Switch boards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Switch boards - Essay Example Just from the beginning of switching systems, a large number of the transformations have been done in the switching technologies. In this regard this paper is going to analyze and evaluate the old strowger switches and mechanical cross-bar switches based on circuit switching technologies with some modern network switches. In this report I would like to provide a technological overview of these technologies and a brief comparison of these technology systems. The basic use of the telecommunication networks is to carry data and information signals among different entities which are located geographically. In this situation we can say that an entity can be a resource like a human being, a computer, a Tele-printer, a duplicate machine, a communication data workstation and so on. These communication entities are linked with the overall working and process of the transferring information which can be in the form of a file transfer between two systems, or telephone chat (a call) or message transmission between two workstations etc. In this present age of technology, the communication is perceived as a symbol of the new age of technology. In this scenario the introduction of this communication technology has started from the development of the telephone systems (Farahmand & Zhang, 2007). However, due to considerable increase in the number of users and less number line availability, a need was experienced to develop some switching system which c an be used for the switching purposes among line to facilitate large number of individuals with small number of available communication lines. Today the technology has gained an extensive limit of advancements but some of the communication restrictions still exist. One of the key issues in these limitations is the highest availability of the communication line. In an attempt to tackle this problem, the technique of the switching was formulated,

Trespassing In Cyberspace Essay Example for Free

Trespassing In Cyberspace Essay Introduction This paper will focus on one of the most contentious issues in cyberlaw, such as trespassing in cyberspace. While the issue of trespass as a sort of offense against a person or against property is carefully regulated in the majority of jurisdiction, the question whether trespass as a phenomenon can actually exist in cyberspace is a subject of heated debate. Thus, in-depth analysis of this question will help to understand its significance in the broader context of cyberlaw. Definition Under common law, trespass happens when a person intermeddles or performs unauthorized of another person’s property (Quilter, 2002). Pending the consensus among scholars concerning a clear-cut definition of trespass in cyberspace, courts and researchers often have to apply reasoning by analogy to analyze such cyberlaw cases: ‘The concept of trespass in cyberspace depends heavily on a conception of a web site or mail server as ‘property’ from which, like land, the owner ought to have the right to exclude others’ (Merges, Menell Lemley, 2006, p.928). One of the concepts that is most widely applied to cyberspace trespass cases is the concept of trespass to chattels, chattels being is defined as tangible property (not to be confused with real property and intellectual property). Trespass to chattels is a tort action under certain circumstances: ‘The tort of trespass to chattels traditionally requires proof not just that the defendant ‘intermeddled’ with a chattel, but that the defendants use actually caused injury to the chattel or injured the owner by depriving it of the benefit of using the chattel’ (Merges, Menell Lemley, 2006, p.923) However, the latter thesis is a contentious one, and further discussion of this issue will happen in the ‘Notable Cases’ section. The scholars argued that there are many concepts than need careful legal reconsiderations in the Information Age before any analogies with real property or chattels can be brought into the discussions. These concepts include, but not limited to, the notion of Intent, Entry, Property, and Permission (Adida et. al., 1998). Yet the idea of applying the doctrine of trespass to chattels to cyberspace turned out to be surprisingly appealing to judges: ‘Notwithstanding scholars’ early suggestions of its inappropriateness, courts have rushed to resurrect the late, largely unlamented, tort of trespass to chattels, and apply it to the new cyberspace arena’ (Cranor Wildman, 2003, p.13). At present, most scholars agree that the doctrine can be applied to such issues as spam and spidering when actual orb potential harm has been caused to a plaintiff. Legal Basis The foundational document that governs electronic transactions is Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1984 (CFAA). Computer Fraud and Abuse Act such issues with data integrity as in the situation when an offender breaks authorization rules instituted by an organization with a view to gaining access to protected information, such as information contained in a financial record of a financial institution, or of a card issuer. It also established penalties for acts or attempts to encroach on secret governmental information. However, the applicability of this Act can be made possible by proving that data and information resources can be regarded as chattels. Nowadays, it is an accepted fact in the legal practice, which was established by a series of legal precedents. Notable Cases In Thrifty-Tel v. Bezenek, it was established that electronic signals can be regarded as property due to the fact they are physical and tangible in nature. The analogy used in the case was the comparison of electronic signals to real property not chattels. Trespass to chattels first appeared in the case CompuServe v. CyberPromotions, which was a span case (Quilter, 2002). In United States v. Seidlitz, confidential software was illegally obtained by an employee by tapping into the work session of a previous worker. In this case, federal law was applied only because of an accompanying circumstance. Several  telephone calls the employee made to accomplish his aim were made across state lines.  Otherwise this employee would have had to be prosecuted under one state’s wire fraud legislation (Adida et. al., 1998). In United States v. Langevin, ex-worker of the Federal Reserve Board committed a similar offence. Being a financial analyst at the time when the offence was perpetrated, he tried to access the file containing protected data on money supply. Again, the applicability of federal legislation was made possible solely because of telephone calls made in the manner similar to the previous case (Adida et. al., 1998).    Another notable case, Intel v. Hamidi, was won by the defendant as the California Supreme Court ruled that Ken Hamidi did not commit an act of trespassing Intel’s computers by sending messages to its employees. After being fired from Intel in 1995, Ken Hamidi sent six emails to thousands of Intel’s employees with bitter criticism of the company’s policies and employee treatment. These messages did not result in physical damage on the company’s computer systems or failure of its networks or computer services. However, Intel decided to press charges against Mr.Hamidi accusing him of trespass. Intel claimed that workers were distracted and distressed as a result of disappointing emails, which further led to loss of productivity: ‘Intels position represents a further extension of the trespass to chattels tort, fictionally recharacterizing the allegedly injurious effect of a communications contents on recipients as an impairment to the device which transmitted the message’ (Epstein, 2004, p.15). Yet the court sided with the defendant on the grounds that no actual harm has been caused to Intel’s computer system: ‘The California courts have rejected trespass to chattels claims in the absence of evidence of actual harm to the chattel in question the computer server†¦ because the trespass to chattels tort†¦may not, in California, be proved without evidence of an injury to the plaintiffs personal property or legal interest therein.’ (Merges, Menell Lemley, 2006, pp.925-926). The significance of this case lies not only in the perceived victory for those who endorse cyberspace rights and fair labor relations. The case established a standard for legal reasoning in the cases of the like nature: ‘The decision noted that calling distressing content of a message a ‘trespass’ on the computer was as wrong as claiming that ‘the personal distress caused by reading an unpleasant letter would be an injury to the recipients mailbox, or the loss of privacy caused by an intrusive telephone call would be an injury to the recipients telephone equipment’’ (Electronic Frontier Foundation, 2003, para.3). The case eBay, Inc. v. Bidders Edge, Inc. is important for the discussion because it expanded the concept of trespass to chattels to spidering. Spidering is widely used by search engines to track information on Web serves. Bidder’s Edge was an auction aggregator that collected information from different auction sites, put it together in its own data bank, and then offered the information on demand as a to consumers looking for a certain item. eBay pressed charges against this company on the basis of trespass to chattels because of the company’s spider activity. The evidence of real harm resulting from Bidder’s Edge’s spidering was not allowed in the court, but the presence of potential harm was sufficient to rule that Bidder’s Edge was trespassing eBay’s information resources (Quilter, 2002). Other cases decided on the same grounds as are TicketMaster v. Tickets.com92 and Register.com v. Verio (Quilter, 2002). Impact While there is little discussion as to the benefits of application of trespass theory to spam emails, the issue is not that clear when it comes to spidering. It is widely believed that all the recent cases concerning trespass in cyberspace had far-reaching implications. Some scholars believe that the application of trespass to chattels doctrine to spidering may be detrimental to the development of e-commerce services: ‘While the promise of ecommerce is to improve consumer information and lower transaction costs, under a trespass theory many of those benefits will disappear’ (Merges, Menell Lemley, 2006, p.924). From the customer’s perspective, eBay’s victory was hardly beneficial for those seeking quality service: ‘AuctionWatch [a website run by Bidder’s Edge] was a better product for consumers than eBay, since it covered more auctions. However, eBay succeeded in shutting it down using the trespass to chattels tort. Any type of innovative aggregation product is subject to the same problem’ (Cranor Wildman, 2003, p.21). However, arguing against the doctrine of trespass in cyberspace from the position of customer’s satisfaction is not the most effective stance. In any legal case, there is a variety of stakeholders involved. The purpose of legal settling is to satisfy the demands of a plaintiff (if they have reasonable grounds) on the basis of existing laws and regulations. Companies operating in cyberspace merit protection just like customers do. Conclusion Despite the ongoing debate on the applicability of the concept of trespass to cyberspace offences, legal practice has already legitimized the relevance of certain common law doctrines (i.e. trespass to chattels) to such cases. Following the analogy with trespass to property such as land or personal possessions, courts have decided a series of exemplary cases based on the reasoning that electronic signals are physical and tangible enough to be regarded as property. References Cranor, Lorrie F., Steven S. Wildman. Rethinking Rights and Regulations: Institutional Responses to New Communications Technologies. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2003. Epstein, Richard A. Cases and Materials on Torts, 8th ed. Rockville, MD: Aspen Publishers, 2004. Merges, Robert P., Menell, Peter S., Mark A. Lemley. Intellectual Property in the Technological Age, 4th ed. Rockville, MD: Aspen Publishers, 2006. Adida, Benjamin, Chang, Enoch, Fletcher, Lauren B., Hong, Michelle, Sandon, Lydia, Page, Kristina. ‘The Future of Trespass and Property in Cyberspace.’ 10 December 1998. June 19, 2007. http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/courses/ltac98/final.html Electronic Frontier Foundation. ‘California Supreme Court Sides With Email Pamphleteer: Intel v. Hamidi Decision Protects Internet Speech.’ June 30, 2003. June 19, 2007. http://www.eff.org/spam/Intel_v_Hamidi/20030630_eff_hamidi_pr.php Quilter, Laura. The Continuing Evolution of Cyberspace Trespass to Chattels. 2002. June 19, 2007. www.law.berkeley.edu/institutes/bclt/pubs/annrev/exmplrs/final/lqfin.pdf

