The consequences of child abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The consequences of child abuse - Essay Example Even though there are rules that are at protecting children, child abuse is still an enormous issue that plagues our future generation. Child abuse negatively affects the physical, mental, emotional and sexual condition of a child. However, there are solutions that are devised to fight child abuse. This article will scrutinize the various forms of child abuse and the solutions that can help solve this issue (Crozier, Hopper and Kolk, 2013). Child abuse can be in different forms. One of the most common child abuse methods is through physical abuse. Physical child abuse is the most noticeable form of child abuse. Physical child abuse is as the tangible harm caused by physical molestation of a child. Physical injury can be enacted by kicking, biting, caning or even burning a child. Physical molestation can also be brought about by use of the improper discipline of a kid. For example, if a parent regularly punishes his/her child using violent methods that entail excessive caning or any other form of physical harm, then the parent has physically hurt his/her child. According to the USDHHS (United States Department of Health and Human Services), inappropriate discipline was the number one cause of physical abuse among children in the year 2007. It is not parents alone that can physically harm children. Children, especially in developing countries can suffer from physical molestation by other adults like teachers. Most develo ping countries lack the legal framework in terms of rules and regulations that protect the children. Consequently, children are brutally disciplined in school and left with physical injuries. Some societies still dwell in the age that believed in the adage ‘spare the rod, spoil your child’. Often, most parents in these societies excessively punish their children. Physical child abuse can be detected by noticing physical injuries like cuts, bruises and broken bones (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). Another

Importance of Stakeholders in Curriculum Development

Importance of Stakeholders in Curriculum Development Curriculum development requires the input of different stakeholders such as teachers, school heads, parents, community members, students, district administrators and school boards. The role of the teachers involves defining different course components that are considered relevant, in line with the latest technological development in the education sector. In addition to developing the curriculum, teachers help in executing the curriculum development findings. Teachers continuously contribute to the development of school curriculums by developing periodic course teaching plans and giving consideration to the special needs of the students (Dillon, 2009). Therefore, having a good curriculum without the input of teachers cannot help in achieving the learning objectives and goals. Although modern technology is quickly finding its root into the education system, teachers still remain at the center of the students learning progress. In other words technology must be integrated into the curri culum but it cannot provide a perfect substitute for the roles played by teachers in curriculum development and the general learning process. The other important group of stakeholders is the school administrators. Their role in curriculum implementation cannot be underestimated since they are the people that monitor the implementation of the curriculum. In addition, they employ teachers (in the case of private schools). Furthermore, they are responsible for purchasing learning materials which is an essential requirement in curriculum implementation. In other words, school administrators may influence the extent to which the school curriculum is implemented by regulating the release of the necessary learning resources. The school administrators may get information from teachers, students and even the community regarding the success of the curriculum implementation process. In addition, they can also employ the services of professional to evaluate the performance of the curriculum. The parents on the other hand support and influence the implementation of the curriculum through financial resources, that is, payment of school fees. In addition, the parents may help in monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the curriculum by keeping a close check at the lessons learnt in school and monitoring the childs home assignments (homework). Moreover, the parent may stand in the gap between the child and school administration by providing the student with resources that may be required in the curriculum but are not available in school. Furthermore, the parents may help teachers to monitor the behavior and social development of the child, especially for children with special education needs. The parents can get reliable information on curriculum development by enquiring from their children or by enquiring from the teachers or school administrators. In addition, professionals such as psychologists and social workers may offer contribution on the various ways of dealing with students with special needs. For instance, professional counselors may provide various useful options of dealing with student of foreign origin or those with disabilities. Community members can assist the school administration in the implementation of the curriculum by co-operating and providing the necessary resources that may not be available in the school setting but are found within the community setting. In addition, the community members can also volunteer and act as school board members. Other stake holders in the curriculum development include the government and the professional regulation commission that provides license to graduates of different colleges and universities. Professionals and community members can source information on curriculum development and progress from government reports on the performance of schools or by enquiring from teacher s, students and school administrators. Organization of Various Curriculum Development Stake Holders The parents are usually organized into parent association. All parents are required to register with the relevant parents association where they are required to democratically elect their leaders. The parents, through this association, give their views regarding the curriculum development to the district curriculum development team. The relevant professional body such as the district association of professional counselors and psychologists, through their advisory boards, also provides their recommendations and suggestions in the curriculum development process. On the other hand, teachers have organized themselves into curriculum drafting and evaluation teams. Such teams are usually charged with the responsibility of drafting, evaluating and amending the curriculum in line with the latest technological development in the education sector. In addition, the teachers curriculum teams are also involved in the evaluation of the output of the curriculum. The various groups work well because there exists a systematic way of engaging every stake holder in the curriculum development process. First and fore most, the teachers and the curriculum development leaders provide guidance and opinions regarding what should form the content of the curriculum. Because students spend most of their learning hours with the teachers, it is assumed that teachers understand the unique academic and social needs of the students better. The teachers start by analyzing the current curriculum, that is, the strengths and weaknesses and possible areas that needs to be amended. Thereafter, opinions from the parents, community leaders and other stake holders are considered before a final draft of the curriculum is compiled. The parents curriculum development team consists of all the members of the parents association teams. However, such parents are required to register with the district curriculum development committee before their views could be considered as valid. The members of the parents team are given the mandate to choose their leadership. Through the parents leadership team, their opinions are sought and taken into consideration by the district curriculum development team. Similarly, the professional counselors association is given the mandate to elect their leaders. However, the leadership of the professional bodies supporting the curriculum development process must be approved by the district curriculum development committee. This is because professional bodies acts as advisory agents on major policy issues related to curriculum development in schools. Therefore, the district curriculum development team must ensure that such professional bodies are led by a credible team. In addition, such professional bodies work closely with the teachers and curriculum development leaders during the evaluation of the curriculum and academic performance. Other community members such as community administrators and religious leaders are also answerable to the district curriculum development team. Such community leaders must however be registered for their concerns to be given attention by the curriculum development team. They are also required to elect their leaders through which their contributions are channeled to the district curriculum development team. In addition to the reports obtained from the various groups of stakeholders in the curriculum development process, the district curriculum development team organizes a curriculum development forum every year where all members of the public are welcome to participate. Such a forum is aimed at collecting information and concerns that may not have been handled by the existing and participating curriculum development stakeholders. In addition, the district curriculum development team has put in place structures that ensure that information flows from the various stake holders to the district curriculum team in an orderly manner. Although the development of the curriculum is the responsibility of all the stake holder (the parents, teachers, community members, members of professional bodies and the school administration), the execution or implementation of the curriculum is often left to the district curriculum development team, headed by the district director of curriculum, in collaborati on with teachers and school administration. Designing a Structure for Stakeholder Involvement In Curriculum Work The designing of a comprehensive structure for stakeholder involvement in curriculum work entails a careful consideration of various factors that contributes to effective learning process both inside and outside the classrooms. Because the size of my district is considerably large with a student population of 13,000, the curriculum development team must considerably be large in order to effectively represent the big student population. The leader of the district curriculum development team would be the district curriculum director who will be charged with the responsibility of chairing all the curriculum development committees as well as providing general direction and leadership in the curriculum development process in the district. In addition, there would be a curriculum director who shall deputize the district curriculum director and would help him/her in discharging his/her duties. The district curriculum development team would also comprise other curriculum development specialists in every subject area such as mathematics and science. Such curriculum specialists would help the district curriculum director in making important decisions during the curriculum development process. The district curriculum development team would seek information and fully engage professionals, parents, the community and other relevant stakeholders when designing the school curriculum. The district curriculum development team would organize for a curriculum development research week every year in which a continuous data collection and evaluation of curriculum in schools would be evaluated. Interview Questions The planned interview with the district curriculum director made the day unique. The interview, as scheduled, commenced at noon and took about three hours, ending at around three oclock in the afternoon. The material day for the interview was 2nd January, 2013. As the chief academic researcher in the district, responsible for careers and student development in high schools, the information from the interviewee, the district curriculum director and the findings of the interview would be very important in helping me to understand the role of different stakeholders in the curriculum development process. The first question of the interview was about the defining elements of a good curriculum. I found that putting focus on the academic development of the student was a key element in developing an effective student centered curriculum. The district curriculum director explained that all the stake holders including teachers, school heads and other professionals in the curriculum development process must put the student at the center of every step in curriculum development. In addition the curriculum director explained the importance of having in place a comprehensive curriculum leadership for a successful execution and implementation of the curriculum objectives. The director mentioned two main types of curriculum leadership, that is, static or managerial curriculum leadership and a dynamic kind of curriculum leadership. He went further to explain that static curriculum leaders try to produce a certain level of predictability and routine in the day to day operations of the school. On the other hand, a dynamic kind of curriculum leadership entails a continuous process of integrating critical thinking and modern technology in the development of a visionary and goal oriented curriculum. However, the director was quick to emphasize on the need to continuously focus on aligning the curriculum to suit the modern technologically advanced world, that is, employing the dynamic kind of curriculum leadership for the realization of a learner centered and progress oriented curriculum. He explained that although teachers and school heads enjoy independence in disseminating knowledge, they must remain conscious to the dynamic work place environments and information communication technology so that the learners may be effectively packaged to adapt to the technological dynamics of the modern world. The second question of the interview session was about which groups of people or stakeholders should be involved in the curriculum development process. The director stated that a good school curriculum should cover all aspects of learning, including academic, social and physical aspects. Therefore, all relevant groups of professionals and stakeholders should be involved in the development of a curriculum that meets the expectation of both the students and the community. He added that parents, teachers, school heads, social workers, psychologists and the community should all be involved in the curriculum development process. In addition, he pointed out the need to address the interest of students with special needs when developing the curriculum. For instance, students of foreign origin or those with disability must be accorded special consideration and care in their learning endeavor. However, the director noted that the curriculum development leader must be competent when coordinating and organizing various ideas into a comprehensive curriculum development policy statement. The other question of the interview was about how to gauge the effectiveness of a good school curriculum, that is, how to assess whether the curriculum is centered on the needs of the learner. Achieving a fruitful learning experience, he posed, should be the main objective of any curriculum developer or curriculum leader. In other words, the strength of a good curriculum development does not lie in the number of policy statements it contains but it does lie in the ultimate classroom experience gained by the learner. In response to the question that was seeking a clarification on the best method to engage the input of all teachers in the curriculum development process, the district curriculum director explained that a new method of training some teachers to be curriculum development leaders is quickly gaining acceptance. Such an approach ensures that those teachers who have undergone such training shares the skills with their colleagues hence effectively disseminating curriculum devel opment skills to all teachers. The findings of the interview were found to be in line with the class readings. For instance, Wiles (2008), explains the importance of curriculum development leadership in the development of a good curriculum. He further pointed out that static curriculum leadership entails the maintenance of all the programs that are already in place. In addition, he emphasized that curriculum leadership should target the impartation of specific, knowledge, attitude and behaviors for students and at the same time help in engineering the school programs to achieve all important aspects of the learning process. Wiles added that curriculum developers should embrace change as an essential variable in the curriculum development process. In other words, curriculum development should be the principle guide to all other activities carried out in the school program. As pointed out in the interview, a more advanced approach to curriculum development where some teachers pursue special training in curriculum development and thereafter work closely with colleagues is gaining momentum. Such an approach is more effective since the curriculum leaders work both as teachers and curriculum developers (Wiles, 2008). In addition, a good curriculum development team must include teachers, community leaders and parents as analyzed during the interview. Furthermore, for the curriculum to be managed effectively there must be a detailed plan showing the time periods within which various curriculum targets are to be achieved and the roles of every participant in the curriculum development and management process. Tallerico (2012) emphasizes on the need of curriculum development leaders to provide direction .Furthermore, the curriculum leader must continuously monitor and review the outcome of the curriculum management and where possible draw up a control program. In general, the interview findings informed me on the importance of an effective curriculum in the execution of learning objectives. In addition, a dynamic approach to curriculum development is more suitable for a learner centered curriculum development because such an approach takes into account the modern technological advancement when developing the curriculum (Dillon, 2009). Furthermore, the interview informed me of the need to involve parents, teachers, school heads, the community and all other stakeholders in the curriculum development process. In addition, the interview findings further stressed on the need to have a continuous evaluation framework that helps in analyzing the success of the developed school curriculum in satisfying the learners needs.

