Reflective Writing Study Skills Essay

At the beginning of the task no one took the initiative of introducing themselves. Our initial concern was getting started on the jacket. This seemed to be of more importance to everyone. This could be viewed as unsociable, but on reflection, previous to this task we all took part in an ice-breaker session, whereby we had to introduce our selves by name, followed by a descriptive word, this meant we were already acquainted with one another, so concentrating on the task in hand seemed most appropriate. I believe we were all very wary of taking over as we were always asking one another ‘do you think this is a good idea?’ and ‘shall we do this?’, rather than just doing it without the opinion of other team mates. Although this was the case it is possible we were being very agreeable to any idea put forward in order to keep peace, and put over a likable persona. Upon reflection the organisation of our group to begin with was very inefficient, we did not consult one another about how we would make the jacket, before getting on with the task, this meant the sleeves were being made by myself, whilst the body of the jacket by another, with no idea how they would fit together. I believe this is because we all wanted to have a share in making the jacket and help as much as possible, but no one wanted to adopt the role of task leader. On the other hand our team displayed great efficiency in the way we worked together, at one point we had a production line, where one would pass the Sellotape, then one would hold the piece in place, while the other stuck them together. We became a more efficient team the more we worked together on the task. Communication between us became more important. On the whole and on the basis of the finished product, it is evident that our team did work together efficiently, as we finished the task in good time and all of us had an input in the overall finished product. I believe I took on many different roles within the team. Initially I took on the role of energiser. This was evident by my enthusiasm, I was eager to get started and began listing many different ideas I had about how to put the jacket together, Jake was also an energiser as he had many different ideas he wanted to express and was fully involved in the task. Ricky initially  took on the role of relaxer as he was contemplating how things would work out and managed to condense our ideas to form a jacket. In these kind of situations I would usually put forward a good argument as to why my idea should be used above someone else’s. I did not adopt this attitude in this instance because my team mates were new acquaintances so I wanted to leave a good impression, I was more conscious of their thoughts and ideas and accommodating them was important to me. With this in mind I would conclude that we worked as a collective rather than a hierarchy. Further into the task I took on the role of nurturer. I wanted to make sure that everyone had an input on the finished product and that all of our ideas had been listened to fairly, and put in place if all agreed. This was evident in that I was asking my team members what other ideas they had, and finding ways of accommodating them. I did not want anyone to feel left out or less involved. Ricky’s mathematical mind meant that it was easier for us to measure out the different parts of the jacket equally and in proportion. As Jake is used to working as a team when he plays football, this quality was evident in this task, as he was an up building and upbeat member of the team, trying to include everyone in the activities. Jake was soon nominated by myself and Ricky to be the model for the jacket, therefore it was up to me and Ricky to actually make the jacket. We both had an equal share in the labour, cutting, sticking and measuring different parts of the jacket at the same time, then finding a way to fix them together. This was important because if somebody was uninterested or just giving out orders the whole team could be affected and not want to take part. We all helped each other when needed and were happy in our individual tasks. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate the importance of achieving the task 6/10. This is because I did view the task as a competition, even though we were never told it was such. On reflection this would show I am a competitive person and I like a challenge. When a task is viewed competitively one will be more inclined and motivated to try their best and ultimately reach their potential. Initially the task seemed menial and pointless hence why I only  scored 6/10. I was aware the jacket itself had little importance and that rather the emphasis was on team work. Even though I was aware of this my competitiveness made me want to create an excellent jacket. With the prospect of becoming a teacher one day, this teamwork exercise has taught me that there are many different roles people can take on under a team building exercise. Everyone within my team had different skills and abilities. This exercise has taught me, not only how to identify these skills and abilities but also how they can be used in a beneficial way to complete a task. As a teacher I will have to cater for the needs of each student identifying their strengths and weaknesses and using them in a positive and up building way, so they can reach their potential. I have also seen how important these exercises are in terms of the class getting to know one another, for the student this can help by taking the emphasis of social fear and more onto learning. This is evident by more members of the class being involved in group discussions after the task. This could have the same effect on my future students.

Collapse of the Housing Market.

Collapse of the Housing Market. The purpose of self-governing is to make government work better by allowing people to help govern themselves. And the people do that by electing Representative to talk for them, to protect life, liberty and personal properties. â€Å"The absolute rights of individuals may be resolved into the right of personal security, the right of personal liberty, and the right to acquire and enjoy property†¦ and that consists in being protected and governed by laws made, or assented to, by the representatives of the people, and conducive to the general welfare† (James Kent, Commentaries on American Law, Lecture XXIV).Yes I believe that the congress lived up to protect life, liberty and personal properties, because they used â€Å"†¦Federal financial supervisory agency to use its authority when examining financial institutions, to encourage such institutions to help meet the credit needs of the local communities in which they are chartered consiste nt with the safe and sound operation of such institutions†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Community Reinvestment Act, October 12, 1977) They did this so everyone could get a house. They also wanted to get more people into house so the economy could move.Because of that the demand for houses increased and so did the prices and most people were not able to afford and could not get a loan form the bank. Because of that the government â€Å"†¦in 1995 gave the CRA serious teeth: regulators could now deny a bank with a low CRA rating approval to merge with another bank—at a time when the arrival of interstate banking made such approvals especially valuable—or even to open new branches. Complaints from community organizations would now count against a bank’s CRA rating. † (Lawrence H. White, â€Å"How Did We Get into This Financial Mess? † Cato Institute, November 18, 2008). HUD also â€Å"actively pushed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into backing the enormous expansio n of the nonprime mortgage market†¦. To fund their enormous growth, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had to borrow huge sums in wholesale financial markets. Institutional investors were willing to lend to the government-sponsored mortgage companies cheaply †¦ because they thought that the Treasury would repay them should Fannie or Freddie be unable. † (Lawrence H. White, â€Å"How Did We Get into This Financial Mess? ,† Cato Institute, November 18, 2008).Congress tried to help the people by putting out more funds like The American Dream Down payment Initiative (ADDI). ADDI helped first time house buyers by paying their down payment or the closing cost. This helps more people to buy a house. â€Å"The American Dream Downpayment Assistance Act authorized up to $200 million annually. Funds were appropriated for fiscal years 2004-2008†¦. ADDI helped first-time homebuyers with the biggest hurdle to homeownership: downpayment and closing costs† The original pu rpose of the president was to carry out any decisions that congress made, but the president was not independent of Congress.Congress still remained completely in charge of how their decisions were carried out. The president is part of the executive who was to look up to congress so there is not a person making all the decision. All the powers of government, legislative, executive, and judiciary, result to the legislative body [in the Virginia Constitution of 1776]. The concentrating these in the same hands is precisely the definition of despotic government. It will be no alleviation that these powers will be exercised by a plurality of hands, and not by a single one. 73 despots would surely be as oppressive as one. † (Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, Query 13, 1784). But when it came to the housing market the president/ executive department and agencies did not live up to their purpose in their actions in the area of housing. For example â€Å"President Bill Clinton's HUD agreed to let Fannie and Freddie get affordable-housing credit for buying subprime securities that included loans to low-income borrowers. The idea was that subprime lending benefited many borrowers who did not qualify for conventional loans. † (Carol D.Leonnig, â€Å"How HUD Mortgage Policy Fed the Crisis,† Washington Post, June 10, 2008). In 1999 the Clinton administration viewed Fannie Mae as a hazard trying to prevent the housing bubble and collapse. â€Å"Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers issued a warning, saying, â€Å"Debates about systemic risk should also now include government-sponsored enterprises, which are large and growing rapidly. ’ It was a signal moment. An administration official had said in public that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could be a hazard† (â€Å"How Washington Failed to Rein in Fannie, Freddie,† Washington Post, September 4, 2008).The Clinton administration really didn’t like Fannie because they tr ied to â€Å"discouraged Fannie and Freddie from buying predatory subprime loans. Department of Housing and Urban Development called for Congress to enact legislation to â€Å"prohibit the purchase by each of these entities of predatory loans. † Fannie Mae was designed to help people. The sole purpose of them were to get banks to sell loans to people that would not always be able to get loans and then Fannie and Freddie would buy those loans form the bank giving back the money back to banks. The U. S. government had created Fannie Mae in 1938 to buy mortgages from banks that loaned money to homebuyers†¦. It was a Depression-era creation designed to ease financing costs for borrowers still recovering from the economic devastation of the 1930s† (Gretchen Morgenson, Reckless Endangerment, 13). To bring compotation and have verity the government created Freddie Mac so more loans could be bought and more people would invest. â€Å"†¦from an agency of the governme nt into a partially private entity that issued common stock to public investors†¦.The president’s idea was to get the company’s liabilities off the government’s balance sheet† (Gretchen Morgenson, Reckless Endangerment, 13). To get Fannie and Freddie get going on it own, they would sell stock where people would be able to by one of loans that Fannie and Freddie would buy form the banks, but the good thing was if the person was not able to pay back to Fannie and Freddie, the person who bought the loan would get paid back form the government. That got more people to invest in Fannie and Freddie. To fund their enormous growth, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had to borrow huge sums in wholesale financial markets. Institutional investors were willing to lend to the government-sponsored mortgage companies cheaply †¦ because they thought that the Treasury would repay them should Fannie or Freddie be unable. † (Lawrence H. White, â€Å"How Did We Get into This Financial Mess? ,† Cato Institute, November 18, 2008). Around 1999 Fannie and Freddie became so big that the government was losing more money then making money.The treasury did not like that they had to pay back to the people who invested in Fannie and Freddie. They went in public saying that they are â€Å"hazard†. â€Å"In the fall of 1999, Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers issued a warning, saying, â€Å"Debates about systemic risk should also now include government-sponsored enterprises, which are large and growing rapidly. ’ It was a signal moment. An administration official had said in public that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could be a hazard† (â€Å"How Washington Failed to Rein in Fannie, Freddie,† Washington Post, September 4, 2008).After this one could see how strong Fannie and Freddie has become and more people decided to investigate but were never able to bring it up and who did were sued and lost a lot. â€Å"Gensler and ot her Treasury officials feared the companies had grown so large that, if they stumbled, the damage to the U. S. economy could be staggering. Few officials had ever publicly criticized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but Gensler concluded it was time to urge Congress to rein them in†¦.The bill failed† (â€Å"How Washington Failed to Rein in Fannie, Freddie,† Washington Post, September 4, 2008). When the economy downturn in 2001 due to lots of mortgages not paid and more foreclosed houses, the Federal reserve tried to bring it up by expanding the U. S. money supply the goal was to bring up the economy by putting money into the economy and people start spending. â€Å"In the recession of 2001, the Federal Reserve System, under Chairman Alan Greenspan, began aggressively expanding the U. S. money supply†¦.The expansion was accompanied by the Fed repeatedly lowering its target rate for the federal funds (interbank short-term) interest rate. The federal funds rate began 2001 at 6. 25 percent and ended the year at 1. 75 percent. † † (Lawrence White, â€Å"How Did We Get into This Financial Mess? ,† Cato Institute, November 18, 2008). But this did not help, low interest rates affect the behavior of investors. They stopped buying bonds and The Federal Reserve Board’s decision to slash interest rates to propel the economy was hurting investors who lived on the income generated by their holdings. In 2001, mortgage lenders †¦ understood that the low interest-rate environment was driving investors to securities that yielded more than Treasury bonds and other relatively conservative fixed-income instruments. † Due to less people-buying bond, the federal reserve made the interest rate low but they had to raise the house price to balance it. That way people saw this as in opportunity to buy a house with low interest rate. Example form 26D. In 2005 federal reserve desperately made the discount form 4. to 6. 5 to help get the house market rolling again. â€Å"In August [2005], the Federal Reserve Board increased its discount rate to 4. 5 percent, up from 2 percent the summer before. The Fed was finally trying to tap on the brakes of a runway real estate market† (Gretchen Morgenson, Reckless Endangerment, 286) What the feds tried to fix by getting more blacks to buy because of people getting on them form being racist kicked them in the butt when more than half had there house foreclosed. In October 1992, â€Å"Mortgage Lending in Boston: Interpreting HMDA Data† was published by the Boston Fed. Its authors were [Alicia H. ] Munnell, Lynn E. Brown, and Geoffrey M. B. Tootell†¦. Racial bias by mortgage lenders, Munnell and her colleagues wrote, not only existed it was pervasive. The HMDA data showed that black and Hispanic loan applicants were far more likely to be rejected by banks than were whites. The rejection ratio for minorities was 2. 8 to 1 compared with white applicants†¦ . There was only problem.The methods used by the Boston Fed researchers to prepare their report were flawed†¦. The analysis did not consider whether an applicant met a lender’s credit guidelines† I was happy that congress wanted to help anyone who wanted a house, there intensions were good by creating Fannie and Freddie but when people figured out that they can buy loans form Fannie and Freddie will be payed back when they know the owner of that mortgage will never be able to pay back. More community lost there value due to this.

