Monday, September 30, 2019

Application of Biotechnology 1

Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. The concept encompasses a wide range of procedures for modifying living organisms according to human purposes. For thousands of years, humans have used selective breeding to improve production of crops and livestock to use them for food. In selective breeding, organisms with desirable characteristics are mated to produce offspring with the same characteristics. For example, this technique was used with corn to produce the largest and sweetest crops. In the early twentieth century scientists gained a greater understanding of microbiology and explored ways of manufacturing specific products. Biotechnology has also led to the development of antibiotics. In 1928, Alexander Fleming discovered the mold Penicillium. It is use to treat bacterial infections in humans. The first use of biotechnology was used in fermentation. Throughout the use of agriculture, farmers have inadvertently altered the genetics of their crops through introducing them to new environments and breeding them with other plants one of the first forms of biotechnology. Applications Biotechnology has applications in four major industrial areas, including health care (medical), crop production and agriculture, non food (industrial) uses of crops and other products (e. g. biodegradable plastics, vegetable oil, biofuels), and environmental uses. Biotechnology is also used to recycle, treat waste, clean up sites contaminated by industrial activities (bioremediation), and also to produce biological weapons. 1. Medicine a. Genetic testing: Genetic testing involves the direct examination of the DNA molecule itself. A scientist scans a patient's DNA sample for mutated sequences. The tests can detect mutations associated with rare genetic disorders like cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, and Huntington's disease. Gene tests may not detect every mutation associated with a particular condition because many are as yet undiscovered Gene testing is used for: 1. Determining sex; 2. Forensic/identity testing; 3. Newborn screening; 4. Prenatal diagnostic screening. b. Human Genome Project: The Human Genome Project is an initiative of the U. S. Department of Energy. It has helped us to determine the exact chemical sequence that constitutes the DNA in every cell of a human body. It has the following advantages: 1. Doctors could drip droplets of our genes into a biochip to figure out if we have cancer that could kill or a disease that would respond to a particular drug. 2. Scientists could analyse selective genes from parents and could design babies before conception. c. Cloning: Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. It involves the removal of the nucleus from one cell and its placement in an unfertilized egg cell whose nucleus has either been deactivated or removed. There are two types of cloning: 1. Reproductive cloning. After a few divisions, the egg cell is placed into a uterus where it is allowed to develop into a fetus that is genetically identical to the donor of the original nucleus. 2. Therapeutic cloning. The egg is placed into a Petri dish where it develops into embryonic stem cells, which have shown potentials for treating several ailments. 2. Agriculture a. Crop yield: Using the techniques of modern biotechnology, one or two genes may be transferred to a highly developed crop variety to impart a new character that would increase its yield. However, while increases in crop yield are the most obvious applications of modern biotechnology in agriculture, it is also the most difficult one. Current genetic engineering techniques work best for effects that are controlled by a single gene. Many of the genetic characteristics associated with yield (e. g. , enhanced growth) are controlled by a large number of genes, each of which has a minimal effect on the overall yield. There is, therefore, much scientific work to be done in this area. b. Reduced vulnerability of crops to environmental stresses: Crops containing genes that will enable them to withstand biotic and abiotic stresses may be developed. For example, drought and excessively salty soil are two important limiting factors in crop productivity. Researchers have also created transgenic rice plants that are resistant to rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV). In Africa, this virus destroys majority of the rice crops and makes the surviving plants more susceptible to fungal infections. . Reduced dependence on fertilizers, pesticides and other agrochemicals: Most of the current commercial applications of modern biotechnology in agriculture are on reducing the dependence of farmers on agrochemicals. For example, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a soil bacterium that produces a protein with insecticidal qualities. Crops have also been genetically engineered to acquire tolerance to broad-spectrum herbicide. M ultiple applications of numerous herbicides were routinely used to control a wide range of weed species detrimental to agronomic crops. 3. Bioremediation and biodegradation Biotechnology is being used to engineer and adapt organisms especially microorganisms in an effort to find sustainable ways to clean up contaminated environments. The elimination of a wide range of pollutants and wastes from the environment is an absolute requirement to promote a sustainable development of our society with low environmental impact. Biological processes play a major role in the removal of contaminants and biotechnology is taking advantage of the astonishing catabolic versatility of microorganisms to degrade/convert such compounds. Marine environments are especially vulnerable since oil spills of coastal regions and the open sea are poorly containable and mitigation is difficult. In addition to pollution through human activities, millions of tons of petroleum enter the marine environment every year from natural seepages. Despite its toxicity, a considerable fraction of petroleum oil entering marine systems is eliminated by the hydrocarbon-degrading activities of microbial communities.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Common Characteristics of an Organization Essay

The Walt Disney Company was founded in 1923 by Walt and Roy Disney, and has become globally known and worth billions. It began as motion picture company and eventually expanded to include television, tourism, hotels, sports, retail, and book publishing. The company’s Mickey Mouse logo is one of the most famous throughout the world and considered to be one the world’s most influential businesses. The Walt Disney Company has five entities that include: The Walt Disney Studios, Parks and Resorts, Disney Consumer Products, Media Networks, and Disney Interactive. The Walt Disney Studios is one of Hollywood’s major film studios today, and includes Pixar Animation and Lucas Films in their group. The Park and Resorts segment of the company includes the theme parks, resorts, and Disney Cruise Lines. Disney Consumer Products includes all merchandise, clothing, toys, and food that is based on their Disney properties. The Disney Media Networks contain various networks and cable channels including, ABC Television Network, ESPN, and the Disney Channels. Disney Interactive includes all of Disney’s social media, websites, and computer games. â€Å"The mission of The Walt Disney Company is be one of the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information. Using our portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services and consumer products, we seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the world.† The resort, media, film, and products target the family audience with a focus on children. The majority of their products, attractions, shows, and films center on the cartoons that the world has grown to love. In the last ten years the company has expanded with the acquisitions of Lucas Films, ABC network, and ESPN sport cable network it expanded to a more mature audience for the company. Nonetheless, the bulk of the companies’ profit comes from their award-winning animated films and the  millions of people that visit the Disneyland resorts every day. The Walt Disney Company is an open system since its profits are based on communication with the public outside the system and their responses to the products and services. â€Å"The more open an organization system is, the more communication it has with those outside the system.† (Richmond & McCroskey, 2009, pg. 4) This type of company needs communication with the outside to determine what direction will be more favorable to maintaining its popularity and reputation as being an innovator. Each segment in the company has their own individual system at work to produce results. For example, The Walt Disney Studios depends on the roles of their producers, animators, designers, directors, and casts to be successful in their department. In 2005, Bob Iger took the reigns as The Walt Disney Company’s CEO and chairman of the organization. Each division and subsidiaries of those have their hierarchy’s within, for example, the President of Pixar Animation Studios is Edwin Catmull. Each subsidiary within the organization has their distinct leadership taking place with Bob Iger overseeing the whole operation. The organization orientation for The Walt Disney Company would be considered as achievement orientation. â€Å"These people are high achievers, sometimes overachievers.† (Richmond & McCroskey, 2009, pg. 88) The employees working within this company work endlessly to come out with best animated films, and innovate the newest attractions for their customers. â€Å"Each of our companies has a unique ability to harness the imagination in a way that inspires others, improves lives across the world and brings hope, laughter and smiles to those who need it most.† The employees within this organization work for one of the most influential companies in the world, and with that platform have the opportunities to make an impact. Leadership within the billionaire dollar organization is crucial to the success and the maintenance to stay at the top. Having positions that require unique skills such as, an animator require leadership skills that keep their employees happy. These types of individuals that work on films and imagine new attractions are not easily replaceable, and for that reason the leadership must maintain a concern for their people. The leadership within the organization must keep in mind deadlines, and constantly focus on the tasks to on schedule for various projects. The leadership approach best suited for this would be a moderate leader. â€Å"This person is concerned with adequate output and will have  adequate concern for personal issues.† (Richmond & McCroskey, 2009, pg. 113) The communication style for management is the consult and join approach when interacting with their employees. The majority of the divisions work with their employees and consultants to produce products, film, and attractions. For the lower level employees working in the tourism divisions of the organization, the management communication approach is more on the telling side. Those types of positions do not require feedback from employees, so the majority of communication is leadership instructing employees to successful complete their operations. The leadership within this organization uses positive reinforcement when handling their employees. Overall, the environment in The Walt Disney Company is positive, and that supportive atmosphere is seen throughout the resorts, stores, and studios. Praises of employees are recognized for their work in films, television, and attractions throughout the company. There is mainly form communication networks throughout this type of organization, but with different flow and impact throughout. In most corporate organizations, there is formal communication where there is a process how critical information is released, and feedback released by upper management, this type would be downward communication. The Walt Disney Company atmosphere for their employees down involve upward communication from lower level employees. Horizontal communication is a flow within the organization and involves the communication from peer to peer. There are thousands of employees within The Walt Disney Company compared to the leadership, and this type of communication can improve employee satisfaction. The Walt Disney Company is poised for more growth and expansion for years to come. The recent acquisitions of Lucas Films, Pixar Animation, and the branching out with television networks will keep the company relevant. This organization has been around for years, and it continues to expand its business within their markets. For years to come, the movies will keep coming out with new characters for c hildren to love and products to purchase. References http://disneycareers.com/en/working-here/culture-diversity/ Jedd, M. (1996). Walt disney’s logistical magic. Distribution, 95(10), 64. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/236496926?accountid=458 The walt disney company. (1995, Sep 10). Toronto Star Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/437338624?accountid=458 Disney Company. (2014). In Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/165722/Disney-Company