Teaching Goals and Philosophy Essay examples -- Education Teachers Sch

Teaching Goals and Philosophy Entering the field of education requires a person to take on many very important responsibilities. Teachers play a very vital role in the lives and futures of many individuals. Through the perspective of a teacher, many students come and go year after year. The names and faces of many students are often forgotten as you enter and new year with new students, new faces, and new names. On the other hand, although educators encounter many more students then students do educators, a teacher has a much more substantial impact on the life of a student. Upon taking this into consideration, I was led to ask myself many important questions. What do I hope to accomplish as a teacher? What do I wish for my students to accomplish in my classroom? Also, what are my professional development plans? First of all, I realize that every child is a unique individual, and no one is superior to any other, regardless of who excels academically, athletically, or socially. I feel that it is important for all students to treated equally. Everyone has positive qualities about them and teachers should find these qualities in every student. Teachers should make the students aware of their unique characteristics and encourage them to make the most of them. Every child should feel important, worthwhile, and accepted. Without the necessary self-esteem, it will be very difficult for a child to focus on his or her education. Students should be encouraged to accept themselves and each other. The same opportunities should be accessible to every student so that each child will have an equal chance to grow and learn. Secondly, although every child is equal and should be treated a... ...se should be built to help them to succeed I future situations. They need to learn to be independent, free-thinking, and empathetic. They should have a strong sense of self yet be open-minded to the many different things that life has to offer them. School should prepare students for the future while at the same time, help them to enjoy and appreciate the present. I hope to eventually earn my certification in K-6 multi-subject education and from there I would like to find a job teaching one of the lower grades. I think that I will find a career in the educational field to be a very fulfilling one. Children are very important and people sometimes overlook the fact that they have ideas, hopes, and dreams that are very real and meaningful to them. Someday, I hope to take part in helping children to become happy, responsible, and productive adults.

Massimo Vignelli Essay

In this modern day of computers and information technology, creating and designing an amazing object or place will be much easier due to the graphic design programs that are available to help modern day artist and designers. Nevertheless, it still involves the knowledge, skills, and experience of the designer. The talent of the designer to recreate a detailed yet beautiful design for a particular object is the one that are being paid for. One of the respected and successful designers in New York is Massimo Vignelli. He dedicated his life in designing and almost involved in various areas that requires his skills in creating and organizing beauty out of nothing. This well-known designer was born in Milan, Italy. He took up his bachelors’ degree in architecture at the Milan Polytechnic from 1950 to 1953 before completing it at the Universita di Architettura in Venice where he met his wife, Leila Vignelli. Massimo Vignelli’s first professional work was at Venini where he used to be a glassware designer. He taught at the Chicago Institute of Design from 1958 up to 1960 while his wife, Leila, worked as an architect for Skidmore, Owing and Merrill in New York. With their intention to still be connected to their homeland, they returned to Milan and open a practice institution for design which was named Leila and Massimo Vignelli Office for Design and Architecture. In 1965, Vignelli came to Chicago where he arranged a meeting with Ralph Eckerstrom, once a design director at Container Corporation of America (CCA) and a good friend. In this meeting came the idea of establishing a new design firm. Then, Unimark International was born with its co-founders Vignelli and Eckerstrom. With their similar viewpoints and principles in design, Vignelli and Eckerstrom took the challenge in the corporate design world. The firm’s vision: combining American marketing techniques with European modernist design within the same organization, creating an international firm that would get its strength through the best designs in the world, refinement of communications and educating the American design market. The beginning of Unimark International would not be successful without the people who believed in the concept of the two founders. Among those people who join the team of Vignelli and Eckerstrom were Bob Noorda, Larry Klein, James Fogelman, Robert Moldafsky, and at that time the respected design specialist Herbert Bayer. In 1971, Massimo Vignelli together with his wife, Leila Vignelli, founded the Vignelli Associates in New York. At the early years of the design firm, they have attained many corporate projects from Knoll, American Airlines, Bloomingdales, Xerox, Lancia, Cinzano, United Colors of Benetton, International Design Center New York and Ford Motors. Additional contracts from Venini, Steuben, and Sasaki for glassware design were also taken by the firm. Vignelli Associates was also responsible for the design of the showrooms of Artemide and Hauserman. Soon, Vignelli put his attention in designing furniture for Sunar, Posenthal, Morphos and Knoll. Among the well-known works of Vignelli are the Handkerchief Chair and Paper Clip table of Knoll. With the reputation of the Vignelli as a designer of versatility with illustrious design characteristic of clean work and the reputation of using bold lines and pure color in their design, they took the responsibility in designing the New York Subway signage. The Vignelli Associates first design the subway in 1968. Vignelli together with Bob Noorda planned to make a signage based on simple principle of delivering the necessary information to the people through the use of the Helvetica Medium which was then an exotic medium from Switzerland. The New York Standard Medium was used in the design due to the unavailability of the first proposed medium. After four years, Vignelli proposed a new design of the New York subway that replaced his previous work. This time, no more obscured angle of train routes instead all angles are set to 45 and 90 degree angle. Each stop was represented by a dot and each train line was represented by a color. The final work was a beauty of design art yet it still taken geographical correctness. Internationally, Massimo Vignelli’s works were published to various museums and art galleries. Among the notable museums and galleries that houses Vignelli’s work are the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York. His works can also be seen at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Montreal and at Die Neue Sammlung in Munich. He also became a lecturer in design at premier universities in the United States. Vignelli assumed many positions in various organizations in the US. These include the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) and the Alliance Graphique Internationale as president in both organizations. He was also the past vice president of the Architectural League in the US and a member of the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). Vignelli’s work was also been aired worldwide through the two feature-length television programs. A Europe tour of his work between 1989 and 1993 allow some places to discover and see his magnificent art works. Vignelli received many awards and appreciation for his art works. Among Vignelli’s many awards are as follows: Gran Premio Triennale di Milano (1964), Compasso d’Oro (1964, 1998) from the Italian Association for Industrial Design, Industrial Arts Medal of the American Institute of Architects (1973), Visionary Award from the Museum of Art and Design (2004), and the most recent is the Architecture Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2005. His latest work was the e-book entitled â€Å"The Vignelli Canon† which was released in January 2009. The copy of this modern version of Vignelli’s work can be downloaded for free from his website. References Art Directors Club biography, portrait and images of work. Retrieved April 5, 2009 @ http://www.adcglobal.org/archive/hof/1982/?id=255 â€Å"Massimo Vignelli of vignelli associates†. Designboom (2000). Retrieved April 6, 2009 @ http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/vignelli.html Unimark International. Retrieved April 6, 2009 @ http://www.unimark-international.com/beginnings1.html#beginnings1

