Illegal Immigration and High Rating Crimes in the United States Essay

Illegal Immigration and High Rating Crimes in the United States - Essay Example The intention of this study is hate crime generally as crime that is targeted at victims due to their affiliation to particular a social group. The social group may be defined in terms of disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, race, religion, class, age, ethnicity, nationality, social status, gender, or gender identity according to Lipman, J. and Francine. Better stated, hate crimes are crimes that are motivated by bias usually taking the form of assault, violence and at the worst, murder. Other forms of hate crime include harassment, bullying, insults, verbal abuse and the use of offensive words in writing or painting, just to mention a few. Hate crimes inflict a lot of psychological and sometimes physical pain to victims of the crime. It basically infringes on people’s fundamental and civil rights. Statistics show that the United States of America has high rates of hate crimes, the Black Americans commonly being the victims. In fact, out of 8000 reported hate crimes in the US recorded in 1995 by the FBI, about 3000 cases involved Black American victims. This minority group faced the highest level of victimization in the year. However, this is not to say that Minority groups such as the Hispanics, Muslims, Gays, Jews, Native Americans and Asians do not face a lot of hate crimes. Illegal immigration is the act of foreigners violating national immigration laws and/or policies by entering and residing in a place without official authorization. Illegal immigrants are naturally aliens.... ate crime include harassment, bullying, insults, verbal abuse and the use of offensive words in writing or painting, just to mention a few (Stotzer, 2007). Hate crimes inflict a lot of psychological and sometimes physical pain to victims of the crime. It basically infringes on people’s fundamental and civil rights. Statistics show that the United States of America has high rates of hate crimes, the Black Americans commonly being the victims. In fact, out of 8000 reported hate crimes in the US recorded in 1995 by the FBI, about 3000 cases involved Black American victims (Stotzer, 2007). This minority group faced the highest level of victimization in the year. However, this is not to say that Minority groups such as the Hispanics, Muslims, Gays, Jews, Native Americans and Asians do not face a lot of hate crimes. Illegal Immigration in the United States of America Illegal immigration is the act of foreigners violating national immigration laws and/or policies by entering and resi ding in a place without official authorization (Miller, 2007). Illegal immigrants are naturally aliens. The United States suffers illegal immigration as a result of the wide perception, by people across the world, that the country is a haven of opportunities. As of 2008, the Center of immigration studies estimated that close to 11 million people illegally lived in the US (Bahrampour, 2010)). Other bodies give slightly different statistics relating to illegal immigrants in the country. The Pew Hispanic Center reported in 2005 that about 55% of the illegal immigrants were Mexicans, 3% Africans, 6% Canadians and Europeans, 13% Asians, and 22% Latinos (Passel, 2006). There are many people who have had conducted studies related to illegal immigration and associated problems. According to Miller

Modern Retail Architecture Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

Modern Retail Architecture - Coursework Example As like in yoga or any other method preferred for solemn meditations, it was believed that the creation and preservation of a preferred environment increases the sense of well being of a person. Be it health wise or business wise the main point is to put any behavioral effect in the people subjected to the certain complexities and patterns relevant to environmental architecture and psychology. It has been known that man's visual system is receptive to the patterns their indivualism or personal traits prefer to conceive or perceive either in terms of visual or auditory reception. Human mind seeks to organize data when faced with random unknown visual information, filters it and automates to switch to anticipating patterns. In effective advertising, the artist has to feel and travel the complexities and inadequacies of human nature by subduing several personalities and differing public opinions or comments regarding a certain art or architecture in order to promote whatever product one has to promote. In layman's terms, being in the shoes of the target market segment, analyzing their choices and neutralizing product quality and what it has to offer to the customers as well. In this present technology, advertising is much more complicated in form and in production. Tastes of the market differ as our flow of life alters the very need of our existence. That is the cost of having facilitated technological advances. Technology, architecture, psychological captivity will take its own run also to directions only an artist can define in his own imagination and scheme. II. Psychology in Architecture At this stage I would like to direct the readers to that point where psychology meets architecture. Psychology proves to be a very useful tool to capture the target market. It has been in practice with regards to the product designs and branding, imaging of a certain business from their uniforms down to their product lines systems and designs. Take it from the very logical competition of the mobile or cell phone market. It constructs its model from being functional to being convenient to being used as leisure or games gadgets. A theory turned into reality and the model is right there and being featured in US magazines and computer books right in front of our very own eyes. This human perceptual function works relatively in the Gestalt rule which seeks to explore the works of the human mind through form or shapes. In architecture, one gets to know to imagine and anticipate what the clients want and how the customers interact with their physical environments. The deal here is anticipation and captivity of the customer's inspirations with regards to effects in colors and design information. 1 It is a very good way of emerging the attributes of ones products and building or room that contains it that will prove to challenge the information architect. In design, we have to achieve maximum performance of our designs through the acceptance and base visual perception relating to mental associations from the eyes down to the brain among users and items /design interface. Note that our human memory is the primary

