Leadership & Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Leadership & Motivation - Essay Example Employees accept transformational leadership, although some of its aspects within the company need reconsidering to improve both work performance, and financial stability and results. This will also mean that a good understanding is needed regarding the process of managing change within the company. My analysis at Southsea Engineering plc ascertained that many of the issues regarding leadership and motivation need to be analyzed in the prism of organizational change, which has been an ongoing process at Southsea over the years. When Rachel Southsea first headed the company, she introduced a range of organizational changes at all company levels. These changes proved to be not just simple structural reorganizations, but affected employees' attitudes and expectations, also their behaviour and dedication to the work processes. In other words, these novelties caused dramatic cultural changes and influenced the state of the psychological contract within the company. The psychological contract at Southsea plc, as defined by Schein (1978) represents "a set of unwritten reciprocal expectations between a single employee and the organization" (cited by Guest, 2003, p. 10). By the time Rachel Southsea headed the company, employees and even senior managers had an established positive psychological contract with clear expectations, presumably high degree of subjective employment security, and organizational commitment (Guest, 2003) within the "conservative structure" of an engineering company. Introducing new working approaches, such as relaxation of organizational controls caused confusion and irritation among senior managers, who felt that their expectations for their future within the company were no longer to be delivered (Guest, 2003). Release of control also influenced employees in that they felt insecure in the changing organizational environment, and exercised the freedom of not obeying to strict rules. Kurt Lewin, and later on Edgar Schein (1995, cited by Wirth R. 2004) defined this early stage of organizational change as "unfreezing", meaning removing old structures and cultural influences. As Schein ascertains, culture is deeply seated in people's minds (cited by Jossey-Bass, 1992) and change at Southsea Engineering plc was a difficult and time-consuming process. Senior management had to fight anxieties about the uncertain future. The duration and the intrusiveness of these changes made it difficult for employees to accept them and to adapt. The disrupted state of the psychological contract decreased employees' dedication, as they could not identify their role in the new organizational environment. This all lead to impaired work performance and financial results. It was by

The United States economy Essay Example for Free

The United States economy Essay The economic problems that are plaguing the United States economy at the present are numerous to say the least. Since the collapse of the Housing market, the United States has experienced what some have come to call an economic recession. While it remains to be seen if the United States economy is really undergoing a recession at this point in time, this situation can be used as a great opportunity to point out the current struggles of the American economy. The much touted and highly publicized US $700 billion bailout plan is argued to be good for the economy as a â€Å"quick fix† to the problem yet there are a number of economists who feel that the real solution to the problem lies in establishing more solid fiscal policies as opposed to monetary policies. As several economists have pointed out, the monetary solution of providing an economic stimulus package without addressing the fundamental problems is only a â€Å"quick fix. † The world is beginning to realize that all of the credit and financial problems that the world is facing right now cannot be solved by throwing money at it. The problem, as pointed out, is not simply that the world is experiencing a slow down but that there are fundamental flaws with several of the world’s largest economies and as such these problems have to be addressed. Any monetary policy will simply result in concealing the glaring holes in the economic systems and will not provide the needed answers to the problem. There seems to be no end in sight for this economic problem as governments all over the world announce new economic stimulus packages. There also seems to be a dearth in fiscal policies that are designed to solve this problem. In order to arrive at a more effective solution to the problem, it is important to accompany these monetary policies with sound fiscal policies in order to create solid economic fundamentals that may prevent the occurrence of financial crises such as these in the future. References: Davidson, Scott. (2003). Economics: Perfect Competition and Monopolistic Competition. 2nd Series. Bantham Books: 103-105. Davis, K. (2003). The costs and consequences of being uninsured. Retrieved February 4, 2008, from http://www. cmwf. org. Stone, Diane. (2007) â€Å"Market Principles, Philanthropic Ideals and Public Service Values: The Public Policy Program at the Central European University†, PS: Political Science and Politics, July: 545—551

