Good managers and leaders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Good managers and leaders - Essay Example Despite this desirability, the theory faces criticism from C.L. Graeff, who claims that there is conceptual ambiguity that limits the practical application of the theory’s prescriptive model. One such problem is the situational leadership theorist’s argument that a motivated person without ability is less mature than an unmotivated person with ability is, against which a number of logical arguments could be made (Graeff, 1983, p. 287). Situational leadership, which attempts to impose categorical classifications onto people and groups, often fails in empirical support as well. Task-relevant maturity suffers from conceptual ambiguity and thus offers little help in a real-life approach to solving management and leadership problems. Escaping the kinds of theoretical problems with situation leadership, some theorists prefer to discuss a notion of â€Å"transformational leadership.† Transformational, in this case, refers to the idea that leadership should inspire and cause change in individuals as well as institutions. This notion of transformation first arose in 1978 with the writings of James MacGregor Burns, who defined the concept as â€Å"a relationship of mutual stimulation and elevation that converts followers into leaders and may convert leaders into moral agents† (Wren, 1995, p. 102). Defined in another way, transformation means not only instilling a new idea and motivation in one’s followers, but to empower them to become leaders (and proselytizers) themselves. In addition, leaders are turned into â€Å"moral agents,†.

Student Assessment Essay Example for Free

Student Assessment Essay A current policy issue that is plaguing our educational system is the emphasis put on student assessments. Teachers are at odds in their classrooms on whether to teach the necessities that students will need to be productive in our society, to simply teach what will be tested on state and federally mandated assessments, or both. Teachers are forced to find a balance within their instructions due to the time restraints that stand in their way. When teachers are able to find this balance and present all the concepts that are included in assessment, plus all other concepts, the results from the assessments can be very beneficial to their classrooms. Assessment results have important implications for instruction. The primary aim of assessment is to foster learning of worthwhile academic content for all students (Wolf, Bixby, Glenn, Gardner, 1991). School communities use assessment results in a formative way to determine how well they are meeting instructional goals and how to alter curriculum and instruction so that goals can be better met. But if what schools assess and how schools assess do not match what is taught and how it is taught, then the results are meaningless, if not potentially harmful. Theres also potential for harm when decisions affecting students futures are being made based on results of assessments made with tools that are not appropriate for the purpose. Some schools are attempting to change assessment to match the content and format of instruction, and are therefore relying more upon alternative assessment. Alternative assessments include performance-based assessment, portfolios, student-designed assessments, etc. , and are considered by many educators to be more reflective of new curricular goals and methods of instruction. Some educators view alternative assessment as a better way to determine how well students are learning traditional forms of assessment like multiple choice tests. Alternative forms of assessment might best serve some of these purposes while more traditional forms could still serve others. Regardless of the purpose, however, the form of assessment used must reflect a teacher’s instructional goals and must be of high technical quality. (White Fredericksen, 1994) Alternative forms of assessment require knowledge and skills that most teachers have not had the opportunity to learn, which in fact poses another issue with these types of classroom assessments. Without the knowledge and skills, teachers will be doing their students a disservice by conducting faulty assessments. Providing teachers with the time that is essential for learning is necessary to making changes in assessment practices. Teachers need time to produce and implement the assessments. Teachers also need time to work with one another to share ideas and reach consensus because integrating instruction and assessment requires coordination. Alternative assessment will not be effective if it is added to the list of responsibilities for teachers. (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 1991) When assessment results are used to make important decisions, there is a danger that instruction will narrowly focus on what is assessed while other important curricular goals and content are neglected (Romberg, Zarinnia, Williams, 1989). All assessments include only a sample of the total content contained within a curriculum. Critics of multiple-choice tests, for example, suggest that the skills usually assessed by multiple-choice testing become the focus of instruction at the expense of more substantial content. Alternative assessment presents a solution to this situation by ensuring that the content of the assessment matches the most important content in the curriculum. However, regardless of how much the content of an assessment is improved, when teachers narrowly focus on what is tested, the assessment results will only reveal the students learning of the test content, not whether they could perform a related task in a different environment. For example, if instruction is focused on a skill that is a test requirement, the results of the test will reflect only the students performance in a testing environment, not his/her general ability to perform that skill in everyday settings. This limitation is primarily a concern in large-scale districts or state testing situations where important decisions are based on a limited sample of student performances. The most important factors in determining the technical quality of assessments are the assessments’ reliability, validity, and fairness. If the quality of an assessment is not ensured, grouping practices, and coverage and pacing decisions may be based on invalid estimates of students capabilities. Sometimes grouping decisions can reflect or reinforce racial and socioeconomic inequities, or the decisions might be based on prior achievement that was artificially low due to past limited opportunities to learn. If all students have not had an equal opportunity to learn, then grouping and pacing decisions based on test results are unfair. (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 1991) Good assessment requires minimizing factors that could lead to misinterpretation of results. The criteria for meeting this requirement are reliability, validity, and fairness. Reliability is defined as an indication of the consistency of scores across evaluators or over time. An assessment is considered reliable when the same results occur regardless of when the assessment occurs or who does the scoring. There should be compelling evidence to show that results are consistent across raters and across scoring occasions. (Elliott, 1994) Validity is defined as an indication of how well an assessment actually measures what it is supposed to measure. Three aspects of an assessment that must be evaluated for validity are tasks, extraneous interference, and consequences. Every assessment requires students to complete some task or activity. A valid task should reflect actual knowledge or performance, engage and motivate students to perform to the best of their ability, be consistent with current educational theory and practice, be reviewed by experts to judge content quality and authenticity. Extraneous interference occurs when there is something in the assessment that might get in the way of students being able to demonstrate what they know and can do. A valid assessment does not require knowledge or skills that are irrelevant to what is actually being assessed. Some examples of these might include students’ ability to read, write, role-play, or understand the context, personality, physical limitations, or knowledge of irrelevant background information. Valid assessments also minimize unintended negative consequences. Negative effects of assessments might include restricting curricula to what can be easily assessed, communicating unintended messages about power, control, or social status, and fostering narrow images of the nature of a particular discipline. (Elliott, 1994) Fairness means that an assessment should allow for students of both genders and all backgrounds to do equally well. All students should have equal opportunity to demonstrate the skills and knowledge being assessed. The fairness of the assessment is jeopardized if bias exists either in the task or in the rater. (Elliott, 1994) In this atmosphere of reform, student assessment is the centerpiece of many educational improvement efforts. Policymakers hope that changes in assessment will cause teachers and schools to do things differently. Assessment reform is viewed as a means of setting more appropriate targets for students, focusing staff development efforts for teachers, encouraging curriculum reform, and improving instruction and instructional materials. (Fuchs, 1994) Many educators and policymakers believe that what gets assessed is what gets taught and that the format of assessment influences the format of instruction. Contrary to our understanding of how students learn, many assessments test facts and skills in isolation, seldom requiring students to apply what they know and can do in real-life situations. Standardized tests do not match the emerging content standards, and over-reliance on this type of assessment often leads to instruction that stresses basic knowledge and skills. Rather than encouraging changes in instruction toward the engaged learning that will prepare students for the 21st century, these tests encourage instruction of less important skills and passive learning. (Fuchs, 1994) Since the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only national representative and continuing assessment of what Americas students know and can do in various subject areas, it seemed to be the most obvious choice for exploration. In exploration of this policy, research will be conducted to find out how affective it is within our country. The terms of this policy requires that assessments be conducted periodically in mathematics, reading, science, writing, the arts, civics, economics, geography, and U. S. history. Because of the issues of assessment, NAEP’s assessment will be probed to find if they are reliable, valid, and fair being that it serves as a type models for all other assessment practices. Under the current structure, the Commissioner of Education Statistics, who heads the National Center for Education Statistics in the U. S. Department of Education, is responsible by law for carrying out the NAEP project. The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), appointed by the Secretary of Education but independent of the Department, sets policy for NAEP and is responsible for developing the framework and test specifications that serve as the blueprint for the assessments. The National Assessment Governing Board develops the frameworks that provide the theoretical basis for the assessment and specific direction for what kinds of knowledge and skills should be assessed, how the exercises should be designed, and how student responses should be scored. These frameworks are the result of comprehensive efforts in which teachers, curriculum experts, policymakers, and members of the general public worked to create a unified vision of how a particular subject ought to be assessed. This vision is based on current educational research on achievement and its measurement, and good educational practices. (National Center for Education Statistics) References Berk, R. A. (1993). National Trends in Student and Teacher Assessment: Issues in Performance Assessment. Retrieved January 17, 2008 from http://nesonline. com/PDFs/1993_05Berk. pdf Elliott, S. N. (1994). Creating meaningful performance assessments: Fundamental concepts. Reston, VA: The Council for Exceptional Children. Fuchs, L. S. (1994). Connecting performance assessment to instruction. Reston, VA: The Council for Exceptional Children. National Center for Education Statistics. NEAP Overview. Retrieved on January 20, 2008 from http://www. nces. ed. gov/nationsreportcard/about/ North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, PBS Elementary/Secondary Service, in partnership with the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (UCLA/CRESST) (1991). Schools That Work: The Research Advantage. Part IV: Alternatives for Measuring Performance. Oak Brook, IL: Authors. Romberg, T. , Zarinnia, A. Williams, S. (1989). The Influence of Mandated Testing on Mathematics Instruction: Grade Eight Teachers Perceptions. In Romberg, T. Wilson, L. (1992, September), Alignment of Tests with the Standards, Arithmetic Teacher, 40 (1), 18-22. White, B. Y. Fredericksen, J. R. (1994, Fall). Using Assessment to Foster a Classroom Research Community. Educator, 19-24. Wolf, D. , Bixby, J. , Glenn, J. , III, Gardner, H. (1991). To use their minds well: Investigating new forms of student assessment. Review of Research in Education, 17, 31-74.