Platonic Justice Essay -- Papers Essays Philosophy Plato

Platonic Justice Throughout Platos Republic, the subject of platonic justice and its goodness to its self arise and are discussed amongst Plato and his peers. At the beginning of The Republic, Plato asks the fundamental question of what is justice? Looking to define the ideal state of justice, Plato reasons that he must first define justice in theory before he can use justice practically. Platonic Justice is defined as being a harmony between the tripartite soul in which reasons guide the spirit and appetite. Justice is said to be good in itself and good in its practical ends. It is educating desires, implementing the human faculty of reason. Justice is not the interest of the stronger, but more the interest of the weaker. An unjust life, which is dominated by the spirit, leads one to an addiction for material goods or possessions. A platonically just life leads to harmony, balance, and virtue. A just life in this case allows attainment of satisfaction where as an unjust life does not. The truly unj ust ultimately destroy themselves, whereas the truly just preserve themselves. Wether or not Platonic Justice is good for its own sake is to be determined. After Plato debates and dismisses that justice is the interest of the stronger and that the unjust life has an advantage to the just life, Plato, lacking a firm answer on justice seems to say that justice is a balance of the soul. As Plato is debating this question Thrasymachus joins in and presents the first possible definition of justice as the interest of the stronger, that might is right. Socrates enters the conversation and attempts to define justice. Socrates says that subjects obey their rulers and these rulers are not perfect, they sometimes make mistakes. If justi... ...an animal the spirited man moves from one satiation to the next. However, a life dominated by reason, in which reason balances the spirited and appetitive natures to harmony, results in a good life. Thus the just person will have the appetitive, spirited, and reasoning aspects of the soul in harmony, with reason to guide and director of the passions and appetite. Lacking a concrete definition, justice would be the balance of the tripartite soul, with reason in control. Justice is a harmony between the tripartite soul in which reason guides the spirit and appetite. Justice is good in itself and good in its practical ends. Justice is educating desires, implementing the human faculty of reason. A just life leads to harmony, balance, and virtue. This is to what Plato ponders throughout the opening of The Republic and considers the great question amongst his peers.

The Shrouded Woman by Maria Luisa Bombal

 «Bombal – with her bold disregard for simple realism in favor of a heightened reality in which the external world reflects the internal truth of the characters' feeling, and with her deliberate mingling of fantasy, memory and event – is the precursor of the magical realism that is the flower of South American writing today. . . .Her novels awake a feeling of genuine discovery, of minds and hearts not borrowed from European literature but indigenous to a New World of thought and feeling » – Chicago Tribune.Marà ­a Luisa Bombal (Vià ±a del Mar, 6 July 1910 – 6 May 1980) was a Chilean authoress.   Her work now comes into a notice by themes of eroticism, surrealism and proto-feminism, and she towers over a small number of Latin American female authors whose works became famous. Bombal was one of the first Spanish American novelists to break away from the realist tradition in fiction and to write in a highly individual and personal style, stressing irr ational and subconscious themes (Delbanco 26). «The Shrouded Woman », as well as other works is full of drama. In this work an authoress spares attention to such themes, as feminism and the life after death. A short story is filled with senses and experiencing. She incorporated the secret inner world of her women protagonists into the mainstream of her novel. She added so much additional explanatory material to this novel. According to Women Writers of Spanish America: «One of the most outstand representatives of the avant-garde in Latin America. Her themes of erotic frustration, social marginality, and cosmic transcendence must be  considered as a profound expression of women's predicament presented through a feminine perspective »In her novel the reader sees almost everything through the eyes or sensations of the protagonist, who feels things deeply. The story line is relegated to a lesser role. Poetry seems to flow from this crystalline prose, and Bombal uses repeated s ymbolic images (such as mist, rain, and wind) with good effect and in an elegant simple style. A reader always knows what the author wants to say.In respect of this title: the shrouded woman, a corpse which is looking on her life as she regards the people at her coffin.A dead woman estimates the visitors who come to view her body. There is a number of intense. It is highly original short story. Bombal's novels were published in English in 1947 and 1948 but were altered significantly by the author to make them more commercially acceptable here (Delbanco 37). «The Shrouded Woman » examines female experience with stories of women who escape lonely, boring, and unfulfilled existences through fantasy and invented situations.In her novel Marà ­a Luisa Bombal masterly compares the unknown and supernatural kingdom of Death with concrete reality and real outward things. At the beginning of the novel, Ana Marà ­a lies dead and is surrounded by those who once had a relationship with her. Although she is dead, Ana Marà ­a can still hear and see those who are mourning her. At the same time, while she lies in her coffin, the protagonist is led into the past as she recalls events significant to her life, and she enters the supernatural space of Death inhabited by mystic voices and uncanny landscapes. She relives her love affairs and family relationships with a final clarity and futile wisdom.In this evocative novel, a blend of mystical elements, new style of righting, and social criticism opens eyes on the fully artificially useless lives of upper-class women of the earlier twentieth century.A passionate woman and mother of three children, Ana Maria finds that in death her perceptions are amplified; her emotions are fully realized. Her early beauty returns, and she see herself as pale, slender, and corrugated by time. In life she was imaginative, sensitive, intense, and facetious. She travels through the past and experiences her adolescent love for Ricardo (Delbanco 2 6).Ana Maria is in oblivion between life and death, and although she is dead to our world, she it possesses qualities of living man still. She lies on her deathbed and she remembers the whole life. She recalls each of the people who come close to her. Her unhappy life doesn’t allow her to die and rest peacefully. She must to release her anger and sadness in this world. She may die in peace and rest in the eternity only through her memories and seeing people at her deathbed.This novel shows all her suffering. The narrator is Ana Maria herself, but in some parts of the novel the narration is from another person. So we have no main teller. It suggests us an idea that position of Ana Maria is halved. From one side, her body, even dead, is present in the world of living. From another side, her soul in mystical way appears in the world of imprints of her own emotions. She feels such emotions as love and fear   (Delbanco 26).This work has been seen by some commentators as a rather early example of Latin American feminist writing, pointing to the concerns of various contemporary women authors. And undeniably there is a social dimension to fiction of, Marà ­a Luisa Bombal dealing as it sooften does with family relationships and with women existing in a society dominated by the worst type of macho males – boorish, insensitive, indifferent or simply cruel. But read solely on a social level, her work seems somewhat simplistic and repetitious. One misses the elements that make her fiction distinctive – the terse yet poetical prose, the dreamlike quality of the worlds she creates, the frequent use of natural elements to evoke interior moods. It is certainly these features of her work, rather than its feminist thrust that have attracted Jorge Luis Borges, who contributes to this volume perhaps one of the shortest prefaces on record.  Ã‚ «As night was beginning to fall, slowly her eyes opened. Oh, a little, just a little, it was as if, hidden behind her long lashes, she was trying to see. And in the glow of the tall candles, those who were keeping watch leaned forward to observe the clarity and transparency in that narrow fringe of pupil death had failed to slim. With wonder and reverence, they leaned forward, tin- aware that she could see them, for she was seeing, she was feeling . . .  » (Bombal, 1948).Marà ­a Luisa Bombal writes the monologue of the shrouded corpse of a woman who looks back on her restricted life in La amortajada. An excerpt: â€Å"Why does the nature of woman have to be such that she always has a man as the pivot of her life?† (Delbanco 40).Perhaps, the point is that her life does rise, all too short-lively and lamely, above the germinal; that the narrator is interrelating above all by her sister-in-law Regina, for whom she â€Å"feels envious of her suffering, her tragic love affair, envying even the possibility of her death†. By choosing to envy a melodramatic narrative of bourgeois adult ery, rather than dwelling in her elemental pool, the narrator never achieves the true oblivion of Bombal's â€Å"shrouded woman,† never accedes to the immanence that Deleuze describes as a moment that is only of a life playing with death. There are many accidents of internal and external life inour way to death. It is very important to give way to an impersonal of our emotions during the whole life. Every event in our life is subjective or objective (Delbanco 30).The â€Å"Shrouded woman† is placed better than the narrator of â€Å"The Final Mist.† She at least has children, and servants and retainers; she also has a personal history, youthful excesses to recall and relate; and she finds a strange power as she lies in her coffin, her dead form the object of attention, remorse, and regret, while she awaits â€Å"the death of the dead† that follows â€Å"the death of the living†. «The Shrouded Woman » is a story of frustrated desire, of languor a nd ennui, of a life that is no more than germinal, that never rises above the habitual except in the narrator's brief fantasy, cruelly dashed by the reality principle (Delbanco 30). «The Shrouded Woman » is the emergence of feminism in Latin American literature. With the keen interest in the feminist movement in later years, her works were read and commented on more widely. In  «The Shrouded Woman » Bombal's social position is luminal at best. She is in limbo.Some parts of the novel don’t bring an inspiration, but some of them are excellent. It enforces you to brood on over what happens after death. The novella,  «The Shrouded Woman » is an extraordinary work. It consists of small chapters. It is the story of a woman who finds herself newly dead. We can hear this story from the point of view of the main hero herself. All the members of her life bring their particle of ability to die. Her family brought some love and the sense of fault. Friends brought to her a par ticle of friendship. Her lovers brought to her happy and sadness. All of them stand by her deathbed and bring their pieces of her life with them.Works cited:1. Bombal, Maria-Luisa. The Shrouded Woman. New York: Farrar, Straus and Company, 19482. Delbanco, Steven. Bombal: Her Life and Work. New York: Knopf, 2005