Impact of eCommerce in Todays Business World Essay -- economic impact

In beginning this essay, I would like to state that E-commerce and stock trading has drastically affected the lives of many Americans and non-Americans worldwide. There are several effects from this technology and new system of buying and selling. I believe that one effect is the current shift and demand for different workers. This is important, as it will reshape the definition of work for the average American as well as workers worldwide. Second, this change of business practices will fundamentally change our views of how business is to be conducted and change consumer attitudes. Finally, I believe that a final effect of this system would be the introduction of deviance and corruption. Until recently, many business transactions were completed in the following manner using the following technologies: In person, over the phone, by e-mail. It has been just in years that people have had the ability to complete buying and selling transactions from the their workplace, home, car or even high up in the rocky mountains with just a few clicks of a button. The technology has made it very easy to accomplish what could have been a very time consuming, energy inefficient and possibly maddening experience to get business done. One very significant aspect of this efficiency has been the way stock market trading has become very popular. Traditionally, if a person was to invest their money on Wall Street, they had to call their Stock Broker and send them the money before the stocks could be purchased. As we all know the sweeping changes that take place at any particular time on the stock market can change drastically, often times changing the value of a stock from one minute to the next. Many a fortune has been lost due to stocks not being... ... the workplace. Or maybe it can result in more family time, or the pursuit of one’s hobbies and creative interests. It can save energy by not having to drive from mall to mall looking for the best prices. I can even say that I am not immune to the effects of on-line buying. By using a message post forum, I was able to locate a specific and rare car. The car was in Las Vegas. By using E-mail we were able to correspond for free. After a month of negotiation and detail clarification, the car arrived at my front door. This would not have been possible had it not been for on-line selling and buying. Works Cited Suzette Brooks and Ted Ruthizer Pg 18, USA Today, September 2014, Joshua Hyatt Pg 87, INC, October 2014, "Impact of eCommerce in Today’s Business World" Web 24 Apr. 2015. http://www.synaxiom.com/impact-of-ecommerce-in-todays-business-world/

Bloodlines Chapter Eleven

BEFORE CLASS THE NEXT DAY, I left a message with someone at the Alchemists' office, telling them I needed â€Å"Mr. and Mrs. Melrose† to send a note excusing Jill from PE – or at least from outdoor activities. I hoped they'd move quickly on this. The Alchemists were fast when they wanted to be, but they sometimes had odd ideas of what took priority. I hoped they didn't have the same attitude toward Jill's misery as Keith did. But I knew not to expect any action that day, so Jill had to suffer through another PE class – and I had to suffer through watching her suffer. What was really terrible was that Jill didn't whine or try to get out of anything. She didn't even show any sign of last night's breakdown. She came in with determination and optimism, as though maybe this would be the day the sun wouldn't affect her. Yet, before long, she began to wane just as she had last time. She looked sick and tired, and my own performance faltered a little because I kept watching her, afraid she'd pass out. Micah was the saving grace. Once again, he fearlessly switched teams – this time from the very start of class. He covered for her just as he had last time, allowing her to escape the notice of teacher and classmates – well, except for Laurel, who seemed to notice – and get annoyed by – everything he did. Her eyes flicked angrily between him and Jill, and she kept flinging her hair over her shoulder to get his attention. I was a little amused to note that Micah's attention remained solely on keeping the ball away from Jill. Micah also jumped immediately to her side when class ended and had a water bottle ready, which she accepted gratefully. I was grateful too, but seeing his concern for her dredged up all my old worries. She was good to her word, however. She returned his