Saturday, August 31, 2019

Discovering Emotional Labour Essay

Emotional work is the control of a person’s feeling in order to display the appropriate emotions to others in different situations (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 7). In other words, a person has to put aside his or her own feelings and shows the right emotions in the right place at the right time. This concept can be applied to many aspects of our daily life and when used in terms of it being sold for a wage, Hochschild (1983) define it as emotional labour. By focusing on the service industries, this essay will discuss Hochschild’s account of emotional labour and look into certain areas of concern caused by it. Although the practice of emotional work can be link all the way back to the ancient time, the term emotional labour is considered to be relatively new and is first discussed in Arlie Hochschild’s (1983) book, â€Å"The Managed Heart†. With the rise of the post-industrial work, there had been a significant increase of the service sector during the late 1900s (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 9). In fact, one now interacts with other individuals rather than working with a machine (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 9). Thus, this gives rise to the importance of interpersonal skills and the use of emotional labour (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. ). Whenever a person changes his or her emotions, tone, body language, etc. to conform to an ideal, it is considered as emotional labour (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 7). It is practiced widely in many forms of modern work. A flight attendance smiling warmly while serving each and every passengers, a cafe barista showing enthusiasm when making coffee, and a nurse showing care and concern when helping a patient. All of the above are examples of emotional labour. With it being a major part of our behavior today, it is vital that we look more deeply to understand how emotional labour works. Hochschild discussed two types of emotional acting: surface acting and deep acting. Surface acting is the act of putting on or showing an emotion without truly feeling that emotion inside oneself (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 35). This means that one has to suppress his or her negative emotions, such as sadness, anger, boredom, etc. , and display positive emotions, such as happiness, care, excitement, etc. There have been concerns being brought up regarding the use of surface acting, as it can lead to serious side effects such as depression. On the other hand, deep acting is the act of putting on an emotion that one truly feels inside (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 35). This is done either by showing the emotion that we really feel or by true method acting. True method acting works by thinking of our past experiences we try to encourage the real emotion that we may not have felt otherwise (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 38). In terms of emotional labour, we are often referring to true method acting which is very much similar to surface acting, one lacks the freedom to genuinely display his or herself during work. Now girls, I want you to go out there and really smile. Your smile is your biggest asset. I want you to go out there and use it. Smile. Really smile. Really lay it on (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 4). † A pilot tells the above to the trainees of Delta Airline Stewardess Training Center. This clearly shows how much the airline focuses on the value of a personal smile to reflect it company’s identity rather than its flight s afety or the punctuality of its flight departures and arrivals (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 4). Another good example would be the baristas working in the world largest cafe chains, Starbucks Coffee being remained consistently by their managers to provide customers with the â€Å"Starbucks Experience†. Baristas are told to put up a cheerful and enthusiastic front, connect with the customers and to develop the say â€Å"yes† attitude. In fact, beside Starbucks, many other food and beverage businesses today have already move on to focus on their customer service rather than focusing solely on the quality and taste of their products. There has been much discussion of emotional labour being â€Å"Taylorized†. Hochschild (1983) compared the labour of a factory worker and a flight attendant. She mentioned that a factory worker is simply doing physical work while a flight attendant has to do physical and mental labour, as well as also emotional work (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 6). Quite similar to Frederick Taylor’s standardization of the physical movements of industrial workers in the early 1900s, scientific management is now used to the mass production of emotional movements (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 33). For example, Disney provides prescriptions to their trainees to always make eye contact and smile, greet and welcome each and every guest, say â€Å"thank you† to each and every guest, etc. (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 32). The Disney look also extends to body appearances, such as hair length and style, make up, body fragrance, nails length and colour (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 32). Besides Disney, a huge number of companies are also transforming emotional labour on a grand scale (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 33). This is because of the economical benefit of doing so (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 33). If employees are able to give the customers a good experience, make them feel welcome and special, then the customers may repeat their visit and purchase (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 33). This greatly concept greatly encourages firms to exploit the use of emotional labour (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 33). The smile of a salesman is seen as a key feature of a â€Å"good† employee attitude and customer satisfaction (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 33). â€Å"The infectious smile is regarded as sources of competitive advantage. (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 33). † As time goes by and till today, we all expect service to be smiling (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 3). Many see emotional labour as a potentially good as no customer will want his or her mood to be spoiled by a surly waitress or a crabby banker (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 9). Today, it is common to have the thinking that we pay for good service and expect it to be provided (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 9). However, there are several areas of concern caused by emotional labour . Disney or Macdonald in the process of creating standards of their Dreamland Experience or the Big Mac, at the same time also produce emotion in their employees (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 34). The employees have to perform interpersonal work within them to create the ever-present smile, politeness when under pressure and suppression of annoyances and fatigue (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 35). For those that uses deep acting to perform their work started to feel that they are beginning to lose their own identity (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 35). Fineman (2003) mentions that the flight attendances were so into their work role that they began confuse of their identity, especially their sexuality. Others prefer to take on the job by surface acting, putting up the show, looking right and no more (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 5). Using surface acting can still cause one to breakdown under pressure, when their anger, irritation or rebellion breakthrough (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 35). Beside psychological issue, there are also cultural issues of concern over emotional labour. Many fast-food workers are immigrants who have little to smile about when they arrive at work (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 36). A majority of them hav e many problems and faces much worry inside them but they are still expected to put up the smile (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 36). Another cultural issue is that not all social-cultural background support smiling in commercial exchange. However, by standardizing even the emotional aspect, MacDonald except all their staff in all countries and cultural background to smile at their customers (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 36). For example, in Japan native Japanese businessmen were taught to smile to help them with international deals (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 42). However, this is a huge conflict with the traditional Japanese way, where instant smile is considered as a cultural insult (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 42). In conclusion, due to the emerging service sector work in the late 1900s and the transformation of emotional labour on grand scale through standardization and training, we all expect service to be smiling today. No doubt, it is consider as potentially good, no one will like their mood to be affect by the others. However, there are also areas of concern over the psychological and cultural issues that arise from the use of emotional labour. Therefore, it is important for us to reconsider and perhaps not overly exploit the use of emotional labour for own good.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Audit Program Design Part Iii

Inventory and Warehousing Cycle The audit of the inventory and warehousing cycle is designed to test inventory counts, processes, and operations. The classes of transactions in this cycle include sales, value of inventory, cost of goods sold, sales returns and allowances, and estimates of allowance for slow moving inventory. Tests of Controls and Substantive Tests of TransactionsTable WK6-1 displays the interrelationships of the transaction related to audit objectives, tests of controls, and substantive tests of transactions that should be approved during the audit process of Apollo Shoes, Inc. Table WK6-1. Inventory Warehousing Cycle Tests of Controls and Substantive Tests of Transactions Audit Design (Arens, Elder, & Beasley, 2006) Inventory – Apollo Shoes, Inc.Transaction-Related Audit Objectives – Tests of Controls – Substantive Tests of Transactions| Transaction-Related Audit Objective| Tests of Controls| Substantive Tests of Transactions| Inventory as r ecorded on tags exists (existence). | * Select a random sample of tag numbers and identify the tag with that number attached to the actual inventory. | * Observe whether movement of inventory takes place during the count. | Existing inventory is counted and tagged, and tags are accounted for to make sure none are missing (completeness). * Examine inventory to make sure it is tagged. | * Observe whether movement of inventory takes place during the count. * Inquire as to inventory in other locations. | Inventory is counted accurately (accuracy). | * Recount client’s counts to make sure the recorded counts are accurate on the tags (also check descriptions and unit of count, such as dozen or gross). * Compare physical counts with perpetual inventory master file. | * Record client’s counts for subsequent testing. Inventory is classified correctly on the tags (classification). |* Examine inventory descriptions on the tags and compare with the actual inventory for raw materia l, work-in-process, and finished goods. | * Evaluate whether the percent of completion recorded on the tags for work-in-process is reasonable. | Information is obtained to make sure sales and inventory purchases are recorded in the proper period (cutoff). | * Record in the audit files for subsequent follow-up the last receiving report number used at year-end. * Make sure the inventory for the above item was included in the physical count. | The client has rights to inventory recorded on tags (rights). | * Inquire about consignment or customer inventory included on client’s premises. | * Be alert for inventory that is set aside or specially marked as indications of non-ownership. | Analytical Procedures Analytical procedures can be performed several times during an engagement: * In the planning phase to assist in determining the nature, extent, and timing of work to be performed. During the testing phase of the audit in conjunction with the audit procedures, and * During the c ompletion phase of the audit as a final review for material misstatements for financial problems and to help the auditor take a final â€Å"objective look† at the financial statements that have been audited (Arens, Elder, & Beasley, 2006, p. 208). Arens, Elder, and Beasley (2006) explain that one of the most important analytical procedures for uncovering misstatements of the Inventory and Warehousing Cycle are comparing current with prior year.Analytical procedures for the balance sheet and income statement accounts in the Inventory and Warehousing Cycle are presented in Table WK6-2. Table WK6-2. Inventory and Warehousing Cycle Analytical Procedures (Arens, Elder & Beasley, 2006) Cash Cycle The following tests of controls and substantive tests of transactions for the Cash Cycle discussed by Arens, Elder, and Beasley (2006) are designed to ensure existence, completeness, accuracy, classification, timing, and summarization.Table WK6-3 illustrates the design of test of c ontrols and substantive tests of Cash Cycle. Tests of Controls and Substantive Tests of Transactions Cash – Apollo Shoes, Inc. Transaction-Related Audit Objectives – Tests of Controls – Substantive Tests of Transactions| Transaction-Related Audit Objective| Tests of Controls| Substantive Tests of Transactions| Cash in the bank as stated on the reconciliation exists (existence)| * Receipt and tests of a bank confirmation. | * Proof account exists and balances are accurate. Existing cash in the bank is recorded (completeness). | * Receipt and tests of a cutoff bank statement. | * Tests of the bank reconciliation| Cash in the bank as stated on the reconciliation is accurate (accuracy). | * Tests of the bank reconciliation. * Extended tests of the bank reconciliation. | * Tests for kiting. * Proof of cash. | Cash in the bank is properly presented and disclosed (presentation and disclosure). |* Examine minutes, loan agreements, and obtain confirmation for restriction s on the use of cash and compensating balances. * Review financial statements to make sure (a) material savings accounts and certificates of deposit are disclosed separately from cash in the bank,(b) cash restricted to certain uses and compensating balances are adequately disclosed, and (c) bank overdrafts are included as current liabilities. | Cash receipts and cash disbursements transactions are recorded in the proper period (cutoff). | * Cash receipts:Count the cash on hand on the last day of the year and subsequently trace to deposits in transit and the cash receipts journal. Cash disbursements:Record the last check number used on the last day of the year and subsequently trace to the outstanding checks and the cash disbursements journal| * Trace deposits in transit to subsequent period bank statement (cutoff bank statement). * Trace outstanding checks to subsequent period bank statement. | Table WK6-3. Cash Cycle Tests of Controls and Substantive Tests of Transactions Audit Des ign (Arens, Elder, & Beasley, 2006) Analytical Procedures Analytical procedures for the balance sheet and income statement accounts in the Cash Cycle are presented in Table WK6-4.Table WK6-4 Cash Cycle Analytical Procedures (Arens, Elder, & Beasley, 2006) References Arens, A. A. , Elder, R. J. , & Beasley, M. S. (2006). Auditing and assurance services: an integrated approach (11th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Louwers, T. J. , & Reynolds, J. K. (2007). Apollo shoes, inc. : An audit case to accompany auditing and assurance services. [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-Text]. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Retrieved from University of Phoenix,  ACC546 – Auditing website.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

An inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations Essay

Absolute monarchy Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The belief in an understandable world, under a methodical Christian God, offered much of the motion for philosophical investigation. Beside that, religious philosophy paid attention on the significance of godliness, and the splendor and secrecy of God’s definitive nature; aside from that, thoughts such as Deism strained that the planet was accessible to the supremacy of human reason, and that the â€Å"laws† which administer its activities were comprehensible. Outstanding illustrations which support demonstrate why several historians divide the Age of Reason from the explanation are the installation of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes, whose opinion are a result of the age of reason, scientifically follows and classify human emotion, and conflict for the requires of an inflexible system to embrace back the confusion of nature in his attempt Leviathan. While John Locke is visibly a scholar descendant of Hobbes, for Locke t he form of nature is the basis of all unity and, rights and the state’s function is to guard, and not to seize back, the state of life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Galileo Galilei, was a university lecturer in Padua, Italy, who used a telescope, basically recently made, to observe the heavens. Telescope sustains the inspection that allowed Galileo to perceive things of his predecessor which had basically not been acknowledged about. The complexity of the universe that speedily became obvious was in direct antagonism to medieval analysis. Galileo exposed the rings around Saturn, that there were mountains on the moon, moons orbiting Jupiter, and spots moving across the sun.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In count for his effort on astronomy, intelligent Galileo as well made significant contributions in physics. He revealed that objects fall at an expected rate and formulated the mathematical method to illustrate their acceleration. Galileo’s effort was a significant step in the path of the fundamental principles of current physics: that the entire nature matches to consistent laws that can be articulated mathematically.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Equally, the combination of geometric philosophy which had conquered Western mathematics and philosophy ever since at least Eudoxus, and algebraic philosophy, attained from the Islamic world over the earlier two centuries impulsive mathematical and a scientific revolution. Sir Isaac Newton’s most claims to fame came from a methodical use of algebra to geometry, and synthesizing a practicable calculus which was appropriate to scientific troubles. The Enlightenment was an occasion when the solar system was accurately â€Å"discovered†: with the correct calculation of orbit, for example Uranus by William Herschel, Halley’s Comet, discovery of the first planet ever since ancient times, and the computation of the mass of the Sun using Newton’s theory of universal gravitation. The result that this sequence of discoveries had on equally practical commerce and philosophy was important. The eagerness of creating orderly and a new vision of the world, `and the identity for a philosophy of science which may well include the new innovation would demonstrate its fundamental persuade in both secular and ideas religious. If Newton may possibly order the cosmos with â€Å"natural philosophy,† therefore, lots of disputed, may perhaps be political philosophy sort of the body expedient.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Francois Marie Arouet, was famous philosopher acknowledged universally as Voltaire. Francois was expelled from England in 1726 and 1729, and at hand he considered Locke, Newton, and the English Monarchy. Voltaire’s philosophy was that â€Å"individuals who can make a person believe illogicality can make that person commit atrocities† that if individuals believed in what is irrational; they will do what is irrational. Like Newton, the philosophers highlighted the value of sensory understanding for gaining facts not simply about the substantial world, but about the social and political worlds as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The philosophers were as well strong supporter in liberty, which prepared them adversary of such practices as slavery. Philosophers were also optimistic of the utmost possible independence in economic and political life. Mainly the famous book formed in this era was Adam Smith’s An Inquiry into the Causes and Nature of the Wealth of Nations, printed in 1776. Smith calls for as little regime intervention as feasible. Adam Smith reasoned that the country well being is merely the collective of the well being of all the persons living in that state. Given that persons are motivated by self awareness and because they identify best what is in their self interest, administration must let the instrument of self attention operate to the advantage of the condition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Additional basic thoughts also were put forward by the philosophers or their instantaneous precursor. John Lock put down the theory of understanding that was of great significance in Enlightenment contemplation. In his Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690), Locke distinguishes the human brain at birth to an empty slate, a tabula rosa, on which thoughts are emblazoned through knowledge. The empiricism was a vital aspect of the Enlightenment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Enlightenment strike on absolutism came from numerous quarters. In 1690 John Locke, a challenger of James II and, Charles II wrote his well-known Two Treatises of Government partly to validate England’s overthrow of its king. Locke disputed that administration had a definite responsibility to those they administer; when administration fail to perform their requirement (including the safeguard of life, property and liberty), the citizens are warranted in restoring the government with another that will guard the people’s freedom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Other philosophers continued to challenge the philosophical basis of absolutist rule. For example The Baron de Montesquieu, in the book Spirit of the Laws (1748), argument was that there were a small number of absolutes when it came to structure of government. Relatively, an administration should act in response to its surroundings. Montesquieu calls for the division of powers in the administration to permit for it to react to its environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jean Jacques Rousseau in the Social Contract (1762) upholds that equality and freedom were necessary for a just civilization. In order to endorse equality and freedom, people have to place the regular good before individual own personal interests. This is why persons make regulation once they systematize themselves into societies. Rosseau’s model society was self regulating equality, in which every person subordinated his or her own significance to the broad will and in which the common will of the society truly reveal the welfare of the populace who willingly comprised that population.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Under the recent model of the rule of law, the supremacy of government is restricted by apparent and unmistakable lawful canons. Differently in 17th-and-18th-century monarchs hold on to absolutism or the rule of will the credence that they were monarch and their wills only were law. There were, though, reasonably conflicting rationales for absolutism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some definitions of sovereignty were concerned with the nature of man. In his most famous and controversial work, Leviathon (1651), the English political philosopher Thomas Hobbes held that it was the natural state of human beings to be at war with each other. Sovereignty, he reasoned, is located in the people but, out of self interest and the need for peace and security, they delegate it to the state (i.e. the monarch). The understanding between the people and the monarch, then, is a contract; in return for protection the people owe the monarch their total loyalty. If they rebel, the monarch may punish them as he sees fit. Otherwise, Hobbes maintained, there could be no order, and humanity would return to its â€Å"nasty, brutish,† disorderly state of nature. The method of the cosmos was observed as proof of God; consequently it was an evidence of the authority of monarchy. Natural law started, not as an effect against religion, bu t as an alternative, as a notion: God did not rule capriciously, but throughout the natural laws that he ratifies on earth. Thomas Hobbes, while an absolutist in regime, drew this dispute in Leviathan. A long time ago the notion of natural law was appeal to; still, it seized on existence of its individuality. If natural law may perhaps be used to support the arrangement of the monarchy, it may well also be used to emphasize the rights of focus of that monarch, that if present were natural laws, subsequently there were natural constitutional rights linked with them, just as there are privileges under man made regulation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   French Absolutism: influential as it was as grounds for absolutism, Hobbes’s philosophy did not essentially appeal to the monarch of his day. More striking to most was the presumption of absolutism that warranted the statute of Louis XIV of France, the mainly dominant monarch of his period. It assumed, contrary to Hobbes, that sovereignty resided directly in the person of the monarch and that it was given by â€Å"divine right.† Responsible only to God, the monarch’s word was law. Even the church was subject to royal authority (something that could only be justified after the Reformation, but the papacy still did not embrace this).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1648, at the end of the Thirty Years’ War, the Holy Roman Empire was hardly an empire at all. It was really a confederation of about 300 independent kingdoms only loosely united under a member of the Austrian Habsburg family who held the title of emperor. The Habsburgs, however, had little real power; what they did have came mainly through bargaining and compromise with local bishops and princes. Their hereditary lands included Bohemia, part of Hungary, Croatia and Transylvania, but even there they needed the cooperation of the local nobility in order to exercise power. Their fondest goal was to create some kind of unified state that they could control. They were held back, however, not just by geography and local politics, but also by great diversity in languages and cultures – a problem that has persisted in the area to the present day (i.e. Slavics, Huns, Germans, Protestant, Orthodox, Catholic, etc). References Bernstein, John Andrew. Shaftesbury, Rousseau, and Kant: an introduction to the conflict between aesthetic and moral values in modern thought. Rutherford [N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1980. Print. Brue, Stanley L., and Randy R. Grant. The Evolution of Economic Thought. Mason: Thomson Higher Education, 2007. Print. Hill, L.. â€Å"The hidden theology of Adam Smith†. The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought . 2001.Print. Rousseau, Jean, and Immanuel Kant. Rousseau: on the origin of inequality.. Chicago: Great Books Foundation, 1955. Print. Smith, Adam, Edwin Cannan, and Max Lerner. An inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations. Canaan ed. New York: The Modern library, 1937. Print. Smith,A., 1976, The Wealth of Nations edited by R.  H. Campbell and A.  S. Skinner, The Glasgow edition of the Works and Correspondence of Adam Smith, . Print. Vianello, F. â€Å"Social accounting in Adam Smith†, in: Mongiovi, G. and Petri F. (eds.), Value, Distribution and capital. Essays in honor of Pierangelo Garegnani, London, Routledge. 1999. Print. . Source document