The inadequacy of motivation Essay

Sixth, there are some individuals who are more successful than others because of their sicknesses and the discrimination that goes along with it. For example, there may be students who suffer from HIV/AIDS and they tend to drop out of school because of discrimination (Cape.. , 2006). Other students may feel and believe that they might catch the same virus if somebody carries it around the school, this consequently scares these students and will surely discriminate the student suffering from HIV/AIDS (Cape.., 2006). Of course the latter will feel alone and discriminated and will force himself or herself to just forget about his or her dreams and drop out of school instead (Cape.. , 2006). Comparing to students who do not carry any medical condition, they are more successful in college than those who are sick. Seventh is labeled as â€Å"the inadequacy of balance between analytical, creative, as well as, critical thinking† (Smith, 1923). A college student should learn the skills of thinking analytically, creatively and critically to be able to survive through the courses needed to be accomplished to finish college, for without the aforementioned skills, it would be fairly difficult to pass college courses, much less finish a degree (Smith, 1923). For some students who are not analytical, creative and critical thinkers, they are less successful as compared with those who are. Last but not least has something to do with the culture of the learner’s environment: The first one that belongs to this category is technically referred to as â€Å"the inadequacy of motivation† (Smith, 1923). The trick here is to know the reason for studying. The student should know what his or her goals and objectives are, otherwise, when difficulties emerge, the student will have no motivation or reason to move on (Smith, 1923). The second is known as â€Å"the attitude of giving up easily† (Smith, 1923). Everybody knows that it takes dedication, time, effort, patience, and a lot of mental energy to digest a new learning that if a student is bound to easily give up and get bored over repetition of things then most likely he will end up leaving college without graduating (Smith, 1923). Some students in college are more successful depending on their motivation and attitude. References Cape Gateway. (2006). Social Issues Affecting School. Retrieved November 13, 2007 from http://www.focusas.com/BehavioralDisorders.html

Explain why the League of Nati essays

Explain why the League of Nati essays Explain why the League of Nations failed in the 1930s [6] Its membership never embraced all the great nations. It had no moral determination. It dared not offend the Great Powers. It had positive means of enforcing its decisions. It was not universally trusted. It did not attempt to make a stand until it was too late. The concept of the League of Nations could only succeed if all great Nations were members. Although the membership of the League steadily increased this was never the case. The U.S. never joined the League; Germany was not accepted as a member until 1926 and withdrew in 1934, Russia was initially very hostile to the League and did not join until 1934, and Japan withdrew in 1933. The League showed in its early days that it was not always willing to take a stand over a matter of principle. For example; Italy and Corfu: An Italian General was murdered in 1923 while arranging a new border between Greece and Albania. The Italians blamed the Greeks (although Albanians might have not bee responsible), sent them an unacceptable ultimatum and then invaded the island of Corfu. The League persuaded the Greeks to pay 50 million lire into a Swiss bank while mediation took place. Meanwhile the Conference of Ambassadors of the victorious powers decided that Italy should be appeased and ordered the 50 million lire to be paid to Mussolini as compensation. The result shows that the League was prepared to allow its decisions to be overruled by the Great Powers and that it would permit a big nation to bully a small one. Machine parts were found to contain machine guns. Somebody was re-arming Hungary contrary to the Versailles settlement. Then the League went to investigate it found that the Hungarians had broken up the guns. However, as the train carrying the weapons had started its journey in Italy, it seemed likely that Mussolini was responsible. When the League debated the matter it mildly rebuked the Hungar...

Research Example

Research Example Research – Coursework Example Health sciences and medicine, research [Insert al Affiliation] In chapter Blessing and Gorister offer a candid and comprehensive elucidation of research. While many healthcare professions might consider research to be a mysterious process which is difficult to comprehend and conduct, from the authors’ perspective, research has determined virtually everything that is currently practiced and the much advancement in healthcare that shall be practiced in future. The complex methods of research should not be an impediment to healthcare professionals since through research their inquisitiveness can be fulfilled and their mysteries unraveled. While there are many types of research including experimental, laboratory, applied, clinical, descriptive and pure research, the initial step towards conducting an efficacious research is the formulation of a clear and precise research question and choosing the research design that best suits the prevailing scenario. Rather than shunning it, eve ry healthcare provider needs to embrace research since it is the only way of improving the quality and value of healthcare. Chapter 2 explicates the importance of research in various healthcare sections and the challenges threatening its existence and significance. Research in clinical science laboratories provides data and information that is reliable and reproducible hence enabling healthcare professionals to make important clinical decisions. Similarly, it is through research that occupational therapy (OT) determines whether the services provided to clients are beneficial (Blessing the current upsurge in technology where complex research can be undertaken may moderately disentangle this disparaging issue. For physician assistant professions and physical therapists, solid and systematic research has evidenced to be the impeccable way of ensuring that they advance their knowledge and provide quality healthcare services. ReferenceBlessing, J. D., & Gorister, J. G. (2013). Introduct ion to research and medical literature for health professionals (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett.