Lust for Power; Destruction of Humanity

Lust for Power; Destruction of Humanity â€Å"Power†, the literal meaning of this word is â€Å"control†. Unfortunately, we are living in a world where the lust for power has resulted in the destruction of humanity. From the lower class clerks to the industrialists of the highest class, everyone is involved in a race, a race to get to the top. And they are willing to use any means to get there. Leg pulling has become a culture now a days, no one can digest anyone else’s success. Everybody is blinded by this hunger for attaining power.Take any one; a student can do anything to get an A in his finals, even if it may involve sabotaging his fellow students’ work. A country can go to unthinkable extents to get to the top, even if has to take down another country and kill numerous of innocent people. In our country, â€Å"Pakistan†, we are going through the same phase. Every day we see T. V shows where politicians are busy shouting and yelling, blaming ot her politicians, fighting just to get power and get a hold of our country’s treasury, or at least what’s left of it.No one really cares about the people; everyone is just interested in making their own lives better. We kill, we destroy, and we hurt the feelings of other human’s, just to satisfy our hunger. Is this what we have been taught? Are these our moral and social ethics? Is this what our Religion has guided us to do? No it is totally against everything. But we are all too busy thinking about our wants and we forget that we are humans. We have figuratively turned into cannibals. If this keeps up, very rightly man himself will become the reason for the extinction of his own self!

Character analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Character analysis - Essay Example He wishes to do so through his son, Biff who had shown great promise in his early life. Willy’s ambition finds an outlet through his son, whom he hopes would become something more than just what he was, a salesman. This desire of his, however, stifles his son and he is not able to rise to his potential. He however, is able to see that he is like his father and this gives the reader an insight into the character of Willy. I am not a leader of men, Willy, and neither are you. You were never anything but a hard-working drummer who landed in the ash can like all the rest of them! I’m one dollar an hour, Willy I tried seven states and couldn’t raise it. A buck an hour! (Miller, 98). This outburst of Biff enables one to understand the reason behind the play’s importance. The play talks about the character of a common citizen who is unable to accept his own circumstances in life. The life of the very ordinary Willy is deemed fit to be shown on stage and this, in a sense, satirizes the notion of the ‘Great American Dream’. The ordinariness of Willy can also be a negative aspect as it makes him prone to what may be perceived as mistakes. His rendezvous with a young woman in a hotel is an example of this. This provokes the decline of his son, Biff, who no longer finds his father to be a role model for himself and loses direction in his life. This can be said to be similar to the life of Willy, who had to live his life without his father. The question of whether this affected his life is one that the playwright leaves unanswered. The character of Willy thus also symbolises the breakdown of the family as a social unit in the United States of America. The history of his family over three generations is able to exemplify this. The ordinariness of the character is something that Miller introduces so as to burst the bubble of American greatness that had emerged after the Second World War. Most of the positives and

Criminal Behavior and the Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Criminal Behavior and the Law - Assignment Example Crime is a disgraced act or violation of a public law. Today, the crime rate in almost every country has reached its heights and not a single individual can be fully safe from any specific criminal act. Implementation of crime prevention strategies plays a significant role in reducing the crime rate effectively. The role of criminologists, criminalists, and forensic psychologists is very important in dealing with crimes. In the United States of America, different types of crimes occur which are reported by the Uniform Crime Reporting. Some of the major types of crimes reported by UCR include forcible rapes, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and vehicle theft. In this paper, the focus will be on white-collar crimes, blue-collar crimes, index-one crimes, and index-two crimes measured by Uniform Crime Reports of the FBI. In the broad context, all criminologists, criminalists, and forensic psychologists work for the same purpose, which is, reduction or prevention of crimes. However, there are big differences in the working of these professionals. Studying all three fields related to the field of criminal justice, it can be said that the professionals of all three fields work together to deal with crimes. Criminologists deal more with the study of criminal behaviors and analysis of different crime prevention techniques as compared than actually participating in crime prevention. They provide proper solutions and assessments to government agencies, law enforcement agencies, correctional systems, and police officials. They also provide academic services in colleges and universities. According to Rothe and Friedrichs (2006), criminology deals with the identification of the causes of crimes and their prevention measures from sociology perspective. The field of criminalists, on the other hand, is related more closely to the field of forensic science. Criminalists

Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 102

Discussion - Assignment Example Critical thinking is very important especially in academics. It develops the creation of ideas, building of principles and formulation of theories. Critical thinking enables students to determine the credibility of hypothesis and experimental results. Critical thinking enables one to collect information, sum them up, select the preferred theories and arguments and be able to justify the conclusion taken. Bifocals are glasses with two different prescriptions ground into each lens, making it possible to focus at two different distances from the wearer. In this case bifocal is the term. The definition serves its main purpose by explaining what the term means. The definition given here is a lexical definition; they tell us what the word ordinarily means. (Parker & Richard, 2014). This is an analytical definition. It explains the features that a thing must have in order for the term being described may fit its description. Seventy percent of all freshmen at State College come from wealthy families; therefore, probably about the same percentage of all students at State College come from wealthy families. The premise is 70 percent of the freshmen at State College come from wealthy families. The Conclusion is most of the students in State College come from wealthy families. This argument is valid, because it guarantees its conclusion