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Tale of Two Cites: Drowning Motif

English 12u Essay Rough Draft Justina Van Maren Splashing, gasping for breath. Sinking, darkness, and then; death. Death by drowning is, in the beginning, a conscious, agonizing end. The realization of an imminent death is the first step that strikes fear into the heart of the victim. Shore is too far away, the person is too tired, and if rescue is not near, death is inescapable. Contrary to popular understanding, a drowning person is not easy to spot. People picture a drowning victim screaming or calling for help, but in actuality all his/her efforts are used to breathe, making calls for help impossible.Drowning is not the death most people envision it. It is a silent killer. Creeping up slowly, it takes its victims by surprise, and often before five minutes have passed, death has them in its cold, cruel clutches. This silent action is paralleled in Charles Dickens novel, A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens speaks of a woodman, personified as fate, and a farmer, who is used to picture dea th, working silently but purposefully towards the French Revolution, getting ready wood for scaffolds, guillotines and tumbrels. As well as portraying the silent nature of drowning, Dickens also uses this motif to bring out another aspect of the revolution.In A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens uses the motif of drowning to portray the stages of the revolutionaries’ attitudes towards their condition. â€Å"The first step towards getting helped is realizing that you have a problem. † (Anonymous) This well known quote clearly illustrates the first step of drowning. A man cannot save himself if he does not realize that he is in danger. When drowning becomes reality to its victims, their whole vision changes, and panic sets in. In A Tale of Two Cities, the peasant’s vision changed as they realized that if they did not act right away, they would die as victims of a tyrannical system.If this fact in itself did not move the peasants into action, it was the fact that not only them, but their children and their children’s children would perish, smothered under the iron fist of the aristocracy. Their vision became visions of desperate people, as drowning people. This outlook was in many ways created and helped along by Monsieur and Madame Defarge. They showed the shrunken, wasted Doctor Manette to the Jacques, in order to change the way they looked at things and strike fear of their condition into their hearts. Dickens also uses the motif of drowning very strongly in the personal lives of his characters.A quote found on page 255 reads, â€Å"All this was seen in a moment, as the vision of a drowning man. † This quote refers us back to the Manette’s, where Jarvis Lorry reveals the terrible grindstone scene to the horrified Doctor. Doctor Manette’s vision changed at that moment as well, realising that death, though not for himself, was sure for Lucie’s husband if immediate action was not taken. When a drowning person obtai ns the vision that he or she is dying, panic takes control over both mind and body. From panic stems desperation and a desperate man is someone who will do anything to change his situation.A drowning man no longer thinks about right and wrong, about what morals he practices, or what values he ought to follow. One thought consumes his mind, and that is to save himself. The means used to achieve deliverance does not matter, nor does the suffering person stop to consider if he is harming another in saving himself. In the novel, this is illustrated by the conflict between Miss Pross and Madame Defarge; â€Å". . . Miss Pross . . . held her round the waist, and clung to her with more than the hold of a drowning woman,† (Dickens 357).This situation clearly reminds the reader of the desperate circumstances in which the peasants found themselves. Just as Miss Pross’ hold on Madame Defarge was a matter of life or death, so the actions of revolutionaries were determining their e nd; a better future for all peasants, or a continuation of oppression from the ancien regime. In the above quote Dickens also speaks about the hold of a drowning person. A rescuer must always be careful when swimming up to such a person, because in panic, the victim may grab hold of him/her so tightly that both perish.In the same way, the revolutionaries harmed others while trying to save themselves. In the senseless slaughter of those guilty and innocent alike, the revolutionaries drowned themselves along with their victims in a pool of immorality and revenge. For, even though they bettered their physical condition and brightened the future for their children, their conscience was passed over and ignored. Like a drowning man who before the actual act of death becomes unconscious, so the consciences of the revolutionaries were pushed away until they were silenced, no longer able to warn against the upcoming spiritual death. Death is the final outcome.If a person has drowned, death h as come to claim this person and there is no longer any chance of being rescued. In A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens speaks of the gaoler of Charles Darnay, his description being, â€Å". . . this gaoler was so unwholesomely bloated, both in face and person, as to look like a man who had been drowned and filled with water,† (Dickens 249). This man seems to point to all the revolutionaries, not in the physical description, but in a spiritual sense. The consciences of the revolutionaries have been drowned, silenced forever, and the people themselves have been filled with thoughts only of bloodthirsty revenge.The picture of a drowned man is not a pleasant one. The death is most often an agonizingly conscious one, causing the expression to be one twisted in agony, the horrified expression of one without hope of survival. The lack of oxygen causes the skin to turn a sickly blue, and the water soaks into the pores and causes the persons face to be swollen and bloated. Ultimately, the person’s appearance is so altered that it is usually difficult, if not impossible to identify the person from the way they looked before.Similarly, the revolutionaries were not a pretty picture in the way that they cared nothing for their fellow man and executed any who seemed to oppose them callously, without proof or proper trial. Proof of this callousness can be found in the example of the little seamstress towards the end of the novel, a representation of thousands of innocent victims sent to the guillotine. We read of how the women knitting below the scaffold counted the severed heads calmly, not in the least disturbed at the horrific amount of bloodshed occurring right before their eyes.The wood-sawyer is another prime example of the uncaring attitude of the peasants when he talks flippantly to Lucie of the guillotine; â€Å". . . Loo, loo, loo! And off her head comes! Now a child. Tickle, tickle; Pickle, pickle! And off its head comes. All the family! † (Dickens , 341). We are horrified as we read of the Jacques gleefully talking about the way they enjoy seeing a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes being guillotined, and we are even more appalled when they speak with eager anticipation at the thought of seeing Lucie’s pretty child put to death.Throughout all these examples we can see that Dickens has brought the motif of drowning to a close and the final outcome, death of the revolutionary’s morality, has been achieved. At the end of the novel, A Tale of Two Cites, the motif of drowning has come full circle. We read of how the peasant’s desperate situation causes their vision to be that of drowning people as they realize that death is imminent. Dickens moves on to portray the panic that causes morality to be ignored in the frantic attempt to preserve one’s own life.Dickens shows that drowning people will do anything to save themselves, even drown their rescuer if they feel it will improve their own condition. In the same way the revolutionaries brutally disposed of any that seemingly hindered their desperate attempt to break their chains of oppression. The plot lines of the characters also vividly portray the way in which the consciences of certain characters are silenced, and the way in which no other thought than revenge is allowed into the minds of the revolutionaries. And then finally, death, the end of all morality.The guiding principles of mankind were destroyed as the revolutionaries thirst for bloodshed did not abate, but instead grew more intense, as each day they longed for more heads to be added to the ever growing number. The motif of drowning is used very powerfully by Charles Dickens, and is employed in a way that effectively portrays the desperate position of the revolutionaries. The way in which Dickens uses this motif clearly parallels the changing attitudes of the revolutionaries, giving us a better understanding of them.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Product Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Product Development - Essay Example Additionally, the company has relied on its perfect knowledge of the needs in the market, which have helped in the development of products aimed at fulfilling those particular needs. For this reason, the company’s suitcases are something that increases the experience of air travel. In the past, travelers have had to endure using suitcases and other bags that need to be tracked manually. This has seen many people lose their luggage while changing flights. Having this realization, Samsonite has developed a product that answers all these needs of clients in the market. Using their specially designed suitcases, the company offers high-quality goods that are highly secure with minimal costs. The fact that it has USB ports means that one can carry large volumes of data in the bag and fail to carry a laptop where it could cause security inconveniences in some airports. With an increase in the number of people using air transport in their daily travel, the company hopes to benefit fro m this trend, thus increasing its returns on investment. The firm seems to rely so much on technology as its key marketing capability. In this regard, the company hopes to use its online sites as effective platforms on which it can reach clients and sell their products. Currently, Manu explains that advancements in information and technology have made it easy for people to search for flight information and reach different destinations. In this regard, the social media has been very instrumental in the success of many online-based businesses.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Analysis of Articles about the Racism in the US Annotated Bibliography

Analysis of Articles about the Racism in the US - Annotated Bibliography Example Lamberth, John. â€Å"Driving While Black: A Statistician Proves That Prejudice Still Rules the Road.† Race, Ethnicity, and Policing: New and Essential Readings. Eds. Stephen K. Rice and Michael D. White. New York, NY: New York University Press, 2010. 32-36. Print. In this article, which was originally published in the Washington Post, John Lamberth sheds light on the phenomenon referred to as DWB (Driving While Black). He uses statistics obtained from data that he and his team collected on the New Jersey Turnpike, as well as the data made available to him regarding I-95 in Maryland, to show that blacks are 16.5 times more likely to be stopped than non-blacks on the New Jersey Turnpike. Jefferson, Thomas. From â€Å"Notes on the State of Virginia.† Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. 7th ed. Eds. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007. 486-490. Print. Thomas Jefferson, a noted founding father of the United States, in this excerpt from his essay, lays out a case about the inferiority of the blacks when compared with the whites. He lays down that blacks are, by nature, inferior to whites and, therefore, even after they are granted freedom (keeping in mind that this was written when slavery was the norm), they are not to be removed from the society so as not to be able to mix their blood with the whites, that is to say, to procreate with the whites. Steele, Shelby. â€Å"I’m Black, You’re White, Who’s Innocent?† Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. 7th ed. Eds. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007. 530-540.  

