Aluminum vs Aluminium Element Names

Aluminum and aluminium are two names for element 13 on the periodic table. In both cases, the element symbol is Al, although Americans and Canadians spell and pronounce the name aluminum, while the British (and most of the rest of the world) use the spelling and pronunciation of aluminium. Origin of Two Names The origin of the two names may be attributable to elements discoverer, Sir Humphry Davy, Websters Dictionary, or the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). In 1808, Sir Humphry Davy identified the existence of the metal in alum, which he at first named alumium and later aluminum. Davy proposed the name aluminum when referring to the element in his 1812 book Elements of Chemical Philosophy, despite his previous use of alumium. The official name  aluminium was adopted to conform with the -ium names of most other elements. The 1828 Websters Dictionary used the aluminum spelling, which it maintained in later editions. In 1925, the American Chemical Society (ACS) decided to go from aluminium back to the original aluminum, putting the United States in the aluminum group. In recent years, the IUPAC had identified aluminium as the proper spelling, but it didnt catch on in North America, since the ACS used aluminum. The  IUPAC  periodic table presently lists both spellings and says both words are perfectly acceptable.   History of the Element Guyton de Morveau (1761) called alum, a base which had been known to the ancient Greeks and Romans, by the name alumine. Davy identified the existence of aluminum, but he didnt isolate the element. Friedrich Wà ¶hler isolated aluminum in 1827 by mixing anhydrous aluminium chloride with potassium. Actually, though, the metal was produced two years earlier, though in impure form, by the Danish physicist and chemist Hans Christian Ørsted. Depending on your source, the discovery of aluminum is credited to either Ørsted or Wà ¶hler. The person who discovers an element gets the privilege of naming it; however, with this element, the identity of the discoverer is as disputed as the name. Correct Spelling The IUPAC has determined either spelling is correct and acceptable. However, the accepted spelling in North America is aluminum, while the accepted spelling just about everywhere else is aluminium.

Malcolm X Paving the Way for the Rights of African Americans

Of the people whose names are mentioned in history, some men like Thomas Edison are praised for their genius minds, while others such as Adolf Hitler are criticized for leaving a depressing legacy behind. While it is relative easy to notice the type of legacies these two men left, legacies of other men are often vague and they seem to be imbedded in gray shadows. This is how many people view the life of Malcolm X. Malcolm X during his lifetime had influenced many African Americans to step up for their rights against the injustices by the American government. One on hand, he has been criticized for his hard stances that resemble extremism, while on the other hand he has been praised him for his effort in raising the status for African†¦show more content†¦The choice of words indicates using violence as a possible means to fight for your rights. Even the title that he gave to the speech seems violent in that it implies that an African American should either cast a vote to get his rights or use the power of bullets to get his rights. It may seem detrimental to use such symbolism in a speech, because some African Americans can actually resort to violence by getting ‘emotionally excited’. However, in a speech that has the power to change the course of a nation and change the lives of millions of people, it is necessary to use such symbolism because it strengthens the position of the African Americans. If we look closely at the relationship that Malcolm X has with the nation of Islam, we find that he truly supported the cause of Black Nationalism. This was a time when Blacks drank from different fountains, and had different restrooms, and different seating arrangements in public transportation. During this time, Malcolm X felt it was absolutely necessary for Blacks to have their rights by any means necessary. Readers should view his speech as a breakthrough for paving the way to give African Americans the rights that they deserved instead o f viewing it as a speech filled with hatred against Whites. Malcolm X even states in his speech â€Å"Now in speaking like this, it doesnt mean that were anti-white, but it does mean wereShow MoreRelatedâ€Å"Whenever my environment had failed to support or nourish me, I had clutched at books...† ― Richard800 Words   |  4 PagesWright an African American author. This quote means that no matter what was placed in his way or what he lacked that others had he hung on to what he had and did what he could. And the more he read about the world, the more he longed to see it and make a permanent break from the Jim Crow South. I want my life to count for something, he told a friend. Richard Wright wanted to make a difference in the world and a difference he did make. Richard Wright was an important figure in American History becauseRead MoreEssay on I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings1048 Words   |  5 Pagescontribute to the way she grows up and the person she becomes. Desp ite some of her tragic circumstances, she learns a lot growing up, mainly because of the African-American women in her life who teach her all different life lessons. In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Marguerite gets to absorb teachings from her mother (Vivian), Mrs. Bertha Flowers, and her grandmother (Momma). These women allow Marguerite to learn and grow as an African-American female, all while paving her own way. MargueriteRead MoreAmerica Has A Great Deal Of Issues With Racism1491 Words   |  6 Pagesterrible mistreatment which black people have had to endure in this country. Since the early years of the country, blacks have been treated horribly. Slaves to white American citizens for many years, they were eventually granted their freedom, only to be met with heavy discrimination for many more years. The African men, women, and children brought to America were not treated as normal people. White people were afraid of them because of how different they looked, thus they treated

Do Rubrics Enhance and Improve Students’ Writing Products free essay sample

The article also provides support about how rubrics provide clear expectations for students, and support good thinking. The article also includes data that suggests that self-assessment using a rubric has a positive effect on most students’ writing. The article also introduces and supports the concept of blending instruction and assessment for more effective teaching. Moskal, Barbara M. (2000). Scoring Rubrics: What, When and How? Practical Assessment, Research Evaluation, 7(3). Available online: http://ericae. net/pare/getvn. asp The article support that scoring rubrics provide at least two benefits in the evaluation process. First, they support the examination of the extent to which the specified criteria has been reached, and second, they provide feedback to students concerning how to improve their performances. The article also supports that if these benefits are consistent with the purpose of the assessment, that a scoring rubric is likely to be an appropriate evaluation technique. Using generalizability theory to estimate the reliability of writing scores derived from holistic and analytical scoring methods Educational and Psychological Measurement; Durham; Jun 1999; Carl W Schwartz; Stephen R Hooper; James W Montgomery; Melissa B Wakely; et al; This research examined whether or not the rubrics used to assess writing for the NAEP test are reliable. We will write a custom essay sample on Do Rubrics Enhance and Improve Students’ Writing Products? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Two separate studies were listed for this source. The results from both studies suggested that individual differences among students contributed most of the variance to writing scores. Well-trained raters did not contribute significant amounts of variance to writing scores, but there was sizable variance in the scores attributable to the interaction of students and raters. The reliability coefficients tended to increase as the number of raters increased. However, the specific use of these writing scores was an important consideration in the reliability of the scores. Writing by the Rules No Easy Task; Rubrics Can Help Students Focus on Basics, but Some Teachers and Parents Say They Squelch Creativity The Washington Post; Washington, D. C. ; Oct 24, 2000; Jay Mathews; This article presents research that some teachers find that rubrics stifle student creativity. It also emphasizes that teachers hold many different views about the value of rubrics. Some teachers will not assign writing tasks without a rubric because they feel the rubrics set important guidelines. The article presents support for both sides of the argument. This article reports research that states that writing is too personal and varied an enterprise to be amenable to scoring by rubric. It also suggests that standardized scores with a writing rubric also present a validity problem. Rubrics incorrectly imply that good writing is the sum of the criteria on the rubric, and that the criteria on the rubric are sufficient for good writing. The author asserts that writing that does not conform to the criteria on the rubric is not good. Introduction to Scoring Rubrics. ttp://intranet. cps. k12. il. us/Assessments/Ideas_and_Rubrics/Intro_Scoring/intro_scoring. html This website is an introduction to using rubrics as a form of alternative assessment. It includes a definition of Performance Assessment, and research about why scoring rubrics are important. The website also contains research about the most effective elements of a scoring rubric, and distinguishes between analytical and ho listic rubrics. Combining scores from analytical rubric scales. Finally, the sight explains the most effective way to use a rubric in the classroom. Do you use Rubrics when you assign writing? What type of writing assignments do you think are best suited for using rubrics? Do you think scoring rubrics enhance student writing? How do you think that students’ writing products improve from using scoring rubrics? Do you think a scoring rubric could stifle a student’s creativity? If yes, how, and if no, why not? 1. I like to know the specific guidelines for what it takes to create an A paper. Strongly Agree Agree Unsure Disagree Strongly Disagree 2. I think that specific guidelines stifle my creativity. Strongly Agree Agree Unsure Disagree Strongly Disagree 3. I have been assessed using a rubric and I found it helpful. Strongly Agree Agree Unsure Disagree Strongly Disagree 4. I think that scoring rubrics help me to know exactly what my teacher is looking for in a paper. Strongly Agree Agree Unsure Disagree Strongly Disagree I think comparing the products of students that were given a rubric to the products of students who weren’t would be a good way to test if rubrics were effective in enhancing students’ work. Bibliography:

Management practices and behaviors

Introduction In every organization, the productivity of employees is significantly determined by the organization’s ability to motivate them. In order to motivate their employees effectively, it is important for an organization to employ the appropriate management practices and behaviors. Management practices and behaviors is one of the most appropriate tools which can be used to increase the employee’s productivity and enhancing employee morale and commitment.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Management practices and behaviors specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Motivation can be defined as the set of reasons which affects one’s decisions to engage themselves in particular behaviors. When employees are motivated, they will become more committed to their respective duties because they believe their hard work is recognized. They will be motivated to work harder in order to maximize the re turns of an organization. When their efforts are recognized, employees will get a sense of identity with an organization. They will somehow have sense of ownership of the firm. Consequently, they will be committed to meet the organizational goals. In the long run, the organization’s profitability will increase due to the increased employee productivity. Despite of these advantages of employee motivation, the process is faced by a number of problems. These problems have significantly affected the success of employees’ motivation. For instance, in order for any organization to have a successful employee motivation process, it has to assign a substantial amount of money. It will cost an organization to buy presents for the employees or to carry out any incentive in order to motivate them to work harder. In most cases, it becomes very difficult to measure the returns which a certain employee-motivation practice will bring to an organization. For example, how much will an o rganization gain for every unit of resources allocated to employee motivation? This question brings about controversies in an organization’s efforts to motivate its employees. Literature Review In every organization, the major concern of the management is to coordinate the production factors in such a way that they contribute significantly in realization of the organizational goals. In an organization, we have non human factors like equipment which facilitate the process of production. The performance of such factors depends on the performance of the employees. Therefore, motivation of the workers is of great importance in improving the overall performance of an organization. The performance of the workers, however, will be determined by the motivation they receive as well as their ability to perform certain tasks (Scribd, not dated: 3).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Le arn More In most cases, many organizations find themselves in a number of problems emanating from its employees. Human beings can be too complex and they can also be very simple. Therefore, it is very important for the management to realize this fact in order to come up with the best practices in its efforts to manage its human factors. Employee motivation affects the productivity of employees in four dimensions. That is, effort, persistence, direction and goals (Scribd, not dated: 4). Effort refers to the strengths of an employee in the work related behaviors. On the other hand, persistence refers to the determination which employee’s display in applying effort to their work and duties. Direction refers to the quality of the worker’s behavior related into how they conduct themselves in carrying out their duties or tasks. Finally, goals refer to the ends through which the workers direct their efforts (Scribd, not dated: 5). It has been found that motivation causes go al oriented behaviors (Scribd, not dated: 8). When an individual experiences a feeling for a need, this feeling generates an urge that he or she misses something. Consequently, the feeling that he has something missing generates a lot of tension in his or her mind. In order to satisfy these needs, employees end up engaging themselves in goal directed behaviors to satisfy their needs. These behaviors in which the employees engage themselves in are goal directed. These behaviors increase their productivity hence significantly improving the performance of an organization. By engaging themselves in goal oriented behaviors, employees manage to fulfill their goals and, therefore, succeed in their efforts to fulfill their needs (Scribd, not dated: 5). This helps employees in overcoming their tension. However, the fulfillment of these needs require the presence of a favorable environment. Otherwise the process will be less effective. Goal oriented behavior among the employee is continuous b ecause when one need is satisfied, it generates another need. Therefore, employee motivation is significant in realization of organization long term and short term goals. Importance of applying employees’ motivation principle There are several reasons why it is important to motivate employees in every organization.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Management practices and behaviors specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Employees’ motivation is one of the major factors which determine an organization’s competitive advantage. When an organization motivates its employees, they improve their productivity. Therefore, an organization is able to produce more and spend less. In other words, a company is able to reduce its production costs. Thus, it will be easy for an organization to sell its products at a lower price and still retain its profitability. Motivation can also be viewed as the key to performance improvement and innovation. Motivated employees record a higher performance compared to other employees (Scribd, not dated: 10). When employees receive motivation through various methods, they will work very close to their capabilities. However, in the absence of any motivation, employee performance will tend to deviate away from their capabilities. High employee performance promotes profitability of an organization and therefore organizations need to motivate their employees. Another importance of motivating employees is to maintain a high level of employee turnover. An organization which frequently motivates their employees frequently experiences minimal cases of employee absenteeism. Organizations manage to avoid problems which are related with employee absenteeism like shortages, delays and other inconveniences. An organization also manages to maximize on utilization of its human factors. Employee motivation also reduces the chances of workers rejecting organization al changes. Motivated employees are more receptive to organizational changes compared with unmotivated employees (Scribd, not dated: 5). Changes in organizations are very important especially in the current business which is characterized by a very high level of competition. In such environment, an organization is forced to embrace changes with time. However, employees tend to oppose these changes when they are introduced in the organization. This is due to the adjustments that are associated with such changes which affect them. Motivated employees will support these changes and even engage themselves in their implementation. This promotes various activities in organizations. Maslow’s Theory This theory categorizes human needs into different levels. There are some levels which are more fundamental than others. The satisfaction of these needs can significantly affect the performance of an individual in an organization.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One of the main needs that an employee needs to get in an organization is safety. Employees need to be guaranteed of their job security in order to promote their commitment in their tasks (Huber 2006: 486). Employees need to be provided with safety and security needs in order to be motivated to improve on their production. In other words, lack of employment safety discourages employees from putting effort in their duties. They cannot successfully be committed for the success of the organization. For instance, they will not have any incentive to conduct research which has long-term impacts on an organization. Employees need to be free from any fears and any form of deprivation of their physiological needs (Wahba and Bridwell 1976: 230).The management should use the right language to the employees which does not threaten the permanency of an employee position in an organization. They must feel valued as an important part of an organization. There are several things which can be done i n order to meet these basic needs which are necessary for employee’s motivation. For instance, employers must assure the employees on the security of their employment. This will encourage employees to work harder for the success of their organization. If employees are not guaranteed on their security on an organization, they will have very low incentive to innovate. The expectancy theory The expectancy theory stipulates that employees will tend to work harder if they believe that hard work will lead to better performance and that better performance will lead to rewards (DuBrin 2008: 389). In other words, this theory shows that rewards can significantly affect the performance of employees. One of the ways through which employees can be rewarded is through payment. Employees can be encouraged to put more effort in their respective areas if they are rewarded with a good payment. Otherwise, employees will be discouraged and hence their productivity will be reduced if they are poo rly paid. The element of equity also plays a pivotal role in improving the employee’s performance. Employees will be discouraged if they feel they are being discriminated against. On the other hand, employees will be satisfied when they believe their compensation is equal to that given to others who make similar contribution in the organization (DuBrin 2008: 595). Herzberg Two Factor Theory In every organization, hygiene plays a pivotal role in motivating the employees. Hygiene factors represent both the work and the working environment in an organization. Employees will tend to be discouraged by poor working conditions (Anonymous 2011). Therefore, hygiene factors are of great significance in every organization. Herzberg’s two factor theory proposes that people are motivated by both satisfaction and psychological growth. These two factors contribute significantly in motivating individuals. Similarly, hygiene factors can significantly affect the level of employeeâ€℠¢s satisfaction (Mendenhall, Punnett and Ricks 1995: 58). According to this theory, hygiene factors are of great importance in an organization since their presence leaves the employees satisfied. Examples In the contemporary business world, many organizations have realized the importance of employee motivation in improving the overall performance of an organization. Most successful companies have applied employee motivation practices in their management. There are a number of organizations which have enormously benefited from their efforts to motivate their workers. One of the major companies which have significantly benefited with employee motivation practices is Coca Cola. Coca Cola is a multinational company whose employees come from all over the world. The company puts employee motivation as a top priority (Ford, Stephens and Cooper 2007: 12). This has significantly increased the performance of employees where the productivity level remains very high. Today, the Coca cola is amo ng the most famous companies in the world. Its brand is widely known such that when the name is mentioned to anybody from any part in the world, they have a least an idea of what it is. Another example is United Arabs Emirates which has critically benefited from employee motivation. Recent research has indicated that about 64 per cent of the United Arabs Emirates are motivated which is above the region’s average of 63 percent of employees who are motivated in their work (Khaleej times, 2009). This has contributed to the success of an organization. Employees provide good services to the customers due to motivation. This increases the performance of the company compared ton its competitors. Conclusion In conclusion, this discussion has clearly shown that management practices and behaviors are most appropriate for the purpose of increasing productivity and enhancing employee morale and commitment. Employees will always tend to improve on their performance when they receive any f orm of motivation. Less motivated employees will tend to be less committed in their work. These results indicate that it is important for every organization to allocate a specific fraction of its time and financial resources for the motivation of its employees. This is because lack of such practices will affect its profitability significantly. However, it is important to balance between motivational efforts and the returns from such practices. Otherwise, it will be not economical to spend more than what is realized from a motivational practice. In order for an organization to be able to come up with the best practices and methods of motivating its employees, it has to conduct an intensive research on the employees’ needs and their performance. This will help in making decisions on the most appropriate methods and times for carrying out these practices. For instance, the management may decide to carry out its motivational practices during their peak period when employees need to be more active. This will be more beneficial to the company rather than when motivation practices were conducted during other times. Recommendations The strategy of improving the worker’s productivity through motivational practices can significantly affect the productivity of an organization. The process has a number of benefits to an organization both in the short run and long run. The process should be supported from all levels of the management in order to gain maximum benefits from the whole process. This commitment will also improve the effectiveness of employee motivation practices. It is necessary to be objective while selecting the best approach to apply in promoting employee through motivational practices. The management must choose the most acceptable practices. This is because other methods may bring some conflicts in an organization which may eventually affect the performance of an organization negatively. Reference List Anonymous, 2011. Two Factor Theory-Herzb erg, Fredrick: Value based management.  Web. DuBrin, J., 2008. Essentials of Management. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.  Web. Ford, W., Stephens, R. and Cooper, L. 2007. Coca-Cola Case Study: An Ethics Incident. Web Huber, D., 2006. Leadership and Nursing Care Management. New York, Elsevier Health Sciences. Web. Khaleej times, 2009. Survey; UAE Leads in Employee Motivation. Web. Mendenhall, E., Punnett, B. and Ricks, A. 1995. Global Management. London, Wiley-Blackwell.  Web. Scribd. Employee’s Motivation (Using Two Factor Theory of Herzberg). Web. Wahba, M. and Bridwell, L. 2009. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance. Volume 15, Issue 2, April 1976, Pages 212-240. Web. This research paper on Management practices and behaviors was written and submitted by user Maxim Casey to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin was one of the giants of the 1970's in hard rock. They were also one of the greatest success stories that ever played hard rock music. The group was one the more popular hard rock groups that performed in the seventies, and even had some hits in the 1960's. The members of the group are Jimmy Page, born on April 9, 1944, Robert Plant, born on August 24, 1948, John Paul Jones, born on January 3, 1946, and John Bonham born on May 31, 1948. Jimmy Page played guitar, Robert Plant was the vocalist, John Paul Jones played bass guitar and the keyboard, and John Bonham beat the drums. The group had the complete set up for a band right off the start. They produced their first record in thirty hours to complete their deal with the old Yardbirds. They toured Scandinavia for awhile also to complete their obligations to the Yardbirds. When they first came to the United States they supported Vanilla Fudge. They also played in clubs to start their American popularity. After they played in the clubs they got their first headlining tour and toured again that. They were playing their fifth tour by the March of 1970. Led Zeppelin the record was released by the Atlantic Records in 1969. Shortly after the record was released it was number eight and stayed in the top twenty for six weeks. When the Led Zeppelin II was released, it was Atlantic Records' fastest selling album at 100,000 copies a week. They broke their own record in 1975 when â€Å"Physical Graffiti† that sold 500 copies an hour. All of their albums have gone platinum. They were the first group to heavily tour the United States and sporadically tour the rest of the world. This occurred because there was a lack of interest in them Britain. Their success was due to their manager Peter Grant. Peter was able to keep the group moving from place to place and kept the people interested in them. Peter thought that they would work every other year so they would stay in demand... Free Essays on Led Zeppelin Free Essays on Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin was one of the giants of the 1970's in hard rock. They were also one of the greatest success stories that ever played hard rock music. The group was one the more popular hard rock groups that performed in the seventies, and even had some hits in the 1960's. The members of the group are Jimmy Page, born on April 9, 1944, Robert Plant, born on August 24, 1948, John Paul Jones, born on January 3, 1946, and John Bonham born on May 31, 1948. Jimmy Page played guitar, Robert Plant was the vocalist, John Paul Jones played bass guitar and the keyboard, and John Bonham beat the drums. The group had the complete set up for a band right off the start. They produced their first record in thirty hours to complete their deal with the old Yardbirds. They toured Scandinavia for awhile also to complete their obligations to the Yardbirds. When they first came to the United States they supported Vanilla Fudge. They also played in clubs to start their American popularity. After they played in the clubs they got their first headlining tour and toured again that. They were playing their fifth tour by the March of 1970. Led Zeppelin the record was released by the Atlantic Records in 1969. Shortly after the record was released it was number eight and stayed in the top twenty for six weeks. When the Led Zeppelin II was released, it was Atlantic Records' fastest selling album at 100,000 copies a week. They broke their own record in 1975 when â€Å"Physical Graffiti† that sold 500 copies an hour. All of their albums have gone platinum. They were the first group to heavily tour the United States and sporadically tour the rest of the world. This occurred because there was a lack of interest in them Britain. Their success was due to their manager Peter Grant. Peter was able to keep the group moving from place to place and kept the people interested in them. Peter thought that they would work every other year so they would stay in demand... Free Essays on Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin was one of the giants of the 1970’s in hard rock. They were also one of the greatest success stories that ever played hard rock music. The group was one the more popular hard rock groups that performed in the seventies, and even had some hits in the 1960’s. The members of the group are Jimmy Page, born on April 9, 1944, Robert Plant, born on August 24, 1948, John Paul Jones, born on January 3, 1946, and John Bonham born on May 31, 1948. Jimmy Page played guitar, Robert Plant was the vocalist, John Paul Jones played bass guitar and the keyboard, and John Bonham beat the drums. The group had the complete set up for a band right off the start. They produced their first record in thirty hours to complete their deal with the old Yardbirds. They toured Scandinavia for awhile also to complete their obligations to the Yardbirds. When they first came to the United States they supported Vanilla Fudge. They also played in clubs to start their American popularity. After they played in the clubs they got their first headlining tour and toured again that. They were playing their fifth tour by the March of 1970. Led Zeppelin the record was released by the Atlantic Records in 1969. Shortly after the record was released it was number eight and stayed in the top twenty for six weeks. When the Led Zeppelin II was released, it was Atlantic Records’ fastest selling album at 100,000 copies a week. They broke their own record in 1975 when â€Å"Physical Graffiti† that sold 500 copies an hour. All of their albums have gone platinum. They were the first group to heavily tour the United States and sporadically tour the rest of the world. This occurred because there was a lack of interest in them Britain. Their success was due to their manager Peter Grant. Peter was able to keep the group moving from place to place and kept the people interested in them. Peter thought that they would work every other year so they would stay in demand. Wh...