Joint replenishment inventory (Can-order replenishment system) Thesis

Joint replenishment inventory (Can-order replenishment system) - Thesis Example Method Used: In the provided article of Silver (1981), different systems rather than methods have been widely utilised for the purpose of lessening setup expenses incurred based on per unit time. In precise, for keeping a greater control of costs associated with replenishment in the form of decreasing the same, the author Silver (1981) considered a definite control system, which was denoted as (S,c,s) system. Apart from this, another system i.e. Compound Poisson Demand was also being used for the fulfilment of the above stated objective. Based on the article of Silver (1981), it can be found that in consideration of the above discussed two particular methods were able to fulfil the stated objective, which is discussed in the section below. Results and Conclusion: While explaining the results and drawing a suitable conclusion about how the selected control systems such as Compound Poisson Model and (S,c,s) mechanism had attained success in lessening the setup replenishment costs, it will be vital to mention that utmost focus was laid upon inventory levels. In this regard, according to the article of Silver (1981), the control system i.e. (S,c,s) mechanism was used wherein distinct inventory levels were reviewed incessantly with determining the persistent inventory positions. On the other hand, the Poisson Model was executed to enlarge the probability allocation of entire demand of a particular item, which occurs during the interval of replenishment lead time. In terms of results, the article of Silver (1981) revealed that execution of (S,c,s) mechanism is capable to diminish the setup replenishment costs by checking the execution times and developing computerised routines with satisfying specified service constraints. Thus, in conclusion, it can be affirmed that the concepts including lead time and inventory levels affect the replenishment costs to be increased or reduced by a considerable

American Revolution in 1775-1783 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

American Revolution in 1775-1783 - Term Paper Example The young government could hardly work effectively too, because the British had bottled up communication channels. The government also had divided institutions; and most of the time, General George Washington was forced to make important decisions by himself. Economic chaos worsened the conditions of the war. Hyperinflation emerged due to overprinting of money and rising debt. American money became almost worthless. America also had troubles in accessing loans and credit. The war, furthermore, stifled trade and commerce. In addition, diplomatic challenges also occurred. America needed European allies against the British. It also needed loans to finance the war. In essence, America needed the diplomatic and financial support of France, Spain, and the Netherlands. From July to December 1776, the initial American strategy was to fight off the British at NYC, to hold Fort Washington, and to fight the British with their own tactics. The motives behind this strategy were that NYC held prop agandistic value for America and losing it could be a large morale blow to American forces; protecting NYC also denied the British the access to Hudson River. The strategy was flawed, however, because America was not prepared to fight the European way. Fighting too close to the ocean worked against the Americans, because the British had superior navy strength. ... They also undercut the British forces using wild goose chases, which was effective in overextending the physical strength and resources of the latter. Eventually, the Americans won because of their guerilla and wild goose chase tactics. Their patience and will, as well as their home court advantage, ensured their victory against the British. In addition, France also sided with the U.S., and the Netherlands loaned money to support the U.S. The British was also exhausted, while the public opinion in the UK increasingly opposed the war against America. The Paris Peace Treaty was signed to end the war. It represented the various agenda of American, Britain, France, and Spain. Americans demanded independence and clearer rights and boundaries as a sovereign nation. Britain wanted to preserve Oregon and Ohio, and decided that America could be an ally that balanced the powers against Spain and France. Spain wanted no treaty with America and desired only to attain British land concessions. Fr ance wanted an independent, but weak, America and to ascertain peace with Britain. The states established The Articles of Confederation, which was the first constitution of the United States. The first draft was made in 1777 by the similar Continental Congress that passed the Declaration of Independence. The Articles provided that the states preserved their â€Å"sovereignty, freedom and independence.† The states did not set up executive and judicial branches of the government, and they chose a committee of delegates that were composed of representatives from each state. These individuals made up the Congress, a national legislature that the Articles established. Summary of Paris Peace Treaty John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay represented

Business, its's context and stakeholders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business, its's context and stakeholders - Essay Example The overall growth of continental tourism was double the global average. As foreign tourists enjoyed the increasing number of African states, locals began exploring the beauty of neighboring nations. This booming industry is sure to lead to further economic growth in the region even if the increasing level of consumption of resources and the pressure it puts on the natural environment appear as obstacles. The good news is that these obstacles can be dealt with. Furthermore, the expansion of the African tourism industry makes way for greater understanding between the peoples of the world. The African tourism sector is a large scale enterprise involving an enormous number of stakeholders. In the year 2005, the sector provided 3,877,200 jobs directly and an incredible total of 10,647,000 jobs indirectly. The total travel and tourist revenues expected to be generated in 2005 were $73.6 billion of Gross Domestic Product. In particular, Kenya and Mozambique have seen the most rapid growth in tourist activity in recent years. In 2004 the number of visitors to Kenya increased by twenty six percent and the Kenyan government declared in 2005 that the country has earned more from tourism at this time than ever before. In Mozambique – very popular among South African tourists – tourist activity rose by an impressive thirty seven percent. In North Africa, Egypt experienced a six percent increase, Morocco a five percent increase, and Tunisia an eight percent increase. Things did not go as well for the tourism industry between the years 2002 and 2003. Revenues were massively reduced by terrorism and the wars on terror that began in the year 2001. The tourist hotspots of East Africa, namely Kenya and Tanzania, suffered a number of bomb attacks also. All the same, the African tourism industry is on the rebound. The secretary-general of UN’s World Tourism Organization

