenance of the employees’ satisfaction. These levels include fulfilment of physiological needs, safety assurance, social/professional recognition, ego and self- actualising. (Maslow, 1943) The theorist argues that since motivational factors aptly rise from the lowest possible scales, so the most fundamental needs and requirements of the employees must be satisfied in precedence for the upgrading of their performance on the one hand, and for accelerating the pace of their interest in the tasks they are expected to accomplish on the other. Maslow vehemently declares the fulfilment of physiological needs as highly supportive for the job satisfaction of the workers. He is of the opinion that the employees should be assigned the tasks keeping in view their aptitude, interest, dexterity and command, which will not only turn out as the most inspirational factor of motivation for them, but also may pave the way towards the growth and developme nt of the organisation at large. Consequently, the more attractive and relevant to the disposition and aptitude of an employee the work, the higher will be the level of his motivation while performing his obligations and giving results to the organisation. In addition, if an employee's salary or wages are not sufficient to buy basic necessities including food, clothing and shelter for him and his family, his motivation level will surely be low and he will be unable to pay due heed to his work. Furthermore, job

Attacking Child Poverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Attacking Child Poverty - Essay Example 1). Marshall suggests that the USA ignores the issue of childhood poverty when announcing its economic achievements, and when comparing these achievements to other capitalist nations. However, the rapidly increasing rate of childhood poverty in the USA is breaking with stereotypes of the situation. For example, regardless of ethnicity, White, Black and Latino figures are increasing at a similar rate (Sherman, , p.2). Also, there appears to be more incidence of childhood poverty amongst suburban and rural children than those in metropolitan areas (Sherman, ). The thesis statement for this paper is: Child welfare policies are outdated lacking a pro-social approach to prevent poverty. This paper will present a synthesis of articles that critique policies targeting childhood poverty, and will provide an analysis of those policies and the recommendations put forward by the articles. Firstly, a definition of poverty will be presented. Secondly, USA policies aimed at halting childhood poverty will be assessed. Next, recommendations to change the situation of childhood poverty the will be outlined and evaluated. Finally, a conclusion shall show how this review and critique has answered the thesis statement. The definition of poverty as decided by the government of the USA is set by the Census Bureau and considers the income of families with children and their size, with adjustments for consumer inflation (Sherman, ). For example, a family of four is believed to be living in poverty if the family income is less than $14 335 per year; for a family of two their income would need to be less than $ 9 137 per year to be thought of as living in poverty (Sherman, , p. 1). Hence, other industrialized nations appear to have less distance between their socio-economic classes and this enables their poor to maintain a higher standard of living as compared to those in poverty in the USA. The child welfare system appears to lack

Teenage Binge Drinking Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Teenage Binge Drinking - Term Paper Example An average teenager comes across a range of advertisements almost on a daily basis. Thereby teenage binge drinking has a media associated angle. This book explains as to how teenagers pick bad habits after being influenced by media. This book will help in broadening the scope of the intended paper. Second Paper Teenage Binge Drinking There is no denying the fact that binge drinking is a phenomenon that is continually on the rise. Today teenagers get exposed to alcohol and substance abuse at quiet an early range, going by the fact that the parents today are less accessible to teenagers owing to their busy schedules and thereby many teenagers lack access to the requisite adult opinion that could warn them about the adverse effects of binge drinking (Barrie, 2011). Teenage binge drinking is getting very common in the light of the fact that the teenagers today are exposed to a plethora of consumerist and life style associated stresses, which make them more vulnerable to alcohol abuse, th ereby, giving way to a plethora of negative impacts on their health and social and academic life. As already said, the teenagers get attracted to alcohol, motivated by a wide range of sociological pulls and pressures. In that context it is really insightful to delve on the fact as to why and how the teenagers get to binge drinking? Teenagers owing to their age happen to be curious and many a times they are driven to drinking motivated by their sense of curiosity (Boyd, 1995). They simply want to know as to what it is like to drink alcohol. The other thing is that owing to the very nature of the contemporary society, the teenagers today are vulnerable to a range of pressures associated with their studies, career, relationships and friend circle. Hence, many teenagers do... Teenagers simply do not understand the facts that binge drinking tend to have a range of negative impacts on all the facets of their life. Binge drinking not only has bad and serious consequences for the health of teenagers, but it could also restrict their physical and emotional growth . The other thing is that a habit of alcohol abuse interferes negatively with the academic life of teenagers and badly influences their grades and career prospects . Binge drinking certainly has dire consequences imminent on the social life of the teenagers. A habit of alcohol abuse jeopardizes the social image and persona of the teenagers and hampers their capacity for pursuing a normal social life. Thereby the parents and the adult family members should make it a point to help and explain to teenagers that alcohol abuse could ruin their life. Schools and teachers could also play a positive role in helping teenagers understand the serious consequences of alcohol abuse. The media should also act respo nsible and the private companies must be restricted from launching ads that target teenagers and encourage them to indulge in bad habits.

Analyzing the audeince Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analyzing the audeince - Essay Example The process also adds undesired industrial activities into communities like clearing land and generating toxic waste that contribute to water and air pollution (Adam, 2005). These pollutions are devaluing land, hence turning community land into sacrificial zones. The state authorities are also involved because they want to maintain the regulatory mandate at state level, rather than surrender it to Federal regulations (Pyle, 2012). The investors and manufacturers are in it for the purpose of fighting against further regulations. Hydraulic fracturing avails to them affordable, domestic and reliable natural gas supplies. If a ban is not imposed, this supply has the potential to save them USD 11 billion annually for the next decade (Pyle, 2012). On top of the natural gas yielded by the process, the manufacturers also get extra products like ethane and butane. The citizens and environmental authorities will expect a research to confirm that hydraulic fracturing threatens the water they drink and air they breathe so that a complete ban may be imposed (Adam, 2005). State authorities will expect a research to confirm they are capable and better placed to regulate the natural gas industry instead of a Federal takeover. Finally the investors and manufacturers will expect the research to come up with no incriminating evidence against their activities, thus nullifying a