Consider the presentation of the two main characters Essay

Consider the presentation of the two main characters. What are Austin and Trevor telling us about the pressure on women in the past and present? Jane Austin wrote ‘The Three Sisters’ in the 19th century. Jane Austin lived in a mercenary world, and she reflects this in her novels. No secret is made of the need to marry for money. Jane Austin believed that for marriage to work, people must have the same interests. The Three Sisters is about a woman called Mary. She has been proposed to by Mr Watts. He is older than her but she decides to marry him for his wealth and money. She also wants to get married before any of her sisters and the Duttons. However she fears her life will be miserable if she chooses to accept Mr Watts’ proposal. William Trevor wrote ‘Teresa’s Wedding’ around the 1970’s. William Trevor was born into a protestant family and brought up in a Catholic society. When troubles started to break out in Northern Ireland, William Trevor moved to England but he frequently visited Ireland. Teresa’s Wedding is also about marriage. The story starts off at the party after the wedding. Teresa has also married for convenience because she is pregnant. Both stories deal with loveless marriages and in both stories the women have little control over their lives. They are both under pressure to marry men they do not love. In Teresa’s Wedding marriage is seen as a means of escape from a grim community, a place of loneliness and frustration. In The Three Sisters marriage is seen as the only possible fulfilment for a woman. Mary is the eldest of the sisters. She has had her first offer of marriage, but she doesn’t know how to value it. She wants to be the first to be married, she does not want to marry Mr Watts but she wants to get married before Georgiana and Sophy. She knows that if she turns down the offer, Mr Watts shall ask either one of the sisters, and following the traditional conventions of the time she is expected to marry before her younger sisters. Mary appears to be very confused one moment she says â€Å"I shall have him† and the next â€Å"I hate him more than anything else in the world† Austin writes about her own class, the upper middle class, and is very critical about their lifestyles and social behaviour, creating very amusing characters and describing them with crony. She makes a mockery of their snobbish behaviour. She describes Mary as a childish and self-centred girl, who likes to boast and often makes herself look ridiculous in front of others. Teresa is a woman who has just married to a man called Artie Cornish. Teresa had a round, pretty face and black, pretty hair, and was a month and a half pregnant. Teresa is a kind and friendly girl. She is calm, even though she is faced with the situation of admitting to Artie, her husband, on her wedding day that she had â€Å"been in the field† with his friend Screw Doyle. She shows maturity in her optimism about her future, believing that she and Artie â€Å"might make some kind of marriage together† Trevor uses third person narrative in his story, everything is described in detail, we almost feel part of the festivities. However, he does not write about the characters thoughts and feelings. Austin’s story is written in first person narrative, in letter form. This helps us to understand the characters fully. In the two stories the women receive pressure from the society they live in. Teresa also receives pressure from the local priest Father Hogan, who shows very little feelings for her when she confesses that she does not love Artie † under the circumstances that line of talk is irrelevant† Mary receives pressure also from her mother who is â€Å"determined not to let this opportunity escape of settling one my daughters so advantageously† I think it is a lot easier to get married in modern society because we have no restrictions in who we choose to marry. We also do not have our parents choose who we marry, so there is no excuse for marrying some one who you do not love.

Phonology Assignment#8207; Example

Phonology Assignment#8207; Example Phonology Assignment – Assignment Example Sudan Arabic Oral Stops The difference between the sets of phrases is pre-glottal non-obstruent and voiced stops. The explanation for this is that each oral consonant in one set has a nasal equivalent in the other set, and that the matched consonants are in harmonized distribution before vowels. Since the matched consonants are in harmonized distribution in other perspectives as well, they can be acquired from a single sequence of phonemes undetermined for obstruence and nasality, disallows the assignment of nasality to obstruents, and the nasal alternatives are caused by an exceptionless rule spreading nasality from a nasal vowel to any consonant that does not bear (+obstruent). Similar to the other languages of this kind, Ikwerre supports this rule independently.This explains an otherwise confusing fact regarding the distribution of nasal consonants in languages of this kind: prevocalic nasal consonants normally fail to appear before vowels that do not occur with distinctive nasali zation. For instance, if the oral vowels /a/ and /i/ have no distinctive nasal counterparts, nasal consonants normally do not appear before [a] and [i], whether or not it is nasalized. Lexical exceptions may come up from frozen compounds, loanwords, reduplications and the like. Such gaps supply an independent diagnostic of the absence of unique nasality in consonants.ReferenceDickins, J. Sudanese Arabic: Phonematics and Syllable Structure. Semitica viva, Bd. 38. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2007. Print.

Ecology Definitions Essays - Ecology, Systems Ecology, Symbiosis

Ecology Definitions Essays - Ecology, Systems Ecology, Symbiosis Jose Luis Martinez Jr. September 23, 2013 Ecology Definitions 1.Ecology- scientific study of all the interrelationships between organisms and their environment. 2.Biosphere- relatively thins layer of Earth and its atmosphere that supports life. 3.Biotic factor- any living factor in an organisms environment. 4.Abiotic factor- any nonliving factor in an organisms environment such as soil, water, temperature, and light availability. 5.Population- group of organisms of the same species that occupy the same geographic place at the same time. 6.Biological community- all the inter acting populations of different species that live in the same geographic location at the same time. 7.Ecosystem- biological community and all the interrelationships between organisms and their environment. 8.Biome- Large group of ecosystems that share the same climate and have similar types of communities. 9.Habitat- Physical area in which an organism lives. 10.Niche- Role, or position, of an organism in its environment. 11.Predation- act of an organism feeding on another organism. 12.Symbiosis- close mutualistic, parasite, or commensal association between two or more species that live together. 13.Mutualism- symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit 14.Commensalism- symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other organism is neither helped nor harmed. 15.Parasitism- symbiotic relationship in which on organism benefits at the expense of another organism. 16.Autotroph- organism that captures energy from sunlight or inorganic substances to produce its own food; provides the foundation of the food supply for other organisms; also called a producer. 17.Heterotroph- organism that cannot make its own food and gets its nutrients and energy requirements by feeding on other organisms; also called a consumer. 18.Carnivore- Heterotroph that preys on other heterotrophs. 19.Herbivore- heterotroph that only eats plants. 20.Omnivore- heterotroph that consumes both plants and animals. 21.Detritivore- heterotroph that decomposes organic material and returns the nutrients to soil, air, and water making nutrients available to other organisms. 22.Trophic level Each step in food chain or food web. 23.Food chain- simplified model that shows a single path for energy flow through an ecosystem. 24.Food web- model that shows many interconnected food chains and pathways in which energy and matter flow through an ecosystem, 25.Biomass- total mass of living matter at each trophic level.