Mobiles retailing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mobiles retailing - Essay Example The mobile solution providers have made this possible through the provision of a wide range and convenient mobile platforms. Smartphone is making all this possible as their sales and eventual effectiveness in eCommerce is proving and surpassing Tablets. For instance in the US, a larger percentage of the mobile transaction come from the Smartphones and this trend is forecast to be more prevalent. The introduction of large sized smartphones such as Samsung Galaxy and iPhone 6 has been a boost as more consumers increasingly prefer Smartphone arena for mobile transactions and ordering. Despite the fact that the conversion rates on smartphone tend to be a lower compared tablet or desktop, they are increasingly preferred by owners since they generate more transactions because of significantly higher traffic. Looking at the rate at which the Japanese employ Smartphone for various mobile transactions (90%) the future looks bright for Smartphones in mobile retailing. For the US, the situation is likely to improve in future as higher mobile conversion rates are expected due to increasingly turning browsing into com pleted mobile purchases. One probably trend forecast to be more prevalent in mobile retailing in future is increased mobile retailing of Fashion and Luxury products. Luxury goods and fashion retailers are controlling the industry in m-commerce, and as more shoppers increasingly to embrace mobile services in and out of fashion stores, likewise these retailers are forecast to continue broadening the gap existing between leaders and laggards. Closely related to this, Fashion and Luxury products retailers are currently having the highest share of mobile transactions. The world has also witnessed the first ever shoppable social network that will continue trending. The introduction of Net Set app will allow various users to shop while socializing with the stylish Net-A-Porter community. Various online beauty products have been made possible

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Globelaztion context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Globelaztion context - Essay Example hat people have slept on the geo-economics lies, and then everyone must be ready to find out if the world is flat as the lies state without wasting time. The author also states how if found out by accident how the earth if flat. He found out the truth according to lies late February last year. Friedman (2005) has used the interview while creating a discovery channel program to justify what Indians believe about the earth being round or flat. The video is for a lecturer who is talking about the global health of two hundred countries two hundred years ago and beyond. He states that having data is not enough but it very critical to make them presentable enough that people can understand. To do so, he talks about the animation of data in real space. Using the real space animation uses different color in presenting countries. The size of the color also shows the size of the population. The speaker also talks about the life expectancy of persons in different countries. The speaker also talks about the factors that have led to the development of some countries. Again, the speaker identifies the impact of the world war to the development of many nations. The speaker has categorized the global competition of the nations in years from 1810 up to the now identifying the development strategies and the factors that affected the countries. The author also defines the closing of the economic gaps between countries and identifying factors that have contributed to the closing of the

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Concepts and Models of Environmental Hazards Assignment

Concepts and Models of Environmental Hazards - Assignment Example GIS permit the combination of various types of spatial data, with non-spatial data, attribute them and use them as useful information in the various phases of disaster management (Goodchild, et al, 1996). GIS has played a fundamental role in the study of majority of the 20th and 21st century environmental concerns and especially global warming. From the quantification of glacier retreat all the way to the measurement of carbon environmental appropriation, GIS has played a major role in the collection of data, analysis of the same, modeling and also reporting or dissemination of knowledge (Goodchild, et al, 1996). Hazard A hazard is generally any source of potential harm, damage, or health effect on something or someone under particular condition. Hazards can range from biological agents like bacteria to safety hazards like slipping and machine malfunctioning (Toyos, et al, 2007). However, the common way of classifying hazards is by category where you get categories like environmental hazards, biological hazards, and physical hazards among others. Environmental hazards range in nature from geophysical hazards such as flooding, tsunami, volcanic eruption, and earthquakes to biophysical hazards like droughts and diseases. There are also technological hazards like chemical incidents various types of pollutions, and nuclear incidents, all of which threatens the long-term sustainability of the environment. Natural events such as hurricanes and earthquakes are obviously hazardous to man, which is the same case with environmental events like volcanic eruptions and tsunamis (Carrara, & Guzzetti, 1999). The disasters that can be caused by natural hazards are mainly resulting from man’s omission or commission. In this regard, I am referring to man’s actions that either increase susceptibility, or lack of appropriate actions to not only anticipate but also mitigate the possible damage of these events. A common denominator with all hazards is the risk. For an event to be categorized as a hazard it must have certain degree of risk. In fact, the best way to look at a risk is the chance or probability of harming a person if such a person is exposed to a certain event (hazard) that predisposes him/her to such a probability (Carrara, & Guzzetti, 1999). This therefore means that for an event to be classified as a hazard it much be exposing a person to risk of whatever nature. Advantages of GIS In a landslide study, data on hydrology, slope steepness, rock composition, and other factors can be combined with data on previous landslide to determine the conditions under which landslide are likely to occur (Saha, et al, 2005). To analyze all possible factors with manual techniques is almost next to impossible, therefore, only two factors can be analyzed in normal circumstance, after which the composite map are combined with the landslide inventory map. However with GIS, it is possible to analyze various factors that are associated with present cond itions and historical events, including presence of infrastructure, present land use, among others (Tassetti, et al, 2008). A good example of the application of this technique can be found in OAS/DRDE, which has been using this technique to overlay maps of slope steepness, geology, slope orientation, vegetation, and hydrology, after which it overlays the results with a landslide invento

Monday, September 23, 2019

Differentiated Instruction Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Differentiated Instruction - Research Paper Example They can, therefore, assist in forming the basis on which professionalism exists, and work toward benefitting everyone. Many areas in the world today, need professional development. Professional development assists the organizations attain credibility and maintain a stand in the global market. This paper will examine one such area, and the implementations that help it get there. Professional development in the learning environment is an issue that affects many learning institutions, in present time. Teachers are a fundamental aspect in the learning sector. They form the basis by which many students and learners get the professional assistance they need. Teacher leaders are often looked for to bring order to the current learning environment. They work toward preparing everyone in and out of this environment on how to better themselves while learning. Their place in society dictates that their focus should be placed on both the learner, and their fellow teachers. In terms of educationa l activity, they are meant to steer the learning environment toward achieving the goals and objectives set (Bista & Glasman, 1998). It is this professionalism that promotes the learning environment into what the world expects to have. ... In order to have these objectives achieved, it is vital to know the task of teacher leaders in society, and the learning environment (Gregory, 2003). Their plans and ideas form the foundation on which interest groups relate with one another, and how well and fast they come together to achieve the common goal. One of the central purposes of the professional development plan is to bring out changes in how things operate. Learners need competent and effective teachers. Through the plan, the manner in which teachers are recruited, evaluated, and compensated will determine if learners get a competent and consistent teacher. This may form the grounds on which education facilitators reach out to their learners, and prepare them for the road ahead. This public sector needs to incorporate the learning environment to involve more people than just the learner and the teacher. By doing this, it is likely to have many other sectors replicate what is being done to better their current situations, and attain higher heights (Gregory, 2003). Another objective is to apply all the recommendations in a systematic manner. To do this, teacher leaders and all stakeholders must form a solid unit (Gonzalez & Lambert, 2001). It is not practical to have issues being implemented from every corner, and without caution to the repercussions. Teacher leaders should be more involved in the decision-making process. They must be present whenever decisions are being implemented. This is to agree or disagree with those that work, or do not work in their favor. If such an objective is achieved, teachers and all stakeholders can take accountability for all the actions that occur in the learning environment. This is with the decision-making

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Conflicting Perspectives Essay Example for Free