Core Context Overview Ratios And Evaluation Finance Essay

Core Context Overview Ratios And Evaluation Finance Essay Kesko Corp is a diversified retail business headquartered in Helsinki, Finland. Founded in 1940, it deals with food trading, logistics, data and network management, building and home improvement alongside agricultural supplies, car and machinery trading. Apart from Finland, the company operates through subsidiaries like Kesko Food, Musta Porssi, Konekesko, Indoor, Intersport in Norway, Sweden, Russia, Lithuania, Estonia, Belarus and Latvia. 2. CORE: Context, Overview, Ratios and Evaluation Context: External Kesko has around 2,000 stores structured as chain operations in parts of Nordic, Baltic, Scandinavian regions. Kesko and K-retailers comprise of K group which employs approximately 45,000 employees with year 2011 turnover stands at â‚ ¬ 12 billion. By 2011, Kesko Corporation has circa 19,000 employees with net-sales around â‚ ¬ 9.46 billion. An increase of 7.8% from last years (â‚ ¬ 8.77 billion). Finnish net-sales rose by 7.3% and other countries operations increased by 10.1%. Main drivers of success were food trade, building, car and machinery business. Earning-per-share of 2011 stands at 1.85 compared to 2.08 in 2010. A dividend of â‚ ¬ 1.2, 65% of the EPS was issued. Keskos market share is 35% and local major competitors are: S-Group (45%) Suomen Lahikauppa International competitor includes: Lidl Internal Kesko is controlled by its shareholders. Shareholders elect the Board of Directors and Auditor. Kesko Group is managed by the Board and the Managing Director who is also the President and CEO. CEO and President are selected by the Board of Directors. The company has Corporate Management Board having 7 members that control different divisions and responsibilities of the group. All Kesko Board members are non-executive directors. In 2011 it was decided by the Board that all of its members are independent of its companys shareholders. The Board ensures that the companys administration, operations and accounting as well as financial management controls are in place. Shareholding as below: The companys share capital is â‚ ¬ 197.2m. Total number of shares is 98.6m of which 31.7m are classed as A shares and 66.9m are B shares. Share A carries 10 votes and Share B one vote. Key group strategies include: Growth in Russian Regions Investment in development of store network Development of e-commerce Healthy profitable growth and increase shareholder value. All in all Keskos capital expenditure in growth stands at â‚ ¬ 425m in year-2011. Six new K-citymarket stores, 17 K-supermarkets in food business, 4 new K-rauta stores in building and home-improvement, 1 Kodin Ykkonen departmental store. The aim is to open 10 new stores in Russia with approx. â‚ ¬600m expenditure till 2015. Overview: Kesko: YEAR 2011 â‚ ¬m 2010 â‚ ¬m Turnover % Change 9,460 7.8% 8,776 Cost of Sales % Change 8163 8.17% 7546 Operating Profit % Change 281 -8.4% 307 Profit after Tax % Change 197 -8.8% 216 Operating Cash flow % Change 215 -51% 438 Capex % Change 427 30.2% 328 Total Debt (Long + Short term) % Change 400 -16.1% 477 Total number of Employees % Change 18,960 4.1% 18,215 The difference between costs and sales determines the operating profit. Though turnover is healthy, decrease in operating profit can be attributed to increase in cost of sales. Expenses also increased and in totality affected the profit position. Increase in capital expenditure is due to expansion in international markets and machinery which impacted negatively on the cash-flow position. Total debt position decreased which shows a healthy sign of effective use of company resources. Employee number remains constant. Koninklijke Ahold: YEAR 2011 â‚ ¬m 2010 â‚ ¬m Turnover % Change 30,271 2.5% 29,530 Cost of Sales % Change 22,350 3.4% 21,610 Operating Profit % Change 1,347 0.8% 1,336 Net Income % Change 1,017 19.2% 853 Operating Cash flow % Change 1,786 -15.4% 2,111 Capex % Change 881 -21.1% 1117 Net Debt % Change 1,088 47.6% 737 Total number of Employees % Change 218,000 2.3% 213,000 In comparison to Kesko, Ahold is 3 times bigger company as above. c).Ratio Analysis The ratio analysis is made up of performance, working capital, liquidity/solvency and shareholder ratios. Performance ratio is how well the company manages its assets and converts them into revenue and how efficiently converts its sales into cash. The better these ratios are the better value for shareholders. Kesko in comparison with Ahold Performance calculations 2011 2010 Change in 2011 Ahold 2011 Gross margin 2011: 13.7% 14.0% -0.3% 26.17% 1297/9460 2010: 1230/8776 Expenses/sales 2011: 18.1% 18.4% -0.3% 21.72% 1721/9460 2010: 1622/8776 Net margin* 2011: 2.9% 3.5% -0.6% 4.45% 281/9460 2010: 307/8776 Asset turnover 2011: 3.6 3.4 0.2 2.92 9460/2565 2010: 8776/2550 Return on 2011: 12.5% 13.9% -1.4% 12.99% Capital 281/2233 employed * 2010: 307/2210 Gross margin has declined because of increase in cost of sales sub-sequentially affecting the net margin. Slightly better asset turnover shows improved sales performance by every â‚ ¬ invested in the given year. Given the retail nature of the business this is normal. ROCE is not a matter of huge concern, however needs to be monitored closely. The ROCE decline could be the reduced profits attributed to shareholders. Ahold on the other hand shows big numbers. From retail perspective, Keskos performance is not bad at all. There are few dips in the numbers which are usual for a transactional retail business. d).Working capital is used to measure the companys short-term financial health. It is also called operational liquidity for the period of 12 months. Positive working capital can prove that the company can pay its short-term liabilities well. Negative working capital will increase the risk of default on short-term liabilities. Keskos working-capital ratios Working Cap Calculations 2011 2010 Change Ahold 2011 Inventory days 2011: 38.8 days 36.6 days 2.2 23.9 (divided by CoS) 867 x 365/ 8,163 2010: 757365/7,546 Debtor days 2011: 27.0 days 25.8 days 1.2 9.1 (divided by 700 x 365/9,460 sales) 2010: 620365/8776 Creditor days 2011: 51.3 days 52.4 days -1.1 39.8 (divided by CoS) 1148 x 365/ 8,163 2010: 1,085 x 365/ 7,546 Some difference year-on-year. Increase in inventory days shows negative cash-flow and control on inventory. Increase in debtor-days is bad for cash hence the cash position. This could be poor collection or price negotiations for discounts. Also seems like customers are taking longer to pay. Early payments to creditors depict the decrease in creditor-days, a virtuous gesture for suppliers but not good for cash. (d).Liquidity and Solvency ratios also a measure of companys ability to pay its short-term obligations also called a Quick ratio. This means that the current assets should outweigh current liabilities to stay positive. It also indicates the companys ability to meet interest payments. Higher the level of capital compared to debt, the lower these ratios are. Liquidity calculations 2011 2010 Change Ahold 2011 Current ratio 2011: 1.33 1.49 -0.16 1.13 2161/1625 2010: 2407/1616 Acid test 2011: 0.80 1.02 -0.22 0.81 2161- 867/1625 2010: 2407-757/1616 Solvency 2011 2010 Change Ahold 2011 Interest cover 2011: 13.40 18.05 -4.65 281/21 4.01 2010: 307/17 Gearing 2011: 0.18 0.21 -0.03 0.56 400/2233 2010: 477/2210 Decrease in current ratio is due to in-efficiencies in debtor and inventory turnover. Shortfall in cash has deteriorated acid test which is more conservative than current ratio. Variation in interest cover is an imminent concern given its retail landscape and possible inability to meet its debt obligations. Keskos cost of sales needs to be addressed to better manage profits sub-sequentially improving its cash reserves to shield the interest-cover shortfall. Decrease in gearing is a positive sign, showing Keskos good portion of equity is in place displaying monetary strength. e).Shareholders and Investment ratios Return on equity is the measure to see how much profit is left for shareholders. Higher this ratio, higher the profit for shareholders. Shareholders can decide to withdraw this profit or keep it invested in the business as retained earnings. Earning per share is a measure of firms profitability. Dividend cover is the number of times a firms dividends to shareholders is paid from its net profits. Higher the cover, more the ability to pay the shareholders. PE ratio measures price compared to earnings. The bigger the earning, more potential of rise in future earnings. Shareholder Calculations 2011 2010 Change Ahold 2011 Ratios 2011: ROE 197 / 2,233 8.8% 9.7% 0.9 17.3% 2010: 216 / 2,210 2011: 1.85 2.08 0.1 0.92 EPS 197 / 99 2010: 216 / 99 2011: Dividend Cover 1.85 / 1.20 1.54 times 1.6 times 0.06 2.30 EPS / Dividend 2010: Per share 2.08 / 1.30 PE Ratio 2011: 24.1 / 1.85 2010: 34.70 / 2.08 13.0 16.82* -3.82 11.48 Low ROE is result of low profit. Debt in the company also affects ROE, but in Keskos case debt has been reduced which might not be relevant for decline in ROE. Keskos increase in intangible assets can also result in low ROE. EPS is declined resulting from decline in operating profit, and possible increase in capital expenditure from last year. But still manageable and shows strong growth potential. Dividend cover is constant but relatively lower than Ahold. PE ratio is declined from previous year. This may show low market confidence in 2011. *http://www.kesko.fi/en/Investors/Share-information/Key-indicators-by-share/ f).Conclusion and Recommendation: Kesko is a strong company with year-on-year growth. However year 2011 has underperformed. The year seems a bit challenging ranging from its high cost of sales and higher volatility in its share price. Given its higher interest payments shows a possibility of higher borrowing costs. Increase in intangible assets (Computer Software, Licences) and expansion cost in the form of CAPEX is also a driver of declining cash-flows. The seasonal nature of operations arising from seasonal fluctuations took a toll on profits which are not earned throughout the year. Depending on Keskos segmental characteristics these profit variations are possible. Kesko Strengths Diversified product portfolio Effective Business model Growth in E-commerce Strong chain support functions Weaknesses High dependency on euro-zone. Lack of skilled labor Foreign exchange risks Changes in the Groups structure by creating a new subsidiary in Russian market and transferring 36 stores to the subsidiary has also affected Keskos performance. Uncertainties in the euro zone, volatility in consumer demand is affecting the appetite for CAPEX in the euro zone. Hence the reason of strong expansion in Russia. E-commerce is booming with international customers creating alternative benefits for Kesko. Future looks favorable for Kesko. Low investment in euro-zone will offset high CAPEX in Russian region. Steady growth in the food business expects to continue. Home and building business is expected to balance against consumer demand. Net sales are expected to grow next year i.e. 2013. All in all the growth-story looks good for Ahold. Ahold has the means to acquire Kesko. However my recommendation would be hold the acquisition desire for now till numbers become promising. As an alternative a 20% shareholding now will be suitable for Ahold. In both scenarios, if Kesko does well in the future, Ahold is sure to benefit from its interest in Kesko. Answer 3: The cash-flows of the project are below: Year 0 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Sales Revenue 0 300,000 510,000 680,000 450,000 240,000 Loss of Contribion (35,000) (35,000) (35,000) (35,000) (35,000) Variable Costs (160,000) (240,000) (280,000) (210,000) (140,000) Fixed Costs (22,000) (22,000) (22,000) (22,000) (22,000) Op Cash flow 65,000 195,000 325,000 165,000 25,000 Working capital (70,000) (70,000) (70,000) (70,000) (70,000) Capital Cost (500,000) Residual Value 100,000 Net Cash flow (500,000) 78,000 338,000 598,000 278,000 98,000 Depreciation of 80,000 is not included in fixed costs as it does not affect cash. Head office overheads are also not a constant fixed cost over 5 year period so not including in the fixed costs. The Payback time is approx. 2 years 6 months. Net Present Value calculation is below with discount rate of 15%. Year Cash flow PV Factor PV 0 (500,000) 1.0 (500,000) 1 78,000 0.870 67,860 2 338,000 0.756 255,528 3 598,000 0.658 393,484 4 278,000 0.572 159,016 5 98,000 0.497 48,706 NPV 424,594 NPV is positive, so recommendation to the board is to go ahead with the project With adding back depreciation of 40,000 i.e. 80,000 x 5 at the end of 5 year: Year Cash flow PV Factor PV 0 (500,000) 1.0 (500,000) 1 78,000 0.870 67,860 2 338,000 0.756 255,528 3 598,000 0.658 393,484 4 278,000 0.572 159,016 5 98,000 0.497 48,706 Depreciation (400,000) NPV 24,594 NPV is still positive, so recommendation to the board is to go ahead with the project. The IRR is 43.7%, where NPV becomes zero. Answer 4: Usefulness of Company accounts to assess value of companies Hello friend, In order to understand company accounts, the financial accounting statements provide a representation of financial position and performance of the company. Company accounts are made up of 3 statements: Balance Sheet (aka Statement of financial position) Income Statement ( aka Profit and Loss account) Cash-flow statement Cash-flow statements show how much cash came in or went out in a particular period. For example, I started a business of selling flowers with  £40. On Tuesday morning, I bought flowers worth  £40 and sold three-quarters of flowers for  £45 cash that day. My cash-flow position during Tuesday will look like this: Cash invested by me:  £40 Cash from sales of flowers:  £45 Cash paid to buy flowers: ( £40) Closing balance of cash  £45 Income statements show how much wealth i.e. profit is generated or lost by the company over a period of time. Profit and loss can be defined as increase or decrease in wealth through trading activities. For income statement it shows wealth generated on Tuesday. It represents the difference between the value of the sales made and the cost of goods sold. Sales revenue:  £45 Cost of goods sold (3/4 of  £40) (30) Profit  £15 It is the cost of flowers sold that is matched against the sales revenue to get profit. Not the whole cost of flowers is shown as unsold flowers in my case  ¼ of  £40=  £10 will adjusted against the future sales revenue that it will generate. Balance sheet shows accumulated wealth of the business at the end of the given period. It also shows what form have that wealth taken? For balance sheet the wealth created at the end of Tuesday trading. It will show list of resources held at the time. Cash (closing balance)  £45 Stock or inventory for resale  £10 Total assets  £55 Equity  £55 Equity is the stake of the owner in the business. Where-as assets include cash and stock. Cash is a vital resource for a business to function. It is used to retire debt and or for the purchase of stock. However, reporting cash alone will not portray the health of the business. The changes in cash do not tell us how much profit is generated. Thats why income statements are used. A balance-sheet on the other hand shows total wealth of the business. Cash is only one form in which wealth can be held, however in bigger businesses there are land, machinery and equipment is also classed as wealth in the balance-sheet. A combination of these statements states the financial position and health of the company. The relationship of these statements can be seen by a figure below: Another way to valuing a business is through company assets, price of parallel business and finally the cash-flow. Company assets are appraised to assess their value deducting any liabilities. The sales of similar business are valued in the area of your business. Location is very important in valuing the business though the limitations include undermining the value of your business by management and sales. The most effective way is the liquidity of the business i.e. cash position minus liabilities. You know what is coming your way. Issues: Issues related to these statements are the way they are presented. Use of creative accounting can somehow alter the real picture and position of the company. Audited company accounts are seldom used by investors or potential buyers, primarily for the reason of creativeness. Depending on the nature of your query for valuing the company, apart from simplified company accounts mentioned above, it can vary from share price to ratio analysis to cost of capital or debt and so on.

