A research paper on Penelope Fitzgerald and her book the Gate of

A on Penelope Fitzgerald and her book the Gate of Angels - Research Paper Example Passed on from her parents, Penelope eventually developed interest in literature. Although Penelope published her first biography at the age of 58 years old (Courtney), she officially started her literary career at the age of 60 years old when she published her first novel entitled â€Å"The Golden Child† (Courtney; Harvey-Wood). As a novelist, Penelope was knowledgeable on literature. Having written and won the Booker Prize with Offshore, she was able to catch a large group of readers. As a competitive writer, she managed to write outstanding novels that are self-sufficient (Saunders). It was in 1990 when Penelope published the book â€Å"The Gate of Angels†. In this novel, Penelope amazed a lot of people for knowing things about atomic physics and issues related to probationary nursing (Barnes). As a novelist, Penelope was an expert in making use of the right term and phrases when describing not only the main characters in the novel but also when pointing out the irony in a situation. As one of Penelope’s best novels, the story of â€Å"The Gate of Angels† is about a young Cambridge University physicist named Fred Fairly who fell in love with nurse Daisy Saunders after a bicycle accident. Basically, the accident happened when both of them were bicycling along the same road. In this novel, Penelope was able to assemble the cast of the story in such a way that the reader would clearly know how Fred Fairly and Daisy Saunders interact with each other. The fact that Penelope described the past lives of the two main characters that made the readers understood the gap between Fred and Daisy. Even though Penelope has been known as one of the most promising novelist of the olden times in England, some of her works has been a subject to positive criticism (Los Angeles Times b). As compared to the works of other novels like the English novelist Martin Amis or Evelyn Waugh, the novels written by Penelope are often

Sales Control Essay Example for Free

Sales Control Essay There must be efficient control of all food and beverage items issued from the various departments. 2. The system should reduce any pilfering and wastage to a minimum. 3. Management should be provided with any information they require for the costing purposes. 4. The cashier should be able to make out the customer’s bill correctly. 5. The system should show a breakdown of sales and income received in order that adjustment and improvement may be made. The main control taking methods 1. Order taking methods. 2. Billing methods 3. Sales summary sheets. . Operational statistics. Triplicate checking system This is an order taking method used in the majority of medium and large first class establishments. The food check consists of three copies. On taking the food order it is written from top to bottom of the food check. When only a table d’hote menu is in operation the customers would initially only order their first and main courses. The operation for an a la carte menu is similar, although customers may order by course according to their requirements. 1. The top copy of the food order goes to the kitchen and is handed to the aboyeur at the hotplate. . The duplicate goes to the cashier who makes out the customer bill. 3. The Flimsy or third copy is retained by the waiter at his/her sideboard as a means of reference. Any checks or bills that have to be cancelled should have the signature of either the headwaiter or supervisor on them, as should checks and bills which have alternatio n made on them. FLOW CHART OF FOOD AND BEVERAGE CHECK Control box Kitchen Food and beverage Service area Top copy Top copy after service Food copy- Top copy (BOT)Top copy Dispense Bar 1. 2. 3. 4. BeveragesTop copy after service Control Marry all duplicates with originals- bills and summary sheet Cashier 1. 2nd copy food or drink 2. Bill 3. Bill and payment. 4. Receipted bill. Manual systems Using hand written duplicate or triplicate checks for ordering from kitchen and bar and for informing the cashier. Often used with a cash till or cash register. This system is found on many high- level restaurants and in popular catering Duplicate checking system. This is a control system that is more likely to be found in the smaller hotel, popular price restaurants and cafes. It is generally used where table d’hote menu is in operation and sometimes a very limited a la carte menu. There are two copies of each of these food checks, each set being serial numbered. The top copy of the food check is usually carbon – backed but, if not a sheet of carbon must be placed between the top and duplicate copy every time a fresh order is taken. The top copy of the set of food and drink checks is made up of a number of perforated slips, usually 4-5 in number. There is section at the bottom of the food and drink check for the table for the table number to be entered. When writing out a customer’s order a different perforated slip should be used for each course. The server must remember to write out the number of covers and the price of the meal or the dish concerned on each slip. Before sending each slip to the hotplate see that the details ate entered correctly on the duplicate copy together with the price. Since the duplicate copy acts as the customer’s bill, the waiter must ensure that everything served is charged. Duplicate order pad with perforated sections 672464| | | | | | 672464| | | No of person waiter no table no price| | | QUICK SERVICE: Name of the establishment Table no 4No of covers 2 Retour 1 Roast chicken En place 1 poached chicken Date 2/2/12Sign DS Accident: It occasionally happens that the waiter may have an accident in the room and perhaps some vegetables are dropped. These must be replaced without any extra charge to the customer. Here a check must be headed accident. It will show the number of portion of vegetables required and should be signed by the headwaiter. No charge (N/C) is stated on the check to ensure that no charge is made to the customer. Name of the establishment Table no 4No of covers 2 Accident 1 Vegetables N/C Date 2/2/12Sign DS CASH HANDLING EQUIPMENT E. P. O. S (Electronic point of sale) It is a sophisticated system of point of sale to provide the quality of information to the management for control function. Advantages 1. Fewer error is there as the information entered will be more accurate because mistake in the sequence of entries required for a particular transaction are not permitted. 2. Transaction can be done more quickly and this may be achieved by single key entry of prices, elimination of manual calculation and automatic calculation of price tags. . Training time may be reduced from days on the conventional cash register to hours with the electronic systems. 4. Instant credit checking is possible by having terminals compare the account number with a central computer file or through on-line a connection. 5. Electronic system provides more direct and detailed information in a computer readable form. 6. Additional security system features such as locks wh ich permits the ECR (Electronic cash register) to be operated only by authorized personnel.