Conflict in China essays

Conflict in China essays Why did the centurys long dynastic rule end in china? China is one of the worlds most ancient nations with a recorded history that stretches back more than 4000 years. For centuries, China was ruled by dynasties of powerful emperors and had not had any contact with the western world. Over the centuries, China was able to develop and advanced civilisation, producing amazing inventions and remarkable works of art, Chinas single-minded independence, left it unable to deal with the European world. The Chinese emperors refused to allow any political, social, or economic change and China stood still. In the 18th century, European technology overtook Chinas, and the country was unable to resist the influence of the European traders landing on its shores. China was ruled by five dynasties from A.D. 581 1911, the last one being the Qing dynasty who put their own emperor a six-year-old boy on the throne. The emperors each had their won internal problems. Some were corrupt, extravagant, and like the Manchus, were warriors. They were mean and strict in their relations with their Chinese subjects. People became fed up with the emperors, taxes were too high, and some poor families even had to sell their own children to get money. The Europeans started to come and they brought with them new crops of tobacco and corn. However, there was an imbalance on trade. The Chinese were exploited for their tea, spices, raw silk, sugar, porcelain and jade, and in turn, could only purchase wool and spices from the Europeans. The Europeans did not want to trade in silver for Chinese goods, and opium was introduced. The British exploited the people by continuously supplying more and more opium. In 1839, China attempted to stop the trade and seized more than 20,000 chests of Indian opium and burned them. The British were angry and responded by blockading the port of Guangzhou and ...

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

Homework 4 - Essay Example was not liable under product liability law for the injury to Clark. There were several key factors in this case including: (1) the individual who shot the paintball gun (Rico) testified that the product did not malfunction when he fired it. (2) Clark was aware that protective eyewear was available to use, but he decided not to wear any; (3) Clark knew beforehand that there was danger involved in what he was doing since he said it was â€Å"common sense† for people not to shoot anyone in the face with a paintball gun and; (4) the product did what is was expected to do under the circumstances. Product liability can be based on the theories of negligence, misrepresentation, and strict liability. In regards negligence, the manufacturer would have to fail to exercise ‘due care’ to ensure the product is safe. This would include the design, manufacturing, and inspection. This did not happen or could be proved as shown primarily by Rico’s testimony that the gun did not malfunction. Misrepresentation can happen if intentional mislabeling of packages happens or if product defects are concealed. Neither of these things happened with Brass Eagle and the Supreme Court case details mentioned how a warning label showing the dangers was in the package itself. The requirements for Strict product liability under Section 402A of the Restatement (Second) of Torts is federal law that can be summarized as: (1) the product must have been in defective condition when sold; (2) the defendant must have been in the business of selling the product; (3) the product must be unreasonably dangerous to the user or consumer because of it’s defective condition; (4) the plaintiff must incur physical harm; (5) the defective condition must by the proximate cause of the injury; and (6) the goods must not have been substantially changed from the time the product was sold to when the damage occurred. Clark could not prove that the product itself was

The Body Shop enter the Chinese cosmetics market Essay

The Body Shop enter the Chinese cosmetics market - Essay Example Since 1949, the telltale signs of China’s economic improvement are convincing (Raiklin, 2012). First, China was able to resolve its anarchy and disorder issues. With the resolution of the two issues, businesses can now flourish. The resolution of the two issues indicates peace and order currently prevails in today’s china environment. Further, peace and order allows the current and future customers to freely visit the nearest stores (Ferrell, 2011). The current and future customers are not fearful of being robbed while crossing the street towards the nearest department store. Similarly, the typical Chinese customers is assured that he will be able to visit the nearest corner store without be shot or killed by the street gangs. With peace and order prevailing, the customers are able to visit the stores during late nights to buy their food, medicines, and other personal necessities (Raiklin, 2013). The peace and order allows the stores to open up their shops (Hartline, 2011). The store owners will not fear that the store will be robbed. The presence of police officers watching the busy China streets will discourage the current and future store robbers from implementing their illegal activities. The stores will be able generate enough sales to pay for the costs and expenses of operating the stores (Raiklin, 2013). Street gangs will discourage economic benefits (Baumol, 2009). The stores located within street gang-infested streets will constantly be robbed by street gangs. Street gangs may threaten current and future customers who enter the store. Consequently, the current and future customers may decide to buy from safer places. China’s peaceful economic climate will ensure the Body Shop will continue to generate higher store visits and purchases from current and future customers. With the two issues resolved, the people learn to obey societal rules (Weihrich, 2009). The people learn to implement the