Lorenzos Oil Film Synopsis and Analysis

Lorenzos Oil Film Synopsis and Analysis Lorenzos oil touches the hearts of most as you watch the story of a young boy battling adrenoleukodystrophy or ALD. The story is based off a true story as the parents, Augusto and Michaela Odone, take care and search with uncertainty for a cure for their son Lorenzo. The story identifies with those who suffer from an incurable disease which neurologically effects Lorenzos life. The oil, found by Lorenzos dad, brings hope to him and his family. Lorenzos battle is fought with courage and strength and he identifies with so many important subtopics in our class such as: disease and illness, death and dying, and the body. Lorenzos battle will show us how one struggles with disease and illness but strives with his loved ones by his side. Lorenzo begins to show signs of neurological problems when he and his family move back to the United States for his dads military work. Lorenzo begins to show signs such as fits, lapses, and hearing problems. Lorenzos parents set out on a mission to find a cure for the incurable disease he has. The Odones have many encounters with doctors/ professionals. The work done from parent to professional shows the strive in the Odones hopes to find a cure for their son. After being told that there is no cure by some doctors, they begin to travel and meet with many different people, doctors, scientists, researchers, etc., who are willing to do all they can to help find a cure for their son. These professionals give an examples of how well some professionals work with the parents rather than the patients in this case. The Odones can barely watch as their sons health declines and knows it is up to them to set out to find a cure. While researching so many different aids, the Odones come up with one last final shot. His parents, declined by many researchers again, finally discuss a cure with a Chemist involving oils to add to their sons daily diet. The oil helps in repair in some of the damaged parts of the brain but does not aid in repairing the myelin deficiency in the brain. Mr. Odone takes it into his own hands to seek out an appeal of medical research and efforts to treat myelin damage and or deficiencies in the brain of ill patients. Lorenzo deals with his illness very strongly. As he begins to lose neurological functions, life becomes much harder. He is not treated horribly by many doctors; he is more the less treated like a boy with a disease that has no cure. Lorenzo battles his illness with as positive a mind set as possible, as he begins to take the oil, he feels little relief and shows improvement, but the improvement is not enough to save him from this horrible disease. He later is only able to blink yes or no and can barely swallow on his own. Thankfully for Lorenzo he continues to keep his sight which is a beautiful gift he is pleased to still have. In researching the medical response to the movie, the film was criticized to have given the idealistic view of finding a cure, which was not found. Research done regarding Lorenzos disease has shown little to no effect of taking the oil during the illness, but shows results when taken before the illness. The real Lorenzo Odone, lived to be 30 and died of pneumonia in 2008, living two decades longer than predicted by physicians. In the movie, the Odones compare their studies to those done by animal experimentation finding vague results in the process. I feel as if the events of the film played out appropriately. Being hard to accept the news of an incurable illness, Lorenzos parents react more strongly than he does. Lorenzo accepts his disease as anyone must once they are told they have something inoperable. The only thing which could have been done differently in the film was not acting as if they found a cure but more the less acting as if they found an agent that helps one who suffers from ALD. In the movie and in the real life story, I do not feel as if there is any one who deserves the blame. Blame cannot fall on anyone as Lorenzo has a disease with no cure. Really in reality praises deserve to be given to Lorenzos parents for attempting to find a cure for there son. The Doctors deserve praise for there attempts at finding cure as well. The only blame can be on the disease itself. The general public and prospective health care providers can learn very many things from this film. The general public can learn that horrible diseases can happen to anyone. The general public can also learn from this that parents and family members can do so many things to help their child or loved one. Anyone can become involved in helping whether its just by doing little things. For example, my mother suffers from ulcerative colitis and last year I did a triathlon and raised money for Crohns and Colitis research we raised near $2,000 for research. The general public can do so many things to aid in the development of a cure for diseases. Health care providers can learn both positive and negative things from this film. Health care providers can learn never to give up on a family and let them try to do what they can to help a child or a loved one. Health care providers can also see that parents typically do not have the equipment or information needed to find a cure for a loved one although they can put their foot in to help. Health care providers in this instance should see the glass half full rather than half empty. Patients can learn so many positive and negative things from this film as well. Patients can learn that people can have an effect in finding a cure. Patients can also learn not to count on a cure for a disease that is incurable. Patients can learn that some doctors will treat them with respect while others will not. Patients can also learn that researchers do care and they will help as much as they can to aid in a patients health. Lorenzo learns that his health, disease, and illness although incurable can be fought with compassion and strength. Lorenzo who was diagnosed with his illness at the age of 7 technically could not do much for himself at the time of diagnoses. Lorenzo takes his illness day by day. Lorenzo slowly loses neurological functions every day. He struggles with impairments everyday like lapses and tantrums. These lead Lorenzo to question his body and wonder how much more it could handle but Lorenzo never gave up and fought his body until the age of 30, two decades longer than doctors expected. Lorenzo never truly was considered disabled more the less just ill. I would have considered Lorenzos illness a disability. Lorenzo was beginning to lose functions and that in my opinion would classify as a disability. Being disabled to me is when someone is not able to function regularly without assistance whether their disability be visible or invisible. Lorenzo needed help from his parents after his illness became severe thus classifying him as disabled to me. Lorenzo seems to avoid the reality of death and dying. Lorenzo truly avoids death and dying by defying the odds and surviving his illness for two decades longer than expected. I would assume that as a child one cannot grasp the thought of death or dying, but more the less just barely be able to understand that he is sick with an incurable illness. Being 7 years old, death does not seem to be a realistic thing. I think back to when I was 7 and would never be able to comprehend the fact that I am ill and could die whenever from a horribly rare incurable disease. Lorenzo also faces the sad reality that his own body is fighting against him. The body being a wonderful but terrifying place takes over without Lorenzo being able to do anything to stop it. The oil that Lorenzo is given has a certain amount of fatty acid chains which attack the part of the brain that is being affected by ALD. Unfortunately, ALD had already taken its toll on other parts of his brain including the myelin sheath which help protect neurotransmitters in sending messages from cell to cell. The body did not reject nor accept the treatment but rather just let the treatment work on his body. The treatment may have helped his body at an earlier stage but its not as if his family predicted he would get a rare disease like ALD. Lorenzo and his family face a series of unfortunate events upon the development of this horrible disease in their son. ALD is a disease linked to the X chromosome. First this disease effects fatty acid buildups and then damages the myelin sheath within the brain. These lead to lack of hearing, lapses, seizures, and eventually hyperactivity in the brain. ALD is a very rare disease which effects a very small number of people in the United States. The Odones have been faced with a very hard challenge and do as much as they can to stop the disease their son is infected with. The never ending positive intentions of the Odones lead them to finding a treatment for ALD which has helped effect many lives of people with ALD today. The Odones have helped scientists and doctors today give patients with ALD relief and hope. Although ALD is still without a cure, the Odones and Lorenzos actions have helped the medical community achieve a great necessary success which will play an impact on the live s of anyone with ALD.

Anabolic Steroids :: essays research papers

If someone guaranteed you amazing results in the weight room with minimal effort by just taking a pill would you take it? You probably would! But, if you knew that these pills could potentially knock 20 years off your life. Would you take it then? You would be suprised to find out how many people would answer yes to that question. In the past three decades, steroids have become a serious problem, more than ever in the athletic field. It is reported that over 3 million athletes and bodybuilders alone have used anabolic steroids . Steroids are a drug that include the male sex hormones, principally, testosterone and estrogen, the female sex hormone. To begin quite simply, it is apparent to most people that men tend to be larger than women. Indeed, a clear cut example of a difference between the sexes is the relative muscle mass. In men the most important growth builder is testosterone, which is made from the cells of the testes. Approximately 8 mg of testosterone is created daily, most of which is metabolized by the liver and excreted through the body in urine form. Testosterone is also present in the blood plasma of women, being derived from the ovaries and adrenal glands, in amounts roughly 30 times less than that found in men. Among the many effects of these androgens is the general growth on the body tissues and an increase in muscle strength. One of the main effects of anabolic steroids is to increase the number of red blood cells and muscle tissue without producing much of the androgenic effects of testosterone. Steroids have been around since the 1950`s and have been used by athletes as a means of improving appearance, muscle mass and strength. The first people to use anabolic steroids for athletic enhancement were the Russians who discovered the drug and had great success. Soon after scientists discovered how to make artificial testosterone and eliminate some of the dangerous side effects. This is when anabolic steroids were first born. Since then they have become very available in almost every country and local gym. Steroids were first developed for medical purposes. They're used in controlling inflammation, strengthening weakened hearts, preventing conception, and alleviating symptoms of arthritis and asthma. There are only three legal uses for steroids, treatment for certain forms of cancer, pituitary dwarfism, and serious hormone disturbances. Unfortunately research has shown that steroids have been abused in almost every kind of sport including professional football, power lifting and bodybuilding.