Recruitment and Selection Process

Recruitment and Selection Process Introduction Employees are one of the most important resources of any business, and so it is important for organisations to have a thorough recruitment and selection process. This is to ensure that the best possible candidate is recruited to the post. There are many different aspects to consider during the recruitment and selection process, and this essay considers the issues that an organisation should consider as they search for candidates to recruit. The responsibility for recruitment and selection lies predominantly with a Human Resources (HR) department (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014, p.248), although in many organisations it is common for functional department heads to be involved in the process to ensure that technical considerations are assessed during recruitment and selection. Organisations also face the decision as to whether it is preferable to recruit internally or externally, and there are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches. There are also legal considerations associated with recruitment and selection which it is imperative that an organisation adheres to (Aylott, 2014 p.11). Accordingly, this essay presents a logical assessment of best practice in recruitment and selection on a life-cycle basis, beginning with job skills analysis and concluding with the final selection process. Best Practice in Recruitment and Selection Torrington et al., (2011, p.157) explain that the first steps in recruitment should be pragmatic and straightforward. It is important for the HR department to know how many people they need to recruit, and the skills and capabilities that they must possess. The easiest way to address this problem is to conduct a job skills analysis, carefully considering the content and requirement of job functions including an assessment of technical skills and also intangible or softer skills such as communication, innovation or sales ability. Ideally job skills analysis should be incorporated with a strategic assessment of HR requirements so that the organisation can be confident that they have the necessary skills contained within the human capital of the business to achieve long-term organisational objectives (Rivera, 2012b, p.75). Lievens and Sackett (2012, p.463) also recommend a job skills matrix to assess the future potential capability of job functions and to link this to future employee development opportunities. This is a matrix which lists the skills of employees against the skills the organisation requires or would like in the long term. Having assessed the functions of job roles it is then necessary to create a job description and also a person specification. These are two distinct documents although they are often prepared together (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014, p.250). The job description describes the technical functionality of the role, being as precise and detailed as possible. The person specification addresses the intangible aspects of job functionality to ensure that any potential recruit will fit comfortably within the organisation and has the skills and attributes which the organisation requires. Wilton (2013, p.158) emphasises that it is important for there to be a good fit between an employee and the organisation, so that the employee feels comfortable in their job role and performs to the best of their ability. Once the job description and person specification have been developed it is then possible to advertise the job role as the first stage in actual recruitment. At this point the organisation must decide whether they should recruit internally or externally. Phillips and Gully, (2009, p.18) explain that internal recruitment can be beneficial for a number of reasons. These include offering current employees opportunities for promotion or personal development, which is proven to motivate employees by demonstrating that there is an opportunity for career progression. Also, recruiting internally can be considered as a lower risk because the organisation is already familiar with the skills and capabilities of the employee. From a pragmatic perspective internal recruitment is also more cost-effective and quicker, so it is easier to fill the job role with less risk to the business. However, disadvantages to internal recruitment can include resentment on the part of employees who are not selected for the role (Phillips and Gully, 2009, p.20). Also, it may be the case that the organisation is looking for specific skills in order to expand the business, and no employees already in the firm have this necessary experience or skill. In these instances it is therefore necessary to recruit externally. External recruitment can be more challenging. In the first instance it is necessary to determine whether the organisation will use in-house procedures for external recruitment, or alternatively make use of external sources such as recruitment agencies or headhunters (CIPD, 2013, p.1). This decision is often based on a combination of financial considerations and organisational discretion. For example, if an organisation needs to recruit a large number of relatively junior roles then a recruitment agency may be the most appropriate approach. Recruitment agencies are likely to have a large number of potential candidates on their books, and they can undertake much of the necessary background checks and initial skills assessments. This can be a highly resource intensive process which organisations may not be able to manage effectively, hence paying recruitment agencies becomes preferable. Rivera (2012a, p.1000) notes that over time organisations can often establish relationships with preferred recruitment agencies so that the recruitment agencies become familiar with the job descriptions and person specifications, and this accelerates the process. Increasingly, organisations are also making use of online recruitment opportunities, and this is another way of reaching a wide group of potential candidates in a cost-effective manner (Girard and Fallery, cited in Boudarouk and Ruel, 2009, p.39). Alternatively, if it is a particularly high profile or specialist role organisations may wish to make use of headhunters. These are considerably more costly but can be appropriate if the role is senior or it is a new role which requires a particular skill set. Rivera (2012a, p.1001) explains that headhunters are more commonly used when there is a long lead time for more senior appointees and it is more important that they are a good cultural fit for the business. Furthermore, the more senior the role, the greater the potential risk to the business in terms of financial expenditure. Therefore it can be preferable to use external sources to find the most appropriate candidates. As noted previously there are also legal considerations as part of the recruitment process. These commence with the advertising of the job role, which under UK and EU legislation must be entirely non-discriminatory (Aylott, 2014, p.66). This includes wording of the advert for the role, and also the actual process of recruitment which must be entirely fair and transparent. This is another reason why headhunters and recruitment agencies can be beneficial, as they can help to ensure adherence to legislation and regulation in this area. It is also worth noting that there are changes in progress within the regulation in this area meaning that candidates shortlisted for more senior roles must demonstrate gender parity (Aylott, 2014, p.67). Hence, headhunters can be helpful for drawing up shortlists prior to the next stage of recruitment. Having drawn up a shortlist of potential candidates, either internally or externally, the next step in the process is to narrow down this shortlist. There are a number of possible means of doing this which can include interviews, psychometric testing and assessment centres (Breaugh, 2013, p.395). As might be imagined, each of these approaches has advantages and disadvantages, and it is also not uncommon to utilise these techniques in combination. The decision as to which type of recruitment method to adopt depends on the nature of the job role and the potential risks associated with the job function (Hall et al., 2013, p.358). In any event, it is absolutely imperative to ensure that there is complete fairness and transparency in the recruitment and selection process, not only because of the need to adhere to legislation and regulation, but also to ensure that each candidate has a fair experience. This is because this has implications for long-term recruitment and selection of high calibre candidates (CIPD, 2013, p.1). Guion (2011, p.9) explains that interviews remain as one of the most common forms of assessment when determining whether a candidate would be suitable for a job function. The length and intensity of the interview depends on the nature of the job function. As alluded to above, it is commonly the case that recruitment and selection is the responsibility of the HR department, although it is often the case that functional department heads are involved in the process to assess the technical competence and capability of the candidate. In any event the potential candidates should be assessed against the job description and person specification (as described above) and during the course of the interview it is sensible to take notes so that at a later stage the shortlisted candidates can be compared to one another (Chapman and Webster, 2003, p.117). For some more senior roles it may be the case that more than one interview is conducted with different members of the organisation. Kline (2013, p.25) acknowledges that although interviews are very popular, there can be concerns with unintended preference, a concept known as the golden halo effect. This occurs when the interviewers subconsciously prefer candidates who they considered would be a good cultural fit. This is why it is important to have complete transparency in the interview process. Psychometric testing and aptitude testing are also extremely popular techniques for assessing potential candidates during the selection process. Suff (2012, p.9) explains that aptitude testing is an assessment of the numerical, verbal, and general logical reasoning capability of an individual. Psychometric testing is more intensive and includes an assessment of personality traits. Psychometric testing is not an exact science, but over time a large body of empirical data has been gathered which helps to increase the reliability of such testing. Generally speaking psychometric tests are a useful indicator of underlying personality traits, and can be a good means of an organisation assessing whether an individual candidate would be a good fit for the business. Cushway (2014, p.26) explains that psychometric tests can be useful if an organisation is looking to recruit an individual with particular personality traits in order to help generate a cross functional team. In contrast, Suff (2012, p.10) suggests that psychometric testing is more valuable as a supporting indicator, along with other selection techniques such as interviews and assessment centres. Assessment centres are the most intensive form of employee selection. They typically comprise a number of small tests and presentations to simulate the likely working conditions and to assess how an individual performs under pressure and how they work in teams (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014, p.232). During the course of an assessment centre it is likely that the candidate will have to give a presentation, solve a problem with imperfect information (to simulate real-life), and also work in a team environment. Assessment centres are highly resource intensive but are considered to give the most accurate picture of how a candidate would be likely to perform if they were recruited to the organisation. The costs of running an assessment centre are high, so in the main they are reserved for more senior job functions, or for graduate recruitment schemes. They are also more commonly used by larger organisations that have the resources to maintain a talent management pipeline (McClean and Collins, 2011, p352). Stahl et al., (2012, p.35) believe that assessment centres can be somewhat artificial as all the candidates are aware that they are in competition for a defined number of job roles, and this may encourage them to distort their behaviour. Stahl et al., (2012, p.35) also believe that there is a greater risk of the golden halo effect during assessment centres as the assessors get to know candidates throughout the duration of the assessment centre. It is necessary to mention that references from previous employers or other respected individuals can play a small part in the recruitment and selection process. However, such is the nature of legislation relating to references, many organisations simply use them to verify that a candidate has been previously employed and that they do not have a tendency to high levels of sickness absence or any other obvious undesirable tendency, for example an extensive disciplinary record (Torrington et al., 2011, p.182). As references must be entirely factual, personal observations of the previous employers are generally not found in references in the UK. Some organisations may also wish for shortlisted candidates to undertake medical checks. This is likely to be more common in job functions where there is either a particular medical need for high levels of health and fitness because the job is particularly strenuous, or because the organisation has a long-term commitment to employee health and well-being. In either event organisations are only likely to take up references and ask for medical checks for candidates whom they believe they will offer the job post (Torrington et al., 2011, p.183). Once the organisation has decided who they will recruit, it is necessary to draw up a contract of employment, and to send a formal offer letter to the preferred candidate, setting out the terms and conditions of employment. Aylott (2014 p.112) observes that it is surprising how many organisations do not maintain good record-keeping in this regard, and it is imperative that if the candidate accepts the role they return a signed copy of the contract and terms and conditions. It is also good practice for an organisation to formally write to the unsuccessful candidates and briefly explain why they were not recruited for the post (CIPD, 2013, p.1). This helps to improve the overall candidate experience thus supporting the reputation of the organisation and wider marketplace. If job requirements change in the future, maintaining a good relationship with potential candidates makes it is much easier to offer them a job role in the future (Klotz et al, 2013, p.110). Finally, Aylott (2014, p.32) explains that under UK legislation, unsuccessful candidates may exercise the right to challenge why they were not recruited for the role. This is why it is important to maintain scrupulous records throughout the recruitment and selection process and demonstrate complete fairness and transparency. As it may be some time between acceptance of the job post and the candidate starting in the role, then this is a good opportunity for the organisation to prepare the new employees induction in advance. It is also best practice for an organisation to allow access to the employee handbook when recruiting an employee. A good induction is one where the new employees has the opportunity to meet their colleagues and receive basic training in aspects such as health and safety and organisational systems (Covert, 2011, p.9). This is entirely pragmatic as it is an opportunity for existing employees to meet their new colleague, and also to ensure that the new employee has a thorough grounding in the organisation so that they become rapidly embedded and are able to make a difference as soon as possible. This is often an issue for organisations as it can take time for new employees to become familiar with organisational culture. Therefore an induction is a good way of starting this process. Finally, the majority of new employees are likely to be operating under a probationary period in the first few months of employment. There are legal implications to this, meaning that it is important for an organisation to clearly set out their expectations for the new employee, and also to offer the employee as much help and support as possible in the early days of their employment (Cushway, 2014, p.34). It is in no partys interest for there to be a high turnover of staff. Not only because the recruitment and selection process is extremely costly and resource intensive, but also because it is also disruptive to an organisation and long-standing employees. Hence, it is preferable to invest the necessary level of resource, time and effort in recruiting the right employee in the first instance. Recommendations To summarise, the first steps in effective recruitment and selection are to establish the requirements of the job role, and also the preferred attributes of the individual who will eventually fulfil this role. It is important at this early stage to be as precise and as comprehensive as possible, and also to be aware of the need for transparency in the process. This is because the description and person specification not only form the foundation of the job advert, but also they become the benchmark against which potential candidates are assessed, and successful employees are measured (Guion, 2011, p.240). Although resource intensive, it is worthwhile to spend time and effort refining the job description and person specification. Once the shortlist of candidates has been prepared, either from internal or external sources, it is necessary to assess all potential candidates to determine their suitability for the role (Phillips and Gully, 2009, p.17). There are several alternative means of achieving this including interviews, testing and assessment centres. As elucidated above, there are advantages and disadvantages to all of these methods, and this is why it is often the case that more than one technique is used. It is important to reiterate the importance of transparency and fairness throughout the entire selection process. Having selected a suitable candidate the organisation should then formally write to the employee enclosing the employment contract and terms and conditions of employment (Aylott, 2014, p112). An organisation may also wish to take up references and ask the candidate to have a medical assessment. It is best practice to formally communicate non-selection to unsuccessful candidates, as this is not only helpful for maintaining organisational reputation, it may have future practical benefit. Throughout the entire process of recruitment and selection scrupulous record-keeping is strongly recommended. Once a candidate has accepted a position of employment, it is then good practice to offer an induction period. This helps the new employee to settle in, and helps to increase productivity and reduce employee turnover. Conclusions This essay has set out the current recommended best practice in respect of recruitment and selection. It has illustrated the complexity and resource intensive nature of the process, and also emphasised the importance of prior planning and preparation to ensure that the most suitable candidates are shortlisted for the role, and that they have the necessary skills and attributes. As has been discussed throughout the essay, there are a number of alternative methods for actually selecting a candidate for the job role, and the determination of which of these methods is used relies on the specifics of the job itself and also the long-term HR and human capital requirements of the organisation. In an ideal scenario, the recruitment and selection process is cross-functional in nature, involving both HR and department heads, and is also linked to the long-term strategic requirements of the business. Throughout the entire process it is imperative to maintain fairness and transparency, and to focus on recruiting the best possible candidate in order to reduce the possibility of subsequent employee turnover. References Armstrong, M., and Taylor, S., (2014) Armstrongs handbook of human resource management practice. (13th Ed) London: Kogan Page Publishers. Aylott, E., (2014) Employment law: HR fundamentals. London: Kogan page. Breaugh, J. A., (2013) Employee recruitment. Annual review of psychology, 64(4), 389-416. Chapman, D. S., and Webster, J., (2003) The use of technologies in the recruiting, screening, and selection processes for job candidates, International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 11(2/3), 113-120. CIPD (2013) Recruitment factsheet [online] available at http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/factsheets/recruitment-overview.aspx retrieved 3rd Oct 2014. Covert, S. P., (2011) Creating a Web-Based Employee Orientation and Induction Program. School Business Affairs, 77(1), 8-10. Cushway, B., (2014) The employers handbook 2014-15: An essential guide to employment law, personnel policies and procedures. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Girard, A., and Fallery, B., (2009) E-recruitment: new practices, new issues. An exploratory study. In Boudarouk, T., and Ruel, H., (Ed.) Human resource information systems. London: Emerald Group Publishing. Guion, R. M., (2011) Assessment, measurement, and prediction for personnel decisions. London: Taylor and Francis. Hall, D., Pilbeam, S., and Corbridge, M., (2013) Contemporary themes in strategic people management: a case-based approach. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Kline, R., (2013) The bias that lives on: Discrimination in recruitment persists in the NHS, and it is long past time to tackle it, says Roger Kline. Nursing Standard, 27(41), 24-25. Klotz, A. C., Motta Veiga, S. P., Buckley, M. R., and Gavin, M. B., (2013) The role of trustworthiness in recruitment and selection: A review and guide for future research. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 34(S1), 104-119. Lievens, F., and Sackett, P. R., (2012) The validity of interpersonal skills assessment via situational judgment tests for predicting academic success and job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97(2), 460-468. McClean, E., and Collins, C. J., (2011) Highcommitment HR practices, employee effort, and firm performance: Investigating the effects of HR practices across employee groups within professional services firms. Human Resource Management, 50(3), 341-363. Phillips, S., and Gully, C., (2009) Strategic staffing New Jersey: Pearson Education. Rivera, L. A., (2012a) Hiring as cultural matching the case of elite professional service firms. American Sociological Review, 77(6), 999-1022. Rivera, L. A., (2012b) Diversity within Reach Recruitment versus Hiring in Elite Firms. The Annals of American Academy of Political and Social Science, 639(1), 71-90. Stahl, G., Bjrkman, I., Farndale, E., Morris, S. S., Paauwe, J., Stiles, P., and Wright, P., (2012) Six principles of effective global talent management. Sloan Management Review, 53(2), 25-42. Suff, R., (2012) Employers use of psychometric testing in selection: 2012 XpertHR survey. IRS Employment Review. (Sep), 9-10. Torrington, D., Hall, L., Taylor, S., and Atkinson, C., (2011) Human resource management. (8th Ed) London: FT/Prentice Hall. Wilton, N., (2013) An introduction to human resource management (2nd Ed) London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