A comparison between two different proteomic approaches used to Essay

A comparison between two different proteomic approaches used to investigate cancer system - Essay Example Also contacts and communication between the proteins that make up a specific proteome under investigation is significant in proteomics. Nowadays doctors adopt proteomic approaches in the diagnosis of cancers avoiding the pre existing diagnose techniques like Immunohistochemistry, ELISA (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbant Assays), Immunoblots etc. The proteomic approaches adopted for cancer diagnosis by medical field are mainly based on electrophoresis and spectrometry. Proteomes exhibit varied characters at various instances of simulations especially due to hormones. This is due to the variations in proteins composing those proteomes. Both approaches employed in proteomics try to dig out those characteristics making up variations in human cells. There are many approaches using both electrophoresis as well as spectrometry techniques. 2D-PAGE, MALDI-MS, SELDI-TOF-MS, Antibody arrays etc. are some specific approaches of proteomics. In this paper, the comparative proteomic approaches of 2D- PAGE and MALDI-MS in Human Lung Squamous Carcinoma and functional proteomic approach in Breast cancer. The detailing on diagnostic functional proteomic approach used in breast cancer can be initiated with identifying basic facts on it. â€Å"Functional proteomics approaches that comprehensively evaluate the biological activities of human cDNAs may provide novel insights into disease pathogenesis.† (Witt, et al., 2005, p.1). The analysis on cDNAs is taken up through thorough investigation about their response to various stimulations especially those expected during initial stages of breast cancer. To analytically examine the practical response of cDNAs especially those involved in breast carcinogenesis, first a collection of such cDNAs are made named as Breast Cancer 1000 (BC1000). Again stimulations similar to tumour instigation and development are imposed on those cDNAs create response, but it is clear that each response corresponds to a rearrangement of proteins composing the

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Cisco Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cisco Systems - Essay Example One other major huddle they face a business was demand by the Stanford University to obtain 11 million dollars as the licensing fee during the company registration. This was because; the duo had developed the technology when still working as an employee of the university (Edwards, 25). Later on the university accepted 150, 000 dollars together with free support services and routers. The duo had a vision of enabling dissimilar networks to communicate with one another and engage in information sharing to enhance reliability. However, for the full connection of networks, there was need for technology invention that would deal according with the separated local area modus operandi. To fill this gap, they decided to try different process which gave birth to the multi- procedure router. Other product that the company produces includes; devices for remote access, switches, devices for internet access, protocol translators and the softwares for managing networks. All tis devices and equipmen t are used to link geographically LANs and WANs i.e. Local Area Network and The Wide Area Networks together with the internet. The company has majorly three market segments that it serves (Kahawatte, 80) .These includes the big organization such as government bodies, corporations, learning institutions such as universities. These organizations need sophisticated networking process and the usually require connection of several locations. The other category is those involved in service provision to their customers. These include; telephone companies, internet services providers and companies sell cables and those providing wireless communication services. Besides, there are medium and small businesses whose wants are basically network operations, internet connection or connection with other business partners. To meet this huge demand on the expertise, the company is growingly developing its human resource capital in the fields such as fibre-optic network together with attendant expert s in the diverse networks that produces audiovisual capabilities in conjunction to the previous data available. This also triggered the development of the DNS- Domain Name Systems to aid the process. Cisco did market its products to the higher learning institutions such as universities and colleges, research institutions, aerospace companies and government department and institutions. This was done by communicating to software engineers through ARPANET which turned into being called Internet. The conversation most involved the use TCP protocols or UNIMIX computers. Later on in 1988, Cisco Systems began the networking of routers within the major corporations that were separated by some distance e.g. different branches. During this period, routers were basically used in all the communications as it could support other protocols than the ones from different manufacturing companies and when the internetworking market began expanding, Cisco’s high quality routers were preferred by most customers in the market place within the emerging competition (Dryburgh, 54). Within the business fraternity, internet connection has brought in myriad of benefits simplifying the trade transactions. One major benefit is the availability of information useful to the prospective buyers for online tractions. This has created cheaper means for the businessmen and women to transact free with cost just being incurred only during the chain supply process. The

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Energy drinks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Energy drinks - Essay Example Other components of energy drinks include water, minerals, and ions among other. Many researchers have found them quite harmful and helpful in equal measures. This article analyzes several benefits and risks of energy drinks has on a person. In addition, the essay stimulates other researchers to conduct more studies on this subject and illustrate how to deal with energy drinks. Energy Drinks are associated with a variety of benefits especially for athletes, which are related with the stimulation of the muscles to enable the athletes perform at their optimum. However, there have been recent concerns over the possibility of caffeine intoxication of the energy drinks, owing to the fact that some of the energy drinks range their caffeine content from â€Å"50 mg to an alarming 505 mg† (Reissiga, Straina & Griffithsb, 2009). The major aim of the energy drink consumption is to provide energy for sustenance, endurance, concentration and performance, thus the energy drinks are manufactured and advertized targeting athletes, students and individuals in professions requiring high concentration (Gunja & Brown, 2012). Basically, the benefit associated with energy drinks is that they provide sustained and prolonged energy that can enable individuals to continue undertaking certain activities for a long time. Therefore, energy drinks have not only been used by at hletes and students, but also by people in dance parties, who are seeking to sustain the party activities into late hours (Gunja & Brown, 2012). Despite the fact that caffeine is a safe substance according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it should be limited to maximum of 71 mg per serving (Johnson, Foster & McDowe, 2014). This simply means that the excessive content of caffeine contained in the energy drinks, up to a maximum of 500 mg per serving, has the potential of causing caffeine intoxication (Johnson, Foster & McDowe, 2014). The major target of the

Monday, August 26, 2019

Stafing and Selecton Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Stafing and Selecton - Essay Example The title of the new job openings at Thomson Rail is Contract Manager. These individuals would be responsible for retaining existing customers and gaining new customers for the company’s services. While the present responsibility for this lies with the director and senior managers, the expanding business as well as the need to grow has created a requirement for new individuals to be hired who are good at sales, customer relations and know the industry as well. Such people may be hard to find but the company may have to settle for the best available candidates amongst those who apply. The two central legal issues for the company for recruitment and the hiring process can be understood as anti-discrimination laws and equal opportunity rules. Simply put, all candidates must be viewed and hired based on their strengths and weaknesses as applicants without giving any weight to their race, gender, age, physical abilities except in situations where such requirements are an intrinsic part of the job. Given that the nature of the job is office related there are very few exceptions to the law which can be obtained by the company and it should be assumed by the recruiters that the law applies in the fullest sense. At the same time, there are additional legal and ethical requirements which must be followed in the selection, interview and recruitment process which mainly deal with ensuring confidentiality and the privacy of the candidates. While making the application for the job, candidates may give out information which is considered to be private information in the eyes of the law and that must be kept secure by the company. Even things like the candidates email address and telephone number may be required by ethical rules to be kept secure. It is probably a good idea for the company to speak with a legal consultant or obtain legal advice from individuals in the company who have had experience with recruitment procedures in the past. The London Underground market is a

