Subject-Sustainability in Global Business, Topic-Gold Mining Industry Assignment

Subject-Sustainability in Global Business, Topic-Gold Mining Industry In Armenia - Assignment Example Such forecasting has resulted in greater invasion of the foreign investors in the country with a motive to extract a larger volume of gold. However, critical analysis to the context reveals that such repeat and continuous invasions in Armenian gold industry have resulted in a major consequence of hazardous mining activities (Abrahamyan, 2012). To obtain a better insight of the gold mining advantages and industrial disadvantages of the same, a PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal) analysis of the country has been considered in this essay. Based on the analysis results, the discussion in this essay further attempt to measure the extent to which, the gold industry can be sustainable. Moreover, the essay also aims to provide rational solutions on the basis of which gold industry is likely to operate in a more sustainable manner. 2. PESTEL Analysis of Gold Mining Industry in Armenia 2.1. Political Elements In order to attract a larger percentage of g lobal investments in gold mining industry, the political system of the country has adopted a comparatively flexible international trade policies and plans with a vision to promote its exports, which acts as the main source of national income for Armenia (CIA, 2013; Stuhlberger, 2012). Although the increased foreign investments in the gold mining industry of Armenia has resulted in its augmented national income prospects, with the inflow of a greater volume of foreign currencies, the country witnesses immense complications in terms of corruption. Furthermore, the currently persisting unfavourable relationship amid governmental bodies and the mining sector investors have also resulted in greater degree of corruption within the national context (Stuhlberger, 2012). In addition to these national issues, the country has also been facing political conflict issues with Azerbaijan and Georgia, which has further affected its potentialities to attract a larger volume of foreign investment in the most sustainable manner for its gold mining industry (Nichol, 2013). It is thus recommendable that a stable and more organised political system must be developed by the responsible governmental bodies in Armenia in order to develop its gold mining industry in a socially responsible manner. 2.2. Economic Elements The economic condition of the country has developed quite rapidly, wherein the contributions made by the gold mining industry can be argued as inevitable. However, the economic crisis situations on a global context have adversely affected the economic stability conditions of the country to a large extent being majorly depended on foreign investments. As a matter of fact, with the shrinking purchasing power of customers in the gold industry, the investment trend also declined, which affected the Armenian economy adversely. However, in the recent years of post-recessionary phase, the increased demand for gold has attracted a large number of foreign investors in Armenia (Bu siness Reporter, 2013; UN, 2012; Chshmarityan, 2005). It is worth mentioning in this context that in order to be favourable towards the development of mining sectors and suffice the increased demand of valuable metals and minerals, the Armenian government levied taxes and regulations at a marginal extent, focusing more on charging royalties on the miners. However, unlike expectations, these tax control measures to facilitate greater independency of investors in the gold mini

Currency War Between China and Usa Essay Example for Free

Currency War Between China and Usa Essay Currency War: Currency war, also known as competitive devaluation, is a condition in international affairs where countries compete against each other to achieve a relatively low exchange rate for their own currency. As the price to buy a particular currency falls so too does the real price of exports from the country. Imports become more expensive too, so domestic industry, and thus employment, receives a boost in demand both at home and abroad. However, the price increase in imports can harm citizens purchasing power. The policy can also trigger retaliatory action by other countries which in turn can lead to a general decline in international trade, harming all countries. Reasons of Currency War Between USA and China: Competitive devaluation has been rare through most of history as countries have generally preferred to maintain a high value for their currency,but it happens when devaluation occur. China keeps its dollar artificially low so that countries like the US will buy its goods. China is the USs largest trading partner and if they didnt sell their goods for super cheap, markets like India would be able to under cut the Chinese and then the US would buy goods from Indian instead of China. There is so much trade between China and the US that China profits immensely without needing its Yuan to appreciate. This of course hurts the average Chinese person in that their labour is devalued but it beneficial for the country as a whole as it has quickly become a super power economicaly. In 2008, a trader paid one Ghana Cedi for one U.S. dollar, but at the beginning of April 2012, the same trader travelling to Dubai paid GH ¢1.74 for one U.S. dollar. This means that year-on-year decline in the value of cedi against the US dollar was 74 per cent over a three-year period. A point to note is that during the global economic crises of 2008-2009, the cedi depreciated by 25 per cent against the dollar. Between 2010 and 2011, the cedi again depreciated 18.5 per cent against the US dollar. For last month, the cedi exchange rate depreciated 4.29 percent against the US dollar. So is the current downward slide in the cedi value as a result of the slowdown in the global economy or due to internal structural weaknesses? This question requires a detailed research work beyond the scope of this article but it is a very relevant question to ask at this time. In economics, depreciation is basically the symptoms of an underlying problem, specifically imbalances in the Balance of Payment (BOP), emanating from excess demand for dollars. So instead of discussing the depreciating cedi, I will rather focus my attention on the causes or factors that cause currency to depreciate and what the government can do to arrest this problem in special cases. Before then, I must let readers know the difference between currency fluctuation and depreciation. Fluctuations in currency value are a common event and are usually no cause for concern. The minor daily increases and decreases in value are generally due to â€Å"random walk† and not due to an economic event or fundamental problems. However, changes in currency value become significant when the decline in value of the currency is an ongoing trend. Technically, when currency depreciates, it loses value and purchasing power, with impact on the real sectors of the economy. Although, the economic effects of a lower cedi take time to happen, there are time lags between a change in the exchange rate and changes in commodity prices. Factors that determine the value of a currency include the current state of the overall economy, inflation, trade balance (the difference between the value of export and import), level of political stability, etc. Occasionally, external factors like currency speculations on the foreign exchange market can also contribute to depreciation of the local currency. Such being the case, a government can intervene into the foreign exchange market to support its national currency and suppress the process of depreciation. Currency depreciation can positively impact the overall economic development, though. It boosts competitiveness through lower export costs and secures more income from exported goods in a similar way devaluation does. On the contrary, depreciation makes imports more expensive and discourages purchases of imported goods stimulating demand for domestically manufactured goods. Globally, governments intentionally influence the value of their currency utilising the powerful tool of the base interest rates, which are usually set by the countrys central bank and this tool is often used to intentionally depreciate the currency rates to encourage exports. Factors that can cause a currency to depreciate are: Supply and Demand †¢ Just as with goods and services, the principles of supply and demand apply to the appreciation and depreciation of currency values. If a country injects new currency into its economy, it increases the money supply. When there is more money circulating in an economy, there is less demand. This depreciates the value of the currency. On the other hand, when there is a high domestic or foreign demand for a countrys currency, the currency appreciates in value. Inflation †¢ Inflation occurs when the general prices of goods and services in a country increase. Inflation causes the value of the cedi to depreciate, reducing purchasing power. If there is rampant inflation, then a currency will depreciate in value. What causes inflation? †¢ Printing Money. Note printing money does not always cause inflation. It will occur when the money supply is increased faster than the growth of real output. †¢ Note: the link between printing money and causing inflation is not straightforward. The money supply does not just depend on the amount the government prints. †¢ Large National Debt. To finance large national debts, governments often print money and this can cause inflation. Economic Outlook If a countrys economy is in a slow growth or recessionary phase, the value of their currency depreciates. The value of a countrys currency also depreciates if its major economic indicators like retail sales and Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, are declining. A high and/or rising unemployment rate can also depreciate currency value because it indicates an economic slowdown. If a countrys economy is in a strong growth period, the value of their currency appreciates. Trade Deficit A trade deficit occurs when the value of goods a country imports is more than the value of goods it exports. When the trade deficit of a country increases, the value of the domestic currency depreciates against the value of the currency of its trading partners. The demand for imports should fall as imports become more expensive. However, some imports are essential for production or cannot be made in the country and have an inelastic demand—we end up spending more on these when the exchange rate falls in value. This can cause the balance of payments to worsen in the short run (a process known as the J curve effect) Collapse of Confidence If there is a collapse of confidence in an economy or financial sector, this will lead to an outflow of currency as people do not want to risk losing their currency. Therefore, this causes an outflow of capital and depreciation in the exchange rate. Collapse in confidence can be due to political or economic factors. Price of Commodities if an economy depends on exports of raw materials, a fall in the price of this raw material can cause a fall in export revenue and depreciation in the exchange rate. For example, in 2011, a ton of cocoa sold for US4,000 per ton. Currently, it is going for US$2,300 per ton, translating into fewer inflows of dollars. Interest rate Differential I will use the International Fischer Effect to explain the relationship between the expected change in the current exchange rate between the cedi and the dollar, which is approximately equivalent to the difference between Ghana and US’ nominal interest rates for that time. For example, if the average interest rate in Ghana for 2011 was 24 per cent and for US was three per cent, then the dollar should appreciate roughly 21 per cent or the cedi must depreciate 21 per cent compared to the dollar to restore parity. The rationale for the IFE is that a country with a higher interest rate will also tend to have a higher inflation rate. This increased amount of inflation should cause the currency in the country with the high interest rate to depreciate against a country with lower interest rates. Market Speculations Market speculations can contribute to a process of spiraling depreciation after smaller market players decide to follow the example of the leading dealers, the so-called market makers, and after they lost confidence in a particular currency start to sell it in bulk amounts. Then only a quick reaction of the countrys central bank can restore the confidence of investors and stop the currency rates of the nations currency from continuous decline. When the currency depreciation is based on market speculations, in other words, not backed by fundamental economic factors, then the central bank comes to the rescue- intervene. A sterilised intervention against depreciation can only be effective in the medium term if the underlying cause behind the currencys loss of value can be addressed. If the cause was a speculative attack based on political uncertainty this can potentially be resolved. Because after a sterilised intervention the money supply remains unchanged at its high level, the locally available interest rates can still be relatively low, so the carry trade continues and if it still wants to prevent depreciation the central bank has to intervene again. This can only go on so long before the bank runs out of foreign currency reserves. In conclusion, currency depreciation is the result of fundamental deficiencies with the domestic economy which must be corrected over a period of time to restore balance. However, where the depreciation is out of speculative attacks on the currency, then the central bank can intervene to correct the temporary anomalies, which, often is short term in nature. Lastly, intervention in the foreign exchange market by the central bank to correct fundamental weaknesses, just like the Ghanaian situation will not work, because, very soon, the central bank will run out of international reserves; hence, the cedi must therefore seek its equilibrium level. The writer is an economic consultant and former Assistant Professor of Finance and Economics at Alabama State University. Montgomery, Alabama. Currency War in the Great Depression During the Great Depression of the 1930s, most countries abandoned the gold standard, resulting in currencies that no longer had intrinsic value. With widespread high unemployment, devaluations became common. Effectively, nations were competing to export unemployment, a policy that has frequently been described as beggar thy neighbour.[30] However, because the effects of a devaluation would soon be counteracted by a corresponding devaluation by trading partners, few nations would gain an enduring advantage. On the other hand, the fluctuations in exchange rates were often harmful for international traders, and global trade declined sharply as a result, hurting all economies. The exact starting date of the 1930s currency war is open to debate.[23] The three principal parties were Great Britain, France, and the United States. For most of the 1920s the three generally had coinciding interests, both the US and France supported Britains efforts to raise Sterlings value against market forces. Collaboration was aided by strong personal friendships among the nations central bankers, especially between Britains Montagu Norman and Americas Benjamin Strong until the latters early death in 1928. Soon after the Wall Street Crash of 1929, France lost faith in Sterling as a source of value and begun selling it heavily on the markets. From Britains perspective both France and the US were no longer playing by the rules of the gold standard. Instead of allowing gold inflows to increase their money supplies (which would have expanded those economies but reduced their trade surpluses) France and the US began sterilising the inflows, building up hoards of gold. These factors contributed to the Sterling crises of 1931; in September of that year Great Britain substantially devalued and took the pound off the gold standard. For several years after this global trade was disrupted by competitive devaluation. The currency war of the 1930s is generally considered to have ended with the Tripartite monetary agreement of 1936.