Dr. Stephen Hawking; Man Of Mystery :: essays research papers

Dr. Stephen Hawking has been considered to be more brilliant then Einstein. Dr. Hawking was born on January 8 1942 in Oxford, England on the 300th anniversary of Galileo’s death. Is this a coincidence? After his studies at St. Albans School, he attended University College, Oxford. He wanted to study Mathematics, but because it was unavailable at Oxford, he concentrated on Physics and earned a degree in Natural Science three years later. Stephen went on to Cambridge to do research in Cosmology. After attaining his Ph.D., he became a Professorial Fellow at Gonville and Caius College. He left the Institute of Astronomy to become a professor at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at Cambridge. He has held the post of Lacasian Professor of Mathematics since 1979. In the early 1960’s, Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with the dreadful disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (A.L.S.), an incurable degenerative neuromuscular disease, also known as Lou Gerh ig’s Disease. He has been paralyzed unable to use every muscle in his body. The only muscles he has use of are those around his eyes. This explains why Hawking has become a theoretician rather than a â€Å"hands-on† scientist. He spends hour after hour in his wheelchair pondering complex ideas and formulating mind bobbling equations in his head. Dr. Hawking’s work is primarily in the field of general relativity and in particular on the physics of black holes. He uses his theory on the origin of black holes to help explain the creation of the universe. In 1971 he suggested the formation (following the big bang), of numerous objects containing as much as 1,000,000,000 tons of mass but occupying only the space of a proton. These objects, called mini- black holes, are unique in that because of their immense mass and gravity, they are ruled by the laws if relativity, while their minute size requires that the laws of quantum mechanics apply to them also. In 1974, Hawking proposed that, in accordance with the predications of quantum theory, black holes emit subatomic particles until they exhaust all their energy and finally explode. Hawking’s work spurred efforts to theoretically delineate the properties of black holes. It was previously thought that nothing could be learned about black holes. Now we know that each bl ack hole starts out as a star about ten times the size of the sun. Over time, the star burns all its nuclear fuel and explodes.

Goodnight Mister Tom Essay

Evacuating children to the country was seen as a kind and protective action to prevent them being killed or injured in the blitz. However, for some children, the move could be negative and frightening whilst for those such as William Beech it would prove a beneficial event. When the evacuees first arrive in Little Weirwold it is a massive change for many â€Å"They all looked bewildered and exhausted†. For many children the countryside was quite foreign to them. Tom exclaims to Willie â€Å"‘Ent you never seen a cow?† There are many differences between the city and the country and all need to be adjusted to. The noise level and number of people around are two things that cause Tom to feel â€Å"totally dazed† on arrival in London. All families are unique but although this can be a positive, for some it may prove negative. Despite missing his parents, Zach had a fairly happy time with Dr and Mrs Little. Robert and Christine King were, sadly, made to work too hard to the detriment of their schooling. â€Å"Robert and Christine’s mother †¦ and took them back to London. †¦ she felt they were being used as unpaid labour†. For Willie it was an extremely positive experience. Tom treats him as a caring parent and by the end of the novel – without even thinking – Will says â€Å"I’m sorry, Dad† and Tom is thrilled too â€Å" â€Å"He called me Dad† †¦ overwhelmed with happiness† For a child such as Willie, the contrast between home and Little Weirwold, the contrast between his mother and Mr Tom could not have been more extreme. His mother beat him only â€Å"soft beatings† and saw him as being â€Å"wicked †¦[ enough to be] sent to an ‘ome fer bad boys†. Willie arrives at Little Weirwold his body is covered with the evidence of his mother’s abuse. â€Å"a large multicoloured bruise on his shin and a swollen red sore beside †¦ Willie’s arms and legs were covered in bruises, weals and sores†. Tom, on the other hand, doesn’t â€Å"know nothin’ about children† but does â€Å"know enuff not to beat ‘em and make ‘em that scared.† Little Weirwold is also the place that nurtures Will in other ways. It is where he makes his first friends Zach, Carrie and Ginnie and George. This contrasts sharply with London as there he had â€Å"no friends as such. Bullied and ragged a lot by the kids†. Will’s experience of school and teachers is also vastly different. In London the teacher â€Å"didn’t like† Will and allowed the others to call him â€Å" Sillie Sissie Willie†. Tom patiently teaches Will his letters and at school he is also taught and nurtured by Mrs Black and Mrs Hartridge. The play is an opportunity for Will and once Miss Thorne sees his aptitude, she encourages and nurtures it, asking him to take the role of Scrooge. Overall, the evacuation of London children to the country in the second world war was neither cruel nor kind – for each child it was different. In Zach’s case he was safe in the country but was killed in a bombing when he went back to London. For Willie it was a positive experience in so many ways as he transforms from â€Å"Sillie Sissie Willie† to â€Å"Will†. Without the evacuation and Tom’s affection for him this transformation is unimaginable.

Nigersaurus - Facts and Figures

Nigersaurus - Facts and Figures Name: Nigersaurus (Greek for Niger lizard); pronounced NYE-jer-SORE-us Habitat: Woodlands of northern Africa Historical Period: Early Cretaceous (110 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 30 feet long and five tons Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Relatively short neck; hundreds of teeth in wide jaws About Nigersaurus Yet another Cretaceous feather in the cap of the globetrotting paleontologist Paul Sereno, Nigersaurus was a rather unusual sauropod, possessing a relatively short neck compared to the length of its tail; a flat, vacuum-shaped mouth packed with hundreds of teeth, arranged in about 50 columns; and almost comically wide jaws. Putting together these odd anatomical details, Nigersaurus seems to have been well adapted to low browsing; most likely it swept its neck back and forth parallel to the ground, hoovering up any vegetation within easy reach. (Other sauropods, which had much longer necks, may well have nibbled on the high branches of trees, though even this remains a matter of some dispute.) What many people dont know is that Paul Sereno didnt actually discover this dinosaur; the scattered remains of Nigersaurus (in northern Africas Elrhaz formation, in Niger ) were described by a French paleontologist in the late 1960s, and introduced to the world in a paper published in 1976. Sereno did, however, have the honor of naming this dinosaur (after studying additional fossil specimens) and publicizing it to the world at large. In typically colorful fashion, Sereno described Nigersaurus as a cross between Darth Vader and a vacuum cleaner, and also called it a Mesozoic cow (not an inaccurate description, if you ignore the fact that a full-grown Nigersaurus measured 30 feet from head to tail and weighed up to five tons!) Sereno and his team concluded in 1999 that Nigersaurus was a rebbachisaurid theropod, meaning it belonged to the same general family as the contemporary Rebbachisaurus of South America. Its closest relatives, however, were two intriguingly named fellow sauropods of the middle Cretaceous period: Demandasaurus, named after the Sierra la Demanda formation in Spain, and Tataouinea, named after the same bleak Tunisian province that may (or may not) have inspired George Lucas to invent the Star Wars planet Tatooine. (Yet a third sauropod, the South American Antarctosaurus, may or may not have been a kissing cousin as well.)