Amity Centre for eLearning Essay Example for Free

Amity Centre for eLearning Essay Mr. Sreenivas (55) working as manager in Alfa Chemicals, a large scale industrial establishment engaged in the production of Phosphate and Sulphur. He has 30 years of experience in Alfa Chemicals. He has an excellent track record as Manager Human Resources within the organization. Many times he got best  employer award to performance excellence. His area of expertise in recruitment and selection process, and performance appraisal has been widely acknowledged. The Information Technology division of Alfa Chemicals industry once faced acute shortage of manpower. Mr. Raj, Manager IT division put forward an immediate requirement of 10 employees in the IT division, to HR department, starting from junior level to senior level. As and when Mr. Sreenivas got the letter from Mr. Raj, in his department, he started processing of it. To get it done, he approached many sources. He had gone through the data bank of company and considered 100 resumes for recruitment from it. He also informed the employees and employers of the organization, in their respective departmental notice board, showing the immediate requirement of 10 employees to facilitate the internal recruitment procedures. From the employees and employers of Alfa Chemicals he got around 150 applications with resumes. In addition to that in order to give an opportunity to candidates external to the organization he floated an advertisement in several daily news papers viz., Times of India, Sakal, and Indian Express. From external sources he got around 350 applications. Almost 600 candidates, including internal and external applicants, applied for 10 vacant posts. To ensure the reliability and dependability of the process, Sreenivas made his personal scrutiny at all levels, in the recruitment and selection process. Since the entire department function as a team in HR, all the members trust each other and extended their valuable contribution in the recruitment and selection. The department conducted a preliminary interview in order to made first  screening process and filter the number of applicants. After the first screening process the HR department reduced the number of applicant list from 600 to 500 applicants. He conducted a written test and group discussion and there by further reduces the number of applicants to 300. These 300 candidates then exposed to one hour psychometric test and out of which 50 candidates selected for the final interview. From the final interview, 10 candidates finally selected. The entire process of recruitment and selection took almost 3 months. The selected candidates list then forwarded to the top management for the final approval. HR department informed the candidates that the appointment letters will be sent to those who are selected for the post. Sreenivas approached several time to the top management about to get final approval of list of candidates for the IT department. Sreenivas informed the IT department also that the delay in the final list announcement as the top  management take some more time. He waited almost 4 weeks. But, no reply at all. Mr. Raj, the IT manager every day enquired about the latest information about the final list of the candidates and tentative date of induction. Sreenivas faced the difficulty to make any comment on the subject as there was no information from the top management. HR department had to answer many phone calls from out side and inside the organization, as recruitment involved candidates from inside and outside. The employers and employees of the industry, whose relatives got into the final selection process, became regular visitors of the HR department, asking for the finalist. Sreenivas called a meeting of HR team members and once again made a close verification of the entire process. But he couldnt find any fault in any of the recruitment and selection process. As the time went on he became more suspicious about the delay in the announcement of the result. When the problem becomes so crucial Sreenivas got direction from the top management to meet Mr. Kartik, General Manager, one of the top officials in the organization. Mr.Kartik asked the entire process of recruitment and selection that made on IT professionals. Sreenivas furnished the entire details of the process in a precise report. Mr. Kartik read the entire  report and soon after made a direct comment that the recruitment and selection process that for IT professionals need to be cancelled as he observed some discrepancies in the process made by his department. He further directed Sreenivas that the vacancies have to be filled through contract basis and no permanent vacancies to be made in these positions, for one year. Further he informed Sreenivas that another recruitment process to be done from external candidates applied and no internal application to be entertained. Sreenivas couldnt agree with the Mr. Kiran comment on his departments inefficiency in the recruitment and selection process. For a while he thought about quitting the organization, as he faced a baseless allegation from the top management. Till date there is no black mark in his functional dissemination. On many occasion he helped the industry to find out best possible solutions in order to tackle the many manpower crisis. Sreenivas became so depressed and felt quiet unhappy about the decision taken by the management. Mr. Sreenivas called an urgent meeting of his subordinates and communicated the management decision and directives. He shared with the team members that the management had greater dissatisfaction on the recruitment and selection process done by the department. He enquired that any one made any mistake in the  process. All members denied the probability of any mistake. As there were clear norms and regulations related to each step and there was no dual command, they found no possibility of creeping errors in the selection process. In the meeting he informed his subordinates that the management freezes the appointment process for IT professionals and asked for external recruitment on contract basis. It was shocking news to members. They asked several questions to get a proper clarification from Sreenivas. As Mr. Sreenivas himself unaware of the reasons behind management decision, he informed his subordinate his inability to give a proper reply in this regard. Sreenivas also informed this matter to Mr. Raj. During the evening hours, in the same day, Sreenivas got a call from Mr. George, one of his senior-level Managers, with whom he had friendly and informal relationship. Mr. George asked Srinivas to come to his cabin. As per the call Mr.  Sreenivas met George in his cabin. George enquired about his family and many unofficial matters in the informal interaction. Half an hour later, Mr. George enquired about the recruitment and selection process of IT professionals. He shared with George all those things happened with top management. Leaving aside the informal interaction, George initiated formal discussion with Sreenivas. He told Sreenivas that the selected list of IT professionals consisted two names, Mr. Avdesh and Mr. Praveen, they are the relatives of two trade union leaders of the organization. The management felt that being the relatives of two trade union leaders, in the long run, they could be a threat to organization. It may create an image that the trade unions still have a control over the decision making process in organization. Further, the hold of trade union may expand if this selection process materializes. Mr. Geroge informed Sreenivas that management didnt have any doubt about the dependability and exactness of the recruitment processes that HR departmentr did. George further informed Sreenivas that as per the intimation from top management he called Mr. Sreenivas and briefed about the undercurrents of this episode. The entire news was shocking to Mr. Sreenivas. He didnt know that the management decision had this much of undercurrents. After hearing entire story Sreenivas become so silent and returned to his cabin. While sitting inside his cabin, he made a silent comment that, what a useless effort. Questions 1. What are the undercurrents of selection process in Alfa Chemicals? 2. How management decision justifies management effort in the maintenance of harmonious industrial relation? 3. Do you believe that as HR Manager, Mr. Sreenivas failed to gather direct and indirect information about the candidates? 4. How cancellation of appointment decision that affect the moral of organizational members? 5. How you interpret the dilemma of HR managers have to face in such kind of situations. 6. What would be your decision if you have to face such situation? 7. Do you believe that trade unions have quota in appointments? 8. How the decision affect the reduction of wastages and improvement of resources. 9. Is the decision reflecting management fear towards trade union or inability to develop a congenial industrial relationship within the organization? 10. How you interpret the silence of Mr. Sreenivas?

Shadowlands: Why Does God Allow Pain and Suffering?‎ Essay -- God, Tra

If God loves us, why does He allow us to suffer? The central question in Shadowlands challenges traditional religious and moral conventions. It is a question asked by many, with few satisfactory answers. Before attempting to answer the question, and explore its relationship to Shadowlands, let us first define the question, so its implications may be more clearly understood. At the heart of the question is a doubt in the goodness of God, "If God loves us". From the beginning it is clear that God is being judged and criticized by the question. Then the second phrase follows"Why does He allow us to suffer?". The assumption made in the second phrase is that God has enough control over the world to prevent suffering. If He can prevent suffering, and He really loves us, then why shouldn' t He excercise that control, and prevent needless suffering? Not preventing suffering is the same as actively inflicting it. Humans generally believe that if they love another person, they should prevent their loved ones from suffering. Why shouldn't God be the same? If a human causes suffering for an... Shadowlands: Why Does God Allow Pain and Suffering?‎ Essay -- God, Tra If God loves us, why does He allow us to suffer? The central question in Shadowlands challenges traditional religious and moral conventions. It is a question asked by many, with few satisfactory answers. Before attempting to answer the question, and explore its relationship to Shadowlands, let us first define the question, so its implications may be more clearly understood. At the heart of the question is a doubt in the goodness of God, "If God loves us". From the beginning it is clear that God is being judged and criticized by the question. Then the second phrase follows"Why does He allow us to suffer?". The assumption made in the second phrase is that God has enough control over the world to prevent suffering. If He can prevent suffering, and He really loves us, then why shouldn' t He excercise that control, and prevent needless suffering? Not preventing suffering is the same as actively inflicting it. Humans generally believe that if they love another person, they should prevent their loved ones from suffering. Why shouldn't God be the same? If a human causes suffering for an...