How To Use The Best Content Types To Reach Your Audience

How To Use The Best Content Types To Reach Your Audience When I go shopping, nothing frustrates me more than a â€Å"one size fits all† label. It never does. At least the â€Å"one size fits most† is a bit more honest, but still. The caps are too small, the gloves too long, the flip-flops are a travel hazard. Just no. Yet content marketers apply the dreaded â€Å"one size fits all† label to pretty much all that they make. It’s tough to get away from that if you don’t have a team of people helping you create all kinds of â€Å"sizes† of content. Solo bloggers are working hard enough just trying to blog, much less make content in a variety of forms. So let’s take a two-pronged approach: understanding the core content types, and understanding how people learn. With the launch of s new ability to not only plan your blog and social media content, but  now a lot more content types using your all-in-one marketing calendar, now is a great time to learn all about this. Let’s take a look at the most effective content types, and then figure out which â€Å"size† fits your audience the best. How To Connect The Best Content Types With Your Readers Learning Styles via @JulieNeidlinger The Most Effective Content Types Defining content types is not easy. Some content marketers use the phrase to talk about way a piece of content is written, while others use the phrase to talk about the format the content takes. In this post, I’m working with the latter approach, breaking it down to the four content types: graphics, video, downloads, and articles. 1. Visual graphics. Bold truth:  Even if you’re not a die-hard visual learner...visuals still work on you. Even if for no other reason than it’s easier to watch and feel than read and decipher. Most people would rather watch the movie than read the book. Whether it’s a meme, photo, illustration or infographic, the data is clear: Our brains love visuals. So for this reason, and the fact that social networks have all built themselves to handle images, visuals are the top content type. You could make a brand viable on visuals alone (e.g. Pinterest, Instagram). Must Read: How To Make The Best Blog Graphics For Non-Designers How To Design The Best Blog Graphics With Free Tools And Design Theory 2. Videos. Videos may be  a tough content type to get you or the team excited about, because they aren’t that easy to make. A poorly made video is dangerously close to being worse than having no video at all. And yet, despite all of you fellow wordsmiths out there (like me) who love the written word more than anything, the stats in support of video are pretty hard to argue: Videos increase people’s understanding of your product or service by 74%. YouTube is the number two search engine in the world. A third of all online activity is spent watching video. The average Internet user is exposed to an average of 32.2 videos in a  month. Every day, 100 million Internet users watch an online video. 50% of users watch business-related videos on YouTube once a week. 75% of users visit the marketer’s website after viewing a video. 75% of executives watch work-related videos on business websites at least once a week. An average user spends 16 minutes and 49 seconds watching online video ads every month. 80% of Internet users remember the video ads they watch online. That’s just 10  of 25 mind-blowing stats from Digital Sherpa about video potential that will either make you cry if you’re unprepared for video creation, or jumpstart your interest if you’ve let them lag a bit. Must Read: 5 Different Content Types That Will Help You Save Time Blogging (check out the section on making videos) 3. Ebooks and downloads. Ebooks (and other free downloads) are that beloved carrot that we use to collect email addresses for our ever-growing email list. The ebook is the portable piece of content that the reader can take with them when they aren’t on your blog. Readers who are also content marketers are always building their own library of resources because, let’s face it, we’re all in a bit of a desperate race to find something to write and talk about every day. As I said before, everything is derivative, and that’s OK. Ebooks are popular for people looking for inspiration for their own content. But ebooks are also popular for people who just like to...read. I’d encourage you to make your ebooks available beyond just your email sign up or landing page. Consider putting them where people go to buy and download ebooks for ebooks sake (i.e. Amazon, iTunes, Scribd, etc.). Most content marketers are sold on ebooks as a carrot for growing the email list, but they aren’t thinking beyond the realm of their own site. Ebooks can get your brand out there just like a best-selling author. Must Read: 17 Apps To Help You Make Ebooks That Get Noticed 4. Articles. Articles are blog posts, long social media posts, interviews- anything that is longer, written content found on your content properties. These are the pieces of content that bring people to your website, the search engine honeypot. Like visual content, articles have a wide range of approaches. They might be short form, long form, lists, narrative, outline, interview- the only limits on what you create with the article content type is what limits you as a writer, and where you will be publishing. Must Read: 10 Easy Blog Post Ideas To Fill Your Editorial Calendar It Matters How Your Audience Learns We all learn differently. That’s why that one-size-fits-all approach fails. Some of us want to hear, some of us want to read, some of us want a picture- we’re looking for a different hook. How we learn plays into how your audience prefers to consume content, and ultimately, if they will remember it. Understanding how readers learn will help you find the most effective content types to get your brand’s story to resonate. The seven learning styles are generally thought to be visual, aural, verbal, physical, logical, social, and solitary. Some of these don’t directly apply to the content you’ll be creating, so let’s package them up into something a bit more portable than a list of seven. Test different content types to discover how your audience learns. Build on that understanding.1. Visual learners. Visual learning is known as spatial learning. Visual learners need to see your data, your theory, or your story spelled out in imagery. They want to associate feelings with the photos you provide. They will remember an article better because of the graphic that topped it. Visual learners like whiteboards. They prefer to diagram and map out the idea they are discussing, because they see things as spatial and related. The are pleased when they see Venn diagrams or flowcharts. They brainstorm with mind maps. Content types that work well include: Infographics Videos (videos, along with podcasts, can also tap into the aural aspect of learning for those who prefer to listen to content). Maps Timelines Charts and graphs Photos and illustrations Slide decks Memes 2. Number crunchers. Number crunchers are logical beasts, preferring that you provide them with facts and data and let them draw their own conclusions. They are quick to pick out patterns and form connections between data. They love content that provides a systematic way to solve a problem that they can apply in their own situation. They like organization, lists, tied up conclusions, and the use of words like â€Å"template† or â€Å"data-driven solution† are an immediate attraction. Content types that work well include: Charts and graphs Infographics Case studies Webinars Sharing behind-the-scenes data (e.g. A/B test results) Research Guides White papers 3. Text lovers. Some of us love the written word. Sure, we love a helpful graphic or chart now and then to assist in visualizing some concept, but word pictures do a better job than actual pictures will, in the long run. A great metaphor or simile, or the perfect analogy- those kinds of word pictures will help us understand your brand much better than a pie chart. The trick here, of course, is that many content marketers love to express themselves verbally (that’s why they blog), but their audience may not always learn verbally. Content types that work well include: Long-form blog posts Ebooks White papers Guides Slide decks with words Story and narrative Serial content Graphics with words 4. Social learners. Some people learn best when there are other people involved. They want to surround themselves with a group, thriving off of feedback. This is the social learner. The social learner is especially fond of linking and name-dropping, and it makes sense that these learners are drawn to content marketing. Why? Content marketers rely heavily on each other. They write blog posts and share content that others have created, quoting and referencing the findings and ideas put forth by others. It is very much a group activity, which helps your brand. When your brand story is told secondhand, it gains authority in a kind of second generation format. It is given validity not only because you wrote it, but because someone else believed it enough to share or base their own content on it. Social learners receive curated and ultra-linked or ultra-discussed content well- anything that makes people a part of the content. Content types that work well include: Interviews Case studies Webinars List posts (collected links, resources, quotes, or responses to a singular question) Surveys Opinions (inspires discussion!) User-generated content (e.g. #CoChat) The Perfect Mix: Content Types And Learning Styles So how do we wrap this up, this crazy mix of content types and learning styles? No single audience is going to be made up of just one type of learning style. There are going to be many preferences at work, sometimes a mix of more than one. Here's how to connect different content types with different learning styles. #contentmarketing1. Content types are flexible. When you compare the lists in each learning style with the list of the most popular content types, you see some of those types popping up in multiple learning styles. There is no one content type reserved for one particular learning style. That’s a relief. 2. Content starts small and branches out. What you don’t do is create a single piece of content and load it up with everything for every learning type. That won’t work for anyone. The best approach is to think of your content as if it were a flower seed, with the potential to have various stages until full bloom. Let’s say that the seed is like a blog post. It is your base content. You will probably add fertilizer to that seed by including visual images in it, because even if people don’t learn visually, they appreciate a picture or two (remember, visual content is #1). The seed gets watered when you share it on social media. At that point, it starts to grow in the direction of the sun (your audience). The stem branches out from that original seed- maybe you create an infographic and share it. Maybe you create an ebook, and then create a video and podcast after that. Whatever the case, the content isn’t just a blog post anymore. It became more. The flower and stem aren’t literally packed into the seed. It comes later. In other words, your base content grows in the direction of your audience. Whatever they want, you create the content type to fit. This sounds familiar, hopefully. This is about repurposing your content, a concept we have often prodded readers to try. Because it really is important. Must Read: 50+ Places To Repurpose Your Content Make sure to download your free content types template to get started. And check out the new features in to help you plan all of your  content types in one place.

The effect of social media on Arab spring Research Proposal

The effect of social media on Arab spring - Research Proposal Example Social media diffuse social, economic, political, and cultural barriers within the society (Qualman 8). The speedy propagation and adoption of technology has fueled the use of social media as a tool for activism. The Arab Spring in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Syria, and Yemen demonstrate this potential. During the Arab Spring, social media played a critical role in spreading information and unifying the protesters. Social media can be defined as online media content created and shared by individuals on the cyberspace using freely and easily accessible websites. The websites employ interfaces that enable people to generate and post images, videos, as well as chat and text information. The created information can be shared with a select group of friends or the entire public domain. Social media incorporate blogs, wikis, forums, content communities, micro blogs, social networking sites, and podcasts. Social media detail characteristics such as participation, whereby individuals make contributions and receive feedback from the target groups. Similarly, it also incorporates openness, whereby social media encourage participation and feedback from all through voting, commenting, and sharing of information. Thirdly, it involves conversation, whereby social media is two-way contrasting broadcast oriented traditional media. The community aspect arises from allowing people to mutually share universal interests such as art and politics. Lastly, social media enhance connectedness by linking people, sites, locations, and resources. To a large extent, social media enhance democratization of information; transforming users from content readers to content publishers (Al-Deen & Hendricks 205). Social media effects can be classified into behavioural, attitudinal, cognitive, and emotional. Social media play a key role in the learning and social