Benchmark Assessment Essay Example for Free

Benchmark Assessment Essay Micah, an eleventh grader with a learning disability in written expression and reading comprehension, is pending placement into a special education classroom. He is involved in extracurricular activities and does not want to stand apart from his friends and peers in regards to accommodations being made for his instruction time. Following is a look into the different placement options and why or why not Micah would benefit from it, technology and related services that he would need to help him progress in his areas of need, collaboration models for each placement that will help Micah’s teachers provide appropriate instruction, and a description of the most appropriate placement option with two Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Standards that align with the placement option. Inclusion Inclusion, simply put, means that all students interact and belong (National Inclusion Project, 2015). This type of placement is not getting the special needs student prepared for the general education class, rather it is getting the general education class ready for the special needs student (Tomko, 1996). This placement option would benefit Micah in that he would be in the same classes as his peers and friends. The inclusion environment is one of the least restrictive environments for Micah. However, Micah would not be able to focus solely on his learning disabilities in the inclusion setting, which makes this setting not the most appropriate placement option for him. Related Services Related services are provided to those with exceptionalities to help in their learning experiences and to enhance their abilities. In the inclusion classroom, Micah would benefit from guided notes. This type of note taking  technique provides students with a print-out of the lesson’s notes with certain words omitted for the students to fill in. Another related service for the inclusion setting is the availability of ‘test readers’. Micah would need this service based on his disability in reading comprehension. However, having someone read him his tests may put him in a negative light in front of his peers. Technology Technology use in an inclusion setting is almost a necessity. For Micah, he may want to use a tape recorder to record lectures and any assignment directions for understanding and accuracy. Another form of technology that would be necessary for Micah would be a Smart Board or a Promethean Board. These two pieces of technology will help Micah to be more interactive in class, and they will allow his instructors to monitor his comprehension of the materials being taught. Collaboration Model If Micah were to be placed in the inclusion setting, his teachers would use the ‘team teaching’ approach of collaboration. The ‘team teaching’ approach is when both, the general education and the special education teacher, teach the same lesson at the same time (Special Education Resource Center, 2007). This collaboration model allows the special education instructor to focus on the students who need extra help while the general education teacher continues to teach. This is also known as the ‘tag team teaching’ collaboration model. Each educator uses their expertise in their specific field to engage classroom instruction. Resource The resource room in special education is a classroom in which students with specific learning disabilities receive more direct and specialized instructions in smaller groups (US Legal Inc., 2015). If Micah were to be placed in the resource room, he would be able to receive extra help with his written expression and reading comprehension. This placement option would work for Micah in that it would only be one class period so that he could keep his disability from his peers and friends, as well as maintain or enhance his learning in his other classes. Related Services During his time in the resource room, Micah would have access to a number of  related services. One of these services would be access to counseling. Micah is very social but he has concerns about standing out from his peers and friends because of his disabilities. A counselor will be able to help build up his self-esteem so that he will not have to be ashamed of his learning issues. Another related service that Micah can receive is a tutor to help him with his written expression and reading comprehension. Technology Technology in the resource room is abundant. Computers with appropriate educational web sites and software are easily available. This is great for Micah because he can use the software and web sites to help build upon his written expression and reading comprehension. Also available in the resource room are copies of the textbooks for each of Micah’s classes. This allows Micah the extra time he may need to understand instructions for assignments and lectures handed to him in his core subjects. Finally, the resource room has a student dictionary. This dictionary will help Micah define words that he may not understand, thus building upon his reading comprehension and written expression skills. Collaboration Model The collaboration model that works best in the resource room is the Resource/ Consulting Teacher Program, or RCT. The RTC model is supported by the triadic model with many opportunities for teachers, students, and parents to interact (Dettmer, Knackendoffel, Thurston, 2013). With the RTC model, emphasis is placed on training students in the curriculum used within each mainstreamed student’s general education classroom (Dettmer, Thurston, Dyck, 2005). Also, the teachers’ expectations and reinforcements are identical for the resource room and the general education class setting (Dettmer, et al., 2005). This collaboration model is perfect for the resource room because it includes everyone involved in the student’s education. Self-Contained A self-contained classroom is the most restrictive placement option that Micah could end up with. However, since instruction is provided by one teacher for all subjects, this would not be an appropriate option for Micah. This placement would prevent Micah from interacting with his friends. The self-contained classroom is more for those students with severe physical,  mental, social, intellectual, and behavior disabilities. Since Micah participates in extracurricular activities, he does not have a severe disability that would require him to be placed in a self-contained classroom. Related Services Related services in the self-contained classroom include occupational, physical, and speech therapies. Micah appears to be an athletic student, and he may benefit from the physical and occupational therapies; however, these related services are not what he needs for his learning disabilities. Micah would be required to also partake in group therapy sessions. Even though Micah has a disability in written expression, the speech therapy will not suffice because he is a very social eleventh grader. Technology There is an abundant amount of technology available in a self-contained classroom just as in a resource setting. Some students with communication problems will use communication pads to be social. There will also be computers, iPads and tablets, and possibly audio players available to assist students with assignments, comprehension, and reading. Micah has a specific learning disability in which these devices may prove to be beneficial, but he would not be able to focus solely on his areas of need. These devices will help improve Micah’s reading comprehension, but they will decrease his abilities in his other core areas. Collaboration Model In the self-contained classroom, finding a collaboration model may be a little harder than all the other placement options. Since the self-contained classroom only has one teacher and usually all the same students throughout the school day, collaboration is usually limited between teacher, student, and parent. For this reason, the most appropriate collaboration model is the collaborative-dependent model. In this model, the consultee (parent and/or student) relies on the consultant (teacher) for help while both parties bring their specific background and skills to solve the specific problem(s) (National Counselor Examination, 2013). Micah and his parents/ caregiver would reach out to the teacher for suggestions on how they can improve his written expression and reading comprehension. Summary After reviewing all of the possible placement options for Micah, the most appropriate classroom setting will be the Resource Room. Micah has specific learning disabilities solely in written expression and reading comprehension. By placing him in the resource classroom, he will be able to concentrate on these two content areas; all the while participating in his extracurricular activities and remaining in his general education classes with his friends and other peers without a feeling of inferiority. The resource room will provide ample opportunities for Micah to focus on the areas with which he struggles by way of the available technology, more personal assistance from the instructor, and the availability of a student dictionary and counselor. Other reasons for this placement include the avoidance of student separation and labels, the teacher can be more consistent with concentration on the areas of need; and students can practice study skills, basic skills, keyboarding, and social and behavioral skills (Lucas, 2013). CEC Standards The placement option for Micah aligns with the Council for Exceptional Children’s (CEC) Standards four and eight. Standard four focuses on the instructional strategies of the teacher. This standard promotes positive learning outcomes in both general and special education classrooms; increases self-awareness, self-management, self-control, self-reliance, and self-esteem; and it enhances the learning of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills (CEC, 2004). With the daily use of technology in the resource setting, standard eight is being utilized and implemented. This standard’s emphasis is assessment. Regular monitoring of the student’s progress of learning needs in both the general and special education curriculum can be easily done in the resource environment. In addition to progress being monitored regularly, the resource instructor will be able to adjust instruction based on the assessment results (CEC, 2004). References Council for Exceptional Children (2004). Beginning Special Educator Standards. The Council for Exceptional Children: Definition of a Well-Prepared Special Education Teacher. Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional Children Dettmer, P., Knackendoffel, A., Thurston, L.P. (2013). Collaboration, Consultation, and Teamwork for Students with Special Needs, Seventh Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Dettmer, P., Thurston, L.P., Dyck, N.J. (2005). Consultation, Collaboration, and Teamwork for Students with Special Needs, Fifth Edition. Pearson/ Allyn and Bacon Lucas, M. (2013). The Benefits of the Resource Room Model. Retrieved February 11, 2015 from www.prezi.com/ae7v10oo2nzb/the-benefits-of-the-resource-room-model/ National Counselor Examination (2013). Consultation Models. Retrieved February 11, 2015 from www.hgst.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Consultation-models-NCE.pptx National Inclusion Project (2015). What is Inclusion? Retrieved February 9, 2015 from www.inclusionproject.org/lets-all-play/what-is-inclusion/ SERC (2007). Teaching Learning Initiative. Six Approaches to Co-Teaching. Retrieved February 10, 2015 from www.ctserc.org/initiatives/teachandlearn/coteach.shtml Tomko, C.F. (1996). What is Inclusion? Retrieved February 9, 2015 from www.kidstogeth er.org/inclusion.htm US Legal, Inc. (2015). Resource Room (Education) Law Legal Definition. Retrieved February 10, 2015 from www.definitions.uslegal.com/r/resource-room-education/

Effective Next-generation WAN Architecture

Effective Next-generation WAN Architecture WAN Architecture Get robust, scalable, and easy-to-use management tools that can handle the complexity of your multiservice and packet voice network.   WAN provides extensive, reliable, and scalable element management capabilities to help you rapidly deploy and manage services. The high-performance carrier-class element and network management product is deployed worldwide in some of the largest service provider networks. It can operate as a standalone system or can be integrated as an element using its northbound interfaces for highly efficient flow-through operations Enhanced operator workflow and usability simplify configuration, fault monitoring, and troubleshooting operations. The enterprise business is changing as new types of payroll systems.. As the number of branches continues to increase, the reliable and secure delivery of these evolving services demands a network that can similarly evolve to meet these demands and enable business success. IT professionals require higher network performance, scalability, availability, security, and service capabilities. The Branch-WAN payroll system architecture is developed to address these key areas of customer concerns. To meet these requirements, the Branch-WAN payroll system architecture features scalable and resilient network infrastructure, integrated security, wireless, and payroll system intelligence to provide seamless service capabilities that include Unified Communication, media collaboration, and data/Web 2.0. Architecture This is dedicated to delivering solutions that meet and exceed customers business and technology requirements by integrating best technologies, services, and platforms. The WAN Payroll system architecture is part of a comprehensive approach to providing an end-to-end enterprise network architecture. This model is known as Places in the Network architecture. The architecture addresses the differing requirements for systems design and deployment in the three principal network areas: the campus, the data center, Internet edge, and the WAN. See Figure 1 Figure 1: Architecture When discussing an enterprise network, it is important to consider that most networks are built from a discreet set of interconnected, architectural elements-each of which has its own requirements. A branch office, for example, may not have the same scalability requirements as a data center, but has a greater need for reduced form-factor devices with high-value integrated services. The typical corporate campus network offers users high speed and secure network connectivity, Unified Communication services, wireless services, and access to corporate payroll systems and databases. A well-engineered network must offer workers at branch sites the same network services as campus workers, to maximize productivity and ensure business objectives are met. The Branch-WAN payroll system architecture offers an end-to- end system design that delivers a flexible, scalable, and secure network that supports advanced network services for branch office workers. Figure 2: WAN Payroll system architecture (Frame work)   Ã‚   The WAN payroll system architecture shown in Figure 2 has the following layers: †¢Network Infrastructure-The foundation that provides routing, switching, quality-of-service (QoS), high availability, and other functionalities to ensure that the network is scalable, flexible, and resilient. †¢Integrated Security-This layer extends the corporate security policy to the branch, providing network infrastructure protection, secure communication, threat mitigation, and network monitoring across both the Branch and WAN PINs. †¢Wireless-this layer provides user network connectivity anywhere within the enterprise, giving employees greater flexibility, and increased productivity. †¢Payroll system Intelligence-this layer provides various payroll system optimization techniques using optimization (i.e., TCP flow optimization, data redundancy elimination) and control for payroll system classification and prioritization using QoS. This optimizes use of the WAN bandwidth and, enables branch users to access the same payroll systems as campus users, with similar user experience. †¢Management-this layer provides the ability to easily provision and monitor the network. With these layers, it is imperative that unified communication (i.e., Unified Communication), Media Collaboration (i.e., Tele presence, IP Video Surveillance, Desktop Video, and Digital Media Systems), and Data Web 2.0 (i.e., collaboration payroll systems) work seamlessly across the Branch-WAN solution. Technologies Considered Types: There are number of WAN technologies like point to point connection, circuit switching and packet switching. The WAN communication which is carried over a leased line is called point to point connection. In a point to point network the message from the customers end is traveled to the remote user via an ISP. Circuit switching is the data communication which is stared when there is need to communicate and it is terminated afterwards. It is like a telephone call. When the two users arte connected and identified, the data is transferred in other words voice is transferred. When the transmission of the data is complete the call is disconnected again. Packet switching data network is a WAN technology in which the network of the user is established in the carriers system. The examples of packet switching network include asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), switched multi megabyte data services (SMDS) and frame relay. Optimization The purpose of WAN optimization is to eliminate the flaws in the packet data transfer in shared WAN systems. There are many techniques of optimizing the WAN technology. These optimization techniques include duplication, compression, cashing, protocol spoofing, traffic shaping, equalizing, connection limits and simple rate limits. The process of duplication sends a reference of the actual data, this helps in preventing from data redundancy. In order to present data patterns in an efficient manner compression is used. The process of caching reduces the bandwidth up to 30%. The multiple requests are tied in one bundle using protocol spoofing. Traffic shaping controls the amount of data handling and also monitors and guides the data traffic. When the data is sent according to the priority of the data usage it is known as equalizing. Connection limit averts from the access grid locks in access points and routers due to the lack of service or peer to peer connection. Simple rate limits the users from getting more than the data which has been fixed for their use. The purport of WAN optimization is to overcome the difficulties such as expensive bandwidth and to decrease the users experience time. The scalability of WAN is nowadays an important consideration and hence WAN optimization is used to target such issues as well. The typical small branch design includes a 1.5 Mbps Ethernet private WAN connection. The router terminates the VPN and routing from the central site and implements QoS policy. The router also hosts the following integrated services: †¢Security (Firewall, IPS) †¢Unified Communications (SRST, FXO / FXS ports) †¢Payroll system intelligence The branch also includes a Layer-2 access switch with the following key features: †¢Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) †¢DHCP snooping †¢Spanning tree †¢Class-of-Service (CoS) on access ports †¢QoS †¢Port security †¢Dynamic Address Repayroll system architecture Protocol (ARP) Inspection Wireless LAN may be implemented with a router module or standalone controller/switch. New Issues The key to an effective next-generation WAN architecture? Match technologies and services to interconnection requirements. Herewith a blueprint: Data center-to-data center connectivity: Data center interconnectivity requires high-capacity, low latency links. Although multiprotocol label-switching (MPLS) can do the trick, its often an expensive solution. Telecom architects are increasingly turning to solutions such as carrier Ethernet (either point-to-point or virtual private LAN service, VPLS), or dark fiber or wavelength services. Seventy-one percent of organizations will be deploying some form of carrier Ethernet by the end of 2010, typically for data center-to-data center connectivity. Why? Three reasons: First is cost. On a per-megabit-per-second basis, carrier Ethernet can run 25% to 50% lower than other technologies. Second is bandwidth: with Carrier Ethernet, users are able to procure up to 10Gbps of bandwidth (the equivalent of 2.5 OC-768 circuits). As a result, as bandwidth requirements increase, carrier Ethernet becomes more appealing. Finally, theres the ease of deployment and management. Users report that carrier Ethernet is straightforward to install, and performs reliably. Right off the bat, it worked like a charm, says the CIO of a midsized professional services firm. Data center-to-branch, and branch-to-branch, connectivity: Most organizations (80%) have deployed MPLS, and plan to continue using it for site-to-site connectivity (at least for midsized-to-large sites). Some firms mostly leading-edge organizations are also looking at rolling out carrier Ethernet for the core WAN. The primary challenge? Availability. Carrier Ethernet isnt as widely-available as MPLS. Remote-site and micro branch connectivity: For smaller sites, companies are exploring a range of connectivity options. An Internet VPN is one approach (and one thats increasingly common). A more innovative approach is to deploy 4G wireless technologies, either direct to the router or to each individual employee. Again, the challenge here is availability: Most carriers are just beginning to roll out broadband wireless (in the U.S. at least). Another problem is capacity: Carriers havent designed their networks for use as wired-WAN replacements. References: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_architecture apparchguide.codeplex.com/ www.amazon.com/PatternsApplication-Architecture/0321127420