History of American Education

Every human infant comes into the world devoid of the faculties characteristic of fully developed human beings. The process of growing up is the process of the development of the child’s faculties. The overwhelmingly important aspect of the growing-up process is mental, the development of mental powers, or perception and reason. Margaret Szasz`s `Education and the American Indian: The Road to Self-Determination Since 1928Margaret Szasz traced the evolution of federal American Indian educational policy during a critical span of time beginning with the Meriam Report in 1928 through the Kennedy Report of 1969 and the consequent passage of the Indian Education Act. These reports which resulted from intensive government sponsored studies of conditions in American Indian life, provided the impetus for important changes in Indian Administration and ultimately influenced a federal policy shift away from the earlier assimilationist ideology toward a culturally pluralistic perspective w hich fostered the possibility of self determination for American Indian nations.In American Indian education from 1928 to 1973 there are two types of studies that have become popular. These are historical monographs on regional or tribal education and general accounts of contemporary Indian schooling. The Meriam report suggested that education should be the primary function of the Indian bureau. It advised that Indian education be geared for all age levels and that it be tied in closely with the community.It encouraged construction of day schools to serve as community centers and proposed extensive reform of boarding schools, including the introduction of Indian culture and revision of the curriculum so that it would be adaptable to local conditions. In addition, the report attacked the physical conditions of the boarding schools, the enrollment of preadolescent children, and the inadequacy of the personnel. It recommended that salaries and standards be raised and that a professiona l educator be appointed Director of Education.(Margaret Connell, 1999)Utilizing archival materials, congressional records, and interviews, Margaret Szasz focuses on those systems of Indian education directly impacted by the federal government and federal policy. The assimilation programs of the Dawes Act era, the reform movements of the New Deal with the accompanying positive attitude toward Indian cultures, the economic impact of World War II and the disastrous termination measures of the early 1950s are analyzed for their effects on education in day schools and the on- and off-reservation boarding schools directed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).She presents the emerging power of â€Å"Self-Determination† from the supportive legislation of the Kennedy/Johnson years and the setbacks of the Reagan era to the present administration, and the resulting growth of yet another genre of education for American Indian people – tribally controlled schools and colleges. Sza sz closes the most recent chapter in American Indian education policy with the story of the rise and expansion of tribally controlled colleges concluding that â€Å"their commitment to community, to students, and to future leadership among tribal peoples suggests that they serve as the hope for the future for American Indians.Szasz closes the most recent chapter in American Indian education policy with the story of the rise and expansion of tribally controlled colleges concluding that â€Å"their commitment to community, to students, and to future leadership among tribal peoples suggests that they serve as the hope for the future for American Indians. † In this work Szasz has shown herself again to be the consummate researcher, presenting a sensitive but objective, comprehensive account of federal American Indian educational policy. Education in United States was segregated upon race.For the most part, African Americans received very little to no education before the civil w ar. In the south where slavery was legal, many states enacted laws which made it a crime for blacks to even be able to read, much less attend school alongside white classmates. After the civil war and emancipation blacks still received little help from the states themselves. The federal government under the radical republications, set up the freedman’s bureau to help educate and protect former slaves and passed several civil rights bills, but neither survived the end of reconstruction in 1877.The idea of equality in America has owed much to its proven ability to get used to varied and often argumentative environments by meaning different things to different minds, and furnishing rival interests with equally satisfying terms of moral reference. All of which throws some doubt on the undeniable character claimed by the Republic's founders for human rights determined forever by the laws of nature. The idea of equality been able to stamp an unmistakable and lasting imprint on soci al institutions.The Great Awakening, within certain very marked restrictions and with correspondingly limited consequences, was probably the first such period after colonial institutions had taken a settled shape. Accordingly it is chronologically the first to appear in the pages that follow; and because it’s religious character merges with the theme of the attitude of the state towards the individual's moral identity, giving the subject an inherent unity which bears on all other aspects of equality, two separate chapters are dedicated to that dilemma.The American Revolution and its consequences composed another period of upheaval. For all the rhetoric and invocations of principle that accompanied the election of Thomas Jefferson in 1800, and the policies of Andrew Jackson from the early campaigns for his election through his veto of the Bank bill and other pronouncements to his retirement in 1837, the administrations of these publicly dedicated reformists did little to defle ct the advancing inequalities that characterized the distribution of wealth and all that followed from it.The Jacksonian affirmation could be described in terms of the comparatively new concept of equality of opportunity, an imperfectly digested notion which actually conflicted with other egalitarian precepts, held by some of Jackson's contemporaries to be of even more urgent importance.It was only with the tremendous upheaval wrought by the Civil War, and then after more moderate policies had failed for political reasons that the principle of the equal protection of the laws, with all that it could be held to require in making sure that the laws themselves were genuinely equal, was written into the Constitution and transformed from a common and weak ideal into a optimistic commitment of government. The language of equal protection, however, soon proved to be as flexible as the blurred idea of equal prospect.Soon after achieving the modest and, as it seemed, short-lived triumphs of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, egalitarians lost their grip on American development more completely than ever before. The idea of equality thus revealed over the two hundred years of the nation's independent survival a tenacity which afforded a strange kind of glamour to American claims and pretensions, and a kind of explanation to the offer or threat of social justice which America had always seemed to hold out to the common people in face of the empires, monarchies, priesthoods, and social hierarchies of the Old World.This tenacity of egalitarian principles owed a great deal to the historical structure of American institutions and to the formal and constitutional beginning of the American nation; and in the same way the idea owed much of its strength to the fact that equality had entered into the language of justice in a more explicit and more public manner than in most simultaneous political systems.The movement in this course, through which equality began to define the obligations of government to the people, had its deeper origins in the nineteenth-century America, gained power to affect the character of religious, legal, and political institutions in the middle of the nineteenth century, and emerged in the higher reaches of popular thought as a successor to the idea of the Great Chain of Being. (Pole, 1979) Development of common schools 1820 – 1890The motivation to provide a public school education for all children was twofold. First was the desire to indoctrinate them with religious teachings to assure the continued existence of a devotee and moral populace. A second motivation for providing public education was the need to educate for social, economic, democratic and national reasons. There was a common belief that the democratic representative government would fail unless the state took a real responsibility in educating the children of all people.Common schools at this point were in bad shape, they were poorly attended, and basically taught by whomever available. The direction of education at this time was influenced by the teaching methods of Prussian schools, as developed by Pestalozzi. These schools were opened through all over the state. The shift towards accountability, outcomes, and higher expectations in our schools is leading us in the right direction, although we recognize that schools face legitimate difficulties during this change process.But the response to these challenges should not be to back down on expectations for students with disabilities and those who have been perceived as unable to meet the standards. Policymakers and practitioners must remain committed to the goal of closing the achievement gap for all students. To lessen this commitment would be to return to the days and the mindset that only some students could and deserved to be taught to high standards.We now know that by setting high expectations, and helping students, teachers, administrators, and family members reach those high st andards, we can close the achievement gaps for all students. The educational landscape for students with disabilities is undergoing vast changes. Thanks to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its push for increased access to education for students with disabilities, and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), with its push for improved student outcomes, educators across the U. S.are reexamining their practices to find ways to close the achievement gaps between groups of students. Students with disabilities are a focus of this attention, as schools and states labor to improve their academic outcomes. The Progressive Era 1890 – 1950 The Progressive era has long been noted as an era of national administrative expansion combined with the growth of newer progressive and egalitarian idealism. One would expect this era to be one of great expansion of the central administrative capacity in the area of education as well.Curiously, this outcome is not what we find. To explain this puzzle, we must remind ourselves of what the Federal government had already given the states to promote education rich tracts of land that came to form the endowments that states built upon during this period. By the end of the 19th century and continuing into the early 20th, the development of secondary education for the masses was well underway. Between 1890 and 1920, the US secondary school population grew from 360,000 to over 2.5 million. Educational Equality and its future in America Justice is the first virtue of social institutions, and of the institutions which regulate schooling no less than others. Education policy, just like social policy more generally, should be guided principally by considerations of justice and only secondarily by pragmatic considerations such as what compromises must be made with existing social forces opposed to justice in order to optimize the justice of the existing institutions.The â€Å"equally good provision† for each ind ividual child is the meaning of equality in education. Different readers will interpret â€Å"equally good provision† differently depending on their conception of what constitutes a good education. The equality consists in ensuring that social class background and racial background have no impact at all on achievement and that inequalities of achievement that have a significantly unequal impact on the life prospects of individual children are unjust.Equality led reforms might deploy choice, but they do so only in the service of equality, either because choice will directly produce greater equality or because permitting choice will allow policymakers the political freedom to implement other measures that will produce greater equality. Reference: 1. J R Pole, The pursuit of Equality in American History, University of California Press, 1979 2. Matthew Hirschland, Sven Steinmo, The federal Government and American Education, University of Colorado, Boulder, 2001 3. Margaret Connel l Szasz, Education and the American Indian: The road to self-determination since 1928

Barangay Management System Essay

Introduction Barangay Record Management System is an advance and automated process of managing a barangay, to let go the manual process in the usual barangay hall such as, hand written documents, keeping records inside the drawer that tends to lose some records. It is automated in such way that all records and transactions that the barangay is needed will be totally organized, easy to process and fast. Brgy. Sto. Rosario is using a manual process of transaction in their barangay, and they said that sometimes encounter problems like lost of records, unorganized files. This system facilitates barangay management by enabling the client to maintain their resident records as complete and up-to-date as possible and as easily accessible for verification, monitoring and reference purposes based on the available residents’ census data kept by the client barangay. Data provided by this system in the form of comprehensive reports are invaluable for planning, program implementation and related purposes. With the Barangay Records Management System, it will be a great help for them to lessen their work specifically with transactions that the citizen of the said community will might need. Statement of the Problem Often times the barangay officials lose the records of the citizen’s, they didn’t keep it orderly. The barangay is using a manual process of trasaction. The idea of developing the Barangay Record Management System for barangay was helpful to provide an easy process of transactions in a convenient way.

The Bill of Rights and the 2nd Amendment essays

The Bill of Rights and the 2nd Amendment essays We as Americans have more rights and freedoms than any other nation in the world. Our founding fathers laid down a basis for all Americans to be able to live in a free society without the fear of government oppression. That basis is found in the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The actual wording of the Constitution was written to allow for various interpretations, which has led to many arguments of its validity in an ever-changing society. The Bill of Rights gives a specific outline of what freedoms we have, but due to its vagueness, it has come under fire many times. The 2nd Amendment of the Bill of Rights gives us the right to bear arms to protect our freedom not only from other people and nations but from our own government as well.[Bearnards,1991] The 2nd Amendment: Is it a Guarantee? When the Bill of Rights was written in 1791 there was included in it the 2nd Amendment which states, "A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed" [law.cornell.edu]. At the time it was written the U.S. government could not afford to support an army to defend against foreign threats, thus calling upon the people to take up arms to defend our young nation. [O'Sullivan, 1989] The first part of the 2nd Amendment states that very clearly. The second part can be interpreted that we have the right to protect ourselves from our own government to ensure that all states remain free. The last part, which clearly states that it is a right, is under the most scrutiny. There are many lobbyist groups that present proposals to Congress each year to make amendments to the Bill of Rights that would suppress the 2nd Amendment. Among the groups opposing the 2nd Amendment are the Coalition against Gun Violence with an average membership of 75,000 and Handgun Control Inc. (HCI) with an average membership of about 300,000 [Roleff, 1997]...

Tips for Expressing Sympathy

Tips for Expressing Sympathy Unfortunately, bad things happen. When we hear about these events happening to people we care about, expressing our sympathy can go a long way. Doing so is often difficult as we want to communicate  our concern but dont want to be intrusive or offensive. With these tips and your sincere sentiments, your words of comfort are likely to be meaningful to the person in your life who is having a tough time. Structuring Common Phrases of Sympathy in English Here are some common phrases to help you express sympathy. Im sorry to hear about Noun/Gerund   Im sorry to hear about your difficulties with the boss. I know he can be really difficult at times.Ellen just told me the news. Im sorry to hear about your not getting into Harvard! Please accept my condolences.   This phrase is used to express sympathy when someone has died. Please accept my condolences. Your father was a great man.Im sorry to hear of your loss. Please accept my condolences. Thats so sad. Thats so sad that you lost your job.Thats so sad that he doesnt love you anymore.  I hope things get better soon. This phrase is used when people have been having difficulty over a long period  of time. I know your life has been difficult lately. I hope things get better soon.I cant believe how much bad luck youve had. I hope things get better soon. I hope you feel better soon. This phrase is used when someone is experiencing health problems. Im so sorry you broke your leg. I hope you feel better soon.ï » ¿Stay home for the week. I hope you feel better soon.   Example Dialogue Expressing sympathy is used in a number of situations. For example, you might express sympathy for someone whose family member has passed away. Generally,  we express sympathy to someone who has difficulties of some sort.  Here are some example dialogues to help you learn when to express sympathy in English. Person 1:  Ive been rather sick lately.Person 2:  I hope you feel better soon. Another Example Person 1:  Tim has been having a lot of troubles lately. I think he might be getting a divorce.Person 2:  Im sorry to hear about Tims problems. I hope things get better for him soon. Writing Sympathy Notes Its also common to express sympathy in writing. Here are some common phrases you can use when writing a sympathy note to someone. Notice that it is common to use the plural we and our when expressing written sympathy as a way to express that a family. Finally, its important to keep a sympathy note short. My heartfelt condolences on your loss.Our thoughts are with you.She/he was a lot of things to many people and will be missed tremendously.I am thinking of you in your time of loss.We are very saddened to hear of your loss. With deepest sympathies.You have my sincere sympathy.You have our deepest sympathy. Example Sympathy Note Dear John, I heard recently that your mother passed away. She was such a wonderful woman. Please accept my heartfelt condolences on your loss. You have our deepest sympathy. Warm regards, Ken