Conflicting Perspectives Essay Composers are able to evoke in the audience certain reactions to characters or events in their texts by presenting conflicting perspectives on different issues through the manipulation of the language forms and features of their medium, often communicating their own ideas about issues in question, which results in the creation of meaning within their texts. (?). David Guterson in his 1995 novel Snow Falling on Cedars (Snow) and Henry Bean in his 2001 film The Believer (Believer) demonstrate conscious choices made regarding structure and techniques in the construction of their texts in order to represent conflicting perspectives exploring ideas on racial prejudice and hatred and cultural contrasts and thus engage the audience. Composers can examine racial/religious prejudice brought on by war by using form specific techniques to present conflicting perspectives on the same event, designed to incite certain audience responses. Guterson, in Snow, purposely presents conflicting perspectives between Arthur Chambers and Hatsue and other members of the white community on San Piedro, particularly Etta Heine, in order to draw sympathy for the treatment of the Japanese after Pearl Harbour is bombed. Arthur is empathetic towards them, saying in his local paper the San Piedro Review, â€Å"†¦ those of Japanese descent on this island are not responsible for the tragedy at Pearl Harbour. Make no mistake about it.† The high modality language and short, direct sentences used by Guterson highlights Arthur’s deeply-held opinion of the innocence of the Japanese on the island. In support of Arthur’s argument, Hatsue, through the narrative’s non-linear structure, recalls her pain and confusion at the treatment of her people, saying, â€Å"It just isn’t fair – it’s not fair. How could they do this to us, just like that?† The emotive appeal in addition to Arthur’s article triggers audience support of the Japanese community. Guterson, however, also presents the contrasting racial hatred of the white islanders towards the Japanese. Etta Heine justifies the deportation of the Japanese with blunt, monosyllabic sentences – â€Å"They’re Japs†¦ We’re in a war with them. We can’t have spies around.† The use of the derogative term â€Å"Japs† and the distinct differentiation between â€Å"them†, the Japanese, and â€Å"we†, the white people, illustrates her bigoted hatred of the Japanese. Through the conflicting perspectives of Etta against Arthur and Hatsue, Guterson sways the audience to feel for the ill treatment of the Japanese, and shows them his own opinion on the negative effect of racism in wartime on the perceptions and conduct towards certain groups. Conflicting perspectives are established by Bean in Believer between Daniel, a neo-Nazi who is paradoxically a Jew himself, and a number of Holocaust survivors pertaining to the strength of their actions during WWII which aims to convey a pro-Jewish sentiment to audiences. At a sensitivity training session, Danny is enraged at a Jewish man’s lack of action while watching his son being murdered by a Nazi during the Holocaust. Rapidly cutting over-the-shoulder shots between Danny and the Jews indicate their opposing views. A close-up of Danny when he is asked by the Jews what he would have done in the situation shows his contempt and incredulous disbelief of the Jews’ weakness as he replies â€Å"Not what he did. Just stand there and watch?† Bean immediately employs a close-up reaction shot of the female Jew who rebuts with, â€Å"How do you know? You’ve never been tested like he has. Here in his rich, safe, stupid country it is so easy to imagine oneself a hero.† The personal address through 2nd person and the accumulation of adjectives to build a negative image of America strongly opposes Danny’s prejudiced conviction that Jews are pathetic, and also appeals to audiences the idea that religious prejudice towards Jews is unjustified. As Guterson does in Snow, conflicting perspectives are represented by Bean in order to sway his audience to respond negatively to unfounded sentiments of prejudice. Conflicting perspectives between characters can be used by composers to control the way in which an audience perceives them by exploring the cultural clashes that exist in the text as a reflection of societal (or social?) behaviour. In Snow, Guterson presents conflicting perspectives between Kabuo and the jury during his murder trial. In the opening chapter, a vivid description of Kabuo’s posture and expression is given from the jury’s perspective; he is shown as â€Å"proudly upright†¦ rigid†¦ detached.† This initial portrait portrait of Kabuo makes him suspicious not only to the jury but also to the audience, as Hatsue tells Kabuo using a simile that he â€Å"looks like one of Tojo’s soldiers.† However, Guterson, through the novel’s non-linear structure, refutes this perspective by explaining Kabuo’s behaviour to the audience via a flashback. Through his father’s teachings that â€Å"the greater the composure, the more revealed one was†, the audience learns the reason behind Kabuo’s unemotional stance. Third person omniscient allows the audience to sympathise with Kabuo’s emotive explanation that â€Å"he sat upright in the hope that his desperate composure might reflect the shape of his soul.† Guterson, through conflicting perspectives, influences his audience to understand Kabuo and the impact of contrasting cultural values on the perception of an individual. In Believer, Bean likewise shows contrasting opinions between Danny, who cannot fully repress his secret Jewish identity, and his anti-Semitic ‘skinhead’ friends to create audience sympathy for Danny’s inner struggles with the opposing aspects of his identity. When Danny and his friends break into a synagogue, Daniel shows a surprising respect for his religion which clashes with those of the other neo-Nazis. This directly conflicts with Danny’s character established at the film’s opening, when he violently beats up a Jew for no apparent reason. Wearing a brown shirt symbolising the Nazi SA (brown-shirts), Danny’s dark costuming contrasts with the light coloured one of his Jewish victim, highlighting the evil in his nature. Bean, however, challenges the audience’s view of Danny in order to allow them to understand his conflicting identities. In one frame, Danny is in the foreground walking down an aisle, which is juxtaposed with the othe r Nazis vandalising the synagogue. Their loud, raucous whooping contrasts to that of Danny’s respectful silence, highlighting their different treatments of the Jewish culture. When one of the Nazis tears up a Torah, a sacred Jewish text, after much opposition from Danny, a reaction shot of him shows sadness and pain accompanied by melancholy music, underlining Danny’s unspoken deference for Judaism. Bean’s portrayal of conflicting perspectives on Jewish culture incites the audience to respond more sympathetically towards Danny, and to understand that his veneer is a product of cultural differences in his society. The composers in Snow and Believer have effectively utilised techniques within their medium to represent conflicting perspectives about racial or religious prejudice and cultural differences in order to provoke certain audience responses to the characters, events or situations in their story. This includes reactions of sympathy for a certain perspective or disbelief and even dislike of opposing perspectives. In this way, the composers connect to the audience and generate meaning within their texts. In Snow, Hatsue is confined by the traditions of her culture, as shown when her mother Fujiko says to her â€Å"don’t allow living among the hakujin to become living intertwined with them. Your soul will decay†¦ rot and go sour.† The change in language to refer to the Americans as hakujin and the emotive metaphor of Hatsue’s breakdown of purity highlights Fujiko’s dislike of American culture. This

Saturday, September 21, 2019

An Observation Of Creative Childs Play Young People Essay

An Observation Of Creative Childs Play Young People Essay Method of observation The method of observation that I will be using is time sampling, the reason is that it allows me to point out many important information in an exact time and it is useful because it gives a wider picture of the child. Type of observation The type of observation is participant. I actually participated in the activities that the child A was participating and I observed her at the same time too. Record of observation 9.00 am: Child (A) is sitting on the floor with her legs crossed and both of her arms crossed. The teacher told them that they can now go to take part in the free play session. Child A quickly gets up stands and walks towards the creative table, where there was a paint activity set up. Next child A picks up a blue apron with her right hand. She put her right arm into the apron first then she put her left arm into the apron. She asks me to fasten her apron from the back. 9.15 am: child A is still at the painting area, she picks up a small paint brush with her right hand. A then applies some blue pain on to a piece of A3 paper, after that she moves the paint brush towards the paper, A then dabbed the paint brush onto the paper two times. 9.30 am: within painting area, one of As friend comes closer to A and asks her to play with her. Child A gets excited and they start to play. After a while A and her friend ask me what they can draw as I sit down on a chair at the end of the table. I suggest them that they can draw each other. Therefore, child (A) picks a red paint and tries to draw her friend. 9.45 am: child A is at the drawing area by her self. She is drawing a picture of her dog with a brown felt tip pen. She is making a rough circle with big ears and a long neck. 10.00 am: child A is at the sand area with her two friends. Shes trying to make a cake for her peers. While shes making a cake, I asked her about the recipe. sugar, chocolate and . she said. Therefore, I explained her that we need sugar, egg, flour and water to start with. She pretends that she added the thing that she needs and then asked me if I could put it in the oven. So I did what she asked me. 10.15 am: child A is in the playground area with friends on the climbing frame. One girl is in front of her. She is waiting for her turn to down the slide. 10.30 am: child A is playing with another child. She is running, laughing and screaming. 10.45 am: child A is helping to tidy up the playground. Shes putting all the blocks in the box. 11.00 am: child A is in the writing area, she is drawing a big butterfly; she is using different colour pencils and drawing at the centre of the paper. 11.15 am: child A is sitting on the floor (group-time) she is listening to music and taking part in dance activity. She is copying the action that the teacher does. 11.30 am: time to go home, child A is standing on both feet, wearing her jacket, walks towards her mum and goes home. Mentors signature: Date: Conclusion I have looked at Piagets theory to support my observation and by doing that I came to know that children are active learners. Available at: . I believe this statement that children learn and explore when they are active. Jean Piaget also believed that children are actively involved in structuring their own cognitive development through exploration of their environment. Children need real objects and concrete experiences to discover things for themselves. According to (D3webdesignes.com,2007-2010)Children ages 3 years old are expected to relate present activities and past experiences and to draw a person with a head and also to sort objects into simple categories. By carrying out the observation on child A, I noticed that she co operates well with other children of her age. According to Penny Tassoni, (2002) children aged 3-4 start to co-operate with each other and enjoy playing together. Most of their play is pretend play. Therefore, this shows that she is at the right stage of her development. Her social and emotional are also at the right stage for her age. By looking at the observation, I noticed that her physical development is at the right stage too, as she can run, walk and use the slide without any help. Her intellectual skills are that she can draw pictures, write her name, and use different colours. Play is also plays an imperative role in childrens learning. Play helps them in developing five areas, creative, physical, imaginative, manipulative and social. Wasserman (1992) explains five advantages of play. Firstly children will be able to produce something new, and they will be able to take risks. Therefore, play provides the sensible learning and improvement to the child. In plays learning environment, children will develop socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically. Recommendation I think that this observation needs to be carried out frequently in nursery; because then teachers and parents can realize how these kinds of activities promote childrens learning. Therefore, practitioners would be able to create a range of other activities to advance the childrens knowledge and understanding. For example: the setting must provide children more range of drawing pencils and pens, and different texture of paper, in this case it would be (child A). This will encourage her to express her feelings as well as helping her in gaining more confidence in drawing and painting. Secondly I recommend that setting needs to provide children extra free time to play in order to explore the world around them and also they must ensure that equipments and all the materials are prepared for the children to come and play when ever they wish. Thirdly I recommend that practitioners and parents take their children out for walks and talk to them about nature, by this, the child would look around, and therefore they may ask questions about the world around them. What I learnt by doing this observation? By doing this observation I realized that child A is more likely to involve in creative activities with her peers. McMillan believed that having accessed to mainly most materials in play activities is important in childrens play as it helps them to develop as a whole person. Isaac also believes that play must encourage children to discover their inner feelings. By carrying out this observation I also learnt how to get involved in activities with children and how to encourage them to explore the colours. Child A expanded her creativity in this exercise as she practiced painting methods and mixing other products to make a cake. She also learned to trust opinions of the teacher assistant that she works with, she learned to appreciate adults experience and knowledge. By carrying out this observation Ive found out that child A is at the right developmental stage, however, each child develops at their own rate. Moreover, this observation improved my understanding on how children play with the littlest amount of items and achieve so much information and knowledge from it. I also realized that she has very good hand to eye co-ordination which allows her to control her hand movements.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Examining methods of analysing a Companies Environment