internal communication system

internal communication system Does a successful internal communication system result in a motivated Workforce? 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Internal communications: It is a generic expression for all communication (formal and informal) that an organization undertakes with its close stockholders — i.e. those people with whom it has a relationship that requires support, principally direct/indirect employees and members. The main purpose of formal internal communications is to inform employees or members of the direction and performance of the organization (and team) to which they belong. The profession of internal communications builds on fundamental principles of other disciplines like human resources (HR), marketing, project management and media planning. As a result it often gets adopted in organizations under different labels: employee communications, employee engagement, internal marketing, company communications, staff communication, etc. Responsibility can also reside within different functions: marketing, corporate communications, transformation, HR, CEO office, etc. In common with other communication professions, there are different areas of specialism within internal communications: channel management, speech-writing, change communications, HR communications, project communications, event management, social media, intranets, etc 1.2 Motivation work force: A motivated workforce is one which individuals and teams generally strive hard and successfully to achieve the goals set t them. They perform at a high level and make significant effort to help you to achieve your business strategy. A committed work force is one in which individuals identify with the purpose, goals and values of the organization, wish to remain with it and are prepared to put themselves out on its behalf. Motivation is about staff focusing their effort on achieving specific targets. That is, what staffs do? It also is about getting your staff to behave in the right way. That is, how they do things. Key indicators include: †¢ Communication †¢ Management leadership †¢ Performance Management and Recognition †¢ Work Management You can motivate people with: †¢ varied and interesting work perhaps giving the opportunity to travel †¢ high-quality training and development e.g. encouragement to study for professional qualifications †¢ an open door culture in which managers are approachable †¢ respect for a good work-life balance e.g. offering the opportunity for flexible working †¢ fairness at work, including promoting equality and diversity †¢ proactive and regular communication †¢ regular appraisal and positive feedback restating business objectives and recognizing your staffs contribution †¢ requests for feedback, either in person or via staff surveys, on how employees feel about their roles, the support they get, and improvements to the business †¢ the chance to socialize with colleagues at organized events †¢ recognition and reward for ideas or competitive intelligence Commitment is concerned with the loyalty of staff t to the organization and feeling good about it can be increased through creating and maintaining a positive working experience. Key indicators include: †¢ Job Satisfaction †¢ Employee involvement †¢ Training and development †¢ Working environment †¢ Co-operation †¢ Working relationship To be effective employee opinion surveys should be conducted on a regular basis. This could be six-monthly or annually. They do involve extra effort on behalf of the staff in term of taking time to complete the survey. 2.0 Research As little as a few decades ago, managers believed that the behind the scenes dealings of their companies were of no concern to employees. Thus, information that may have motivated employees or inspired their job interest was not available to them as they were merely considered another cog in the organizational wheel. Since that time, management science has formed a basis for analyzing management style and its influence on communication and motivation. Most organizations, be they public or private understand the importance of strategic communication with customers and stakeholders. Hence we have marketing and communication specialists to produce communication plans for external use. In the private sector that means more income; in the public sector it means better public relations, and better use of government services through client information. Many organizations also understand the importance of developing strategic plans to guide longer term decision-making. The thinking is that without knowing where we want to be (and how we are going to get there), we cant coordinate organizational resources so that we get to where we want to go. Frequently, communication methodologies for communicating with customers and the public are included in strategic planning. However, few organizations address internal communication in the same way. Determining what should be communicated to staff, when it should be communicated, and how it should be communicated is often left up to the decisions of individuals made when there seems to be a need. In other words internal communication strategies are developed, reactively, when there is a crisis or major event that clearly requires addressing communication issues. Where communication is planned out, it is often around upheavals like major corporate or organization change, layoffs and downsizing, and technological change. However, once the initiating focus has been eliminated communication tends to go back to an unorganized incoherent process. 2.1 Principle of Internal Communication Some basic principles to keep in mind when creating your strategic internal communication plan are: ï‚ § Develop a long-term focus ï‚ § Identify clear values for your organization ï‚ § Define the specific goals for your internal communication strategy ï‚ § Use comprehensive, pervasive methods ï‚ § Be consistent in your messages 2.1.1 Openness: All information should be communicated in an open and honest fashion. While the positive aspects of any news or decision should always be clearly communicated. Message senders should not be afraid to admit that they have changed their mind or have been mistaken. As a result, senders should be prepared to receive contradictory or critical views and should be ready to engage in debate with staff. In the light of freedom of information Act, all information should be open to access by any members of staff. 2.1.2 Relevance: Information should be clearly relevant to the audience they are delivered to. Each message should answer the question that many staff has what in it for me? The needs of the audience should be put in all communications activity and information should be tailored to ensure that it is relevant to different audiences. If the recipient is expected to act on the information they have received this should be made clear to them. 2.1.3 Simplicity: Simple, Straightforward language should be used in all written and verbal communication. The use of jargon and management speak should be avoid. Messages should be carefully thought out and constructed so that the point of clear. Any actions you expect staff to take as a result should be clear. Messages should not be overly long or complicated and all communication should be consistently of a high quality. 2.1.4 Clarity: All communication should be clear in its aims. Message senders need to tell their audience in direct terms the status of the information they are communicating. Here just four examples. 2.1.4.1 A policy decision: A decision taken by one of the universitys three committees which applied to the whole university and must be considered by all staff. 2.1.4.2 A Mandatory Decision: either taken by the university, or imposed by an outside authority. 2.1.4.3 Consultation: Information which is in the discussion stage and is open to consultation by staff. If this is the case, the message sender needs to be clear as to where feedback can be sent. 2.1.4.4 Work in progress: Where is it necessary to keep staff updated about a major projector policy which is still in development. 2.1.5 Planned and timely: Information should be prioritized and planned so as to avoid information overload, duplication of messages or long periods of non-communication. Communication with staff should not be an afterthought or an add-on but should be at the heart of all planning within university. This will ensure that information is given to staff when they need it- not when decision makers happen to think about it, or in the worst case scenario, when staff learns of major decision via the regional or national media. To this end, all major committees or decision making groups should develop an explicit communications strategy which outlines how information will be fed to staff via existing channels of communication. 2.1.6 Two- way communication: A one way conversation is very boring wherever possible, communication should be two way. All communication should be ensure that there are as many opportunities for listening and asking questions as there are sending messages out. These opportunities should be opened for all staff. Where these opportunities are offered the message owner should ensure that good quality and rapid answers can be given to the questions and issued rose. In this way communication will be positively encouraged and staff will feel that they can influence the development of relevant strategies, policies and procedures at a university and local level. 3.0 The advantages of Internal Communication We know that some of the most successful companies and corporations create a workforce that understands the mission, goals, values and procedures of the organization. The intent of creating such cultures is not to dominate or control employees, but to aim them at a set of common goals on which they can act every day. This brings coherence to the workplace, and allows better coordinated action. By clearing up ambiguity in whats, hows, and whys, the common culture permits employees to act with empowerment. When we have staff that understands the basic values and purposes of an organization, we give them the opportunity to make decisions that fall within those parameters. That means, for example, that more decisions can be made at the line level, reducing micro-managing. When your organization is communicating effectively with its internal stakeholders, whether they are employees, management or volunteers, it develops a cohesive culture where everyone is focused on the same goals and ha s the same objectives. By working within a cohesive culture, your stakeholders can work more efficiently together and collaborate more effective. Clearly, if we are to create such a common culture, we need to harness all of our organizations communication resources to achieve the purpose. Before we talk about that, lets look at some other advantages to having a coherent, shared organizational culture. †¢ Permits employees to make more decisions online since they have the tools and knowledge needed to make the right decisions. †¢ Encourages a sense of identification, on the part of staff, with the goals, mission and procedures of the organization, which can result in a sense of making a difference. This can have direct impact on effort and efficiency. †¢ Has the potential for reducing day-to-day conflict. Much conflict is generated by conflicting ideas on what is important to the organization often an indicator that the people involved do not share a common vision or understanding. †¢ Helps staff feel a part of the organization. When we look at organizations that use their common culture as a strategic advantage, what we find is that they create that culture through the use of very strategic, coordinated communication strategies. They use multiple methods, consistently. Their training supports their cultural goals, as does their written communication (e.g. newsletters, billboards, slogans, etc). Their management communicates consistently with common messages in a number of forums (e.g. performance management, department or sub-organization meetings, award and recognition programs, etc). And perhaps most importantly, management behavior is consistent with the messages echoed via other communication methodologies. 4.0 Internal communication strategy There are two sides of strategy in internal communications. In the first instance there is organizations strategy — what it hopes to achieve and how it plans to go about achieving it. That strategy will be supported and, to some extent, delivered through effective internal communications. In this context internal communication can help on several different levels: †¢ Tell: simply informing people of the direction, non-negotiable †¢ Sell: anticipating some form of backlash, requiring some persuasion †¢ Consult: seeking specific areas of input to the decision-making process †¢ Involve: seeking varying degrees of involvement and co-creation Secondly, and more importantly, internal communications needs a strategy of its own. It should be positioned more than a simple plan of tactical interventions in support of business activities. The strategy should consider the following: †¢ Market: What does the organization know about its audiences needs? How should its audiences be segmented? †¢ Message: What is it the organizations message is trying to achieve? In what tone should it be conveyed? †¢ Media: Which channels work best for the different audience segments? How will it maximize reach and cut-through? Are there clear editorial guidelines for each? †¢ Measurement: Are there clearly defined success criteria? What are the leading and lagging measures? As well as informing all of the other three Ms, it should be used to demonstrate value and measures of performance (rate of return, message penetration, hit rates, quality of feedback, etc) The strategy will inform the best way to organize effective communications 5.0 Conclusion The development of a strategic internal communication strategy and its implementation can provide a number of benefits to organizations. To achieve those benefits we need a coordinated, comprehensive, long term communication approach. Effective communications require the active commitment and endorsement of senior managers. It is not enough simply to develop a vision statement or formulate in general terms the values by which the company lives. Behavior is what counts. Managers must be seen to behave in a manner that is consistent with the ethos they are promoting. Communication applied to development initiatives is still too often limited to activities aimed at informing the stockholders or the general public following the typical and dated top-down approach. Government counterparts and project managers are often not used or ready to democratize the decision making process, but are more interested in accelerating it. However, the budget, time and effort devoted to communication will almost certainly be worthwhile. Tele business relying on a mix of adequate telecommunications infrastructure, a quality workforce with reasonable wage levels and corresponding linguistic skills, such requisites are today available in other countries, particularly in the developing world. The workforce skills have to be permanently upgraded so as to satisfy the requirements of new applications. The internal communication techniques can inform and encourage policymakers to base their decisions on a clear understanding of beneficiaries perspectives from the beginning of a development initiative. Such communication not only needs to be carefully planned and implemented but must also be properly integrated with emergency management activities and operations therefore effective internal communication is therefore a key responsibility of public health professionals and information officers, especially during emergency. 6.0 References Effective media communication during public health emergencies (Google book) By Randall N. Hyer, Vincent T. Covello pg 4 published 2007 Information and communication technologies and rural development (Google book) By Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development pg 76 published July 2001 The role of communication in large infrastructure: the Bumbuna Hydroelectric (Google book) By Leonardo Mazzei, Gianmarco Scuppa, World Bank pg 39 published June 2006 Strategic Communication for Privatization, Public-Private Partnerships and Private Participation in Infrastructure Projects (Google book) By Daniele Calabrese World Bank published March 2008 pg 39 http://www.uneed2.com/assets/Summary_Guide_to_Employee_Opinion_Surveys.pdf dtd. 7/10/09 http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/medialibrary/internal-comms/ic-principles.pdf dtd. 10/10/09. http://performance-appraisals.org/Bacalsappraisalarticles/articles/comstrat.htm dtd 7/10/09 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_communications#Internal_communication_strategy dtd 7/10/09 http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Communication-Organisation/165925 dated 14/10/09.