The Rationale of Equity Indexation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Rationale of Equity Indexation - Essay Example Capital market transactions are deemed efficient in the absence of intermediaries except for brokers who put buyers and sellers together and get a small commission, making the deal almost frictionless. With transaction costs negligible, the only real factor that determines the current price of a stock should be the net present value of its future cash flows in the form of dividends and, assuming the company lasts long enough, capital gains when the stock is sold at a future date. After all, a stock is nothing else but a claim to a company's future cash flows, and that its price indicates its net present value given the amount of cash it would generate over a future period of time (Graham, 1984). A company's cash flow is affected by several factors, such as business prospects, management quality, the economy's over-all performance, and the company's past performance. If these sets of information are known, computing for free cash flow looks relatively straightforward, and using a discount rate, the stock's present value can be easily calculated. If the market price is lower than the present value, the stock is bought. Otherwise, if one is holding the stock, it is sold. The low transaction costs of capital markets... "Beating the market" means that an investor cannot generate a rate of return from investing in the equities market that is above the rate of return of the whole market. The rate of return of the whole market is measured by looking at the rates of return of a basket of equities that is representative of the whole market of equities. This basket consists of stocks of companies of different sizes and from different industry sectors from amongst the list of all companies traded in the capital market, say in the London Stock Exchange. Using a formula that takes into account market capitalisation, historical share prices, and other considerations, the financial authorities determine which stocks to include. The stock prices of these stocks in the basket are mathematically added up to come up with the index that reflects the behaviour of the market as a whole. There are several indices formulated for the London Stock Exchange by an indexing company called FTSE International Ltd., an affilia te of the Financial Times Ltd., a U.K.-based firm. Amongst the indices monitored by FTSE are the FTSE All-shares (688 stocks), FTSE 100 (102 stocks), FTSE 250 (250 stocks), and the FTSE SmallCap (336 stocks) indices (FTSE ASWB, 2005). At the end of each trading day, FTSE adds the prices of the stocks in each of these indices and then publishes the results. Under the assumption that the market is efficient and that it is not possible to beat the markets, an investor can decide to adopt an equity index strategy, which consists of buying a basket of stocks in the same proportion as they are included in the basket of stocks used to calculate an index. Several fund management firms have made the job of investing easier by developing funds that

Euthanasia should be legalized by the AMA Essay

Euthanasia should be legalized by the AMA - Essay Example In some countries it is against the law to assist terminally ill patients to commit suicide. Euthanasia plainly means painless death but this has become a worldwide debate because doctors are helping people die rather than saving their lives, patients with chronic disorders are given pills and they die painlessly but is this justifiable? Doctors should not take lives; they are supposed to save lives. More will be presented in this paper about euthanasia. Final exit network is another NGO which helps terminally ill patients in assisted suicides. This NGO is known for accepting patients who are suffering from fatal diseases like cancer, heart failure, Parkinson’s disease and so on. Usually it is very difficult for such patients to be adopted by an NGO but Final exit is an exception and it accepts almost everyone. The near and dear ones of the terminally ill die each day, they suffer from physical and emotional trauma isn’t assisted suicide better than dying each day? It may not be the best option but when emotional pain and suffering supersedes everything, one is left with a handful of options. There are two ways in which euthanasia can be performed, the first one is when the doctor or the nurse gives a medicine which takes the life away of a terminally ill patient and the other is when the doctor or the nurse choose to ignore the patient and the patient dies upon not getting the proper medication. The zillion dollar question is who should decide when a terminally ill patient should be assisted with suicide or not? This is one question which is extremely difficult to answer, most times it is the relatives of the terminally ill patient who take a call and the doctors go ahead with it in some countries where assisted suicide is allowed. â€Å"Euthanasia groups  appeared  for the first time in England and America in the early 20 th  century. During the Second World War the Nazis in Germany had their own euthanasia

Communication Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Communication - Research Paper Example This paper seeks to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of online marketing, its potential impact on the company’s online sales, and finally to recommend requirements for a successful online campaign. The advantages are numerous and include its one-to-one approach, its ability to cater to the company’s specific interests, increased choices for the consumer, its inexpensive nature, and its wide and round the clock reach. However, its disadvantages include the probability of illegal activity like spamming, incompatibility with products that require physical demonstrations, its cost, and time-sensitive nature. The paper also covers the impacts of online marketing such as expansion of the market place, its use as a research tool, its direct connectivity to potential clients by availing updated information, the ability of a business to operate 24 hours a day, and its reduction of administrative costs. Finally, the paper gives recommendations for a successful rolling out of online marketing strategy. This section recommends that the company must use all local search tactics available, ready its website for tablets and smart-phones, as well as identify new and incremental traffic and conversion sources. Online marketing is a term that refers to the marketing of services or products over the internet. Online marketing will enable the business to promote its services and products over the internet, at only a fraction of what it would have cost to use traditional modes of advertisement. This mode of marketing involves the creation of a strategy that suits the company’s website in order to promote its business over the internet. It brings technical and creative aspects together including sales, advertisement, development, and design. It involves a variation of business models including the generation of website leads, direct selling, and affiliate marketing that involves the development of a product by one entity and its sale by another. Some of the methods