What Is the PARCC Test Do You Have to Take It

What Is the PARCC Test Do You Have to Take It SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips PARCC exams are relatively new and not particularly widespread, which means that finding reliable information on what they are and what they mean can be tough. In this guide, I’ll go over everything you need to know about these exams, including where they’re administered, what they test, and how to prepare. What's the PARCC Test? If you're researching PARCC tests, you're probably a bit familiar withstate exams and how they work. Stateexams are tests that are written and managed at the state level - they're administered, often on a yearly basis, at public schools within that state to monitor student progress. They also set expectations for what students should know at each grade level. Performance is considered at a large scale (e.g. state education departments may look into school districts with particularly low scores) and at an individual level (e.g. a school may provide extra resources to an individual student who isn't at grade level). PARCC (or thePartnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) is a group of several states that work together to develop and administer state exams. Each state that participates in PARCC uses these tests to monitor student progress in lieu of individual state tests - the ultimate goal is to standardize Common Core expectations across states. These tests are designed to better replacements for old versions of state tests because (as PARCC claims) they provide better information about students' skills and development to teachers and parents. In a nutshell, these examinations are meant to evaluate college and career readiness starting at a young age. By evaluating readiness early and often (i.e. on a yearly basis), teachers and parents should be better able to help children prepare for the future. For example, teachers may use information about exam performance to identify where students may need extra help. One of PARCC’s advisory committees is dedicated to working with college and universities to accept test results as an â€Å"indicator of readiness† for first-time freshmen, so it looks like they’re also making moves to replace the SAT and ACT. There’s no indication that any colleges accept PARCC results in lieu of SAT/ACT scores, however, so this isn’t somethingyou have to worry about at the moment. Test Logistics There are actually many tests and assessments that are administered through PARCC. Annual Year-end Tests - English/language arts and math tests are administered every year in grades 3-11. I'll be focusing primarily on these exams for the rest of the article. Instructional Tools and Tasks - These may be used throughout the school year, and are meant mostly for teachers. Like other state tests, the PARCC exam is supposed to align with what students are actually learning in the classroom for each grade level. As such, the actual content and the level of difficulty of the exams will vary depending on students’ grade level. I’ll go into more detail shortly. WhatStates Require the PARCC Test? In 2010, 24 states (plus Washington DC) belonged to PARCC, but the number of states participating in the program has dropped significantly since then. As of2015-2016 school year, there are11 states fully active in administering the PARCC tests: Colorado Washington DC Illinois Maryland Massachusetts New Jersey New Mexico Rhode Island What's on the PARCC Test? These examinations are relatively new - they’ve been updated quite often over the past several years, and will surely be updated in the future. That being said, a few important things have remained consistent: The two core content areas tested are English/language arts and math. The tests strive to be modern assessments of competency in higher-level critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The exams don't just test content - theytest the development of skills that (presumably) help students succeed. When you’re trying to gauge whether students are developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills - things that are essential for doing well in college and in the workplace - the way that questions are asked on the exam will be just as important as testcontent. I’ll address both of these important factors here. Tests are a lot less intimdating when you know what's going to be on them. Test Content PARCC test content aligns most closely with what students learn based on Common Core standards. These standards may vary slightly, but remember that the PARCC exams will be standardized across all participating states - as such, you can expect the exams to test content that’s shared by all those states. Content will also depend on grade level, of course. There are a couple of ways you can figure out what you can expect to see on the test: Check out Common Core standards by state. Talk with your teacher (or your child’s teacher) about the content he/she plans on covering for the year, and what he/she expects to see on the year-end PARCC exam. Check out PARCC practice tests. The PARCC website does provide some very basic information about what’s expected of both elementary and middle school students in both English and Math: English expectations for all grade levels (3-11): Students read one or more texts (and sometimes watch a video), write about what they read and/or viewed, and provide evidence drawn from the reading. English expectations for middle school and high school: Students are expected to read several passages and integrate ideas from all of them into their written responses. Math expectations for all grade levels (3-11): Students must reason mathematically, make sense of quantities and their relationships to solve real-world problems, and show their understanding. Math expectations for middle school and high school: Students are expected to develop procedural skills, conceptual understanding, and modeling and application skills with a focus on broadening number sense into ratios, rational numbers, and proportions while transitioning to algebraic skills (including working with expressions, equations, and graphs). Question Format This is where the PARCC tests really claim to stand out when compared to other, older state exams. Testing critical-thinking and problem-solving skills is tougher than testing just straight-up content knowledge - this modern test format reflects these efforts. Here are a couple of examples from the PARCC site to show you what I mean: EXAMPLE 1 The old English test item asks students to simply write a persuasive essay. The new test item asks students to consider the perspectives of multiple authors before responding (using textual evidence) with their own argument. This is quite similar - in concept, if not in difficulty level - to what students will see on the writing sections of the ACT and SAT. ELA/Literacy example questions: old test items versus PARCC test items EXAMPLE 2 The old math test item is a word problem - students have to use basic reading comprehension skills to work through the question - but it essentially is asking students to count days on a calendar. The new math test item requires students to utilize more sophisticated data analysis skills - namelythey'll have to interpret information instead of just performing mathematical calculations. PARCC exams also asks studentsto explain their reasoning. Math example questions: old test items vs. PARCC test items Preparing for the PARCC Much of the work that you’ll need to do to prepare for the PARCC happens in school. State tests are used to assess instructor, school, district, and state performance, so the pressure to do well isn’t really on the student - it’s on everyone who’s responsible for preparing the student for his or her future. With that being said, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to prepare for the test! Students should want to perform to the best of their ability because that will best inform teachers about their needs. If nothing else, preparing for a PARCC exam is good practice for other future standardized tests. There isn’t a ton of official prep material out there, but PARCC has released official practice tests for each grade level. You shouldapproach PARCC practice in the same way you’d approach ACT/SAT prep: by starting off with a full diagnostic test and then carefully analyzing your mistakes. If you find that you have any weak areas, you can use class notes and/or assistance from your teacher to close up any content gaps. What Your Scores Mean for You Students aren’t penalized or rewarded based on how they perform on PARCC exams. Their results are used to inform teachers, parents, and administrators whether they’re learning everything they’re supposed to be learning - particularly low or high scores should help teachers customize instruction for individual students. What these scores are: A measure of how familiar you are with the test content. To some degree, a measure of how familiar you are with the test format and general test-taking strategy. PERHAPS a measure of whether you’re on track for college and a career. The tests are still very new - we don’t have any hard evidence to suggest that high scores on the test in any way predict success in college and beyond (although there is ongoing research on this question). What these score are not: A measure of your intelligence. A measure of how successful you’ll be in the future. Now that you have a better idea of what your PARCC scores actually mean, we can talk in more detail about the test scoring system. How the PARCC Scoring System Works The tests’ scoring system is based on what they call â€Å"performance levels.† These different levels are: Level 1: Did not yet meet expectations Level 2: Partially met expectations Level 3: Approached expectations Level 4: Met expectations Level 5: Exceeded expectations If you are at level 4 or 5, you’re good to go. Level 3 indicates that you’re almost there - you might just need a little extra help. Levels 1-2 indicate that more significant help from instructors might be necessary to bring scores up to grade level standards. As with other state tests, you’ll receive a score report with your raw score and corresponding performance level after the exam. Here’s an example of what that might look like: An example of a PARCC score report At the bottom of the report, you can see that you’re given a bit more context for your scores - you have access to the school, district, state, and overall score average. If you'd like to learn more, PARCC has set up a site where parents can accessinformation about score results and improving performance. Summary To wrap up, PARCC exams shouldn’t be a source of stress for students or parents. Like most other state tests, these exams arecheck-in assessments that help instructors (and schools, and school districts) understand whether students are on the right track for college or for a career. Unlike other outdated tests, PARCC exams are moving towards assessing higher-level cognitive skills rather than just straight-up content. High school students might recognize that the questions they see on these tests are similar to the ones they might see on the ACT or SAT. It’s unclear whether PARCC tests truly measure college-readiness, but they’re certainly similar to other college entrance exams. Perhaps these year-end tests will help prepare students (starting in 3rd grade!) for future exams where more is at stake. What's Next? PARCC content is based on Common Core standards. If you want to do well on a PARCC exam, you may want to read more about the Common Core and why it matters. Looking at tests similar to the PARCC? Read more about ACT Aspireand check out available practice tests. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Workplace Drug Testing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Workplace Drug Testing - Essay Example Erstwhile US President Mr. Ronald Reagan stressed on workplace drug testing so as to maintain employee productivity and drug free workplace. (Infantry.army.mil) Many governments across the world have initiated ‘attack on drug use’ instead of ‘attack on drug supply’ as the latter was not providing any better results. It has found that many organizations have implemented this measure to enhance the profitability of the workforce, cut down absenteeism, safety of the workers, reduce the costs on healthcare management and maintain drug free environment at the workplace. Most of the employers have the freedom to deny or reduce workers’ compensation payments, if illicit substance use is found to be proximate cause of employer’s injury. Legitimate or important interests are required to justify the drug testing. The workplace drug testing is aimed at safety of the employee and others, organization efficiency, reputation risk, employee welfare, etc. Various organizations in various countries in order to reduce the demand for illicit drugs, protecting health and promoting safety of workers and co-workers, public safety and efficiency, economy and honesty of the workers towards organization, have taken such measures of employee drug testing. It can also be justified as the measure to minimize damages caused due to accidents at workplace and on roads. (Drug Testing and Privacy, 1990) However, if any employee makes a plea against workplace drug testing, it is more likely to be dismissed. Drug testing can be justified on the basis that it is been done for the safety of an individual, the public and society at large Workplace drug testing is a sensitive issue as it arises due to collision between workers’ and employers interests. (ILO, Geneva, 2003) There are several types of testing method, all of which are controversial, but random testing method has always been the centre of argument. Drug testing may raise

Macro--economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Macro--economic - Essay Example Conclusion VII. References. What is wrong with America’s labor market? I. Introduction This excerpt is from The Economist magazine. It considers the fall in the American economy with specific concern to the labor market. The Issue in concern discusses the reason behind the fall in labor market, whether the problem lies at the demand side or the supply side along with pros and cons for active job policy. Part (a) – Article Summary The article talks about persistent unemployment rate in America’s market. The models and theories used in this article are: 1. Different types of Unemployment 2. Economics factors of production 3. Economic Growth Model 4. Demand and Supply Theories 5. Keynes Theory of Income and Employment 6. Modern Macroeconomists view 7. Okun’s Law II. Why is the labor market weak? America has faced recession at June 2009 (NBER, 2009). After the recession in recovery USA has seen 2.8% annualized growth, this was of course real low therefore it c annot have assured a significant change in unemployment rate thereafter. This is slightly in accordance with the Okun’s Law, which says, â€Å"that for every 1% rise in the unemployment percentage there is approximate 2% fall in the potential Gross Domestic Product.† Though the exact accuracy of the law is yet under disputation, however it stills empirically recognizes the relationship between unemployment and country’s production. With only 2.8% real growth in the current recovery session, it is not at all surprising that job growth has been an issue. The resultant unemployment is due to cyclical variation therefore we could term it as cyclical unemployment - unemployment caused by business cycle recession. The current slight decrease in jobless rate of 0.1% is misleading; the growth rate could not be measure inconsiderate to other negative factors (the discouraged workers drop out). There are around 46% of jobless workers preferring to remain unemployed. This is because of the inability to find the works that satisfy their needs. The weakness in the production cycle has to be mostly blame but there are signs of an emerging disease in American called structural unemployment. Structural unemployment results from persistent mismatch between the features and skills of workers and the job demands or requirement. It last longer periods compared to the frictional unemployment, as worker would require time to learn new skills. The youth unemployment (frictional unemployment) is worse factor of the America’s weak labor market. America has a lesser fraction of prime age men in workplaces and in the labor force than any other in the G7 economy. Some 25% of men 25-54 years old with no college certifications, 35% of high school dropouts and approximately 70% of black high school dropouts are not working (Economist 2011 under Jobs for the future). In addition, this frictional unemployment arises from process of matching workers with job. Fricti onal unemployment might be good as the workers take time matching the job they are wishing to do. However, if the unemployment period is long then it is not beneficial for the economy, as short-term unemployment becomes long term. This is almost what is happening in