suzuki 750 :: essays research papers

SUZUKI GSXR 750   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There it was the street machine. The Suzuki GSXR 750 staring back at me as I was in disbelief. Palms sweaty, jaw heavy as my mouth watered. The bike was immaculate and shining like a multi million dollar diamond ring. The lighting in the showroom brought out its true beauty. The GSXR is a superb machine that is bound to get noticed with 125 rear wheel horsepower and dry weight of 365 pounds. You couldn’t ask for anymore in a bike. It also has inline four cylinder dual over head cams and 16 valves pumping out 127 rear wheel horsepower. Pound for pound it was the best bike in the world with the most ruthlessly efficient balance of power. The sleek, aggressive Japanese engineering made the bike look ridiculous. The superman shaped headlight was one of a kind. Located on each side of the headlight were the flaring ram air nostrils making it look like a hungry bike. It has a color scheme of red, white, and blue and it looked like the American flag blowing in the wind. The only thing left was one last signature. All of the sudden the feeling of completion hit me like a sack of nickels and tunnel vision. Finally the transaction was done, all I had to do was to hop on and hang on tight. My adrenaline was pumping as I started the bike. The rumbling between my legs, I couldn’t take it anymore I had to go. A couple lefts and rights out of the parking lot and I was sitting at the intersection. Waiting for the light to turn green I was nervous and excited at the same time. I began to sweat, not because of the hot weather, but the pure fact that the beast was screaming for throttle. I hit the road and took it easy for a bit because this bike had the capability of taking my life. All my thoughts of death faded as a Mr. Ed smile ran across my face. I felt invincible as all my stress of reality and everyday life went away. It made me feel free with my mind going into overdrive with not a care in the world. I started getting comfortable so gradually giving the bike more gas. With half throttle I was already at 90 miles per hour. I hit a straight away and hammered on the gas.

Control and college students Essay

Locus of control refers to an individual’s perception about the underlying main causes of events in his or her life either in general or in specific are such as health or academics. This basically implies our thoughts control our actions, when this executive function of thinking is realized it positively affects our beliefs, motivation and academic performance. It can be internal where a person believes that they control themselves or external that they are controlled by their environment, some higher power or other people control them. If a person has an internal locus of control, that person attributes his success to his efforts and abilities. The development of locus of control stems from family, culture and the past experiences that leads to rewards. Most internals come from families that focused on efforts, education and responsibility. On the other hand eternal come from families of low social economic status where there is a lack of life control. Developing an external locus of control is an adaptive response to living in prolonged circumstances without control. Research has shown that people are likely to develop internal locus of control if they life in family environments characterized by warmth, protection and nurturance. It may not a surprise that people who have faced trauma or are living with right now have external locus of control. Locus of control influences the life of an individual in all aspects academically, socially and also financially. These are the determinants of the quality of life. Locus of control and college students Academically, a person who expects to pass will be motivated to learn; will seek in formation and likely to have good study habits and a positive academic attitude. A person with an external locus of control attributes his success to luck or fate and makes less effort to learn. He will experience anxiety because he believes he is not in control of his life. The students with an internal locus of control have better adjustments to college in term of academic achievement and social adjustment. This is caused by a strong inner being and the understanding that he has an upper hand in his life. They are able to live with people from all walks of life because they know what can affect them is the decisions they themselves make. They are not subject to the ideas of the multitudes they are able to put a clear distinction between what they want in life and what the society dictates to them (Njus & Brockway, 1999). A study found that college students with a high internal locus of control did well in distance learning. They enjoy learning situations that require a certain amount of independence from the learner. They are able to put effort in their studies because they believe they can make it no matter the situations they face. This inner drive and self confidence in these students motivates them to do even better though they have to work extra hard (Dille & Mezack, 1991). For students with an internal locus of control, they must attribute their success to their efforts. They have to develop an individualized learning plan that includes their goals and how to achieve them. It also contains a time frame and the outcome they expect. On the other hand students with an external locus control, they were likely to withdraw from their courses. They are also correlated with failure though it may not be very significant. These students need a lot of encouragement and guidance from the tutors. This makes their success a matter of combined efforts with the reluctance of the tutor these students face difficulties in finding success which is highly affected and threatened (Pugliese, 1994). Female college students are more inclined to take responsibility for failure. Male students tend to attribute their failure to external or unstable causes while the female attributes their failure to internal causes which appears to be an over simplification. Female students are fond of blaming themselves on issues of failure more compared to male students. This has been known to cause stress during exams and a lot of tension which affects their performance negatively. Male students have been found to associate their failure to lack of efforts more as compared to female students. Locus of control is highly associated with stress levels, emotional resilience and need for achievement. Locus of control cannot be separated from the ability to be embarrassed. Differences in embarrassment are highly determined by the locus of control. Embarrassment is a form of social anxiety that occurs when a person’s public identity in a particular situation is threatened. The individuals possessing an internal locus of control have a higher embarassability than those with an external locus. The individuals with internal locus of control take everything that happens to them upon themselves hence their failures are points of much embarrassments (Robinson 1991). Deeming control over events in ones life may not led to a superior lifestyle. When an individual tries to change a situation that is unchangeable it causes frustration, disappointment, and depression. When the forces from outside takes the control of behavior consequences, the most realistic and healthy approach is an external orientation (Hock, 2001). In the light of this matter people with an internal locus of control will feel they control the events that occur in their live. It is possible that the responsibility of controlling what happens will turn to guilt when undesirable situations arise. This will cause this individuals play there games cool and also be very careful with the decisions they make for the fear of being embarrassed (Hock, 2001). The students with an internal locus of control have high levels of personal responsibilities and are likely to experience many changes of interest. This will be due to fear of failure because mostly they never come in to terms with failure. As long as these individuals are internally motivated and convinced that whatever they want to engage in will make their ego or self esteem increase they will go for it. Out of a research it was found that internal locus of control positively relates to confidence, behavior intent and actual behavior concerning weight loss. If these individuals believe that smoking would their weight prohibiting weight gain, appetite change, and reduced weight they would opt to go for it (Holt, Clark, and Kreutzer, 2001). The internal focus of control and the family structure it also appears to be reasonable to believe that career goals and reasonable behavior are signs of adjustment. There is a reasoning that students who become leaders might aspire to more prestigious careers that might further testify to their psychological and social adjustment. The purpose of the study was also to address the question of the variables that are related to the leadership behavior which seems to clearly signify the adjustment. There was an assessment of independent and combined esteem of self esteem of focus control carrier goals leadership behavior and family structure. Those students who were identified being high in leadership potential seemed to be higher in self esteem. Had internal focus of control and would have more carrier aspirations and would have two biological parent family compared to those who had an external focus of control (Haworth & Iso-Ahola, 1997). Almost every college or university claims that their campus has a drinking problem. More police may be released during the evening hours so as to discourage drinking among students. Programs are implemented trying to teach students about safe ways to drink alcohol and to recognize alcohol related problems. In all these situations the campus and the students try to reduce the behavior of drinking. When discussing norms one should differentiate between descriptive norms and the inductive norms. The descriptive norms describe actual behavior e. g. the behavior of drinking alcoholic beverages. An inductive norm would represent approval of the drinking behavior. In 2003 Borsari and Bosari had conducted meta-analysis concerning the effects of inductive norms along with the normative norms in relation to drinking behaviors in college and any other discrepancies, which involves the differences in beliefs between self and judgments of others (Haworth & Iso-Ahola, 1997). Someone with an internal locus of control will most likely believe in working to be a good person so that they can reach a higher spiritual state. It has been seen that college students with high level of religiosity also have high academic achievements and are mostly those with in internal locus of control. Believing in the faith influences everyday life and perception of being a good student which has great implications to locus of control. External locus of control has been described as individuals attributing life events to luck, fate or external forces. In deed external locus of control has been found to correlate with belief in superstitious phenomena. Locus of control, optimism and self esteem are good indicators of well being. People with high internal locus of control tend to be happier and able to deal with life difficulties in a healthier way. People with low self esteem will tend to explain any success they have by attributing it to luck rather than their own abilities. While those with high self esteem will associate it to qualities within themselves. It can be attributed with the fact that they make decisions and they are ready to pay the cost for the consequences. The students with an internal locus of control are able to adjust to changes and can modify their way of life to suit the current environment to prevent the environment from dictating the outcome of their efforts. People with internal locus of control spend much time focusing in the positive things and can take risk to self disclosure. They will always appear confident and persuasive; they are very out spoken and have a lot of influence to the rest of the students. Their ideal seems always superior and they will force them into actions. They are more innovative in efforts to attain more fame out of their achievements. They are risk takers in all fields that can make them acquire fame and priority. They are focused and mostly have a very liberal way of life. They plan ahead mostly they appear stress free but they are highly affected by things fame and excellence but not other aspects of life (Haworth. John & Iso-Ahola. S (1997). Students with an external locus of control, because of locating their control outside themselves, those students with external locus control feel that they have less control over their fate. These college students tend to be more stressed and are prone to clinical depression. With internals they exhibit two essential characteristics which are the high achievement motivation and low-directedness. This basis of the locus of control was proposed by Rotter in 1966 (Baum, 1997). Rotter’s undimensionality has been challenged by Levension who argued that different dimensions of locus of control like the belief that events in ones life are self-determined are chance based and organized by others. Locus of control has impact upon smoking behavior among college students. A study indicated that, smokers who tend to resume smoking after are among college students who have external locus of control. Those students who persistently avoid cigarettes believe that they have a great power of control over their lives compared to those who resume smoking (Baum, 1997). Disability among the students can be associated to development of external locus of control. This is accelerated by impairment, where it affects individual’s ability to cope with daily activities. This implies those able to handle their daily activities can develop internal locus of control. Acknowledgement of their conditions and contentment with what the can achieve in their conditions builds an internal locus of control. This increases with appreciation and encouragement from the entire society. Locus of control has a lot of influences on sexual behaviors of college students. Individuals with external locus of control are more likely to involve themselves sin more risky sexual practices. Conclusion Academically, a person who expects to pass will be motivated to learn; will seek in formation and likely to have good study habits and a positive academic attitude. A person with an external locus of control attributes his success to luck or fate and makes less effort to learn. He will experience anxiety because he believes he is not in control of his life. The students with an internal locus of control have better adjustments to college in term of academic achievement and social adjustment. This is cause by a strong inner being and the understanding that he has an upper hand in his life. They are able to live with people from all walks of life because they know what can affect them is the decisions they themselves make (Viorst, 1999). Reference: Baum Andrew (1997): Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health and Medicine; ISBN 0521436869, Cambridge University Press. Dille, B. & Mezack, M. (1991): Identifying predictors of high risk among community college telecourse students. American Journal of Distance Education 5 (1), 24-35. Haworth. John & Iso-Ahola. S (1997): Work, Leisure and Well-being; ISBN 0415017033, Routledge. Hock, H. R. (2001): Forty Studies that Changed Psychology (4th ed). New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Holt, C. L. , Clark, E. M. , & Kreuter, M. W. (2001): Weight locus of control and weightrelated attitudes and behaviors in an overweight population. Addictive Behaviors, 26, 329-340. Njus, D. M. & Brockway, J. H. (1999): Perceptions of competence and locus of control for positive and negative outcomes. Personality and Individual Differences 26, 531-548. Pugliese, R. R. (1994): Telecourse persistence and psychological variables. American Journal of Distance Education, 8 [3], 22-39. Robinson, J. P. (1991): Measure of Personality and Social Psychological Attitudes. San Diego: Academic Press Viorst Judith (1999): Imperfect Control: Our Lifelong Struggles with Power and Surrender; ISBN 0684848147, Simon & Schuster.