The American Health Information Management Association

The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) is an association of Health Information Management professionals whose mission is to be â€Å"the professional community that improves healthcare by advancing best practices and standards for health information management and the trusted sourced for education, research and professional credentialing† (http://www.ahima.org/about/mission.asp).The association provides its members educational training and certifications to better equip them for their roles as Health Information Management (HIM) professionals who occupy a number of roles from implementing electronic health records, clinical coding systems, and improving the quality of information (http://www.ahima.org/about/history.asp, http://www.ahima.org/membership/MemberEmployerFlyer.pdf).HIM professionals would find membership in this association an investment because it provides their members opportunities for continuing education keeping them at par with the late st developments of the health information management industry.The association also trains their members to endow upon them the skills crucial in the members’ development such as leadership and professional synergy (http://www.ahima.org/membership/ MemberEmployerFlyer.pdf).The information on this website, especially the opportunities for continuing education would greatly help me in my career as a health information manager.The knowledge I would be able to gain from the training and resource materials accessible only to members would make me a formidable candidate when I apply in a corporation.   Also, the certifications that I complete through them would open other career opportunities for me which would not have otherwise been available.

Reactions to Extreme Danger

Reactions to danger vary greatly in different types of situations and different types of people. A few known reactions to grave danger are actually in pairs of completely opposite reactions. What I mean by that is that is that in a moment of distress, one can act in ways that are completely different from each other. For example, one can either freak out or stay calm,, freeze or keep going, run or stay, ect. These actions, of course, depend on the person, place, and situation. There are dozens, probably hundreds, of different situations in which danger is present.Some usual situations are things such as kidnappings, fires, assaults, shootings, and being held hostage. Although some people may react calmly to a given dilemma, others may completely freak out in the spur of the moment and go to extreme measures in order to get out. Some of these extreme measures include doing things you may regret for the rest of your life. An example of these extreme choices is killing. Suppose you†™re being held hostage. The only way to survive is to kill your holder and run away.If you’re desperate, you’ll probably do it. Another example of these extreme measures is cannibalism. People usually resort to this when they are stranded and desperate for food. If a person dies, the best thing to feed the rest is to eat the body of the deceased. Psychosis can sometimes set in after such events. But as they say, desperate times call for desperate measures. All in all, different reactions to different types of danger vary depending on the person and situation. Usually, saving your life will be the ultimate goal.You’ll do anything in order to get out of the situation quickly and safely. One can even resort to the extreme measures mentioned previously. Killing and cannibalism are also usual choices people make to save their or a loved ones life. We as humans sometimes feel the need to protect not only ourselves, but others as well. The human mind and body can do great things when distressed. For example, a mother can lift a car under which her infant child is lying. In that case, saving her child’s life is the ultimate goal.

Free Essays on Emilys Frugal Literary Devices

â€Å"prancing Poetry† (4) help the reader imagine himself dancing and jumping through each line of the poetry he reads. Also, imagery helps the reader to imagine himself in certain situations. Also, one can imagine a scene better when he can visualize his surroundings. For these reasons, the imagery Dickinso... Free Essays on Emily's Frugal Literary Devices Free Essays on Emily's Frugal Literary Devices What are some important Literary Devices used in the poem â€Å"There is no Frigate like a Book?† Emily Dickinson uses several literary devices in this poem to give it form and meaning. A few important literary devices Dickinson uses in â€Å"There is no Frigate like a Book† are simile, overstatement, imagery, and connotation. First, Dickinson uses the literary devices simile and overstatement. The similes Dickinson uses help the reader better understand what she was thinking when she was choosing her words for the poem. The words â€Å"Frigate like a Book† (1) help the reader understand that a book, though small in size, is capable or delivering vast amounts of knowledge. Since one does not usually move anywhere while he or she reads a book, the statement â€Å"Coursers like a Page† (3) helps the reader understand that a page in a book or poem actually moves one along mentally. Next, the overstatements in Dickinson’s poem are important literary devices. In the overstatement â€Å"To take us Lands away† (2), Dickinson does not actually mean that a book carries one to another place as a vehicle does. The overstatement is actually referring to the way one’s mind imagines being in a different place when reading a book. Second, the imagery Dickinson uses in â€Å"There is no Firgate like a Book† is an important literary device. Imagery, while connecting with one’s senses, helps the reader grasp more feeling about what he or she is reading. For example, Dickinson’s words â€Å"Coursers like a Page† (3) help the reader feel that he or she is actually moving with the pages in a book or poem. In another example, the words â€Å"prancing Poetry† (4) help the reader imagine himself dancing and jumping through each line of the poetry he reads. Also, imagery helps the reader to imagine himself in certain situations. Also, one can imagine a scene better when he can visualize his surroundings. For these reasons, the imagery Dickinso...

Free Essays on Young Turks

People are almost never happy with what they have. They are always wanting something different, and when they get what they think they want, they change their minds and want something else. This is an ongoing cycle in many cultures. The Middle Eastern society is no exception. Countless reform movements and revolutions mark the history of this region. In the early twentieth century, one of these reform movements arose. This group of revolutionaries were coined the â€Å"Young Turks†. However similar, this group differed in many ways from earlier movements. The Young Turks were generally well educated, they came from jobs as civil servants, and also a great number were students from the University in Istanbul. The earlier groups such as the Young Ottomans, and the Tanzimat, were from upper class families in the aristocracy, this is definitely not true of the Young Turks. The Young Turks also wanted a return of the Constitution and Parliament. This is also true of the Young Ottomans, but not of the Tanzimat. A major difference between these three movements is their emphasis on Islam. The Young Turks had by far the least emphasis on Islam. They were more focused on a Turkish nation which was muslim, than being muslim first and Turkish second. The Young Turks also envisioned an empire of only Turkish speaking muslims, and not of an empire encompassing all the Ottoman lands and other races and ethnic groups which were encompassed therein. Even though it wasn’t their original concern, the movement of the Young Turks is the first real step toward creating a unified muslim nation. In my opinion, they realized they weren’t able to control all the different lands which had been conquered by the Ottoman Empire, and they didn’t want to. They wanted to create a Turkish nation which only included Turkish speakers. They did not intend this to be a geographic boundary of the nation. The Young Turks planned on the nation... Free Essays on Young Turks Free Essays on Young Turks People are almost never happy with what they have. They are always wanting something different, and when they get what they think they want, they change their minds and want something else. This is an ongoing cycle in many cultures. The Middle Eastern society is no exception. Countless reform movements and revolutions mark the history of this region. In the early twentieth century, one of these reform movements arose. This group of revolutionaries were coined the â€Å"Young Turks†. However similar, this group differed in many ways from earlier movements. The Young Turks were generally well educated, they came from jobs as civil servants, and also a great number were students from the University in Istanbul. The earlier groups such as the Young Ottomans, and the Tanzimat, were from upper class families in the aristocracy, this is definitely not true of the Young Turks. The Young Turks also wanted a return of the Constitution and Parliament. This is also true of the Young Ottomans, but not of the Tanzimat. A major difference between these three movements is their emphasis on Islam. The Young Turks had by far the least emphasis on Islam. They were more focused on a Turkish nation which was muslim, than being muslim first and Turkish second. The Young Turks also envisioned an empire of only Turkish speaking muslims, and not of an empire encompassing all the Ottoman lands and other races and ethnic groups which were encompassed therein. Even though it wasn’t their original concern, the movement of the Young Turks is the first real step toward creating a unified muslim nation. In my opinion, they realized they weren’t able to control all the different lands which had been conquered by the Ottoman Empire, and they didn’t want to. They wanted to create a Turkish nation which only included Turkish speakers. They did not intend this to be a geographic boundary of the nation. The Young Turks planned on the nation...

Adolf hitler Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Adolf hitler - Research Paper Example Hitler was born in a small house near the German border and it is widely speculated that his troubled might have left gigantic psychological impression on his mind which ultimately played a momentous role in how he turned out to be as a leader. His innate dispositions of argumentativeness and hostility have also been widely researched to analyze the extent to which they played a role in developing his personality, especially after he attracted prodigious controversy for incredulously cruel murder of the Jews. He pathologically lacked self-control and incessantly shouted at his subordinates after becoming a prominent German leader. This research paper aims at contemplating the very important historical figure Adolf Hitler by reviewing important historical evidence. It is believed that Adolf Hitler was undeniably one of the most ferocious leaders, but he is also remembered as a talented leader who managed to rise to prominence from a small town of Germany and after establishing control in his homeland went on to influence the entire Europe. Without sheer talent, such accomplishments are impossible which suggests that portraying Hitler as merely evil is a flawed tendency of many scholars (Hyland, Boduszek, and Kielkiewicz 58). But, this stands true too in context of his insane ferociousness and hostility that the genocide of millions of innocent Jews was so much influenced by his dictation that it is impossible to read the name Hitler somewhere and not automatically think of the vicious atrocities in reference to the Holocaust. Extermination camps were established throughout Europe by Nazi Germany under leadership of Hitler to identify Jews which were the principal target and kill then by either forcing them to work strenuously like animals under starvation conditions or dragging them to the gas chambers. History reveals that during all 12 years of Hitler’s dictatorship, more than 400 degrading regulations were designed to restrict the Jews in any way possi ble making their lives miserable (The History Place). It is stressed by Grobman that a historical genocide like the Holocaust has its roots entrenched in many hopelessly negative attitudes and prejudices that Hitler nurtured in his mind against the Jews. The Holocaust is the most researched and studied example of a genocide conducted on a mass level and studies suggest that this incident was a confluence of two streams, negative attitudes and strong prejudices aged by many years. The WWII itself was the not reason behind the Holocaust nor did it contribute to the occurrence of this event. It only played the role of an assistant effectively covering up the incident which involved genocide of as many as six million European Jews. It was actually the contribution made by many toxic and destructive attitudes of Hitler that the Holocaust occurred. Such unfortunate events arise from prejudice based on â€Å"ignorance, fear, and misunderstanding about minority groups† (Grobman) whic h is stereotypical thinking and â€Å"other groups who are different from ourselves† (Grobman) which indicates Hitler’s poisonous attitudes. If history of this man who as an exacting and menacing leader promoted so much violence in the world and destroyed millions of life is scrutinized, it is realized that Adolf Hitler as a child was very weak in studies except art (Trueman). He had no significant interest in school and frequently engaged in hostile arguments with his teachers because since the very beginning, he was not ready to be directed by anyone as it was his tendency to see the matter of direction as his prized prerogative not to be shared with