Verizon Communication Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Verizon Communication Inc - Essay Example (Plunkett 67) . On Feb 2005, Verizon approved to acquire MCI Company. The acquisition was to benefit it in terms of economics of scale and access to a wider base of customers. By the year 2006, MCI was already integrated into Verizon thus adopting the name verizon business. It then became the largest telecommunication company in the U.S In terms of its sales i.e. 75.11 billion; assets added up to 168.13 US dollars and the company had a profit of 9.4 billion US dollars. Later with the mergers of Bell South and AT and TINC, It became the largest telecommunications company based on its profits and assets in the world. (Plunkett 68) The company principarily operates in the US with its headquarters in New York. It offers wireless and wireline services such as voice, network access, data services, broadband video and global internet protocol networks.Verizon communications Inc Operates in more than 150 nations worldwide.Verizon voice messaging services is offered for both businesses and residences.Verizon’s Cell co partnership operates the second largest wireless telecomm network in the US In terms of the number of subscribers and revenue. It is also one of the major US carriers to utilize the CDMA technology and uses 8 billion US dollar annually in its maintenance and expansion. It offers both voice and 3G data services for example, text and picture messaging, over the air downloadable applications and wireless broadband based on EV-DO Rev A. It also carries various mobile services and phones eg LG, Motorola and Samsung. (Lutz 138) Verizon’s video services was launched in September , 2005 and uses optical fibre network to distribute more than 330 channels, 180 digital videos and music channels and 1800 video on demand titles. DSL internet services are offered to the same areas where phone services are provided. It is known to have the largest number of spammers of all networks globaly.Verizon’s yellow

UCAS Personal Statement for University Health and Social Care Hon

UCAS for University Health and Social Care Hon - Personal Statement Example In addition, I am able to adapt to changes as they occur. I am an understanding person and also sympathetic, patient, caring and friendly. I am a self motivated and can handle my patient with understanding and respect while approaching them. I am a person who is determined to work with teams and also keep time. As a student, I am also good at implementing personal support plans which focus on the individual welfare. Again, I got the ability to manage challenging behaviors at the same time staying focused on offering quality care to my clients as well as maintaining positive relationship among my clients and their families, my fellow staff and visitors. In 1991 to 1994, I attended Miskolc Hungary high school which specializes in general nursing and assistance. This is an indication that I have basic nursing knowledge that made me to handle health care issues at an early age. Through the Healthy eating and food hygiene level 2 course, I undertook in 2012, I attained extensive skills on how to deal with cases of Dementia and Health and social care. From August the 2011 up to now, I have been working in Highbury New Park nursing Home. I work as a care assistant while working as part of the staff team which provides and coordinates individualized care and resources to elderly people and taking care of Dementia patients, so as they may continue living healthy and have independent lives in their communities and homes. While working in the Highbury New Park nursing Home, my duties include helping clients with personal hygiene. Additionally, I assist clients while performing their exercises, physiotherapy and other medical plans. I also assist people who use service with their environment and day to day activities. Other notable duties that I undertakes include monitoring blood pressure and other physical conditions in patients as required by the doctor, assisted clients to get up then helping dress up and prepare them

Marketing Managemnt Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing Managemnt - Assignment Example The focus in this paper is on marketing management that has gained increasing importance in recent years owing to the notion of globalization and internationalization which has given way to the boundary-less movement of goods and services. Marketing for products that are sold across various cultures, languages, tastes, demographics and external conditions is no longer a simplistic job- it requires adequate and periodic management so that the product achieves a strategic fit with the diverse external environment. No longer can marketers focus their efforts on just the four P’s (product, price, promotion, place)- they have come to realize the blooming significance of 4C’s; Consumer (as opposed to Product), Cost (as opposed to Price), Convenience ( as opposed to Place) and Communications ( as opposed to Promotion). Thus, the above indicates the growing importance of marketing management which enables managers and executives to deal with strategic marketing challenges that the organizations face every day. An important task for marketing managers is the creation of value for consumers. The challenge is thus, how to offer that value? The idea of customer relationship management (which is a part of marketing management) stems from the notion of value creation. At the heart of successful marketing efforts is the ability of the company to provide a product that satisfies the needs of customers. Towards this end it is important to define what a need is- a need is defined as a felt deprivation for something. So, for instance, to feel thirsty is a need that has to be satisfied. A want refers to the means by which that need is satisfied. Thus, how the thirst is quenched (through water, drink, and juice) would become a want. Marketers must target customer needs and satisfy wants. On the contrary, however, it is observed today that marketers are creating needs rather than satisfying them. To this end, the importance of product comes into play. The product is th e crux of marketing- Marketing is grounded in â€Å"consumers† and consumers demand products to satisfy their needs. The product is the starting point for most marketing efforts. It is interesting to note that a product consists of five layers although it may appear as a single, holistic object to us. The central part of the product is referred to as the â€Å"core†. It is this core that forms the basis for the other layers (including basic, expected, augmented and potential product). An example would be of a Nikon camera. Its core benefit would be to allow the user to take photographs and make videos with ease. The actual product will comprise of the brand name (Nikon), high resolution, carrying case etc. The augmented product would be warranty, demonstration and repair etc. Core benefits are often represented as order qualifiers or the bare minimum necessary for products to stay in the market (Homburg et al., 2005). This would simply mean the delivery for what is pro mised. A product or a brand is s promise, and when it is fulfilled in the quantity and quality desired by consumers the phenomenon is termed as core benefits or order qualifiers. For instance, the basic attribute of a bank is to offer accurate maintenance of consumer accounts. Bottled/mineral water provides consumer with a basic minimum level of ingredients or required calorie intake. Conceptual studies from research have revealed that core benefits are a subset of the larger group â€Å"customer benefits† which encompasses not only core benefits but also add-on benefits as discussed earlier. These customer benefits are viewed as the constructive values of customer relationship (Homburg et al., 2005). The core of a product is not tangible- it takes the form of a benefit or an advantage that a consumer may have from using it (Homburg et al., 2005). Thus, the core of a product is in abstract form and cannot be touched. Alternately, core defines the need that marketers

Evaluate the effect of Technological change on the Business Case Study

Evaluate the effect of Technological change on the Business Environment of Sony - Case Study Example The present study would focus on the technological change and their effects on the business strategy of organizations. The choice of the topic assumes significance in the present business environment as most of the firms operating in the modern day business environment have been severely affected as a result of the fluctuations in the business environment that has emerged as a result of the recent economic and financial crisis. The organization selected for the study is Sony Electronics. The choice of the organization assumes significance considering the fact that Sony is a market leader across many consumer electronic markets of the world as is known for its excellence in innovation in its product lines. The firm is accredited with numerous innovations in the field of consumer electronics. Products like Sony Walkman have created a revolution in the world. About the Company Sony Corporation was established in the year 1946 at Tokyo, Japan with an initial start up capital of 190,000 Y en (Sony, 2011). The name of the company has been derived from the Latin word ‘Sonus’ which means sound. ... roximately 7,214,000 million Yen as of 2009.The product portfolio of the company consists of Audio, Video, Televisions, Communication and information devices, Semiconductors and various electronic components like batteries, recording systems etc (Sony-b, 2011). The business prospects of Sony Corporation are largely affected due to the fluctuations in the business environment of the firm. The aspect is more important considering the fact that the firm operates in different markets across the globe which have different consumer behaviour. In addition to varying tastes of consumers the firm also faces issues that are related to the macro environmental aspects like exchange rate fluctuations, economic and fiscal policies etc. Presence of competitors also affects the business prospects of the firm as it plays a major role in shaping the future framework of strategies for the organization. The effect of fluctuating business environment can be easily ascertained by analysing the revised bus iness and revenue forecasts (refer annexure 1) of the company for the year 2010. The global economic down turn has also played a major role in the revision of estimated forecasts. This aspect assumes significance since the sales of electronic products are largely linked to the disposable income of the consumers. The global recession has played a major role in the declination of disposable incomes of individuals which has played a major role in the declination of sales volume and profitability of business organizations like Sony Corporation. Exchange rate fluctuations have also led to considerable pressure on the strategists of the organizations to lower their expected revenue margins. In addition the price competition which has started as a result of dip in sales figure corresponding to the

Marketing Managemnt Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing Managemnt - Assignment Example The focus in this paper is on marketing management that has gained increasing importance in recent years owing to the notion of globalization and internationalization which has given way to the boundary-less movement of goods and services. Marketing for products that are sold across various cultures, languages, tastes, demographics and external conditions is no longer a simplistic job- it requires adequate and periodic management so that the product achieves a strategic fit with the diverse external environment. No longer can marketers focus their efforts on just the four P’s (product, price, promotion, place)- they have come to realize the blooming significance of 4C’s; Consumer (as opposed to Product), Cost (as opposed to Price), Convenience ( as opposed to Place) and Communications ( as opposed to Promotion). Thus, the above indicates the growing importance of marketing management which enables managers and executives to deal with strategic marketing challenges that the organizations face every day. An important task for marketing managers is the creation of value for consumers. The challenge is thus, how to offer that value? The idea of customer relationship management (which is a part of marketing management) stems from the notion of value creation. At the heart of successful marketing efforts is the ability of the company to provide a product that satisfies the needs of customers. Towards this end it is important to define what a need is- a need is defined as a felt deprivation for something. So, for instance, to feel thirsty is a need that has to be satisfied. A want refers to the means by which that need is satisfied. Thus, how the thirst is quenched (through water, drink, and juice) would become a want. Marketers must target customer needs and satisfy wants. On the contrary, however, it is observed today that marketers are creating needs rather than satisfying them. To this end, the importance of product comes into play. The product is th e crux of marketing- Marketing is grounded in â€Å"consumers† and consumers demand products to satisfy their needs. The product is the starting point for most marketing efforts. It is interesting to note that a product consists of five layers although it may appear as a single, holistic object to us. The central part of the product is referred to as the â€Å"core†. It is this core that forms the basis for the other layers (including basic, expected, augmented and potential product). An example would be of a Nikon camera. Its core benefit would be to allow the user to take photographs and make videos with ease. The actual product will comprise of the brand name (Nikon), high resolution, carrying case etc. The augmented product would be warranty, demonstration and repair etc. Core benefits are often represented as order qualifiers or the bare minimum necessary for products to stay in the market (Homburg et al., 2005). This would simply mean the delivery for what is pro mised. A product or a brand is s promise, and when it is fulfilled in the quantity and quality desired by consumers the phenomenon is termed as core benefits or order qualifiers. For instance, the basic attribute of a bank is to offer accurate maintenance of consumer accounts. Bottled/mineral water provides consumer with a basic minimum level of ingredients or required calorie intake. Conceptual studies from research have revealed that core benefits are a subset of the larger group â€Å"customer benefits† which encompasses not only core benefits but also add-on benefits as discussed earlier. These customer benefits are viewed as the constructive values of customer relationship (Homburg et al., 2005). The core of a product is not tangible- it takes the form of a benefit or an advantage that a consumer may have from using it (Homburg et al., 2005). Thus, the core of a product is in abstract form and cannot be touched. Alternately, core defines the need that marketers