Hard Times :: essays research papers

The book Hard Times written by Charles Dickens is a story about a Lancashire Mill Town in the 1840’s. The novel is divided into three books. Dickens titles the books accordingly to prepare the reader for what is about to come, and throughout the novel he shows the effects of the education system, the setup of the caste system, and the Industrial Revolution had on society through this small town of Coketown. The main characters of the novel show the English caste system of the 19th century by showing how one influences the other and the amount of power the bourgeois now have in society. They own the factories. Therefore, they have the money and, because of the changes coming from the revolution, have some power in society. The titles of the three books, â€Å"Sowing†, â€Å"Reaping†, and â€Å"Garnering† shows significance in the way Dickens is trying to help the reader get an understanding of what is to come. Dickens shows the way the working classes are f ighting for a say in the way they are treated at work by forming unions and how a bad negotiator can ruin things. He shows from the start that the education system is based on â€Å"fact† and not â€Å"fancy.† The breakdown of the â€Å"fact† based education is shown when Gradgrind himself asked a question that is not fact based. In the end, the whole system of education is reversed and the â€Å"fancy† is fancied. The novel can be summarized as a book about two struggles. One struggle is between fact and imagination and the other is the struggle between two classes. Thomas Gradgrind, the father of Louisa, Tom, and June not only stresses facts in the classroom in which he teaches, but also at home to his family. He has brought up his children to know only the â€Å"facts.† Everything is black and white, right or wrong with nothing in between. Gradgrind does not like the idea of going to the circus or having flowered carpet. Everyone knows a person cannot have flowered carpet. He would trample all over them and they would end up dying. The second struggle is between the classes is illustrated between Stephen Blackpool and Bounderby. Blackpool represents the working class and Bounderby the bourgeois or middle class. He is a warm-hearted man who feels he deserves this mediocre life. Blackpool was once an employee under Bounderby and was fired for standing up for his beliefs.

Impacts of malnutrition on children Essay

Capacio (2013) once said that one of the underlying reasons for establishing feeding program is to provide targeted families and their children, an incentive to attend school. It is popular strategy for achieving both educational and social objective among school children, which includes combating and fighting hunger and malnutrition. She further said that its potential impact on education is that aside from alleviating short-term hunger among children, proper nutrition improves children’s cognitive functioning and attention. Better nutrition provides them better assistance to diseases which would keep them from attending school, thus would indirectly improve educational achievement. School feeding programs could help supplement the problem for malnourished children through providing them with healthy meals. Meanwhile, Manasan @ Cuenca (2007) assert that malnourished children often experience loss of mental capacities. They became sickly and loss their presence of mind. Because of this children that are malnourished often have low performance in school. School feeding program is done to reduce the number of malnourished children and improve their nutritional status and at the same time improving their performance in the class. Bundy (2009) suggests that appropriately designed school feeding programs increase access to education and learning and improve children’s health and nutrition especially when integrated into comprehensive school health and nutrition programs. Similarly, a recent review by Jomaa (2011) reveals relatively consistent positive effects of school feeding on energy intake, micronutrient status, school enrollment and attendance of the children participating in school feeding programs compared to non-participants. At present there are approximately 300 million chronically hungry children in the world. One hundred million of them do not attend school. And school feeding programs have been continuously gaining popularity in developing countries, mostly among those affected severely by childhood hunger and malnutrition. These program aims to enhance the concentration span and learning capacity of school children by providing meals in schools to reduce malnutrition. Furthermore, Luistro (2012) said that 42,000 undernourished pupils stand to benefit from the Department of Education’s School Based Feeding Program, which aims to boost their health and help them do well in school. He also added that the feeding program gives nutritious meals to pupils suffering from severe malnutrition for 100 to 200 feeding days. According to Food for Education Stakeholders (2000), evidence strongly suggests that school feeding programs can increase attendance rates, especially for girls. School feeding or take home rations serve as incentives for enrolling children in school and encouraging daily attendance. Early malnutrition can adversely affect physical, mental and social aspects of child’s health, which as a result leads on underweight, stunted growth, lowered immunity and mortality. The lack of nutrition imposes significant economic costs on individuals and nations including how it affects on academic performance and behaviors at school and long term productivity adults. Problems like delayed entry to school, less overall schooling, smaller stature and lower school performance among children represent a great motivation to impose feeding programs. Henceforth, the researchers embark to pursue this study in order to determine the effects of feeding program to the health condition and academic performance of the students in Maasin Central School. In addition, the researchers believe that the results of this study would help curb the problems of malnutrition especially to younger children. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND This study is basically premised on the theories of Ahmed (2004), Jukes, Drake @ Bundy (2008) and Adelman (2008). It is also supported by the following legal bases such as House Bill No. 428, House Resolution No.26 and  DepEd Order No. 43, S. 2011. According to Ahmed (2004), solid empirical evidence of the impact of school feeding programmes on educational outcomes proves that school feeding increases school enrollment and attendance by reducing drop-out. Enhanced nutrition and health of primary school children leads to improved learning and decreased morbidity, paving the way for healthier lives. He further said that the school feeding programmes not only alleviate child hunger in school, but also enhance nutrition, particularly when the food is fortified with micronutrients. This raises the potential to improve a child’s health, school performance and educational attainment. Furthermore, Jakes, Drake @ Bundy (2008) state that when school feeding targets preschool children, it can help give a child a healthy head start and pave the way for a promising future. There is compelling evidence that poor nutrition in early childhood affects cognitive development and learning potential and poor health is an additional barrier to education. They further said that increased access to preschool can enhance education outcomes and equity among children of primary school aged-children. School feeding should be seen as a part of a continuum and one of many potential interventions that support nutrition for pre- primary and primary school aged- children. School feeding in pre- primary schools, for children aged 3 to 5 years can be seen as preventive, and has the potential to bridge the gap between infancy and primary school age- 6 to 11 years in countries where pre- schools are part of the basic education. Meanwhile, Adelman (2008) said that improving micronutrient status through food fortification or micronutrient powders, particularly of iron, B- vitamins, vitamin A and iodine, contributes directly to enhance cognition and learning capacity. Recent studies in Kenya and Uganda proved that both in- school meals and take home rations (THR’s) reduce anaemia prevalence. In addition, Grillenberger (2003) believes that school feeding enhances the diet and increases the energy and kilocalories available to a child. It targets micronutrient deficiencies, which are widespread among school- age children in developing countries and which increase susceptibility to infection, leading to absenteeism and impairing learning capacity and cognition. Alderman (2011) highlighted the importance of school feeding programmes both as a social safety net for children living in poverty and food insecurity, and as a part of national educational policies and plans. School feeding  programs can help to get children into school and help to keep them there, through enhancing enrollment and reducing absenteeism. And once the children are in school the programs can contribute to their learning through avoiding hunger and enhancing cognitive abilities. Furthermore, school health and nutrition interventions have been recognized in addressing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of universal basic education and gender equity in educational access. In order to achieve these goals, it is essential that even the poorest children, who suffer most from ill health and hunger, are able attend school and learn while there. Disadvantaged children- the poor, the marginalized, girls and children in fragile states- often suffer from ill health and malnutrition and therefore benefit most from school feeding program. According to Jacooby (2012) ascertained that school snacks in the Philippines were completely additional resources to the students in the program. That is each additional calorie provided in school led to an identical increase to the total calories consumed by the student during the day. Numerous studies show that in school feeding has a positive impact on school enrollment or participation in areas where initial indicators of school participation are low (Jukes, Drake @ Bundy 2007). Moreover, Greenhalgh (2007) @ Lehrer (2008) claimed that school feeding programs which provide meals at school (SPFs) or related take home rations (THRs) can improve enrollment and attendance, can address chronic hunger or micronutrient deficiencies and, by improving health or by increasing a child’s focus in the classroom, can enhance learning. According to Jomaa (2011), states that school feeding programs (SPFs) are intended to alleviate short- term hunger, improve nutrition and cognition of children and transfer income to families. He also added that the positive impact of school feeding on growth, cognition, and academic achievement of school- aged children receiving SPFs compared to non- school- fed children was less conclusive. This review identifies in the design and implementation of SPFs and calls for theory- based impact evaluations to strengthen the scientific evidence behind designing, funding and implementing SPFs Likewise, House Bill No.428 otherwise also known as â€Å"Child Nutrition Act of the Philippines†- (an Act establishing in the Department of Education a National School Feeding Program for elementary grade pupils) requires the implementation of a National plan of Action that will save millions of elementary school  children from malnutrition and illiteracy by establishing in the Department of Education a National Feeding Program that could significantly reduce the prevalence of malnutrition and swiftly resolve related school and pupil- learning problems. House Resolution No.26- a resolution directing the house committees on basic education, social services, health and government to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation on the implementation of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) particularly, the various feeding programs for public school children in children in early childhood care and education centers (Day Care Centers), elementary and secondary schools all over the country. The resolution was filed on January 7, 2013 by Congressman Jonathan A. de la Cruz. Finally, DepEd Order No. 43, S. 2011 states that the Department of Education (DepEd) through the Health and Nutrition Center (HNC) should strengthen the School Health and Nutrition Programs (SHNP) into its key programs and aligning all its activities into one seamless whole. This is envisioned to make this Department better able to determine the effectiveness and relevance of its programs, and to make responsive to the DepEd’s mission of enhancing the student’s motivation and capacity for learning, improving learning, outcomes, reducing absenteeism and ensuring that school- age children are able to stay in school as enunciated in the Education for All (EFA) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Online Reservation System