Factors Contributing to Disproportionate Minority Representation in Special Education

The disproportionate representation of minority students in special education has been a constant and consistent concern for nearly four decades (Klingner et al. , 2005). Currently, there are disproportionate numbers of minority students who are referred, assessed, identified, classified, and placed in programs for students with disabilities. The issue of disproportionate representation for minority students has been and continues to be an incessant dilemma that has detrimental effects on the educational opportunities and outcomes for this specific group of students.Concerns about disproportionate representation are focused on the â€Å"judgmental† categories of special education (learning disabilities, emotional disturbance, and mental retardation), those disabilities usually identified after the child starts school and by school personnel rather than a medical professional. Children identified with these disabilities usually do not exhibit any obvious discernible features, y et they are still considered to have internal deficits that affect their learning and/ or behavior (Klingner, et al. , 2005).One of the earlier discussions on disproportionality (Heller, Holtzman, & Messick, 1982) noted that it cannot be assumed that ethnic disproportionality in special education is a problem, since it could be that certain groups of students require special education services in greater amounts than those from other ethnic categories. The panel declared that â€Å"the adequacy and appropriateness† of all phases of the special education process as well as the outcome had to be determined before recognizing disproportionality as a problem.The existence of bias or inappropriate practice at any phase of the process was the feature that would determine that disproportionality was indeed problematic. In its 26th Annual Report to Congress, the U. S. Department of Education (2005) presented the percentage of students ages 6 through 21 who were served under IDEA by d isability and race/ethnicity. Specific learning disability was the largest disability category for all racial/ethnic groups.Hispanic/Latino children represented the largest racial/ethnic group (58. 3%) diagnosed with a specific learning disability. American Indian/Alaskan Native students were the next highest group (55. 3%) identified with a specific learning disability. The highest percentage of minority students served under IDEA for mental retardation was African American/Black (16. 8%). Mental retardation can be defined as sub-average intellectual functioning that concurrently exists with deficits in adaptive behavior.Similarly, African American/Black students also represented the highest percentage of children served under the category of emotionally disturbed students (11. 3%) (U. S. Department of Education, 2005). It is critical to note that the existence of this problem has been repeatedly documented by the U. S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR), in th at it has confirmed the overrepresentation of minority students in special education programs with data for the past thirty years.In addition, the issue of determining whether students of different racial or ethnic groups are disproportionately identified for special education has been a longstanding public and professional concern; however, the causes of disproportionality and factors contributing to this problem are not clearly understood (Donovan & Cross, 2002). Thus, this paper aims to examine factors contributing to disproportionality of minority in special education. Firstly, the paper examines historical background of disproportionality problem. Finally, some conclusive remarks are presented.History of the Disproportionality Problem The problem of overrepresentation of minority students in special education is not a new phenomenon and has been a serious concern for the last 40 years. Dunn (1968) cited statistics from the U. S. Office of Education and concluded â€Å"about 60 % to 80% of students in mild mental retardation classes were from low status backgrounds, including African Americans, American Indians, Mexicans, and Puerto Rican Americans; those from nonstandard English speaking, disorganized and inadequate homes; and children from nonmiddle class environments† (p.6). Mercer (1973) documented disproportionate representation of minority students in special education classes in Riverside, California. She concluded that the percentage of African Americans placed in special classes for students diagnosed with mental retardation was three times their percentage in the population. In a similar manner, the percentage of Mexican American students placed in classes for mentally retarded children was four times their percentage in the population (Mercer, 1973). The overrepresentation problem has also been documented over time through court cases.Two notable cases, Diana v. State Board of Education (1970) and Larry P. v. Riles (1971) dealt with issues related to assessment bias, disproportionate placement, and the long-term consequences of special education placement (Donovan & Cross, 2002). Larry P. v. Riles (1979) was a class action suit on behalf of African American/Black students in the San Francisco Public School System who were placed in mildly mentally retarded education programs. At that time African American/Black students represented 28.5% of the district's student enrollment, but 67% of the students in mildly mentally retarded programs were African American/Black. The plaintiffs argued that intelligence tests were culturally biased. The court ruled that intelligence tests were culturally biased against African American/Black students and that reliance on biased instruments was related to the overrepresentation problem. Overrepresentation of certain ethnic minority groups, such as African Americans/Blacks or Hispanics/Latinos, in certain special education environments is a serious problem for a number of reasons.Heller , Holtzman, and Messick (1982) stated that disproportionality is a problem if children are invalidly placed in programs for mentally retarded children, if they are unduly exposed to the likelihood of such placement by virtue of having received poor regular education, or if the quality and academic relevance of the special instruction blocks students' educational progress, including decreasing the likelihood of their return to the regular education classroom. In their review of the literature, Hosp and Reschly (2003) discussed three main reasons why disproportionate representation in special education is problematic.Such reasons include negative effects of labeling, segregation of placement, and presumed ineffectiveness of special education (Hosp & Reschly, 2003). For example, labeling a child handicapped has been found to reduce teachers' expectancy for the child to succeed (Dunn, 1968). Furthermore, removing a child from regular education to special education may contribute signifi cantly to feelings of inferiority and problems with acceptance by peers (Dunn, 1968). Factors Contributing to Disproportionate RepresentationSeveral variables related to the disproportionate representation of some students in special education have been documented in the literature. Specifically, research has examined possible reasons that might explain the overrepresentation of minorities in special education including bias in the referral process, bias in assessment tools, English Language Proficiency of a child, poverty, gender, race, and poor academic achievement (Hosp & Reschly, 2004). Referral process One factor that may contribute to disproportionality involves the referral process for special education.Referral for assessment has been cited as an important predictor of subsequent special education placement (Ysseldyke, Vanderwood, & Shriner, 1997). Ysseldyke et al. (1997) found that 90% to 92% of referred students are tested and 70% to 74% of tested students were then declar ed eligible for special education placement. Thus, if a child is referred to a multidisciplinary team for special education eligibility consideration, there is a high probability that the student will be identified with a disability and be placed in a special education program.One possible explanation for overidentification of students for special education may be due to the information processing strategies of multidisciplinary team decision makers, which can cause the presence of a confirmatory bias (O'Reilly et al. , 1989). Confirmatory bias can occur when the multidisciplinary team decision makers have a tendency to gather information that confirms a hypothesis that is being tested and ignores contradictory information. This can result in special education decisions that are not based on objective evidence and lead to inappropriate placements.Thus, if teachers are biased in their referral decisions, psychologists may confirm already flawed judgments (Podwell & Soodak, 1993). In terms of demographics, research has shown that teachers over refer African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaskan Native males to programs for students with learning disabilities, emotional/behavioral problems, speech and language disorders, and mild cognitive disorders in comparison to female and White middle class students (Grossman, 1995).The majority of teachers nationwide are White; therefore cultural misunderstanding of expectations may affect referral rates of non-White students (Hosp & Reschly, 2003). For example, differences between students and teachers in learning style, verbal style, social style, and cultural information has been suggested to account for some proportion of minority students poor school performance which may lead to referral and subsequent placement in special education (Harry, 1994). Assessment procedures Overrepresentation could also be a result of bias in the assessment procedures used to identify students for special education.Assessm ent procedures that are not suited to the diverse characteristics of the students evaluated may result in misleading and biased information about their academic abilities (Grossman, 1995). For example, unfamiliarity with the assessment process may invalidate results. Grossman (1995) cited research that African American/Black and Hispanic/Latino children may be more anxious during assessments to the point that the anxiety interferes with performance because they are not familiar with the assessment process.Today, more minority children continue to be placed into special education on the basis of intelligence tests, even though it has been suggested that intelligence instruments as a basis for placement are imperfect and unfair (Agbenyega & Jiggetts, 1999). The validity and reliability of intelligence tests has been discussed when such measures are used with minority students (Reschly & Grimes, 2002). Intelligence tests are valid only if they measure a student's ability to learn and t o predict how the student will function in specific learning situations (Grossman, 1995).Furthermore, since the reliability of many assessments is established by studying their use with White students, they may be unreliable when used with non-White students (Grossman, 1995). It has been asserted that intelligence tests reflect the cultural knowledge base and cognitive and linguistic orientations of their creators (Harry, Klinger, Sturges, & Moore, 2002). Intelligence tests have been criticized as being culturally, socially, and racially biased because they reflect White, middle class values and experiences and therefore, are not applicable to minority children (Agbenyega & Jiggetts, 1999).It has been suggested that traditional measures of intelligence are not biased if certain standards are met. For example, standards should require a rigorous implementation of procedural safeguards in the referral, classification, and placement process; implementation of multifactored assessments designed to identify specific educational needs by a group of professionals; and programming and placement decisions made by a team that included professionals and parents (Reschly & Grimes, 2002).Nevertheless, there are concerns about using intelligence measures like the Wechsler scales in making identification decisions. Such concerns include that different environments provide different preparation for the test, the narrow item content of the test, and negative outcomes associated with the use of intelligence tests (Reschly & Grimes, 2002). Therefore, the use of more culturally fair measures of cognitive processing, such as the CAS, may be an important step in addressing the disproportionality problem in special education.English Language Proficiency Since most standardized tests are administered in English and normed on proficient English speakers, a linguistic bias may also invalidate the results of an evaluation if the assessment is conducted in a language that the student is not proficient in. For example, English Language Learners have been found to perform lower than proficient English speakers on standardized assessments in reading, science, and mathematics (Abedi, 2002).However, the performance gap between English Language Learners and proficient English speakers was greatest in content areas that required a higher language demand (i. e. , reading) and less or almost non-existent in content areas that required less language demand (i. e. , mathematic computation). The linguistic complexity of the actual test items, unrelated to the content being assessed, may be a reason for poorer performance for English Language Learners on standardized tests.Thus, these tests may function more as an English proficiency test than a test of ability or achievement (Abedi, 2002). This problem can impact special education identification and placement because there are very few school psychologists who are bilingual and are able to provide linguistically appropriate as sessment services in the school (Grossman, 1995). The consideration of English Language Proficiency is important since it is estimated that more than 3. 