Values Scenario 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Values Scenario 1 - Essay Example I was very happy at this time because of achieving great success. Godly virtues and values are discussed in this stage. I declare that God’s values such as honesty, faith and being compassionate to others have been very important in my life. Drawing example from the Bible one can see that Job was faithful to God, and that is why he was healed. In addition, forgiveness is a value that is of important to God. From the Bible, we know that God gave his only son for the sake of forgiveness of our sins (Gulla 34). I have succeeded in my exams and interviews because I had enough faith in God. Being a compassionate guy I have impacted on disabled persons, whom I assist with food and clothing. I felt satisfied when I managed a whole project by myself through perseverance and the same time having self-discipline. The completion of the project fulfilled my ultimate desire that one can succeed in life if you have self-drive and self-discipline. That success partly guaranteed me that I will be successful in future when a drive myself in every aspect of life. Other factors that contributed to that fulfilment include the support from my colleagues and the honesty in my work. My personal and work values include teamwork spirit, success, self-discipline, faith, perseverance and compassion. The experience, of working in a team, is memorable since it has led to success in our football club, schoolwork and at the workplace. My role models such as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs have utilised the teamwork, perseverance and self-discipline values to achieve

Michael Jordan vs Wikipedia Essay Example for Free

Michael Jordan vs Wikipedia Essay Michael Jordan VS Wikipedia Over the past twelve years there has been a great controversy on whether or not the website Wikipedia is reliable enough to get sources that are accurate enough to believe. Many seem quick to judge whether or not if Wikipedia is a credible source and cites the necessary about to make it a reliable source to get information from. In the article â€Å"Wikipedia†(2013), unknown authors inform the general public about the Wikipedia website. The authors provide evidence on who updates their information, site their sources and include references. The purpose of Wikipedia is to persuade users to use the website. Wikipedia targets the general public to use their website for a non-profit organization. Wikipedia is a reliable source because it cites its sources and gives knowledgeable facts. On the website Wikipedia, under the source entry â€Å"Wikipedia† goes into detail about all the attributes and information about Wikipedia and how it came about and why it is a reliable site to get information from. Wikipedia has become the largest and most popular general reference work on the Internet. Wikipedia is a reliable source because of its vandalism program in which it is able to detect and remove vandalism within a few minutes. Also with Wikipedia being a free online encyclopedia it allows for open structure, which lets the public write and change anything about any topic. On the Wikipedia website under the topic â€Å"Wikipedia†, found that â€Å"a non-scientific report in the journal Nature in 2005 suggested that for some scientific articles Wikipedia came close to the level of accuracy of Encyclopedia Britannica†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (preface). With that being said, it justifies that Wikipedia’s reliability is just as effective as that of a profitable encyclopedia that is written by experts. Many feel as if Wikipedia isn’t a reliable enough sources because it contains articles written based on authors interpretations of research that other have done. Schools sometimes do not allow their student to find research or facts on Wikipedia because they second-guess Wikipedia’s creditability as a whole. Some questions that might come into play is, why wouldn’t you cite the original source, and what relevance does someone else  interpretation have? Even though anyone can edit Wikipedia, it is still reviewed and their vandalism program and bots that search for errors remove inaccurate information quickly. For the most part, you have extremely small chances of finding unreliable and inaccurate information on Wikipedia. Wikipedia also gives blue text indicates links to other Wikipedia entries or to sources for the entry to help the reader go more into depth about their topic. Encyclopedias are mainly written for people who do not know a great deal about a specific subject and would like to find out more. With Wikipedia being that online non profitable encyclopedia it allows people to search any subject and conveys enough information to a reader who knows little or nothing about the subject. For example on the Wikipedia website I searched for credible information about â€Å"Michael Jordan†. In the article â€Å"Michael Jordan†(2013), from Wikipedia informs the general public about the legacy of Michael Jordan. The authors provide knowledgeable facts about his early years in life, his stats and game averages and also include references to support their facts. Their purpose is to give as much knowledgeable and supportive facts about Michael Jordan’s career and life. The article targets and helps any user looking to find information about Michael Jordan and Wikipedia does this all by citing its sources and using references. A great example of a way Wikipedia is a reliable source is the picture is figure 6, shows a plaque of Michael Jordan’s achievements at the United Center. Wikipedia also has through out the text blue highlighted text that can lead the reader to links to other Wikipedia entries or sources that relate to the subject of choice. Wikipedia has lead me to believe that it is a very reliable source because of its citing and credible facts I received about Michael Jordan’s career. Wikipedia lead me to new facts about Michael Jordan’s career such as, â€Å"During the Bulls playoff run in 1993, controversy arose when Jordan was seen gambling in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the night before a game against the Knicks. In that same year, he admitted to having to cover $57,000 in gambling losses†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (14). With Wikipedia bring up this problem about Michael Jordan’s life and citing where it came from and giving me alternate links that lead me more into depth with this problem proves that Wikipedia is reliable. Some come to the conclusion that Wikipedia has a weakness and is not a reliable source because it is an open source website which means anyone can edit it. Its weakness is what makes it so great. Anyone can edit it. This brings a huge variety of information as well as great depth and large bibliographies. Wikipedia also goes above and beyond to correct and edit sources have citations and staff are always checking edits. In Wikipedia’s disclaimer that may it apparent that Wikipedia may be inaccurate and misleading and it is ultimately they users decision and to use their judgment call. But how is some random website that is Googled up more reliable then Wikipedia? In my personal experience Wikipedia has lead me to valuable and reliable information about the topic at hand and has gave me pictures, facts and sources to back my information up with. Works Cited â€Å"Wikipedia. † Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. ,1 Apr. 2013. Web. 10Apr. 2013. â€Å"Michael Jordan. † Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. , 10 Apr. 2013. Web. 1 Apr. 2013.