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Parenting Today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Parenting Today - Essay Example These parents know the best way of disciplining their children. This is so because they can watch the activities of the children and thus know them better. Punishment methods such as time outs enable the children to reflect on their behavior. Disciplined children are more likely to do well in academics especially when their parents are available at home to assist them. In addition, their availability helps their children deal effectively with any stressful issue that they may have (Brooks, 2011). There is a variety of factors that influence spillover. Work-family spillover occurs when the activities that take place at work affect an individual at home. On the other side, family-work spillover occurs when activities at home affects an individual at work. Job satisfaction results in to positive spillover and thus an individual go to his family with energy and satisfaction (Brooks, 2011). The sections of the population who experience positive spillover are mostly individuals who are satisfied with their positions at work. In addition, parents who spend time with their children experience positive spillover. Many studies have indicated that families enhance positive spillover. The sections of the population that have families thus experience positive spillover. A family composed of a father, a mother and two children can enhance the performance of the parents at work. One child can be very young and in kindergarten. The other child can be approaching adolescent. This family is likely to have a delightful time together, and activities that members can engage in are numerous. The parents will have to teach the young child how to read and write, and this can be satisfying and enjoyable to the parents. They have to advice the older child too on various issues such as changes occurring in his or her body. Such a family is small and thus easy for each of the parents to manage. The parents can also have spare time to discuss their

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Landmark Decisions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Landmark Decisions - Essay Example In this regards, Plessy has also filed the petition against John H. Ferguson, the director of the rail company of United States (Street Law, Inc., 2000). By reviewing the case scenario, it has been observed that the Plessy v. Ferguson case was concentrated on the violation of law related to racial discrimination. The case was in favor of John Howard Ferguson, who was the legal authority of the case for Louisianan Railroad Companies, as a defendant of the case. In accordance, the decision was announced by the supreme court of Louisiana stating that Plessey was legitimized as per the Unites State laws, which was established for creating segregation as per racial basis. In this case, the legislation was recognized as major influence behind the decision making process of Supreme Court of Unites States (Street Law, Inc., 2000). Besides, Supreme Court’s decision in the year of 1875 has restricted the federal government’s ability towards making any kind of intervention in the state government affair. In order to make any kind of involvement in the racial segregation as well as discrimination related act, the federal government needs to take the permission from the Congress in power (Street Law, Inc., 2000). Contradictorily, in favor of the plaintiff, Plessy’s lawyer provided evidence, which suggested that the violation of rules under thirteenth and fourteenth amendments had taken place by the railway company. According to the plaintiff, the state railway company was accused of making differences between the boarding of rail car for whites as well as for colored race during providing services. As per the fourteenth amendment rules, Plessy was provided with the ticket of accessing common compartments, which indeed makes him liable for equal treatment in the rail besides the fact that the rule to ensure separate facilities on the basis of consumers’ race was in itself ethically

Friday, August 23, 2019

The Financial Crisis and Its Impact on China Research Paper

The Financial Crisis and Its Impact on China - Research Paper Example Chinese economy has never depended upon the risky Western financial measures. They rather treasure their deposits. In spite of this secured state, Chinese economy suffered fluctuations The global financial crisis has started shaking the Chinese economy as the ripple effect from American economy has worsened the already falling Chinese markets. Worldwide demand for their exports has been reduced. This resulted in the stopping of domestic industrial production. Factories have been closed and the employees lay off that led to unemployment and protests. Towards the end of 2008 they announced a $586 billion stimulus package targeted towards bettering growth and domestic consumption in ten different sectors of Chinese society. Infrastructure investment, disaster reconstruction, environmental safety measures are some of the sectors that have been touched. The package is expected to help iron and steel sectors, cement producers and certain other industries through the investment put on infra structure. The new step also improved growth by taking off loan quotas on lenders and raising credit for different projects that support rural areas and small scale businesses. Government has recognized the sectors where they really felt decline and announced packages that can bring up the economy. They have made reduction in interest rates and devoted funds for infrastructure construction. Steps have also been taken to improve real estate sales. China has also announced heavy rebates on taxes put on exporters. In the third quarter of the year 2008 the growth rate was just nine percent. This is the slowest rate the nation has witnessed in the last five years. China has also faced a consecutive fall in housing prices. Other industrial sectors like textiles, information technology and electricity production have also encountered decline. China is not heavily affected by the financial crisis like other countries because of its closed financial system. They are however affected by the f inancial crisis in innumerable ways. Other countries that have been fallen because of crisis urge China to extend a financial help hand by raising its own exports. A small slowdown in the financial growth rate of China is expected to bring big results. Certain economics have warned that China will encounter a serious recession even if its growth rate falls slightly below six percent. Chinese should keep at least nine percent growth rate to maintain its growing labor force and take farmers to the urban sectors. The international financial crisis has wounded different aspects of Chinese economy even though the actual impact is not completely visible in the year on year comparison. The most visible impact of the crisis is the loss seen in export-oriented light industry in China. Thousands of companies have fallen; thousands of workers have lost their jobs. According to the official reports more than ten million migrant workers have lost their jobs and returned to their native provinces . Industries in China have been highly affected because of the economic crisis. It has severely affected the equipment manufacturing industry. Chinese government had to introduce equipment manufacturing adjustment and boosting plan for countering the fall. Priority is given to the equipment manufacturing sector. This sector has been upgraded and supported by government. Independent innovation has been encouraged; this

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Truth and Socrates Essay Example for Free