5 million children in U. S. schools have Limited English Proficiency (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003). However, there has been limited research on the representation of English Language Learners in special education programs since state departments of education often do not gather data about language proficiency of students in special education. Artiles et al. (2005) assessed the magnitude of disproportionate representation of English Language Learners in 11 urban California school districts. Placement patterns at the elementary level indicated an absence of overrepresentation in special education.However, overrepresentation of English Language Learners was detected at the end of elementary school (4th grade) and continued through the high school years. Children who demonstrated limited proficiency in their native language as well as in E nglish had the highest rate of identification in high incidence special education categories (i. e. , learning disability). Impact of gender Other variables have also been examined to evaluate their influence on the disproportionate representation of minority students in special education.For example, recent research has looked at gender as a predictor of special education placement (Coutinho & Oswald, 2005; Coutinho et al. , 2002). In general, gender disproportionality has been found to exist in special education with male students more likely to be overrepresented in special education. Boys are about twice as likely as girls to be identified with a learning disability and almost three and half times more likely to be identified with a serious emotional disturbance (Coutinho & Oswald, 2005). Coutinho et al.(2002) investigated the extent of disproportionality among students with a learning disability and described the relationship between ethnicity, gender, and socio-demographic var iables (i. e. , poverty indicators, Limited English Proficiency status, parent education, etc. ). The findings showed an association between ethnicity, gender and the odds of being identified as a student with a learning disability. White, African American/Black, American Indian/Alaskan Native, and Hispanic/Latino males were all at least twice as likely as White females to receive special education.African American/Black and Hispanic/Latino females were essentially as likely as White females to receive special education. American Indian/Alaskan Native females were more likely than White females to receive special education. Asian males and females were both less likely than White females to receive special education services (Coutinho et al. , 2002). In addition to student characteristics, results indicated that socio-demographic characteristics were important in determining the likelihood of being identified as learning disabled.However, the impact of the socio-demographic characte ristics was found to be different for each gender-ethnicity group. For example, increased poverty was associated with increased identification of a learning disability for African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, and male Asian students. For White and American Indian/Alaskan Native students, increased poverty was associated with lower identification rates (Coutinho et al. , 2002). Economic, demographic, and achievement factors Oswald et al.(1999) examined the influence of economic and demographic variables on the identification of minority students for special education. The study examined the extent U. S. school districts displayed patterns of disproportionate presentation in the identification of minority students as mildly mentally retarded (MMR) and serious emotional disturbance (SED). It also analyzed the extent disproportionate representation at the district level is predicted by other district characteristics including school characteristics and demographic and economic facto rs (Oswald et al. , 1999).Oswald et al. (1999) used predictor variables that included median housing value, median income, percentage of children below the poverty level, percentage of adults in the community with a 12th grade education or less, percentage of children enrolled in school who are considered â€Å"at risk† (i. e. , from a single parent home, below the poverty level, and where the mother does not have a high school diploma or GED); and percentage of children who were Limited English Proficient. Race of the student was classified as African American/Black or non-African American/non-Black.Results indicated that African American/Black students were 2. 4 times more likely to be identified as MMR and approximately 1. 5 times more likely to be identified as SED than non-African American/Black students. Additionally, environmental and demographic variables were found to be significant predictors of identification of students as MMR or SED. For example, as poverty and d rop-out levels increased, more African Americans/Blacks were identified as MMR, but less were classified as SED.Furthermore, there was a disproportionate number of African American/Black students classified as SED in wealthier communities. It was suggested that these results may indicate that wealthier communities are more tolerant of cognitive impairments and less tolerant of emotionally challenging behaviors of African Americans/Blacks (Oswald et al. , 1999). Poor academic achievement is often a reason for referral and eventual placement in special education.Hosp and Reschly (2004) hypothesized that differences in academic achievement between racial and ethnic groups may lead to differences in referral and subsequent placement rates for special education. These researchers expanded on findings of Oswald et al. (1999) and included achievement variables with demographic and economic predictor variables of White, African American, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/A laskan Native ethnic/racial groups in an effort to better understand disproportionate representation of minorities in special education.In their study, demographic predictors included the base rates of various ethnic backgrounds (base rate of White students, base rate of African American/Black students, base rate of Hispanic/Latino students, base rate of Asian/Pacific Islander students, base rate of American Indian/Alaskan Native students) in the district, percentage of students in the community who were Limited English Proficient, and base rate of students in the district identified who had a disability.Economic predictors included median house value of the community, median household income, percentage of adults in community who have a 12th grade education or less, and percentage of children who are considered at risk. Academic predictors included percentage of each ethnic group who achieved mastery in criterion reading and criterion math. Results indicated that economic, demograp hic and academic blocks of variables contributed to the prediction of disproportionate representation.Specifically, Hosp and Reschly (2004) found that the block of economic variables was the strongest predictor for mental retardation diagnosis, the demographic block of variables was the strongest predictor for emotional disturbance, and the academic block of variables was a strong predictor for a learning disability diagnosis. For African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaskan Native students, the demographic variables were the strongest predictors for emotional disturbance and learning disability.It is not possible to comment on the influence of each individual variable in its ability to predict special education eligibility since related variables were grouped together as broader blocks of variables. An ecological framework How bias in the referral process, bias in assessment techniques, English Language Proficiency, gender, socioeconomic status, and demograp hics contribute to the disproportionate representation of minority students in special education may be better understood by considering an ecological developmental framework.According to Bronfenbrenner (1992), understanding human development requires a consideration of the interaction of diverse characteristics of a child and of the environment in which the child is embedded. Bronfenbrenner (1992) suggests a hierarchy of ecological contexts that effect human development that move from the most proximal to the most remote. The first of these contexts is the microsystem, which has the most power to influence the course of development for the child (Bronfenbrenner & Crouter, 1983).Bronfenbrenner (1992) defined a microsystem as â€Å"a pattern of activities, roles, and interpersonal relations experienced by the developing person in a given setting with particular physical and material features, and containing other persons with distinctive characteristics of temperament, personality, and systems of belief' (p. 227). Such settings include the home, school, or peer group. The microsystem considers the immediate environment a child develops in, as well as the characteristics of all other people (i. e. , parents, teachers, siblings, etc. ) also in that environment.The characteristics of other people in the child's environment might include demographic features (age, race/ethnicity, and sex), cognitive abilities and skills, or temperaments/personalities. For example, a child whose parents only speak a language other than English may have difficulty acquiring English, which may put them at risk for lower achievement scores and a higher probability of being referred for special education services. Children interact with their teachers daily. Personalities and belief systems of the teacher may impact how he/she views the child and therefore, influences how the teacher interacts with the child.A teacher who lacks cultural awareness may inappropriately refer a child to th e multidisciplinary team. Thus, the microsystem may be the most important ecological level to consider when analyzing factors that relate to the overrepresentation of specific racial/ethnic groups because it considers not only the characteristics of the environment a child develops in, but the characteristics of those who interact with that child. The most distal ecological system is the macrosystem. The macrosystem is the largest ecological level and is typically defined by region, societies, cultural values, and governmental and economic institutions.The macrosystem involves the belief systems prevailing in the world. At this level, the individual has little control over the factors related to disproportionality, but it is important to understand the intent of the laws governing special education programs and the national goal to decrease the overrepresentation of minority groups in special education. Conclusion Disproportionate representation is a complex phenomenon without a def inite etiology or solution. As a result of this complexity, consensus has yet to be reached regarding the actual causes of this persistent dilemma.What is clear is that a variety of educational, sociocultural, socioeconomic, and teacher and school-related factors appear to contribute to the disproportionate representation of minority students in special education programs. Current literature on overrepresentation of certain students in special education focuses more on the general patterns of disproportionality rather than examining if there are specific variables related to special education representation (Donovan & Cross, 2002). Thus, the causes of the disproportionate representation of minorities in special education are not clearly understood.Therefore, it is important to consider structural and community level variables to provide a framework for analyzing the problem. Indirectly these variables affect the prescribed evaluation procedures, parental involvement in the special e ducation process, and the availability of alternative programs (Turnbull & Turabull, 2001). Bronfenbrenner's (1992) expanded ecological paradigm provides a conceptual framework for examining and understanding the factors that influence disproportionate representation of minorities in special education.An ecological approach considers the context within which individuals function and that influence individuals. In using Bronfenbrenner's framework, the larger issue of disproportionality should consider the combined influences of various contexts a child is a member, including the locality (type of neighborhood and resources), the organization (school factors such as performance, racial/ethnicity composition, teacher:student ratios, or discipline), the microsystem (family characteristics such as size, socioeconomic status, and education level), and the individual (unique characteristics of the child)

Hit song about Sept. 11 truly misses the mark essays

Hit song about Sept. 11 truly misses the mark essays Hit song about Sept. 11 truly misses the mark This article is the authors opinion about a controversial song written by Toby Keith in the days following the September 11th attacks on America. Julia Keller, the author, describes "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American) as "odious" as well as "a crude caricature of true American values, as it snarls with schoolyard braggadocio and bristles with taunts and threats and coarse language". She is saying that this song does nothing but reflect the same ideas as the people who committed the heinous acts of terror on September 11th. She compares the "silly, chest-thumping antics" to two other songs written about the same thing, just with a different tone. The songs "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" by Alan Jackson and "American Child" by Phil Vassar, received a glowing retort from Keller by saying these songs are "thoughtful" and "a starker contrast to Keiths macho bluster". She states, "Do we need to punish those responsible for Sept. 11? Of course. A nd were doing that . But the idea that the only legitimate response to that terrible day is to become as blind, bloodthirsty, and bombastic as the terrorists themselves the essence of Keiths song is insulting. Our nation seeks justice, not vengeance." Keith received much publicity when ABC decided not to feature the song on its Fourth of July special. "He got to act all dissed and outraged, and got himself booked on radio and TV shows to whine about it", Keller says. She believes it takes men and women of sincere courage to assimilate a tremendous blow like the events of September 11th, feel a surpassing grief, and then use those emotions as fuel to make wisdom. When I read this article I was dumbfounded. Apparently the author doesn't know what true patriotism and love for your country is. Nor does she know how the majority of the American public feels about the events that t ...