Indonesia And Its Past Economic Crisis Economics Essay

Indonesia And Its Past Economic Crisis Economics Essay Indonesia is one of the most promising and fast developing countries in the world. After the financial crisis in 1997, this country has managed to demonstrate the great pace of development and to become one of the worlds leading economies. It has become possible because of the combination of internal and external factors and reasonable macroeconomic policy of the government. The economic and geopolitical potential of Indonesia is tremendous. It has a lot of natural and human resources, large potential market and appropriate corporate and organizational culture of doing business. It also rely lowly on exports, hence Indonesia performed better riding through slump. Exports are equivalent to only about 25% of GDP, compared with over 100% in Malaysia in 2008. Moreover, Indonesias core exports are dominated by gas, oil and coal, so the country was less exposed to the sudden and drastic destocking that caused trade in manufactured goods in Asia to dry up in late 2008 (Indrawati 2009). The countrys $514 billion economy, which is the biggest in South Asia, has 240 million citizens. It means that the country is a great potential market in terms of domestic consumption. An emerging middle class (35 million) is driving the economic growth in the country. It means that the country is able to create demand for the goods and services provided not only by national manufacturers, but also by multinational companies. The middle class creates not only an attractive market for multinational companies, but also a basis for the development of small business. Under modern circumstances, small business is a foundation for an effective economy. It creates new working places, contributes to the national GDP and makes the national economy more flexible and resistant to crisis and fluctuations. Indonesia is also rich in different natural resources. The country is the worlds leader in the export of coal. It has the largest gold mine and the single largest reserve of recoverable copper. As we can see, export is an integral part of the countrys success. On the one hand, it creates a lot of benefits for Indonesia. However, on the other hand, it makes the countrys national economy dependent on the situation on global markets. Fluctuations in these markets may hinder the development of the country. This situation however may be improved by having a higher share of value-added goods. These goods are produced by using educated labor force, knowledge and IT technologies. Thus, Indonesia will be able to occupy another niche in the global market and make its economy more competitive. It will also make the development of the country more intensive. One should mention that the current development has an extensive character. The development that has an extensive character is based on the use of resources, labor force, etc. At the same time, intensive development is based on innovations, investments, production of high value-added goods. The country also has some geopolitical advantages. It is close to China and Japan its biggest export markets. It means that transaction costs are insignificant. As a result, the efficiency of business is increasing. Moreover, these countries are not only Indonesias biggest partners, but also some of the biggest markets of the world. The combination of all the above-mentioned factors leads the country to the status of one of the best-performing economies in the world. According to the experts, the national economy of the country is going to grow 6 percent this year. It will make it the best-performing economy after China and India. The current GDP per capita is about $4.000 in Indonesia. Respectively GDP of Indonesia was about $960 billion in 2009 (Indonesia GDP Per Capita (PPP)). According to the experts, Indonesia should be included in BRIC club in the nearest future. Probably, we should explain what the so-called BRIC club is. The BRIC thesis posits that China and India will become the worlds dominant suppliers of manufactured goods and services, respectively, while Brazil and Russia will become similarly dominant as suppliers of raw materials (Brazil, Russia, India And China BRIC). It only proves our assumption that one of the strong sides of the countrys economy is its export of raw materials, including coal, metals, etc. However, as we have already mentioned, the share of these raw materials should reduce in the nearest future. Being a powerful country in the worlds economy also means being a leader in the worlds politics. Thus, the political influence of Indonesia in the world is also going to grow. At least in the Asian region, it is expected to happen very soon. We have said a lot about the countrys competitive advantages. Now it is time to analyze the potential risk factors that may scare the foreign investors and hinder the sustainable development of Indonesia. First of all, one should mention terrorism among the disadvantages that create risks for investors. Terrorist attacks in Jakarta and other similar countries scare foreign investors and thus hinder the economic development of such countries. Islamist terrorist actions have always been usual for the country. Foreign companies do not have any desire to invest in a country, where their facilities may be destroyed or their managers and workers may be killed. That is why decisive steps should be taken to solve this problem. Such steps are currently being made. The current government of the country is fighting against Islamist terrorist factions. However, its efforts should be combined with the assistance of the international community. We believe that this risk factor is going to be eliminated in the nearest future. Another risk factor is potentially dangerous natural factors. We mean, for example, tsunami in 2004 that killed a lot of people and shocked the world. In fact, there is a risk that such a cataclysm may occur again. The scope of that cataclysm can be described by the following words. Massive sea surges triggered by an earthquake under the Indian Ocean have killed over 10,000 people in southern Asia, with many more feared dead. Indonesia is thought to be the worst-hit country in the region, with 94,000 dead, 132,000 missing and 132,000 (Government of Indonesia 2005). Possible consequences of natural disasters may be the following: death of thousands of people (labor force and intellectual potential); destruction of infrastructure; destruction of material objects, including factories, offices, etc.; expenditure of billions of dollars on reconstruction of the country, etc. In general, it, of course, hinders the sustainable development of the countrys economy. This factor should be taken into account by the investors in Indonesias economy. Not only does the country have to fight against possible natural disasters, but it also has to handle other problems related to the natural environment, including climate change and depletion of natural resources. It can be proven by the following quote. The government in 2010 faces the ongoing challenge of improving Indonesias insufficient infrastructure to remove impediments to economic growth, while addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation needs, particularly with regard to conserving Indonesias forests and peatlands (Indonesia Economy 2010). After comparing the advantages and disadvantages of Indonesias economy, we have to talk about the main problems of its current state and prospects for the near future. Nowadays the main problem of Indonesias economy and financial system is a danger that its financial market may be overheated. It is essential to take this factor into account because a few years ago it caused a lot of problems. Ten years of growth resulted in the financial crisis in 1997. One of the reasons was the overheated regional financial market, including that of Indonesia. The influence of that financial crisis on the national economy was enormous. After an average annual rate of between 5% and 7% during a long-term growth in the last two decades, Indonesia has been hard hit during the recent wave of the Asian monetary crisis. With an economic growth of 4.7% in 1997, the 1998/99 State Budget envisages a minus 12% economic growth with an inflation of 66%, which gradually developed into an economic crisis (Indonesias Economy. Economic Growth and State Finance). That is why it is very important to evaluate whether the market is overheated now or not in order to avoid a similar crisis. We believe that we have to explain the term overheated market. It means that market prices of different assets, including stocks, raw materials, etc., do not correspond to their fundamental prices. Thus, the assets are overestimated and the so-called bubbles are formed because of some speculative tendencies. When investors realize that the assets are overestimated, the whole system ruins, creating terrible consequences. As a result, the whole national economy is harmed. The most recent and vivid example of such a cataclysm is the global financial crisis 2008-2010 that was caused by the bubbles in the markets of leading assets. Despite that fact, the tendencies for such bubbles to form are still observed in the global economy. Thus, to conclude, we would like to say the following. Despite the crisis in 1997-1998, Indonesia has managed to demonstrate the rapid pace of economic development in the past decade. As a result, nowadays a lot of people tend to treat Indonesias economy as one of the most promising economies in the world. We also support this opinion and believe that its economy is going to become one of the leading ones. It is possible because of the combination of the countrys advantages and effective governments policy. The countrys advantages are the following: beneficial geopolitical location; rich natural resources; cheap labor force; large internal market. The government economic policy is based on the use of liberal principles that are traditional in the developed countries. The most important thing is that the countrys leaders desire to see their country as an innovative and prosperous state. The countrys economy may also be characterized by some risks, among which some of the most important are a danger of terrorism and possibility of natural disasters. These risks should be taken into account by investors and internal policy makers because they are able to hinder the sustainable development of the country. If they cannot be avoided, they should be forecasted and minimized.

Sex Without Love by Sharon Olds Essay -- Papers Analysis Sharon Olds

Sex Without Love by Sharon Olds 'Sex Without Love,' by Sharon Olds passionately described the author's disgust for casual sex in which she vividly animates the immorality of lustful sex through the variety of her language. The sarcasm used in this selection can easily be misunderstood and quite confusing if the words and lines are not analyzed with specific construction. Olds' clever use of imagery and frequent uses of similes, to make the reader imagine actual events, makes this poem come to life. For example, Olds describes making love as 'Beautiful as dancers.' (Line #2) in this line, she questions how one can do such a beautiful act with a person whom one is not in love with. Olds also describes sex as 'gliding over each other like ice skaters over the ice.' While these lines may sound enticing, one may have to read in between the lines to determine that she is imaging sex as a performance. (Line #3, #4) By imagining an ice skating performance one can quickly conclude that each ice skater is performing for a nu mber of judges and an audience to attain an award. Olds uses thi...

All Romances end in Marriage Essay

By this time Bathsheba was in love with Troy or believed she was. Troy also thought he was in love yet it was only infatuation. â€Å"Bathsheba loved Troy in the way that only self-reliant women love when they abandon their self-reliance† This shows that Bathsheba has given up her independence that she relied on in the past for the love of Troy. Hardy changes the character of Bathsheba slightly by falling in love with Troy as she now has given up one of her qualities that she relied on, her independence. Hardy’s readers can see that Bathsheba has changed for love as she is has wrongly fallen in love with Troy. Hardy’s readers know this is wrong and in time things will change, as this is not the cause of true love. Bathsheba and Troy eventually get married and that is when the romance begins to end. The two become less infatuated with each other and start to become bitter. When Troy, Bathsheba and her workforce are celebrating there marriage Troy gets rid of all the women and gets drunk with all the men. Meanwhile Gabriel is outside all night in the storm trying to save the harvest. Bathsheba is greatly thankful for what he has done â€Å"Thank you for your devotion a thousand times Gabriel! † Hardy shows yet again that Gabriel is the right man for Bathsheba through his loyalty, devotion and general good and decent nature. The reader knows that Bathsheba is with the wrong man and hopefully it is only a matter of time before her and Gabriel get together. When it is discovered that Fanny is dead, Gabriel is the first to look at the coffin and notices that it says â€Å"Fanny Robbin and child† Gabriel rubs out and child as he knows the child is Troy’s and he does not want her to get hurt as he cares for her. Liddy then informs Bathsheba that there is a rumour going about Weatherbury â€Å"I mean that a wicked story is got to Weatherbury within this last hour-that-that there’s two of’em in there† Bathsheba’s curiosity overwhelms her and she decides to open the coffin. Hardy then uses poetry to tell the reader that there is a baby there â€Å"A curious frame of natures work, A flow’ ret crushed in the bud, A nameless piece of babyhood,† When Troy comes in and discovers that Fanny is dead he kisses her and the baby. Bathsheba begs Troy to kiss her which shows her insecurity as she gave up her independence for him and now she wants to rely on but she knows that he still loves her. After he says â€Å"you are nothing to me† she runs out. Hardy has finally shown the true character of Troy. He is an incredibly nasty person to say this to his wife and now the reader knows it. The way he has treated Bathsheba all this time is unforgivable. Although Hardy has portrayed him as this malicious character he has proved that he did love Fanny and did not just use her for sexual pleasure. Troy eventually decides to get away from everything and fakes his own death. This is where Boldwood comes in to play again. He is still obsessively in love with Bathsheba and in doing so his farm is doing very badly. He makes a proposal to Bathsheba of marrying him in six years after Troy is officially declared dead. â€Å"Well then, do you know that without further proof of any kind you may marry again in about six years from the present- subject to nobody’s objection or blame? † Boldwood forces this offer upon Bathsheba and in the end she has to say that she will give him an answer at he Christmas party. Bathsheba. Although she believes her husband to be dead she does not have along time in which she would cease to do things due to bereavement, she carries on and is cool and level headed. This shows yet again how she is in comparison with other women in the 19th century. Normally she would be expected to bereave, it would be her role but not Bathsheba she is different and more modern than other women. During the Christmas party Boldwood asked Bathsheba for her answer and she reluctantly said yes â€Å"Very well. I’ll marry you in six years from this day if we both live,† Boldwood was delighted and he then gave her a ring, which she was forced, to where for that night. Soon after they got back to the party Hardy brought a great thrill to the novel as Troy showed up to the party, cloaked. When Troy tried to grab Bathsheba, Boldwood shot him dead. With Troy dead and Boldwood in prison the reader now knows that Hardy has left a big opening for Bathsheba’s heart. The only man left and the most decent man is Gabriel Oak. Finally Hardy gives the readers what they have wanted through out the whole novel. Gabriel asks Bathsheba to marry her and she accepts, they are soon married and the novel ends happily. Throughout this novel Hardy has shown three different types of love, obsessive, infatuation and true love. Hardy is trying to say that there are many types of love, some are not real but there is one type that is real and that is true love. True love being the type of love where you love the person for who they are not just what they look like. Hardy also shows that Bathsheba resembles a 20th century woman more than a 19th century woman. She is modern and she is very independent. Her independence is one of her main qualities along with her vanity, which slowly faded away.