Truth and Socrates Essay ?Euthyphro is a dialogue between Socrates and a traveling cleric. The two men meet at court, where the cleric, Euthyphro, claims to have a clear definition of piety. Socrates exclaims that he wishes to know the definition of piety so that he may better defend himself in his upcoming trial. Euthyphro agrees to teach Socrates, and so they begin to discuss. Early on, Socrates makes clear his desire for a universal truth, or a definition of piety that will be true in every case. Euthyphro makes several attempts to define piety in a way that satisfies Socrates. The first attempt at a definition does not satisfy Socrates because it is merely an example. In trying to define piety, Euthyphro merely states that his current undertaking at court is pious. While Socrates does not disagree outright, he presses Euthyphro for a universal definition of piety that could be used in every situation. Euthyphro’s second definition, â€Å"what is dear to the gods is pious, what is not is impious,† pleases Socrates because it is a universal statement. This definition is general enough to be widely applicable, and seems to outline the defining characteristics of piety. Upon closer inspection, however, Socrates finds the definition unsatisfying. Because the gods disagree about so many things, and act in contradiction to each other, it would be foolish to assume they would all agree upon the definition of piety. Euthyphro points out in his defence that all the gods would agree that Euthyphro’s current action of bringing his father to trial is pious. Socrates dismisses this, as it is not a universal definition and is essentially just another example. Euthyphro attempts to satisfy Socrates by amending his definition slightly. Piety, says Euthyphro, is what all the gods love, and the impious is what all the gods hate. Socrates is not satisfied by this definition, either, and so he tries a different tack to extract a definition from Euthyphro. Socrates does this by asking: â€Å"Is the pious being loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is being loved by the gods? † When Euthyphro seems unsure, Socrates simplifies his question with an analogy. He asks Euthyphro if something is â€Å"carried† because it is â€Å"a thing carried,† or if it is â€Å"carried† because something is carrying it. Both men agree that the action confers the state of being. That is, a thing loved is so because someone loves it, and the thing itself is not creating a state of â€Å"loving† within the people around it. Likewise, being loved is not a state inherent to the thing loved, but is the result of the love others bear for the thing. Moving from his analogy back to Euthyphro’s definition, Socrates shows the fallacy in Euthyphro’s statement. Being god-loved cannot confer piety, as it confers â€Å"god-loved-ness† instead. Therefore, in Euthyphro’s statement, all the gods loving something would make that thing universally god-loved, but in no way makes it pious. An act is loved by the gods because it is pious, and not the other way around. Socrates, presumably tired of Euthyphro’s poor definitions, takes a stab at defining piety himself. He muses to Euthyphro that piety is a species of the genus justice, and that perhaps starting there would help the two men to agree on pious qualities. Socrates uses a poem as an example: â€Å"You do not wish to name Zeus, who had done it, and who made all things grow, for where there is fear there is shame. † While surely, says Socrates, those who feel shame also feel fear for their reputation or good name, those who feel fear do not necessarily feel shame as well. Being fearful of disease or poverty is not shameful, and is quite understandable. Shame is a smaller part of fear, covering a smaller area, just as piety covers a smaller area than justice, although the two entirely overlap. With a newfound agreement on the properties of piety, Socrates again asks Euthyphro to define piety by what part of justice it constitutes. Euthyphro states that â€Å"the godly and pious is the part of the just that is concerned with the care of the gods, while that concerned with the care of men is the remaining part of justice. † Socrates seems pleased by this new definition, but has one area that must be further defined – namely, the term â€Å"care for. † Socrates points out that the term â€Å"care for† means to benefit the object of care. Caring for the gods would then benefit them and make them better, an impossible act of hubris that flies in the face of the religion of the day. Euthyphro quickly enhances his definition: it’s the kind of care that a slave gives to his master. Socrates continues to press Euthyphro and demands to know what goal the gods intend to achieve by way of human service. Euthyphro gives a long-winded answer that Socrates immediately reduces to two independent clauses. The first is that the gods achieve, by way of human servitude, piety on earth in their servants’ actions. The second is that piety is the knowledge of how to sacrifice and pray. Socrates points out that Euthyphro’s latest definition reduces piety to a sort of commerce between gods and men, where pious men are the best bargainers and most skillful traders. Euthyphro agrees, although he would prefer grander wording. Socrates then asks: If pious men are trading with the gods, and the gifts from gods to men are obvious, then what are the gifts from men to gods? Euthyphro answers that the gods desire from men pleasing attitudes such as honour and reverence. Socrates once again reduces Euthyphro’s statement to a simpler form: â€Å"The pious is once again what is dear to the gods. † The argument has come full circle, back to a point where an object is conferring an action upon actors, and logical analysis leads round and back again. Socrates points this out, eager to dive back into defining piety, but Euthyphro claims he is now in a hurry and must continue the conversation some other time. While Euthyphro is unable to define piety in a convincing way, Socrates himself takes up the challenge in The Apology. While he doesn’t come right out and say it in so many words, Socrates clearly details how a man should act throughout his life and care for his soul to ensure a pious existence. According to Socrates, a man who wishes to live a pious life, insofar as he wishes to take the greatest care of his soul and follow the purest pursuits on Earth, should seek the truth in any form, at any cost. This is most clearly expressed by the statement â€Å"The unexamined life is not worth living. † Socrates would presumably define piety as the pursuit of truth. Piety, in the religious world of Socrates, can be taken as a more all-encompassing trait than it might be in modern times. Because everyone in Socrates’s society participated in the same religion, piety was a universally positive trait. Good things came from the gods, and men who engaged in religious acts were generally also pillars of Athenian society. Today piety has a narrower definition. Because religion no longer holds the position it once did in the world, and because people follow so many different religions, piety has been relegated to a rather specific set of qualities, most of which involve devotion to the church. In Socrates’s time, goodness and godliness were so close as to be inseparable, and so to be pious was to be a multitude of positive adjectives that existed in the wide realm of goodness and godliness. Piety is a desirable trait in humans, spawning bravery, kindness, wisdom, and all manner of positive attributes in those who are considered to be pious. However, each of these positive attributes is directly connected with discovering truths. Bravery or courage, one of the most readily identifiable positive traits, is a special kind of knowledge (Plato, Laches 196. c). By understanding the risks and rewards of a particular action in a certain situation, brave people will risk themselves to a certain degree, presumably because they have calculated the rewards to be justifiably great. An equally courageous act, the admission of ignorance, would allow a general to withdraw his troops from a potentially compromising situation, probably to the disdain of his fellow generals. While scorn may be heaped on this general for â€Å"fleeing,† his courage and strength of character saves the lives of his soldiers to fight another day; a prouder or more ignorant general would foolishly stand his ground and lose. Prudence, it would seem in this situation, is part of bravery. The observance of the truth, that of the general’s previous ignorance of the current field of battle, allows the general to be courageous and brave. Truth is far more important than anything else. Truth is possessed by the gods, and occasionally discovered by man, perhaps by some design of the gods. When mathematics was discovered, and the objective truths of the hypotenuse and division were used, the gods were credited with the creation, or perhaps the release of, these intangible and indisputable truths. Men could not touch them, overturn them, or argue about them. They simply were. When the prophet at Delphi relayed a message from the gods, specifically that no man was wiser than Socrates, the truth of the matter was unquestioned by Socrates. Socrates, incredulous at this prophecy, began to pursue the meaning of the statement. Socrates refers to this as â€Å"my investigation in the service of god. † Wisdom, a desirable trait on its own, seems to be the knowledge of things. But how could Socrates be the wisest man? He had no knowledge of many things, such as politics, poetry, or craftsmanship. As he interviewed learned men in Greece, he began to realize an important difference. Many men in Greece had knowledge of things. They knew how to write, fight, or create, but these were not the truths Socrates sought. These were merely the men’s experiences, an amalgamation of experience. An objective truth, such as the use of a hypotenuse, was nowhere to be found. Socrates, in his staunch pursuit of truth, considered what he knew to be true in the same manner as geometry. He realized there was little he knew so well as his own ignorance – namely, the truth was that he did not know much at all. And so it became clear to Socrates that his wisdom was a by-product of the admission of his own ignorance, and that the pursuit of truth, no matter how damaging to the reputation of the seeker, was considered wise by the gods. Truth and piety became intermingled for Socrates, as he followed his divine mission in the pursuit of truth, no matter the cost to his reputation, or the danger it posed for him. Socrates’s willingness to die for the truth is an act of piety, as is his impoverished life and disregard for his reputation. When Socrates meets someone who thinks he is wise, Socrates believes he is coming to the assistance of the gods by showing that person his ignorance (Plato, Apology 23. b). Socrates devotes his whole life, and his death, to the pursuit of truth, no matter the cost. Because Socrates associates the notion of truth so closely with the gods, it could be said that his god is truth, and vice versa. When the notions of â€Å"god† and â€Å"truth† become synonymous, Socrates’s definition of piety becomes apparent. Bibliography Brickhouse, TC. and Smith, ND. (1990). Socrates on Trial. Oxford University Press. Grube, G. M. A. and John Cooper (2002). Five Dialogues. Hacket Publishing. Linder, Doug (2002). The Trial of Socrates. University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law. Retrieved November 11, 2013. Plato (400 BC). Apology. 17a-42a. Plato (400 BC). Euthyphro. 2a-16a. Plato (400 BC). Laches. 178a-201a. Plato (400 BC). Crito. 43a-54e.