an online booking system is â€Å"used to store and retrieve information about tour product, tour product options or lodging facility and conduct transactions for booking it. † That's a fancy way to say that an online reservation system will let you accept bookings for your services online. There are three main reasons why you should at the very least consider putting an online booking system in place: #1 It puts you a step ahead of your competition. There's a multitude of tour and activity operators out there who have a website and enlist on Google Places, but very few already have an online booking system in place.By having an online reservation system, you're one step ahead of the game, tipping the scales in your favour when prospects research and compare your capabilities against your competitors. Of course, the presence of an online booking system itself is not enough to make or break the sale. You still need to make sure the other aspects of your site (like imagery, for example) are in the best shape to minimise the amount of visitors that bounce off it. #2 It's convenient and fast – for you and your customers.Location is not an issue, and neither is time. The virtual set-up means you won't need to wake up at unholy hours to take booking calls from potential clients halfway around the world. While you dream of being the best damn tour or activity operator there is, people are going through the process of finding your site, browsing through its content, and making a booking. Travellers veer towards tour and activity sites that support online bookings because not only is it easy, but they usually find some great discount deals, too.They can read up on your business, look at your options, and finally make a booking without being hassled by a pushy sales representative. #3 It speeds up your cash flow. The old barrier in the way of online payment systems was trust, but this is no longer an issue. The risk of credit card fraud or scam is extremely low for online payment gateways. The online booking system you choose should have an â€Å"SSL certificate† on its payment page to ensure users that you are legitimate.Online reservation systems speed up your cash flow just by being there. There's less capital outlay on your end because you don't have to hire staff to manage customers or pay rent for a physical space. Also, once customers book through it, money goes straight into your account – no lag time here. They're also more accurate than you probably are when it comes to mathematical calculations. You can set up coupon codes and discount offers without triple-checking whether you got the maths right. â€Å"according to Wikipedia†

Free Essays on ACA Airlines

As Atlantic Coast Airlines(ACA) begins to make the transition from regional commuter to low cost airlines there are a lot of different aspects of the industry which they needed to look at before the final decision could be made. The first and made the most important was factor they needed to examen was what type of industry there where going to be competing in and what there competition was going to be. The airline industry today is what is know as an oligopoly which is a market structure dominated by a small number of large firms, selling identical or similar products, and there are significant barriers to entry into the industry. ACA knows the risks that it faces in making this decision, but they feel confident that there new Dulles International Airport based airlines will be successful as a low cost air carrier. There where several barriers to entry which made it difficult for ACA to get to this point, but they have proved through market research and financial forecasting that they have what it takes to succeed. The main barrier to entry was the shear cost of this type of venture, starting an airline is a very expensive business proposition. After studying ACA’s past financial report it show that they have been able to make a profit for the last five years as regional carrier and plan do continue to do so as a low cost carrier. The cost part of the transition was made even easier due in part to there large cash reserve, and the fact they already have a lot of the assets they need in place to make the conversion, such as facilities, equipment, employees. Another barrier ACA faced when trying to form this new airlines was there regional air carrier contract with United airlines. As of earlier this year when United Airlines filed for bankruptcy they contract was considered null and voi d due to stipulation in the contract. This open the way for ACA to go ahead with there plans. Several other barrier to entry existed while ACA pl... Free Essays on ACA Airlines Free Essays on ACA Airlines As Atlantic Coast Airlines(ACA) begins to make the transition from regional commuter to low cost airlines there are a lot of different aspects of the industry which they needed to look at before the final decision could be made. The first and made the most important was factor they needed to examen was what type of industry there where going to be competing in and what there competition was going to be. The airline industry today is what is know as an oligopoly which is a market structure dominated by a small number of large firms, selling identical or similar products, and there are significant barriers to entry into the industry. ACA knows the risks that it faces in making this decision, but they feel confident that there new Dulles International Airport based airlines will be successful as a low cost air carrier. There where several barriers to entry which made it difficult for ACA to get to this point, but they have proved through market research and financial forecasting that they have what it takes to succeed. The main barrier to entry was the shear cost of this type of venture, starting an airline is a very expensive business proposition. After studying ACA’s past financial report it show that they have been able to make a profit for the last five years as regional carrier and plan do continue to do so as a low cost carrier. The cost part of the transition was made even easier due in part to there large cash reserve, and the fact they already have a lot of the assets they need in place to make the conversion, such as facilities, equipment, employees. Another barrier ACA faced when trying to form this new airlines was there regional air carrier contract with United airlines. As of earlier this year when United Airlines filed for bankruptcy they contract was considered null and vo id due to stipulation in the contract. This open the way for ACA to go ahead with there plans. Several other barrier to entry existed while ACA pl...