British & independence Essay Example for Free

British independence Essay Through this education, Douglass witnessed and later identified the hypocrisy that came from a country that fought the British for independence, yet was unwilling to extend that right to his own people as well as the hypocrisy that existed in Christianity in which the religion was used by slave owners, to justify the continuation of the institution. In this book, Douglass touches on a number of important subjects. This includes but is not confined to, Douglass’ view on friendship, power of the mind and body as well as what exactly it means to be a man as well as an individual of African descent. Can the two coexist with each other? And if so, what measures must a man go in order to secure these rights? Douglass would spend his lifetime answering that question for himself as well as for every Africana American who had been adversely affected by the crippling racism that was so much a part of America’s past. Frederick Douglass’s 1852 speech â€Å"What to the Slave is the 4th of July† is further proof that African Americans at that time, were not docile and meek. Douglass spoke in ways that had deprived the African American slave since 1624. In this speech, there lie two distinct and separate halves. The first half, Douglass speaks in glowing terms about America’s forefathers as fearless patriots. However, one of the words that continues to be used when describing the holiday and then men and women of the Revolution who helped to shape it, was the second person possessive: â€Å"you† and â€Å"yours. † â€Å"Oppression makes a wise man mad. Your fathers were wise men, and if they did not go mad, they became restive under this treatment. They felt themselves the victims of grievous wrongs, wholly incurable in their colonial capacity. † Douglass is setting up the audience and the reader for the real heart of his speech and to help show the sheer irony in asking a former slave, at a time when nearly four million African Americans were still enslaved, to speak on the 4th of July. After ending with his pleasantries and speaking in positive terms about the founding fathers as they relate to White America, Douglass sharply changes his diction and leads a verbal assault on the irony of not only America, but of Christianity, a faith that Douglass holds close to his heart. Douglass, after giving a history lesson to his audience; a lesson that had been glorified to nearly spiritual heights by that time, Douglass changes his tone and then speaks to a passion that is also close to his heart: American slavery. I will, in the name of humanity which is outraged, in the name of liberty which is fettered in the name of the constitution and the Bible, which are disregarded and trampled upon, dare to call in question and to denounce, with all the emphasis I can command, everything that serves to perpetuate slavery- the great sin and shame of America. † Douglass is speaking to the irony of both America and those who â€Å"Christians of the land† who Douglass refers to as believers who either own slaves or who support the institution of slavery and asks for his audience to witness the irony as well. Douglass, throughout the rest of his speech, attacks slavery and the fact that he is even asked to speak on such an occasion as the 4th of July as there is no other national holiday at that time that would be more ironic for Douglass to speak upon. â€Å"What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty; an unholy license†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Throughout the rest of the speech, Douglass speaks to the irony at speaking on the 4th of July, of the hypocrisy that exists in both America and the church whose aspects supports slavery and points to England who in the 1830’s had already abolished slavery. In Douglass’s 1855 book My Bondage My Freedom, he speaks about his life and the various factions that he aligned himself. Even though there were aspects of the Christian church that supported and defended slavery, the abolitionist movement in the immediate decades before the start of the Civil War, was almost entirely a Christian movement. This writing of Douglass speaks at length about his relations with abolitionists; both important to American history and those whose efforts that went unnoticed by the historians but to Douglass, served as a chief motivator for himself to become an abolitionist. Douglass first heard the word abolitionist while under the possession of Mr. Auld, his master. â€Å"Every little while, I could hear Master Hugh, or some other of his company, speaking with much warmth and excitement about â€Å"abolitionists. † Of who or what these were, I was totally ignorant. I found, however, that whatever they might be, they were most cordially hated and soundly abused by slaveholders. † Douglass, as it is seen in every book within his biography, that he was not a timid man and that the pursuit of freedom through the collection of action, spurned on my action, was his life goal. It would only be a matter of time before Douglass would become closely aligned with the abolitionist movement. Frederick Douglass was able to first make a name for himself by his aligned with the most famous abolitionist of his day: William Lloyd Garrison; the editor of The Liberator. Douglass commented about this friendship, which although possessing its share of internal conflict, was one of the most advantageous for Douglass as well as for Garrison. â€Å"Mr. Garrison followed me, talking me at his text; and now, whether I had made an eloquent speech in behalf of freedom or not, his was one never to be forgotten by those who heard it. † From this, Douglass was able to write an account of him and of the experiences that he had taken part in. This is the most important aspect of the life and times of Douglass. Had he not written down his experiences, he never would have been able to gain a foothold into the public arena concerning this most important issue. It is through the words and writings of Douglass that he is still remembered today. This would not have been possible, had Douglass never been able to align himself with the various connections that were offered to him through his association with the abolitionist movement. â€Å"In a little less than four years, therefore, after becoming a public lecturer, I was introduced to write out the leading facts connected with my experience in slavery, giving names of persons, places, and dates- thus putting it in the power of any who doubted, to ascertain the truth of falsehood of my story of being a fugitive slave. † Even though it is a fact that many people, even some within the abolitionist movement, did not believe Douglass’ account of his life in slavery, Douglass’ first book, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, printed in 1845, was so popular, five additional printings followed in the next calendar year. His experience, coupled with the way in which he was able to speak and write about his experiences, made for a very effective combination. If any of the above mentioned were missing, the name of Frederick Douglass would not be remembered today. It is through the life experiences as skill that such a good man, was made great, both by time and circumstance. In both of the abovementioned works, Douglass speaks unapologetically, about the immoral, unfair and unconstitutional aspects of slavery in America. England has freed its slaves and America even officially abolished the slave trade, out of the belief that there is something which speaks against the liberty of people, an issue which all Americans have come to believe to be sacred. Why then are such rights not extended to the slave? The abolitionist movement was unrelenting in its appeal to free the slaves. There is debate concerning exactly what other rights even the most outspoken white abolitionists, were willing to extend to the slave. What is not in doubt, is that the when famous and connected abolitionists, blended their abilities with the abilities and unflinching convictions of Douglass, contemporary audiences, as well as those who would follow, are left with one of the most important American orators and authors because Douglass, unlike other famous fiction writers, spoke about what was true and all too apparent in American society; American slavery which sprouted forth from the soil of racism, prejudice and ignorance. Douglass sought to kill that weed and perhaps second only to Martin Luther King Jr. can the husbandry of a single person, be given the credit of putting to an end, those weeds which would serve as impediments to the flowering opportunity that America gives to its citizens.

Themes Of Fate And Destiny

Themes Of Fate And Destiny Oedipus as a major victim of fate have tried to evade his fate when he realized that he was going to kill his father and sleep with his mother. His shocked and dreadful emotions made him run away from his parents to evade this fate, but he was actually walking right into his fate. It seems that Oedipus overheard this prophecy by accident but we may wonder that all this was planned by the gods so that Oedipuss fate can carry on as planned. This later became a turning point that led the glorious and miserable life that follows Oedipus in his future. Oedipus tried to evade his fate, but for him fate was not easily evaded. In his case fate seemed to be decided from the begging of his life, and from birth his leg was scared leaving three marks, which may foreshadow the choice he had to make at the cross road in future. Through this Sophocles is trying to show the idea that our destiny might not be controlled by ourselves and this shows how powerless humans are. The Shepherd who was ordered by the king to kill Oedipus may seem to be an irrelevant person in the play, but he plays a key role that led to Oedipuss final fate. He saves Oedipus and allowed the prophecy to happen. His sympathy caused Oedipus to curse him in the end when the shepherd reveals the truth about Oedipus, because if Oedipus died as a baby he wouldnt be suffering and have an ending which seemed like a living hell for him. I think we cant blame the shepherd for saving Oedipus. The truth about Oedipus was brought on by himself as he insisted to reveal the truth. This expresses a human behavior of wanting to know the truth that can be related to our daily life. If a friend has some secret which he/she didnt want to share, we would be eager to ask them what it was about since we want to know the truth. The more they refuse to reveal the truth the more we want to know. Oedipus from nature has an unyielding desire to uncover the truth about everything and in this case, he wanted to find the murder of King Laius and also want to uncover the secret mystery of his own birth. This desire then led him to realize what he has done. Many characters such as Tiresias and Jocasta in the play tried to stop Oedipus from revealing the truth, but Oedipus was driven by his fate to uncover everything. This could be seen when Jocasta urged Oedipus that Stop-in the name of god, if you love your own life, call off this search! My suffering is enough.  [1]  She begged Oedipus to leave the mystery unsolved, as at that point she might have realized what was really happening but she didnt want Oedipus to suffer. But Oedipus reply, Listen to you? No more. I must know it all, must see the truth at last.  [2]  This was used by Sophocles to further illustrate the characteristics of Oedipus. His curiosity made him unable to stop pursuing the truth, which was the reason for him to solve the sphinx riddle, so even when his wife was pleading from him to stop, he still insisted on uncovering the mystery that seemed to be a riddle, which ends up to be his final riddle, the riddle of his own life. The quote A stranger you may think, who lives upon you, he soon will be revealed a native of Theban  [3]  Foreshadows that the killer who seemed to a Stranger actually have a long bond with Thebes and at the time Oedipus didnt realize that it was him who had long ties with Thebes. Again this is related with the theme of fate and destiny since this was said by the Tiresias who revealed the prophecy which eventually became true. In the play the Prophet says that, Blind who now has eyes, beggar who now is rich, he will grope his way towards a foreign soil, a sick tapping before his step by step.  [4]  This foreshadows what will happen to Oedipus in the future. Oedipus does really take notice of what the prophet says because he was angry and believed that everything the prophet said was a conspiracy. What he doesnt realize is that this is a significant prophecy the prophet made for him. As we see further in the play on how cruel he blinded himself and how he left Thebes. This relates to the theme of fate, since the prophet actually knows what will happen to Oedipus, which makes us wonder whether god really plans our destiny in advance. In the play the quote, He solved the famous riddle with his brilliance, he rose to power, a man beyond all power. Who could behold his greatness without envy? Now what a black sea of terror has overwhelmed him.  [5]   shows that although Oedipus is a smart and mighty king he could still not reverse his destiny and had to end up living in misery alone. This causes the reader to sympathize with him for why is life so unfair to him, that such a good man ends up with such an ending. Then in the quote Revealed at last, brother and father both to the children he embraces, to his mother son and husband both-he sowed the loins his father sowed, he spilled his fathers blood!  [6]  Sophocles gave the reader a feeling of sorrow for both Oedipus and all the people related to him. Since everyone who is blood related to him will live in misery. Oedipus, no matter what he may try to do to avoid his fate. All his actions were pulling him right back to his final destiny, although revealing the truth surrounding his birth was his wish, but also believed to be the plan of the gods. His curiosity and intelligence which brought him fame and glory have also brought his downfall. Oedipus was too eager to end the suffering of his people, thus sending Creon to bring the prophet that led to the tragedy. I think that even when the prophet hinted that the killer was a stranger to the land and all this might be a plan of fate. It just encouraged him to be more eager to find the killer of King Laius instead of cooling himself done to think about it. If he did he might have realized what was happening. So it all seemed to happen as the fate guided and the gods were manipulating the minds of the man. And it seemed that the people are just chess pieces and are expendable when needed, thus they dont have control over their fate. This all started with a prophecy and the results of it was disastrous. So we ask ourselves are we supposed to know the will of god or should we be ignorant. If the old King of Thebes did not know of the prophecy then he would not have tried to kill Oedipus, then the family would have lived happily together, but due to the prophecy it turned into a disastrous event. This raises the question of whether the prophecies of gods there to help us or to cause problems for us? It is ironic how things could have turned out to be differently. It seems that it is not fair for Oedipus or anyone to have their final destiny decided, without giving them a chance to change it, and for Oedipus his fate was determined to end terribly even at the beginning of his life.