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Case study - Essay Example Because of higher demands, price quotation would also not be a problem for the company because it can be assured that consumers will be ready to pay. This way, the company will not be forced in making price quotations that affects its expenditure and ratio balance (Blunt, Jones, & Richards, 2003). What is more, the market segment to be used for this proposal would ensure that there will be less expenditure on shared cost such as transportation. This way, the company will be looking at a revenue ratio that far outweighs its expenditure, making it easier to realize profits. Even though the risks identified with this proposal are realistic, it is hoped that there will be equally effective risk mitigation and contingency procedures that will be used to meet such risks as political inconsistency, which may bring about new financial policies that may be unfavourable for the company. 2.0 Risk Log for Recommended Proposal Risk Category Risk Name Risk Number Probability (1 – 3) Impact (1 – 3) Risk Score Mitigation Contingency Action by Action when National Uncertainty in success rate due to Scottish referendum 1.1 2 2 4 Look for new markets outside of Scotland Start a new market right away Eddy Ware Now National Political change that affects existing economic policies 1.2 1 3 3 Engage in pre-referendum economic policies that hedge the company against any possible economic shocks Hedge from a new capital market Elaine Morgan Now Local people Scottish locals accepting foreign brand 2.1 1 2 2 Introducing the product to a more foreign oriented market Find substitute products to introduce to the market Eddy Ware Now Currency Exchange risk emanating from possible change of currency 3.1 1 2 2 Currency market hedging that puts the company ahead of any possible currency shocks in about one year after new currency introduction Buy hedged currency product Elaine Morgan Upon announcement of new currency Raw material downturn in this year’s yield of organic suga r crop 4.1 2 2 4 The use of alternative and backup suppliers Stock company inventory now Paul Hollywood Now 3.0 Stakeholder Analysis 3.1 Identifying key stakeholders and their interest The implementation of the proposal to expand cake and biscuit production needs the input, consent, power, support and approval of several people, who together come to form a stakeholder base for the proposal. In line with the conditions needed to kick start the proposal and also to control the risk, the following people are identified within the organization as stakeholders. Gordon Blanc: As the CEO and head chef of MOP Restaurant, he is included as a stakeholder who would have authorizing powers to give approvals to the starting, continuation and stoppage of various tasks within the proposal. Particularly with areas that have to do with the MOP restaurant, it is expected that Gordon Blanc will make extra roles such as quality control roles for the manufacturing of cakes and biscuits for the restauran t. Martin Inch: He is also needed for his capacity as the CEO to give authorities on the start, continuation and conclusion of projects. It is expected that the project manager would make direct reports to him about the progress, successes and challenges within the project as he is the eventual overseers of

Law of Evidence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Law of Evidence - Essay Example For example, in the case of Scott v Sampson3, the Court refused to receive evidence of specific acts of misconduct of the plaintiff. According to Cave J, both the principle and the authorities appear to be against admission of such evidence because it would in effect â€Å"throw upon the Plaintiff the difficulty of showing a uniform propriety of conduct during his whole life†¦.†4 Eve can be protected in her position as a complainant witness by this general rule. Evidence provided through implied assertions may also be inadmissible, an aspect that Allen has discussed in his article, demonstrating how excluding evidence from third parties (in this case the records of the American case) could be flawed when the constitutional rights in relation to determining guilt of the accused are at stake.5 The admissibility of evidence is governed by Sections 11, 12 and 13 of the Civil Evidence Act, which emphasizes that evidence must be relevant before it will be admissible. Since the issue in this case is Dan’s alleged rape of Eve, previous convictions or lawsuits against either of the parties may not be admissible since they could be deemed to be prejudicial to the interests of the parties. Section 74(1) of the criminal Evidence Act of 1984 deals with previous convictions of persons other than the defendant, in this case the complainant Eve. This section states that such evidence would be admissible only if they are relevant to the issue before the court – which in this case, is Dan’s alleged rape. However, Section 78 also allows the judge the discretion to exclude such evidence if it would have such an adverse effect on the proceedings that it could prejudice the interests of the parties, in which case it may not be allowed. (b) In this case, Dan is being accused of rape. In general, no character evidence or evidence about prior misdeeds of the accused can

Concept of learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Concept of learning - Essay Example By using metacognitive skills such as strategic thinking, the students have a better chance of being successful on a much wider variety of performance measures than by just using rote memorization. What is the Difference Between Learning and Performance Learning is the concept of gaining new information. Most students are naturally curious and have an affinity for learning. Performance, on the other hand is a demonstration of what has been learned, or is it? There are many students who learn, yet are not able to perform what they have actually learned. Many factors go into the issue of performance. Learning, as we know it in the classroom, takes a basic three step approach. Each concept must be presented orally, visually, and kinetically in order reach each student in a way that can be assimilated. For this reason, students are given many activities to perform while learning a new concept. Today’s children are much less auditorially oriented than their predecessors. They are n o longer will to sit and listen to boring lectures about vague concepts; children learn what they do. It is up to us, as educators, to make learning interesting and student focused. ( Shippey, 2010) The students of yesterday knew many facts; rote learning was the way education was done.

Venus Compared Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Venus Compared - Term Paper Example The ancient Greeks used it as a means of worship, honoring their gods and goddesses with as perfect representations as they could create. Inheriting that tradition from the Greeks, the Romans developed an artistic approach that would both honor their gods and commemorate cultural and individual achievements. It was here that the figure of Venus first came to life only to be subsumed by the Middle Ages and reborn in the light of the Renaissance which has itself been reflected in later periods. Even as the figure of the goddess herself remains relatively similar in terms of subject matter and context, depictions of Venus from the ancient period through the Renaissance and into the more modern age demonstrate vastly different approaches to the concept of female perfection. Such differences are easy to see when comparing the ancient Capitoline Venus (second century BC) with the famous Renaissance painting of her in Botticelli's painting "Birth of Venus" (1485) and the Botero's contempora ry statue of her in the form of the "Broadgate Venus" (1989). The Capitoline Venus is a marble statue created during the Roman era, probably during the 2nd century BC. The statue presents a very lifelike woman as she shyly prepares to step into a bath. She folds into herself a little bit, which is different from many of the other statues of the time which stood boldly nude and upright. Most of her weight is carried on one foot with her hips and shoulders twisted a bit in a counterpose position. Her shoulders curve in toward her chest and her upper body seems to hover over her lower body, as if she is attempting to protect it from prying eyes. This impression is heightened by her arms which fold inward with an obvious attempt at covering her breasts and pubic area even though she doesn't actually touch her body. Her pose suggests modesty and chastity, both characteristics she protects (Guerber, 1990). However, she is not the vision of perfection one might imagine. â€Å"Her modesty in covering her breasts with her hand only serves to emphasize them, while her head turns shyly to one side. However, the beauty of her body is impaired by the too large head weighed down by the hair and the common facial features† (Morton, 1990, p. 366). The beauty of her body suggests her divine nature as something worthy of worship while her pose, particularly as compared to other statues of the time, suggests her function; however, the not-so-perfect head may also be a reflection of the Roman's understanding that their gods and goddesses were not perfect. They had their own flaws, petty jealousies, and other weaknesses. The way this statue is made thus reflects the cultural beliefs in which it was made. Goddesses might be divine and have a degree of perfection well beyond the ability of normal women, but they still had their modesty, they still moved like mortal women, and they still had their own small flaws that got in the way. The period between the fall of Rome and the rise of the Renaissance saw very little art celebrating goddesses of any kind, so it isn't until the Renaissance that Venus was able to reemerge into the art world. When she did, she did so in a big way. Understood broadly as the goddess of love, Venus was reborn in statues and paintings throughout Italy with perhaps one of the most famous portrayals performed by Botticelli. While she had appeared in other works before him, Boticelli made a splash with his â€Å"Birth of Venus† (1485). In this image, Venus is again portrayed in the nude as she had been in ancient art, which was breaking the rules of the time as only divinities (Jesus, Mary, and the saints) were accepted when depicted nude. He did draw a line, though, in determining

Managerial Decisions in Economic Terms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managerial Decisions in Economic Terms - Essay Example The project makes suitable assumptions, like, the present value of discounting, the number of miles that car intends to run and the charge involved in travelling the extra miles over and above the stipulated miles allowed in the lease contract. Finally, a comparison is made between the present values of the two alternatives. It discusses three situations. It finds the present value of the car purchase, present value of the car purchase using a loan and the present value of the lease along with purchasing option. The project seeks to find the best and the most cost effective alternative from the above three cases. This project tries to find out the basis of applying managerial decisions under different circumstances. In this case, decision has to be taken between the two alternatives of buying a car or leasing it. The best possible way is to compare the costs involved in both cases. The aim of the project is to find out the most cost effective method of transaction by calculating the present value of the discounted cash flow. Firstly, it discusses the advantages and disadvantages of leasing and owning a car and the costs involved in both cases. This project aims to help managers in making decisions between a lease and a purchase. An analysis is conducted under three given situations before a conclusion is drawn. It is not a simple method and involves a host of other factors like the number of miles that the buyer intends to travel, and the rates of interest prevailing at that time. The managerial decision of whether to lease or buy a car is of primary concern in this project. The project will act as the mouthpiece for a public school system which is to decide whether it would economical to lease a car or to buy it. Both have got their respective benefits and costs. The motive of the project is to detect which would be the most cost effective method. In order to come to a final decision, a comparison of costs needs to be done which will take into

Concept of learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Concept of learning - Essay Example By using metacognitive skills such as strategic thinking, the students have a better chance of being successful on a much wider variety of performance measures than by just using rote memorization. What is the Difference Between Learning and Performance Learning is the concept of gaining new information. Most students are naturally curious and have an affinity for learning. Performance, on the other hand is a demonstration of what has been learned, or is it? There are many students who learn, yet are not able to perform what they have actually learned. Many factors go into the issue of performance. Learning, as we know it in the classroom, takes a basic three step approach. Each concept must be presented orally, visually, and kinetically in order reach each student in a way that can be assimilated. For this reason, students are given many activities to perform while learning a new concept. Today’s children are much less auditorially oriented than their predecessors. They are n o longer will to sit and listen to boring lectures about vague concepts; children learn what they do. It is up to us, as educators, to make learning interesting and student focused. ( Shippey, 2010) The students of yesterday knew many facts; rote learning was the way education was done.