Ebt Classroom Management Essay Example for Free

Ebt Classroom Management Essay This is a free additional chapter for ‘Evidence Based Teaching’ by Geoff Petty (2006) Nelson Thornes. It can be downloaded from www. geoffpetty. com. The book as a whole combines and summarises research on which teaching methods and strategies work best, and explains these strategies with examples. See the notes at the end of this chapter for more detail. Can I get my students to behave better? The evidence is emphatic, yes you can! And we know how. There are of course very many strategies designed to improve classroom management and discipline, but which ones work? Robert Marzano (2003) summarised the findings of over 100 reports on classroom management, including 134 rigorous experiments designed to find out which classroom management techniques work best. These experiments were carried out with real teachers in real classrooms. This chapter draws heavily on this ‘meta-study’ of Marzano’s, and compares strategies to find out which is best. Such studies of studies are the best source of evidence on what works as they include and integrate all reliable evidence. For a full account see ‘Classroom Management that Works’ Robert Marzano et al (2003) for the detail, it is well worth reading. These experiments tell us what teachers have made work, rather than reporting hunches and wishful thinking. No special training is required to use these strategies. If you are a reasonably experienced teacher, just experiment with the following methods, and you should get positive results quite quickly. You will need to give them a fair try for a few lessons before you and your students get the hang of them. The investment will be well worth it as their improved behaviour and motivation will begin to show. Less experienced teachers may need more time to make the strategies work. Marzano’s meta-study describes four basic approaches that have been found to improve behaviour in classrooms. Their effectiveness is compared in the table below. Comparing the effectiveness of aspects of classroom management| Average effect-size| Number of students or pupils| Number of studies| Decrease in number of disruptions(Average for the studies)| Summary of experimental data from Marzano (2003)| | | | | Rules and proceduresStrategies to clearly and simply express rules and other expectations of student behaviour. Also to justify these persuasively from the teacher’s and students’ point of view. For greatest effect the rules are negotiated with students| 0. 76| 626| 10| 28%| Teacher-student relationshipsStrategies to improve the rapport, and mutual respect between teacher and student| 0. 87| 1110| 4| 31%| Disciplinary interventionsThe effective use of ‘sticks and carrots’ to enforce the rules described above| 0. 91| 3322| 68| 32%| Mental setStrategies to develop your awareness of what is going on in your classroom and why. A conscious control over your thoughts and feelings when you respond to a disruption. | 1. 3| 502| 5| 40%| Marzano grouped high quality research studies on classroom management into the four categories above, and then calculated an average effect size for each. â€Å"Effect size† is explained in chapter 4, they are a measure of how effective a strategy is. If you don’t know about effect sizes look instead at the last column in the tables: ‘percentage reduction in the number of disruptions’. For example, in experiments on strategies that involve teachers in devising rules and procedures the number of disruptions in the classroom was reduced by 28% on average. This is in comparison with not devising explicit rules and procedures. In experiments, only one strategy can be used at a time. (If two were used, we would not know which caused any positive effects. ) However, you can obviously use strategies in all these categories at once. This will have a greater effect than using strategies in one category alone. However, it is not statistically valid to add the effect sizes or the percentages in the table to find their combined effect. If you find this a bit bewildering, just remember that the strategies that teachers made work best are those with a large percentage in the last column in the tables. However you are unique! You might not get the same results as an average teacher. So the best results will probably come from concentrating on the category that you or your students have most difficulty with, or that you have considered least in your teaching. The final test is what works in your classroom, try the methods for a few weeks and see what happens! I will now look at the strategies that have been found to work best in each of Marzano’s four categories. I will only outline these, and if you want more detail please read the following chapters in my ‘Teaching Today’, which have more strategies and more detail. I am relieved to say these chapters are very much in line with the Marzano findings. Alternatively follow up one of the Chapters in ‘Teaching Today’ that might be helpful: 7 The teacher – learner relationship and equal opportunities page 77 8 Classroom management page 96 9 Discipline and problem solvingpage 108 references at the end of the chapter. Some teachers think a well-planned, interesting lesson will by itself prevent disruption. Or that if the teacher is entirely benign and respectful of students, conflict will simply melt away. This isn’t the case. We often start our teaching careers with these assumptions, but enlightenment usually doesn’t take long. All teachers experience problems with behaviour, it’s just that some are better at preventing it, and dealing with it. But how? The strategies that teachers have made work best in experiments are explained below, with the theory outlined. However, if you are only interested in the strategies themselves look for the strategy icon in the margin: Improving your use of rules and procedures You might be forgiven for believing that how students should behave in classrooms is blindingly obvious, and explanation is entirely unnecessary. However, experiments show that classrooms become much more orderly when rules are stated, or better still negotiated, discussed and fully justified. It seems the little blighters need persuading of the obvious! So: 1. Create rules: Decide for yourself what rules and procedures will maximise learning, and would create a good atmosphere in your class. Alternatively adapt the rules in the box on page 4. Express these rules positively rather than as a list of â€Å"don’ts†. There should be a maximum of about 8 rules at secondary level, some say less at the elementary level. 2. Justify rules. Work out to your own satisfaction a persuasive case for each of these rules, however obvious this is. I’m afraid ‘because I say so’ is not a persuasive justification! Very early on, perhaps in your first meeting with the class, explain that you want an effective, fair and happy classroom, and a set of rules and procedures to achieve this. There are two main ways to do this, set out in 3 and 4 below. 3. Discuss rules with the class. Discuss why we have laws, rules and procedures in football, families, and in society. Ask for examples. (Avoid the off-side rule even if you understand it! ) What would happen if we didn’t have rules? Explain that the purpose of class rules is not to pump your megalomania, but to improve learning, and to ensure people enjoy the class. 4. Negotiate to get commitment. Suggest your set of rules as a start, asking for deletions, additions and suggestions. Be prepared to justify and compromise. (Alternatively ask the class to devise their own set of rules as described in 5 below. ) * Consider asking students to work in small groups to make sticky note responses to your rules. Then display and discuss these as a class. * Consider asking each group to design a poster to illustrate one of the rules, and display these on the notice board. These can then be used as a reminder in subsequent lessons. * Students could literally ‘sign up’ to the rules as political leaders sign treaties. Refer to the rules as ‘our rules’ not as ‘mine’. 5. Get the class to devise their own rules. Especially with older or more responsible groups you could ask them to come up with their own class rules. It may help to start this process off if you give them issues such as ‘how can we make sure everyone gets the help they need? ’. Or you could ask them what has worked in other classrooms. * Students can work in groups to devise rules on different aspects of class management, e.g. bringing materials; talking; attendance and punctuality, etc * The class can then discuss and then vote on suggestions * Then you go away and finalise the set of rules. You have every right to the last say of course. If you reject a popular suggestion explain why. Here is a typical set of rules at secondary or college level. It is of course best to devise your own: 1. Treat others as you want to be treated yourself. Be positive and helpful. Try to help two other people every day. 2. Treat other people’s property at least as well as you would treat your own. 3. Hands up if you want to say something when the teacher, or another student is talking. 4. Don’t distract others from their work. Only talk to neighbours, and only about work. 5. If you are stuck ask neighbours for help first, then ask Mr Petty. 6. No unpleasantness, snatching or hitting. If you can’t resolve a disagreement yourself, or with your group, consult Mr Petty 7. Leave the room better than you found it. The aim here is to get students to ‘buy into’ the rules and to see them as their own, and as worth keeping and enforcing. Other uses of rules * Remind students of any relevant rules before a potentially disruptive activity. This is more positive than only responding to disruption and has been found to reduce disruption by about 25%. You could even gather students around the poster that illustrates the rule(s) and ask them for the justification for it. * If a rule is broken remind the student that, â€Å"we agreed†¦.. † and remind them that they are part of a team so must keep to team rules. Be a ‘team player’ could be a heading on the list of rules * Get students to self assess their own behaviour against the rules with a self-assessment form. Then use this to set themselves targets for improvement. See the example below Self-assessmentIs†¦((student name here))†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. a team player? | I kept to this rule:| | always| often| some-times| never| Treat others as you want to be treated yourself| | | | | Hands up if you want to say something when the teacher is talking| | | | | Don’t distract others from their work| | | | | Etc.. | | | | | | | | | | Improvement since my last self assessment:What I need to work on most is: | If you use self-assessment consider the following: * Asking students to remind themselves of their self-assessed targets at the beginning of a class (see the last row in the self assessment form above). Tell them you will ask them to self-assess any improvement at the end of the same class. * Allow students to reward themselves with a sticky blob against their name on your notice board if they have improved, say, twice running in these self-assessments. Yes I know this sounds toe-curlingly naff, but the less mature students often love this. Strategies to improve teacher-student relationships If you have read chapter 25 you will recognise the value driven management and leadership approach that was so successful in managing staff. The strategies below have reduced disruptions in classrooms by 31% on average. Good teacher-student relations ensure that students have a more positive attitude to the teacher and to learning, and make them more likely to accept rules and any disciplining. They turn the classroom into a cooperative team, and reduce antagonism. So even if you detest the little clutch of demons, its worth developing good relations with them, and if you do, you might find that you don’t detest them quite as much! What is the nature of good teacher-student relations? Marzano (2003) quotes internationally renowned research by Theo Wubbels, whose findings remind me of the old staffroom adage ‘be strict but fair’. Wubbels has found that the most effective teachers are both dominant (strong leaders) and cooperative (helpful, friendly and fair), but they are neither to extreme. This is shown diagrammatically below. The Ideal teacher-student relationship Dominant * Strong sense of purpose in pursuing clear goals for learning and for class management. * Leadership. Tends to guide and control * Prepared to discipline unapologetically Too dominant * Too controlling * Lack of concern for students * Teacher student relations damaged Ideal teacher- student relationship Opposition. * Treats students as the enemy * Expresses anger and irritation * Need to ‘win’ if there is a disagreement between teacher and students Cooperative * Great concern for the needs and opinions of students. * Helpful, friendly * Avoids strife and seeks consensus Too cooperative * Too understanding and accepting of apologies * Waits for students to be ready * Too desirous to be accepted by students Submission * Lack of clarity of purpose * Keeps a low profile * Tendency to submit to the will of the class * Entirely unassertive, rather glum and apologetic The diagram tries to show that the most effective teachers have found an optimal balance between cooperation and dominance. They are not so dominant that they fail to cooperate, nor so cooperative that they fail to lead. The precise approach will of course depend on the nature of the class; some need more dominance or more cooperation than others. Research has also shown that students prefer the dominant-cooperative mix about twice as much as the purely cooperative style, or indeed any other style. Wubbels has found that teachers new to the profession tend to start too cooperatively and with insufficient dominance. However after 6 to 10 years they often become too dominant. To improve student-teacher relations experiment with some or all of the following strategies which other teachers have made work well. Are you better at dominance or cooperation? Ideally you should strengthen your weakest style, even if you also work on your strongest. Many students are coping with stress, difficult home circumstances and worry about abuse, depression, eating disorders and so on. If your students experience such social and psychological strains you will need to attend to these as well trying the strategies that follow. This goes beyond the scope of this chapter. The ‘FATE’ approach in ‘Teaching Today’ may help, as will Marzano (2003). Strategies to increase your dominance (leadership) Don’t be put off by the word ‘dominance’. It means to become an effective leader, to pursue, vigorously and enthusiastically, a clear path towards both important learning goals, and good behaviour in the classroom. It does not mean to strut about in jackboots barking orders. We are doing this for the students, so we need not be shy about taking charge and accepting responsibility. 1. Ground Rules If you negotiate ground rules with students, and consequences for not keeping them as described on page , then you have already shown this attribute to some considerable extent. 2. Orientation Clarify the purpose and the key points in each topic before it is taught, including a persuasive reason for studying it. If you have read chapter 16 you will remember that these methods had very high effect sizes. (An effect size of 0. 5 for a strategy means that if it is done well students learn the topic about a grade better. An effect size of 1. 0 gives a two-grade improvement. By ‘grade’ I mean an improvement equivalent to a GCSE or ‘A’ level grade, but just for that topic of course. ) Strategy| Effect size from Marzano| Goal setting before introducing a new topic. E. g. ‘your goal is to use the information in this topic to solve this problem in the case study†¦. ’| 0. 97| Goals which the students are involved in designing| 1. 21| Advance organisers (summary in advance of what is about to be learned along with a persuasive case for studying it)| 0. 48 for easy topics0. 78 for more demanding topics| Highly specific behavioural objectives â€Å"At the end of this lesson you should be able to†¦Ã¢â‚¬ | 0. 