Global operation and competition study of GlaxoSmithKline plc 181 Essay

Global operation and competition study of GlaxoSmithKline plc 181 - Essay Example Having over 99,000 employees, one unique feature of GSK is that fact that it came into existence only in 2000 through the measure of Glaxo Wellcome, SmithKline Beecham plc and SmithKline Beckman Corporation (quote). The table below outlines GSK’s key financials since 2009. There are a number of reasons that the pharmaceutical industry and GlaxoSmithKline were selected very specifically. In the first place, the selection of the pharmaceutical is based on the very favourable growth projections that have been made for the industry from now till 2018. MarketLine (2013) forecasted that by 2018, the industry will have a value of  £646.8699 billion, which is an increase of 26.8% since 2013 (see the figure below). This is an important projection that means that the pharmaceutical industry will be a major drive in global economic expansion. The rationale for selection is therefore based on the global economic hope that this unique industry gives. GlaxoSmithKline plc was on the other hand selected as a leader in the UK pharmaceutical industry to know how prepared the UK industry is to compete to be part of the global growth. Compared to its major competitors, GlaxoSmithKline has not been able to command a leading market capital for the past five years. This is regardless of the fact that compared to key competitors GlaxoSmithKline has a very large employee size. As showed in the table below also, GlaxoSmithKline has a very good gross margin but with the lowest revenue quarterly growth (quote). All these information shows that there are some fundamental causes to the company’s competitive position other than most of the internal factor that come from the everyday management of the organization. The aim of the research is therefore to understand how the external environment of the company impacts on its global operation and competition. The project shall be approached as a qualitative correlational study where GSK shall be compared to its major competitors to find

A study of how to synergize the works of internal auditors and Research Proposal

A study of how to synergize the works of internal auditors and external auditors to listed companies - Research Proposal Example Auditing has been designate as an important part of the disclosure process. The proposed research will identify the functions of internal and external audits, and determine how these functions can be synergized to ensure fairer and true audit reporting. The proposed research study intends to meet the following objectives: determine the significance of internal and external audits; determine the relationship between internal and external audit functions; and develop strategies to better audit functions in listed companies. Investment decisions are made based on financial information available at the time the decision is made. If theinvestor’s intentions are to be matched then the financial information provided must be fair and true. The concept of fairness involves impartial accounting of financial efforts. One such method of ensuring that the financial information is fair and true involves audit(Alzurqan&Al_Sufy 2011, p. 56). Audit is afinancial control toolapplied incorporate governance to acts as a safety measure against financial fraud and/or negligenceby company managers. It certifies that the stated financial information candidlyrepresentsreality, and that expenses have been sustained with regard to consistency and correctness. The principal function of audit is to:authenticatefinancial informationcorrectness and comprehensiveness;ensurefinancial information is tabulated correctly; and ensure that all expenses are approved and assured. Audit confirms that financial guidelines and instructionssatisfylegal provisions (Yuniarti 2011, pp. 84-85). Auditors are responsible for financial reporting, observance of code of ethics, risk management and compliance with pertinent regulations. The internal and external auditors work independently but on duplicated functions with the internal audit team responsible for preparing financial statements while the external audit team is

Are all waste products simply resources that have not been used yet Essay

Are all waste products simply resources that have not been used yet - Essay Example Waste products are made resources by the process of section, transportation, recycling and treatment. In addition, the system disposal is applied in determination of the number of recycle bins required to facilitate garbage collection at the curb. Nevertheless, the paper focuses on determining whether the waste products can be considered resources that have not been exploited. There has been a significant growth of governmental investment, among industrial sectors leading to increases of interest concerning Municipal Solid Waste MSW management projects. In this case, MSW management offers a vital opportunity for conversion of waste materials to resources. On the other hand, in order to convert waste materials to resources, there is need to understand the current situation experienced in MSW management (Hongtao & Yongfeng, 2001, 255). In fact, there are substantial factors playing a vital role in generation of MSW, which entail economic development, consumption rates, administrative s ystems, urban population and geographic location. However, the most important factors include the urban population and economic situation, which are considered a contributor to improvement of MSW quality. Waste products have been converted to resources through MSW for the last twenty years, thereby resulting to a change in the waste composition and an increase for waste. Therefore, value of waste based on increases of reusability is influenced by impacts of MSW components. Moreover, this entails domestic fuel used and other living standards, which are associated with the levels of composition. Some of identified sources of MSW include residential, municipal, institutional, commercial, and other attributes of the city that entail size, location and economic condition. There are high recyclable content gathered through MSW in exclusive residential districts; for instance, there are percentages of kitchen waste, ash and dirt, which are lesser than regular to inhabited district (Hongtao & Yongfeng, 2001, 259). On the other hand, there are other fractions of kitchen residue, thereby making up a higher portion of waste disposed by residential district. There is waste gathered from neighborhood as a high moisture content that has a lower calorific value. Historically, there is influence of waste composition based on the living standards of people living is various regions. Therefore, management of MSW has become a global issue due to its significance based on judgment made by mayors, county executives and city and country council broads. In fact, this decisions made by these actors has led to a significant impact on the emissions of greenhouse gas (GHG), thereby contributing to climatic changes (Weitz, Thorneloe, Nishtala, Yarkosky & Zannes, 2002, 1001). Waste caused CH4 emissions emanating from decomposition of biodegradable elements present in waste streams such as food scraps, yard trimming and papers, they have led to increased potential for global climatic chang es (Weitz, Thorneloe, Nishtala, Yarkosky & Zannes, 2002, 1002). Moreover, this is associated by the release of GHG, which is debated in the country and in other countries around the world. MSW management program is applied as a resource for reduction of GHG emission, whereby it is

Benjamin Franklin Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Benjamin Franklin - Research Paper Example Life in Philadelphia was focused mainly on applying his expertise as a printer. It is here where he married Deborah Read in 1730 at the age of 24. The entrepreneurial skills of the spouses were enhanced through diverse businesses ranging from retail selling, bookstore, printing and contributing literary works in the Pennsylvania Gazette (US History, par. 14). One of the most famous works he published as Richard Saunders is the â€Å"Poor Richard’s Almanac† where â€Å"years later the most striking of these sayings were collected and published in a book† (Bellis, 3). In 1749, Benjamin’s scientific pursuits were highlighted as he invented diverse gadgets, to wit: the Franklin stove, â€Å"swim fins, the glass harmonica (a musical instrument) and bifocals† (US History, par. 21). He was more famously known for having conducted various experiments leading to the discovery of electricity (Bellis, 2011). In another field of endeavor, Benjamin ventured into the political arena in the 1750s. He had vast accomplishments in Philadelphia, of which the following are noteworthy: â€Å"first circulating library in Philadelphia, an academy which grew into the University of Pennsylvania., the foundation of a hospital† among others (Bellis, 5). He was likewise civic minded and envisioned to provide a more beneficial society through â€Å"the paving and cleaning of the streets, better street lighting, the organization of a police force and of a fire company† (Bellis, 5). The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) revealed that more than being a man of diverse interests, Benjamin Franklin was considered a citizen of the world for having â€Å"negotiated treaties with Great Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, and Spain and helped secure Americas place in the world. As a respected scientist and scholar, he was granted honorary degrees in England, Scotland, and America. And as an Enlightenment thinker, he exchanged letters

Educating High School Students About The Importance Of Contraceptives Research Paper

Educating High School Students About The Importance Of Contraceptives - Research Paper Example Providing sexual education to high school students on the significant of using contraceptives is crucial because it is one way of maintaining their health. The health of students is essential because it will enable students to study well in schools without any health complications. Earlier pregnancy to students may lead to health risks especially to young mothers. The research study indicates that a woman is supposed to start giving birth at least when she is more than 18 years old, but about 15 million teenagers bear children when they have not yet reached the required child bearing age. This poses a health risks to them, and the risk to younger mothers is higher than the risk to the mother above 25 to 25 years. For example, the maternal mortality rate for teenagers between 13 to 16 years of age is three times higher than females in their earlier or late twenties. Distributing and educating high school students on the significant of contraceptives will reduce the sexually transmitte d diseases such as HIV/ AIDS and other diseases. STDs pose dangerous threats notably to sexually active students. Most of the high school students are sexually active because of physical changes and peer group influences from their friends. Many of them do not understand the significant and the way of protecting themselves from unwanted pregnancies and STDs. Many societies are frown on issues of premarital sex; thus most high school students may feel ashamed or embarrassed in case they make efforts of seeking help about the use of contraceptives. Therefore, increasing awareness through educating students on the significant of health reproductive and HIV/ AIDS prevention is crucial (Hartman, Monasterio, and Hwang (233). For instance, the school my introduce this programs as school curriculum or provide mass education activities at least once in a month to all students. This is vital because it will raise awareness and enable students to engage in safe sexual intercourse. Sex educatio n on the use of contraceptives is one way through which students become aware of the problems associated with unwanted pregnancies and STDs. Distributing contraceptives such as condoms and educating students on having safe sex is vital. This is because it will enable students to make healthy sexual decisions. Many parents ignore to offer guidance and counseling or teach their teenagers on the importance of using contraceptives because of fear and believe that they will encourage sexual behaviors to their children (Bruess and Jerrold 314). However, educating teenagers on the importance of having safe sex is essential because high schools students already know about sex. For instance, the increased technological advancement especially media and Internet have exposed many teenagers to various sexual behaviors. Therefore, they know everything about sex;