Conflicting Cultures in Gish Jens Mona in the Promised Land Essays

Conflicting Cultures in Gish Jen's Mona in the Promised Land Novels that illustrate a confrontation between disparate cultures provide particularly straightforward insights into basic human behavior. Characters confronted with a cultural conflict must explore basic human commonalities to breach the gap between the cultures. In doing so, one diminishes the differences between her culture and the unknown culture, ultimately bringing her closer to her raw humanity. Simultaneously, this sets the stage for countless sociological case studies that may illuminate important human behaviors that are otherwise masked by the bias of a dominating culture. A prime subject for one such examination is Mona Chang, a natural-born American who strives to overcome the cultural pressure posed by her Chinese immigrant parents so that she may be accepted by her peers. Appearing in Gish Jen's Mona in the Promised Land, Chang finds herself in a situation that tests her identity as an American. The test, occurring in her adolescence, proves inconclusive. In turn, it motivates Chang to affirm her identity at the expense of her maturity-a struggle that continues until she overcomes the factor that initially questioned her identity. Thus, the cultural backdrop of Jen's Mona in the Promised Land provides an excellent basis to study the human character, from which one may infer that an incident that causes identity confusion in one's adolescent life must be resolved before one may reach maturity. In Chang's case, her oriental appearance pairs her with Sherman Matsumoto, the newest ad... ... one must rely primarily upon the text itself as well as interviews with Jen. Although few scholarly resources are available with pertinence to this novel, it is not difficult to make a substantial argument for the aforementioned themes. Naturally, those themes apply only to adolescents who have not yet matured fully from a psychological perspective. In conclusion, the cultural clash in Jen's Mona in the Promised Land allows one to discern easily that one must figuratively conquer that which troubles her sense of identity lest her maturity remain underdeveloped. Works Cited April Guest: Gish Jen. McDougal Littell Page. 1999. . Jen, Gish. Mona in the Promised Land. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 1997.

Internet Addicts in Danger Essay -- Technology Computers Communication

Internet Addicts in Danger Internet chat rooms have become a devastating disadvantage to the social interaction and growth of people in the world. More and more of the world’s youth are becoming addicted to Internet chat rooms. Not only are Internet chat room relationships leading to impersonal contact of people hiding flaws behind anonymity, they are leading to the abduction of many underage individuals. In an article published in The Age, a magazine in Melbourne, Australia, Doctor Mubarak Rahamathulla has researched teenagers that have become "pathologically addicted" to Internet chat rooms. Rahamathulla argues that this addiction could damage their social skills as well as their ability to form intimate relationships. Rahamathulla says that "The young people who are introverts who are having difficulties establishing a rapport with others are going to go deeper into these kinds of forums to interact with others, that will further shrink their social network." In Rahamathulla’s research he found that while Internet chat rooms are not the ideal form of communication for most of these "addicted" teens, it is better than no interaction at all. The research revealed that these teens are lonely, usually unpopular and that chat rooms contribute to some teenagers fearing one on one situations. Internet chat rooms do not seem like they are targeting this specific demographic, when it is considered that there are chat rooms for basically every interest any human in the world could think of. So, if Internet chat rooms are not targeting lonely, unpopular teenagers, but those are for the most part the people becoming "addicted" to these chat rooms, are these chat rooms making the people who are interested in them addicted and lonely ... ...there is no immediate solution for the problem that is at hand. But it is a problem that needs to be addressed. Internet chat rooms are making the worlds youth into anti-social, lonely people. Internet chat rooms are enticing children to go out and meet much older people that they should not be associating with and no one is stopping them. Parents and Internet companies both need to make drastic changes for the benefit of the world’s youth. Works Cited Barr, Elizabeth "Face the Music". 17 January. 2003 BCT Reporter "Should there be tighter laws governing the Internet?". UK Newsweek Regional Press. 25 July. 2003 Bruce, Iain "Fishnet Stalking; from the erotic to the pornographic, sex on the Internet is booming". The Sunday Herald. 8 December. 2002 Nader, Carol "Introvert Internet Addicts and ‘Social Risk’". The Age. 2 October. 2003 Statistics