Massachusetts Legislature Votes to Ban Same-Sex Marriages but Approves

Massachusetts Legislature Votes to Ban Same-Sex Marriages but Approves of Civil Unions As supporters and opponents were anxiously awaiting for a decision on Mar. 29, the Massachusetts legislature voted 105-92 to ban gay marriage when it approved of amending the state constitution that would overturn the Supreme Judicial Court’s ruling that made same-sex marriages legal five months ago. However, the legislature also voted to legalize civil unions. The amendment was altered from when it was introduced this month, and now says that aside from permitting civil unions but banning gay marriage, it would clarify that gay couples who marry into civil unions would not receive any federal marriage rights and benefits. It cannot be changed again if lawmakers want it to continue onto the Nov. 2006 ballot. Gov. Mitt Romney asked the court to deter same-sex marriages until voters can make a final decision in Nov. 2006. Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly told the Boston Globe that since Gov. Romney lacked, â€Å"a valid legal basis for stay, because the SJC has ruled twice in favor of gay marriage,† he would not take Romney’s request to the state Supreme Court. It has not been decided what will happen to couples that marry between May 17 and Nov. 2006. According to the Boston Globe, a Mar. 2004 poll indicated 53 percent of Massachusetts residents opposed gay marriage while 60 percent supported civil unions. Also, 71 percent of the surveyed individuals feel voters should be able to define marriage, not the courts or the legislature. â€Å"You vote on whether or not you want things like highway taxes,† says Valerie Fein-Zachary, who sees this as a civil rights issue, not a voting issue. â€Å"It should not be determined by the popular vote of the... ...ture, making it difficult for all minorities to achieve equality. Hopefully, with all of the international progress currently taking place in Europe, some time in the near future same-sex couples will be able to have the same rights as heterosexual couples. Works Cited â€Å"Human Rights Watch: Allow Gay Marriage.† (2003, September 5). Retrieved October 20, 2003 from the World Wide Web: (http://www.gay.com/) Klein, Rick. (2004, March 30). â€Å"Vote Ties Civil Unions to Gay-Marriage Ban; Romney to Seek Stay of SJC Order.† Boston Globe. p. A1 â€Å"Rabbis To Okay Gay Marriages: It's a 'Done Deal'.† (1999, December 24). The Forward, (31), 268, 1. Reston, Maeve. Wednesday, November 19, 2003. â€Å"Victory For Gay Couples In Mass.; Same-Sex Marriages Ok'd By Highest Court.† Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Ryan-Vollmar, S. and Chuck, E. (2003, June 27). Boston Phoenix. p. 20-22.

Neil Armstrong Essay -- essays research papers

Neil Armstrong Background Neil Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio in the year 1930. His services as a pilot were called upon during the Korean War. Shortly after graduating from Purdue University in 1955, Armstrong joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, then known as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. At the time the functions of the N.A.C. were to plan, direct, and conduct all United States aeronautical and space activities, except for those that were primarily military. Armstrong served as a civilian test pilot at Edwards Air Base in Lancaster, California. In 1962 Armstrong became the first civilian to enter the astronaut-training program. Gemini VII Mission   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In March of 1966, Armstrong completed his training and became the command pilot of the Gemini 8 mission. The crew of this mission was made up of David R. Scott and himself. In case of any emergencies with the two men before the launch, either physical or mental, a backup crew was made. The backup crew consisted of Charles Conrad Junior, and Richard Gordon Junior. The objectives of the mission were:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. (Main) Rendezvous and dock with Gemini Agena target vehicle (GATV) and conduct EVA operations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B. (Secondary) Rendezvous and dock in the 4th revolution. Perform docked-vehicle maneuvers, Evaluate systems and conduct 10 experiments. The mission was set to launch on March 15, 1966. Due to mino...

My Philosophy of Education :: Educating Education Essays

My Philosophy of Education Education today has changed drastically from schools in the past. One example is computers. Everyone is using computers in everyday life now, and it seems like teachers have to compete with that. Kids can learn so much off the Internet that they are becoming smarter. Our kindergarten classes that we took look like the preschools of the present. The children today have to go to preschool to be well prepared for kindergarten. Kids are even more knowledgeable than we are when it comes to computers. Like many other educators, I would like to make a difference by giving my students a chance to express their talents and maybe I will learn something from them at the same time. My teaching methods will relate to more up to date techniques. I would like to do something different, take a little of each philosopher’s beliefs, and credit my own educational philosophies. I agree with Socrates’ belief that students should use good judgement in all their actions. I know elementary students are not going to be aware of good judgement entirely, but they should be taught through environment and experiences like Foucault. Foucault believes everything is determined by experience in what kind of life you will have and I do agree that experiences shape people into what they become later in life. The school system, teachers, and their fellow classmates are also part of student’s environment. The child has this opportunity to learn about their society, but it is up to the child to use their judgments in a positive way. I agree with Sophists description of students. I believe that everyone has the ability to learn. However, through my experience, I have learned that some students learn differently than others. I know that learning comes harder for some, but each individual has the capability to learn depending on how badly that individual wants an education. At the same time, I believe the child has interest in learning and that is what should be taught, like Rousseau said. I know that sometimes it is not easy; however, as a teacher I want my students to desire to learn. I believe getting students involved is important. Knowledge varies at different levels of education.