Benjamin Franklin Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Benjamin Franklin - Research Paper Example Life in Philadelphia was focused mainly on applying his expertise as a printer. It is here where he married Deborah Read in 1730 at the age of 24. The entrepreneurial skills of the spouses were enhanced through diverse businesses ranging from retail selling, bookstore, printing and contributing literary works in the Pennsylvania Gazette (US History, par. 14). One of the most famous works he published as Richard Saunders is the â€Å"Poor Richard’s Almanac† where â€Å"years later the most striking of these sayings were collected and published in a book† (Bellis, 3). In 1749, Benjamin’s scientific pursuits were highlighted as he invented diverse gadgets, to wit: the Franklin stove, â€Å"swim fins, the glass harmonica (a musical instrument) and bifocals† (US History, par. 21). He was more famously known for having conducted various experiments leading to the discovery of electricity (Bellis, 2011). In another field of endeavor, Benjamin ventured into the political arena in the 1750s. He had vast accomplishments in Philadelphia, of which the following are noteworthy: â€Å"first circulating library in Philadelphia, an academy which grew into the University of Pennsylvania., the foundation of a hospital† among others (Bellis, 5). He was likewise civic minded and envisioned to provide a more beneficial society through â€Å"the paving and cleaning of the streets, better street lighting, the organization of a police force and of a fire company† (Bellis, 5). The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) revealed that more than being a man of diverse interests, Benjamin Franklin was considered a citizen of the world for having â€Å"negotiated treaties with Great Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, and Spain and helped secure Americas place in the world. As a respected scientist and scholar, he was granted honorary degrees in England, Scotland, and America. And as an Enlightenment thinker, he exchanged letters

Interracial relationships within teammates in sports Essay

Interracial relationships within teammates in sports - Essay Example In the arena of sports, this is especially true and of especial importance. The various factors that form this list in the arena of teamwork and relationships on and off the field have been discussed in this paper so as to pose relevant questions regarding the quality of these relationships. To be more specific, this paper discusses the area of interracial relationships and the quality of the same within and outside the field. To begin with, let us define sports. The term 'sports' signifies the act of playing a game according to rules so as to declare a winner and a loser. But the very concoction of word sport will demonstrate that no one really loses. The very fact that a person or a team has stood on the field and performed so as to uphold the game and its rules, is enough to make any person a winner for life. In context of the above mentioned factors and discussion of sports, it may be asserted that there is a strong play of motivation in the conduct of sports and that of sportsmen. The basic motivational factor that is being studied in this paper is a combination of all the factors discussed above with a focus on interracial relationships and how these affect the relationships shared within team-mates on the field and off of it. (Eig, 2007) The motivation based on racial factors mirrors the fact that there is a lot yet to be learnt in terms of the factors that actually shape the psyche of the sportsman and affect his performance in the process. It may also be noted that despite the progress made by the world in terms of phenomena like globalisation, there is still a lot left to achieve as far as one on one relationships between people of various races is concerned. This adheres to various spheres and not just sports. Since a sport is all about teamwork more than anything else, it is easy to see these flaws and take stock of the same. McConley, Pg 3 (2008) In this regard, the foremost question that needs to be asked is whether or not the motivational factors for team mates depends on the friendships and bonds formed on the basis of colour and race. For example, let us look at the case of Jackie Robinson. A baseball player par excellence, who played for the Dodgers starting with the Negro League Kansas City Monarchs in 145, he went on to lead the international batting average with .349 average. Yet, there was constant heckling that he had to face once he got down on the field. The person who stood up and supported him openly was Dodgers captain, Pee Wee Reese. Also, Robinson found strong support in the person who had faced similar discrimination - team mate and Jewish baseball star Hank Greenburg. (Eig, 2007) So the question that comes up here is whether or not like attracts like. Is this a case of the discriminated standing up for the discriminated, or a White person standing up for a minority no matter what. The question that needs to be asked is whether or not the recognition of talent should be the greatest motivation rather than the

Human Behavior And The Social Environment Philosophy Essay

Human Behavior And The Social Environment Philosophy Essay Skinner is a radical behaviorist and determinist who proposed that human behavior is controlled by objective observable factors such as environmental conditions and genetic factors. He suggested that human behavior can be classified into two types: respondents and operants. Respondents are behaviors that caused by environmental stimulus while operants are behaviors that act on the environment. He asserted that both respondents and operants are totally controlled by the environment. The main difference of these two kinds of behaviors is the nature of the control. Respondent is elicited by an environmental stimulus while operant occurs before the environmental stimulus. The environmental consequences which due to operants will control the behaviors that follows. There are three major ways that the environmental consequences can control behaviors: reinforcement, punishment and extinction. Inner State Skinner defined inner state such as feelings and emotions as a predisposition to act which means affecting the probability of occurrence in certain behaviors. He claimed that inner state is the effects of genetic make-up and personal experiences rather than the cause of behaviors. Thinking and Decision Making Skinner perceived thinking as a kind of behavior which is also affected by our own past experiences and through others instructions. A kind of thinking that Skinner mentioned is decision making which is closely related to making choices. Skinner asserted that free choices do not exist. Our past experiences, behaviors and behavioral consequences control the decisions or choices that we make. Freedom According to Skinner (1971), Freedom is a matter of contingencies of reinforcement, not of the feelings the contingencies generate (p. 38). He defined freedom as a behavioral process but nothing related to the state of mind. He believes that freedom can be partly experienced when we could avoid or escape from aversive elements of the environment. However, we still cant free ourselves from the environment. Self- Control Although Skinner emphasized that behaviors are entirely controlled, our determined behaviors can modify the physical and social environments which exert different effects on our behavior, thus controlling ourselves indirectly. He believed that the behavior which causes aversive consequences can be controlled by negative reinforcement such as avoiding or escaping from the situation in order to reduce the probability of being punished. The Perspective from Rogers Rogers took the humanistic phenomenology approach (Nye, p. 98) to understand human development. Self-Actualization Rogers believed that self-actualization, which includes personal growth and realization of basic potentialities, exists in human. He suggested that we should not set any absolute limit to the level of actualization as our full potential is always an unknown based on our present knowledge. Inner Human Experiencing To study human behavior, Roger emphasized the importance of inner human experiencing. This refers to evaluating ourselves subjectively such as our thoughts and feelings and trying to understand others empathetically. The Self Theory The subjective awareness of ourselves and the surrounding environment are the most important determinants of behaviors. The objective reality of the environment is not an important factor that determines behaviors. This means that the realistic self-concept develops a perception of the external reality and the circumstance in which we find ourselves, thus affecting behaviors. Unconditional Positive Regard Rogers suggested that positive regards are innate needs of humans, which include love, acceptance and respect. These needs are usually fulfilled by others who are in intimate relationships with us. Unconditional positive regards mean these needs can be fulfilled simply because we, as humans, are worthy. When these needs are not given unconditionally, especially in childhood, then there is a higher possibility for unfavorable characteristics to be developed. On the contrary, conditioned positive regards refer to regards that are only given when we meet others expectations. The key differences in viewing human development between Skinner and Rogers Views on Human Nature In Rogers approach, he assumed that we naturally have an actualizing tendency and are growth-motivated persons (Nye, p. 135). On the other hand, Skinner viewed humans as environmentally controlled persons (Nye, p. 135) who are being predisposed and manipulated since birth to become products of the environment. Views on Personality Development Regarding personality development, Skinner stressed that it depends primarily on the outcomes that our behaviors have. We all have different personalities which make us as unique persons because there are differences in our reinforcement histories. The stronger the history of positive reinforcement is, the more likely for us to well-develop a favorable personality. Differently, Roger believed that humans have the potential to maintain an ever-upward spiraling in development if we are exposed to unconditional positive regards. Views on Human Behavior Although Rogers admitted that there is an influence of the environment on human behaviors, he stressed that the subjective, inner feelings and experiences play the most significant role in determining behaviors. In contrast, Skinner insisted that our behaviors are merely controlled by genetic and environmental factors but not any of our inner states. He believed that we are controlled by the environment in three major ways: reinforcement, extinction and punishment. Views on Freedom When it comes to freedom, Rogers perceived it as something inner, subjective and existential. As long as the openness and responsiveness to the totality of our experiencing are developed within us, we could experience a sense of freedom and choose the way we behave. On the other hand, Skinner argued that freedom is nothing related to the state of mind. Humans are not free to decide our own fates but are determined by the environment. My commentary on Rogers and Skinner Perspectives I prefer Rogers over Skinner perspective on human development. I think that Skinner over-emphasized on behavior control which is dehumanizing and might indirectly mislead the society to treat persons as objects or machines which to be manipulated. I tried to imagine how my life would have become if Rogers perspective didnt ever existed and my personal beliefs were all based on Skinners approach. All of my behaviors and experiences were predetermined and being controlled which I did not have any choices at all. I couldnt experience the sense of satisfaction from what I endeavored to achieve since i would believe that favorable environment was the only reason which contributed to my success. It would be discouraging and my life would have less meaning. On the other hand, Rogers perspective makes me feel optimistic towards life by believing that the potential for growth and actualization reside within myself. Despite things are falling apart in times of adversity, I still live with hope and strongly believe that I am equipped with the power to overcome difficulties and live a better life in the future. Rogers perspective enhanced my self-understanding especially through the concept of unconditional positive regards. According to my own personal experiences, I strongly agree with Rogers that unconditional positive regards are prominent to the development of a healthy, fully functioning person. In my childhood, I had learnt that love and acceptance could only be gained with the condition that I was well-behaved, independent and expressed with favorable feelings and emotions. As a result, I have been experiencing psychological discomforts over the years with the feeling of being broken. I mean there is a large discrepancy between my actual and ideal self which Rogers called it as incongruence (Nye, 2000, p. 110). Moreover, I appreciated Rogers who had taken an inclusive approach to study human development which involves objective, subjective and empathic perspectives. He paid great attention to the inner state of human while at the same time didnt deny that the environment affects how we behave. All, in all, I think both perspectives have its interest to offer and undoubtedly allowed me to enhance self-understanding, the behaviors of others as well as the effects of the physical and social environment. Although the understanding of theories on human development is important, I believe that we should keep in mind not to overlook each individuals unique personality and experiences nor over-generalize individuals by imposing these theories on them.