Dominos Case Analysis

Strategic Profile and Case Analysis Purpose Dominoes was found in 1960 and headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Domino’s Pizza Inc. is the market leader in the United States pizza delivery and second largest pizza company in the world based on number of units. The company offers a wide variety of pizza products as well as pasta, bread sticks, boneless chicken and wings, desserts and soft drinks. As of the beginning of this year, 2012, Domino’s had 394 company-owned stores and 4,513 franchised Domino’s units in the U. S. and 4,835 franchised stores internationally.Domino’s strategy is to use its superior supply-chain to provide its franchises with lost cost inputs so the franchises may focus on sales and service. Through the online world, Domino’s customers began to share their dissatisfaction with Domino’s products, such as pizza lacked taste and quality and poor quality delivery pizzas. Over the past 3-5 years Domino’s has made an ef fort to improve the palatability of their core products, and in 2009 introduced a new and redesigned crust recipe, fresh ingredients, a new sauce, and real shredded cheese.This effort, along the successive marketing campaigns has increased brand loyalty and customer preferences which has had a profound effect on increases in revenue and number of franchise openings. I believe that this strategy that is currently implemented is working, but for Domino’s to remain an industry leader and prolong the current trend of success, Domino’s needs to focus on the demographic and technological changes in the market. Focusing on the changes and reevaluating their current strategy will help Domino’s remain a leader within the industry. Situational AnalysisGeneral Environment Analysis: Demographic | -Pizza remains a very popular product appealing to a wide demographic of Americans that consider restaurants an essential part of their lifestyle. -According to Rasmussen Reports 4 0% of American eat pizza at least once per month w/adults ranging 30-49 yrs. of age; 21% of young adults (18-24) purchase pizza more than three times a week. Pizza is an integral part of American culture and shows no sign of exciting the market. | Economic | Domino’s is not immune to market trends; its revenues are directly affected by how the economy is doing.As the labor force progresses closer to full employment, consumer spending will increase and real GDP will be boosted. As a result, Domino’s Pizza will benefit from the increase of consumer spending as more consumers will likely spend more money at quick-service restaurants than dinging at home. To retain consumer’s quick-service restaurants should not worry as much about pricing but about expanding their menus. | Political/Legal| The political and legal conditions that could affect the business of Domino’s Pizza are the policies of the local and national government towards business.If the governmen t is more open to the establishment of numerous restaurants, then more restaurants will be established. Laws in favor of employees will be a factor for Domino’s. In each state/country they operate in they will have to provide proper employee training, as well as the minimum wage that are in compliance with state and federal regulations. Wages increasing can have a negative impact on revenues. | Sociocultural| Households are more likely to have a double income these days, resulting in families going out to eat more often. No time to cook at home) Media is growing at a fast pace means that Domino’s need to be part of this trend and keep up with the technological changes when comes to their online and app. options. Providing healthier options can be a potential competitive advantage for Domino’s. More people are concerned with their health and are becoming more aware of nutritional facts. Organic and gluten free products are gaining popularity. | Technological| The fast changes in technology nowadays have far-reaching effects.The factors that have a huge impact are: research and development, internet and e-commerce, and new technologies. The research and development has effects on Domino’s Pizza because through R&D new products are developed for the business, the internet and e-commerce also contributes to the technological factors because through them customers can give feedback regarding the products. Technology will assist in developing the firms’ strategies and strategic competiveness. | Global| More and more industrialized countries are emerging.Current and potential political events can affect the potential growth of Domino’s. | Physical| Creating and using products that are bio-gradable and promoting recycling can save Domino’s money, and differentiate themselves from their competitors. | Industry analysis: The restaurant industry was projected to have $604 Billion sales in 2011, which is approximately 4 per cent of the projected total GDP of the United States according to the estimate from National Restaurant Association. The industry has been expanding since the 1960s, mainly due to the boom of quick service restaurants such as Yum!Brands Inc. and McDonald’s. The long term expansion of the restaurant industry is expected to continue as the major players in this industry are focusing on providing healthier and less expensive food for both Americans and customers’ abroad. The restaurant industry provides two categories of services: fast food and full-service restaurant. The fast food restaurants mainly serve products including sandwiches, and pizza. Those restaurants attract customers by offering convenient, inexpensive and appealing foods.Fast food restaurants will still perform comparatively well during financial downturn (see graphs below) because customers will switch from full-service restaurant to the cheaper fast food restaurants. Threat of new entrants| ? Economies of Scale: The saturation of the pizza industry is a huge limiter of how much an advantage can be attained by economies of scale.? Product Differentiation: Differentiation is a necessary expense in the pizza industry but it is not difficult to overcome so we can say it is not a significant barrier to market entry.?Capital requirements will dominate the formation of new, national competitors, but is not a significant barrier to private startups.? Cost Disadvantages: The extreme saturation and similarity in product offering make convenient locations essential for quick service restaurants large and small. This is a significant barrier to entry.? Distribution Channels: Speedy and reliable channels are essential among all firms in the industry, they are not necessarily difficult for new comers to attain. Due to the lack of any of the barriers to entry being so significant, we feel the threat of new entrants is high. Power of suppliers| The bargaining power of suppliers shapes the restau rant industry by determining the food commodity costs. Restaurant operators usually negotiate on their purchases through future contracts; however instability in food goods costs can constrain the power to price their products. Suppliers for Domino’s pizza have low bargaining power, due to the high volume of products and the low differentiation level. There are also many substitutes for any particular input. | Power of buyers| Price is a key factor for customers in choosing restaurants.Consumers compare the values of food and what they pay for the food. Domino’s Pizza customers bargaining power and switching costs are low since a costumer can find a second option easily (frozen pizza or other pizza restaurants and chains). Differentiation levels are created by the consumers and include style of pizza, atmosphere, and location. | Threat of product substitutes| One reason for high competition in the restaurant industry is similar menus among the companies in the restaura nt industry. Few restaurants have successfully differentiated menus from others.The threat this poses on the industry’s’ profitability depend on the price-to-performance ratio, it is also affected by switching costs. Since there are so many firms offer the same basic need the consumer is looking for it results in low switching costs and a high threat of substitution. | Intensity of rivalry among competitors| The rivalry in the restaurant industry is high and gives firms more incentive to differentiate themselves form its competitors and meet customers’ needs. Firms in this industry are competing for the same market share.Since the customer base is not growing as fast the industry, the growth is slow. | Competitor analysis: With Domino’s Pizza competing in the domestic and global market, its main competitors globally are YUM! Brands, McDonalds, and Wendy’s. Many of these fast service chain restaurants are expanding internationally at a rapid rate. E ach competitor offers wide array of products to its consumers, so Domino’s has had to make many menu changes to help keep their loyal customers satisfied. Domino’s main U. S. competitors in the pizza delivery service market are Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, and Little Caesars.Domino’s is in an industry where it must use its valued brand name as a way of competing with its competitors around the globe. Locally, Domino’s uses its trademark â€Å"Domino's Pizza: You Got 30 Minutes†20 to remind consumers that they are the number one pizza delivery company in the U. S. and use this as a competitive edge against its aggressive competitors. Pizza Hut The number one competitor for Domino’s is Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut operates under Yum! Brands, which also includes four other restaurant chains. Pizza Hut is only two years older than Domino’s and has over 13,000 store locations in 95 different countries.The main focus of Pizza Hut is letting their customers customize their pizzas; each location is designed to tailor to local tastes and culture. They serve a variety of products ranging from specialty pizzas to pasta, sandwiches and chicken wings. In 2010 the brand reported a 4. 7 percent increase in revenues and sales for Pizza Hut increased by 8. 8 percent in the US. Though Domino’s remains the leader in the US delivery segment, Pizza Hut maintains the top spot in the US pizza segment with a 13. 