30 tips to negotiate the salary you want

30 tips to negotiate the salary you want No matter who you are, no matter what you do as a job, there is one skill that will always (always!) come in handy: negotiation. Whether you’re a newbie just starting out on your career path or a seasoned professional, being able to negotiate salary or raises helps ensure that you’re getting the most out of your career. Before You StartBefore you even get in the room and start negotiating (or crack open your email), there are some tips you should follow first.1. Know your worth.The absolute baseline for any negotiation is knowing what you’re worth. This isn’t some existential exercise- this is knowing the dollar value of your professional skills and experience in the current market, in your current industry. Sites like Salary.com, Glassdoor, and PayScale provide valuable real-time information about what people in your position are making at different companies, in different regions, at different experience levels. Using that kind of data you can get a pret ty solid sense of what you’re worth in the employment marketplace.2. Keep your mindset realistic.Chances are, you’re not going to get everything you want. So before you even start it’s good to steel yourself for an outcome that may be a little less than you were picturing. After all, when you’re done you want to be able to enjoy what you did win here, rather than focus on what you lost.3. Don’t limit your research to salary.If you’re negotiating a job offer, make sure you know everything you can find out about your prospective new company. If their stock is tanking, or there’s a general sense of upheaval, you might not be able to negotiate all that much above an initial offer. If the company is flush and doing well, there might be greater leeway for negotiation.4. Get your plan together.This is not the time to wing it, no matter how confident you feel. Go into this with a specific plan for what exactly what you’re going to ask for, what information you’re going to use to support that ask, and what you’ll say when met with different responses.5. Look at the calendar.Believe it or not, studies have shown that you’re more likely to get a raise if you ask on a Thursday. Maybe it’s pre-weekend goodwill, or it’s that the Monday-related grumpiness has dissipated. Whatever it is, it’s a psychological advantage that could help you, without the other person realizing it.Getting StartedOkay, so you have your numbers in mind (and written down), and you have a realistic sense of where this negotiation can go. How do you kick off the next phase?6. Get pumped.What gets you awake and ready to act decisively and confidently? If that’s a #treatyoself latte, do it. If morning yoga or a run helps energize you and make you feel centered, go for the Zen. Basically, whatever helps you feel focused and confident, make sure you allow yourself time to do that before any negotiation. 7. Exude confidence.You know how baseball players have special walk-up music playing when they come up to bat? Find your walk-up song. Don’t blare it as you enter the room (that’s a bit too extra), but definitely have it in your head as you walk into the room with your head held high. Or if you’re negotiating remotely via email, have your power song(s) playing on repeat in the background.8. Rock your body (language).Body language is one of the most important factors in an in-person negotiation. Strong, confident posture and body language show that you’re comfortable advocating for yourself and aren’t likely to accept whatever they throw your way first. They also show that you’re engaged and approaching this in a calm, friendly-but-businesslike way. Make sure you’re not being too aggressive in your body language, though, because that can backfire as much as being too weak or nervous.9. Remember, you’re not here to make enemies.N egotiation is something done in good faith, assuming that both parties are trying to come to an agreement that works. If you go full-on aggro, you ruin that element of good faith. It’s not going to make your negotiation partner want to give you more- and it much more likely to have the opposite effect. And it’s crucial to remember that this is someone you’ll have to deal with at work after the negotiation is over, so don’t say or do anything you’d regret later.10. Start with the right questions.It can be tempting to jump in with â€Å"here’s what I want,† but this is your chance to get more info about the other party. You can start the conversation about asking about priorities and the other party’s goals for the negotiation. Sure, it’s small talk, but it can help you measure your next step.The Big NegotiationOnce you’re in it (either in the same room or locked in an email exchange), it’s important to keep up your confidence and your momentum.11. Move first.Be the first one to put out a number. There’s an old saying that you don’t want to be the one who blinks first, but that’s not really valid here. By putting your own highest number out first, you’re setting the bar for the conversation.12. Go a little higher than you want.Again, keep it realistic, but if you inflate your upper range a bit the other party will feel like they’re getting a â€Å"deal† when they talk you down from that initial number. Assuming the number is somewhat realistic based on your research, you likely won’t be laughed out of the negotiation room.13. Don’t talk about ranges.In your prep work, you came up with a range of numbers you’d accept. Keep that in your head (or in your notes in front of you), but don’t throw out a target range to the negotiator. Your negotiating partner will automatically zoom in on the lower end of the range, so itâ⠂¬â„¢s better to stick to specific numbers rather than ranges while you’re talking.14. Focus on value.Remember all that background research you did on your professional worth? Here’s where that comes into play. Use industry stats to support your number, and emphasize the qualities that make you a good deal for that price.15. Keep it professional.Don’t bring any personal motivations or justifications into it. This is about negotiating professional compensation. Your cat’s need for expensive liposuction surgery just doesn’t (and shouldn’t) register as a valid reason why you should get a raise or a higher starting salary.16. Keep asking questions.If your negotiating partner seems resistant to any of the requests or information you’re putting out, it’s okay to ask why they seem hesitant or why they are surprised/unhappy/unwilling to move in the direction you’re trying to move.17. Listen actively.It can be easy to focus on th e offers being made and ignore everything else but the numbers flying back and forth. Make sure you listen to everything the other person is saying and how they’re saying it.Counter-negotiatingThe whole point of this is haggling, right? So you shouldn’t be surprised if your opening offer is rejected. Here’s what to do next.18. Don’t fear the counteroffer.If your number is rejected or met with skepticism, you aren’t obligated to accept whatever they offer in return. Come up with a counteroffer that is as specific and realistic as the last number.19. Stall a little.Even if you know you’re likely to accept the counteroffer they make, don’t agree right away. Take some deliberation time as you review (or at least pretend to) their counteroffer. Feel free to throw in some thoughtful â€Å"hmm†s along the way.20. Consider taking it offline.Negotiations are often done in person or on the phone, but if you primarily correspond with your negotiating partner via email, use that medium. It gives you more flexibility on timing and can help you bluff a bit if you feel your confidence failing.21. Don’t make threats.People don’t respond well to ultimatums. They just don’t. So if your big nuclear option is â€Å"well, then I quit,† don’t use that as a negotiation tactic in the middle. It’s not likely to make the other person willing to hand over exactly what you want and can end up hurting your negotiation in the long run. Similarly, don’t use other job offers as bait in a negotiation- it can sound like a threat.22. Have non-money options in mind.If you suspect that salary negotiations aren’t going to go far, consider including benefits like flex time, a better title, or other workplace concessions as part of your counteroffer.Accepting (Or Walking Away)At a certain point, you’ll have budged as far as you’re willing to go, and so will have your negotiat ion partner. It’s time to start thinking about your negotiation exit strategy.23. Know your limit.Before you start, you should know what your dealbreaker point is. If it’s a new job, maybe that’s your current salary. If you’re trying for a raise, maybe that’s a 3% increase. Whatever your personal limit is, know it and stick to it.24. Accept graciously.If you’re on board with the negotiated salary, be a good winner. Don’t act begrudging, like you’re doing a favor by taking this offer. And don’t gloat if you ended up getting a better deal than you expected. Be a good winner.25. Don’t take it personally.Whatever happens, you shouldn’t take it as a personal slight that you’re not being offered top dollar. You have your priorities, but your negotiating partner has them as well. Those interests are not necessarily a dig at you or a suggestion that you’re not valuable.26. Have an exit plan if necessa ry.If you know that you want to leave if the negotiations don’t go a certain way, don’t stomp out of the room and quit in a huff. But do start preparing for a job search. The knowledge you have about your market value and the feedback you get during this negotiation can help you prepare for whatever professional opportunity comes next.27. Be firm about your limit.If you know you have a certain point that you’re not willing to drop below, stick to it. Try not to panic and take a subpar offer if it’s truly not going to work for you.28. Don’t drag it out.This can get particularly long if you’re doing it via email, but don’t let much time lapse between their offer(s) and your counteroffer(s). Radio silence for more than a day is not going to be met with much enthusiasm.29. Don’t get hung up on mistakes.Maybe you jumped too soon on an offer and regret it. But if you do find yourself making little mistakes along the way, don’t beat yourself up- make a note for next time.30. Live to negotiate another day.Regardless of the outcome, every negotiation becomes a useful tool for Future You. Maybe certain arguments weren’t met with the kind of response you were hoping to get. Maybe their starting offer was way lower than you expected and threw off your game. Whatever happens, you’re getting valuable tools for the next time you do this- and there will be a next time.

Terms of Arithmetic and Math in Spanish

Terms of Arithmetic and Math in Spanish You can talk about math in Spanish by learning a few basic terms. Many of the words are ones you already may know from other contexts. Spanish Terms of Arithmetic Here are the words for the simple mathematical functions and how theyre used with numbers: Addition (Suma):  Dos ms tres son cinco. (Two plus three is five.) Note that in other contexts, ms is usually an adverb. Subtraction (Resta):  Cinco menos cuatro son uno. (Five minus four is one.) Multiplication (Multiplicacià ³n):  Tres por cuatro son doce. (Three times four is twelve.) In other contexts, por is a common preposition. Division (Divisià ³n):  Doce dividido entre cuatro son tres. (Twelve divided by four is three.) Doce dividido por cuatro son tres. (Twelve divided by four is three.) Entre is another common preposition. Note that all of these sentences use the verb son, which is plural, in contrast with the singular verb is of English. It is also possible to use es or  the phrase es igual a (is equal to). Other Mathematical Terms Here are some less common mathematical terms: el cuadrado de - the square ofel cubo de - the cube ofecuacià ³n - equationelevado a la enà ©sima potencia - raised to the nth powerfuncià ³n - functionnà ºmero imaginario - imaginary numberpromedio - average, meanquebrado, fraccià ³n - fractionraà ­z cuadrada - square rootraà ­z cà ºbica - cube root Sample Sentences Solo un idiota que no sabe que dos ms dos son  cuatro le creerà ­a. (Only an idiot who doesnt know that two plus two equals four would believe him.) Una fraccià ³n es un nà ºmero  que se obtiene de dividir un entero en partes iguales. (A fraction is a number that is obtained by dividing a whole number into equal parts.) Pi se obtiene al dividir la circunferencia de un cà ­rculo del dimetro. (Pi is obtained by dividing the circumference of a circle by the diameter.) El triple de un nà ºmero menos el doble del mismo nà ºmero son ese nà ºmero. (Three times a number minus two times that number is that number.) Una funcià ³n es como una mquina: tiene una entrada y una salida. (A function is like a machine: It has an input and an output.) Una ecuacià ³n es una igualdad matemtica entre dos expresiones matemticas. (An equation is an equality between two mathematical expressions.) La ciudad est dividida en dos partes iguales. (The city is divided into two equal parts.)  ¿Cul es el resultado de dividir 20 por 0.5? (What is the quotient of 20 divided by 0.5?) El cuadrado de un nà ºmero menos el doble del mismo nà ºmero son 48.  ¿Cul es ese nà ºmero? (The square root of a number minus double the same number is 48. What is that number?) El promedio de edad de los estudiantes es de 25 aà ±os. (The average age of the students is 25.) La divisià ³n entre cero es una indeterminacià ³n. Asà ­Ã‚  la expresià ³n 1/0 carece de sentio. (Division by zero yields an indeterminable number. Thus the expression 1/0 doesnt make sense.) Los nà ºmeros imaginarios pueden describirse como el producto de un nà ºmero real por la unidad imaginaria i, en donde i denota la raà ­z cuadrada de -1. (Imaginary numbers can be described as the product of a real number by the imaginary unit i, where  i denotes the square root of -1.)

The Classification of Films in Specific Genres Literature review

The Classification of Films in Specific Genres - Literature review Example In his article, Film/Genre, Rick Altman strives to explain the need for the classification of films in specific genres. In doing this, he outlines some of the common film genres thus investigating the unique features of each genre that helps distinguish the numerous genres. He explains that classification is vital in the study and growth of the film industry. He alludes to the numerous other classifications in the contemporary society in underscoring the need to classify films. Among the film, genres are comedy, thriller, epic, and horror among many others. The film critic contends that people may classify films differently thus validating the existence of numerous genres. Despite the relativity of the classification system, the author further outlines numerous markers of a genre thus helping in the identification and classification of films in the industry. Key among the factors he presents is that â€Å"genres have clear stable identities and border†. Such is a fundamental e xplanation that film developers and critics consider in order to understand both the industry and the specific films. Every film genre is unique to the thematic issues represented and the tools used by the developers in representing the themes (Schatz, 2003). Altman, therefore, alludes to the features of film to develop the boundaries and identities of every film. This enhances the classification of films thus the consumption of such vital media products. In classifying films, the critic, therefore, explains that people must investigate the generic blueprint of films this implies that each film genre has a specific attribute, which he explains as the boundaries and clear stable identities. Every film must, therefore, portray the features attributed to every film (Tudor, 2006). This enhances the consumption of films thus the growth of the industry. Finally, the critic refers to the audience as the most influential party in the consumption of film. He, therefore, explains that the aud ience must identify and recognize that the film belongs to a specific genre.              