Free Essays on DSL Technology

DSL TECHNOLOGY Whether at home or at work, at school or on the move, we all want more speed from every service we choose to use. The theory goes that the greater the speed of service delivery we obtain to meet our daily needs - from grocery shopping to information and entertainment - the more leisure time we can create for ourselves to enjoy. The fact is that in an accelerating world, our expectations and demands keep outstripping the art of the possible and the result is frustration and stress. What we need is some acceleration of the access technologies to deliver that world to us - and those speedier access routes really are just around the corner -coming soon to a telephone line near you in the form of DSL (Digital Subscriber Line). Put simply, DSL gives the humble and ubiquitous copper wires that run throughout the world to provide POTS (plain old telephone service), the capacity to send enormous volumes of data at very high speeds. With DSL, it's not just a phone line, it's a lifestyle. Some DSLs do that in parallel with the standard voice service, all on the same line and at the same time. Some deliver higher speeds or wider bandwidth - the more dense the data you are sending, the wider the bandwidth you need for quality and speedy transmission. Still others deliver higher capacity for downloading than for uploading data. There is a whole portfolio of DSL technologies coming on stream to match user needs at home and at work. The new millennium is about to put a completely new dimension into those telephone lines we have all come to take for granted. Already there are towns and cities around the globe which really are wired for speed with DSL. There are even whole countries which are DSL-ed - like Singapore where ADSL on the phone lines have been given the capacity to deliver video on demand. Here are the basic requirements for a high speed Internet access technology that makes sense for consumers: ... Free Essays on DSL Technology Free Essays on DSL Technology DSL TECHNOLOGY Whether at home or at work, at school or on the move, we all want more speed from every service we choose to use. The theory goes that the greater the speed of service delivery we obtain to meet our daily needs - from grocery shopping to information and entertainment - the more leisure time we can create for ourselves to enjoy. The fact is that in an accelerating world, our expectations and demands keep outstripping the art of the possible and the result is frustration and stress. What we need is some acceleration of the access technologies to deliver that world to us - and those speedier access routes really are just around the corner -coming soon to a telephone line near you in the form of DSL (Digital Subscriber Line). Put simply, DSL gives the humble and ubiquitous copper wires that run throughout the world to provide POTS (plain old telephone service), the capacity to send enormous volumes of data at very high speeds. With DSL, it's not just a phone line, it's a lifestyle. Some DSLs do that in parallel with the standard voice service, all on the same line and at the same time. Some deliver higher speeds or wider bandwidth - the more dense the data you are sending, the wider the bandwidth you need for quality and speedy transmission. Still others deliver higher capacity for downloading than for uploading data. There is a whole portfolio of DSL technologies coming on stream to match user needs at home and at work. The new millennium is about to put a completely new dimension into those telephone lines we have all come to take for granted. Already there are towns and cities around the globe which really are wired for speed with DSL. There are even whole countries which are DSL-ed - like Singapore where ADSL on the phone lines have been given the capacity to deliver video on demand. Here are the basic requirements for a high speed Internet access technology that makes sense for consumers: ...

The Yellow Pages Scam Keeps on Taking

The Yellow Pages Scam Keeps on Taking While the so-called â€Å"yellow pages† scam comes and goes, a new group of Canada-based telemarketers is now attacking U.S. small businesses, nonprofits, churches and even local governments, according to complaints filed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). How the Scam Works The â€Å"yellow pages† scam calls sound so innocent: Somebody calls your organization saying they simply need to confirm your contact information for a business directory. What could possibly go wrong? They never asked for money, right? Whether they mention money are not, you are soon sent an invoice demanding you pay hundreds of dollars for your new listing in an online â€Å"yellow pages† directory – not at all something you ever asked for or wanted. If you don’t pay, the scammers will often play you recordings – sometimes doctored – of the initial call to â€Å"prove† that you or your employees had approved the charges. If that doesn’t do the trick, the companies start calling you repeatedly to â€Å"remind† you of things like legal fees, interest charges and credit ratings. According to the FTC, the companies would go so far as posing as debt collection agencies, offering to stop the harassing calls in return for a fee. â€Å"In the face of threats,† said the FTC, â€Å"many people just paid.† FTC Files Charges In separate complaints, the FTC charged Montreal-based telemarketing firms; Online Local Yellow Pages; 7051620 Canada, Inc.; Your Yellow Pages, Inc.; and OnlineYellowPagesToday.com, Inc., with running â€Å"yellow pages† scams targeting businesses in the United States. How to Protect Your Business The FTC recommended four ways you can protect your business from the â€Å"yellow pages† scam: Train your staff:   Educate employees on how the scam works and how to recognize dangerous calls. Check the BBB: Always check the calling company’s reputation out for free on the Better Business Bureau’s website. Inspect your invoices: Consider implementing a purchase order review system to ensure you are only paying for services you requested. File a Complaint: If you suspect you have been contacted by a scammer or start getting bogus bills, file complaints with both the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint and with the BBB. â€Å"Businesses and other organizations should train their staff to hang up on cold calls about business directory services,† said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection in a press release. â€Å"Report them to the FTC. We can pursue these cases even if the scammers hide in another country.†

Lack of Minorities in the Information Technology Field Research Paper

Lack of Minorities in the Information Technology Field - Research Paper Example This paper takes a look at this apparent discrepancy, what the recruiting and retention practices are for the Information Technology field. It also looks at how society may play a role in this issue and how, if left unchecked, this issue could create a problem in for the workforce as a whole. Throughout the paper suggestions are made for how this situation can best be resolved. It is the hope that one would walk away from this essay with information on how discrimination is taking place in the I.T. field and what can be done to change it. Table of Contents Certification and Approval 2 Abstract 3 Table of Contents 4 Introduction 5 Discrepancy 6 - 8 Recruiting and Retention Practices 9 - 13 Affects on Society 14 - 15 Conclusion 15 - 16 References 17 - 20 Discriminatory Hiring Practices in the Information Technology Field A young five year old boy runs with lighting fast speed toward the huge sycamore as his mother and her friend watch, with amusement, from the park bench. He proceeds t o climb the tree and swing bravely from the bottom branch. He mother chuckles slightly, â€Å"What are you going to do, boys will be boys† she sighs to her friend. ... While this differentiation may have played out well at the turn of the century, when the majority of women stayed home to clean and care for the children, and the majority of men worked for a living, in today’s economy many women find the need to seek employment outside of the home. This preconceived notion that women are the weaker sex can then result in issues when women seek a career in a field that has been male dominated. Luckily, today, there are laws in the United States in place to protect equality for women and all other minorities in the work place. However, even with these precautions in place it seems there are some fields that are not equally represented by minorities. One field, in particular, where this is becoming a problem is that of Information Technology. After taking a look at the apparent discrepancy, the recruiting, and retention practices in the IT field, and how this could ultimately affect society if left unchecked, it should become apparent how societ y is playing a role in the underlying discrimination seen in IT and what can be done to change it. Discrepancy It is estimated that between 2000 and 2010, there will be a call for 2.5 million new Information Technology jobs available, which is the result of growth in Information Technology occupations, resulting in a high demand for skilled Information Technology workers (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2005). It is projected that from 2008 to 2016 there will be a 29% increase in workforce demands for computer system analysts, a 37% increase in demand for jobs for database administrators, and a 38% increase in the availability of jobs for software engineers (U.S. Department of Labor, 2005).

War on terror as a media war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

War on terror as a media war - Essay Example In the past,the role of Media was defined and static as media was decisively used as a source to portray knowledge and information.In the contemporary period,media’s roles and functions are diverse,as now media has been used to create propagandas,spread political agendas and channelize a desired set of opinion to the publicActually,media has come out with a role to change the perception of the mass populace. It has come out to dominate the perception of the larger population (Barker, 1997). According to many scholars, War on Terror was a war that got initiated and established on media. It was media that compelled the reasons of war on terror and it was media that actually followed through the September 11 incident, which became the reason for originating the so-called war on terrorism. This study is investigating the US declared War on Terror as a Media War. The study stands on the argument that war on terror is in fact a war of media, which is only a broadcasting instrument i n any democratic society like US, UK, and Europe. Is media a propagator, a manipulator or a spreader of the right set of information? is a question, which this study will try to investigate and answer. The September 11 incident and the Media Projection When the September 11 attacks hit America, it was the highest media coverage that the incident received at that time. The coverage was so well directed and well projected that it got viewed at the mass global level. Televisions, radios, Internet news portals, and websites all got switched up to broadcast this disastrous happening (Baudrillard, 2002). It was actually an outburst of information that incurred during this catastrophic event. What was it? People called it a balloon of information that got blown up at the time of September 11 incident. Information covered the world, covered the mass global audience, its large perception and opinion. These were the strongest implications, which media brought on the September 11 incident. It was projected that Osama Bin Laden with his intentions to attack America was behind this terrorism activity. Similarly, the later projections of media were that Al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussain designed this mass terror act. This is how time after time, media projected of what it was told to project and demonstrated of what it was instructed to demonstrate (Barker, 1997). This is the argument, which several journalists and anchorpersons put onto the media coverage of the September 11 incident. The media coverage was transcending and out of the limits to broadcast the 9/11 incident. This is what most of the critics argument that media projection and demonstration of the September 11 incident was not in accordance to media obligations and standards. A 10-hour transmission each day on all international broadcasting forums was how media demonstrated the 9/11 incident. It was beyond the media laws, beyond the media jurisdiction, code and obligation as suggested by Dowmunt (1993) in his book a bout the role of media as a propagator. It was seen after September 11 that media got used as a planning instrument. The critics argument that media was not media as it was before the time of September 11 incident. It was something like a propagating machine after the September 11 incident as media role discussed by Wasko & Mosco (1992). Spreading information consistently and precisely to the mass global audience became the primary function of media at the time of September 11 incident occurred. Why was it so? The critics respond to it in a way that that media became a vibrant channel to spread a desired point of opinion and a desired perception to the public after the incident took over (Mirzoeff, 2005). Delivering a desired perception to public for changing the public opinion was something, which was something thought and prospered on media sources. The critics assert that media was used as a tracker of information and