Compensation Philosophy

The short term lending industry has been one of great scrutiny for many years. It has been well known the controversy of whether these businesses hurt or help the middle class. But what no one ever talks about are the employees that work in this industry. When these businesses are shut down state to state, it is not just the borrowers that are affected and left with no way to pay their bills, but also the lives and financial security of employees that are lost as well. Current Compensation Philosophy Advance America is a leader in the payday loan and short term lending industry. Let’s look at the compensation philosophy for different levels of employment, nonexempt hourly, non exempt salary and officers and executives. Nonexempt hourly employees are nonunion and are paid above market, nonexempt salaried employees are paid at market and officers and executives are paid above market. At Advance America, all employees that are center level managers and lower are hourly employees. The Average wage for center managers is between $10. 08 and $20. 73 per hour (www. payscale. com). The average wage for customer service representatives is between $7. 83 and $13. 91 per hour (www. ayscale. com). Advance America is not known for hiring part time employees due to scheduling. Advance America requires center level employees to be available from 8am-8pm everyday and provide their own reliable transportation (www. advanceamerica. net). The hourly employees have a variety of benefits, health, dental, vision, 401k, Paid time off, The next level of employment is the divisional and regional directors of operations. These employees are salaried and receive an average salary of $49,000 to $60,000 for Divisional Director and $118,000 to $126,000 for Regional Director (glassdoor. om). The executives, like many organizations, see the biggest increase in wage, CEO, John Patrick O’Shaughnessy for 2011, received a total compensation package of $2,992,791, $1,080,673 of which as core and bonus compensation (www. businessweek. com). Mr. O’Shaughnessy also received stock options, legally required benefits and discretionary benefits. â€Å"At the core of our compensation philosophy, our programs were designed to attract, motivate, reward, and retain managemen t talent in order to achieve increased stockholder value within a highly competitive industry. Our compensation philosophy was also focused on aligning the financial interests of management with our stockholders† (Advance America, SEC, 2012). Ways to Enhance Current Philosophy (Key Factors- Internal and External; mission and strategic focus, financial and cultural resources) The Primary principle of a well defined compensation philosophy is the objective of â€Å"compensation plans that enhance shareholder value† (Hodak, 2011). â€Å"The specific goals that satisfy this basic objective are essentially the same for every company:† (Hodak, 2011) 1. ) â€Å"To attract and retain the talent needed by the company to create value† (Hodak, 2011); 2. â€Å"To reward, and thereby motivate, that talent for sustainable value creation; and† (Hodak, 2011) 3. ) â€Å"To meet the company’s attraction and alignment objectives at the lowest reasonable cost to the shareholders† (Hodak, 2011). Advance America can meet these goals through conducting a strategic analysis and compensation survey (Martocchio, 2011). External key factors â€Å"include industry profile, information about competitors, and long-term growth prospects† (Martocchio, 2011). Internal key factors include â€Å"financial condition and functional capabilities† through marketing and human resources (Martocchio, 2011). All core compensation plans and bonus compensation plans are performance based (Advance America, SEC, 2012). â€Å"Compensation at all levels within Advance America is based primarily on a qualitative assessment of performance and long term variables, such as title and associated responsibilities, tenure with us, compliance with our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, maintaining regulatory compliance objectives, maintaining and upholding our commitment to responsible industry practices and customer satisfaction, and management’s assessment of market levels of ompensation. Our incentive programs had maximum incentive opportunities that were consistent with competitive market practices† (Advance America, SEC, 2012). Conclusion Advance America operates on a performance based commission and bonus plan structure. Advance America does not sell customer accounts or customer information to 3rd parties unless the account is severly overdue, because of this, the majority of ori ginated customer advances result in a performance based compensation. More specifically for the center level hourly employees, their performance based compensation is tied to the center volume for which to operate, this compensation results in their base pay and multiple bonus opportunities. This performance based compensation plan allows Advance America to attract, motivate, reward, and maintain valuable employees.

Buying the Most Expensive Thing

Recently my family bought a new home, and while it was as much money as most homes are ( we are paying $167,100 for a three bedroom one bath) it was the most expensive thing we have ever bought. Buying a new home in any economy will always be an expensive endeavor. In this current economy it is a buyers market but there are still many things a buyer and seller must consider when buying or selling a home. The strength of the economy for a buyer can affect the benefits of the home ownership because it would determine the future market value of the home. It will also determine the market price that has to be paid at the time of purchase as well as determining the interest rate of how much that needs to be repaid. The removal of the tax deductibles of the payments increases the after-tax cost, and when taxes come due on the house at the end of the year there is no added incentives for owning a home. This will lead to the decrease in buying of new homes and the drastic fall of prices for sellers. There are many other things that can affect whether a person can afford to buy a home, but government spending and taxes are the biggest incentive as to what a family can afford and what benefits they can receive when buying. With an increase to taxes there is less money to spend and save for buying a new home, and the location of the home will effect how much I need to pay in property taxes.

A summary of your self-analysis Essay

Audience Analysis (Rating: 1 (2) 3 4) Explanation: My audience is a mixture of students and ordinary people of various ages. They are the masses that form the greater number of the society who prefers plain and simple language, and whose culture, needs and interests are facilitated by their interpersonal relationship and by their basic daily activities. I encircle 2 because I rank 4 as the audience composed of scholars and 3 composed of professionals and well educated people. They are the most important audience as they are the people who are aware of the issues confronting the society and are highly capable of judging me. I chose 3 because they are not my audience yet. Written Communication (Rating: 1 2 (3) 4) Explanation: I chose 3 because I see my self as between 4 and 2. Given the 4 as very good, I would not rank my self this high as I am fully aware I still need to improve in written communication. However, I chose 3 in the sense that I can write short magazine article, write formal letters, and written communication such memorandum for various department of the company. I chose 3 simply to emphasize where I am in the scales of 1 to 4 being 1 as basic and four as very good. Oral Communication (Rating: 1 (2) 3 4). Explanation: I am not good enough in oral communication but I can communicate fairly well. Given that 1 need improvement which means basic, I do need improvement too but as I said, I can communicate orally but not as effective as I do in the written communication. So though not really basic which means 1, I need further improvement in oral communication so I encircle 2 as my rating in this aspect. Visual Communication (Rating: 1 2 (3) 4) Explanation: I can say that I have skill in this type of communication; I can use visual aids effectively in such a way that my audience understands well the ideas that I conveyed to them. However, I could not say that I do not need improvement at all, am not not perfect and I need to continually improve my skill. So I encircle 3 to emphasize on this regard. Self-image and the image that you project (Rating: 1 2 (3) 4) Explanation: I am quite good at projecting my self but I feel that I need to do. Yes, I can project the image that I wanted my audience to identify me but I still could not say I am really good in this, so I in the rating of 1 to 4 I would chose 3 being 1 as the basic and 4 as that do not need improvement. Effectiveness of dealing with feelings—your own and others (Rating: 1 (2) 3 4) Explanation: Unfortunately, I am quite weak in dealing with my own feelings much more that of others. I still have to address my weakness particularly my temperament and emotional impulses. In this case I rate my self 2 there are still a lot in me that I need to improve. Based on your self-evaluation, please answer the following questions: What are your major communication strengths? Please list. Among my major communication skills are the following, 1. ) I am a good listener. Citing the work of Covey, Poulter, Brooks and Goldstein (2001) pointed out that it is â€Å"difficult, if not impossible, to engage in effective communication †¦if we fail to listen† (p. 49). 2. ) I can write well and express my ideas through writing. 3. ) I can also effectively convey ideas through using visual aids. 4. ) I can project the image that I wanted people to identify me. What are your major communication weaknesses? Please list. 1. ) I am weak in dealing with my emotional impulses which often affect my communication with others. 2. ) I am also weak in oral communication 3.), and in dealing with 3 and 4 audience category What are your goals for improving your leadership communication skills? Please list. The goals that I want to pursue to improve my leadership communication are: 1. ) I need to overcome my emotional impulses and to manage well my temperament, through asking my self what is it that I really wanted to achieve. 2. ) Improve my oral communication skills by learning from great poets and speakers through studying their speeches. 3. ) Enhance my listening and writing ability through determining who my audience is and how will I level my communication to my audience. How will you obtain feedback to ensure that you are making progress on your goals? Please explain. I would say that the best way for me to obtain feedback apply the Leadership Practices Inventory Assessment & professional development plan. This leadership assessment developed by Kouzes and Posner specialized in getting feedback and I would say that it is the best way of obtaining feedback to ensure that I am making progress on my goals. Reference Poulter, S. B. , Brooks, R. , & Goldstein, S. (2001) Raising Resilient Children New York: McGraw-Hills.