False activation rates by EMS (Paramedics) and the ER doctors on STEMI Research Paper

False activation rates by EMS (Paramedics) and the ER doctors on STEMI patients - Research Paper Example In cases, when a patient experiences STEMI, it is the duty of the paramedics to detect the anomaly within the heart through the use of 12-lead electrocardiogram technique. Notably, the patients having STEMI gets examined in the ‘Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory (Cath Lab)’ setup within diverse medical facilities. However, within multiple medical facilities, the precision factor within the Cath Lab is not attained till date and as a result of which multiple cases of false activations regarding STEMI detection in patients have been addressed within the previous few years (National Center for Biotechnology Information, â€Å"Early cardiac catheterization laboratory activation by paramedics for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction on prehospital 12-lead electrocardiograms†). With this concern, the research paper will mainly focused on evaluating and understanding the trends as well as rates of false activations in relation to STEMI depending on which, effective strategies will be formulated as how to reverse the rise in the rates of such false activations. In addition, an assessment will also be conducted on the Emergency Room (ER) doctors and the EMS determining who should be held liable for the rising rates of such issue. Apart from these, the research paper will also focus towards elaborating the cases wherein the doctors have failed in detecting and activating the STEMI patients. Finally, a comparison will be made in the research paper regarding the data provided in opposition to national trends, elaborating the strategies that can be used in enhancing the provided data. Emergency services such as Reperfusion therapy is a high cost treatment against STEMI patients, which also results in multiple negative side-effects if practiced on the wrong patients. As a result, the EMS and the ER doctors remain highly cautious in terms of identifying the appropriate symptoms before declaring a patient to be suffering from

Medical Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Medical Language - Essay Example We put him on a trolley and shifted him to the nearby hospital by ambulance. We made him relax in semiprone position so that he could breathe well. We reached the hospital in 15 minutes. Enroute, his saturations were found to be 87 percent and hence he was started on oxygen. His lungs were filled with fluid. The fluid was more in lower lobes. Examination revealed crepitations on both the sides. His wife told us that he is known patient of congestive heart failure, diabetes and hypertension, on appropriate medication. We were thinking that his preexisting chronic cardiac failure predisposed to this acute exacerbation. The wife was very tensed and cried profusely. She asked me how the patient would do and I did not know much about the condition. On shifting into the emergency room, he was diagnosed to have pulmonary edema. Chest X-ray was ordered and several blood tests, including arterial blood gas analysis were sent. This I came to know from the nurse in the emergency room. I hope th e patient does well. I referred to this condition online and found that pulmonary edema does occur in those with preexisting cardiac failure due to failure of the life side of the heart.

BHS 499 (Senior Capstone Project) Module 1 SLP Essay

BHS 499 (Senior Capstone Project) Module 1 SLP - Essay Example through eliminating healthcare acquired infections and other avoidable accidents. National Health Services (NHS) formulated the Quality Framework in order to achieve the more improve quality of care at the same time support local clinical teams that consist the following: (1) Bring lucidity to quality in terms of access to evidences on best practice; (2) Publication of quality information to make it available to the public; (3) Offering rewards to high quality care givers; (4) Safeguarding basic standards in healthcare setting; (5) Ensuring state-of-the-art medical advances and service design; (6) Distinguishing the role of clinicians as leaders in quality of care (Davis, 2005; p1 par 1). warning systems in therapeutic procedures for cures of progressive diseases such as cystic fibrosis, diseases like cancer and heart disease, implantation procedures of artificial hips and kidneys. Nanoparticles may be very useful to researchers to overcome problems in gene therapy, and treatment of genetically inherited diseases. .Nanoparticles generally used to apply heat to cancer cells so they will be killed.

Science Integration is a better study Research Paper

Science Integration is a better study - Research Paper Example in making the students have a wider perspective of various fields of study, it is very cumbersome for those students who cannot effectively mentally cope with the variety of fields covered in the study (BermuÃŒ dez, 73). Some of the disciplinary perspectives include integrating science in politics, mathematics as well as economics. This makes it difficult for other students to understand some aspects of the course, thereby resulting to Demotivation of such students relevant to the study. Integration of sciences enable for flexibility in course selection relevant to the interests of the students (Slingerland and Mark, 65). In this manner, it is of crucial significance to note that the Integrated Sciences makes it possible for the students to establish their own individual course of study. In this manner, it is of critical importance to note that the integration of science as a study is critical in ensuring that students develop a wider scientific perspectives (BermuÃŒ dez, 38). This is very important in broadening their scope of understanding of the myriad of concepts covered in the study. This is important also in broadening the understanding between the links of science as well as society. In summary, Science Integration is a better study for students. It always focuses on molding students with the vast of knowledge that is necessary for application in various sectors within the society. Integration of sciences is critical in ensuring that the students appreciate the field of science. In addition, it ensures that students critically understand other fields of study involving the political realm, social as well as economic

Rug Bug Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rug Bug Corporation - Essay Example However, this is a small number when compared with the reported 4.5 million children who suffer from disabilities. So why do wheelchairs not sell to more children who need them The primary reason seems to be the high cost and the short period of usefulness of the equipment. If we consider the total number of children using wheelchairs and the age span of 8 years (14-6) that translates to less than 10,000 additional purchases each year, excepting of course, the replacements. As against this you have projected sales of 340; 5400; and 22,400 units in the first three years of operations - in a market that is growing at three percent anuually. This is not likely to go down well unless substantiated by other arguments. The additional market for children suffering from muscular dystrophy needs to be explained in greater detail and supported by data. In the meanwhile, you ought to consider revising the investment proposal by reducing projected sales in the 2nd and 3rd years. The wheelchair is a sign of ability impairment and may result in a lowering of self esteem and this will deter potential customers. The findings and recommendations of Doctors in that powered wheelchairs actually provide an impaired child with a sensory experience close to that of a normal child and improves their spatial skills and relations need to be highlighted in the promotion part of the marketing mix strategy. ... The additional market for children suffering from muscular dystrophy needs to be explained in greater detail and supported by data. In the meanwhile, you ought to consider revising the investment proposal by reducing projected sales in the 2nd and 3rd years. Critical Factors for Success: The wheelchair is a sign of ability impairment and may result in a lowering of self esteem and this will deter potential customers. The findings and recommendations of Doctors in that powered wheelchairs actually provide an impaired child with a sensory experience close to that of a normal child and improves their spatial skills and relations need to be highlighted in the promotion part of the marketing mix strategy. However, the projected sales and the promotional activity required to bring this message across require a spread over the entire US. This will be impossible to achieve within the small fund flow projections. The second factor will obviously be the backing of the medical fraternity for the product. Information about the unique qualities of the product followed by demonstrations would be required. The Business Plan You have made and presented the business plan without supporting most of the information with details of how these figures have been arrived at. These will definitely be required to be included. There is a need to clearly state the assumptions made and highlight the strengths of the organization that will be responsible for the operations of the company. Financing This is the most important part of the presentation and must be developed on a more realistic basis. I wish to point out that in addition to the overestimates of the sales in the coming years the

Science Integration is a better study Research Paper

Science Integration is a better study - Research Paper Example in making the students have a wider perspective of various fields of study, it is very cumbersome for those students who cannot effectively mentally cope with the variety of fields covered in the study (BermuÃŒ dez, 73). Some of the disciplinary perspectives include integrating science in politics, mathematics as well as economics. This makes it difficult for other students to understand some aspects of the course, thereby resulting to Demotivation of such students relevant to the study. Integration of sciences enable for flexibility in course selection relevant to the interests of the students (Slingerland and Mark, 65). In this manner, it is of crucial significance to note that the Integrated Sciences makes it possible for the students to establish their own individual course of study. In this manner, it is of critical importance to note that the integration of science as a study is critical in ensuring that students develop a wider scientific perspectives (BermuÃŒ dez, 38). This is very important in broadening their scope of understanding of the myriad of concepts covered in the study. This is important also in broadening the understanding between the links of science as well as society. In summary, Science Integration is a better study for students. It always focuses on molding students with the vast of knowledge that is necessary for application in various sectors within the society. Integration of sciences is critical in ensuring that the students appreciate the field of science. In addition, it ensures that students critically understand other fields of study involving the political realm, social as well as economic