12| Another way of setting goals is to discuss with students the assessment criteria for the task they will do, as long as they really understand these. 3. Authoritative body language Appear absolutely confident and in control, especially when you are not. When interacting with students, especially if dealing with misbehaviour, your dominance is conveyed by ‘body language’. This includes proximity, confident posture, and tone of voice (not shrill or angry, but authoritative. ) In Teaching Today I describe the ‘PEP’ approach, which stands for: * Proximity: dominance is increased by walking closer to the student. Walk around the classroom, if you notice students about to misbehave stand by their desk. When you talk to students stand a little ‘too close for comfort’ but don’t invade ‘personal space’. This is not an easy judgement. * Eye contact: Holding eye contact expresses dominance, especially if you hold it for some time. What you say will be taken more seriously if you hold eye contact first for a few seconds, then say it maintaining the eye contact, then maintain eye-contact for a few seconds more. * Posing questions. Rather than telling a student off for not working, ask questions such as ‘Why have you not started? ’ Do this with proximity and eye contact. This has much more effect than getting angry or raising your voice, and will make you appear much more in control. The combined effect of close proximity and sustained eye contact can be very powerful indeed, so don’t over do it. Strategies to increase Cooperation Being cooperative sounds easy, until you notice it means being cooperative with the worst behaved students in your class. This can try a saint. As so often in educational problems, we have a vicious cycle to deal with here, but with determination we can turn it into a virtuous cycle: Vicious cycle The student misbehaves more or works less well You are less positive, friendly and fair towards the student You dislike the student more and/or†¦ The student dislikes you and your classes more In your direct control Breaking this cycle is hard, but it can be done. If you succeed it ensures the student behaves better, learns better, but it also makes your life much easier. You will need to have negotiated clear rules with your students as described earlier, then you can start to break this cycle. This requires a great deal of emotional generosity and/or patience and restraint. If you cannot muster the generosity, try acting! Probably the only part of the cycle you can break is: ‘You are less positive, friendly and fair towards the student’ here are some strategies that break the cycle here: 1. Catch them doing something right. Keep an eye on them, and when you notice they are doing something right, even by accident, comment on this positively in private. ‘Well done, you’ve made a start’. Many students who misbehave are attention seekers, and if they earn attention for behaving well, they are less likely to steal attention by misbehaving. You can even bribe such students: â€Å"That’s an interesting start, when you’ve finished the question let me know and I will have a look at it† A promise of attention like this will often motivate students, but do keep your promise. See Madsen et al (1968) 2. Put the student into ‘intensive care’. There is a violent method to do this, which in your darkest moments often appeals! Here is a legal way. As well as ‘catching them doing something right’: Smile, use their name positively, ask for their opinion in class discussion, try to find something positive to say about their response. Make a point of looking at their work, and comment favourably about any genuine effort or achievement. Talk to them about it. ‘That’s an interesting point, what made you think of that? ’. Keep high expectations however: ‘I know you can do this’. Be patient and helpful. If you react like this it shows you are not ‘rattled’ by their misbehaviour. Warning! The above advice can be overdone. Don’t try too hard with ‘intensive care’ especially, as you will be disliked if you appear desperate to be liked. The trick is to make your behaviour seem very natural, and the way you teach everyone. So you must give this same attention to at least some well-behaved students nearby too. More general advice about increasing cooperation includes other ways of showing that you value students as individuals: 3. Learn and use their names 4. Communicate informally with students, Don’t just talk about learning issues. When they are coming into, or going out of the classroom ask their opinion: â€Å"Do you think your haircut would suit me? †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. â€Å"What do you think of the new library? †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Ask about hobbies, attitudes and opinions, 5. Use eye contact and proximity to spread your influence about the whole room. 6. Negotiate difficulties with the class. â€Å"I am having problems with students not giving in work, what’s the problem? What can we do about this? † The strategies on page 17 and 18 also help with cooperation. Improving disciplinary interventions The strategies that follow reduced disruptions in classrooms by 31% on average. There has been a heated debate for some decades over whether teachers should use mild punishments, or should only give students praise and recognition for appropriate behaviour. You may not be surprised to find that Marzano’s meta-study, having statistically compared these approaches, shows that you are best doing both. However, while nearly all teachers will use mild punishments, few give enough recognition for good behaviour. If you only use punishments, such as telling students off in response to inappropriate behaviour, then you can create a negative, nagging image for yourself. Also, attention-seekers will begin to misbehave in order to get your attention, as it is the most effective way. Effect sizes are from Marzano (2003)| Average effect-size| Number of studies| Decrease in number of disruptions| Disciplinary Interventions| | | | RemindersReminding students of relevant rules just before they start an activity. E. g. reminding them of the ground-rules for working in groups before starting a group-work activity | 0. 64| 70| 24%| ‘Sticks’ Mild punishments| 0. 78| 40| 28%| ‘Carrots’ Strategies that reward students for appropriate behaviour including recognition, praise, symbols etc. | 0. 86| 101| 31%| ‘Carrots’ plus ‘sticks’Using both mild punishments, and strategies that reward students for appropriate behaviour with recognition symbols etc. | 0. 97| 12| 33%| Reminders. Many teachers are reactive, waiting for disruption and then responding to it, yet reminding students of the ground-rules for a forthcoming activity is a very positive and quite effective strategy. If you have agreed class rules, and students have designed posters to illustrate them, gather students round the posters to discuss the rules, and ask questions about why we have them. This need not take long, yet has reduced the number of disruptions in experiments by almost a quarter on average. Carrots: strategies to reinforce appropriate behaviour. This works better than just telling students off, and most of us don’t do it enough. Try these strategies: 1. Tokens or symbols Here is an example. A teacher asks each student to start off the lesson with five behaviour ‘points’. Or they might only do this with two or three problematical students. The students write five ‘1’s on a piece of paper on their desk. During the class the teacher places an extra ‘1’ if the student is working well, and crosses one off when they are not. Students often don’t need an explanation for the removal of a point if the class rules are clear. Simply praising good behaviour also works remarkably well, Madsen et al (1968). At the end of the class the student records how many behaviour points they have on a proforma. This might ask them to set targets for improvement. They might also be able to exchange these points for privileges such as sitting where they want, or giving out materials etc. It is important to explain the system you use and why: ‘to help you become better and more mature learners’. It should not be seen as a bribe even when privileges are given. These are often laughed off by teachers, but they really work and are greatly underused Tokens and symbols can include: * A ‘thumbs up’ sign, wink, smile, praise etc to a student working well. It works especially well with problematical students * ‘Official Pat On The Back’, this can be public or private. It is fun to ‘say this with capital letters’ and administer it with mock ceremony, but not sarcastically * Recognition in class notices, bulletins or notice-boards * Round of applause†¦ or even standing ovation! * Encouraging words * ‘Open microphone’. The student is asked to speak to the class to explain how they succeeded, or, if you are brave, to make any point they like. * Smiley faces, points, or stickers on a privately held record card, that you can ask to see and use as the basis for discussion on behaviour improvement. * Smiley faces, points or stickers on a publicly displayed class list * Badges: e. g. â€Å"I’m an improver† â€Å"The gal done good† * Displaying work * Letters home saying that behaviour is good or has improved. Most students regard this as very significant and it doesn’t cost that much. You could also use e-mail, text message, or phone message, but letters are permanent and you don’t even need to put a stamp on as students will be keen to take them home. They can be used to earn: * Privileges such as sitting where you choose, helping to give out materials, leading groups, being allowed to present to the class, etc * â€Å"Class pressure points† which the class can ‘spend’ to persuade you not to set homework one particular week, or to allow more time to prepare for a test etc. * The opportunity to choose the work they do or the way they work. E.g. be able to write up their work on a classroom computer. * Letters, e-mails or text messages home, after say three weekly improvements * College or school certificates for mature behaviour. These can be given in half-termly ‘award ceremonies’ presented by the head of department * Being chosen to present to another class, or at parent’s evening or open evening * A class trip or visit earned if the class all improve in behaviour * Home privileges such as being allowed to keep your TV or computer games in your bedroom, to rent a video or buy a computer game. This clearly requires parental involvement. See the case study in the box below. 2. Self-assessment Students can use the self-assessment process described on page 5 to award themselves points or stickers etc. 3. Contingent rewards: These makes use of peer pressure to improve behaviour: a. Class carrots if the whole class behaves or improves. E. g. If the whole class reduces calling out instead of putting their hands up, then the whole class earn pressure points (described in the above box), or are allowed to go and see the Art Department’s final show of work. Success needs to be defined carefully, for example no more than three people calling out in each class for at least one week. b. Class carrots if a specific individual or group of students behaves well or improves. This needs to be treated with caution. E. g. â€Å"We are all going to help to keep Philip in his seat. If you are next to him remind him if he moves. If he does move, don’t talk to him. If Philip doesn’t get out of his place inappropriately for a week, the whole class gets five Team Player Points and Philip gets ten. † ‘Sticks’: strategies that involve mild punishment. This works best in conjunction with the ‘carrots’ above. Marzano’s metastudy stresses that the effect of this strategy comes from consistency rather than severity. Case studies with the use of rewards and punishments. TES 16th June 2006 www. tes. co. uk/search/story/? story_id=2250510 Duncan Harper, Head of a Special school says many children are miss-labelled as ‘autistic’ or having ‘Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder’ (ADHD). He believes their poor attention span etc is due to being too tired to work after spending four to five hours a night watching TV or playing computer games. 20% of his 58 children are diagnosed autistic, and 50% ADHD. But Harper thinks non are autistic, and only 2 have ADHD! He develops excellent relationships with the parents, who are contacted by phone every two weeks. He arranges with them to remove TVs and computer games from bedrooms if the student’s behaviour/tiredness does not improve. Harper himself made seven such removals that year. A recent inspection graded the school as outstanding in all categories. Evidence is growing that poor sleep is affecting students’ behaviour, thinking and learning. Try Googling ‘sleep student attainment’. Consistency and assertiveness The punishment itself seems less important than your consistency in expecting a rule to be obeyed, and your assertiveness when talking to students or punishing them when you have to. Assertiveness is not the same as hostility. It is linked with ‘dominance’ mentioned earlier and means that when you deal with class management you are firm, unemotional, matter of fact, unapologetic, confident and business like. It often includes a reminder to the student that you are implementing agreed class rules, not personal dictats. Being hostile angry or very strict is less effective, and may suggest to students that you are losing control. Be assertive Imagine you are dealing with a student who has been persistently talking. You have warned her that if she talks inappropriately again, you will move her. Despite this, she continues to talk. You could get angry, sarcastic and over-strict at this point. But it is more effective to be assertive: 1. Proximity and eye contact. Walk up to the student (proximity), with a firm upright posture, and fix them with eye contact . There should be little emotion in your voice or face. Just a business like confidence. 2. Ask for what you want in a decisive manner, act as if you mean it, and expect to be obeyed. The pitch of your voice should not be shrill, only slightly raised. â€Å"I want you to move next to John now. † â€Å"But Pete started it† 3. Listen, but use the broken record. Listen to such legitimate objections. It sometimes helps to repeat the objection to show you have listened as below. However do not accept denials, blaming or other arguing unless a genuinely strong case is made. It is the student’s duty to keep the class rules despite difficulties. Repeat what you want. â€Å"Even if Pete did start it, you should not have talked again. Please move now. † â€Å"But that’s not fair† (This process of listening, perhaps acknowledging what was said, but then repeating what you want continues as long as necessary. This is sometimes called the ‘broken record’. ) You remain firm unruffled and business like. â€Å"We all agreed our class rules are fair. Please move. † 4. Defer discussion but require obedience. If the student persists tell them that they are wasting valuable class time, and must continue this conversation after the class. In the meantime they must move. Repeat this once if necessary very firmly. 5. Withdraw. If they still don’t move remind them that defiance is a very serious There is a list of responses to inappropriate behaviour in Teaching Today 3rd edition, pages 117-8 offence and that they must see you after the class. Walk away to signal the dialogue is now over. The student might now move. If not, seek guidance from tutors and class managers; defiance is a health and safety issue as they might not even stop doing something dangerous when you tell them to. 6. Use Discipline Plans. If a student does not respond to assertive behaviour like this and problems persist, consult tutors and managers. Sit down with the student in a private one to one situation, and draw up a ‘Discipline Plan’ Allen. T (1996) * State the relevant class rules and explain why they help everybody learn and help create a happy classroom * Ask the student why they have a problem keeping the rule(s) and what would help them keep it better. Stress that the rule must be kept despite the stated difficulties. Ask them to become a team player.