Aesthetic Music Education and the Influence of Bennett Reimer Essays

Aesthetic Music Education and the Influence of Bennett Reimer Essays Aesthetic Music Education and the Influence of Bennett Reimer Paper Aesthetic Music Education and the Influence of Bennett Reimer Paper An explicit concept since the late 1950s, aesthetic education first developed to provide a strong philosophical foundation for music education and continues to evolve as a solid theoretical orientation for current effective practices. Bennett Reimer has contributed much to the discussion and development of the value of aesthetic education for the teaching and learning of music. Others in music education also support and promote these ideals and focus on developing an improved understanding for music educators. Some scholars oppose the principles of an aesthetic education, recently demonstrated by David Elliott who favors a praxial philosophy of music education centered on musical performance. The work of Reimer shows an influence of these thinkers and illustrates the essential benefits of a professional emphasis on aesthetics, the branch of philosophy especially devoted to studying the value of the arts. With guidance from aesthetics, music educators better understand the value of music and its fundamental role within the school curriculum. With its introduction, aesthetic education provided an understanding of authentic fundamental characteristics of music not previously discussed and encouraged an articulation of those ideas into relevant objectives for teaching and learning. The appearance of Basic Concepts in Music Education (ed. Nelson B. Henry, 1958) and the college text Foundations and Principles of Music Education (Charles Leonard and Robert W. House, 1959) promoted the acceptance of an aesthetic-based philosophy as a guiding theoretical foundation. These significant resources encouraged individuals to put their previous intuitions into effective practice using a shared, progressive concept of musical experience and learning. Many music educators embraced aesthetic education (and continue to do so) because it reinforced the validity of music study in the school curriculum for reasons intrinsic to the art itself. Reimer emphasizes that we (as music educators) need not establish discipleship to one particular person or point of view of aesthetic education. The ideal of Music Education as Aesthetic Education (MEAE) does not exist as a particular collection of fixed certainties; it supports the attitude that philosophical truths develop and transform as we advance and verify new ideas. Many sources (books, journals, articles, etc. ) provide the insight of professional scholars on the fundamental values of music supporting the aesthetic approach. The music educator who commits to MEAE must seek this knowledge to understand the art of music beyond his or her own instincts. Only with that awareness can the teacher adequately portray a genuine representation of the artistic values of music to students. Reimer describes aesthetic education as the development of a sensitivity to the aesthetic qualities of things. He consciously avoids using the term definition yet provides a much-appreciated explanation that achieves that function. Reimer further illustrates that MEAE should encourage our ability to perceive and respond to conditions of musical relationships (e. g. tension-release, expectation-deviation) in perceptible objects and events. Musical works may possess various qualities (such as functional ones), but the primary significance of music should lie in its aesthetic value. If we abandon this unique characterization of music and emphasize its societal role, we risk degrading ourselves as well as our work. As teachers, we mediate the interactions between our students and aesthetic objects and should seek to improve these relationships with different experiences. Yet, we must first ensure that students have the ability to perceive expressive conditions as well as the ability to respond to them. Reimer distinguishes that effective MEAE cultivates a persons ability to yield meanings from (a work of arts) structures of interrelated sounds and to transform words, images, ideas, emotions, and any other socially shared human values by incorporating them as meaningful aspects of musical structure?. Abraham Schwadron also promotes this perception of feeling in music, pioneered by Susanne Langer. He asserts that formal education should address structural approaches to describing responses to music and not the emotive states that may result. That is, teachers should use elements of music to explain qualities of feeling (suspense, deception, resolution, etc. ) and not teach music as the translation of sound into emotion by the composer or the performer (i. e. , how does this music make you feel? ). MEAE should consider extra-musical descriptions, however, when those factors influence the understanding of a particular piece of music or musical process. Once we have created the potential for our students to recognize aesthetic qualities, we must encourage their ability to perceive and respond to those experiences. Teachers must present a variety of musical items and events to develop this aural aptitude. They must also guide the relationship between the student and the aesthetic object as each learner produces, conceptualizes, analyzes and evaluates music. In 1972, this philosophy led Reimer to emphasize the necessity of a unified curriculum in the arts and advocate curriculum development in music education. We observe this influence, years later, in the music section of the National Standards for Arts Education, published in 1994. These (relatively) recent standards, which Reimer helped developed, promote an expansion of the music curriculum and encourage a comprehensive approach to music instruction, which incorporates many characteristics of MEAE. Even with this concept of an inclusive aesthetic education, performance remains the primary curricular activity with which we attempt to realize our goals, especially at the secondary level. This myopic approach neglects other ways that people experience music (e. g. , listening, composing) and often emphasizes skill development over musical understanding. Bennett Reimer declares that, Our past and present mentality about music, so dominated by the performance model, is now beginning to be out of phase with the realities of our art. He offers that we can learn much from the Discipline-Based Art Education movement that recognizes that multi-dimensional curriculum guidelines (which include aspects of history, criticism, and analysis) enhance aesthetic experiencing. Embracing the ideals of MEAE means accepting that all students, not just a small percentage of gifted ones, should have access to the aesthetic qualities of music. By cultivating enjoyment in the majority of students (about 85 percent, Reimer implies) who choose not to perform, we also augment our authentic presence in the school environment. To achieve our aesthetic intentions, a transformation must occur that creates three aspects of a comprehensive music curriculum: the required general music program, the elective performance program and the elective composition program. These components would more accurately represent the three key functions involved in Western music: listening, performing and composing. A complete program of music, aligned with the fundamentals of MEAE, would use performance and composition to enrich the universal musical activity of listening emphasized by the comprehensive general music program.

The Weaving Contest Between Athena and Arachne

The Weaving Contest Between Athena and Arachne While Athena was a friend to Greek heroes, she wasnt so helpful to women. The story of the weaving contest between Arachne and Athena is one of the most familiar myths about Athena, and its central theme is also popular. Greek mythology repeatedly hammers home the danger of comparing oneself with a goddess. The theme appears in the story of Cupid and Psyche, where Aphrodite is offended. While ultimately there is a happy ending, to avert Aphrodites wrath, Psyches family abandons her to death. In the mythological story of Niobe, Artemis punishes the mortal mother for boasting that she is a more fortunate mother than Artemis mother, Leto: Artemis destroys all Niobes children. The punishment Athena inflicts on her capable, but the merely mortal victim is more direct. If Arachne wants to claim to be a better weaver than Athena, so be it. Thats all shell ever be good for. Arachne Suffers a Metamorphosis The Roman poet Ovid writes about the metamorphosis Arachne suffers in his work on transformations (Metamorphoses): One at the loom so excellently skilld,That to the Goddess she refusd to yield, ( Ovid, Metamorphoses VI) In the myth, Athena challenges Arachne to a weaving contest in order to prove herself. The expert crafts goddess Athena is favorably impressed with Arachnes weaving of divine debaucheries: This the bright Goddess passionately movd,With envy saw, yet inwardly approvd.The scene of heavnly guilt with haste she tore,Nor longer the affront with patience bore;A boxen shuttle in her hand she took,And more than once Arachnes forehead struck. Athena cant tolerate the affront to her pride, though, so she turns Arachne into a spider doomed to weave forever. From the unfortunate spider-woman comes the name for the 8-legged creatures arachnids. Bulfinch on Athena (and Arachne)

Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness Essay - 1

Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness - Essay Example The main purpose of the research is to present that Life, Liberty and pursuit of happiness is a phrase which outline and indicate the unalienable rights given to all human beings by the God and the institution of government is formed to protect those rights. Jefferson’s original draft suggests that all men are created equal and from this creation, each of them derive and inherent the right to preservation of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. The overall emphasis therefore is upon creation of men as equal and from within this equality, all men have the undeniable rights to preserve the life, have liberty and pursue the happiness. While this phrase is one of the well-known phrases in the declaration however, it is argued that Jefferson was largely influenced by Locke when he decided to include this phrase in declaration. Though, the original draft of Jefferson was refined subsequently however, debate remains regarding what were the actual influences on Jefferson to include this in the original draft. One argument is based upon the assumption that Jefferson was impressed by what Locke termed as the protection of property. Locke suggested that the very purpose of political society is to actually protect the property of individuals. Property, according to Locke, comprises of life, liberty or freedom and estate. Jefferson however, replaced the word estate with the word pursuit of happiness. The right to preserve the life has liberty and pursuit of happiness therefore was the basic promise State actually made to its citizens as one of its basic duties towards citizens.

Protecting Personal Information Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Protecting Personal Information - Essay Example But there are many concerns which consumers must consider if they want to enter into protected and secure transactions with the seller companies without any security risks involved. They must watch what PII they are going to share with the companies online. Companies might ask them to give their PII like name, address, phone number, e-mail address, spouse’s name, name of parents and children, social insurance number, bank account number or credit card number. Consumers should make sure that the seller companies have a privacy policy mentioned on their websites and that the security of their credit cards or any other mode of payment is also guaranteed. If the credit card number has been given, then the statement must be checked regularly so as to make sure that there are no unknown charges that are not in the consumer’s knowledge. It is also a sensible idea to keep a copy of all agreements, transactions, and communications that have been carried out with the online vendo rs so that a proof is always there in case of complaints- minor or severe.Two of the many laws regarding identity theft are discussed below:Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA)CFAA was designed in 1984 and deals with penalties for the intruders who gain access to sensitive information stored in a computer without authorized access. Computers have to be protected when the consumers carry out commercial activities, engage in cross-border e-commerce, and make online business transactions and email communications with online traders.... It is also a sensible idea to keep a copy of all agreements, transactions and communications that have been carried out with the online vendors so that a proof is always there in case of complaints- minor or severe. Laws and Legislation Two of the many laws2 regarding identity theft are discussed below: Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) CFAA was designed in 1984 and deals with penalties for the intruders who gain access to sensitive information stored in a computer without authorized access. Computers have to be protected when the consumers carry out commercial activities, engage in cross-border e-commerce, and make online business transactions and email communications with online traders. The Act applies penalties upon the identity thieves starting from 10 years to 20 years of imprisonment. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) This law was passed in order to eliminate the menace of identity theft. The need for secure online networks initially arose when issu es like computer viruses and internet fraud posed a threat to the security and privacy of data stored on online servers and health records. HIPAA was passed by U.S. Congress on August 21, 1996. It deals with the privacy issue of the consumer’s data and presents Privacy Rule which ensures fines and punishments for fraud and violation of the rule. Ethical, Moral and Social Issues It is important to educate the users of internet and computer systems about â€Å"intellectual property rights issues, privacy/ surveillance issues, access to data issues and issues of human-computer interaction† (Stahl, Carroll-Mayer and Norris, 2006, p.298). They should know that

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Annotated Bibliography Example Thus the specificity also of God is an historical specificity. The focus on dynamic event rather than static substance continues in his systematic theology.† Lindbeck George is an American Lutheran theologian and a BA graduate from Yale University. In his pursuit of medieval knowledge, Lindbeck picked an interest in matters related to the church, and thereafter, he became one of the fathers of postliberal theology. He has since then been among the most influential figures in the religion and theology scenes. In this book, Lindbeck focuses on the nature of the doctrine of theology in a postliberal age. By exploring a couple of theories in ecumenism, Mariology, and Christology, the author engages the Readers in a theological conversation. â€Å"The demand for competence is the empirical equivalent of insisting on the spirit as one of the texts of doctrine†. The author, Howard Marshall is a professor Emeritus of the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. Marshall is known for his broad understanding of the New Testament as he was the chair of the fellowship if European evangelical theologians and the president of the British New Testament society. As seen in most of his works, Marshall begins by introducing the New Testament theology, comparing the content of the various books. The author clearly explores Paul’s letters, the gospels and the rest of the epistles. Marshall’s theology represents the messages of the various books in the New Testament, speaking to a broad audience of readers. â€Å"It appears that this gospel attributed to Mathew was assembled by someone who was both a scribe and a sage of sorts. Like the author of the fourth gospel, he wants to present the story of Jesus in a sapiential way, but unlike the fourth evangelist, he wants to do it by means of a very conventionally Jewish way of presenting the materia l.† Mark Smith, the author of this journal is an Associate Professor of Political Science and