Examining methods of analysing a Companies Environment There are factors within the environment that the organization operates that are beyond the control or influence of the organisation but these factors affect the business or strategy planning. The STEEPLE analysis is focusing on the external macro-economic environment that a business operates. This helps business to understand the environment, in which it operates, and the opportunities and threats that exist or are emerging within it. An understanding of the opportunities can help a business to take advantage of the opportunities that exist and reduce the threats to the barest minimum. The STEEPLE analysis helps to understand associated risk with growth in market or decline and thus the potentials and direction for business. STEEPLE is an acronym for Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Policy, Legal and Ethical factors respectively. Some of these factors tend to overlap when conducting the analysis. Below is a STEEPLE analysis of the UK motor car market. Socio-cultural: the pattern of lifestyle affects demand of vehicles, availability and willingness of individuals to work and therefore the kind of vehicles are manufactured. The institution of marriage has fallen, there are more single parents, people are having fewer kids and consumer trends which include fashion ability, luxury preference, working population, spending power etc. Technological: new innovations and technologies keep emerging in the car industry and bring about new products and processes e.g. introduction of three-point seat belt, airbag, electronic stability control, Intelligent Transport System (ITS), Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA), E-call, Driver Assistance Systems such as E-call and Driver Assistance System such as Electronic stability control and Emergency Brake Assist. Environmental: according to SMMT, the climate change has had a great impact on the car industry and this has great impact on vehicle demand. This overlaps with the ethical factors because the car industry is trying to make vehicles environmentally friendly by trying to make 95% of vehicles recyclable by 2015 in order to comply with the End of Life Vehicle (EVL) Directive. Average CO2 emissions of cars bought through the scheme were 132.9g/km, which was over 27% below the CO2 figures of the outgoing cars that were scrapped. Also there is an effort to improve environmenta l standards at sites processing vehicles and limit the use of materials harmful to the environment in the new vehicle Climate Change Level (CCL). This has increased demand for hybrid cars. Ethical: some ethical issues have to be considered in the market, these include ethics in workplace, balancing stakeholder interests, human rights, reduction in CO2 emission from vehicle and manufacturing process (Farnham 2010). Also, the Climate Change Levy (CCL) agreement was signed by 11 UK vehicle manufacturers as co-ordinated by SMMT has effects on car industry. Political: policies that affect the car market include 2008 piece of legislation which committed European Vehicle manufacturers to cut average CO2 emission from cars to 130g/km by 2015, 2009 European Whole Vehicle Approval Directive, introduction of the Scrappage Incentive Scheme, taxation, congestion charges, other policy areas being formulated include alternative fuels, smarter driving technologies, and lower resistance tyres. SMMT has reported that 395,000 new vehicles have been registered under the Scrappage Incentive Scheme, which has now ended. There were 388,540 new cars and 6,959 new LCVs registered for the period, with 8.1% of all new car registrations and 2.1 LCV registrations in April being linked to the scheme Legal: this is closely linked to environmental political and ethical factors but includes health and safety, company law, consumer protection law. Manufacturers have to abide by policies formulated by government and regulatory bodies. This also affects the UK car industry either positively or negatively. Economic: macro-economic policy, markets and prices, price levels, global trends, market structure, public spending, wages and salaries, balance of payment, taxation etc. (Farham, 2010) the industry generates turnover approaching 52billion GBP so the Scrappage Incentive Scheme was introduced to support the industry because of its importance to the nation. Over 181,092 new vehicles had been registered under the scrappage scheme by the end of September. There is an order bank of a further 80,000 vehicles. The scrappage scheme is largely self-funding for government with the 15% VAT paid on a car bought for  £7,650 covering the  £1,000 government contribution (SMMT). The environmental, political and economic factors can be said to have the greatest impact on the strategy planning of the UK car industry. The product market, competitive structure and nature of competition of the UK car market cannot be analyzed without Porters five forces analysis. Threat of entry: The UK car market has high barriers to entry because it is extremely consolidated, well developed value added chain, RD capability, investment capability in terms of equipment which means existing manufacturers can make relatively high profits. Power of buyers: Buyers have little or no bargaining power in the market, households have no power at all but companies that buy fleet cars for official use have very little bargaining power. Power of Suppliers: there is a lot of power in retail and distribution of cars and this power depends on the price of the seller. The threat of substitutes within the industry also determines the power of the supplier as they can switch brands easily. Competitive rivalry: The UK car market can be said to be oligopolistic in nature because there are about 30 firms with the major rivals being are Ford, GM (Vauxhall), VolksWagen, Renault, Peugeot, Toyota, BMW, Citroen and Honda. Ford is Britains best-selling commercial vehicle (CV) brand and last year took over 24 per cent of the CV market. In a challenging market new models such as the ECOnetic Transit and ECOnetic FiestaVan, will play an important role in maintaining Fords competitive position (Ford). In oligopolistic markets there is a high degree of interdependence and so firms will think carefully how their rivals might react to any actions they take. This can lead to an emphasis on non price competition; a price change is relatively easy to imitate and so firms may rely more on methods such as branding or product development. The presence of powerful competitors with established brands creates a threat of intense price wars and poses strong requirement for product differentiati on. Also, there is cost of leaving the industry because of high levels of investments already on ground so firms fight hard to survive because resources are not easily transferrable and as the market is shrinking, these firms fight for a share of falling sales. Brand loyalty is very poor in this market because customers are likely to switch easily from brand to brand. Threat of substitute: this is linked to the power of buyers and sellers. The car market also faces direct competitors like public transport, air, rail, tubes, sea, bicycle and walking but the major source of substitute is the sale of second hand cars. It can be argued that the demand for cars is elastic because it is affected by substitute goods (as listed above) and complimentary goods (insurance, tyres, fuel, license, taxes, Ministry of Transport (MOT). Research two examples of how Human Resource Management in manufacturing has been influenced by and responds to changes in the environmental context as outlined in a. The automotive sector is highly flexible, dynamic and ever expanding. As a result of its flexibility and expansion, it responds to the global challenges which include GDP and trade growth, deep cultural shifts in the economic patterns and strong environmental aims. The automobile industry is constantly changing and adapting to challenging commercial, regulatory and technological trends, competition in the market, discrimination by customers, pressure from government and influence groups. So it can be argued that the car industry adopts the contingency or best-fit school of HRM which advocates the need to fit HR strategy into its surrounding context. The concept of E-V-R congruence as a measure of how well an organisation is attuned to its environment was developed by Thompson (2005). E- Represents the environment which includes the opportunities and threats that exist within it while R is the resources and V represents the value. The concept of congruence is very important and an organization achieves this when its resources, environment and values are mutually reinforcing. Its strategic position will be strong. The macroeconomic understanding is needed by organizations in order to predict and plan for changes in demand for their products, human resources, inflation and changes in investment. Human resource has to match external environment to the companys objectives. The most significant feature of HRM is the importance attached to strategic integration. Legg (1989) argued that one of the common themes of typical definitions of HRM is that human resource policies should be integrated with strategic business planning. As Baird and Meshoulam (1988) remarked, business procedures and systems are developed and implemented based on organisational needs that is when strategic perspective to human resource management is adopted. Human resource managers play a significant role in ensuring that the strategies adopted by the organization are fully supported by the required workforce so HR has to know how many staff needs to be recruited, retained and developed to satisfy consumer demand. In 2009, recession reduced demand for vehicles leading to a sharp fall in vehicle production and hence turnover. This year saw one of the biggest economic challenges of the automotive industry has ever seen with global sale plummeting, plants cutting production and RD budget at considerable risk. This means demand for cars will reduce because of economic meltdown, supply will reduce and labour needed will be cut. Employment in the sector has decreased despite continued efforts to protect the vital industrial capability by introducing short-term working, time banking etc. Despite the surge in sales towards the end of the year as car scrappage scheme kicked in, Toyota in the UK saw production plummet 40 per cent from 213,000 in 2008 to 127,000 in 2009(Robert Lea times online jan 28,2010http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/industrials/article7006329.ece). Toyota had to adapt to its work share programme to fulfill orders incentive by the Scrappage Incentive Scheme. Later on, it led to cutting of 750 jobs, or around a fifth of the workforce, in the face of crashing car sales. The decision will come as a blow to Toyota workers who had already been rattled last year by workshare programmes, reduced hours and non-production workers. Over last year, Toyota also accepted 300 applications for voluntary redundancy. (the times February 19,2010) Toyota is to shut down its UK production plant next month leaving 3,500 workers idle. The unprecedented halt for two working weeks is a result of a collapse in its car sales amid consumer concerns over the safety of the Japanese companys vehicles. Sales of Toyotas are thought to be plunging worldwide after multiple recalls affecting 8.5million cars around the world. The company employs 3,900 workers at its main production site in Burnaston and 570 at its engine plant in Deeside. It has already cut 200 temporary jobs and opened a voluntary redundancy scheme last week. Toyota said in a statement: following extensive consultations with our employees representatives, and with input from all employees, it has been agreed that the best way to secure long term employment is to temporarily reduce working hours and base pay by 10pc. Toyota also scrapped the annual pay increase for employees and cancelled management bonuses, while its UK factories have just finished a fortnights shutdown. All these measures were introduced to reduce cost for the company because of the fall in demand for Toyota products caused by recession, the recall of Toyota cars due to safety issues etc. SMMT estimates that approximately 70% of the cars bought under the scrappage scheme represent additional sales which would not otherwise have happened in 2009. Since there was an increase in the demand for cars, this means that the demand for labour in Ford, whose engine plants in Bridgend and Dagenham employ 4,000 people, had to introduce extra shifts to be able to supply more cars. August output was up 36.5% at Dagenham and 18.3% at Bridgend, compared to 2008. Ford estimates that this resulted in positive knock-on effect for around 100,000 of their UK jobs in sales, distribution and sale supply. (SMMT) Also, due to the rapid change of technological advancement, new makes/models, reduction of CO2 emission and the introduction of the Scrappage Incentive Scheme, the car industry in UK now has a high demand for management/ leadership skills and technical skills. These changes have also made it necessary for the car industry to give staff constant training, since staffs with excellent sales skills are essential for the profitability and success of the sector. The ever-growing feast of technology and the need for constant on the job learning the sector specific product Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) was developed. To become ATA registered, an individual must pass a comprehensive and rigorous series of tests of practical skill and knowledge to ensure that they keep up to date with new technologies; technicians need to be assessed in order to maintain their accreditation. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jan/28/ford-announces-profits-2009 Andrew Clark in New York guardian.co.uk, Thursday 28 January 2010 17.01 GMThttp://www.smmt.co.uk/articles/article.cfm?articleid=20676 http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/industrials/article7032980.ece http://www.ford.co.uk/AboutFord/News/CompanyNews/NewDirector ttp://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199296378/01student/additional/page_11. htmhttp://www.oup.c.om/uk/orc/bin/9780199296378/01student/additional/page_10.htm http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199296378/01student/additional/page_12.htm http://www.smmt.co.uk/articles/article.cfm?articleid=20676 http://www.smmt.co.uk/articles/article.cfm?articleid=20676 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/4972091/Toyota-cuts-production-and-pay-as-motor-industry-crisis-deepens.htmlhttp://www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/08/understanding-microeconomics.asp http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/industrials/article7032980.ece http://www.smmt.co.uk/industryissues/index.cfm?catid=3725sid=259iicatid=P_1002 http://www.smmt.co.uk/industryissues/index.cfm?catid=3725sid=259iicatid=P_973 http://www.smmt.co.uk/industryissues/index.cfm?catid=3725sid=259iicatid=P_4093 http://www.smmt.co.uk/industryissues/index.cfm?catid=3725sid=259iicatid=P_982 http://www.smmt.co.uk/hottopics/index.cfm?catid=3725sid=259 http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/industrials/article7006329.ece http://www.comparecontracthire.com/blog/index.php/2010/05/scrappage-registrations-totalled-395000-units-says-smmt/