What Is Truth :: essays research papers

What is Truth?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Four values above all are the key to ultimate happiness and contentment and are evident in the first paragraph of 'The Sound of Laughter';. Here it reads: 'My memory when I'm gone will be colorful, rich, full of happiness and light.…they will see a bright smiling picture with trickles of laughter in the background and the chirp of peace echoing throughout my aura.'; Here my value of optimism is shown through being vulnerable to having your heart filled with color, richness, and light. If you can do this it enables you to overcome the nasty demons that destroy such powerful things as optimism and vulnerability. If you hold the capacity to instill such values within yourself you will finally see the truth in the phenomenon that says light always overcomes such demons as darkness and seclusion. To be peaceful is another value I paint by saying '…a bright smiling picture with trickles of laughter echoing throughout the background.'; To be peaceful is to reside where such light is resonated. When you reach such an elevated state of consciousness such light will resonate through you enabling your inner peace be your amour, protector of any outside hurt rising you out of pain. To see beauty is another value I uncover to you by giving you an optional lucid dream. This dream is hinted in the background meanings of descriptive, and almost poetic suggestions like, ';My memory when I'm gone will be colorful, rich and full of happiness and light…they will see a bright smiling picture with trickles of laughter in the background…chirp of peace echoing throughout my aura.'; If you can remain optimistic and peaceful it would only be natural to see the poetic beauty and the movement of the words used for description in the above excerpt because your higher level of consciousness breaks away such chains of fear and hurt and gives you a holy armor. Finally the last hidden value of truth is my final and most important moral value. It rises above the rest because it is the only one that will insure complete an angelic state. It is a universal truth that lives within each of us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Truth is universally important. Without truth nothing is real, all would be an illusion of lies and fables steering us into the confusion and chaos of a complex mirage. Who is to know what really exists, what is really pure and what is completely uncontaminated by lies?

Effects of Technology Essays -- essays research papers fc

Advancement in technology has affected many people in many ways. New technology has altered peoples' consciousness, language, and the way society views the world. Technological advancements have made the world smaller, and have made things easier. Computers have been the inventions that have advanced so much since they were developed and have had such a big impact on humanity. Computers were originally developed to use for doing calculations and have come to the point that people cannot function normally without them. "Humans were once considered to be superior to all other creatures of the Earth. The reason for human supremacy was the ability to think, process data, store information, and perform calculations"(Silver, 5). Until the second half of the twentieth century, nothing could perform these tasks faster and more accurately than the human mind. Use of Computers "Computers first became available in the early 1950s to be used as "super calculators" for processing numbers. Since then, computers have evolved into something far superior" (Silver, 10). Much of the reason for the rapid growth and popularity of computers was an increase in paperwork in business and government. "More forms, letters, memos, reports, correspondence, and documents are generated in one day today than were produced in the entire nineteenth century"(Silver, 13). People came to realize that the computer is the best, most efficient, timesaving tool to control information. In 1950 there were only a dozen or so large-scale computers in the United States. By 1975 the number had grown to 155,000. Soon after came the invention of minicomputers, microprocessors, and desktop computers. By the 1990s, a personal computer had grown to become a necessity in almost every home and business. In less than three decades, the computer has become indispensable to business, industry, government, in school, and home. Computer literacy is now considered as vital as learning to read and is to be taught to everyone. The influence of computer technology is evident in many aspects of society. Whether it is to help space exploration or processing checks or producing mailing labels, computers are used. Applications of computers in society influence each typical person. Some recognition of the role of computers results from the way computers... ...oblems like cyberhate arise. Whether we like it or not, computer technology has advanced to the point of becoming a major part of our lives. Each time we use a credit card or register for a class on campus, we are all affected by computers. Computers influence our activities, attitudes, and the way we think. The influence of computers will continue to expand in the future, but people have to learn not to revolve their lives around computers. Works Cited 1. Farina, Stephen. The Wired Neighborhood. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996 2. Gay, Martin K. The New Information Revolution. California: ABC-CLIO, 1996 3. Mathews, Walter M. ed. Monster or Messiah? :The Computer's Impact on Society. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1980 4. Moore, Dinty W. The Emperor's Virtual Clothes: the naked truth about the internet culture. North Carolina: Algonquin Books, 1995 5. Rheingold, Howard. The Virtual Community. Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1993 6. Silver, Gerald A. The Social Impact of Computers. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc. 1979 7. Conte, Christopher. "Networking the Classroom." Congressional Quarterly Researcher Oct. 1995