Software Engneering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Software Engneering - Essay Example It also takes into account the external elements that interact with the system. 3. Use Case Diagram: It is an object oriented paradigm where the entire scenario is described as actors who interact with the system and scenarios that form processes of the system. It is largely used in object oriented systems as a model to map the requirements of a system. 4. Sequence diagram: It is a depiction of the various objects of a system and the sequence of interactions among them with respect to time and sequence so that one gets a clear notification of what takes place before a specified process. The aspects that are modelled by this diagram are the very sequence of operations in the system. It takes into account time factors for judgement and enables one to understand the sequence that one desires to follow for achievement of the objectives. (c) Using one or more of the ways of describing operation logic from your answer to question 1(a), discuss how you might specify how a potential buyer will review/amend the list of properties of

Leadership - Self Analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leadership - Self Analysis - Coursework Example Leading aims at bringing change in an organization. It also involves giving inspiration to people. In leadership there is a lot of motivation that is carried out. In any job, there comes a time when one feels like giving up, the drive to work is not there. At such moments employees need to be motivated to work. What is important to know is that my motivation within the leadership premise should stem from what the results are and what kind of challenges I need to face over a period of time. This would mean that I remain in line with achieving these results through the challenges that I have to face every now and then. Leadership is dependent a great deal on how different situations are handled and what kind of authority the people enjoy when they are assumed as leaders. This would mean that they have to undertake difficult and easy assignments both with a sense of doing something right for not only their own selves but also the organizational under contexts. Leadership is an important entity in this day and age because it extracts the best possible mileage out of the related equations and gives the people what they direly require in terms of management, control and power that are exercised by the leader. I opine that these characteristics of leadership find out the exact basis of strengths that remain hidden within a person and thus derive where he is making the best use of the same and where he is lacking on the same front. Leadership always derives its basis from doing things when they matter the most and performing them in a regular manner so as to achieve sound results consistently. I would like to be a leader who could respond to others to provide them with direct answers and replies, and then stick to the subject under consideration. I would also like to stress on logic and provide emphasis on the related point under discussion. This would allow freedom for achieving personal milestones and goals (Zaleznik, 1989). However, what I appreciate about leadershi p is that it gives one the freedom to explore the nuances of business and handling people, and in telling the leader where and how he can move about to achieve solid results and goals at the end of the day. The aspect of learning cannot be denied its due role within the understanding of leadership. If the leaders stop gaining insights, it would be difficult for them to pace ahead with the changing times, and it would make their lives very difficult. As far as the concentration is on leadership, I believe at different stages of one’s career, an individual has to exhibit certain set of skills and qualities, which make him stand out like nobody else. He has to portray the best of his character and bring out what is not present in the rest of the populace. He has to lead by example, a thing which people of present times usually lack and which is not that easily found in our society. Similarly, at the top level, it is very significant to have a clear mind whereby the person can th ink way beyond his understanding as well as ask of his subordinates to carry out his instructions with accuracy and wisdom. Needless to say, a leader at a senior position has to understand that he/she is the ultimate boss and without his proper vision and goals, there can be no other person to fill the void which would be created if his thinking and mindset are just not prompt and in the right place. A leader is a person who aims to bring out his best in relationships with the people around him as he constantly asks of

Case analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Analysis - Case Study Example Moreover, his state of having suffered soft muscle tissue damage does not stop him from achieving positive business target. On the other hand, Peter is also ambitious to launch a satellite communication system as part of demonstration of his course. The above is an indication of both personal and physically oriented entrepreneurial characteristic that is also very important for the business sustainability especially during low returns. Despite having been very close friends and learnt in a similar high school, the nature of financial support of the two colleagues is quite distinct. Besides, such an issue does not bar the two friends from achieving financial relationship necessary for a prospective development and sophisticated transformed network. With an effort towards achieving business obligation and future prosperity, Mooney turned down Peter’s offer to purchase for him an electric car and instead decided to invest the amount into the business productive line. It is within the interest of business that the two friends decide to partner with Paul who in turn identifies a vibrant franchise opportunity to a Culligan water treatment system where most parts of the business progress undergo initiation. With the increasing pressure and plans to achieve the business targets, the marketing part of the business as illustrated, the case sees the initiative getting integrated to a prominent business Culligan Man, who is a well know a business person. The above idea shows that a business does not come by investing capital alone, but also by motivating the customers that the business is at the interest of the society. Having conceptualized all the entrepreneurial risks, source of the labor force for water treatment plant was sourced from the business owner. The above shows that the owners have a lot of commitment to the realization of the business objectives. The main source of capital for the

Leadership - Self Analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leadership - Self Analysis - Coursework Example Leading aims at bringing change in an organization. It also involves giving inspiration to people. In leadership there is a lot of motivation that is carried out. In any job, there comes a time when one feels like giving up, the drive to work is not there. At such moments employees need to be motivated to work. What is important to know is that my motivation within the leadership premise should stem from what the results are and what kind of challenges I need to face over a period of time. This would mean that I remain in line with achieving these results through the challenges that I have to face every now and then. Leadership is dependent a great deal on how different situations are handled and what kind of authority the people enjoy when they are assumed as leaders. This would mean that they have to undertake difficult and easy assignments both with a sense of doing something right for not only their own selves but also the organizational under contexts. Leadership is an important entity in this day and age because it extracts the best possible mileage out of the related equations and gives the people what they direly require in terms of management, control and power that are exercised by the leader. I opine that these characteristics of leadership find out the exact basis of strengths that remain hidden within a person and thus derive where he is making the best use of the same and where he is lacking on the same front. Leadership always derives its basis from doing things when they matter the most and performing them in a regular manner so as to achieve sound results consistently. I would like to be a leader who could respond to others to provide them with direct answers and replies, and then stick to the subject under consideration. I would also like to stress on logic and provide emphasis on the related point under discussion. This would allow freedom for achieving personal milestones and goals (Zaleznik, 1989). However, what I appreciate about leadershi p is that it gives one the freedom to explore the nuances of business and handling people, and in telling the leader where and how he can move about to achieve solid results and goals at the end of the day. The aspect of learning cannot be denied its due role within the understanding of leadership. If the leaders stop gaining insights, it would be difficult for them to pace ahead with the changing times, and it would make their lives very difficult. As far as the concentration is on leadership, I believe at different stages of one’s career, an individual has to exhibit certain set of skills and qualities, which make him stand out like nobody else. He has to portray the best of his character and bring out what is not present in the rest of the populace. He has to lead by example, a thing which people of present times usually lack and which is not that easily found in our society. Similarly, at the top level, it is very significant to have a clear mind whereby the person can th ink way beyond his understanding as well as ask of his subordinates to carry out his instructions with accuracy and wisdom. Needless to say, a leader at a senior position has to understand that he/she is the ultimate boss and without his proper vision and goals, there can be no other person to fill the void which would be created if his thinking and mindset are just not prompt and in the right place. A leader is a person who aims to bring out his best in relationships with the people around him as he constantly asks of

Week 3 Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 3 Marketing - Essay Example In the second instance, it will be important to put emphasis on purchase behaviors. Differences in purchase behavior influence the success of any business, including those in the health sector (Hemenway, 2010).Iit is therefore important to research the proposed markets to find out if the consumers within the market have certain purchasing behaviors that are in line with the organizational culture of the medical center. Lastly, the issue of psychographics is very crucial. Psychographics have been explained to encompass qualitative attributes of the market that focus on the way the people and what they want to do (Dionne and Eeckhoudt, 2005). Clearly, the mentality of the people towards the health care delivery system is very important in undertaking the market segment. Once these factors are critically considered, it can be assured that marketing mix would change in light of the segmentation utilization. But as the segmentation takes place, it will be important to measure distribution rather than concentration because distribution will give the center the opportunity to cater for the different health needs of the markets as depicted in demographic, psychographic and purchasing behavior

Effective emerging leader Essay Example for Free

Effective emerging leader Essay It is very important for an effective emerging leader such as me, to become stronger in a stimulating, educationally-rich environment. To become great, a student leader must have many great examples of leadership, teaching and truth. The University of South Florida embodies all of these traits for me, and that is why this university appeals to me in every way. I have had the opportunity not only to practice leadership in middle school as the student body President, but also be the Relay for Life Captain for three years, Yearbook Club Editor, Cross Country Captain and senior Student Government President to finish my high school years. Another advantage I have is the fact that my Aunt Graduated from USF and my mother will be attending USFs School of Education in a couple of years. My Aunt has introduced me to the campus, and through her I have heard about the awesome opportunities and great times that await me. Leadership has always been the role I was meant to assume and effective degree-holding leaders are crucial in our fast paced, ever evolving world. I believe The University of South Florida will teach me how to become such a leader with its world class faculty and all the opportunities Greek life and volunteering affords. In conclusion, leadership traits I have learned from experience, mentors and teachers over the years will truly benefit my USF life and other USF Bulls as well! Whether it is through volunteer opportunities such as Relay for Life, or running for a position on the student Senate, I intend to be a very effective leader at the University of South Florida and leave an everlasting mark of greatness on its campus.