Managerial Decisions in Economic Terms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managerial Decisions in Economic Terms - Essay Example The project makes suitable assumptions, like, the present value of discounting, the number of miles that car intends to run and the charge involved in travelling the extra miles over and above the stipulated miles allowed in the lease contract. Finally, a comparison is made between the present values of the two alternatives. It discusses three situations. It finds the present value of the car purchase, present value of the car purchase using a loan and the present value of the lease along with purchasing option. The project seeks to find the best and the most cost effective alternative from the above three cases. This project tries to find out the basis of applying managerial decisions under different circumstances. In this case, decision has to be taken between the two alternatives of buying a car or leasing it. The best possible way is to compare the costs involved in both cases. The aim of the project is to find out the most cost effective method of transaction by calculating the present value of the discounted cash flow. Firstly, it discusses the advantages and disadvantages of leasing and owning a car and the costs involved in both cases. This project aims to help managers in making decisions between a lease and a purchase. An analysis is conducted under three given situations before a conclusion is drawn. It is not a simple method and involves a host of other factors like the number of miles that the buyer intends to travel, and the rates of interest prevailing at that time. The managerial decision of whether to lease or buy a car is of primary concern in this project. The project will act as the mouthpiece for a public school system which is to decide whether it would economical to lease a car or to buy it. Both have got their respective benefits and costs. The motive of the project is to detect which would be the most cost effective method. In order to come to a final decision, a comparison of costs needs to be done which will take into

Weighted Average Cost of Capital and Wide Hurdle Rate Essay Example for Free

Weighted Average Cost of Capital and Wide Hurdle Rate Essay

Developmental psychologists

Developmental psychologists Many developmental psychologists maintain that, from a very early age, infants relate to people in a special way, and that this indicates they have a deep understanding of other people. In your view, is this position supported by research studies that have investigated infants understanding of the physical and social world? The main purpose of this essay was to assess whether the research evidence supports the statement that infants have a deep understanding of other people. Although the question related to infants in general, the main emphasis was put on the first year of life as it is believed that this is a period when the most significant changes in infants development occur (Super, 1981). Firstly, the writer attempted to define the term â€Å"deep understanding† which has been seen as crucial for this debate. Then, the focus moved to the nature of infants relationships with other people. Afterwards, the research studies were examined that have investigated infants understanding of the physical world. The aim was to check whether children have a knowledge of objects and peoples physical features, and consequently, if they are able to differentiate between them. Finally, the researches which investigated infants understanding of social world were analysed in order to check how rich infants kno wledge of other people is. The debate of whether infants have a rich knowledge has to be preceded with defining what it means to have a deep understanding. In the case of a physical world deep understanding would be an awareness of physical properties and the permanence of objects, as well as knowledge of how certain actions make an effect on the physical world (Spelke, 1991). However, the definition of the deep understanding of people perceived was more complicated. Surely the ability to recognise that people are different to objects is important as it requires a certain level of understanding. Equally important is also the knowledge of what is going on in other peoples minds and the ability to appreciate that ‘people have emotions, intentions, and perspectives (Striano Rochat, 2000:254). Nevertheless, it has been believed that deep understanding must also involve something additional. This extra quality has been acknowledged by Tomasello et al. (2005:676), who argued that: ‘(†¦) deep understanding of other people requires not only an understanding of goals, intentions and perceptions of other persons, but also in addition a motivation to share these things in interaction with others. The psychologists who perceive children as having a rich knowledge share the belief that infants relate to people in a special way and engage with them differently than with objects. They argue that infants are more likely to direct their intentional behaviours towards people rather than objects because they anticipate that people will understand their intentions and respond to their actions. Trevarthen (ED841, Unit 3) explained this phenomenon by arguing that infants have an inborn willingness to participate in social relationships with other people. As Suzanne Zeedyk stated, the everyday intimate in nature interaction with others creates a context in which infants understanding can develop. In her opinion, thanks to being an object of other peoples attention, children come to know themselves and others. However, the perception of infants as active social partners causes some doubts. Even though Trevarthen seems to be right stating that infants are not just marionettes which can be animated by adults, it is possible that their engagement with people may only create an illusion of spontaneity and understanding (Zeedyk, 2006). Indeed, it has been acknowledged that there is no consensus whether young infants actually differentiate between objects and people and what mechanisms underlay their behaviour. To investigate this issue it was necessary to establish what knowledge about the physical world they hold. The chosen staring point was Piagets study on objects permanence. He argued that if an object is covered by a cloth, infants younger than nine months stop reaching for it and do not attempt to lift the cloth, even though they are physically able to perform this action. On this basis, Piaget argued that for infants younger than nine months, objects exist only while it is perceived or acted upon and it is out of an infants mind when it disappears (Hood Willatts, 1995). These findings are believed to be significant for a debate on childrens understanding of the social world. Contrary to earlier mentioned psychologists, Jean Piaget claimed that young infants do not distinguish between people and objects, but rather treated people as the most interesting of objects and that is why they concentrate on them more intensively. Analogously to object permanence, Piaget argued that children younger than nine months cannot have a deep understanding of other people as their do not have knowledge of peoples permanence. They rather acquire this knowledge at a later stage thanks to their cognitive development and experience (ED841, Unit 2; Baillargeon, 1995; Piaget Inhelder, 1966). Although Piagets theory appeared to be convincing, it has been acknowledged that his experiment has been criticised by other researchers who argued that infants failed this task not because they have not developed object permanence but because there are not able to perform coordinated actions. Therefore, it was difficult for them to coordinate lifting the cloth with their memory for the object (Baillargeon, 1995). To check whether infants hold an understanding of object permanence, Piagets findings have been compared with the results of investigations which did not require coordinated action. An example chosen was Baillargeons drawbridge experiment. This habituation study researched infants understanding of ‘the principle that a solid object cannot move through the space occupied by another solid object (Baillargeon, 1995:104). Baillargeon wanted to investigate whether five month old infants would be surprised by visible objects in the form of a screen rotating back and forth at 180 degrees, which moved through the space occupied by a hidden cube. The assumption was that if infants were surprised it meant that they were aware of the existence and physical properties of the hidden object. In contrast to Piagets study, this experiment indicated that very young infants may have a core understanding of object properties and therefore they should also have the knowledge of peoples permanence (Baillargeon, 1995; ED841, Unit 2). On the other hand, some of the researches stated that the habituation methodology may overestimate infants understanding. For instance, as proved by Schilling, results similar to those gained by Piaget may be obtained simply by varying the number of presentations in the drawbridge experiment. Therefore, Schilling argued that Baillargeon failed to prove that infants have a deep understanding of the physical world (ED841, Unit 2). Also, Cohen referred to the drawbridge experiment by stating that infants ‘may be responding to the apparently impossible event, not because it is impossible, but simply because it is familiar (Cohen, 2001:6). So far it seems that children, especially in the first few months of life, have rather poor knowledge of the physical world and consequently they may also have poor knowledge of other people. The radical change was believed to occur at around nine months of life. However, the research evidence presented by Woodward on six month old infants showed that they have expectations directed towards people, which they do not share with inanimate things. Therefore, he argued that infants not only see people as separate to objects, but also recognise that people have certain goals and intentions (Tomasello et al., 2005). The writer is convinced that at the end of the first year of life, infants understand people as animate beings who spontaneously produce behaviour, but there is no agreement whether they understand the mechanism underlying their behaviour or they are just simply able to predict what people would do. For instance, the research on   infants understanding of goal-directed action s, like for example those of Gregley and Csiba, showed that one year old infants perceive the successful actions as goal directed, but it ‘does not necessarily imply that they appreciate the intentions underlying those actions (Brandone Wellman, 2008: 86). It is believed that the ability to understand that other people have mental states is a part of the so-called theory of mind, which is assumed not to develop in children younger than 4 years (Bretherton et al., 1981). There was a series of research investigating the signs of development of the theory of mind in infants. For instance, Reedy (2007) observed the development of deception among infants. Her findings indicated that eight month old infants are able to deceive, even though in theory this skill does not develop until a child acquires theory of mind. Therefore, Reedy argued that because at around eight months children, for example, fake crying or pretend deafness when called by their mother, which indicates that they have a real understanding of other people. However, Reedy has been criticised for overestimating childrens abilities and misinterpreting infants behaviours. For instance, it has been argued that infants are egocentric. Consequently, children may ignore mothers calls because they are concentrated on themselves and things they are doing in that moment (Carlowe, 2008). More probable seems to be the explanation presented by Baron and Cohen, who stated that young infants are unable to understand what is going on in other peoples minds. However, they argue that at around 6-9 months, infants try to seek other peoples focus of attention by following the direction of their eye gaze. This inborn ability, called the eye direction detector, lets infants note where another person is looking. Subsequently, infants become able to distinguish between their own and other peoples reactions to an object, which is a basis for later theory of mind development. However, it is not clear whether infants perceive other persons eye movements as significant and understand that adults are directing their attention towards an object. It is possible that they just follow other peoples eye gaze without paying attention to the object itself (Meltzoff, 2004, ED841, Unit 2). As mentioned before, Tomasello stressed that understanding intentional actions and perceptions of others is not itself sufficient to talk about the deep understanding of infants. In his opinion, it requires shared intentionality which refers ‘to collaborative interactions in which participants share psychological states with one another (Tomasello Carpenter, 2007:121). His longitudinal study on chimpanzees showed that they were similar to human infants in a whole range of socio-cognitive skills, but in contrast to infants, they do not appear to have shared intentionality. Tomasello therefore stated that infants do not only follow other peoples eye gaze but try to share other peoples attention. The motivation to share attention with others emerges at around the first birthday, which supports the belief that this is the time when more advanced cognitive understanding occurs (Tomasello Carpenter, 2007). Meltzoff emphasised that information about objects and peoples shared intentions towards these objects are acquired through imitation. He argued that to imitate, children have to be able to understand the differences between themselves and others. Even though Piaget argued that infants cannot imitate others until they were 8 to 12 months of age, Meltzoffs research on infants early imitation showed that they are not only able to imitate facial expressions of adults but also recognise when adults imitate them which is a sign of deep understanding. However, the critical analysis of his research indicated that children may imitate adults but not be aware of the fact that they are copying emotional expression. Additionally, Meltzoff examined very young infants and there is a possibility that they might just be trained to imitate from birth (Meltzoff Gopnik, 1993). Summarising, it appears that infants prefer people over the objects, but there is no agreement whether it is a sign of an understanding of other peoples thoughts and intentions or rather an inborn ability to engage in social interactions. Some psychologists, like for example Piaget, argued that very young infants have only basic social abilities. Although infants behaviour cannot only be seen as a set of reflexes, psychologists claim that they have a deep understanding of other people would undoubtedly overestimate their abilities. The most appropriate explanation seems to be that infants are born with rather poor knowledge about the physical and social world; however, they have an inborn ability to interact with other people. Through the everyday interaction with others their knowledge and skills can develop, and consequently, infants understanding of the world becomes deeper.