Ear Disorders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ear Disorders - Essay Example Treatment procedures usually include typical treatment modes such as yoga to cope stress in these patients and after that they could be given intratympanic corticosteroids. The function of these corticosteroids is to reduce inflammation in the endolymphatic dust. Also surgical procedures which include decreasing the pressure in the duct in order to maintain the flow of the endolymph in the vestibular system can also be applied in severe cases. But, surgical procedures usually lead to hearing loss as a complication since both the systems are very closely associated (ODonoghue et al 2000). Excessive endolymph pressure in the endolymphatic duct and the whole inner ear leads to the compression of the nerve endings of the outer and inner hair cells. Once compressed for a longer period of time these nerve endings first generate a symptom of timmitis with alternating periods of hearing loss and then if the disease is not treated these nerve cells eventually die. Since nerve cells do not have the capacity to regenerate the damage once done is usually irrereversible (ODonoghue et al

Business Law - Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Business Law - Questions - Assignment Example The defendant informed the service provider that he was in no need of his services any longer and even rejected to compensate on 11th May. The service provider sued the defendant for breach of contract on 22nd May and the starting date of the contract was due on 1st June. The court ruled the decision in favouring the claimant as the defendant has breached the contract (Andrews, 2011, p.486). In case of tort law, a person is held responsible or is held accountable if he fails to exercise the duty of care in his operations. This means that a person is said to be tort liable if he has failed to rectify any foreseeable errors in his/her offerings. For example: In Willsher v Essex Area Health Authority case, an inexperienced doctor gave extra oxygen to a baby that was born prematurely, due to this, the baby lost one of his eye, the court held the doctor liable because the inexperienced doctor had to operate with same amount of care as an experienced doctor (Tuitt, 2004, p.44). In tort cas es, negligence holds great importance, if an individual wants to press charges against another individual, he should be able to prove that the individual was involved in conducting negligence. To succeed in a case of negligence, the person making the claim has to prove the defendant had a duty of care towards the person making the claim. ... Lastly, the person making the claim has to prove that due to the defendant’s negligence towards duty of care, the claimant experienced a loss. The claimant can only win the case only if he is able to prove that the loss was experienced due to defendant’s breach of duty and the loss could have been avoided if the defendant would have taken necessary actions. For example, in the case of Donoghue v Stevenson, Stevenson being the defendant was held responsible because of his negligence to carry out the duty of care, the person who made the claim, Mrs Donoghue, experienced health issues after drinking bottle of beer manufactured by the defendant and the decision even stated that the manufacturers duty is towards the ultimate consumer, thus, the ultimate consumer experienced loss and the manufacturer was considered responsible (Cooke, 2001, p.35). A business or an individual is said to be vicariously liable if he/she has a relationship according to law with the person or busi ness that has acted negligently and has caused harm. Such kinds of legal relationships include: relationship between and worker and the employer. Negligence included in vicarious liability is referred to as imputed negligence, one theory of liability pertaining to this kind of negligence is respondent superior, according to respondent superior employer is held responsible or liable for the acts of his/her employee as there is a relationship between the worker and the employer of agent and principle. This relationship refers to the relationship that states that an employee is acting on behalf of the employer and the employer will be held responsible if the employee

Mahatma Gandhi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mahatma Gandhi - Essay Example It is true that Imam Hussein adhered to his righteous denial to submit to the unjust authority of Yazeed Ibn Muyawia and sacrificed his own and his people’s lives for what he thought to be right, he never excluded the option of using arms against Yazeed’s army. Here, Gandhi’s leadership significantly differs from that of Imam Hussein. There are other differences too. Gandhi had been able to establish the model of his goal and successfully shared his vision with the Indians. This success further enabled him to challenge his own model in numerous sociopolitical movements, and subsequently to bring some minor changes in his way. Thus, taking lessons from those challenges, he had been able to encourage others to act effectively against the sociopolitical evils. But the question is whether Hussein himself used this tactics and traits of effective leadership successfully. In fact, a critical analysis of Hussein’s and Gandhi’s leaderships will necessarily reveal that Gandhi took the only lesson of adhering to one’s righteous claim nonviolently from the example of Imam Hussein’s martyrdom. In other cases, Hussein was not a successful leader at all. If he were a successful leader, he would possess all of the characteristics of effective leadership. Necessarily, he could convince more people and take them with him to the Battle Field of Karbala. In that case, he might not have faced such a tragic end. Mohandas K. Gandhi was one of the most influential sociopolitical leaders of modern history. He is famous for his contribution to the fate of Modern India, a country which is, to a great extent, indebted to him for her freedom in 1947. In fact, this association of Gandhi with the emergence of India made him a political figure. He passed a considerable part of his life as a political campaigner in the Congress, a political party of India under the British rule. Even if Gandhi was an active political activist, his activities in volved innumerous social and political reformations in his country. It successfully brought him the landslide popularity among common Indians. Indeed the question whether he was primarily a political figure or a social will continue to engender debate till one fails to pursue the true Gandhian nationalist zeal. The son of a senior British Government clerk, Gandhi adamantly believed in the soul of democracy and the formal democratic politics.1 Once he was a devout British patriot who motivated the Indians’ to support the British Army against Zulu Kingdom in 1906. Anticipating the Indians’ weakness to confront the British Empire militarily, he chose to play the game of dissenting against the British tyranny within the British-induced political system in order to avoid the path of bloodshed and wanted to provoke his nation to be aware politically and then to oppose it from within.2 In this regard, his early experience of successful civil-disobedience or non-violent protes t against the segregation Act of the Transvaal Government in 1906 helped him a lot to developed and adopt the ‘Satyagraha’ as an effective nonviolent demonstration against the British while causing mass sociopolitical awarneness among the Indians.3 Indeed Gandhi’s political insight and experience urged him to assume the role of a social reformer. His stance as a social reformer helped him greatly to attain his political goal of uniting the Indians to turn into a strong political force. Indeed Gandhi was a

Ear Disorders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ear Disorders - Essay Example Treatment procedures usually include typical treatment modes such as yoga to cope stress in these patients and after that they could be given intratympanic corticosteroids. The function of these corticosteroids is to reduce inflammation in the endolymphatic dust. Also surgical procedures which include decreasing the pressure in the duct in order to maintain the flow of the endolymph in the vestibular system can also be applied in severe cases. But, surgical procedures usually lead to hearing loss as a complication since both the systems are very closely associated (ODonoghue et al 2000). Excessive endolymph pressure in the endolymphatic duct and the whole inner ear leads to the compression of the nerve endings of the outer and inner hair cells. Once compressed for a longer period of time these nerve endings first generate a symptom of timmitis with alternating periods of hearing loss and then if the disease is not treated these nerve cells eventually die. Since nerve cells do not have the capacity to regenerate the damage once done is usually irrereversible (ODonoghue et al

Mahatma Gandhi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mahatma Gandhi - Essay Example It is true that Imam Hussein adhered to his righteous denial to submit to the unjust authority of Yazeed Ibn Muyawia and sacrificed his own and his people’s lives for what he thought to be right, he never excluded the option of using arms against Yazeed’s army. Here, Gandhi’s leadership significantly differs from that of Imam Hussein. There are other differences too. Gandhi had been able to establish the model of his goal and successfully shared his vision with the Indians. This success further enabled him to challenge his own model in numerous sociopolitical movements, and subsequently to bring some minor changes in his way. Thus, taking lessons from those challenges, he had been able to encourage others to act effectively against the sociopolitical evils. But the question is whether Hussein himself used this tactics and traits of effective leadership successfully. In fact, a critical analysis of Hussein’s and Gandhi’s leaderships will necessarily reveal that Gandhi took the only lesson of adhering to one’s righteous claim nonviolently from the example of Imam Hussein’s martyrdom. In other cases, Hussein was not a successful leader at all. If he were a successful leader, he would possess all of the characteristics of effective leadership. Necessarily, he could convince more people and take them with him to the Battle Field of Karbala. In that case, he might not have faced such a tragic end. Mohandas K. Gandhi was one of the most influential sociopolitical leaders of modern history. He is famous for his contribution to the fate of Modern India, a country which is, to a great extent, indebted to him for her freedom in 1947. In fact, this association of Gandhi with the emergence of India made him a political figure. He passed a considerable part of his life as a political campaigner in the Congress, a political party of India under the British rule. Even if Gandhi was an active political activist, his activities in volved innumerous social and political reformations in his country. It successfully brought him the landslide popularity among common Indians. Indeed the question whether he was primarily a political figure or a social will continue to engender debate till one fails to pursue the true Gandhian nationalist zeal. The son of a senior British Government clerk, Gandhi adamantly believed in the soul of democracy and the formal democratic politics.1 Once he was a devout British patriot who motivated the Indians’ to support the British Army against Zulu Kingdom in 1906. Anticipating the Indians’ weakness to confront the British Empire militarily, he chose to play the game of dissenting against the British tyranny within the British-induced political system in order to avoid the path of bloodshed and wanted to provoke his nation to be aware politically and then to oppose it from within.2 In this regard, his early experience of successful civil-disobedience or non-violent protes t against the segregation Act of the Transvaal Government in 1906 helped him a lot to developed and adopt the ‘Satyagraha’ as an effective nonviolent demonstration against the British while causing mass sociopolitical awarneness among the Indians.3 Indeed Gandhi’s political insight and experience urged him to assume the role of a social reformer. His stance as a social reformer helped him greatly to attain his political goal of uniting the Indians to turn into a strong political force. Indeed Gandhi was a