attentions in a friendly way, but you definitely couldn't call it flirting. He made no secret of his intentions, though, and I still worried that it would be better if she didn't have to deal with them. I'd meant it when I said I trusted her, but I couldn't help but think it'd be a lot easier on everyone if he laid off in his advances. This would require A Talk. Dreading what I had to do, I caught up with Micah outside the locker rooms. We were both waiting for Jill to finish up, and I took advantage of the alone time with him. â€Å"Hey, Micah,† I said, â€Å"I need to talk to you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Hey,† he returned brightly. His blue eyes were wide and excited. â€Å"I had an idea I wanted to run past you. If you guys aren't able to get a note for her, maybe you could see about getting her schedule switched around? If she took PE first period, it wouldn't be nearly as hot out yet. Maybe it wouldn't be as hard on her. I mean, she seems like she'd like to participate in some of this stuff.† â€Å"She would,† I said slowly. â€Å"And that's a really good idea.† â€Å"I know some people who work in the office. I'll ask them to run some options and see if it's even possible with the rest of her classes.† He faked a pout. â€Å"I'll be sad not to have her in class, but it'd be worth it to know she's not so miserable.† â€Å"Yeah,† I agreed weakly, suddenly feeling at a loss. He really had come up with a good idea. He was even unselfish enough to give up the chance to be with her in order to promote the greater good. How could I have â€Å"the talk† with him now? How could I suddenly say, â€Å"Leave my sister alone,† when he was going out of his way to be so nice? I was as bad as Eddie, avoiding confrontation with Micah. This guy was too likable for his own good. Before I could manage a response, Micah then went off in an unexpected direction. â€Å"You really should get her to a doctor, though. I don't think she has a sun allergy.† â€Å"Oh?† I asked in surprise. â€Å"Have you not been watching her suffer through class each day?† â€Å"No, no, believe me, she's definitely got an issue with the sun,† he assured me quickly. â€Å"But she might be misdiagnosed. I read up on sun allergies, and people usually get rashes with them. This overall weakness she gets†¦ I don't know. I think it might be something else.† Oh no. â€Å"Like what?† â€Å"I don't know,† he mused. â€Å"But I'll keep researching theories and let you know.† Wonderful. PE also gave me my first glimpse at one of Amberwood's metallic tattoos in action. Greg Slade was impossible not to watch during class, and I wasn't the only one who got distracted. Just as Kristin and Julia had said, he really was faster and stronger. He made dives no one else was quick enough to react to. When he hit the ball, it was a wonder we didn't hear a sonic boom shortly thereafter. This earned him praise at first, but soon, I noticed something. There was a sloppy edge to his game. He was filled with ability, yes, but sometimes it was unfocused. Those powerful hits didn't always help because he'd blast the ball out of bounds. And in running to make a shot, he rarely considered those around him. When a guy from my English class got knocked down flat on his back, simply for being in the path of Slade and the ball, Miss Carson stopped the game and roared her displeasure about Slade's aggression. He took it in with a sulky smirk. â€Å"Too bad Eddie's not in this class,† Jill said afterward. â€Å"He'd be a total match for Slade.† â€Å"Maybe it's better no one notices,† I remarked. Eddie, from what I'd heard, was already a shining star in his PE class. It was part of a dhampir's natural athleticism, and I knew he was actually working hard not to be too good at everything. I checked in with Ms. Terwilliger after PE, happy to find my teacher fully stocked with coffee of her own. I spent most of the period going through the book and taking notes on my laptop. Partway through, she came over to check my work. â€Å"You're very organized,† she said, looking over my shoulder. â€Å"Headings and subheadings and sub-subheadings.† â€Å"Thank you,† I said. Jared Sage had been very particular in teaching his children research skills. Ms. Terwilliger took a sip of coffee and continued reading the screen. â€Å"You didn't list the ritual and spell steps,† she pointed out moments later. â€Å"You just summarize them in a couple lines.† Well, yes, that was the point of note-taking. â€Å"I cite all the page numbers,† I said. â€Å"If you need to check the actual components, there's an easy reference.† â€Å"No†¦ go back and put all the steps and ingredients in your notes. I want to be able to have them all in one place.