The Importance of Women Soldiers in the Civil War Essay -- women involv

Women have been fighting in wars since the late eighteen-hundreds even though until around WWI they were not permitted to serve. Originally women involved in battle had few jobs such as becoming nurses, spies, etc. while the men fought for days on end. What would happen if the two worlds collided? Women would cross-dress to fight alongside the men. This was common along the war front as women wanted to accompany their husbands or other family in battle, and some wanted to be patriotic and serve for their country. These women put their lives on the line and played the part of a comrade in war, and people believed them until they were discovered and sometimes sent back home. Although women had small roles as nurses, those who took on the important role of secretly becoming soldiers in battle ultimately changed women’s roles in society. The decision to cross-dress wasn’t very easy for many women who joined the army, however for some they felt it was absolutely necessary. As a child, Sara Emma Edmonds received a book about a woman who dressed as a male pirate in the American Revolution. Soon Edmonds had found a hero in this character and later stated in her memoirs that â€Å"when [she] read where ‘Fanny’ cut off her brown hair and donned the blue jacket and stepped into the freedom and glorious independence of masculinity, [she] threw up [her] old straw hat and shouted.†(Tsui 7). She had been inspired from an early age and escaped to masculinity when she was fifteen with the help of her mother. From there she joined the Union army as Franklin Thompson and fought as she had intended. Another factor that influenced women and their decision to join the army was their husbands or other male family members. Loreta Janeta Valazquez succumbed to... ...Civil War. Guilford, CT: TwoDot, 2003. 23-35. Print. Tsui, Bonnie. "Sarah Emma Edmonds." She Went to the Field: Women Soldiers of the Civil War. Guilford, CT: TwoDot, 2003. 7-22. Print. "Women's Changing Roles during the Civil War." The Herald-Mail. N.p., 16 Sept. 2002. Web. 06 Mar. 2014. Wakeman, Sarah Rosetta. "July, 1863-December, 1863." An Uncommon Soldier: The Civil War Letters of Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, Alias Private Lyons Wakeman, 153rd Regiment, New York State Volunteers. Ed. Lauren M. Cook. Pasadena, MD: Minerva Center, 1994. 41-42. Print. Blanton, DeAnne, and Lauren M. Cook. "Means and Motivations." They Fought like Demons: Women Soldiers in the American Civil War. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 2002. 27-30. Print. "GENERAL SAMANTHA LEE A Tiger's Heart." General Samantha Lee. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2014. .

Reproductive Controls and Sexual Destiny :: Homosexuality Essays

Reproductive Controls and Sexual Destiny Reproductive Controls and sexual destiny seeks to determine whether ways to manipulate and erase sexual identity of homosexual nature is moral, criminal, and should be government control. She argues, â€Å"Selecting against gay children implies the worthlessness of homosexuality and is therefore insulting to gay people as a degradation of their dignity.† She also believes that in order for the idea to be considered immoral it must bring harm to the child in consideration. It does not. It represents human choice, which is to be preserved and encouraged. She does believe that this decision could be viewed as immoral in that it is in a way selfish. She does believe that to further the argument for a government ban there must be an establishment of a cause of homosexuality that is more concrete than hormonally based. The success of the argument against homosexuality in general can survive if the underlying religious assumption is accepted. If the concept of human nature is accepte d it represents human choice rather than destiny of individual to be heterosexual as the Roman Catholic Church argues that god has purposed humans to be and will be held accountable for by god. In order for a reader to â€Å"buy† this article the world have to be a utopia in which people are accepted for who they are what they believe in; what their religion is and who their friends are. Which brings me to the topic the author is actually â€Å"selling†. The title he uses, Reproductive controls and sexual destiny creates pre reader imagery, if you will. He makes the reader think of his two worse nightmares someone controlling his future involving his/her abilities to bring life into this world. Now after he has gotten the reader in this mode of defense for anything that tries to control his/her reproduction he uses words in his first and second paragraphs such as eradicate and constraining respectively. He has now laid he groundwork for his underlying and implicit argu ment†¦the philosophy of heterosexualism is smothering the gay community from enjoying there own destinies to not only be gay but to condone it as a perfectly valid choice for their offspring or any body else’s. He thinks that anyone should have the opportunity to choose to become gay; people should not choose heterosexuality over homosexuality. In the purpose of his essay the author sates Reproductive Controls and Sexual Destiny :: Homosexuality Essays Reproductive Controls and Sexual Destiny Reproductive Controls and sexual destiny seeks to determine whether ways to manipulate and erase sexual identity of homosexual nature is moral, criminal, and should be government control. She argues, â€Å"Selecting against gay children implies the worthlessness of homosexuality and is therefore insulting to gay people as a degradation of their dignity.† She also believes that in order for the idea to be considered immoral it must bring harm to the child in consideration. It does not. It represents human choice, which is to be preserved and encouraged. She does believe that this decision could be viewed as immoral in that it is in a way selfish. She does believe that to further the argument for a government ban there must be an establishment of a cause of homosexuality that is more concrete than hormonally based. The success of the argument against homosexuality in general can survive if the underlying religious assumption is accepted. If the concept of human nature is accepte d it represents human choice rather than destiny of individual to be heterosexual as the Roman Catholic Church argues that god has purposed humans to be and will be held accountable for by god. In order for a reader to â€Å"buy† this article the world have to be a utopia in which people are accepted for who they are what they believe in; what their religion is and who their friends are. Which brings me to the topic the author is actually â€Å"selling†. The title he uses, Reproductive controls and sexual destiny creates pre reader imagery, if you will. He makes the reader think of his two worse nightmares someone controlling his future involving his/her abilities to bring life into this world. Now after he has gotten the reader in this mode of defense for anything that tries to control his/her reproduction he uses words in his first and second paragraphs such as eradicate and constraining respectively. He has now laid he groundwork for his underlying and implicit argu ment†¦the philosophy of heterosexualism is smothering the gay community from enjoying there own destinies to not only be gay but to condone it as a perfectly valid choice for their offspring or any body else’s. He thinks that anyone should have the opportunity to choose to become gay; people should not choose heterosexuality over homosexuality. In the purpose of his essay the author sates