Answers to Questions in Astronomy Essay Example for Free

Answers to Questions in Astronomy Essay 1. How do astronomers measure the distances to galaxies and how does that allow the sizes, luminosities and masses of galaxies to be determined? A distance indicator is an object within a galaxy that functions as a marker to that galaxy. It may be a Cepheid star, globular cluster, H II region, planetary nebula or supernova. The distance to a galaxy, especially if it is very far away, is approximated by employing the Hubble Law which is expressed as Recession Velocity (Vr) = Hubble’s Constant (H) x distance (d). After obtaining the distance, it is possible to determine diameter through the small angle formula and luminosity from distance and apparent magnitude where both formulas are derived equations (Garber). Meanwhile mass can be estimated in three ways. Rotation curves reveal the calculation of rotational velocities for varying distances from the galactic center so that once distance and velocity are known, mass can be obtained (Garber). Another is through the cluster method which focuses on the motion of a galaxy within a galactic cluster. The size of the galaxy as well as range of velocity determines the total mass of the cluster (Garber). The third is through the velocity dispersion method where the spectra of the galaxy are used to approximate mass. Broad spectral lines indicate high velocity which in turns suggests a large mass (Garber). 2. Discuss how individual stars and the shapes of galaxies are affected by collisions. As a galaxy approaches another in a collision, the gravitational fields of the stars in each of them start to interweave and the resulting powerful tidal forces disturb and radically alter the shape of the galaxy, similar to the manner in which the gravitational pull of the moon causes the tide to rise in regions of the earth nearest to it but magnified a thousand times. A collision initiates the formation of tidal tails, bars or rings and colliding gas clouds produce knots of newly formed blue stars while the nucleus of the galaxy becomes deformed (sciencedaily.com). On the other hand, when stars collide, they merge together as one star that displays unusual brightness and heat relative to age so that they become very prominent in their globular cluster. These stars are referred to as â€Å"blue stragglers†. When stars increase in age and use up their hydrogen, they become cooler, less massive and red in color but through collisions, they obtain extra mass causing them to turn blue (Masters). This permits them to remain longer in the main sequence the phase in a star’s life where it burns its hydrogen. 3. Explain the differences between the three types of galaxies and what happens to change their shape. An elliptical galaxy is rounded or oval in shape, do not have visible gas and dust or bright, hot stars and consists of population II stars. Elliptical galaxies are also surrounded by globular clusters. A spiral galaxy has a disc component, consists of both populations of stars, exhibits a nucleus and may have arms with differing orientations (Garber). An irregular galaxy does not present a regular pattern and includes new and old stars alike. Galactic interaction, collision and merging, which involve the effects of the gravitational fields of galaxies, are the primary events that change the shape of galaxies. The subsequent structure depends on both the type of the galaxies involved and the directions of their orbits (Keel). Collision, mentioned earlier, may not result in a merger if both galaxies have enough force to continue moving away from each other after the event. Galaxies are said to be interacting when they do not collide but both their gravitational attractions cause distortion and exchange of gas and dust (astro.umd.edu). In interactions that occur at slow speeds and involve galaxies with unequal masses, spiral formations may assume irregular-lenticular shapes (Than). Gases being pulled to the central region, as a result of tidal disturbances, clear away the spiral configuration, leaving behind a disk structure. The most drastic interaction is the merging of two galaxies and occurs when they collide but lose their momentum to slide past one another. Instead, they fall back into each other and unite into one galaxy, losing their original shapes in the process (astro.umd.edu). When a significantly more massive galaxy collides and merges with a smaller one in a type of interaction known as galactic cannibalism, the bigger galaxy does not exhibit a visible change in shape but the less massive galaxy is ripped apart, loses its shape and becomes integrated into the bigger one.

Mating and gender of the clownfish

Mating and gender of the clownfish The Clownfish belongs to the family Pomacentridae, with many species, many belonging to the genus Amphiprion while one belongs to the Premnas genus (Godwin 1994 p 556). The fish has many colors which depend on the species. A symbiotic relationship exists between the fish and the sea anemone that offers protection to the fish due to its stinging nature. On the other hand, the fish protects the sea anemone from harm that could be caused by hard undigested particles through feeding on them. The fish spawn on the sea anemone. A fully grown dominant female may grow to a total length of 11/2 feet, while the small adult Clownfish may be as small as 4 inches. The fish thrive in the warm waters of the tropics (Maddern 1990 p 36). They are mainly found in the salty waters of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. The excretion from the fish is a major source of nourishment for the sea anemone that absorbs the nutrients emanating from fecal matter. More over, the movements of the Clownfish in the wa ter surrounding the sea anemone, especially when fanning the eggs are significant for water circulation, which is significant for the distribution of nutrients for the nourishment of the sea anemone (Drury 2008 p 63). The Clownfish is covered by a mucus coating around its body which as Wittenrich et al. (2007 p 93) observed are derived from sugars, which is one of the factors that prevents the stinging reaction of the sea anemone as the nematocysts are triggered by the presence of protein based substances in the surrounding. The fish dwell in one sea anemone as a group, which means that several sea anemones will host different groups of fish (Godwin 1994 p 561). In other words one sea anemone is the territory of one small group of fish. Clownfish is one of the aquatic organisms whose sex remains a subject of controversy. It is generally known that the fish is capable of switching its sex. This essay is a critique of the Clownfish mating process and gender changes that occur, as well as an exploration of the different species. Gender Changes The ability to switch sex is one of the aspects that make the fish unique especially the fact that this can happen to any adult fish. Kuwamora Nakashima (1998 p 126) observe that during hatching, the fish are usually one sex, i. e, all males. The dominant male that becomes larger than all the rest during adult stage develops in to a female. None other develops in to a female so long as the dominant female is alive. The fish that follows in terms of size becomes the dominant male, while the rest remain small inactive males (Godwin 1994 p 558). These phenomena lead to the questions as to why only one of them develops in to a female and assumes the normal role female fish. Questions also arise as to why the second largest male does not undergo the same process. However, these changes point at dominance as the major determinant of the sex change. The males that remain are usually inactive and remain at the bottom of the hierarchy that is headed by the dominant female followed by the dominant male. Another interesting phenomenon is in case the dominant female dies. The dominant male undergoes a sex reversal and assumes the role of the dominant female, which starts reproducing. The death of the dominant female leads to a rearrangement of the hierarchy since the largest male in the juvenile group develops in to the dominant male and begins mating. Godwin (1994 p 558) observe that the need to fill the gap left by the reproducing female triggers the degeneration of the male organs and the development of the ovaries from the female ovary cells that remain dormant when the fish is male. This is an indication that even if the Clownfish are hatched with the male sex, there are certain dormant ovarian cells that remain standby until when need arises. There seems to be an interconnection between the physiology of the fish and the social aspects of the group. The social gap created by the death of the female is filled by the mating male; leaving another gap whereby there lacks a dominant male, which on the other hand has to be filled by a male from a lower group of males in the hierarchy. Each group of Clownfish inhabiting a particular sea anemone has got its own hierarchy, and they do not mix. This is an indication of the social bond that exists within the groups whose stability is maintained by all members (Kuwamora Nakashima 1998 p 128). It means that if the reproducing female is alive and functional, no other male regardless of the size can develop in to a female. On the other hand, no fish in the lower group can change sex to become the dominant male while one already exists. In a way, one may infer that it is due to loyalty of the lower groups to the dominant male and female that they do not change their sex or grow to a large size to outdo the fish in the upper level of the hierarchy. This is because they have the capacity to become larger and change their sex, but they do not. Maddern (1990 p 36) notes that each fish has to ensure that its body mass remain lower by a quarter of the average weight of the dominant fish, or else it may be ejected out of the grou p. This has enabled the fish to avoid any impending conflicts that may arise between the dominant group and the lower group. However, the initial vigor of development from the larvae stage determines whether the larvae will develop in to one of the dominant fish in the group. The ones that develop at a high rate have a high chance of becoming dominant. The behavior of the fish generates interest to research on the reasons behind the unique behavior. One wonders why the social aspect of the group is largely connected to their physiology. More over, how the fish regulate their size to maintain a lower body mass than the dominant fish is an important issue that needs further research. It is important to understand how they are able to determine the amount of feeds and aggressiveness that helps in the maintenance of a small size, which can only be changed when there arises a vacant position created by the death of one of the dominant fish. In order for the fish to qualify for change of sex, they have to be mature, which Tullock (1998 p 54) argues should be more than one year of age and the environment needs to be favorable for the change of sex. The environment that determines the success of the fish in changing sex is that within the social group. A favorable environment means that there has to be an opportunity for the fish to join t he dominant group. Without the absence of the female, no change of sex can occur. On the other hand, there can be a dominant female but the group may lack a dominant male, necessitating the movement of one of the fish in the lower groups to the dominant group. Maddern (1990 p 33) further notes that even if two male clownfish were put together under controlled conditions, one of them that is more dominant than the other has to become the female, while the other becomes the mating male. On the other hand, Tullock (1998 p 67) further observes that a lone crown fish will develop in to a female if allowed to develop to a full grown fish. One can therefore infer that development in to a female is dependent of other larger and fast growing fish that are likely do dominate the group. However, this applies for the smaller fish since if one small fish is allowed to grow on its own in the absence of other fish; it develops in to a female. This means that all the Clownfish are bound to become females if there are no other fish to compete with for dominance (Kuwamora Nakashima 1998 p 128). Mating amongst the Clownfish Mating in the Clownfish is usually ceremonial, which leads to spawning of eggs and fertilization. The fish engage in courtship prior to spawning. The behavior of the males changes to aggressiveness, which rises as the male approaches the actual mating. Wittenrich et al. (2007 p 95) observes that the male usually turns its aggressiveness towards the substrate beneath the water. On the other hand, the female joins in there after, leaving both sexes charging towards the substrate. This is the period that is regarded as courtship (Wilkerson 2003 p 66). This aggressive behavior continues until the final days prior to mating when it becomes more intense. They even become aggressive towards other fish that come close to the mating area. The courtship, as Godwin (1994 p 551) observe is usually brief and involves certain pretentious behavior of the female to attract the male and vise versa. The sea anemone plays a significant role during mating and spawning of eggs. Both fish take part in the clearance of debris and any other solid particles that may interfere with the eggs. The female later lays the eggs on the selected side of the sea anemone. They usually find the softest substrate that is favorable for the delicate eggs. The fish usually pinch one of the tentacles of the sea anemone, which makes it retract as a reaction to the nip. The tentacle settles at the selected spawning area by the female. Before laying the eggs, the female makes certain that it is the most appropriate area to spawn by making some trials that are simi1ar to laying eggs but not real. The actual laying of eggs usually comes later after ensuring that the environment is favorable. Maddern (1990 p 39) observed that the eggs are usually sticky in nature, and that they can not float on water. They stick on the substrate and the male swims closely behind as the female lays the eggs. After completing spawning of eggs for a period of 2 hours, the male is usually ready to shed the sperms to fertilize them. The fertilized eggs remain stuck on the soft substrate, where both fish offer protection against intruders who might cause harm. With the exhaustion from spawning, the female gets to feeding while the male is left to shield the eggs fr om attack. Hoff (1996 p 86) observes that the male is usually highly aggressive in defending the nest. More over, the male is also involved in aerating the eggs through flapping its fins. It also selects and eats the infected eggs that may not have a chance to survive. Any matter that falls on the eggs is removed by the male. In other words, the male is usually very active through out mating and after the eggs have been laid to the time that the larvae will be hatched. The female can shed up to more than 2000 eggs in one spawning season. However, the number of eggs usually depends on the size of the reproducing female. The larger the female the more the eggs it can produce (Tullock 1998 p 63). This could also be another reason as to why the large males are the ones that change in to dominant females. The mating area is also a determinant of the survival of the eggs and the strength of the fry. Wilkerson (2003 p 68) observes that it is important for the aquaculture of Clown fish to be practiced carefully to avoid mixing the species in one area whereby they are likely to stress each other. Different species are unlikely to survive together since they will constantly fight injuring each other, which is likely to make them unable to lay eggs. In controlled conditions, the presence of a sea anemone makes the environment more like the natural environment, which facilitates spawning. The fish under go the normal process of mating, laying eggs and taking care of them as they would do in the wild. However, this would require an extra task of raising the sea anemone and maintaining it while on the other hand maintaining the fish. It may be a costly venture to undertake in aquaculture. However, it is not mandatory to have the sea anemone for the Clownfish to mate and spawn in controlled conditions. The fish can also spawn in rocks whose ruggedness offers hiding places. However, the same characteristic as in the wild whereby the fish cleans the substrate on the surfaces where the eggs are laid occurs during mating under controlled conditions. Hoff (1996 p 89) observes that the mature and ready to mate Clownfish usually tend to scrub rocks with the mouth as well as fins, in a similar way as the way they clean the substrate to have a clean ground for laying eggs. The eggs get stuck to the eggs where they get fertilized by the male that swims after the female. The fish that are satisfied with the artificial environment, i. e. that which is almost similar to the natural environment are likely to lay more healthy eggs (Wilkerson 2003 p 66). Species of Clownfish There are many fish species of Clownfish which differ mainly in color as well as in many other aspects such as the structure of the fins. For example, the Amphiprion percula is one of the species of Clownfish that has a characteristic extended level band at the central point of its body. The fish is also referred to as the anemone fish, which has a distinct orange color. It also possesses some black marks as well as white strips on the fins. The structure of the dorsal fin is one of the distinguishable characteristics as it possesses 10 spines (Maddern 1990 p 61). The species is known to reproduce through out the year since it inhabits the warmer regions that are favorab3le for breeding. The fish live in groups of 6, including the dormant males. The hierarchy of the group is that of the typical Clownfish, and it exhibits all the other characteristics of the Clownfish such as change of sex. The Amphiprion clarkii is also one of the hardy Clown fishes that are highly resistant to diseases. They come in diverse colors such as yellow, white, grey and brown. These colors are also diverse on the fins and the tail, while it is missing in others. The fish are recommended for aquariums due to their hardiness as they do not need specialized care. Amphiprion ocellaris is also one of the species with distinct characteristics such as black stripes on the fins as well as an elongated dorsal fin (Tullock 1998 p 65). Premnas biaculeatus has a reddish color on their body which tends to be more inclined towards brown in some fish within the species. They have white strips along their spine. These colors are distinct from most of the other fish species. Amphiprion frenatus is a species in which juveniles tend to be dark red and black as they develop in to adults. Amphiprion sandarcinos, Amphiprion perideraion, Amphiprion frenatus and Amphiprion melanopus are also among the many species o f Clownfish that can be differentiated especially through the color of their bodies (Wittenrich et al 2007 p 95). Conclusion Clownfish is one of the hardy fish species that inhabit the warm areas of sea, such as the Indian Ocean as well as the Pacific Ocean. They belong to the genus Amphiprion, and are greatly colored, which makes them good for ornamental aquaculture. In the wild, the fish usually live in groups that demonstrate a hierarchical association. The highest in the hierarchy is usually the reproducing female, which are the dominant and the largest fish in a group. The fish have a rare behavior of changing sex depending on need. The larvae are usually male, but they are capable of developing in to females. Only the dominant and largest male develops in to a female, while the second largest male in the group develops in to the mating males. The only time that there can be a change in the hierarchical structure is when the female is eliminated from the group through death, leading the mating male to become the female and the larger male in the lower level of the hierarchy to become the mating male ( Drury 2008 p 63). The mating of the Clownfish takes place without complications. The sea anemone is highly supportive to the existence of the Clownfish. It offers protection through its poisonous stings to the predators. The Clownfish is not taken as a predator by the sea anemone because of the mucus covering on its body that comprises of sugars. The relationship between the sea anemone and the Clownfish is usually symbiotic, whereby each derives some advantage from the other. There are many species of Clown fish that can be distinguished through their body color as well as the body structure. However, they exhibit a similar behavior (Maddern 1990 p 41).