Differentiated Instruction Essay Example for Free

Differentiated Instruction Essay â€Å"What Is a Differentiated Classroom?† is the title of the first chapter of our course text. Below the title is a quote from Seymour Sarason’s â€Å"The Predictable Failure of Educational Reform.† The quote states: â€Å"A different way to learn is what the kids are calling for †¦.All of them are talking about how our one-size-fits-all delivery system – which mandates that everyone learn the same thing at the same time, no matter what their individual needs – has failed them. This is a powerful statement and one that admittedly paints an accurate picture of much of my teaching style coming into this course – â€Å"a one-size-fits-all delivery system. † My initial reaction to the opening statement was a bit defensive and off-putting. As I continued to read, I was momentarily validated when shortly afterwards I read that teacher’s often ask the question â€Å"How can I possibly divide time, resources and myself so that I am an effective catalyst for maximizing talent in all my students?† There are seemingly just too many needs and variables to reach the masses in a classroom. Teach to the middle seems to be a logical strategy. If we assume the 80-20 rule, we can reach 80% of the students fairly effectively with this methodology. Of the remaining 20 %, some portion of them should be able to glean part of the information. To be sure, I am available and encouraging of questions to assist in understanding. Additionally, I may grade an individual’s work with some reasonable variance. But other than some on-the-fly adjustments I may make to assignments as I see need that is the extent of my differentiation in t he classroom. SEEMS reasonable enough! Or should I say SEEMED reasonable enough!! The remainder of chapter one promptly provided a stern but inspirational slap-in-the-face. It offered a quick but stark contrast to my seemingly logical method of operation. A few of the â€Å"differentiation† concepts highlighted which served as motivation a prompted further reading: †¢Teachers begin where students are, not from the start of a curriculum guide †¢Teachers must be ready to engage students in instruction through different modalities, by appealing to differing interests, and by using varied rates of instruction along with varied degrees of complexity †¢Teachers provide specific ways for each individual to learn as deeply as possible and as quickly as possible, without assuming one student’s road map for learning is identical to anyone else’s. †¢Teachers begin with a clear and solid sense of what constitutes powerful curriculum and engaging instruction. Then they ask what it will take to modify that instruction so that each learner comes away with understandings and skills. †¢It is difficult to achieve a differentiated classroom because there are few examples of them. (Tomlinson, 1999) With these thoughts as an introduction and tapping into my drive for continual improvement the stage was set for the course. Moving forward, I see in retrospect, what chapter one did for peeking my interest in differentiated instruction I believe the rest of the book, the course workbook and the course itself did for laying the foundation towards true implementation. The following are four lesson plans I have developed to begin the process of differentiating lessons for my students. The differentiated concepts utilized are Entry Points, Problem Solving, Sternberg’s 3 Intelligences and Extension Menu’s. These lessons, while unique in their methodologies, all reflect the underlying assumption of Differentiated Instruction (DI). And that assumption, as reflected in a graphic organizer in our course workbook, is that †¦.Differentiation is a response to the learner’s needs using learning profiles, interests and readiness in content, process and product. The first lesson constructed utilizes Howard Gardner’s â€Å"Entry Points† strategy. This lesson is designed to account for the various learning profiles of student’s and is based off of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences theory. The major tenet of MI theory is that people learn, represent, and utilize knowledge in many different ways. These differences challenge an educational system which assumes that everyone can learn the same materials in the same way and that a uniform, universal measure suffices to educate and test student learning. According  to Gardner, the broad spectrum of studentsand perhaps the society as a wholewould be better served if disciplines could be presented in a number of ways and learning could be accessed through a variety of means.† The Multiple Intelligences postulated in this theory are: †¢Linguistic Intelligence The capacity to use oral and/or written words effectively. †¢Logical-Mathematical Intelligence the ability to effectively use numbers and to reason. †¢Spatial Intelligence the capacity to accurately perceive the visual/spatial world and create internal mental images. †¢Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence the ability to skillfully move ones body and to move and manipulate objects. †¢Musical Intelligence a sensitivity to and grasp of the elements of music. †¢Interpersonal Intelligence the capacity to perceive and distinguish moods, intentions, and feelings of others. and using simulations to learn about events, feelings and alternative strategies for behaving. †¢Intrapersonal Intelligence the ability to know ones self and act on the basis of that knowledge. †¢Naturalistic intelligence – the ability to recognize and classify plants, animals, and minerals including a mastery of taxonomies. (The Theory of Multiple Intelligences) Stemming from the MI theory is Gardner’s â€Å"Entry Point† strategy for education. According to this strategy, Gardner proposes student exploration of a given topic through as many as five avenues: Narrational (presenting a story), Logical-Quantitative (using numbers or deduction), Foundational (examining philosophy and vocabulary), Aesthetic (focusing on sensory features), and Experiential (hands-on). (Grants and Research Office) In utilizing the Entry Point strategy in the first lesson plan, students will explore and be introduced to the world of â€Å"new products and services through invention, innovation and discovery† via four of the five entry points listed: Narrational, Logical-Quantitative, Foundational and Aesthetic. The fifth entry point, Experiential, is included in the unit lesson and will be used as a summative experience. The differentiated design of this lesson taps into the multiple learning styles of students through a variety of processes. Teaching Strategies Entry Point Strategies for subject â€Å"New Products†: †¢Narrative: Students browse the internet searching for new products which have recently been introduced to the consumer. Student’s compile a list of their findings as they progress. †¢Logical/Mathmatic: Students gather statistics regarding the sales of a product over the products life cycle. Student’s then incorporate that statistical data into a graph via excel †¢Aesthetic: Students create a collage of new products along with the demographic who would utilize the product †¢Foundational: Entrepreneurship: Students view three of a possible five video clips on the role of Inventors/Innovators/Entrepreneurs and their connection to new products. Discussion to follow †¢Experiential: Field Trip to QVC to view new products as they are being displayed, advertised and sold The second of the four differentiated lessons centers on the essential question of â€Å"What is the Six Step Developmental Process?† The differentiated strategy employed in this lesson is based on Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of Human Intelligence. I looked forward to putting this lesson together as Sternberg’s theory is one that resonates with me. Coming from the business management world, and being new to the vocation of teaching, I find much of my class instruction project based with a real world â€Å"practical† slant.  Additionally, as a manager in business, one is constantly striving to place the correct people in the correct roles within a company. Hiring’s, training, evaluations, promotions, firings, relocations are all a product of a manager’s evaluation of employees strengths, talents, weaknesses and deficiencies. When evaluating and placing individual’s the criteria often looked at are an employee’s analytical, cre ative and practical skills. This theory strikes me as a perfect correlation between educational/intellectual theory and real world application. A brief summary of Dr. Sternbergs Triarchic Theory of (Successful) Intelligence contends that intelligent behavior arises from a balance between analytical, creative and practical abilities, and that these abilities function collectively to allow individuals to achieve success within particular contexts. Analytical abilities enable the individual to evaluate, analyze, compare and contrast information. Creative abilities generate invention, discovery, and other creative endeavors. Practical abilities tie everything together by allowing individuals to apply what they have learned in the appropriate setting. To be successful in life the individual must make the best use of his or her analytical, creative and practical strengths, while at the same time compensating for weaknesses in any of these areas. This might involve working on improving weak areas to become better adapted to the needs of a particular environment, or choosing to work in an environment that values the individuals particular strengths (Plucker). As applied to the classroom, it is important to provide students with the opportunity to learn based off of their natural and stronger intellectual ability(ies). Too often, education has tried to fit everyone into the â€Å"Analytical† mold. However, it is to be noted, t eachers should also strive to provide the opportunity for students to learn subject material via their weaker intellectual ability as well so as to simultaneously develop intellectual learning abilities as well as a base of knowledge in a particular subject matter. Teaching Strategies Sternberg Based Strategies for lesson â€Å"Developing New Products – The Six Step Process†: †¢Analytical †¢Identify the Six Step Developmental Process in developing a new product. †¢Choose and research one of the product options given and cite how that product progressed through each of the six step process †¢Write a one page summary on your thoughts of the effectiveness of the Six Step Process in the development of the product you chose. Would you have followed the same process or deviated at any point? State why or why not and if you would have deviated state how and why. †¢Creative †¢Identify the Six Step Developmental Process in developing a new product. †¢Describe a fictional product that you would like to see invented †¢Assume the role of an inventor and take your fictional product through the Six Step Developmental Process. Describe the considerations and possible decisions made at each step. †¢Create a model of your product via a picture or prototype †¢Practical †¢Identify the Six Step Developmental Process in developing a new product. †¢Describe a product you use and find valuable in everyday life †¢ Assume you were the inventor/innovator of the product you described, describe some of the considerations and decisions you believe were made at each step of the Six Step Developmental Process. †¢In a presentation, show and demonstrate the product you have chosen and describe some of the elements of the Six Step Developmental Process you believe were critical in its development. The third of the four lesson plans has as its content the â€Å"Marketing Mix.† The essential questions the students are to acquire answers to and achieve understanding for center around the â€Å"Distribution† component of the Marketing Mix. The DI teaching strategy to be utilized in this lesson is that of â€Å"Problem Based Learning.