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Oil Crisis in Libya :: OPEC, Middle East

Because of the crisis that is going on in Libya, Libya’s oil production and exportation has been greatly affected. This country is a member of OPEC, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Libya is the world’s seventeen largest oil producer, the thirds largest oil producer in Africa, and the continent’s largest crude oil reserves. (Hauser, 2011) Since Libya has such an important part in the oil industry, the crisis has affected other countries and their trade, such as the price of oil and gas, as well as monetary value. Libya only contributes two percent of the world’s oil supply. (Andrews, 2011) It might not seem like a big deal because of such a small percentage, but it is very hard for the world to absorb the two percent loss of oil every day. Libya was producing 1.6 million barrels of oil every day before the crisis erupted. (Dagher, 2011) As of now, unfortunately, it is only producing between four hundred and six hundred thousand barrels of oil. (Dagher, 2011) But it doesn’t even matter how much Libya produces, since it is currently not exporting oil and gas to outside countries, such as Europe and the United States. Most of the foreign workers have fled the country, which makes up for the industry in Libya. Eighty five percent of Libya’s exports are sold to European countries, especially Italy. (Dagher, 2011) Libya and Italy has close economic ties with one another, having a friendship treaty with one another since 2008. (Langundo, 2011) Italy is currently the biggest foreign investor in North Africa, who received thirty two percent of Libya’s oil exports. (Langundo, 2011) Italy is greatly affected by Libya’s turmoil. Italy is currently trying to re-establish its access to Libya’s oil and gas. As of now, the shortage of oil does not have a great effect in Europe since other countries, such as Saudi Arabia, have been increasing their oil production to make up the loss from Libya. Libya contributes about five percent of their oil production to the United States. (Dagher, 2011) Though out the United States, oil prices have been increasing between three and five percent because of the increase cost of barrels. (Andrews, 2011) It is hard for those who live in the United States to adapt to the higher prices. Many already have burdens from the recent financial crisis, but the increase in oil prices will only add to the people’s burden,

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Free Color Purple Essays: The Power of Women :: Color Purple Essays

The Power of Women in The Color Purple   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite the odds women can overcome all obstacles.   In the past, women have desperately struggled because they were belittled by men.   They were thought of as ignorant beings that only knew how to manage housework.   In The Color Purple, by Alice Walker, sexism was interrelated in the novel.   Throughout the story, several women were extremely mistreated by men.   Their experiences were considered trivial because they were always subordinated to them.   Through the collection of letters that Celie wrote, the reader could see the development of a frightened young woman who had little regard for herself and of another, Shug, who struggled to become a successful woman.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In fact, Celie nearly struggled for her happiness her entire life.   When she was only a little girl, her stepfather sexually abused her.   He then sold her to a man named Mr. ____ who had no intention of loving her, â€Å"No matter what I’m thinking.   No matter what I feel.   It just him† (Walker 69).   Mr. ____ verbally and physically abused her.   He expected her to manage all the housework and demanded that she took care of his kids, â€Å"They look at me there struggling with Mr.____ children† (Walker 45).   If Celie refused, she was punished.   Through all these traumatizing events, Celie lost respect for herself and forgot how to love.   Her life was full of darkness without a single trace of light.   However, Celie met a woman named Shug who gave her the courage to fight for what she believed in.   Shug taught her how to laugh and play and showed Celie a whole new perspective of life.   Shug constantly reminded Celie to speak out if something was bothering her and to not do anything that she did not feel like doing, â€Å"†¦say whatever come to mind, forgit about polite† (Walker 75).   Cel ie was no longer afraid of Mr. ____.   She stopped doing housework and left the dwelling to start her own business, â€Å"You a lowdown dog is what’s wrong.   It’s time to leave you and enter into the Creation.   And your dead body just the welcome mat I need† (Walker 207).   She realized that women do not need men to survive because they can manage on their own.   Celie was a brand new woman.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, Shug was a successful and powerful woman.   She was a desirable blues singer who was creative and smart.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Analysis of Pivotal Moment in “A Separate Peace” Essay

The book, â€Å"A Separate Peace† by John Knowles is a coming of age story of two best friends, Gene and Finny. Although the story is told through Gene’s point of view, his perception of Finny is most important as Finny develops psychologically throughout the book. A pivotal moment in Finny’s psychological development is Brinker’s investigation in Chapter 11, when Finny finally acknowledges it was Gene who pushed him and this changes Finny’s innocent view of the world. Finny sees everyone how he wants to see them, assuming the world is a fundamentally friendly place. In life he always thinks the best of people and counts no one as his enemy, just as he dislikes games with winners and losers. Blitzball, the game he invents where everyone competes furiously but no one wins, shows Finny’s attitude toward life. According to Gene, these qualities make Finny unique. But, Finny’s inability to see others as hostile is his weakness as well as his strength; he refuses to believe any dark motives toward Gene. Finny’s naà ¯ve mindset makes him assume that everyone thinks like he does. This carefree, self-absorbed attitude is one of the roots of Gene’s jealousy of Finny, although Finny, aware only of himself and seeing the good in others, never seems to pick up on Gene’s inner turmoil. Gene’s resentment of his best friend caused him to hold dark, unspoken feelings toward Finny which led him to push Finny off of the tree, making him unable to play sports, his most notable skill. But of course Finny, seeing the best in everyone, refuses to even think that his best friend could have caused the accident. When Gene tries to confess that it was his fault for the accident, Finny refuses to talk about what he doesn’t want to hear. Getting upset at Gene, Finnt tells him, â€Å"If you don’t shut up, I’ll kill you.† However, Brinker’s investigation in chapter 11 shows Finny’s psychological transition when he is finally able to listen to what he doesn’t want to hear. The first time Gene tried to confess that it was his fault; Finny immediately gets upset and simply won’t talk about it. On the other hand, Brinker/s trial forces Finny to accept the truth and illustrates Finny’s psychological development, consi dering Finny doesn’t react like he did the first time Gene tried to talk about the fall. It takes Finny longer  to get angry, and he is more tolerant to talk about the accident. When Brinker asked Finny if he had ever considered that he didn’t just fall out of the tree, implying that someone pushed him, Gene describes Finny’s reaction as it â€Å"touched an interesting point Phineas had been turning over in his mind for a long time. I could tell that because his obstinate, competitive look left his face as his mind became engaged for the first time.† (Pg.169) Finny is then open to talking about the accident and it takes him much longer to get upset than it did the first time. Once Leper told the truth about the fall, Finny became upset again as â€Å"The words shocked Phineas into awareness.† (Pg.177) Finny’s mindset shifts from seeing a world with no wrong to an understanding, less naà ¯ve view.

Monday, September 16, 2019

How Did Black Churches Function During the Antebellum Period?