78 market share as of late 2009.Pizza Hut’s goal is moving forward, they want to be known not as a pizza restaurant, but as a â€Å"pizza, pasta, and wings† brand. To complete their transformation Pizza Hut is working to make its menu items more competitively priced and improve their service times as well as focus on great customer service. Lastly, to help gain market share throughout the world, Pizza Hut is focusing its expansion plans on China, one of the world’s rapidly growing marketplaces. Papa Johnâ €™s Papa John’s is considered the world’s third ranked pizza delivery and carryout restaurant behind Pizza Hut and Domino’s.Currently it owns and franchises 3,646 restaurants in which 612 are company owned and 3,034 franchised in all of US and 32 countries worldwide. Papa John’s was founded on the premise that if you make the best pizza and price it competitively, you can sell it. Some of their major products include pizza, bread/cheese sticks, chicken strips, winds, dessert, and beverages. Papa John’s operates through six segments: domestic restaurants, domestic franchising, international operations, variable interest entities, and â€Å"all other† business units.In 1999 Papa John’s took over the number three spot in the US market from Little Caesars. But in the early 2000s, Papa Johns hit the wall and put a break on its expansions plans. The economic recession caused a dip in revenues for year-end 2009, and 2010. In effort to re -energize its brand during this period, Papa invested heavily in advertising, becoming the official sponsor for the NFL and the next three super bowls. In addition, Papa John’s launched a highly successfully promotion for consumers, these efforts helped Papa John’s maintain its market share.Little Caesars Family-owned Little Caesars Enterprises, Inc a subsidiary of Illitich Holdings owns and franchises over 2,600 units in the US and 11 other countries. As of 2010, it owned 4 percent of the US pizza locations and was a major competitor of Domino’s despite its lack of delivery service. It’s considered by Technomic Inc to be the fastest growing pizza restaurant chain in the US. Approximately 80 percent of Little Caesars locations are franchises with many stores located in strip malls or other popular shopping areas.Little Caesars offers pizzas, crazy bread and sauce, cheese bread, Caesar dips and churros as well as it offers party catering service. Littler C aesars has been following the same marketing campaign since the 70s and is known for its two-for-one â€Å"Pizza! Pizza! † Little Caesars has topped a host of â€Å"Best Pizza Value in America† lists for years and years in a row and, despite some setbacks in the 90s as Papa John’s climbed the ladder, continues to offer some hard- to- beat competition. Internal analysis Tangible resources:Domino’s low cost deliver-oriented store design is a tangible resource. Domino’s franchises approximately 90 percent of their 5,155 stores in the US. The stores are decided small with a focus on delivery, which allows them to cut the cost of having the typical large pizzeria type restaurant. Domino’s also uses their company owned stores as testing facilities for new products and technologies, this allows them to cut cost on having to rent out additional stores. Domino’s has its own supply chain for domestic and internationally franchised stores.This o peration consists 17 domestic facilities/6 international facilities that distribute food, equipment and supplies to the franchised stores nation and worldwide. Having their own supply chain gives Domino’s an advantage, it means automatic delivery of ingredients to stores which eliminates wait time and adds freshness, allowing the store team to focus on its sales and customer service. The vertically integrated supply chain allows Domino’s to leverage the purchasing power of thousands of privately owned and franchised stores nationwide to help food costs low.Domino’s new smart-phone â€Å"pizza tracker† application that is also available on their website, shows customers where the pizza is in the process, and how long it will take for the pizza to be ready and/or delivered. This allows customers be more involved in the process and allows instant communication between the two. In result this will help decrease the number of employees that Domino’s nee ds to hire, which will increase revenues as well as focus more on the food making process. Intangible resources: Domino’s has multiple intangible resources.Firstly, Domino’s focuses as a company on two core strengths: high quality pizzas at a competitive price and a fast delivery time, both that are intangible. Secondly, Domino’s strong brand image results in many loyal customers even with the new introductions made to the menu. Lastly, Domino’s has a worldwide presence and have pioneered the pizza delivery industry giving them a strong reputation. Capabilities: Domino’s has five capabilities that were discussed in the analysis. The first is their vertically integrated supply chain. Domino’s is able to drive sales up and costs down.Secondly, Domino’s focuses on adapting each location to its surrounding environment, such as changing menu options in other countries to adapt to the taste preferences of the population. Thirdly, the new sm art phone application, which allows customers order as they go and have more of a connection during the process. Having a strong brand image is another capability of Domino’s, its what allows them to be a direct competitor in the restaurant industry. Lastly, Domino’s is very cost effective, they pre-cut and pre-package all the ingredients, which allow them to be competitive in the market, and in the price they charge their customers.Core competencies: The last four decades Dominos has proven to be a top leader in the pizza industry, and has created several core competencies. Strong brand presence is what created brand loyalty with their customers and lead them to be one of the major competitors in the industry. Their focus on fast delivery is the foundation of their daily profit margins. Expanding internationally and incorporating online services as well as smart device application is another factor for them staying competitive. Also, Domino’s has a cost leaders hip business model which allows them to sell their products at a competitive rice. Sustainable competitive advantage: Domino’s has expanded their opportunities for more profit by opening over 3,000 locations internationally. They have built a strong brand image; by incorporating online technology they were able to stay competitive and ahead of some of their competitors. They have sustained their competitive advantage with the incorporation of Internet services as well as their strong brand image, as well as their expansion to over 70 countries. Since 2009, Domino’s stock has grown a remarkable 233 percent by 2011.SWOT Analysis Strengths| Weaknesses| -Delivery leader in the industry. -Has a strong and diversified franchising network around the world-Massive growth in its expansion across the globe; Dominos international network grew 48% from 2,987 stores to 4,442 stores-Strong brand equity. Known as the â€Å"Mega Brand† as defined by advertising brand magazine. Its positive brand image leads to dependable and trustworthy customers -Technology savvy: Online menus, as well as a Domino’s application for the iPhone and iPod.Helps customers order quickly and choose to have food delivered; pizza tracker allows the customer to the progress of their food being delivered. | -Compared to competitors it lacks menu options -Weak international presence as compared to peers-Lacks significant amount of profit it earns outs the US compared to its competitors-Weakening bottom line| Opportunities| Threats| -Expand its product outside of its stores and into the frozen food market can be quite profitable and beneficial (good for top line growth)-Introduce new healthier options: organic toppings, gluten free, etc. Entry into expanding markets will like boost revenue growth-Sales growth from online orders and smartphone application| -Faces high competition among other pizza companies domestically and globally. Constantly dealing with new product innovati on techniques and pricing pressure among the pizza delivery industry. -Strict govt. regulations poses threat to company’s development plans-Social media can result in a threat due to more people sharing their experiences-bad experiences can influence a prospect client to go elsewhere -Consumers growing more heath conscious| Strategy FormationDomino’s prides itself on its consistency and logistical operations that keep overhead costs down and provide less expensive pizza. Due to the current demographic changes and methods of communication changing, Dominoes must make changes to it s current cost leaderships strategy in order to gain more market share and stay a top competitor in the industry. Strategic alternatives: A strategic alternative for Domino’s to pursue would be a differentiation strategy. Domino’s could gain more customers from segments of the market that had not considered Domino’s as an adequate meal choice.If Domino’s chooses to focus on even a lower cost leadership strategy it would help them maintain its current customer base and possible gain more bargain shopper customers by exploiting its already known capabilities and core competencies, resulting in even more market share form this market segment. Pursuing an integrated cost leadership and differentiation strategy, Domino’s will still be able to maintain its competitive pricing while creating new products that will attract new segments of the market. Alternative evaluation: The first strategy that Domino’s could pursue is the differentiation strategy.Pursing this strategy would mean that Dominos would need to look for new suppliers to obtain higher quality ingredients. The finance support in the value chain would have to examine to see where capital could be found and allocated to make this strategy work. For Domino’s to change to the differentiation strategy, they would need to gain new tangible and intangible resources to achiev e this strategy as well as to create new capabilities that would lead to new core competencies, resulting in a competitive advantage in the market. Secondly, Domino’s could purse a even lower cost leadership strategy.To pursue an even lower cost leadership strategy, Domino’s would have to cut mores cost in areas such as food quality and choice of supplier. This could lead to fewer costs for them but may result going back to their â€Å"tastes like cardboard† negative image. Due to the taste aspect of their product, it would be safest for Domino’s to look to make cuts else where such as marketing and advertising in order to keep their even lower cost leadership strategy. Lastly, Domino’s could pursue the integrated cost leadership and differentiated strategy.This strategy would be the strongest strategy for Domino’s, it could allow them to be the first mover in the industry to use healthier, organic ingredients which would attract a new segme nt of the market as well as those who might have decided to go else where. Alternative choice: I would choose the integrated cost leadership and differentiated strategy from the three options I listed above. I believe that this strategy allows Domino’s to use its current core competencies and helps develop new capabilities that could lead to even stronger core competencies and a higher competitive advantage in the industry.Strategic Alternative Implementation Action items: In order for Domino’s to implement an integrated cost leadership and differentiation strategy and gain a competitive advantage in the industry it will need: suppliers that will sell quality ingredients at a reasonable cost, a new structure that is supported by the company, and lastly having the current leader initiate and encourage these changes, or put a new leader that will help implement these changes.Actions plan: In order for Domino’s to take on an integrated cost leadership and different iation strategy, they should use their existing connections with suppliers that will help them find new suppliers who can deliver organic, high quality ingredients at a reasonable price. This will assist with Domino’s becoming the first mover in the industry towards healthier, high quality pizzas.Though this may lead to an increase of price, I believe that because of the current organic foods sector recent growth sprit in our society, there won’t be much of a negative reaction to the price. The current hybrid functional/multidivisional structure may be able to hand the strategy change, but modifications to the value chain would need to take place. Less focus on cutting costs, more of a focus on differentiating the product.Last of all, the current leader or a new leader would need to me a transformational leader, that would implement and encourage the strategy switch from cost leadership to integrated cost leadership and differentiation. Pursuing this new strategy would lead to numerous opportunities, and benefits for Domino’s now and the future. It would allow Domino’s become a first mover in the industry, and create a new market for other fast food restaurants.