corporate governance Essay examples -- essays research papers

Corporate governance is a very poorly defined concept; it covers so many different economic issues. It is difficult to give a first class definition in one sentence. Corporate governance has succeeded in attracting a great deal of interests of the public because of its obvious importance for the economic health of corporations and society in general. As a result, different people have come up with different definitions that basically mirror their special interest in the field. It is difficult to see that this 'disorder' will be any different in the future so the best way to define the concept is perhaps to list a few of the different definitions rather than just mentioning one definition. "Corporate governance is a field in economics that investigates how to secure/motivate efficient management of corporations by the use of incentive mechanisms, such as contracts, organizational designs and legislation. This is often limited to the question of improving financial performance, for example, how the corporate owners can secure/motivate that the corporate managers will deliver a competitive rate of return.† www.encycogov.com, Mathiesen [2002]. According to Shleifer and Vishny in The Journal of Finance, â€Å"corporate governance deals with the ways in which suppliers of finance to corporations assure themselves of getting a return on their investment.† J. Wolfensohn, president of the Word bank, quoted by an article in Financial Times in June of 1999 that "corporate governance is about promoting corporate fairness, transparency and accountability." â€Å"Corporate Governance looks at the institutional and policy framework for corporations - from their very beginnings, in entrepreneurship, through their governance structures, company law, privatization, to market exit and insolvency. The integrity of corporations, financial institutions and markets is particularly central to the health of our economies and their stability.† (www.oecd.org) What does this all mean and how does it affect the business world today is what may be asked. Criticism of corporate governance is back with a vengeance in the post-Enron era. Is the entire governance system broken down and in need of change, or was it just the wrong actions of a few people that has led to this new case of critisms? E... ...an Administration are leading the way for reform, which is unusual â€Å"given the typical pro-business sympathies of these groups.† Some people feel that the current governance is working as best it can and that greater regulation will not prohibit the unethical and immoral actions of a few people. However, employees want greater protection. They want to be assured that the rules for selling company stock are not different for top managers that they are for employees. Investors also want to be looked after. They want to be certain that the public information available to them is â€Å"an accurate and fair representation of the company’s financial status.† (Business Week 116) www.encycogov.com. Mathiesen 2000 www.oecd.org. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Building Partnerships for Progress Booker, Katrina. â€Å"Trouble in the Boardroom.† Fortune Magazine. May 13, 2002 Luoma, Patrice. â€Å"Enron and Beyond.† Corporate Self-Governance and the Corporate Checks and Balances System. CCH Incorporated. 2002 â€Å"Corporate Governance: The Road Back.† Business Week. May 6, 2002. p. 116

GMO Labeling Essay -- Genetically Modified Consumer Food Essays

GMO labeling Ever since their entrance onto the consumer market in the last two decades of the twentieth century, genetically modified organisms (often referred to as GMOs) have been getting mixed reviews from the public. Genetically modified consumer products (primarily food) have pushed the barriers of some people's comfort levels. Born out of either a lack of knowledge or a sincere concern for public health or the environment, a consumer rights movement has been planted around the world pushing for labeling of genetically modified food products. This movement has matured in many places to a degree where interest groups have successfully lobbied governments into adopting criteria for labeling transgenic food products. In other parts of the world strong agriculture interests have clashed with the aforementioned movements. A simple label on a can of beans would seem to easily solve this problem; however, governments have found that GMO product labeling is more complex than that. Considerations such as costs, international markets and cultures must also be taken into consideration, not to mention the public's perception and their level of trust in this relatively new product. Research in both medical microbiology and agriculture laid the groundwork for what is modern biotechnology. This is newer science, seen by many to have officially begun with the discovery of recombinant DNA technology by Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer in 1970 (biotech.ca 1). Recombinant DNA technology, aided by the use of restriction enzymes, allow humans to cut one part of a genome of one species that codes for a desirable trait and insert it into a different species in the hope of producing the same effect (biote... ... label to fix. Works Cited - ¡Ãƒ Detailed Description of new GMO labeling in the E.U. ¡ÃƒÅ" Organic Consumers Association. 2001. 10/5/04. http://www.organicconsumers.org/gefood/gmolabing080101.cfm -Diani, Hera.  ¡Ãƒ Inodnesians Demand GMO labeling. ¡ÃƒÅ" The Jakarta Post. November 4th 2001. 10/2/04. http://organicconsumers.org/gefood/indonesia110801.cfm - ¡Ãƒ Economic Impacts of Genetically Modified Crops on the Agri-food sector. ¡ÃƒÅ" European Commission Directorate General for Agriculture. 2003. The European Commission. 10/4/04. - ¡Ãƒ History of Biotechnology. ¡ÃƒÅ" Biotechnology in Canada. 2004. 10/5/04 http://www.biotech.ca/EN/history.html. -Le Meur, Herve.  ¡Ãƒ Re: Have Ground Rules been set for GMO definition? ¡ÃƒÅ" lemeur@diligo.fr. November 26th 2000. - ¡Ãƒ Sticky Labels. ¡ÃƒÅ" The Economist. April 29th 1999. 10/5/04 www.economist.com.