Essay: How did black churches function during the antebellum period? Frederick Douglas, perhaps, said it best when he mentioned that the AME Mother Bethel Church in Philadelphia, obviously being a black church, was â€Å"the largest church in the Union,† with up to 3,000 worshipers every Sunday. This fact, along with black churches being the most influential institution in the antislavery movement (even more so than black conventions and newspapers) gave the religious aspect of the movement a powerful advantage. With very few exceptions, most leading black abolitionists were ministers. A few black ministers, such as Amos N. Freeman of Brooklyn, New York, even served white antislavery congregations. Black Churches also provided forums for abolitionist speakers and meeting places for predominantly white antislavery organizations, which frequently could not meet in white churches. Black church buildings were community centers. They housed schools and meeting places for other organizations. Antislavery societies often met in churches, and the churches harbored fugitive slaves. All of this went hand in hand with the community leadership black ministers provided. They began schools and various voluntary associations. They spoke against slavery, racial oppression, and what they considered weaknesses among African Americans. However, black ministers never spoke with one voice. Throughout the antebellum decades, many followed Jupiter Hammon in admonishing their congregations that preparing one’s soul for heaven was more important than gaining equal rights on earth. Most black Baptist, Presbyterian, Congregationalist, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic congregations remained affiliated with white denominations, although they were rarely represented in regional and national church councils. For example, the Episcopal Diocese of New York in 1819 excluded black ministers from its annual conventions, mentioning that African Americans â€Å"are socially degraded, and are not regarded as proper associates for the class of persons who attend our convention. † Not until 1853 was white abolitionist William Jay able to convince New York Episcopalians to admit representatives. Under the influence of a wave of religious revivalism, evangelicals carried Christian morality into politics during the 1830s. Religion, of course, had always been important in America. During the antebellum period, a new, emotional revivalism began. Known as the Second Great Awakening, it lasted through the 1830s. It led laymen to replace established clergy as leaders and seek to impose moral order on a turbulent society. In conclusion, clergy used their pulpits to attack slavery, racial discrimination, proslavery white churches, and the American Colonization Society (ACS).

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Beowulf Movie Review

In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements In English MOVIE REVIEW Of BEOWULF Merry Anjela M. MendozaSeptember 16, 2011 Ms. Maria Dolores Fiao-ag Introduction Beowulf is an epic from England. It is a story of a brave man who killed many monsters and died defending from a dragon. It is also a great story of adventure. From an old English poem, it became a 3D movie with the faces of real actors and actresses. Although there has a difference from the original poem, it still showed great and it attracted wide audiences. Throughout the movie review, I gave my own opinions about the movie especially in the effects, how the characters played their role, and how they captured the eye of the audiences. Movie Review The Movie Beowulf is a three dimensional movie directed by Robert Zemeckis. It was inspired by an Ancient English poem and known as the epic of England. Unlike the other 3D movies, the characters here are based from the faces of real artists. The settings played on Denmark, A. D. 507. The movie was released on November 16, 2007. My Opinion For me, the use of real faces of the artists is nice and the outfits matched the role of the characters especially for the role of Grendel who has a performance capture suit which represents a sad creature. His face and body was altered to fit his role. I also like the look of Grendel’s mother which was Angelina Jolie with her golden fitted outfit but I don’t understand why does she is wearing a high heels which was not yet popular during that times. The Expected Audiences Beowulf was rated as PG-13 which means that all people are allowed to watch the movie but children below thirteen years old must be given a parental guidance due to some violences including disturbing scenes and sexual interruptions. The Outline Scene 1- Celebration at the mead hall Scene 2- Grendel attacked the hall Scene 3- Beowulf arrived in Denmark Scene 4- Beowulf fights Grendel Scene 5- Grendel died and his mother revenged by killing people. Scene 6- Grendel’s mother seduced Beowulf Scene 7- Celebration at the hall Scene 8- Hrothgar killed himself Scene 9- Beowulf become the king and married Wealtheow Scene 10- The Dragon attacked the hall Scene 11- Beowulf entered the lair of the Dragon Scene 12- Battle between Beowulf and the Dragon Scene 13- The Dragon died together with Beowulf Scene 14- Funeral pyre for Beowulf Actors/Actresses Ray Winstone- Beowulf Crispin Glover- Grendel Angelina Jolie- Grendel’s mother Anthony Hopkins- King Hrothgar John Malkovich- Unferth Brendan Gleeson-  Wiglaf Robin Wright Penn-   Queen Wealtheow Alison Lohman- Ursula Costas Mandylor  Ã¢â‚¬â€œHondshew The Structure Beowulf 3D movie is based from an Old English poem which was considered as epic of England. Based on my research, it was written between the  8th  and 11th centuries A. D. , and it is the oldest surviving piece of  English  literature. The general events of the poem were adapted into an  animated  action-adventure movie  in  2007. But there are many changes in this movie from the real epic which is not good for me because they must show the real essence of this epic tale. For the scene transitions, for me nothing is wrong and everything was just made right. The Cinematography At the first time I saw the movie, I thought that the characters here are real but it was truly an animated movie. The light and special effects are great especially when Grendel attacked the hall which brought a lot of intense. I also like how they covered Beowulf’s manhood in many scenes in this movie. Also, for me, the battle between Beowulf and the Dragon was a great scene especially when they fight in the mid air and the Dragon was shot by hundreds of arrows. The look of the past can be seen with the images but it lacks the essence of the vision, the ancient stones, and the sacral light which are essential part for a tragic tale. But besides that, it still looks great and every scene was taken carefully that keeps their audiences attached to the movie. The Music Background For me, the soundtrack was not that good but the sound effects throughout the movie are really nice. I can’t even remember the soundtrack or the music played in this movie. So it is really a great factor that every director must consider so that the audiences will be keeping in touch with the movie. Conclusion I therefore conclude that Beowulf movie, as a whole, is a great animated epic tale with just some revisions from the original one is still a great movie and very fun to watch. Mr. Robert Zemeckis and the other producers and casts had job well done. They were able to show the audiences the story of a brave man who fought and died in killing monsters. Vocabularies: 1. Mead- a fermented beverage made of water and honey, malt, and yeast 2. Heave- to move a ship in a specified direction or manner 3. Thane- one resembling a feudal baron by holding lands of and performing military service for the king 4. Reek- a strong or disagreeable fume or odor 5. Troll- to sing the parts of (as a round or catch) in succession 6. Gobble-   to swallow or eat greedily . Vexes-   to bring trouble, distress, or agitation 8. Whore-   a male who engages in sexual acts for money 9. Shrink- to contract or curl up the body or part of it 10. Gouger- to scoop out with or as if with a gouge 11. Vomit-   to disgorge the stomach contents 12. Fallible-   capable of making a mistake 13. Flawed- a defect in physical structure or form 14. Fierce-   violently hostile or aggressive in temperament 15. Teeming-   to become filled to overflowing 16. Hasty-   done or made in a hurry 17. Glamour-   an exciting and often illusory and romantic attractiveness 18. Corpse-   a dead body especially of a human being 19. Hag- an ugly, slatternly, or evil-looking old woman 20. Heir- one who inherits or is entitled to inherit property 21. Slaughter-   the act of killing 22. Bard- a tribal poet-singer skilled in composing and reciting verses on heroes and their deeds 23. Feeble-   markedly lacking in strength 24. Bollocks-   make  a  mess  of,  destroy  or  ruin 25. Mock-   to treat with contempt or ridicule 26. Martyr-   a person who sacrifices something of great value and especially life itself for the sake of principle 27. Slip-   to pass quickly or easily away 28. Talon-   the claw of an animal and especially of a bird of prey 29. Groat- a grain (as of oats) exclusive of the hull 30. Fornication- consensual sexual intercourse between two persons not married to each other Acknowledgement This Movie Review would not be possible without the Beowulf and Clash of the Titans cd which was borrowed from Ms. Hannah Alvendia and from my neighbor Thea Abella. I also want to acknowledge GOOGLE for the scripts of this film where I got the vocabularies and for giving some ideas on hot to make a movie review. And of course, I would also like to acknowledge our English teacher, Ms. Maria Dolores Fiao- ag for giving us this opportunity to make this kind of movie review. Movie Review The Movie Clash of the Titans is a 2010 fantasy film which is a remake of the 1981 film of the same name. It is about the Greek myth of Perseus, a demigod and it was directed by Louis Leterrier. The film was originally set for standard release on March 26, 2010. It was later announced that the film would be converted to 3-D and expected release on April 2, 2010 My Opinion For me, the story was really great but actors did not portray their roles well. They can deliver the lines well but they lack of emotions. Just like Beowulf, Clash of the Titans remake had also differences from the original and for me; it is not a big deal unlike the other comments that I had red that they always compare it to the original one and they say that it had no notable delivery. The Expected Audiences Clash of the Titans was rated as PG-13 which means that all people are allowed to watch the movie but children below thirteen years old must be given a parental guidance due to fantasy action violence, some frightening images and brief sensuality. The Outline Scene 1- Narration of the battle between the Olympians and the Titans Scene 2- Spyros found Perseus and his dead mother Danae Scene 3- Soldiers destroying the statue of Zeus Scene 4- Hades killed the people and Perseus’ family Scene 5- Feast at the castle of Argos Scene 6- Hades entered and threatens them Scene 7- Perseus led a quest in killing the Kraken Scene 8- Perseus encountered Calibos and a scorpion Scene 9- Djinn helped in their battle against the big scorpions Scene 10- Arrived at Garden of Sygia Scene 11- Went to Medusa and cut her head. Scene 12- Calibos killed Io Scene 13- The Kraken was released Scene 14- Perseus arrived at Argos and killed the Kraken Scene 15- Perseus banishes Hades back to the Underworld Scene 16- Perseus saved Andromeda under the sea Scene 17- Zeus and Perseus met again and Io was resurrected. Actors/Actresses Sam Worthington  as  Perseus Gemma Arterton  as  Io AlexaDavalos  as  Andromeda Jason Flemyng  as  Acrisius/Calibos Tine Stapelfeldt  as  Danae Nicholas Hoult  as Eusebius Hans Matheson  as Ixas Liam Cunningham  as Solon Liam Neeson  as  Zeus Ralph Fiennes  as  Hades Ian Whyte  as Sheikh Sulieman Pete Postlethwaite  as Spyros Elizabeth McGovern  as Marmara Polly Walker  as  Cassiopeia Vincent Regan  as  Kepheus Luke Treadaway  as Prokopion Danny Huston  as  Poseidon Natalia Vodianova  as  Medusa The Structure Clash of The Titans is a mythical Greek tale about a demigod named Perseus, son of Zeus and Danae. It was actually a 2D movie but it was later converted in 3D. Inmy research, Leterrier approached the studio early on about a 3D conversion but it was expensive and very new technology. After  Avatar, the studio put pressure on Leterrier to convert the film. He was worried because of his previous concerns but was convinced after seeing the View-D conversion process. The transitions of scenes are good but sometimes it is boring to watch because some lacks emotion. The Cinematography The cinematography by Peter Menzies Jr is nicely done, adding some gorgeous scenery to the mythological soap opera. Louis Leterrier handles the directing task equally well, proving up to the job of helming a big production. The one major sequence with Perseus riding Pegasus through Argos chasing down the flying henchbeasts is simply beautiful. But some scenes look very pale to me and lacks of suspense and intense. Despite its general failure, some scenes from  Clash of the Titans  remain memorable. Chief among them is the duel with Medusa, a scene that ripples with tension. Sadly, the battle with the Kraken lacks a similar sense of danger. The Music Background The music background and the sound effects are good making it exciting, and adding atmosphere to the Greek mythological aspect of the film. The soundtracks are well suited to the scenes but I’m finding more suspense in some scenes especially in battles. Conclusion As a summary, Clash of the Titans movie contain a really great story, and has good visual and sound effects. I really like the action scenes which are really great. But the acting is mercurial, some are good, and some are bad. The director brought nothing really new that will make us amaze, but aside from these, everything was perfect. Vocabularies: 1. Frail-   physically weak 2. Defiance- disposition to resist  :  willingness to contend or fight 3. Awe- an emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred 4. Insolence-an instance of insolent conduct or treatment 5. Legion- a large military force 6. Demigod-   a mythological being with more power than a mortal but less than a god 7. Whirled-   to turn on or around an axis like a wheel   8. Plaint-   to express sorrow audibly . Tyranny- oppressive power 10. Colossal- of a bulk, extent, power, or effect approaching or suggesting the stupendous or incredible 11. Agony-   intense pain of mind or body 12. Torment-   the infliction of torture 13. Limbus- the marginal region of the cornea of the eye by which it is continuous with the sclera 14. Reek- a strong or disagreeable fume or odor 15. Conjurer- one that performs feats of sleight of hand and illusion 16. Clever- skillful or adroit in using the hands or body   17. Ferryman- a person who operates a  ferry 18. Feat-   a deed notable especially for courage 19. Mundane- of, relating to, or characteristic of the world 20. Sympathetic-   existing or operating through an affinity, interdependence, or mutual association 21. Spare-   to forbear to destroy, punish, or harm 22. Bounty-   something that is given generously 23. Filth-   moral corruption or defilement 24. Whip-   to take, pull, snatch, jerk, or otherwise move very quickly and forcefully 25. Kraken- a fabulous Scandinavian sea monster 26. Speck-   a very small amount 27. Siege- a persistent or serious attack 28. Affront-   to insult especially to the face by behavior or language 29. Lance-   to throw forward 0. Plague- a disastrous evil or affliction Introduction Clash of the Titans is a fantasy film based on the Greek myth of Perseus. This was just a remake of 1981 film of the same name. This movie also talks about the war between the man and the Greek Gods. Perseus embarks on a perilous journey to stop the underworld and its minions from spreading their evil to Earth as well as the heavens. Throughout this movie review, I had showed my opinions and my criticisms about this movie- the cinematography, structure, music background, and even the acting of the characters. MOVIE REVIEW Of CLASH OF THE TITANS