Description of a Response Journal Essay Example for Free

Description of a Response Journal Essay Journals provide learners with an opportunity to record their personal thoughts, emotions, ideas, questions, reflections, connections, and new learning on what they hear, view, read, write, discuss and think. â€Å"What we as educators want is that their writing enable students to personalize a story and gain insights about the character, to help them reflect, and to help them see the world in a different way.† (Brownlie, 2005) â€Å"Our reflections are the making of deeper meaning and richer understandings. Our reflections are our dreams, our ideas, our questions, our initiatives, our visions – our journeys of lifelong learning and teaching. † (Schwartz Bone, 1995) Why are Response Journals an effective reading strategy? Response journals allow the students to â€Å"remember to hold on to their thinking† about what they are reading. (Zimmermann, 1997) Response journals are easily implemented at all levels. They can be used to target specific outcomes of the Provincial ELA Curriculum. Response journals can be used with any genre of literature (poetry, short stories, media text, novel studies) and in different content areas that use expository text. When should Response Journals be introduced? Response journals should be introduced as soon as possible using scaffolding such as sentence frames or prompts to start. The goal should be to have students enter the middle years feeling comfortable with recording their responses to reading with little or no scaffolding. How can I ensure student success? Choose poetry, stories or books with enough depth to elicit responses. Students should have the opportunity to discuss the reading before ever being asked to write a response. Use of the â€Å"Say Something† strategy (Brownlie, 2005) creates an atmosphere of acceptance and trust. Modeling, scaffolding, building criteria with students and practice with feedback are the most important tools for improving the quality of responses. Scaffolding is the use of a variety of starters, frames and graphic organizers to allow students to develop thoughtful responses. If needed, open ended prompts may be used for some students. (See Appendix) Modeling is critical to the success of student journal writing. Teachers need to model their thinking about a selected piece of text and how that thinking can be used to form a written response. This needs to be done regularly throughout the year with a variety of texts and responses. Students require frequent practice in the various forms of journal writing. The teacher must provide feedback based on criteria that has been developed with the students. This practice with feedback allows students to monitor their growth and set goals for future journal responses. What are the different formats for Response Journals? (See Appendix for examples) 1. Double Entry Journal This is the most common response journal. The page is divided in half lengthwise. One side refers to a specific piece of text in the form of a quote or a summary. The specific text may target a literary strategy, technique or element of the author’s craft. It may also elicit a personal response such as a connection, feeling or opinion. The other side targets the students’ thoughts regarding the selected piece of text. 2. Diary Entry In this style, the student writes from the point of view of one of the characters. It should include what the character might be thinking or feeling. 3. Illustration Students draw or illustrate a specific scene using thought bubbles or captions to show the character’s thoughts and feelings or demonstrate the scene’s importance. (Brownlie, 2005) 4. Interview The student makes up questions they would ask one of the main characters. The questions are answered in the characters â€Å"voice†. 5. Letter There are many options in this response. Students may write a letter to a character, to the author, to the teacher, to a friend, to another student. In the letter they are asking questions or sharing ideas about what they have read. At times, certain letter types could be responded to in the same fashion as a Dialogue Journal. 6. Dialogue Journal Students reading the same novel work in pairs. They write a reflection to their partner in response to the novel. The following day, they exchange journals and write back to their partner. (Brownlie, 2005) 7.Graphic Organizers Graphic organizers such as KWL Charts, Mind Maps, Venn Diagrams, Timelines, Bar Line Graphs are used to assist students in constructing meaning from text. 8.Coding the Text There are a variety of coding techniques including the use of stickies or highlighting to target specific elements of text such as vocabulary, figurative language, and confusing parts of text, questions and memorable quotes. If specific letter/symbol codes are being used, they should be developed in collaboration with your students and clearly posted in your room. How do I assess my students’ journal responses? Teachers assess for content not conventions. Students must be part of the criteria setting process. This will enable students to set clear and realistic goals. Teachers may choose to examine journal entries as evidence of student writing at the draft stage. However, this does not mean that students cannot choose one of their responses to take through the writing process and publish at a later date. How do I build and use criteria with my students? Criteria are the standards by which something can be judged or valued. When we determine these criteria, we are deciding what counts. Teachers set criteria with their students. When students are involved in developing criteria, they are much more likely to understand what is expected of them, â€Å"buy in†, and then accomplish the task successfully. A four step process for setting criteria with students encourages student participation, understanding and ownership. The first three steps should be carried out before or as students are beginning their project or assignment. †¢Brainstorm †¢Sort and Categorize †¢Make and Post a T-Chart †¢Add, Reuse, Refine For further information on setting criteria, refer to Setting and Using Criteria. Copyright 1997. Kathleen Gregory, Caren Cameron, Anne Davies, Connections Publishing. How do I tie the Reading Continuum descriptors to my students’ journal responses? At every level of the continuum, there are descriptors that can be assessed by some type of journal response. For example, at the Expanding Level students should be able to â€Å"express opinions with evidence from the text†. In the journal response, the teacher should be looking for opinions supported with evidence from the text. The teacher should see evidence of this at least three times before noting this skill on the reading continuum.