† You do have them in one place, I wanted to say. In the book. Notes were about condensing the material, not retyping the original text word for word. But Ms. Terwilliger had already wandered away, staring at her filing cabinet absentmindedly as she muttered to herself about a misplaced folder. With a sigh, I flipped back to the beginning of the book, trying not to think about how this was going to set me back. At least I was only doing this for credit and not a grade. I stayed past the late bell in an effort to make up some lost time. When I got back to my room, I had to wake up Jill, who was sound asleep after her exhausting day. â€Å"Good news,† I told her as she blinked at me with sleepy eyes. â€Å"It's feeding day.† Definitely words I never thought I'd say. I also didn't think I'd be excited for it. And sure, I certainly wasn't thrilled about the idea of Jill biting into Dorothy's neck. I was, however, feeling pretty bad for Jill and was glad she'd get some nourishment. Being on such a limited supply of blood had to make things doubly hard for her. We met up with Eddie downstairs when it was time to go. He looked Jill over worriedly. â€Å"Are you okay?† â€Å"I'm fine,† she said with a smile. She looked nowhere near as bad as she had earlier. I shuddered to think what Eddie would've done if he'd actually been in our class and seen her at her worst. â€Å"Why is this still going on?† he asked me. â€Å"Weren't you going to talk to Keith?† â€Å"We're a little delayed,† I said evasively, leading them to where Latte was parked in the student lot. â€Å"We'll make it happen.† If the Alchemists didn't come through with the note, I was going to try to act on Micah's suggestion and get her switched into morning PE. â€Å"We know you will,† said Jill. I could just barely pick out the sympathy in her voice, reminding me that she knew about my fight with Keith yesterday. I hoped she wouldn't mention it in front of Eddie and was saved when she switched to a more random and surprising topic. â€Å"Do you think we can pick up some pizza along the way? Adrian doesn't want any more of Dorothy's cooking.† â€Å"How terrible for him,† remarked Eddie, getting into the backseat and letting Jill ride shotgun. â€Å"Having a personal chef on hand to make him whatever he wants. I don't know how he gets by.† I laughed, but Jill seemed outraged on Adrian's behalf. â€Å"It's not the same! She cooks really super-gourmet stuff.† â€Å"Still waiting for the problem,† said Eddie. â€Å"She tries to also make it really healthy. She says it's better for Clarence. So, there's never any salt and pepper or butter.† Jeez, how often did she and Adrian talk? â€Å"There's no flavor or anything. It's driving him crazy.† â€Å"Everything seems to be driving him crazy,† I remarked, remembering his plea for new lodging. â€Å"And he can't have it too bad. Didn't he go to LA last night?† Jill's only answer was a frown. Nonetheless, I had a feeling we'd be hanging out at Clarence's for a while, and I personally didn't want to eat anything prepared in that house. So, it was more for selfish reasons that I agreed to stop at a takeout place en route and buy a few pizzas. Adrian's face was radiant when we entered the sitting room, which – pool games aside – seemed to be his primary hangout at Clarence's. â€Å"Jailbait,† he declared, leaping up. â€Å"You're a saint. A goddess, even.† â€Å"Hey,† I said, â€Å"I'm the one who paid for them.† Adrian carried off one of the boxes to the couch, much to Dorothy's dismay. She hurried off muttering about plates and napkins. Adrian gave me a conciliatory nod. â€Å"You're okay too, Sage,† he said. â€Å"Well, well, what have we here?† Clarence came tottering into the room. I hadn't noticed before, but he used a cane to get around. It had a crystal snake head on top, which was both impressive and scary. Just the kind of thing you'd picture for an old vampire. â€Å"Looks like a party.† Lee was with him, greeting us with smiles and nods. His eyes lingered briefly on Jill, and he made a point of sitting near her – but not too near. Jill perked up more than she had in days. Everyone was just starting to dive into the pizza when Dorothy appeared in the doorway with a new guest. I felt my eyes widen. It was Keith. â€Å"What are you doing here?† I asked, keeping my voice neutral. He winked. â€Å"Came to check in on everybody and make sure all's well. That's my job – to look after everyone.