Silic Case

Accy 510 Silic Case Homework Assignment Name: Yue (Josie) Deng Date: June 11, 2012 #1 On 01/01/2003, Silic should record the one-off, fair-value revaluation as result of its adoption of SIIC tax regime. Because the building was appraised at â‚ ¬12,500 and originally bought at â‚ ¬10,000, the firm needs to make a journal entry to account for this increase in value 01/01/2003 Buildings & Landâ‚ ¬2,500 Revaluation Surplusâ‚ ¬2,500 * Land & Building = â‚ ¬12,500 – â‚ ¬10,000 = â‚ ¬2,500 * As we learned in class from reading Silic’s financial statements, 82. % of the unrealized gains from revaluation will flow to the Revaluation Surplus account and 17. 1% will flow to the Other Creditors account. * â‚ ¬2,500 * 82. 9% = â‚ ¬2,072 * â‚ ¬2,500 * 17. 1% = â‚ ¬428 * However, in this particular case, we combine the two accounts for simplicity purposes. On 12/31/2003, Silic need to record a depreciation expense on the building. 12/31/2003 Charge to Depreciationâ‚ ¬500 Depreciation & Provisions â‚ ¬500 Revaluation Surplus â‚ ¬100 Consolidated Reservesâ‚ ¬100 * As given in the question, the depreciation expense is â‚ ¬500.Silic depreciates its office and buildings on a straight-line basis. We can deduce the useful life of this particular building is 25 years (â‚ ¬12,500/â‚ ¬500 = 25 years). * The company also needs to amortize the revaluation surplus it originally recorded in response to the fair value revaluation based on the useful life of the building. â‚ ¬2,500/25 years = â‚ ¬100. The amortized amount moved to consolidated reserves (retained earnings). On 01/01/2004, Silic sold the building at â‚ ¬12,000 in cash. 01/01/2004 Cash â‚ ¬12,000 Depreciation & Provisions â‚ ¬2,900 Building & Land â‚ ¬12,500Gains on Disposal â‚ ¬2,400 Revaluation Surplusâ‚ ¬2,400 Consolidated Reserves â‚ ¬2,400 * The firm received â‚ ¬12,000 in cash by disposing the asset. The net value of the buil ding was â‚ ¬9,600 (â‚ ¬12,500 – â‚ ¬2,900 = â‚ ¬9,600). Thus, the firm sold the building at a gain of â‚ ¬2,400. * In addition, the firm needs to clear the revaluation surplus of this building to zero, and move the amount to consolidated reserves. #2 a) On 12/31/2012, Silic demolishes a fully-depreciated building. It needs to make the journal entry: 12/31/2012 Charge to Depreciation Depreciation and ProvisionDepreciation & Provision â‚ ¬64,000 Buildings & Landâ‚ ¬64,000 * The firm needs to first record the depreciation expense for the last year of the asset’s useful life. The amount cannot be determined by the given information provided in the question. * We also need to clear this particular building from the balance sheet by debiting Depreciation & Provision (contra-asset account) and crediting Building & Land. b) No, this would not produce a faithful representation of Silic’s activities for the building. We still need to amortize the rev aluation surplus for the last year.It would not be representational faithful if the remaining value of fair-value mark-up still sits in the Revaluation Surplus account, because the gain is already realized through the depreciation of the asset. We need to amortize the remaining surplus to consolidated reserves to show the event. Although this journal entry may not necessarily affect the value of total liabilities and equities, we still need to make sure to record this entry to provide investors with most representational faithful information. #3 01/01/2005 Buildings & Landâ‚ ¬93,863 Unrealized Gains on Land and Buildingsâ‚ ¬93,863 The number is calculated by subtracting the historical cost of land and buildings on exhibit 4 from the fair value of these assets on exhibit 4b. * â‚ ¬1,681,493 – (â‚ ¬1,139,063 + â‚ ¬448,567) = â‚ ¬93,863 #4 (a) From my point of view, cost accounting method provides more relevant information to investors. According to FAC No. 8 O bjectives of Financial Reporting, â€Å"relevant financial information is capable of making a difference in the decision made by users†. The two most important characteristics are the information’s predictive value and confirmatory value.As indicated in the case, Silic primarily competes in the French commercial-property market, which 72% (2004 data) of its earnings was derived from rental properties. As a result, its ordinary course of business centers around its leasing activities, and the fair market value of the properties is not a significant indicator of the company’s performance. Thus, the fluctuation in the value of properties should not materially affect investors’ decision making. Since the 1980s, the commercial property market of Paris and its surrounding region had experienced substantial upward and downward movements in the values of properties.If we incorporate the change in the fair market value into the computation of net income, Silicâ₠¬â„¢s bottom line would fluctuate significantly each year. However, the truth is â€Å"the French real estate and property management industry had been growing steadily at an average rate of 2. 8% per year. † The industry and the company have been on a steady growth trend. Investors would not be able capture the real picture of the operating performance of the company if it switched to fair market accounting of properties.Therefore, I support the company’s decision of measuring investment property using the cost model. This election provides more relevant information to investors with regards to the company’s operating performance. (b) I think historical cost accounting would present Silic in the most favorable light over time. As I discussed in part (a), the adoption of IAS no. 40 would require Silic to mark its investment properties to fair value during each reporting period, and report the gains and losses on its income statement.As indicated in the case, Fre nch real estate market had experienced substantial upward and downward movements in the value of properties. Thus, a probable outcome of fair value accounting would be a significant fluctuation in the firm’s bottom line during each reporting period. Fluctuations in net income signals great risk of the financial performance of an entity. A normal risk averse investors would not invest in an company that poses significant risk. Therefore, I believe historical cost accounting would present Silic in the most favorable light over time.