Project procurement and risk management

Project procurement and risk management PROJECT PROCUREMENT AND RÄ °SK INTRODUCTION The management of the processes of purchasing or acquiring the services ,products or results needed from outside the project team to perform the work is defined as project procurement management or the processes to purchase/acquire products, services and results from outside the project. The main actors are†The Buyer† and the†The Seller† and central is the contractual obligations and regulations.Central is also how the purchasing process within the project is structured, with formal approvals and routines[16].In procurement process we have to consider the Business aspect,financial aspect,routines,instructions,investment aspect,subcontracting and every step in procurement will need its own tools Risk analysis,Investment calculus,vendor evaluation,quality assurance,specification determination,contract forms. 1. SPECIFICATION OF PLACE AND SIZE OF THE PROJECT. 1.1 NEW PROJECT OF GW For the first and second assignment, our company hasnt had any specific project. We only made the scope analysis, management plan, policy, stakeholder analysis, organizational chart within the subjects of Project Management, Quality, Human Resources, and Communication Management.(1,2) For the third assignment, The Company GW has a current project, which is now on going. We have been ordered to make a solar thermal power plant to the area of desert of Arizona, United States. The ordered is made by the United State Government. There should be installed a solar thermal power plant to be built in 5 years. The target of this plant is to generate 275MW energy per year. The energy gained from the solar power, will be used in order to meet the electricity need of the towns that are the closest ones to the solar power. According to the assumption, if 1 average roof is capable to be built 20 solar panels on it, it is expected that this amount of solar energy will meet the electricity needs of approximately 40000 building such as home, school, businesses, and public buildings. The usage of renewable energy will definitely provide the United State Government to make a reasonable profit. Since it doesnt cause any pollution, there will be generated a new perspective for environ mental aspects, and it will repay its installation cost in a short period of time. 2. MAKE A STAKEHOLDER ANALYSÄ °S FOR YOUR PROJECT 2.1 STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS When we were making the scope analysis of GW, in Assignment I, we already mentioned that, stakeholders are any group, party, organization or people, that somehow plays a role within the whole project. They affect or are affected by the actions that the organization performs. Stakeholder analysis identifies the stakeholders and their interests, defines their roles and related responsibilities and specifies whether, and to what extent, their expectations are treated as requirement in the project [3,4,5]. 3. AN INVESTIGATION OF THE AREA OF DESERT OF ARIZONA IN MIND DUE TO RESOURCES (MAPS AND GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION) As we have discussed in our scope analysis, as The Company of GW, our main objective is to set up high quality and efficient solar power plants with a reasonable cost. Since we are also aware of keeping the harmonious balance of energy, one of our aims is also to compensate the energy need by providing the environmental protection to keep the earth green. In order to have a high efficient plant with a high quality, it is quite crucial to pay attention at which the installation will be done. Because the available resources play the most important role, after setting up a plant, in terms of efficiency. Efficiency for a plant can be found by the formula; desired output / required input. This formula can also be explained verbally; the highest efficiency we can get from a plan is 100% that is equal to 1 for this formula, which is impossible to obtain for the real life since we cannot have the ideal conditions. But in order to increase the efficiency to approach to zero, by a simple mathematics, we can say that, we need to keep the output higher as much as we can, while decreasing the input value. How we can decrease the required input value to nearly zero is by utilizing the natural resources as well as we can, which is the solar energy for our case. Therefore, it is very important to build up new plants to the regions, where there can be found high temperature and more sunny days available. Therefore, deserts take the first place in the ranking, when it needs to make a prioritizing. There is also one advantage that deserts can be used as a land for solar power systems, because there is no need any environmental impact such as lake (as it is needed for hydroelectric dams), or coal plants. There are also many advantages to install the plants in the United States as the land; * United States is the leader for the power research and development. * It is one of only two countries in the world that has the largest scale of solar power. * Since Arizona is located in the southwest of US, the feature of warm and sunny climate makes the desert of Arizona more favorable location for solar power. * This solar power plant not only reserved by the people live around it, but also affects some other people by rebates and tax credits. As it is also explained in the website of Department of Energy of United States ; â€Å"Specific federal and state tax laws permit private companies and homeowners to credit the purchase price of their solar power systems against their annual income tax payment.†[6,7] 4. LIST OF ITEMS NEEDED GW needs to identify the needed goods and services. This should be identified according to GWs organization chart and procurement plan. After identifying the needed goods and services, the suppliers which will successfully fulfill the contracts and supply good and services, should be found. The suppliers should be chosen according to their technical capability, experience and human resource capability. Here is a list of needed items and services for GW: Materials Services  § Office Equipment  § Rental Cars  § Meeting Rooms  § Restaurant/Cafeteria  § Security Stuff  § Computer Services  § Cleaning Supplies  § Tax Services  § Insurance Services  § Electric Services  § Heating Services  § Air Condition Services  § Building Repair Services  § Telecommunication Services  § Transport Services  § Treatment of Office Materials Service  § Education Services (for personnel trainings)  § Scientific and Technological Services (for industrial analysis, researches)  § Food and Drink Provider Service  § Security Service Table 2: List of item needed As we see in the table, most of the services and materials are the basic needs of company. These are not changeable according to the projects. According to the project, the use of these items may change. Also the needed items list has to be renewable all the time. The departments may need new items during the projects. Then these items should be added to the list. It means that this list can change in every phase of the project but as it is mentioned before, most of these items will be kept as basic needs. If new items would be identified in later phases of projects, the list can be detailed.[8,9] 5. MAKE OR BUY DECISION The act of making choice between producing an item (in -house ) Internallay or buying it from external source (Supplier) is make-or-buy decision. Make-or-buy decisions arises usually when a company has developed a product or modified a product or having trouble with current supplier or changing demand of the product. Make-or-buy decisions also occur at the operational level. Analysis suggest the following considerations that are in favor of making a part in-house (1) * The considerations of cost * To integrate the plant operations * The Productive utalisation of excess the plant capacity * The Need of direct control over production and/or quality * The Better quality control system * To protect Proprietary technology design. * Unreliable suppliers,No competent suppliers * Desire to maintain a stable workforce (in periods of declining sales) * The too small Quality to interest a supplier * lead time Controle , warehousing and transportation, costs * Greater assurance of continious supply. * Provision of a secondary source * The Political, environmental or social reasons. Some of the factors which influence may be on the firms to buy a part externally include: * Lacklessness of expertise,Suppliers research and specialized know-how exceeds that of the buyer * Consideration of cost. * Low-volume requirements. * Facilities of limited production or insufficient capacity * Strong desire of maintaining a multiple-source policy * The Indirect managerial control considerations. * Considerations of Procurement and inventory. * Preference Brand * Those Item which are not essential to the firms strategy There are two most important points to consider in a make-or-buy decision are and the availability of production capacity the cost . Obviously, the firm who buy will compare production and purchase costs.It provide the major elements included in this comparison. Elements of the â€Å"make† analysis include: * Carrying costs. * The direct labor costs. * Factory overhead costs * Purchased material costs which is delivered * Managerial costs. * Any other costs stemming from the quality and related problems. * Increasing purchasing costs, Increasing capital costs. Cost considerations for the â€Å"buy† analysis include: * Purchasing price,and transportation costs of the items. * Ä °nspection and reception costs. * The Incremental purchasing costs. * Any of the costs which is related to quality or service. 6. RISK ANALYSÄ °S (RA) FOR SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANT TO THE AREA OF DESERT OF ARIZONA 6.1 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC RISK OF SOLAR THERMAL The Desert of Arizona solar boom will impact social and economic dimensions of the region. Nearby residents and visitors will face the burden of increased traffic, pollution, noise, and infrastructure that will diminish the aesthetic qualities of the desert. A fringe impact of solar parks is increased land prices caused by growing demand from private industry. Economically, solar thermal parks will produce manufacturing and construction jobs. These jobs could provide more revenue for the surrounding community, increased investment in the local economy, and a larger tax base.[11,12] 6.2 RISK OF SOLAR THERMAL ON VEGETATION, WILDLIFE, AND WATER The Desert of Arizona is home diverse species and ecosystems, and large solar parks could be physical stressors on these desert systems. Considering the fragility, diversity, and complexity of the Desert of Arizona, large solar thermal parks could disrupt healthy ecosystems and augment pressures on already stressed species .Limited water supplies also complicate the benefits of solar thermal. 6.3 RISK OF SOLAR THERMAL ON DESERT SOIL ECOSYSTEMS: ASSESSMENT ENDPOINT The Desert of Arizona has recently caught the attention of scientists because of its ancient origins and carbon sequestration capabilities. Made up of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. The recent scientific literature regarding carbon sequestration in deserts is both new and solar power is perceived as a ‘clean energy source, reducing carbon production while providing much-needed energy. The production capabilities in Desert of Arizona could supply with most of its energy needs. Therefore, the goal of this project is to determine whether the installation and operation of solar thermal plants will impact carbon sequestration capabilities of the Desert of Arizona ecosystem and ecosystem services to the extent that more carbon is released or inhibited from being stored than saved while utilizing solar technology.[13] 6.4 QUALITATIVE RISK ANALYSIS: POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF SOLAR THERMAL PLANTS ON THE DESERT OF ARIZONA It is clear that the desert ecosystem will be disturbed and destroyed during the installation of the Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants in the Desert of Arizona. However, it is unclear, and therefore our primary question for this analysis, whether the sum gain of carbon saved by building and operating new solar thermal plants rather than operating fossil fuel power plants is greater than the sum loss of carbon that occurs when the desert habitat is disturbed and destroyed, thus altering the carbon sequestration abilities of the ecosystem. We approached this analysis in both a qualitative and quantitative manner. We will first describe the descriptive analysis of the risks associated with installation and operation of the CSP plants, followed by the quantitative approach of applying a cost-benefit analysis to compare net carbon gains by using CSP plants rather than an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (ICGG) plant, which uses â€Å"clean coal† technology.[14] 7. RA WHAT TO DO IF THE RISK OCCURS ? 7.1 CARBON LOSS DUE TO INSTALLATÄ °ON OF SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS Carbon sequestration is thought to occur on a variety of levels within desert and semi-arid ecosystems. The primary stressor in this analysis is the physical destruction of the habitat that will occur with the installation of the solar collecting facilities, roads, and transmission lines or towers. While CSP plants are large, some estimate they use less land area than hydroelectric dams or coal plants. Nonetheless, existing vegetation, including the aboveground biomass and belowground plant tissue and roots will be cleared prior to installation of CSP plants. Additionally, it is assumed that biological soil crusts will be destroyed and alkaline soils will be removed during the CSP installation process, especially if land leveling, contouring, and construction of stabilizing features for high desert winds are needed. While the soil may only be displaced and later deposited in other desert areas, we assumed the stored carbon was released into the atmosphere. This may be an overstatemen t of the potential effect; however, we decided to assume the scenario causing the greatest impact given the limited available information. 7.2 LOSS OF FUTURE CARBON SEQUESTRATION WITH THE OPERATION OF SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS In addition to the loss of stored carbon, the CSP facility and supporting infrastructure will likely inhibit the future sequestration of carbon across the inhabited area. Some researchers such as Schlesinger are skeptical of the high flux rates especially given the lack of information to support where the carbon is stored and whether carbon sequestration within desert biomes has increased since the Industrial Revolution. However, if these desert ecosystems do sequester large carbon pools, then large alterations of the ecosystem will likely result in the loss of future sequestration capabilities for the global carbon budget. 7.3 OTHER POTENTIAL IMPACTS AS A RESULT OF INSTALLATÄ °ON AND OPERATÄ °ON OF SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS Although the majority of this analysis has characterized solar thermal as a physical stressor, CSP plants also pose chemical risks. CSP plants may use molten salts to store the thermal energy and these oxidizing salts may pose both health and ecological risks. Furthermore, impacts will occur on water supplies and resources, as water is piped from limited aquatic systems; Desert of Arizona, some of which may have declining populations; and nearby human communities. These impacts were not evaluated in this risk analysis but should be considered in a more comprehensive evaluation. 7.4 QUANTITATIVE RA/ COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS The objective of this cost benefit analysis is to weigh the possible costs of building a solar thermal plant in the Desert of Arizona. The scope of this cost benefit analysis will be limited to solar thermal plants located in Desert of Arizona, and the currency used will be carbon. It is important to note that these values are estimates and the quantitative analysis is limited to carbon. In a comprehensive risk assessment, a full ecological cost benefit analysis would be conducted in order to measure the true costs of a solar thermal plant. Other parameters that would be considered include impacts on the Desert of Arizona of the region, water resources, social and economic implications and land costs. Carbon costs of construction and operation of the solar thermal plant were calculated based on a review of the primary literature. Carbon released from disruption of Desert of Arizona soil, construction of the solar thermal plant, and disruption of carbon sequestration capabilities were considered in the evaluation. [15] 8. RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS FLOWCHART CONCLUSION In this paper we define and implement the project procurement and risk management for our green show project,we specify the place and size of our project and also analysis of stackholders were made .We also investigate the area due to resources and geographical information .A list of items like systems ,services and materials etc was made and finally we also perform make or buy decisions for the items.Both types of qualatative and quantitative risk analysis was also made.We present a risk management plane in the form of flow chart with roles and resposibilities.We come to a point that project procrutment and risk management is the most important area of project management. REFERENCES [1] http://www.jasolar.com/ [2] http://michaelbluejay.com/sri/solar.html [3] http://maps.google.com/ [4] http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0209-solar.html [5] http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0113-energy.html [6] http://news.discovery.com/tech/ten-places-harness-solar.html [7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_plants_in_the_Mojave_Desert [8] http://xeno.ipaustralia.gov.au/tmgoods.htm [9] http://www.treasury.gov.lk/FPPFM/pfd/circulars/NPACircular11.pdf 10) http://www.enotes.com/management-encyclopedia/make-buy-decision [11] SOLAR THERMAL IN THE MOJAVE DESERT, 13 March 2009. [12] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_plants_in_the_Mojave_Desert [13] http://www.aps.com/ [14] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Energy_Generating_Systems [15] Financing Solar Thermal Power Plants, Rainer Kistner and Henry W. Price, April 1999. [16] Erika Lecture notes

Critical Thinking Is More than Common Sense Essay -- Critical Thinking

If one were to ask a group of high school seniors questions like, â€Å"Who was the first U.S. president?† or, â€Å"What equation is associated with the Pythagorean Theorem?† they would likely discover that the majority of the students would answer correctly. However, if one were to pose the questions, â€Å"Why did the Civil War occur?† or, â€Å"Why are international trade relations between other countries important to the U.S.?† they would receive fragmented responses at best; few students would be able to provide clear and concise answers. This simulated example clearly underscores some of the current flaws in the education system across the nation. Instructors teach students, and expect them to learn; they do not teach them how to learn. Many educators have taught students well how to compile trivia and miscellaneous facts, but few have truly embraced the method of critical thought in the classroom. Kansans praise the system for the improving te st scores, yet they fail to see through the blanket of such pseudo-success, and they do not realize the true mediocrity of the Kansas educational curriculum. Secondary schools in Kansas should place a greater emphasis on critical thinking in the classroom. As indicated by studies from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, students fall short when it comes to critical thought and reasoning (Jasparro, 86). Because of the current classroom practices of rote memorization, â€Å"students are generally deeply habituated to passivity and low-level performance,† reports Linda Elder, executive director for the Center for Critical Thinking, who promotes the integration of critical thought into current curriculum. â€Å"Most [students] have no conception of what discursive reasoning is. Most have spen... ...mprovement Research Series. Nov. 1991. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory . â€Å"Critical Thinking Skills Key to Raising SAT Scores.† Business Wire. Lexis-Nexis Online. 30 August 1991. Keywords: Critical Thinking. Elder, Linda. â€Å"The 18th International Conference on Critical Thinking and Educational Reform.† 18th International Conference on Critical Thinking. 4 Aug. 1998. The Center for Critical Thinking . Jasparro, Ralph. â€Å"Applying Systems Thinking to Curriculum Evaluation.† NASSP Bulletin 82.598 (1998): 86. Paul, Richard. â€Å"Content is Thinking; Thinking is Content.† Content is Thinking. 28 June 2001. The Center for Critical Thinking . ---.