Legalising Prostitution: Debate, communication model and evaluation

Section 1: Group Discussion This section contains what was discussed during group discussion session. The general area of prejudice chosen for discussion was prostitution. Dubbed the oldest profession, there was unanimous observation among group members that prostitution is still loathed in the society, and commercial sex workers, mostly women, are still treated with contempt within our society. The common notion about prostitution is that whilst men are often ‘buyers’ of sex service from prostituting women, the latter are victims of exploitation. The term exploitation is used because women who engage in prostitution are seen to be compelled to engage in commercial sexual activities against their will. Whilst the common fact is that women who engage in prostitution see it as a source of income, and participate in it with their full consent without coercion, we observed that it is quite difficult to convince a person whose belief is entrenched in the moral dimension of commercial sex work that it is a normal activity. The prejudice against women is also entrenched by the belief that women who engage in this trade are of lesser social standing, even though this is always not the case. The other common belief is that while women prostitutes are looked down upon, men do not suffer any form of prejudice. In other words, men are often seen as the exploiters of sex workers, and hence do not enjoy any fair share of prejudice. On the other hand, both men and women engaging in prostitution are seen as morally repugnant, hence the common prejudice that come with it. The debate to legalise prostitution or not has been in the public domain for quite some time now. But it is the increased attention that it has received in the recent past that has invoked a lot of passionate debate in many legal jurisdictions as regards whether to legalise it or not. We may be all aware that one of the reasons why same-sex marriage has gained much currency today is because it is no longer viewed as socially unacceptable to the extent that it is not legal to hold gay couples in contempt in many countries. In recent past, it was not difficult to meet some strong views against marijuana user; with some even believing that the latter were losers who should be kept at the periphery of the society. However, criticism over marijuana use has waned in the recent past because of the recent revelation that it could be used to treat cancer. In addition, marijuana has also been used for pain relief for some time. This recent development has meant opposition to campaigns to keep marijuana illegal is at an all-time low. However, the same cannot be said about prostitution. The stigma associated with the sex trade remains strong, with women and men engaging in it seen as socially ambiguous individuals without moral standing in society. This kind of idea can promote dangerous conducts towards prostitutes. The fact that prostitutes are not regarded highly puts them at more risks to abuse including rape and murder. In addition, prostitutes are more likely to contract sexually transmitted diseases, further endangering their lives. Decriminalising prostitution will not only protect women but will also improve their safety and their rights, because however much it is made illegal, the oldest profession is not likely to go away anytime. Section 2: Commentary and Rationale This section will cover commentary on the topic and discuss it based on the chosen model of communication, the heuristic-systematic model. The debate on whether to legalise prostitution or not has intensified in the recent past, with voices advocating for the latter increasing in number every day. It’s no doubt that the stigma associated with prostitution is real, and remains strong amidst the growing knowledge that it will not stop any time soon. This is despite the rising evidence that decriminalising the trade has some significant health benefits. Research by two economists, Scott Cunningham and Manisha Shah (cited in Albarracin, et al., 2005, p. 78), looked at the situation in Rhodes Island when prostitution was accidentally decriminalised and found that cases of gonorrhoea had drastically reduced, as rape incidences. . Shannon et al. (2004, cited in Griffin, 2006, p.139) also confirmed this result when they conducted a study in Vancouver, British Colombia, and found out t hat decriminalising of prostitution can significantly reduce HIV prevalence by minimising its spread. Despite all the evidence showing the benefits of legalising prostitution, the benefits have not attracted the attention of the legislators. . In addition, many have argued that idea of legalising prostitution is unattractive to voters and therefore to politicians. There is need to focus on presenting arguments that provide options to the intended audience on the need to legalise abortion, and that is where the model for persuasive communication will be necessary in the subsequent section of this paper. The Heuristic-Systematic Model of Social Information Processing The concept of persuasion is an important aspect to not only convincing the people to accept an idea but also to drive changes of mind towards the accomplishment of the idea. The Heuristic-Systematic Model (Chaiken & Trope, 1999) recognises that people either use heuristics and short-cuts to decide on important issues, or use a systematic mechanism that processes the merits and demerits of an argument. The Heuristic approach suggests that the decision-maker asks questions such as of ‘how do I feel about this issue?’ despite the recognition that such questions can cause problems of understanding and choice, particularly when the person facing the decision dilemma mixes up the cause and the effect of their emotions. In other words, the Heuristic-Systematic Model recognises that in any argument there are a number of variables that are conceptually independent of the message quality and which are likely to influ ence people to act or agree with the proposed idea. Dillard & Pfau (2002) state that that these variables are able to qualitatively differentiate information processing, and give people more room to negotiate with their thinking process. It is important to recognise that people rarely process information in perfect conditions, because there are often environmental and cognitive constraints that tend to either limit the broadness of reasoning or curtail information processing. In this line of thought, people tend to process information economically; investing only in cognitive efforts when they feel motivated enough with a number of cognitive resources. In the prostitution decriminalisation debate, this can be said to affect that the way people reason, that is, arguments are likely to be based on strong environmental and cognitive influences entrenched by history, personal interest or fear, religious and cultural convictions. For instance, some arguments have emerged that prostitution should remain illegal because legalising it will mean women of loose morals will increasingly tempt men of good morals to increasingly betray their families. This kind of argument tends to make out that women who engage in prostitution a re the villains. The other belief is that women who engage in prostitution should be protected from being hurt against: sexually transmitted diseases, unruly pimps, and exploitation. The other argument would only be based on religion and historical cultural practices that prohibits prostitution as a trade. The three lines of arguments are motivated by different lines of thought, which can fall in either heuristic or systematic message processing mechanism. Ironically, the arguments against prostitution which include the view that women of loose morals prey upon upstanding men of good morals and lead them to betray their families has been accepted in some countries such as Sweden, which in 1999, criminalised the buying of sex but allowed individuals to continue selling it (Dillard & Pfau, 2002). Many proponents of this legislation argued that violence against prostituting in women is inherent, and that the best way was to reduce prostitution prevalence by limiting activities of the potential buyers. On the other hand, the State of Nevada, United States legalised prostitution to protect women from exploitation and abuse (Taleb, 2012). The Heuristic- Systematic model posits that people generally process persuasive information systematically only when they are fully motivated. When one is in a systematic mode, they tend to take into consideration all relevant pieces of information, elaborately analyse the information, and make a judgment based on the elaborated issues. However, whenever people are not adequately motivated or do not possess sufficient cognitive resources, they often resort to processing of information heuristically or superficially. People in a heuristic mode of thinking consider only a few or a single informational cue and come up a judgment based on the cues. Whilst decriminalising or legalising prostitution has attracted massive debate, its inability to pass the legislative hurdle or even attract attention of the political class has been overbearing for its proponents. In other words, legalising of sex trade has not been high amongst the priorities of many legislative agendas for many countries, i ncluding United Kingdom and United States (Taleb, 2012). The reason why the Heuristic- Systematic model can work towards pushing for the legalisation of prostitution is because of its dualism nature, which allows the message to reach different classes of people. The goal here is to get support for legislation that would see prostitution decriminalised, and protect the parties involved. . Expert advice backed by research findings are powerful tool to convince legislators, who may not take their time to scrutinise the quality of persuasive arguments, and mostly prefer quick fixes in making decisions. Packaging a message heuristically can allow the legislators to pick the cue, and avoid the difficult process of differentiating a strong and a weak message (Griffin, 2006). Reimer, et al (2004, p.81) observe that â€Å"people who expect to discuss a persuasion message later are more affected by the number of persuasive arguments but are never affected by the attractiveness of the communicator.† It is presumed that the importance of the message easily induce systematic processing of the message. By contrast, people who do not expect to discuss the message are often affected by how attractive the communicator is, and not affected by the number of persuasive arguments (Reimer, et al, 2004). Studies have proven that motivational variables affect the mode in which people process persuasive arguments. These variables include personal relevance of the message, importance of the task, attitude accountability and exposure to a person’s attitude (Chaiken & Trope, 1999). On the other hand, there are cognitive resource variables that affect the mode of message processing, which includes distraction, repetition of the message, creating time pressure, a nd modality of communication, knowledge and expertise (Griffin, 2006). Although it is important to recognise these modes of communicating the message in terms of communicating the value of legalising prostitution, it should not appear as though there is any form of dissociation of the variables at the early stage of the group means (Griffin, 2006). Similarly, heuristically communicating the message should be able to have direct effects on the attitudes of the target group. In this aspect, when the people agree in a consensus that prostitution should be legalised, then it can be considered correct and valid for acceptance. An important factor which should be covered by any dual-process model is how the two processes interact or work together. Although one may argue that the two processes, heuristic and systematic are mutually exclusive or are competing concepts, in this case of legalising prostitution they should work together. The Heuristic-Systematic model posits that the two proc esses, heuristic and systematic, are indeed working simultaneously. Evidence of how these two processes can work is when arguments pitting two judgmental implications of both of them. For instance, an expert source delivering a message consisting of weak arguments can present a scenario where both systematic and heuristic processing of messages is done under different levels of motivation. It is also important to note that the heuristic-systematic model attenuates that wherever the two processes opposes each other, the implications the comes from systematic processing can â€Å"easily attenuate the impact of heuristic given that people are sufficiently motivated.† For example, Griffin, (2006).found out those highly motivated participants who were presented with consensus cue information that is inconsistent with the attributes singularly based their judgments on their own cognitive prowess in relation to the product attributes. This concept is applicable in the case of prosti tution legalisation debate, in the sense that legislators can use their own cues and decide on the legislative agendas that will legalise commercial sex work. Section 3: Evaluation Proposal Evaluating heuristic- systematic model effectiveness is an important part of this model’s success towards ensuring the message to legalise prostitution is effectively passed. Effective communications needs evaluation, which helps to identify the impact of the efforts made in passing the message to the target audience. To effectively monitor the communication model, various tools shall be used in the process. Public opinion evaluation: Getting the opinions of the public as far as legalising prostitution is concerned is an important point to start from. Public opinion monitoring tool will be used to ask the public if they heard about the campaign to legalise prostitution from opinion leaders including legislators and non-governmental organisations. In addition, the questions will be directed to ask the public whether they agree with the manner in which legislators in support of the prostitution presented their messages or agreed with them in the context and reasons given by the leaders. For example, questions such as: Whose arguments made sense in the call to legalise prostitutionAnd whyThe questionnaire trackers will be recorded in terms of age, gender, work status, tenacity. The methodology to be used will remain consistent over time to allow for the tracking of metrics over time for comparison purposes. Evaluating media Evaluating the media response on how effective the proposed model will work, the formal process for evaluating the impact of the campaign in the media is to analyse whether it can be replicated and made part of regular campaign mechanism. Media Coverage Before Campaign (airtime/space) Coverage After Campaign (airtime/ space) % Increase in Coverage BBC National News BBC London ITV National News London Tonight Evening Standard Metro Radio 4 Times The table above will provide a guideline on how the media coverage has increased/ or decreased due to the campaign. This will be able to help bring depth to the understanding of our campaign, and if the media (both mainstream and tabloids) respond to increased debate. By monitoring how the media has changed the amount of airtime/ or newspaper coverage space in covering the legislative debates, it is possible to analyse the outcome of the campaign in ensuring the legislators continually discuss the possibility of decriminalising or legalising prostitution. The media monitoring will be conducted by assistants on everyday basis, and compiled in a weekly report for tracking if there is any change in trends. Each article or piece of broadcast coverage will be allocated points based on the following criteria: Positivity/negativity of the message (in favour of legalising prostitution): analysing the articles, opinions, newspaper columns and news coverage. Positivity/ negativity of the headl ines: positive mentions of the campaign groups, legislators; and Neutrality of opinions reported Finally, a range of stories will be typically evaluated and compiled on a daily basis, and tabulated on a weekly basis. Classification of stories will ensure the campaign program can be understood in the manner in which the media responds to the legislative debates, which is likely to translate into public debate as well. References Albarracin, D., Johnson, B. T., & Zanna, M. P. (2005). The handbook of attitudes. Mahwah, N.J: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers Chaiken, S., & Trope, Y. (1999). Dual-process theories in social psychology. New York: Guilford Press. Dillard, J.P. & Pfau, M. (2002). The persuasion Handbook: Developments in Theory and Practice. NY: Sage Publications. Griffin, E. A. (2006). A first look at communication theory (6th ed.). Boston, MA; McGraw Hill. Reimer, T., Mata, R & Stoecklin, M. (2004). The use of Heuristics in Persuasion: Deriving Cues on Source Expertise from Argument Quality. In Current Research in Social Psychology, 10(6), 69-83. Taleb, N. (2012). Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder. New York: Random House.