Nestles Corporate Structure And Social Responsibility Management Essay

Nestles Corporate Structure And Social Responsibility Management Essay Henri Nestle in Switzerland established Nestle in 1966. Its initial stage was originally making baby food. After the Second World War, the government contracts dried up and consumers switched back to fresh milk(Gov Paper, 2012) .Therefore, through the Nestles managers quick response by streaming operations, then based on their strict management, underwent continuing exploration, it expended incessantly to be the biggest food manufacturers and one of the biggest transnational corporations in the world today. It has around 450 factories, 32 million staffs and operates in 86 countries, with the annual sales revenue reaching up to 910 billion franc per year (Wikipedia, 2012). It is famous for chocolate bars and instant coffee. Since the its beginning as a small firm, the company is well-known in almost every country in the world today. The successful management mode of Nestle is worth referencing for managers to control their own companies. This report will outline the Nestles Corporate Structure and Social Responsibility. Corporate structure Nestle, as the biggest food manufacturer and one of the biggest transnational corporations in the world, owns a strict management organizational structure, and has made strict rules in regards to production technology, brand, quality control and main raw materials (Carla, 2012). As Nestles corporate structure has become more global, complex and hierarchical, the leaders who are the administrators of branch companies have rights to decide the final form for each production, based on the different situations and demands of different countries. It means that the company not only should keep the method of decentralized management but also should pursue greater consistency. (Brabeck, 2011) 2.1 Board of Directors The Board of Directors is the utter governing body of the company. It is responsible for the ultimate supervision of the group. (Corporate Governance Report, 2011)Nestles board of directors consists of the Chairman (Peter Brabeck-Letmathe), the CEO (Paul Bulcke), the two Vice Chairman and other eleven members. All members of the Board of Directors are non-executive members, except Paul Bulcke,. Peter Brabeck-Letmathe is the active Chairman and has particular responsibilities for the orientation and control of the company including the Nestle Health Science Company and Nestles engagements. (Corporate Governance Report, 2011) 2.2 Committees of the Board of Directors The rights and responsibilities of every Committee are based on the current Committee Charter, which is authorized by the Board. Each Committee is qualified for outside affairs. (Corporate Governance Report, 2011) 2.3 Chairmans and Corporate Governance Committee It is made up of the Chairman, the two Vice Chairmen, the CEO and other members elected by the Board, and acts as a role of consultant between the Chairman and the full Board of Directors in order to promote the handling of the business when necessary. 2.4 Compensation Committee It determines the salaries of the members in the Board and submits them to the Board for approval, and supervises the remuneration for the whole company and the group. 2.5 Nomination Committee It establishes the criterions for the selection to the Board and selects candidates for election or re-election to the Board. It also gives some suggestions to the decision made by the Board. 2.6 Audit Committee It gives assistance to the Board of Directors in its supervision on financial controls through a direct link to KPMG (external auditors) and the Nestle Group Audit (corporate internal auditors). 2.7 Executive Board The Executive Board is in the charge of the CEO and its members have the necessary powers to carry out their responsibilities, with the limits ruled by the Executive Boards Regulations. 2.8 Divisions Nestle has three divisions as of 2012: Products, Functions and Zones. Among these, the Division of Functions includes four parts: Operations, Finance and Control, Strategic Business Units, Marketing and Sales and Innovation Technology. They work together to control strictly key process and points, in order to ensure normal operation of the company. Therefore, Nestles corporate structure is essentially the layout of the Board, various divisions, and committees that interact to direct the business of the company, and the success of Nestle is an example relying on a successful corporate structure to some extent. Social responsibility Nestle, as a worldwide company, plays a crucial role in the society shouldering the responsibility of social harmoniously development. Its social responsibilities are not only the charity but also the basic part of Nestle companys management principles. 3.1 World Cocoa Foundation In 2000, Nestle and other chocolate companies formed the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), which was set up specifically to help farmers to deal with problems they are facing, including the ineffective farming techniques and poor environmental management. The WCF concerns about facilitating farmers income, encouraging sustainable development of farming techniques, and setting up environmental and social programmes (World Cocoa Foundation, 2012). 3.2 Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Nestle founded the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) with Danone and Unilever in 2002 to promote sustainable agriculture. The main purpose of SAI is to manage: 1) Quality and safety problems in the food supply chain which is really refer to security of consumers.2)With the growing income and expect for nutritious food, the demand for quality food is growing at the same time (Peter, 2011). 3.3 Creating Shared Value (CSV): The Cocoa Plan CSV encourages businesses to create economic and social value. In 2006, Nestle became one of the first organizations to adopt the CSV approach, which they insist was their original intention. The company has focused its Creating Shared Value efforts and investments on three areas nutrition, water and rural development, which are cores of their basic industrial principle (Creating Shared Value at Nestle, 2012). Their target is producing 1 million high quality, disease-resistant cocoa plantlets a year before 2012. The aim is to replace old, less productive trees with healthier new ones (Blas, Javier. 2012). In September 2011, Nestle introduced The Cocoa Plan in the Netherlands to improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers. (The Cocoa Plan, 2012) Better quality cocoa plants, train farmers, chain management, improved social circumstances and cooperation with partners are the main aims. KitKat is the first product in the Netherlands, which carries the logo of The Cocoa Plan on pack, that m eans Nestle will product with meeting KitKats demand and it has certified by UTZ Certified (a certification program for agricultural products that claims to be the largest coffee certifier in the world) ( KitKat , 2011). 3.4 Expending Business in Health Care Nutrition In September 2010, Nestle claimed that they would invest more than $500millon to develop the health products to prevent the diseases like diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimers (Saltmarsh, 2010). 3.5 Member of Fair Labor Association (FLA) In 2011, the Nestle Company started cooperating with FLA to improve the condition of the work. On 29 February 2012, Nestle become the first food company to join the FLA (Join, 2012). Conclusion Nestle is successful due to its perfect system, serious management, reasonable distribution and correct guidance. Therefore, it can survive adversity, able to develop rapidly and as a result, becomes a well-known enterprise. Nestle created a commercial miracle and made great contribution to the community. It gave much needed help for the people through charity and sponsorship (Sponsorship of Charity Organizations, 2012). It makes people taste outstanding delicacy, which is not only has positive psychological effects on people but also physical benefiits. In addition, Nestles spirit affect generation after generation, its management at the same time is worthy for people to emulate. Because of these advantages, Nestle will increase in a variety of product and further satisfy peoples needs.

Tony Kronheiser :: essays research papers

Tony Kronheiser Tony Kornheiser is the self-admitted opinionated, sarcastic sports and style columnist for The Washington Post. Kornheiser's purpose is not to report to the reader an objective account of a sporting event, but rather to add humor to topics that range in topic from the Washington Redskins ("It's Now an Off-Road Vehicle," November 5, 1996) to his lunch-time experience the other day ("In a Real Fix," November 3, 1996). Kornheiser's diction, figurative language, and tone make his columns what they are. Often, diction, figurative language, and tone are not common in the journalistic world, but Kornheiser's humor finds room for them. Tony Kornheiser's sarcasm is almost entirely related to his diction. He contains the skills to take something as insignificant as a restaurant changing on him unexpectedly and reports about it so that the common man can relate. He is The Washington Post's Jerry Seinfeld. He blends the slang of the street man with the poetic verbs and fluid adjectives of an English teacher. For example, in "In A Real Fixe," Kornheiser says, "George was beginning to suspect that we had entered (doo-doo, doo-doo). . . The Nouvelle Dining Zone." Most people who have watched the Twilight Zone before can relate this statement as a reference to the famous TV show, so Kornheiser's slang was effective in grabbing the reader, even if a large majority of them have no idea what the word "nouvelle" means. Kornheiser uses an array of such adjectives throughout his pieces but he does not pretend to be above his readers. He fills his work with colloquial speech such as his references in "It's Now an Off-Road Vehicle" to other Washington Post columnists such as Michael Wilbon, and to his "Redskins Bandwagon." (The Redskins Bandwagon was a common phrase used by Washington Redskins fans when the team won the Superbowl in 1991). Kornheiser assumes that the reader is familiar with him, and that is clear in his informal diction that is used with the reader. It is almost to the point of a friendship, as though a coworker was letting off his steam at work during a lunch break. Kornheiser's figurative speech also add to his style quite well. The blend of diction and figurative speech is clear as Kornheiser uses several local allusions in his metaphors and similes that add to his "common man" image. For example, in "In a Real Fixe," Kornheiser compares the look of a hostess' face to one of a nurse at St. Elizabeth's, a local mental hospital. In that same article he also compares his whole experience to "going down into the Metro and