Early Literacy in Education Essay

Introduction â€Å"Literacy learning has a profound and lasting effect on the social and academic lives of children. Their future educational opportunities and career choices are directly related to literacy ability. Since early childhood is the period when language develops most rapidly, it is imperative that young children are provided with a variety of developmentally appropriate literacy experiences throughout each day, and that the classroom environment is rich with language, both spoken and printed. Early childhood teachers are responsible for both understanding the developmental continuum of language and literacy and for supporting each child’s literacy development. Literacy learning begins at birth and develops rapidly during the preschool period. The main components of literacy—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—should all be encouraged and supported through conversations and activities that are meaningful to the child and that involve adults and peers. Each child’s interest and motivation to engage in literacy-related activities are evident before that child is able to read or write conventionally. Children should be provided with environments that encourage literacy exploration and their emergent reading and writing behaviors should be valued and supported by their teachers. Effective language and literacy programs provide children who do not speak English with opportunities for listening, speaking, reading, and writing in both English and the home language. It is important for the teacher to recognize the need to make modifications in the presentation of vocabulary, directions, storytelling, reading, and other oral language communication when working with children who do not speak English as their home language. These modifications may include the use of visual aids, scaffolding, repetition, rephrasing, and modeling. † (NJ Department of Education, 2009) Gone are the days in which manual labor was the backbone of our society. We are a people living in the information technology age. Everything that is done from brewing your morning cup of coffee to setting your I-pod to wake you up morning and everything in between requires reading. Without reading a person will face great adversity in day to day living let alone success. It is now critical that every child and adult be able to read and comprehend. Over the past ten years, the amount of information that requires one to read, utilize writing skills, problem solving, and critical thinking has grown enormously. Studies have shown that one of the strongest indicators of a child’s success in school is the educational attainment of his or her parents. As you can imagine, this can plainly effect more than the person who is illiterate. This can also be a death sentence of poverty and destitution as the child grows into adulthood just as doors open for the life-long reader. Today we will discuss: what is needed to prepare children to read, the methods used to help recognize phonics and begin the transition into emergent readers, and what can be done to encourage reading in the future. Preparation In order for a child to begin reading parents must begin assisting their child from an early age. â€Å"Every step a child takes toward learning to read leads to another. Bit by bit, the child builds the knowledge that is necessary for being a reader. Over their first 6 years, most children †¢Talk and listen. †¢Listen to stories read aloud. †¢Pretend to read. †¢Learn how to handle books. †¢Learn about print and how it works. †¢Identify letters by name and shape. †¢Identify separate sounds in spoken language. †¢Write with scribbles and drawing. †¢Connect single letters with the sounds they make. †¢Connect what they already know to what they hear read. †¢Predict what comes next in stories and poems. †¢Connect combinations of letters with sounds. †¢Recognize simple words in print. †¢Sum up what a story is about. †¢Write individual letters of the alphabet. †¢Write words. †¢Write simple sentences. †¢Read simple books. †¢Write to communicate. †¢Read simple books. Children can take more than one of these steps at the same time. This list of steps, though, gives you a general idea of how your child will progress toward reading. † (Helping your child become a reader) While these ideas may seem structured, it is also important to allow children to be creative and use their imagination. Although reading is imperative, too many arrangements and rules can turn a child off and lead to feelings of resentment, anger, and resistance. Reading should be set to the tone and pace of the child. Emergent Readers As the standards of education change a consistent factor remains the focus on reading. Early childhood educators must provide an atmosphere that is both developmentally stimulating to the student while also meeting the standards of education. The methods used to help recognize phonics and begin the transition into emergent readers vary from student to student. Without the foundation of phonics research shows that a child will not learn to read. All children must know the alphabet in order to communicate effectively. Phonics cannot be drilled into the child. This will only produce memorization. Instead, educators must understand a child’s individual needs as well as balance. There is no true need to teach phonics as a separate subject. Most children will develop a sense of curiosity from their own knowledge, ideas, and interest. There will of course be a select few that may benefit from a more formal instruction. When children have a reason to know this will provide enthusiasm. For example: The first letter and sound a child typically learns may be his or her own name. A teacher may ask Billy to identify the first letter of his name. â€Å"B† replies Billy. â€Å"What sound does the letter B make? † â€Å"Buh-buh-Billy exclaims the child. Billy is now inspired and driven to want to learn the other sounds the letters make. Parents and teachers must also realize that reading will contrast greatly as children grow. Below is a list that may help each parent as well as teacher: â€Å"Infants †¢Talk, read, and sing to infants–they learn from everything they see and hear even in the first stages of life. †¢Take your baby to the park, zoo, and the store with you. Bring her attention to objects, signs, and people. †¢Always make books a part of your baby’s toy selection, even if he enjoys handling books more than being read to. As your child grows, point out pictures of objects and offer their names. Eventually, your child will be able to name the pictures, too. †¢Encourage associations between symbols and their meaning–as they get closer to toddlerhood, children may begin to recognize familiar signs for products and logos for cereal or fast food restaurants. Toddlers †¢Help toddlers make the transition from baby talk to adult language by repeating their words and expressions correctly without reprimanding them. †¢Let toddlers â€Å"read† their favorite picture books by themselves while you remain close by to comment. Or, pause before a familiar word as you read to your toddler, and let her fill in the missing word. This works especially well with rhymes or repeated refrains. †¢Provide magnetic and block letters to introduce a toddler to the spelling of his name. †¢Before you take your toddler on a new type of outing, read about the events you are about to witness. Talk with your child about the experience, and follow up with further reading to reinforce learning. Preschooler †¢Add new books to your child’s collection, but keep reading old favorites. Your preschooler may know them by heart now–this represents an important step in learning about reading. †¢Continue to take children shopping with you, and let them help identify products with coupons. Let preschool children join in as you follow a recipe. †¢Take books on long trips with you to encourage reading as entertainment. School-age children †¢Continue to read to your child, even if she has learned to read already. Take turns reading pages of your favorite books. †¢Encourage story writing by listening to the stories children tell. †¢Play word games like Scrabble or Boggle with children and introduce them to crossword puzzles. † (NAEYC, 1998) Encouragement â€Å"The first step in teaching a child to read is encouraging them to read. † – Unknown. This is a proven fact in the development of children. A child that is encouraged has no limit on what he or she can achieve. As educators and parents the responsibility begins early. Reading will encourage children to develop a life-long love for learning. If knowledge is power, books are full of it. Why is reading so important to children? â€Å"The Media Awareness Network emphasizes the potentially negative effects watching television can have on kids. This includes increased exposure to violence, sexual content, and adversely affecting a child’s course of development. In addition, watching television teaches children habits that promote a sedentary lifestyle, contributing to childhood obesity. Meanwhile, reading has been proven to enhance a child’s life by assisting cognitive development and helping children build language skills. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization points out that reading helps children develop a sense of empowerment. It can also help children develop social and communication skills. Furthermore, good reading skills increase educational opportunities and may dramatically increase a child’s chances for academic and lifelong success† (Lendabarker, 2010) There is a vast assortment of options for parents to help encourage reading at home. One of the longest running programs to encourage reading is Pizza Hut’s â€Å"BOOK IT† program. â€Å"This provides an incentive to motivate children to read. BOOK IT! runs every school year from October through March. The teacher sets a reading goal for each child in the class. A tracking chart and reproducibles are included to make it that much easier. As soon as a child meets the monthly reading goal, the teacher gives him or her a Reading Award Certificate. † (Pizza Hut) Flexible BOOK IT! goals are based on reading ability. Number of books, number of pages, or number of minutes – they all work. BOOK IT! can also be used with the reading curriculum or as support for comprehension or intervention programs. For children not reading independently, the goal can be set where a parent or others read to the child. Fun Pizza Hut is proud of all BOOK IT! readers! The restaurant manager and team congratulate every child for meeting the monthly reading goal and reward them with a free, one-topping Personal Pan Pizza, BOOK IT! card and backpack clip. Other ideas to encourage reading include: †¢Make a habit of reading to your child every day, whether she is a one-year-old or a 10-year-old. †¢When your child is able to, have her read to you. You can take turns reading chapters in a simple chapter book, for example. †¢Get a library card for your child. Go to the library every week and take out several books. †¢Be aware of your child’s interests and direct your child to related books. †¢Try to find a series that she really likes and will want to continue reading. †¢Provide a comfortable reading area, with good lighting, in your home. †¢Discuss books with your child. †¢Buy books for your children that are related to their special interests. †¢If your child is a reluctant reader and not reading on grade level, buy her hi/lo books (books with a high interest level, low vocabulary). †¢Talk to your child’s teacher and ask for suggestions. †¢If your child likes incentives and the computer, enroll in an online book group. †¢If your child really enjoys a particular author, check with your librarian about other authors or books she might enjoy. †¢Children also often enjoy the opportunity to read children’s magazines As parents and educators, it is more important to spend time reading with your child on a consistent on-going basis. The method you select is not nearly as important as the time spent actually reading together. Conclusion Show me a child that can read and research will show you a child on his or her way to succeed. Parents, educators, grandparents, aunts, uncles all need to take time to read to a child. All too often parents rush out to buy the latest video game or latest toy. Where is that enthusiasm for the love of reading? How many children even see their parents read? We live in an age where technology surrounds us at every given moment; that does not negate the need to read and to take an active role in the education of children. The research speaks for itself. Reading equals succeeding. Works Cited Bagert, B. C. (1993). Helping your child learn to read. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from Kids Source: http://www. kidsource. com/kidsource/content/learread. html Lendabarker, K. (2010, January 3). Encouraging Children to Read. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from Suite101: http://earlychildhood. suite101. com/article. cfm/helping_children_develop_good_reading_habits NAEYC. (1998). Phonics and Whole Language Learning. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from Education. com: http://www. education. com/reference/article/Ref_Phonics_Whole/ NJ Department of Education. (2009, Unknown Unknown). Retrieved February 16, 2010, from www. state. nj. us: www. state. nj. us/education/cccs/2009/PreSchool. doc Pizza Hut. (n. d. ). Pizza Hut. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from Pizza Hut BOOK IT! program: http://www. bookitprogram. com/bedtimestory/ Uknown. (n. d. ). Literacy Guide. Retrieved February 24, 2010, from Bankstreet: http://www. bankstreet. edu/literacyguide/early2. html Unknown. (unknown, unknown unknown). Helping your child become a reader. Retrieved February 19, 2010, from Ed. gov: http://www2. ed. gov/parents/academic/help/reader/part4. html