Inclusion of Students with Disabilities into Regular Education Classrooms

The American Community Survey (ACS), which is conducted by the Census Bureau, estimated that about 6. 3% of the children between the age of 5 and 15 years had some form of disability in 2007. 1 The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which was legislated in 1975, requires all public schools in the U. S. to provide ‘all eligible children with disabilities a free public education in the least restrictive environment appropriate for their needs. ‘According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, about 6. 7 million children  and youth, between the ages of 3 and 21, received services under IDEA in 2006 – 2007. 2 The issue of inclusion and mainstreaming of children with disabilities has always been controversial. While it is wrong to differentiate and isolate children based on their abilities, most regular schools are ill equipped to take care of children with certain disabilities and that can be disadvantageous to the disabled child as well as the regular children in the class. So, although every eligible child should have a right to go to any educational institution that he  or she wants to, it is important to make individualized decisions about inclusion.Teachers, doctors, therapists, parents and students should work together and decide what is best for all the children in the classroom. The National Dissemination Center for children with disabilities has defined inclusion as the philosophy, process, and practice of educating students with disabilities in general education classrooms in neighborhood schools with the supports and accommodations needed by those students.However, different researchers and educators have different opinions about what ‘inclusion' can actually mean. Some researchers like Lewis and Doorlang consider a child with disabilities ‘included' if he spends any part of the school day with general class peers in â€Å"common instructional or social activities with additional instructio n and support from a special educator† while Friend & Bursuck believed that inclusion generally occurs when a student with disabilities can meet â€Å"traditional academic expectations with minimal assistance.†Until the late 1960s, there was no help for children with disabilities at public schools. In fact, most schools had the right to refuse admission if the child was severely disabled while children with mild problems had struggle by themselves to cope with the school curriculum. All of that changed in 1969, with the passage of the Children with Specific Learning Disabilities Act, when it became mandatory for public schools to provide support services for students with learning disabilities.The Congress enacted the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975 which intended to support states and localities in meeting the individual needs of children and youths with disabilities. This law was later renamed as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or ID EA. 2 As more and more kids started receiving special education, it was observed that such children were not taught the general curriculum at the schools. This led to the reauthorization of IDEA in 1997 and access to the general curriculum  was added to the statute.Ever since its formation, IDEA and the concept of inclusion were contentious. The supporters of the act believed that since disabled children have to live in the same society as the general population when they grow up, it is better to start early. This will help the general children also to develop into more understanding and compassionate individuals. The opponents of inclusion, on the other hand, believe that if the handicapped children are sent to  regular classrooms, they would be denied the ‘small-group, multi-sensory, carefully sequenced instruction, integrated with their various physical therapies, now provided by skilled certified teachers' while the non-handicapped children may miss their regular lesso ns.Some critics of inclusion believe that mainstreaming is a better option. Mainstreaming refers to selective placement of special education students in one or more â€Å"regular† education classes. The students are introduced to few regular classes based on each student's individual potential  and they follow a Individualized Education Plan (IEP) under the guidance of a specialist. The students are thus, exposed to the outside world but at a slower pace. The purpose of mainstreaming is specialized academic learning while the purpose of inclusion is to prepare for an independent life as an adult. Inclusion is less restrictive and allows a child with disabilities to be a part of a regular classroom and follow the regular curriculum with assistance of a specialist.Full inclusion, on the other hand, refers to elimination of special education  altogether and instructing all students in the same classroom with same curriculum. The proponents of full inclusion believe that all children are equally worth and hence, should be treated equally. Several models have been proposed to implement inclusion in classrooms across the United States. Some of these models include the Consultant model, the Teaming model and the Collaborative or Co-teaching model. In the Consultant model a special education teacher is made available to the students and will help to reteach a difficult concept or skillThis non- intrusive approach is effective in case of low incidence of special needs students and overall low student population. In the Teaming model special education teacher is assigned to a team and the teacher provides student several strategies to deal with assignments and tests. The team meets on a regular basis, establishing consistent communication among the team members. All team members work together and broaden their knowledge in various areas, whether they are from general education or special education.On the other hand, the Collaborative model involves general ed ucation and special education teachers working together to teach students with or without disabilities in a shared classroom. Students receive age-appropriate academics, support services, and possible modified instruction. Collaborative teaching can be organized in a number of ways like one teacher and one support, parallel teaching design, team teaching, alternative teaching design etc.The kind of model that a classroom might adopt depends on a variety of factors like the  requirements of the students and the number of resources that the teachers have at their disposal. Whichever model it adopts, an inclusive classroom is student-centered and students have a major role to play in deciding the academic and social activities of the day. There is a lot of social interaction with each student doing their own individualized curriculum under the guidance of a special education teacher. The classroom may have different centers that focus on different skills like language, math etc.Child ren are allowed to use many different kind of learning tools like books, computers, taped stories and music. One of the major advantages of a inclusion classroom for regular students is that it helps them develop compassion and sensitivity at a young age. Children get an opportunity to experience diversity in a small classroom setting and it also boosts their self-confidence as they develop an ability to make a difference and to help others. All students have the benefit of having two teachers in the class.Also, inclusion classrooms focus on peer learning and that can have immense impact on most children. Inclusion classrooms can also be beneficial to the teachers as it gives them an opportunity to be a part of a multi-disciplinary team that faces new challenges everyday. The teachers also learn to appreciate the fact that each child has his own strengths and weaknesses and get an opportunity to understand the benefits of direct individualized instruction. Children with special need s can benefit immensely by going to regular schools.It gives them a sense of belongingness in the community. It enhances their self-respect and enables them to develop friendships with same-age peers. A regular school exposes the child to a more stimulating environment and may make it easier for them adjust to the outside world. Thus, the supporters of inclusion believe that all students will benefit from being in an inclusion classrooms in the long run. In spite of all these advantages, inclusion classrooms are controversial and that is because  these classrooms can often be disruptive and under productive. In practice, children pursuing individualized curricula with aides, under the supervision of the teacher who is attempting to teach the whole class may lead to commotion and confusion.The critics also believe that there is no scientific basis for the belief that handicapped children benefit by being placed with non-handicapped children. In fact, some research shows that handic apped children feel more isolated in the regular class, as it imposes greater psychological pressure on them and  they become more aware of what their peers can do and what they cannot. Some research has shown that in Texas, Missouri and Minnesota, special-education students are suspended at roughly twice the rate of regular students, state reports indicate.Also, for children with disabilities in a regular environment, socialization becomes more important than academics and hence, can be detrimental to student's education. Some school districts have reported higher teacher turnover and classroom commotion due to mainstreaming.Many teachers are often uncomfortable with an unorganized classroom. Most teachers lack special training and support to deal with inclusion and can lead to frustration. Inclusion can also be viewed unfavorably by regular students. They may find it disruptive to their own education. Also, if not implemented properly, it can lead to resentment among regular stu dents towards their disabled peers and can lead to unpleasant atmosphere in the classrooms. Even the proponents of inclusion have to agree that it is not for everyone.â€Å"Inclusion without resources, without support, without teacher preparation time, without commitment, without a vision statement, without restructuring, without staff development, won't work. † says Mara Sapon-Shevin, professor of inclusive education at Syracuse University. So, before starting any new inclusion program, it is important to analyze the situation and check for all the available resources. Every body involved in the education system including students, teachers, special  education teachers and parents should be involved in the decision.It is also important to make a smooth transition in a gradual step by step manner that is not overwhelming to the handicapped children as well as their non-handicapped peers. Also, good communication between the teachers, students and the parents is key to the s uccess of inclusion education and thus, schools should have clear strategies and plans before introducing inclusive classrooms to their system.Inclusion is a disputable issue and proponents on both sides of the theory are equally passionate about their cause. It a great concept of education that is based upon the principle of compassion and equality for all. If implemented properly, the inclusion classrooms can be great models for an ideal society. However, it is a difficult concept to implement. Most teachers lack the appropriate training and resources to manage an inclusion classroom and that can be overwhelming to all the individuals involved.