Gun control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Gun control - Essay Example They insist that strict regulations on gun ownership are not the solution to high crime rates. They point out that, since the 1997 ban on handguns in England, crime rates have more than doubled (Malcolm, 2003 as cited in Mackey & Levan, 2011). What has triggered this flurry of activity geared towards permitting people to carry guns in public places? Bruce & Wilcox (1998), note that in the U.S, when citizens learn of death occasioned by a gun attack, many believe that they stand a chance to survive such an incidence if they have a firearm. Pro-gun forces counter any criticism to gun-friendly legislation by pointing out that the government needs not worry about law abiding citizens who voluntarily go to have their backgrounds checked so as to acquire a gun license, but rather, the criminals who have no business in abiding by the law. Gun rights activists argue that law-abiding citizens carrying concealed guns may be able to save lives due to the history of mass shootings in the U.S. According to the Wall Street Journal (2012), in December 2007, there were 7000 people inside the new life church in Colorado Springs when an armed man stormed: He killed two people and wounded many others. What prevented him from killing and wounding more was a congregant who had permission to carry her licensed concealed gun in church property. On the other hand, advocates of gun control argue that even law-abiding citizens with authorization to carry weapons can lose their temper, with fatal results. Such a scenario is portrayed in a teen ager succumbed to gunshot wounds after a dispute over loud music (The New York Times, 2014). In an attempt to neutralize the strength of the pro-gun forces, advocates of gun control have been developing initiatives to make the battle in the legislature more vicious. In April 2014, billionaire Michael Bloomberg announced plans to inject $50

Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 8

Business Law - Essay Example It is an association of two or more people carrying on a business for profit. Maximum number of partner is 20 but in case of bank, it is only 10. There must be an agreement written or oral. As same as sole proprietorship, partnership has unlimited liability which means the partners are personally liable to pay off the debt if the business is not capable to do so. Limited Partnership: A limited partnership is one in which one ore more but not all partners have limited liability. There must be at least one general partner whose liability will be unlimited to pay all debts of the firm. This type of organization is best for funding a business. As per wiseGEEK.com, the limited partner generally has limited or no managerial authority. (wiseGEEK). To obtain a status of a limited partnership, the partners must get it registered with the registrar of partnership. It must also be kept in mind that a limited partner cannot withdraw any amount of his capital. If he does so, he will stay liable for the debts up to his original contribution of capital. C-Corporation: It is also called Traditional Corporation. A C-company is a legal form of business entity. Corporation is best for establishing a business on a large scale. It has no limit for number of shareholders even foreign citizens. It has limited liability which means shareholders are not personally liable to pay off company’s debt. Tax is imposed twice; first on the profit of the company and then on the dividends of the shareholders. In addition to this, corporation tax is paid regularly. A corporation may be a Public Limited or Private Limited. In Public Limited, shares are offered for sale to general public and have no limit to the maximum number of share holders. In Private Limited, shares are not sold to general public and the maximum number of shareholders is 50. Issuing prospect and obtaining commencement certificate are not necessary for a Public Limited but mandatory for Private

Stamp Act Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Stamp Act - Term Paper Example Today, Americans may have forgotten this important period on their journey to freedom, but the fact remains that without Stamp Act, the American Sons of Liberty and other freedom-fighters may not have gotten an opportunity to launch attacks against their colonist. The British claimed victory in the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) that was fought against the European powers of those days. It was a typical polarizing war that pitted Great Britain, Prussia and a group of German states (small in size) against nations like Austria, France, Russia, Sweden, and Saxony that formed a staunch military alliance during that period (Morgan et al. 1995, 20-28). However, Britain has spent a lot on this war which seemed to have taken a huge toll on the colonist’s finances. Reportedly, British national debts had doubled by the time the war was concluded (Morgan et al.1995, 21). Apart from this issue, Britain also worried about how to source finances to keep so many soldiers that had fought in the war, many of whom have political links to the parliament. The fears of not wishing to see the soldiers become jobless and not knowing how to fund their continued engagement had forced Britain to come up with a strange method of financial The British Parliament, in 1765 eventually came up with the Stamp Act to source funds to finance the continued existence of its military contingent in North America by imposing taxes on printed materials, which include but not limited to newspapers, legal documents, magazines, and several other papers used in the colonies (Morgan et al. 1995, 80-95). The general acceptance given to this Act by British two arms of Parliament (House of Lords and House of Commons) revealed that Great Britain had seen this Act as the solution to its crippling financial situation at that time (Murrin et al. 2007, 187). The Parliament did not perceive anything wrong in this approach as it deemed it the appropriate way to find the money to solve its

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

Budget Analysis - Essay Example Budget analysis Determination of Goals and objectives of the City It is very important to determine and consider the goals and objectives of the City Council of the Ypsilanti in the initial stage of preparing the council’s budget. Knowing the goals and objectives will help me as the budget officer understand and draw appropriate boundaries that reflect mission and annual goals of the organization1. Goals and objectives of the council will work as benchmark that guide me in staying within the limits of the council’s expectations of growth and development. Determination of Expenditure As the budget officer of the City of Ypsilanti, I will make thorough and critical consideration of the current expenditures incurred to help me in structuring and estimating the scope of expenditure likely to be incurred during the next financial year. As the budget officer of Ypsilanti City I will determine the contemporary expenditure records of the city council on various areas of its ope ration. This will help me draw a budget forecast of the next financial year.2 I will basically make consultations with the accountant and financial officers in the council. This move will assist me in collecting all receipts and or any other testimonials that disclose any kind of expenditure incurred by the council. As in the case of this city that witnesses daily entrance and exit of 20, 000 university students, I will need to determine the average daily costs incurred by the City Council of Ypsilanti to host such visitors. In addition, I will need to determine the total expenditure incurred by the council in caring and managing the 35000 potential residents of the city. The outcome will be added to the previous expenditure on visitors to determine the total cost on human operations. These expenditures together with other operational costs shall be calculated with high level of diligence and accuracy. With forecasts on the possible changes in future, I will be able to draw a realis tic budget for the city council3. Determination of Income For the budget administrator to draw a convincing and propelling budget that will attract the attention and recognition of the council legislators, he/she should indicate the possible incomes expected and their possible sources. I recognize that determination of income and their sources is a crucial stage that requires utmost diligence to convince the legislature to pass the budget. 4Indicating sources of income will make the budget of the City Council of Ypsilanti appear realistic and convenient. This will likely attract good participation and speculation of the legislators. As the budget manager in this city, I have decided that the city authority raise the gas tax to 51% and also raise vehicles registration fees to 57% in order to avail funds for repairing the road systems in this city. Other sources of required funds for the roads maintenance will also be gathered from 33% tax increase in the mileage travelled by vehicles operating within the city. Ensuring balance The next and probably sensitive point in preparing the budget of the city council is achieving a balance between the expenditure and the expected income. I understand that council legislatures will not approve any budget viewed to cause big deficit above the financing

Cultural Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Cultural Assessment - Essay Example Taking the stance of the security personnel, when a terrorist event occurs, the following response procedure should be applied, to wit: â€Å"four key actions typically occur in support of a response :( 1) gain and maintain situational awareness; (2) activate and deploy key resources and capabilities; (3) effectively coordinate response actions; then, as the situation permits, (4) demobilize.† (USDNS, 2008, 32) When reporting the incident, call 9-1-1 in times of disasters especially when it poses a threat to human life and to the property. All calls will require: (1) name of caller; (2) telephone number for call-backs at the scene or facility; (3) have local officials been notified of incident – Fire, Police, Sheriff; and (4) date, time and location of the incident. (Emergency Response) In addition, the security personnel and/or management of the subway should inform the National Response Center, the State Emergency Response Commissions and Local Emergency Planning Committees. Fire departments must also be notified. The following telephone numbers should always be ready and all personnel should be advised of these numbers in cases of emergency: MOST IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS: EPCRA HOTLINE 1-(800) 424-9346 and NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER 1-800-424-8802. The scope and nature of the terrorist event would dictate the response actions that should be immediately implemented by the local government unit closest to the incident. The following response actions, especially of the media and local government unit, are generally expected: â€Å"(1) Warning the public and providing accessible emergency public information. (2) Implementing evacuation and sheltering plans that include provisions for special needs populations and household pets. (3) Sheltering evacuees in pre-identified, physically accessible shelters and providing food, water, and other necessities to meet the needs of all people, including persons with disabilities and other special needs. (4)