† As with Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of Learning this particular strategy also resonates strongly with me. Again, coming from the business world, I see great value in a Problem Based Learning approach. It is very often how business gets done. Answers to problems must be contemplated, researched, solutions designed, implemented, evaluated †¦process repeated. Taking both DI approaches a step further, I see that merging Sternberg’s theory with Problem Based Learning (PBL) is a way of maximizing the PBL approach. A quick summarization of PBL: Problem-based learning (PBL) is an approach that challenges students to learn through engagement in a real problem. It is a format that simultaneously develops both problem solving strategies and disciplinary knowledge bases and skills by placing students in the active role of problem-solvers confronted with a situation that simulates the kind of problems they are likely to face as future managers in complex organizations. Problem-based learning is student-centered. PBL makes a fundamental shiftfrom a focus on teaching to a focus on learning. The process is aimed at using the power of authentic problem solving to engage students and enhance their learning and motivation. There are several unique aspects that define the PBL approach: †¢Learning takes place within the contexts of authentic tasks, issues, and problemsthat are aligned with real-world concerns. †¢In a PBL course, students and the instructor become co-learners, co-planners, co-producers, and co-evaluators as they design, implement, and continually refine their curricula. †¢The PBL approach is grounded in solid academic research on learning and on  the best practices that promote it. This approach stimulates students to take responsibility for their own learning, since there are few lectures, no structured sequence of assigned readings, and so on. †¢PBL is unique in that it fosters collaboration among students, stresses the development of problem solving skills within the context of professional practice, promotes effective reasoning and self-directed learning, and is aimed at increasing motivation for life-long learning. (Purser) Below is a diagram located from the University of California, Irvine website. I found it succinct and anticipate it to be very helpful as I move forward in the implementation of Problem Based Learning in my classroom. WHAT: HOW? WHY? Student-centered Experiential Select authentic assignments from the discipline, preferably those that would be relevant and meaningful to student interests. Students are also responsible for locating and evaluating various resources in the field. Relevance is one of the primary student motivators to be a more self-directed learner Inductive Introduce content through the process of problem solving, rather than problem solving after introduction to content. Research indicates that â€Å"deeper† learning takes place when information is introduced within a meaningful context. Builds on/challenges prior learning If the case has some relevance to students, then they are required to call on what they already know or think they know. By focusing on their prior learning, students can test assumptions, prior learning strategies, and facts. The literature suggests that learning takes placewhen there is a conflict between prior learning and new information. Context-specific Choose real or contrived cases and ground the count in the kinds of challenges faced by practitioners in the field. Again, context-specific  information tends to be learned at a deeper level and retained longer. Problems are complex and ambiguous, and require meta-cognition Select actual examples from the â€Å"real life† of the discipline that have no simple answers. Require students to analyze their own problem solving strategies. Requires the ability to use higher order thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and creation of new knowledge. Creates cognitive conflict Select cases with information that makes simple solutions difficult: while the solution may address one part of a problem, it may create another problem. Challenges prior learning as noted above. The literature suggests that learning takes place when there is a conflict between prior learning and new information. Collaborative Interdependent Have students work in small groups in order to address the presented case By collaborating, students see other kinds of problem solving strategies used, they discuss the case using their collective information, and they need to take responsibility for their own learning, as well as their classmates’. (Gallow) †¢What are the four components of the â€Å"Marketing Mix† and which component deals with the delivery of a product to the consumer market? †¢What are the three methods of distribution†? †¢How does the method of distribution a company selects impact availability to the consumer? Teaching Strategies â€Å"Problem Based Learning† Strategy for lesson on the Marketing Mix component of â€Å"Distribution†: †¢Problem/Scenario: In pairs, â€Å"Marketing Partners† will determine the best methodology to â€Å"DISTRIBUTE† the product assigned to their â€Å"Marketing Firm.† †¢Problems to solve/Questions to answer: †¢What distribution channels does the competitor use? †¢Create in table form your competitors names, distribution channels and relative success of the competitor †¢What distribution options are viable for your company? †¢Create in table form a list of all possible distribution channels for your product as well as the benefits and drawbacks of each channel †¢In email form, compose a letter to your Director of Marketing defining the three levels of distribution intensity (Intensive, Exclusive and Selective) and indicate which level you recommend utilizing and explain why. †¢Based on the distribution intensity strategy you selected, create a data base (excel or word using tables) of at least 10 stores that may be a good fit to carry your product. Database should include the prospects: name, address, phone number, email and a short list of products carried. †¢Create a â€Å"Marketing Proposal Presentation† to deliver to your co-workers (class) which outlines your proposed distribution plan. The fourth lesson plan created and to be implemented as part of my new-and-improved DI Classroom of the future will utilize the strategy of Extension Menus. This lesson, as with the previous lesson, will have as its content the â€Å"Marketing Mix.† However, the focus and essential questions will center on the concept of â€Å"Promotion.† I see the significance and benefits of extension menus as many. Among the value points of extension menus is that they can be created to meet student needs using all three of the discussed vehicles: Learning Profiles, Interest and Readiness. In researching and then summarizing Extension Menus I have summarized the key elements in bullet form: Definition of Extension Menu An extension menu is an array of independent learning activities to provide students with choices for extending or enriching the essential curriculum. Purposes of Extension Menus †¢Enrich or extend the essential curriculum †¢Challenge the abilities of highly able students †¢Provide alternative activities that address the differing abilities, interests, or learning styles of students Advantages of Extension Menus †¢Can be written for any curriculum area †¢Provide rigorous and challenging learning activities for highly able students †¢May be tiered to accommodate all levels of instruction in the classroom †¢Can be used to target specific learning activities for an individual student or group of students †¢Allow student choice as well as challenge †¢Encourage the development of independent thinkers †¢Allow the teacher to monitor students’ choices and behaviors to learn more about their interests, abilities and learning styles †¢Promote student use of higher level thinking skills †¢ Promote flexible grouping in the classroom †¢Allow the teacher to be a facilitator Varied Uses of Extension Menus †¢Follow-up activity after a lesson †¢Culminating activity at the end of a unit †¢Anchoring activity (defined by Carol Ann Tomlinson as, â€Å"meaningful work done individually and silently especially when children first begin a class or when they finish assigned work †¢Learning center for enrichment and/or extension of the curriculum †¢Independent activity for students who have compacted out of specific curricular objectives or who have completed their work (Byrdseed, 2009-1012) Below is an Extension Menu I came across in my research. It will serve as a model moving forward. I thought it appropriate to include as an illustration of excellence. Tic-Tac-Toe Menu Collect Facts or ideas which are important to you. (Knowledge) Teach A lesson about your topic to our class. Include as least one visual aid. (Synthesis) Draw A diagram, map or picture of your topic. (Application) Judge Two different viewpoints about an issue. Explain your decision. (Evaluation) Photograph Videotape, or film part of your presentation. (Synthesis) Demonstrate Something to show what you have learned. (Application) Graph Some part of your study to show how many or how few. (Analysis) Create An original poem, dance, picture, song, or story. (Synthesis) Dramatize Something to show what you have learned. (Synthesis) Survey Others to learn their opinions about some fact, idea, or feature of your study. (Analysis) Forecast How your topic will change in the next 10 years. (Synthesis) Build A model or diorama to illustrate what you have learned. (Application) Create An original game using the facts you have learned. (Synthesis) Memorize And recite a quote or a short list of facts about your topic. (Knowledge) Write An editorial for the student newspaper or draw an editorial cartoon. (Evaluation) Compare Two things from your study. Look for ways they are alike and different. (Analysis) (schoolloop.com) For my first crack at Extension Menus I am offering a choice between three options. The projects assume a given level of â€Å"Readiness† as they are culminating exercises. â€Å"Interest† and â€Å"Learning Profiles† are tapped into as the choices offered are through the mediums of graphics (brochure), audio recordings (radio announcement-recorded or recited) or writings (public relations article). Additionally, the exercises also tap in Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory by meeting â€Å"Creative† and â€Å"Practical† components. †¢What are the four components of the â€Å"Marketing Mix† and which component deals with making the public aware of a business’ products or services? †¢What are the various methods of â€Å"Promotion†? †¢How do promotional activities influence consumers? Teaching Strategies Extension Menus for lesson on the Marketing Mix component of â€Å"Promotions†: Following unit lesson regarding the â€Å"Promotions† aspect of the Marketing Mix, students will be provided the opportunity to select one of three extension projects to demonstrate their knowledge of the subject. The basic nature of each assignment will vary to allow students the opportunity to select a methodology in which they are more inclined. The students will create either an artistic, written or verbal/kinesthetic product. †¢Extension Menu Project An entertainment group has just booked a three week engagement at your cities convention hall. Your marketing firm is one of two firms being considered to promote this event. You have been tasked to provide a sample marketing piece to win the job. Choose one of the following methodologies and create a â€Å"Promotional† piece for this event. Details of the event will be distributed. †¢Tri-fold Brochure: Using â€Å"Word† or a similar program, create a tri-fold brochure which pictures the entertainment groups major events and as well as various features of their business. †¢Public Relations Article: Using †Word,† create an article publicizing the coming of the entertainment group to your city and generate a â€Å"buzz† that will draw attendance to the various events. †¢Radio Announcement: Using a recording program, create a radio advertisement announcing the coming of the entertainment group to your city and highlight several of the main events. Also promote your station’s on-site appearance at one of the events. OR Write your radio announcements and perform them live for the class. As the saying goes †¦.†If you’re not moving forward – you’re moving backwards!† The challenge for us in this course, through classroom instruction, discussion, exercises, text readings and research, is to move forward in our instruction by way of transitioning from traditional methods of instruction to differentiated methods. I came into the course skeptical. I exit via this LEP project as encouraged and inspired. We talked about starting small and moving towards the greater goal. With these lesson plans and the tools acquired during class/research the foundation of a start have been laid. Works Cited (n.d.). Retrieved July Wednesday, 2012, from schoolloop.com: http://pps-pajaro-ca.schoolloop.com/file/1303568322190/1312697332954/8516106516570643153.pdf Byrdseed, I. (2009-1012). Byrdseed. Retrieved July Wednesday, 2012, from Offer Choice with Extension Menus: http://daretodifferentiate.wikispaces.com/file/view/Extension+Menu+directions+9.1.04.pdf Gallow, D. .. (n.d.). University of California, Irvine. Retrieved July Tuesday, 2012, from Problem-Based Learning Faculty Institute: http://www.pbl.uci.edu/whatispbl.html Grants and Research Office. (n.d.). Retrieved July Monday, 2012, from Applying Research to Practice:

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Benefits For Children When Individual Needs Are Met

Benefits For Children When Individual Needs Are Met Rohan Dawson All Children are individual, having different interests and learning in different ways. As practitioners, we must recognise this and adapt so that children become happy and confident individuals who are willing to learn. Just as we all have our own unique fingerprint; we also have our own unique personality and needs. The ‘Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage Document’ shows that although there is an expected development range, because all children are unique, expected development ages often overlap. The sequence of development shows that children will develop skills in a particular order learns to walk before they can jump, but because the rate of development is different in every child, some children will learn skills earlier than others. It’s impossible to say that by a certain age all children will meet certain criteria. We need to assess and understand each individual child. Factors affecting development may include:- Family background – children have different levels of interaction, opportunities and experiences. Illness – long stays in hospital may affect social skills. Disability – needing 1-1 support or special equipment to carry out certain activities. The ‘Phillipines Multigrade Teachers Handbook’ found on the Unicef.org website defines the need of children †¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœChildren are unique – no two are the same. They must be understood by their parents and teachers in their uniqueness and their individuality must be respected.’ From the planning we do, each child will benefit in their own way from these activities. Planning an activity where all children must take part at the same level will only deter children from learning – it may be too difficult for some or too easy for others and neither child will enjoy taking part. A three year old who doesn’t sit still will not learn if the game or activity is too long and they are expected to sit and listen for long periods of time. Instead, by getting to know the children and planning activities which are relevant, it will keep them engaged and help them to achieve their next steps. As well as planning activities, we need to think about how we communicate and guide them through the activity. By asking questions dependent upon their learning needs, the outcome is they have all participated in the game and made steps towards their learning journey. e.g a number activity – recognising and naming number 1-5 Some children will be able to name some numbers. Others may be able to match a number. Children in the same group who already have this knowledge could be asked â€Å"can you find the number 1 more than/less than?† The outcome is they are all taking part and have a sense of achievement, but at their own level. Activities become meaningful to each child and in turn they become successful and willing learners. Within Early Years, children learn through play. A variety of activities must be on offer. Some children are very confident holding a pencil and drawing detailed pictures. Others may draw a picture resembling a scribble in a small tray of sand using their finger but will be able to tell you what it is. Both activities are important to that particular child. These children have had their needs met by being able to scribe their imagination in different ways and will have a sense of achievement so they can move onto the next stage. Although practitioners can plan most of the activities within the environment, it is important to listen to the children. What are they interested in? Can this be the next topic for the Nursery or something to make that day? Whichever it is, by listening to their interests they will feel valued and will learn from both your interaction and by other children joining in the play. Treating children as unique individuals and building up positive, caring relationships not only helps them to become willing learners, but also confident people throughout their lives. They will feel that they are being listened to and will be willing to have a go at tasks that are initially challenging. They will become sociable and have positive relationships with their peers. Describe How the Principles of Anti-Discriminatory Practice can be Applied in Practice Before we can practice an anti-discriminatory environment, we must understand what ‘discrimination’ means. The Oxford Dictionary states:- Discrimination make or see a distinction as a basis for unfair treatment. Whatever our personal points of view are, we must ensure they are not practiced within the Nursery environment and we work towards all children feeling safe and secure . Article 31 of the ‘United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child’ says All children have a right to relax, play and to join in a wide range of activities We must give all children the opportunity to be included in all activities whatever their race, religion, ability and gender. They should receive the support needed to reach their full potential, whether this is providing special equipment or receiving support to work towards the activity objective. In practice making all children feel welcome and valued can be done in a number of ways:- Greet all children coming into the environment in a warm and friendly manner. Use their names, making sure the pronunciation of their name is correct. Arrange the Nursery so that all areas are accessible to all the children. If a wheelchair is used, can the child manoeuvre themselves to access all the play and amenity areas? Respect allergy issues. When planning a baking/cooking activity, consider the ingredients being used to ensure those with allergies can still participate. Also think about practicalities at snack/lunch time. Arrange tables differently so that the risk of an allergic reaction occurring is minimalized. Make this the norm, even if the child is not there so that other children do not discriminate. Celebrate all cultural events, not just those of our own religion or religion of the school. Eg. Diwali or their own way of celebrating birthdays. These should not just be celebrated at the time the child is in Nursery but all the time. Parents coming into the practice are a good way to teach children about different religious events, bringing in costumes/food and talking about how they celebrate and what it means to them. Offering a wide range of toys and activities, encouraging both genders to participate. Don’t discriminate if a boy wants to dress in girls dressing up or a girl wants to play in what is primarily a boy’s activity area. All adults, whether staff or visitors should be good role models, behaving in a professional manner to all children. By carrying out all these practices, children and families from all walks of life will feel welcome, valued and respected, both inside the Nursery and within the school community. Children will build positive relationships. It will help to stamp out discrimination as children will learn to value and understand each other. Describe Why It Is Important to Plan Activities that meet the Individual Needs of Children As all children are unique, we must support each child to reach their learning goal. To do this we need to follow the ‘Observation, Planning, Assessment’ cycle. The first thing to do is plan activities to help us to assess the children. Having a general theme within the environment, with lots of activities around this theme helps us to understand where each child is now, in the different areas of development. Eg. The theme is ‘Humpty Dumpty’. The activities and their assessment outcomes might include:- Can they join in the rhyme? Or say the word at the end of each line? Colouring sheets – How do they hold the pencil and with how much control? Can they draw Humpty Dumpty on top of the wall? Cutting activities – cut around the brick or Humpty Dumpty to stick on the wall. Are they able to operate the scissors with good control? Can they build a wall using bricks? Can they name the shape of the bricks and Humpty. How many bricks did they use to build the wall? As well as having a planned theme to assess key areas, lots of play areas must be on offer eg. Water, sand, story and tinker table This helps us to observe the children in ‘free play.’ Which area do they spend a lot of time in? Do they move around Nursery independently or stay in one area? Do they play on their own or initiate play with others? How do they play with the toys? Because children are observed during free play, they do not know the assessment is taking place and do not worry about the outcome. By making observations in different ways we can assess their current knowledge, abilities and how they play. We can understand their stage of development in the different ‘Early Years areas.’ Personal, Social and Emotional Development Physical Development Communication and Language Literacy Mathematics Understanding the World Expressive Arts and Design Their ‘individual next steps’ can then be formed to help them develop new skills and achievements. As the cycle starts again, so does the planning. Activities can be planned, which can be adapted so they are relevant to each individual. Planning also ensures the right equipment is available so that all the children can take part. By playing with or leading an activity, we are helping the child to learn and meet their next stage of development. Continual observations and assessments are made, making sure they develop their learning and skills. Explain how the Practitioner can Promote Children’s Physical and Emotional Wellbeing within the Early Years Setting Within the early years setting, children need to feel safe and secure. For some, they may have not been away from Mum or Dad before and the initial experience can be traumatic. Parents also need to know that their child’s physical and emotional wellbeing is paramount to the practitioners. A number of strategies should be put in place:- Each child to have a key worker. The child will feel secure if they have a familiar adult they can play and communicate with. The Key worker will work 1-1 with the child introducing them to new activities and experiences, helping them to make choices, giving them encouragement and praise. A Keyworker is also important for the family, as this is often the first person they come into contact with and can share their child’s knowledge, interests and concerns. Helping children to understand their own feelings and those of others. Talking about why they are feeling how they are. Talking about the effect their own actions have on others. Giving space in the environment where children have the space to play with the toys and concentrate on activities. Be good role models to create a relaxed and happy atmosphere, where other children are also happy in their play. Encouraging children to take risks, which are appropriate for their age. With support children will try new experiences. Having rules and boundaries within Nursery. Children learn and feel safe when they understand that rules are in place and they understand the consequences if these are constantly not adhered to. Making sure all toys are safe and in good repair. Encourage physical play – playing outside, helping to tidy up, acting out nursery rhymes/songs. Eating healthily – Offering fruit and milk/water for snack. If we can take these things on board, each child will grow to feel safe and happy. ‘Supporting Every Child’ section of the ‘Every Child Matters’ Document states:- All children have the right to:- Stay Safe Be Healthy Enjoy and Achieve Make a positive contribution Achieve economic well being By treating each child as an individual, they not only become successful learners who want to work hard and achieve, but they will also be confident in their relationships, with adults and their own peers. Whatever role they take, they will feel valued and their full potential will have been reached.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

FlagLive :: Personal Narrative Traveling Essays

FlagLive It's a romantically beautiful summer evening in northern California, the heat of the day having passed, the sky and earth echoing brilliant colors against each other as if making love. I'm alone, riding my bicycle through a redwood forest on my way to a campsite, where my riding buddy and I had agreed to meet. Towering above like giant sentinels, the trees feel alive, welcoming, as if the spirits of the forest are ceremoniously receiving home a prodigal son. I roll into camp, and Fred (my traveling companion) is already there. It's only been about six hours, but we're as happy to see each other as if it had been a few days. Our campsite, nestled in the forest, is next to a meadow, where elk feed at their leisure. We settle in and started cooking our usual pot of stew, which usually consists of grains, vegetables, and canned meat - whatever we found, and liked, on the grocery store shelves. The day's ride included a series of steep climbs, so we were wondering how our British friends (one a student from Oxford, the other from Bath), also making the same southward trek from Oregon to California, had fared. True to form, they roll into camp just as supper is almost ready, this time with two 40-ounce bottles of malt liquor and a bottle of tequila, but little or no food. Fred and I are happy to see them. They've become a source of inspiration, for which we are happy to provide scraps of nourishment. Typically, they'd roll into camp around 7:00 or so, with nothing but their bicycles, their tent, and alcohol, and they'd get down to business - the business of having fun. They'd start drinking, or fire up a J, or both. Then they'd wander around the various campsites, introducing themselves to anyone a nd everyone, partying the night, if possible. In the meantime, Fred had already met two other riders, whom we'd invited to supper. Recent graduates of Boston College, they became known to us over the next few days (they were also traveling the same route) as "Watch Girl" and "Chocolate Detective." As the stew cooked, the party was on. Ilana (Chocolate Detective) asked us why we slept in separate tents. We told her that if we didn't, we'd get on each other's nerves. She shot back, "Your two tents!" (You're too tense!) Bam.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Impact on the People of Nigeria by Muslims, French and British Essay

Africans have been migrating through out the continent, including Nigeria, long before there was even written record. Because of this, there has always been an extensive amount of inter-mingling between various ethnic groups, making it difficult to actually trace back who came from where. Aside from this amalgamation, there has been a huge impact on the peoples of Nigeria by outside forces. In particular, three major groups that had a major impact were Muslim merchants from across the Sahara, British slave traders and eventual colonizers, and the French and British Christian missionaries. The combination of these three groups has had both an economic and cultural impact on Nigeria that is still present today. External penetration of Nigeria started as early as the 9th century AD when Muslim merchants from western Sudan, Maghreb, Tripolitania and Egypt started traveling across the Sahara with camel caravans in search of trade. Over the course of the next six centuries, Islam became accepted widely in the north, especially among the Hausa and Fulani, and not only as a religion. It also imposed a central government, segregated the sexes, influenced language and script, and established a hierarchical class system that was not there beforehand. Islam did not spread south because of the dense tropical forest that divides Nigeria into north and south. This also caused the two regions to â€Å"develop† at different rates because while the south was still alien to Europeans, the north was expanding culturally and economically because of its deep involvement with the trans-Sahara trade routes. The peoples of the south remained untouched by Europeans until the 1470’s when Portuguese explorers, under the inspiration and guidance of Henry the Navigator, arrived and traded spirits, cloth, guns and gunpowder for slaves. The Portuguese did not really have much of a cultural effect on the indigenous people (besides the slowly diminishing population). This is because they rarely traveled farther than the coast, if they even left the ships. Eventually the British ships were dropping anchor along Nigeria’s coast after Britain realized the extent of the profits the Portuguese were making and what they could reap from slavery. By 1712 they had established a slave monopoly along the west coast. Chiefs and African slave traders brought slaves to shipside in exchange for Eu... ...t of Nigerians resorted to migration when fighting didn’t work. It is ironic how when one country tries to take over another in a forceful manner, it is met by some form of resistance but if the country introduces itself through trade it is accepted with open arms. The Muslims did not intend to rule over anyone. They were there to make deals and trade goods. Muslim conversion was gradual and voluntary and spanned over six centuries. There is little evidence about wars between Muslims and Nigerians. Also, many Nigerians are proud to be part of the Muslim culture in the north, even if they are from the south, because of its historical tradition, distinctive architecture, useful language, Islamic faith and because it is an alternative to white European culture. The British were the ones that forcefully took people’s land and family members. They were accepted at first, but they betrayed the trust of the people and exploited them for Britain’s gain for over 400 years. Many educated Nigerians today feel that if it weren’t for the slave trade and colonialism, they would be living in a much more modern and progressive country at this time. It is no wonder that they resent the British.