Major Depressive Disorder and Patient Essay

Please complete the following: 1. Select correct answer 2. Provide rationale 3. If you complete all successfully, all points will be awarded. 4. Total points: 34 1pt for correct answer, 1 pt for rationale 1. Select the example of tort. a. The primary nurse does not complete the plan of care for a patient within 24 hours of the patient’s admission. b. An advanced practice nurse recommends that a patient who is dangerous to self and others be voluntarily hospitalized. c. A patient’s admission status is changed from involuntary to voluntary after the patient’s hallucinations subside. d. A nurse gives a PRN dose of an antipsychotic drug to a patient to prevent violent acting out because the unit is short staffed. Rationale: 2. A patient states, â€Å"I’m tired of all these therapy sessions. It’s just too much for me.† Using supportive confrontation, the nurse should reply: a. â€Å"It will get better if you just keep trying.† b. â€Å"You are doing fine. Don’t be so hard on yourself.† c. â€Å"Tell me more about how the therapy sessions are too much.† d. â€Å"I know you find this difficult, but I believe you can get through it.† Rationale: 3. What is the best analysis of this interaction? Patient: I get discouraged when I realize I’ve been struggling with my problems for over a year. Nurse: Yes you have, but many people take even longer to resolve their issues. You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. a. The nurse has responded ineffectively to the patient’s concerns. b. The patient is expressing lack of willingness to collaborate with the nurse. c. The patient is offering the opportunity for the nurse to revise the plan of care. d. The nurse is using techniques that are consistent with the evaluation step of the nursing process. Rationale: 4. A patient with schizophrenia says to the nurse, â€Å"I feel really close to you. You’re the only true friend I have.† Select the nurse’s most therapeutic response. a. â€Å"We are not friends. Our relationship is a professional one.† b. â€Å"I feel sure there are other friends in your life. Can you name some?† c. â€Å"I am glad you trust me. Trust is important for the work we are doing together.† d. â€Å"Our relationship is professional, but let’s explores ways to strengthen friendships in your life.† Rationale: 5. As a patient and nurse move into the working stage of a therapeutic relationship, the nurse’s most beneficial statement is: a. â€Å"I want to be helpful to you as we explore your problems and the way you express feelings.† b. â€Å"A good long-term goal for someone your age would be to develop better job-related skills.† c. â€Å"Of the problems we have discussed so far, which ones would you most like to work on?† d. â€Å"When someone gives you a compliment, I notice that you become very quiet.† Rationale: 6. Complete this goal statement for a newly admitted patient. â€Å"By the end of the orientation stage of the therapeutic relationship, the patient will demonstrate: a. Greater independence.† b. Increased self-responsibility.† c. Trust and rapport with two staff.† d. Ability to problem-solve one issue.† Rationale: 7. A patient with a history of self-mutilation says to the nurse, â€Å"I want to stop hurting myself.† What is the initial step of the problem-solving process to be taken toward resolution of a patient’s identified problem? a. Deciding on a plan of action b. Determining necessary changes c. Considering alternative behaviors d. Describing the problem or situation Rationale: 8. A patient says, â€Å"I went out drinking only one time last week. At least I’m trying to change.† The nurse responds, â€Å"I appreciate your effort, but you agreed to abstain from alcohol completely.† The nurse is: a. Using cognitive restructuring. b. Preventing manipulation. c. Showing empathy. d. Using flooding. Rationale: 9. A nurse and patient who developed a therapeutic relationship enter the termination phase. An important nursing intervention for this stage is for the nurse to: a. Provide structure and intensive support. b. Inform the patient of the progress made. c. Encourage the patient to describe goals for change. d. Discuss feelings about termination with the patient. Rationale: 10.Which patient behavior would require the most immediate limit setting? a. The patient makes self-deprecating remarks. b. At a goal-setting meeting, the patient interrupts others to express delusions. c. During dinner, a patient manipulates an older adult patient to obtain a second dessert. d. A patient shouts at a roommate, â€Å"You are perverted! You watched me undress.† Rationale: 11.A patient playing pool with another patient throws down the pool cue and begins swearing. The nurse should initially intervene by: a. Asking other patients to leave the room. b. Calling for assistance to restrain the patient. c. Suggesting a time-out in the patient’s room. d. Restating rules of the milieu related to swearing. Rationale: 12.A nurse says, â€Å"What step would you like to take next to resolve this issue?† The patient stands up and shouts, â€Å"You are so controlling! You want me to do everything your way.† What is the likely basis of the patient’s behavior? a. Projection b. Dissociation c. Transference d. Emotional catharsis Rationale: 13.A patient with suicidal ideation is hospitalized. What is the priority intervention? a. Negotiating a no-harm contract. b. Facilitating attendance at groups. c. Administering a psychotropic drug. d. Determining the precipitating situation. Rationale: 14.Following the admission interview, a spouse of a patient asks the nurse, â€Å"Why did you ask my partner all those questions? Some of them had nothing to do with current problems.† The nurse’s best response is, â€Å"Those questions help us understand: a. The patient’s current status.† b. The complete family history.† c. The patient’s past experiences.† d. What the patient prognosis will be?† Rationale: 15.After breakfast, a depressed patient pleads with the nurse, â€Å"Please let me go to my room to lie down for a while.† The nurse should: a. Explain that the patient must attend scheduled activities. b. Bargain with the patient to attend the next activity, then rest. c. Rearrange the patient’s schedule to accommodate the request. d. Explain that the team will be displeased if the schedule is not followed. Rationale: 16.When communicating with a withdrawn, depressed patient who speaks slowly and in monosyllables, the nurse should: a. Be as cheerful as possible. b. Use simple, direct sentences. c. Use silence while assisting the patient. d. Frequently encourage the patient to elaborate. Rationale: 17.Which topics should be included by the nurse preparing psychoeducational groups for patients with major depressive disorder and their families? Select all that apply. 1. Flight of ideas 2. Changes in weight and sleep 3. Feelings of importance or elation 4. Psychomotor retardation or agitation 5. Inability to concentrate or make decisions a.1,2,3 b.2,3,4 c.2,4,5 d. 1,2,3,4,5 Rationale:

Language Anxiety Essay

Learning and teaching a language can be considered by many as a very challenging and demanding task due to what the process itself implies. Could you imagine how each language learner feels when he/ she is asked to perform an activity or just to speak in front of the class? Some of them will feel very comfortable but what about those whose hearts often pound really hard, break out in a cold sweat and find it difficult to catch their breath. The disorders introduced previously corresponds to what a considerable quantity of foreign language learners face whenever they are asked to do something in the classroom known as: Anxiety, a term linked to an unpleasant feeling but which can also be helpful when learning a language. To begin with, anxiety in the language learning is considered as one of the most important affective factors, which has been studied since the 1970s. It is important to know what anxiety is, in general terms anxiety is a psychological construct that is described as a state of apprehension, a vague fear that is only indirectly associated with an object (Hilgard, Atkinson, & Atkinson, 1971). It can also be defined as a subjective feeling of tension, apprehension, nervousness, and worry associated with an arousal of the automatic nervous system (McIntyre & Gardner, 1994) or in simple words it is described as a feeling of nervousness or worry. But making a relationship between language and anxiety it is found that according to what McIntyre (1999) stated, language anxiety is the worry and negative emotional reaction aroused when learning a second language. Secondly, anxiety has been found to be a negative feeling but helpful in some ways when learning a language. According to Hortwitz (1986) facilitating or helpful anxiety motivates learners to fight the new learning task, making them to expend extra efforts to overcome their feelings of anxiety. This type of positive anxiety is necessary since students who are not anxious under any condition will feel too relax and they will not even care about their learning process which will cause them to fail at learning a language. F or example, a student who feels anxious but he uses it positively as a way to motivate him to pass the course and learn the target language successfully will obtain excellent results. However, there is a probable risk that is helpful anxiety can easily become harmful anxiety. It is claimed that one third of students learning a foreign language experience some kind of anxiety (Horwitz, et al., 1986). Students facing anxiety is a real and common phenomenon that takes place in the classroom which is normal and helpful at some point but when the level of anxiety starts increasing without any control it will be very harmful so that students should be very careful and recognize the anxiety and do something positive about it before they react to this negative anxiety in a very negative way. What is more, according to some experts as the one mentioned previously Horwitz stated that helpful anxiety occurs only in the accomplishment of simple learning tasks, but not with more complicated learning such as language learning. Lastly, the type of anxiety is an issue that should be identified in the classroom and overcome possible difficulties related to it. Teachers can identify anxiety due to the fact that most of the time when anxiety takes place there are very observable evidence such as physical symptoms, general avoidance or physical actions but what sometimes is difficult for educators is to tackle in the language learning. Some suggestions have been made for teacher to overcome anxiety such as being supportive, encouraging students to relax through music or games, using fair tests, providing meaningful activities, giving meaningful rewards, being clear about classroom goals, helping students to assess their performance, encouraging risk taking and creating a comfortable environment among others. To conclude, it must be said that learning a language implies many affective factors but anxiety is one of the most relevant and an inevitable feeling among second language learners. The matter is Do my students know how to identify anxiety symptoms and do something positive about it? What is more Do I know what to do to diminish language anxiety? When learning a language the answers to these questions can be the difference. To ignore language anxiety within a classroom is not the solution; it will just drive to failure. References Hilgard, E. R., Atkinson, R. C., & Atkinson, R. L. (1971). Introduction to psychology (5thed.). New York: Harcourt. Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. Modern Language Journal, 70(1), 125-132. MacIntyre, P. D., & Gardner, R. C. (1994). The subtle effects of language anxiety on cognitive processing in the second language. Language Learning, 44, 283-305. Robertson, P & Adamson, J (2011). Language Learning Strategies, Beliefs, and Anxiety in Academic Speaking Task. The Philippine ESL Journal, (7), 95-100. Retrieved from http://www.philippine-esl-journal.com/Volume-7.pdf