PNEUMONIA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PNEUMONIA - Essay Example Pneumonia can make an individual very ill even to the point of death. However, the disease can transpire in young, as well as healthy individuals, but is more dangerous in older adults, babies and persons with other illness or weakened immune systems. Pneumonia is often caused by a bacterium, the Streptococcus Pneumoniae, especially in people who suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and are victims of alcoholism. Such individuals are vulnerable to contracting pneumonia from Klebsiella, as well as Hemophilus Influenza. This category, although occurring temporarily, has some association with the bacteria known as the Mycoplasma Pneumoniae (Krause, 2012). Subsequently, the attacking organisms results in a variety of impact, in part, by irritating to an overly enthusiastic status to the immune responses within the lungs. Therefore, the small blood vessels within the lungs tend to develop leaks; hence, protein-rich fluid seeps through the alveoli. However, this tends to mark a less serviceable region for oxygen-carbon dioxide conversions; hence, the affected victims tend to develop oxygen rundowns while holding hypothetically risky carbon dioxide (Krause, 2012). Conversely, ill persons respire faster in conjunction to result in more oxygen, as well as release of more carbon dioxide. However, when these secretions are augmented, the leaky vessels often tinge the mucus with blood. The mucus plugs tend to diminish the efficacy of gas conversions within the lungs. Nonetheless, the alveoli tend to fill up with fluids, resulting in the debris from a vast number of white cells that get released to combat the infection (Krause, 2012). Therefore, the pneumonia condition often starts when an individual breathes the relevant germs into lungs. What follows is usually the disease after accessing a cold, as well as a flu. Conversely, the sickness will tend to make a person find it difficult for his/her lungs to fight against the

Case studies x 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case studies x 2 - Essay Example The team leader should not waste much time once he realized the diversity of his team vis-Ã  -vis the group task and must make efforts to reinforce the idea of collective achievement and mutual respect. The most important task is to motivate the unmotivated and who better to do this than the thinkers? They should be used to interact with the former subgroup to listen to their views, and check if there are any systemic defects or issues that need to be resolved. These interactions give the tutees opportunities to ask questions and for the tutors to be surprised by the elements of human attitude that govern group functioning and motivation. This two-way learning process helps the group cohesion and builds a sense of belonging. In a similar manner, the team leader has to publicly acknowledge the creativity and the hard work of individuals, and explain the gains that everyone in the team would enjoy as a result of the team effort, monetary or otherwise. The role of a CEO is judged by the touchstone of a healthy growth of his organization and keeping the stakeholders happy. In order to realize his objectives, he creates his teams and treats each individual on the merits of his/her contribution to the organization in achieving the short/medium/long term goals. One of the important aspects of performance is team spirit that overcomes short term individual grouses. Comparison and discontent are universal in organizations. They are to be handled in such a way that the solution neither creates more discontent nor demoralizes. In the present case, Jim has an impeccable track record of performance. His ability to develop contacts and build networks is of considerable value to the company and at the same time, points to the respect he commands in the market. He is thus a key resource that directly generates revenues for the

Motivational Case Studies Essay Example for Free

Motivational Case Studies Essay I believe in the â€Å"Two Men and a Truck† case study, the motivational theory that Mrs. Sheets’ uses is the goal setting theory. Her initial goal was to help support her sons’ part-time jobs. She created a marketing campaign, although she may not have seen it as such, by designing the stick figure drawing that is still being used today in the company. As a single mother, she did not want to turn away the phone calls that continued to be received, even after her sons went away to college and therefore, she purchased an inexpensive truck and hired two workers to maintain the business operations. Mrs. Sheets expanded the company and set out a goal of being the most customer-friendly moving company. To assist with this goal, she arranged trainings for her employees, and franchisee employees, where they learn basic customer service tools and how to be a high-functioning team member. These tools include how to properly answer the phone and to always shake the customer’s hand when the work is completed. She also asks employees to complete a survey card so the organization can use the feedback as coaching opportunities. All of these tools helped Mrs.  Sheets’ company become one of the most successful moving companies in the area. In the Siemens case study, the motivational theory that is described is Management by objectives. Mr. Kleinfield took over a Siemens unit in 1998 and immediately requested a change in work shifts, including working weekends. The employees were shocked by what was being requested but also recognized that due to a competitor, their jobs were in jeopardy from a lack of production. Mr. Kleinfield expressed an interest in the work being performed by being in the factory and asking questions related to the operations. This interest helped win over the employees and with the new schedules, production times were cut from six weeks to one. Although the employees did not know what was going on, Mr. Kleinfield recognized what the ultimate goal of the production facility was and put a plan into action as soon as he took it over to make it a success. By demonstrating this leadership, he ultimately was offered the CEO position, even though he never worked in any facility for very long, especially as a Consultant, but did have experience in every department that was associated with Siemens.