Saturday, September 14, 2019

On-Line Learning: An Innovation to Education Essay

In learning inside the classroom, there are many factors that are being taken into consideration so that the students will learn better. One of these considerations is the environment. It must be conducive for learning so that the students can concentrate and appreciate the lessons better. If they properly absorb what is being taught then they can apply these knowledge in their everyday life. However, if the environment is not conducive for learning, the tendency of students is to focus their mind on something else and not the lesson thus, their ability to grasp things correctly is affected. Learning is dependent on several factors such as motivation, perception and engagement of the learner. These factors in turn, are affected by the experiences of the learner, his learning style and the environment wherein learning is taking place (Hutchinson n. pag. ). Traditionally, learning takes place in the classroom with the teacher in front of the class. The classrooms are designed in such a way that the students will receive the least distraction from the discussion. The classroom setting is what most believes as the most conducive place for learning since the students are not distracted but outside sources. However, this belief has dramatically changed. Research and further studies indicate that classroom learning also has its negative consequences. These negative effects can be attributed to the way the teacher motivates the students to learn. The kind of motivation that the teacher employs is crucial in the absorption of the student of the lessons. However, learning does not only depend on the teacher as there are other factors which may affect the attention of the students to learning such as physical distractions and discomfort, physiological factors, safety and sense of belongingness. If these factors are not addressed to, most likely, the student will have difficulty absorbing the lessons (Hutchinson n. pag. ). A positive environment will make it easy for the student to learn and appreciate the lessons. If the teachers make the students feel that they are a part of something and their presence is important then they will be more encouraged to participate in the discussion. In addition, if the students feel safe then they can focus more on what the teacher is discussing. Another factor which can contribute to better learning is a positive environment wherein the students are encouraged to study and the people mentoring them provide the support that they need. With the developments that have been introduced, the learning environment now is not only limited to the school. The learning environment can be located anywhere, anyplace and at anytime. In every activity, there is always something that the individual learns. In addition, teachers now have transformed the traditional classroom approach to a multidisciplinary and problem based approach, incorporating technology in learning. The multidisciplinary approach allows students to have access to the lessons and through the internet. The new approach made classroom dynamics and rapidity in the change of curriculum obsolete. The tenets of learning now are more focused on problem solving, analyzing relationships and performing activities inside and outside of the classroom (Anstrand and Kirkbride n. pag. ). The multidisciplinary approach has prompted educational institutions to create virtual classrooms or a private online classroom that allows the teachers to interact with their students and assist them in their learning. It can be accessed at any time of the day and any day of the week. Just like an ordinary classroom setting, there are also many activities that take place in a virtual classroom. Among the features that a virtual classroom contains are class activities and class organizations. Class activities include individual and group learning activities, discussions or forums with students and teachers, home works, quizzes, modules and scavenger hunts. Class organizations on the other hand include timetables and the class calendar, overviews, information or announcements and the grade book of the students (the Learning place n. pag). A virtual classroom is a great aid for classroom learning because it tends to supplement what is being learned in the school. It also gives an avenue for the student to have continuous access to the lessons. They need not wait for the class hours before they can ask their teachers questions regarding the lessons. Another innovation to the traditional classroom setting is distance education. According to Schlosser and Simonson (3-4), distance education is a method of education wherein the learner is physically does not need to go to the classroom. He learns on his own using the modules that the teacher provides online. The student will be assessed and taught through the aid of the internet. The student and the teacher do not physically interact with each other. This process has not only made learning convenient but it also allows the students to apply what they are learning in real life settings. This also makes learning flexible because the students are not focused at a specific time for study. They can comply with the requirements of their subject at a time when they feel inspired to learn. They are not forced to do things and learning can yield to better results if the students get to enjoy what they are assigned to finish. This process also allows students who are located in distant places to gain access to the lessons of the teacher or professor without going to school. It saves time and energy both for the teacher and the students. However, this type of learning should not be employed to all students. Virtual classrooms and distance learning are ideally for those who are already in the higher levels of learning and not those who are still starting or are in their kinder school. These children need to be conditioned first and disciplined to perform school tasks. On-line learning is suited for students who possess the necessary study skills and self discipline, have access to internet and comfortable with computers (Kearsley n. pag. ). The effectivity of online learning will depend on the appreciation of the student of the system, the way the teacher prepares the lessons online as well as the learning environment of the student. Just like in the classroom setting, online learning is useless if the student is not able to appreciate it and apply his lessons in real world setting. The reason why these innovations to learning were created is to give the students more avenues to relate their lessons with their experiences. The student must remember that in any type of learning, participation is indispensable. Learning is a two-way process, not one way. There should be interaction between the parties in order to consider it effective. Learning can happen anywhere and at anytime, there need not be a specific place where the student should learn. What is important is the student can apply his experiences, things he has read and learned from educators and more mature individuals to improve the way he deals with life and the things around him. References Anstrand, D. and Kirkbride, E. (2002). â€Å"The Education Environment Program†. Design Share. Retrieved 31 August 2008 from Hutchinson, L. (n. d. ) â€Å"ABC of Learning and teaching Educational Environment†. BMJ. Retrieved 31 August 2008 from http://www. bmj. com/cgi/content/full/326/7393/810 Kearsley, G. (n. d. ). â€Å"Is online Learning for Everybody? † Retrieved 31 August 2008 from Schlosser, L. and Simonson, M. (2006). Distance Education. Charlotte, North Carolina: IAP â€Å"Virtual Classroom†. (n. d. ). The Learning Place. Retrieved 31 August 2008 from