A repudiatory breach of contract

A repudiatory breach of contract Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work produced by our Law Essay Writing Service . You can view samples of our professional work here . A repudiatory breach of contract Usually if the employee resigns, the contract terminates and the employee will have no claim against the employer for wrongful dismissal. However, employee’s resignation may result in wrongful dismissal claim if the resignation is a result of the employer’s repudiatory breach of the contract. Under section 95(1)(c) of the Employment Rights Act 1996 the employee is entitled to resign, without giving notice, and can make a claim of wrongful dismissal for the losses he suffered as a result of the early termination of the contract. In order for a claim to succeed, the employee must show that the employer breached either an express or implied contractual term. Furthermore, the employee needs to show that his resignation is a response to the breach, and that such breach was adequately serious to justify the resignation. The employee will also need to show that he had not confirmed the contract following the breach by returning to work. When d etermining the seriousness of the breach, the courts and tribunals will consider the express and implied contractual terms that were breached. The implied duty of trust and confidence is considered an important duty owed to employees by their employers. This duty states that the employer owes duty of support in the event that an employee is subjected by other employees to any form of abuse. It requires an employer to investigate the complaint and to take appropriate action. This was considered in Bracebridge Engineering Ltd v Darby [1990] IRLR 3 where it was held that by failing to provide adequate support and follow appropriate grievance procedure, the employer had breached the implied duty of trust and confidence. In Western Excavating (ECC) Ltd v Sharp [1978] QB 761, the Court of Appeal attempted to define unreasonable conduct and found that the employer must act sensibly in the treatment of his employees. If the employer behaves or conducts his affairs so unreasonably that the e mployee cannot be expected to work in such environment any longer, the employee is justified in leaving. This definition of unreasonable conduct was criticised by Lord Denning, who stated that a certain degree of a particular behaviour may be considered to be in line with the employer’s business. The interpretation is nowadays very wide, however the principle set out in Western Excavating case remains a valid principle in establishing unreasonable conduct. To breach the term of trust and confidence, employer must have been acting in a way that is likely to destroy or seriously damage trust and confidence which must exist between the employer and employee. In Morrow v Safeway Stores plc [2002] IRLR 9, the employee was publicly reprimanded and generally had a bad working relationship with the manager of the store. The Employment Tribunal held that although the public reprimand was a breach of the implied term of trust and confidence, it was not serious enough to entitle the emp loyee to resign and claim unfair dismissal. The Employment Appeal Tribunal overturned this decision and emphasised that the breach of implied term of trust and confidence, if committed, is a fundamental breach stemming from the contract itself, and as such will entitle the employee to resign.

ECON Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ECON - Assignment Example Before purchasing goods using GBP, the consumers must exchange the dollars for pounds hence increased demand for pounds. The increase in demand for pounds will lead to an increased in the quantity of US dollars supplied to the foreign country and a decrease in the supply of pounds. The branded-drug maker offered to pay the generic entrant an amount of $10 million as a way of reducing inter-product cannibalization that would have ensued if the generic drug entered the market/industry. Paying off the generic entrant was a way of ensuring the generic drug stays far away from the branded drugs. With the generic drugs being much cheaper than the branded drugs, the branded drug maker was sure that consumers would go the generic brands and his chances of earning profit would be slim. Paying off the generic drug maker acted as a way of acquiring the substitute good and this means he would increase his profits. In this case, the firm should follow the strategy of inter temporal price discrimination where the price of the product varies with the time the product is bought. Therefore, the firm should sell the iPhone to technophiles at $400 now and sell it to normal people at $250 later. The technophiles are high value consumers in this case while the others are low value consumers. The normal people or low value customers will not purchase the iPhone unless the price is reduced and so the optimal pricing scheme is for the firm to first concentrate on the technophiles. The optimal pricing scheme will also include the production of two versions of iPhone so that the high value customers can get the expensive and high quality one while the low value customers will purchase the low quality depending on the price. There is dominant strategy portrayed by either player. Therefore, the equilibrium will be a mixed nash. If any of the players randomizes their selection of action by going 50% one way, then the other player will

Econometric Regression Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Econometric Regression Analysis - Assignment Example The productivity differed from almost wholly effectual to almost entirely unproductive. Outputs regarded consisted of patient days for three age groups. The two techniques generated similar measurements of efficiencies with a single exclusion. The findings from the translog model would generate a standardizing consequence for economies of scale. Therefore, it means that they are general and consistent returns. The DEA exemplar was capable of recognizing cases of both rising and lowering returns. The lowering was discovered for hospitals with augmented quantities of elderly patients. States with a past of civil disagreement or extensive pervasiveness on HIV/AIDS were less effective than other states. Performance was raised with health spending per capita. The researcher is mainly interested in a substantial research of applied numerical and econometric review. This review should use zonal methodology and demographic exchanges, alongside information gathered from collective three-dimen sional departments of observation. This information is normally influenced by a range of measurement issues, ending in three-dimensional reliance and three-dimensional heterogeneity. Nevertheless, a majority of the scientific work did not succeed in considering this crucial aspect of econometrics. In this article, the researchers have tackled the problem of the level to which three-dimensional impacts in practical regression review. An overview of the official technical issues is provided and associated with the literature in three-dimensional econometrics.

Communication strategy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Communication strategy - Term Paper Example Purpose for the communication strategy B. Mission of the company C. Situation analysis D. Business objectives E. Communication goals and objectives F. Key themes and messages G. Conclusion and recommendation Through the sections listed above, a strategy based on internal communication, media relations and partners-stakeholders communication is presented. Thank you. A. Purpose Due to globalization and rapid economic growth, multinational firms are becoming very prevalent. Due to this, managers are faced by intercultural communication challenges. According to Hofstede (1980), culture is the software of the mind and as such it has the ability to influence behaviors and thinking patterns of people. The way people function and interact in their day to day lives is a product of mental conditioning. . According to Steyn (2000), communication offers the only way by which team members can work together to achieve the goals of an organization. B. Mission This plan aims at increasing the brand awareness of the company’s merchandise in the Canadian market. The company has garnered a lot of success in Russia and Finland has not ventured much into the Canadian market. The company thus intends to penetrate the Canadian sports industry by supplying hockey sticks. The company has already signed contracts with various Canadian sporting goods chains that will begin selling their merchandise in February 2014. While the Canadian stores will handle the point-of-sale marketing, it is important for the company to raise awareness of its goods in Canada thus creating the foundation for a strong market share. C. Situation Analysis The most important issue affecting the company is the lack of an effective marketing base in Canada. While the company has had some success in other company, entry to a new market with vastly different cultural background may prove difficult. Basically, the company has to contend the cultural gap between the two countries while also proving that their me rchandise is up to par. By instituting these changes, the company itself will experience substantial growth. Communication effectiveness will also make it easier for point-of-sale marketing efforts to progress much better. Internal communication in the company is also set to improve thus improving the overall position of the company. Some of the communication issue that the company wishes to address re as follows. First, the company has to improve communication between the parent company in Pohang, Korea and various partners all over Canada. The second communication issue is raising the awareness of the Canadian market on the company’s merchandise. Finally, the company seeks to set up an effective communication channel with its shareholders thus ensuring the financing of marketing efforts progresses smoothly. At the moment, the company has access to a lot many communication infrastructures. The advent of the internet has enabled communication efforts to be simplified at a che aper price. National media such as newspapers, television and stadium electronic boards provide another avenue the company can utilize. The implementation of the company’s communication efforts is best implemented by the Canadian section of the company. The company can utilize its various partners in Canada in order to develop an effective communications team that has a better grasp of the Canadian economic and social scene. The communication strategies employed will only be deemed successful if the

The Composition II cource Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Composition II cource - Essay Example As one reflected on the activities that transpired during the course, the following details provided appropriate responses to the relevant questions regarding writing skills mastered, possible applications of these skills, the use of research as a foundation for academic essays, and finally, the changes in perception of oneself as a writer and researcher before and after the course. In this regard, the aim of this essay is to proffer pertinent information after reflecting on the writing and research skills gained and developed during the course. What writing skills have you mastered during this course? I have figured out how to write a proper APA formatted paper among other skills developed during the course. Prior to Composition II, there has always been a vague understanding and recognition of intricate details of different writing styles. By providing the comprehensive information needed by students to observe guidelines and rules in writing essays using the APA format, I mastered the tools needed for proper citation, referencing, formatting the title page, including the needed header, page numbers, abstract, and other important details. Further, by being assigned different essays to write, one has developed skills in observing correct grammar, punctuation, choice of words and language, making a draft and reviewing and editing one’s work. ... I plan to use the lessons learned from writing a proper research paper in my future classes. One is aware that different courses require writing academic essays and research papers that require the skills developed during the course. Application of these skills would be put to further test in other courses and in one’s future career. Prior to applying for defined positions deemed appropriate for one’s profession, through the skills developed, one would therefore be able to create an effective resume and cover letter which would be used in future applications for employment. When accepted, writing skills would also be used in the preparation of inter-office correspondences and reports that form part of one’s responsibilities. Communication would therefore be enhanced and expertise in written works would prove to be a plus factor for promotions and professional development. Skills in research would also be used in one’s future career in terms of seeking upda ted information that needs to improve expertise in one’s field of endeavor. By regularly researching on new academic journals that contain new information influencing one’s career, one exemplifies assuming a proactive stance and thereby prepares oneself to meet unanticipated and unforeseen events. Competence in both writing and research would definitely assist in thinking and communicating outside the box and in being prepared for events that are not normally part of everyday life. How has using research as a foundation for your academic essays strengthened your writing abilities? I found that my writing is better, more structured now than before. The techniques for researching needed topics enabled me to seek more in-depth