Multigrade: Teacher and Students

| Multigrade teaching involves the teaching of children from two or more grade levels in one classroom. Such contexts requires the employment of particular teaching methodologies and classroom administration. Since Multigrade classes are smaller and can be established more cheaply than complete schools, they can be more numerous, therefore more dispersed and thus located closer to the settlements where the children live. This means both that younger children can attend and that the time children spend travelling between school and home can be reduced to an acceptable level. This in turn means that there is sufficient time outside school hours for the children to continue to contribute to the family's economic activity . Attending school is therefore likely to be more acceptable to the families concerned, and thus both increase the number of children receiving education and reduce the failure rate. Multigrade schools, being smaller and more dispersed, would enjoy much closer links with the smaller communities that they would be set up to serve. This would have a very positive effect on local attitudes and access to education. The professional teacher is a key resource person in the Multigrade context. The local content is a significant part of the curriculum, it is particularly important to resolve the issue of appointing well-trained and locally-oriented teachers. Introduction  1. An average primary school teacher is ill equipped to handle a multigrade classroom situation. 2. The nature of the curriculum and textbooks, which are prepared almost entirely in a monograde context create further problems. 3. Teacher training programmes have not focused on practical issues and techniques for handling multigrade teaching studies. 4. There is no training package for multigrade teachers. The aspects could be;  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Time management-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Improving teaching skills-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Preparation and organisation of the teaching learning materials. –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Organisation of art and cultural activities. 5. Timetables are not flexible enough. Teachers of MC should have extra preparation time. Teachers assigned to MC should preferable be those who are most willing to teach. In service and information concerning appropriate groupings, classroom organization, instructional strategies and curriculum modification should be provided to principals and teachers. In a MC there is respect for different learning styles. Teachers structure a positive learning environment where children feel successful, develop positive self-concepts and are helpful and sensitive to others. The student benefit from having the opportunity to stay with the same teacher and classmates and experience the same teaching style and routine over a two-year (ore more) period. In a MC there is time to recognize that a childs social and emotional needs are as important as academic needs. Another advantage of more than one year in a MC is the relationship developed between the teacher and the entire family. Students feel they are successful when they are working at their own level and know that everyone should be able to do the same thing at the same time. Each child is accepted at his or her own place on the developmental learning situation. The teacher takes time to assess evaluates and plan next steps for each child. Separate subjects are replaced by an integrated curriculum, which engages children in meaningful activities that explore concepts and topics relevant and meaningful to the lives of the children. In a classroom where all children are learning at different rates and are not all the same age, there is a little competition. By helping each other, students reinforce their own understanding of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Conversations are encouraged as the children talk through their work in progress. These conversations help them understand just what they have learned. Multigrade classrooms take the focus of meeting the needs of the whole group of learners instead meet the needs of each individual student. | I. On the conference on MGT in  1988, organised by UNESCO, five general problems came out:a. Inadequately trained teachers. b. Scarcity of varied levels and types of materials. c. Lack of flexible and special types of curriculum organization. d. Inadequate school facilities. e. Lack of incentives for teachers in multiple classes. II. Multigrade in Vietnam, the problems. a. There is a serious shortage of teachers, especially skilled teachers for MGT. b. Teachers of MGT are working in different isolated conditions. c. The training of teachers for MG classes does not meet the requirement in either quality or quantity. d. Most of the MG schools lack textbooks, guidebooks and reference material. e. Multigrade classes are in very bad conditions. III. What is the principals role in a multigrade chool? a. The principal plays a key-role in creating a supportive school culture. b. The principal, the head teacher must ensure that all teachers feel supported. c. The head must provide teachers with opportunities to learn multigrade teaching methods, monitor the progress of implementation and give the teachers praise, feedback and suggestions. d. The head should be adept at facilitating positive, cooperative interactions among teaching team members. IV. There are definite characteristics of successful multigrade teachers, which should be considered in teacher selection. . Well-organizedb. Creative and flexiblec. Willing to work hard. d. Resource full. e. Self directed. f. Willing to work closely with the community. g. Strong belief in the importance of cooperation and personal responsibility in the classroom with the ability to develop these characteristics in pupils. h. Prior successful experience at the grade levels to be taught. V. Seven general types of activities found in most class rooms:a. Quiet or individual study. b. Testingc. Whole class instruction. d. Partner worke. Group discussionf. Reference work. QUESTIONS/ACTIVITY  1. How will / can you create an enabling and effective teaching- learning environment in a multigrade classroom. 2. How could teachers spend more time on a particular subject or practice work? 3. How can a teacher maintain discipline in a multigrade classroom? 4. Which teaching aids are specific for a multigrade teaching? 5. How can a teacher be enabled to organise the subject matter in the best possible way? 6. How can the teacher understand the gaps in his or her teaching method, and appreciate student needs better? FACTS  1. Multigrade teachers must be trained to give different lessons at the same time to pupils at different grade levels. . Children sit in grade-groups facing their own blackboard (BB)3. If there are two grade groups in the class the BB are placed either end of the classroom with children facing opposite directions. 4. During the lessons the teacher moves frequently between the different groups. 5. Give reading instructions to one grade; give dictation to the other grade. 6. One grade is copying handwriting math exercises from the BB, the other grade will be instructed on a new math item. 7. The extra work involved in multigrade teaching must be recognized by giving teachers  50% additional salary for two rades and  75% for three or more grades. 8. Teachers in multigrade classrooms must receive a lot of support and must meet regularly with teachers from other multigrade schools. | Direct Instruction Direct instruction is highly teacher-directed and commonly used. It is effective for providing information or developing step-by-step skills. This strategy also works well for introducing other teaching methods or actively involving students in knowledge construction. a. Structured Overview  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ organizing concepts and materials in a manner that is easily understood by students. b. Explicit Teaching  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ explicit teaching involves six teaching functions:|  · daily review  · presenting new material  · conducting guided practice  · providing feedback and correctives  · conducting independent practice  · weekly and monthly review| | c. Mastery Lecture  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ a method to deliver significant amounts of information in a relatively short period of time. The quality of a lecture may be improved by incorporating audio and visual aids and encouraging interaction between the teacher and the students. d. Drill and Practice  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ structured, repetitive review of previously learned concepts in order to increase level of mastery. . Compare and Contrast  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ students look for similarities and differences. f. Didactic Questions  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ tend to be convergent, factual and often begin with â€Å"what,† â€Å"where,† â€Å"when,† and â€Å"how. † These may also include â€Å"why† and â€Å"what if† q uestions. g. Demonstrations  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ teacher shows and tells how to do something. h. Guides for Reading, Listening, and Viewing  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ providing leading questions, diagrams, or statements to assist students in focusing on the important ideas within text, lecture, media, or other presentations. A follow-up discussion may assist in summarizing the activity. Indirect Instruction Indirect instruction is mainly student-centred, although direct and indirect instruction can complement each other. Indirect instruction seeks a high level of student involvement in observing, investigating, drawing inferences from data, or forming hypotheses. It takes advantage of students' interest and curiosity, often encouraging them to generate alternatives or solve problems. It is flexible in that it frees students to explore diverse possibilities and reduces the fear associated with the possibility of giving incorrect answers. Indirect instruction also fosters creativity and the development of interpersonal skills and abilities. In indirect instruction, the role of the teacher shifts from lecturer/director to that of facilitator, supporter, and resource person. The teacher arranges the learning environment, provides opportunity for student involvement, and, when appropriate, provides feedback to students while they conduct the inquiry (Martin, 1983). The indirect instruction strategy can be used by teachers in almost every lesson. This strategy is most appropriate when:  | thinking outcomes are desired * attitudes, values, or interpersonal outcomes are desired * process is as important as product * students need to investigate or discover something in order to benefit from later instruction * there is more than one appropriate answer * the focus is personalized understanding and long term retention of concepts or generalizations * ego involvement and intrinsic motivation are desirable * decisions need to be made or problems need to be solved * life-long learning capability is desired| a. Problem Solving  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ students work through a situation or problem in order to arrive at a solution. b. Case Studies  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ real life scenarios are presented for analyzing, comparing and contrasting, summarizing, and making recommendations. c. Inquiry  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ as topics are explored, thinking is emphasized as students ask relevant questions and develop ways to search for answers and generate explanations. d. Reading for Meaning  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ information and insight are obtained from written material. e. Reflective Discussion  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ discussion occurs in order for students to understand a concept in more depth. f. Concept Formation  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ students are given data about a particular concept. The data is classified or grouped and descriptive labels are given to the groupings. By linking their examples to the labels and explaining their reasoning, students are able to form their own understanding of the concept. g. Concept Mapping  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ a word or topic is used to generate other related words. These may be organized in web form. . Concept Attainment  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ examples and non-examples are given to develop an understanding of a concept. i. Cloze Procedure  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ students need to supply key words which have been omitted from a passage. Experiential learningExperiential learning is inductive, learner centred, and activity oriented. Personalized reflection about an experience and the formulation of plans to apply learnings to other contexts are critical factors in effect ive experiential learning. Experiential learning occurs when learners:| participate in an activity * critically look back on the activity to clarify learnings and feelings * draw useful insights from such analysis * put learnings to work in new situations (Pfeiffer & Jones, 1979) Experiential learning can be viewed as a cycle consisting of five phases, all of which are necessary:| * experiencing  (an activity occurs) * sharing  or publishing (reactions and observations are shared) * analyzing  or processing (patterns and dynamics are determined) * inferring  or generalizing (principles are derived) * applying  (plans are made to use learnings in new situations) a. Field Trips  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ students are given an opportunity to learn by taking part in educational activities that take place outside of the classroom. | b. Conducting Experiments  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ students are given a hypothesis to test under specific conditions. | c. Simulations  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the students are presented with an artificial problem, situation, or event which has some aspect of reality. | d. Games  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ these are structured learning activities which have rules and methods of establishing who wins or how the activity ends. | e. Focused Imaging  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ students visualize an object, event, or situation. f. Field Observations  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ students make observations of naturally occurring events found outside of the classroom. | g. Role Playing  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ students are presented with a real problem situation and given individual parts or roles to play. | h. Synectics  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ analogies are used to help students compare and contrast topics which appear to be unrelated. | i . Model Building  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ students design and construct an object. | j. Surveys  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ are research tools that involve asking questions to a specific group of individuals. The responses are then analyzed. | | | Independent Study Independent study refers to the range of instructional methods which are purposefully provided to foster the development of individual student initiative, self-reliance, and self-improvement. While independent study may be initiated by student or teacher, the focus here will be on planned independent study by students under the guidance or supervision of a classroom teacher. In addition, independent study can include learning in partnership with another individual or as part of a small group. Independent study encourages students to take responsibility for planning and pacing their own learning. Independent study can be used in conjunction with other methods, or it can be used as the single instructional strategy for an entire unit. The factors of student maturity and independence are obviously important to the teacher's planning. a. Essays  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ writing that students do that involves some level of research. Research may be used to support their opinions on a specific topic. b. Computer Assisted Instruction  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ programs which are available to be used on the computer to assist student learning. . Reports  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ enable students to express their knowledge or ideas related to a given topic. These reports may be presented in written or oral form. d. Learning Activity Package  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ a planned series of activities for the students to complete. e. Correspondence Lessons  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ lessons that are administered through an outside agency other than the scho ol. Typically this was in print form, but now may involve audio, video, or computer elements. f. Learning Contracts  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ these allow for instruction to be individualized and encourages student responsibility. When students are new to this method, teachers may have to provide a more structured format that includes the learning objectives, some choice of resources, as well as time constraints. As students become more familiar with this method and more independent, increased responsibility can be given to the students. g. Homework  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ assignments and activities that are to be completed away from the school. h. Research Projects  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ these projects contain some elements of research and may be conducted individually, with a partner, or in small groups. i. Assigned Questions  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ questions that are given to the students to complete individually or in small groups. j. Learning Centres  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ stations are set up in the classroom which include tasks or activities that may need to be completed individually or in a group. Interactive instructionInteractive instruction relies heavily on discussion and sharing among participants. Students can learn from peers and teachers to develop social skills and abilities, to organize their thoughts, and to develop rational arguments. The interactive instruction strategy allows for a range of groupings and interactive methods. It is important for the teacher to outline the topic, the amount of discussion time, the composition and size of the groups, and reporting or sharing techniques. Interactive instruction requires the refinement of observation, listening, interpersonal, and intervention skills and abilities by both teacher and students. | a. Debates  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ students are divided into two groups. Each group is assigned a side of an issue to defend. After developing arguments for their side, students present new information or introduce rebuttals for information presented by their opposition. b. Role Playing  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ a topic or theme is chosen and relevant concepts are identified. A concept is selected which involves a compelling issue and adequate roles for everyone. A key question from the concept is chosen and possible viewpoints are discussed. Situations and viewpoints are chosen and students are assigned roles to play. | c. Panels  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ students are divided into small groups. Each studen t individually presents information to the rest of the class. The panel is run by a moderator. | d. Brainstorming  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ as many ideas as possible are suggested. All ideas are recorded with no criticism or evaluation permitted. | e. Peer Practice  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ students practice what they have learned with a peer. | f. Discussion  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ familiar material is used for discussions. The problem or issue can be one that does not require a particular answer or one where it is important for students to discover an answer. Opinions must be supported. Discussion should conclude with consensus, a solution, clarification of insights gained, or a summary. | g. Laboratory Groups  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ groups of students in a laboratory setting. | h. Co-operative Learning Groups  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ small groups of students, usually two to six members, share the various roles and are interdependent in achieving the group learning goal. | i. Problem Solving  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ real life problems are presented to the students to solve. The teacher, acting as a facilitator, encourages the students to use an â€Å"If . . . , then . . . , because . . . † method of solving the problem. | j. Circle of Knowledge  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ small groups of students sit in a circle to think and discuss information. The ideas from each small circle are then shared with the rest of the class. | k. Tutorial Groups  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ groups set up to offer remediation. This remediation may be done by the teacher or a peer. | l. Interviewing  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ students familiarize themselves with the topic of the interview and create questions to ask the interviewee. Interviews usually take place face-to-face. | Cooperative teaching:  According to Bauwens and Hourcade (2001), cooperative teaching refers to a direct form of collaboration in which a general educator and one or more support service providers voluntarily agree to work together in a co-active and coordinated fashion in the general education classroom. These educators who possess distinct and complementary sets of skills, combine roles and share resources and responsibilities in a sustained effort while working towards the common goal of school success for all students. Collaborative teaching, where two educators take responsibility for planning, teaching, and monitoring the success of all learners in a class, looks different from day to day and classroom to classroom. Why? Collaborative teaching, when done right, is a dynamic process that educators constantly reconfigure to fit their instructional plans and the learning needs of their students. team teaching  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ a method of coordinated classroom teaching involving a team of teachers working together with a single group of students didactics,  education,  educational activity,  instruction,  pedagogy,  teaching  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill; â€Å"he received no formal education†; â€Å"our instruction was carefully programmed†; â€Å"good classroom teaching is seldom rewarded† Peer Teaching Practice in which students take on a teaching role in a school setting in order to share their knowledge with other students. multi-grade teaching   ‘ technique of simultaneously teaching more than one grade by a single teacher’.