Systems Planning and Selection Essay Example for Free

Systems Planning and Selection Essay Planning and Selection Managing the Information Systems Project | Using Project Management Software | First Phase of the SDLC: Systems Planning and Selection | Identification and Selection Task of the Selection and Planning Phase | Initiating and Planning Task of the Selection and Planning Phase | Assessing Project Feasibility | Baseline Project Plan Report and Scope Statement Managing the Information Systems Project Management through the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Transcript Projects are planned tasks designed to meet prescribed business requirements. Projects must have a set beginning date and an agreed-upon end date and are not associated with everyday work. Project managers make sure systems development projects focus on customer expectations and needs and also ensure that the project is implemented within budget and within the time allowed. Project managers make sure the project is initiated properly, planned to ensure all tasks are completed, managed to ensure all activities are completed in an efficient manner, and the project is closed out with customer concurrence. The PM needs a wide range of skills, including leadership, management, technical, and people skills for conflict management and to maintain excellent customer relationships. Therefore, the PM must wear many hats. You have probably been in positions in the past where you had a specific set of responsibilities and you were asked to take on additional roles or responsibilities. Well, in the case of a PM, thats exactly what is expected. You must be flexible in fast-changing environments. Information System projects solve current business problems or take advantage of technical or business improvement opportunities. Our book uses Pine Valley Furniture to show how projects are initiated through problem identification. The problem is documented with a systems service request. A change management team then meets to review and approve the systems service request. Once approved, a feasibility study is conducted to review costs and benefits as well as possible alternative solutions. The PM then reviews the scope, resources needed (people, software, hardware, and money), and any risks for successful project completion. To implement a successful project, the project manager must balance many tasks and activities. Our book lists the skills and activities needed for a PM. Skills and Duties of a Project Manager ActivityDescriptionSkill LeadershipInfluencing the activities of others towards completing a common goal through the use of interpersonal skillsCommunication; liaison between management, users and technical staff; assigning tasks; tracking progress ManagementUsing resources properlyDefining and sequencing activities; communicating expectations; assigning personnel to tasks; monitoring results Customer relationsManaging what the customer expects from project deliverablesInterpreting system requirements; user training; point of contact for customers Technical problem solvingSchedule resources to solve problems in meeting project goalsInterpreting system requests and specifications, defining tasks and order of completion; designing and implementing solutions to problems Conflict ManagementManaging conflict to build consensus and keep the project on trackProblem solving; compromising; goal setting Team managementManaging team members to increase team performanceCommunicating internally and externally; team performance evaluations, conflict resolution; team building Risk and change managementRecognizing, evaluating, and managing the risks that occur during a project to reduce impact on the project schedule, cost, and requirementsEnvironment scanning; risk and opportunity identification and assessment; forecasting; resource redeployment Project management activities for the project are made up of the following: initiation, planning, execution, and proper closure. Initiation The first phase is project initiation, wherein the complexi ty, size, and scope are evaluated in order to determine procedures to follow on phases and activities. Initiation tasks include the following. StepTaskProcedure. Selecting an initial teamThese members carry out the initiation tasks. 2Building and establishing a relationship with the customerThis is to encourage and develop a good relationship between the users and the analyst. Getting the users involved early helps to ensure the success of the project. 3Developing a project initiation planThis step helps to identify the scope of the project. Tasks include establishing roles, defining the communication plan, listing deliverables and tasks, and creating timeliness. 4Establishing management and reporting proceduresThe PM designs the communication channels, reporting procedures, specific role and job assignments, how to manage changes to the plan, and budget issues. 5Developing the project charter to outline what will be done for the budget and time constraintA project charter is a short, high-level document prepared for both internal and external stakeholders in order to formally announce the establishment of the project and to briefly describe the objectives, key assumptions, and stakeholders. 6Creates the initial PM documentation and workbookOur textbook depicts the Pine Valley Furnitures workbook for the purchasing project. Keep in mind that this documentation should be in both hard copy and soft copy forms for distribution and archival. The Project Workbook Purchase Fulfillment System Example Transcript Planning Project planning takes place during phase 2 of the management process. The planning phase describes the work required to be completed during each project. Activities taking place in the short term are very detailed, but longer-term tasks are not often very detailed. We have 10 activities during this phase. They are depicted in the following table. Project Planning Describing project scope, alternatives, and feasibility Dividing the project into manageable tasks Estimating resources and creating a resource plan Developing a preliminary schedule Developing a communication plan Determining project standards and procedures Identifying and assessing risk Creating a preliminary budget Developing a project scope statement Setting a Baseline Project Plan During this phase, the team tries to get its hands around the complexity and content of the work required. The team members do this by defining the scope, identifying the list of the best alternative solutions, and assessing feasibility. A work breakdown structure is created to show the order of tasks and is a deliverable of this activity. Our book shows how a Gantt chart can be used to depict how tasks should be decomposed from high-level tasks into more detailed tasks. We can all appreciate this activity as being one that is most crucial to the success of our projects. If we dont put in the necessary planning up front, well pay for it in a number of ways later. Gnatt Chart Example of Project Tasks Transcript Resources for each project activity are estimated, and a project resource plan is created as one of the deliverables from this task. The plan identifies which person will complete each task. When making task assignments for each person, the project manager should review the experience level of the person and the complexity of the work to be completed. The constructive cost model (COCOMO) is a method used by project managers to assist in estimating project resources. It can be fairly complex, since several different parameters can be used from prior projects at different levels of complexity. You can find more details on this method in the text. You are encouraged to visit that section of the text in Chapter 3 because COCOMO is one of the most widely used methods today. The initial schedule shows resource availability and timeline information. The schedule shows time estimates for each task in the work breakdown structure. Network diagrams and Gantt charts depict the schedule of the project. Our book depicts a Network diagram, sometimes called a program evaluation review technique, or PERT chart A Network Diagram Transcript Execution The third phase of our process is project execution and is depicted in the steps below. Project Execution Executing the Baseline Project Plan Monitoring project progress against the Baseline Project Plan Managing changes to the Baseline Project Plan Maintaining the project workbook Communicating the project status Here is a brief description of each of the activities: StepTaskProcedure Execution of the BPPThis initiates project activity execution, assigning resources, training any new members of the project team, making sure that the project stays on schedule, and keeping quality in the project deliverables. 2Monitoring progress against the BPPThis is where the PM needs to adjust resources, tasks, and/or the budget. Network diagrams and Gantt charts are very helpful tools describing what needs adjusting. 3Managing changes to the BPPThis task concerns tracking and managing change requests. The PM must find a way to keep the project on schedule. As a last resort, the Baseline Project Plan may need to be revised. This usually affects the budget or timeline. 4Maintaining the project workbookThe project workbook must be updated so that the current status can be quickly viewed. Communicating the project statusThis means that the status must be communicated to all stakeholders and team members. Proper Closure The project ends during the project close down phase. A project can be completed successfully, ended in failure because the customers requirements and expectations were not met, or canceled due to cost or time overruns. See the steps to the project close down phase below. Project Closedown Closing down the project Conducting post project review Closing the customer contact The following is a brief description of each of the activities when a project terminates. StepTaskProcedure 1Closing down the projectDuring the close down phase, a PM may advise each team member on handling any negative personnel issues. The project manager will also notify all stakeholders that all work and documentation are completed, review financial data, and reward the accomplishments of the members of the team. 2Performing post project reviewsWhen conducting post project reviews, the objective is to obtain feedback that can be used to improve future projects for the company by documenting strengths and weaknesses of the processes used and how well the requirements were met. 3Closing the project contract with the customersThis step is done in order to ensure all requirements and contractual terms were met. An important task is completing all required documentation. Project managers have different methods for project plan documentation. Network diagrams and Gantt charts are two such tools. Gantt charts show when tasks begin or end; Network diagrams depict the sequencing of activities. Network diagrams are used for controlling resources and showing the critical path. Network diagrams (or PERT) are used more often than Gantt charts for technology projects because Network diagrams depict how completion times vary for various tasks. PERT is a technique that uses a pessimistic, optimistic, and realistic time to calculate the planned time for a particular task. The critical path is the least amount of time to complete a project. Slack time is defined as the amount of time that a task can be postponed without delaying the project. Using Project Management Software Although this course does not teach the use of software programs used by project managers to aid in the management and tracking of their development projects, I thought we should introduce one of the most widely used, Microsoft Project. Its used in small and large companies. There are programs that are inexpensive, although you may not get much technical support. They can be downloaded for use in many cases free of charge but are usually limited in functionality. At the other end of the spectrum, there are products that can be used extensively throughout large enterprises with powerful components and vast functionality. Of course, you can expect to pay a hefty fee to use them. In Chapter 3, our text lists Microsoft Project and a few others and provides brief descriptions. In order to use Microsoft Project, youll need to perform the following activities at a minimum. Establish a project starting or ending date. Enter tasks and assign task relationships. Select a scheduling method to review project reports. Dont let this scare you off. The online help function can walk you through it. There are tutorials available on the Web to get you started as well. Obviously, the Microsoft website is a good starting point. First Phase of the SDLC: Systems Planning and Selection The first phase of the traditional development life cycle involves determining which projects should be developed and implemented. This phase also ensures that all approved projects are prioritized. The project team will also start the initial planning process by defining the project scope. A system analyst will take vague user requirements and create well-defined requirements. Our book identifies the tasks needed to be completed for this phase. First Phase of the Systems Development Life Cycle Transcript Identification and Selection Task of the Selection and Planning Phase Project Identification and Selection steps include the following. Identify projects for possible development. Prioritize projects. Approve projects. Potential projects can originate from three key sources as depicted below. Three Key Sources for Information System Projects Transcript Potential projects must be reviewed to ensure that only the most important projects are developed. Depending on the organization and type of project, a review by either upper managers, business departments, the information technology management staff, or a select cross-functional steering team takes place. Stakeholders have different ideas about which projects need to be developed. Thats why its a good idea to have a cross-functional team not affected by company politics. Our book discusses what is important to each of the major stakeholders.