† Keith was chipper and friendly as he helped himself to the pizza, with no indication of the fight we'd gotten into last time. He smiled and talked to everyone as though they were all best friends, leaving me totally bewildered. No one else seemed to think anything odd about his behavior – but then, why would they? None of them had my history with Keith. No – that wasn't quite true. Despite being deep in conversation with Eddie, Adrian paused to give me a curious look, silently asking about yesterday's fight. He glanced at Keith and then back to me. I shrugged helplessly, letting him know I was just as confused by the change of heart. Maybe Keith regretted his outburst from yesterday. Of course, that would've been much easier to accept if it had come with, oh, an apology. I nibbled on a piece of cheese pizza, but mostly I observed the others. Jill was animatedly recounting her first couple of days to Adrian, noticeably leaving out any of the negative parts. He listened to her indulgently, nodding and interjecting with occasional witty quips. Some of the stuff she told him was pretty basic, and I was surprised it hadn't come up in their phone conversations. Maybe he just had so much to say at those times that there'd been no chance for her. As it was, he made no mention of his boredom or other grievances. Clarence occasionally chatted with Eddie and Lee, but his eyes constantly strayed to Jill. There was a wistful look in his gaze, and I remembered that his niece had only been a little older than Jill. I wondered if perhaps part of the reason he'd been so willing to take us all on was in an effort to reclaim some part of the family life that had been lost to him. Keith had sat down near me, at first making me uncomfortable but then later giving me a reason to pick his brain. Seeing the others engaged in conversation, I asked him softly, â€Å"Have you ever heard of knockoff Alchemist tattoos making it into the general population?† He gave me a startled look in return. â€Å"I don't even know what that means.† â€Å"At Amberwood, there's this trend. There's apparently someplace in town that gives metallic tattoos, and they have special properties – kind of like ours. Some just kind of give off a high. Others kind of have a steroid effect.† He frowned. â€Å"They're not bound with gold, are they?† â€Å"No. Silver and copper. So, they don't last. Probably so the people giving them can make more money.† â€Å"But they can't be ours, then,† he argued. â€Å"We haven't used those metals for tattoos in centuries.† â€Å"Yeah, but someone may be using Alchemist technology to create these.† â€Å"Just to get people high?† he asked. â€Å"I wouldn't even know how you'd go about that with metallic agents.† â€Å"I have some ideas,† I said. â€Å"And let me guess. They involve narcotic mixtures.† When I nodded, he sighed and gave me a look like I was ten years old. â€Å"Sydney, it's most likely someone's found a crude tattooing method that's like ours but has no connection. If so, there's nothing we can do about it. Drugs happen. Bad things happen. If it isn't mixed with Alchemist business, then it isn't our business.† â€Å"But what if it is connected to Alchemist business?† I asked. He groaned. â€Å"See? This is why I was worried about you coming, this tendency you have of running off with tangents and wild theories.† â€Å"I don't – â€Å" â€Å"Please don't embarrass me,† he hissed, casting a glance at the others. â€Å"Not with them, not with our superiors.† His rebuke silenced me, mostly from surprise. What did he mean about this â€Å"tendency† I had? Was he actually suggesting he had made some deep psychological analysis of me years ago? The idea that I would embarrass him was ludicrous†¦ and yet his words planted a seed of doubt in me. Maybe the tattoos at Amberwood were just an unrelated fad. â€Å"How's PE?† Adrian's words dragged me from my own thoughts. He was still getting the summary of school from Jill. She made a face at the question. â€Å"Not great,† she admitted, giving a recap of some of the worse moments. Eddie shot me a meaningful look, similar to the one from earlier. â€Å"You can't go on like that,† exclaimed Lee. â€Å"The sun around here's brutal.† â€Å"I agree,† said Keith, of all people. â€Å"Sydney, why didn't you tell me how bad it was?† I think my jaw hit the floor. â€Å"I did! That's why I was trying to get you to contact the school.† â€Å"You didn't really give me the whole story.† He flashed one of his sugary smiles at Jill. â€Å"Don't worry. I'll take care of this for you. I'll get in touch with school officials – and the Alchemists.† â€Å"I already talked to them,† I argued. But I might as well have not said anything. Keith had already switched topics and was talking to Clarence about something irrelevant. Where had this about-face come from? Yesterday, Jill's discomfort had been low priority. Today, Keith was her knight in shining armor. And in the process, he was suggesting that I was the one who'd screwed up. That's his plan, I realized. He doesn't want me here. He never has. And then something even worse occurred to me. He's going to use this to start building a case against me. Across the room, Adrian caught my eye again. He knew. He'd been eavesdropping when I talked to Keith in the driveway. Adrian started to speak, and I knew he was going to call Keith out on his lie. It was gallant but not what I wanted. I would deal with Keith myself. â€Å"How was LA?† I asked quickly before Adrian had a chance to say anything. He looked at me curiously, no doubt wondering why I wouldn't let him be a witness to my case. â€Å"You went there with Lee last night, right?† Adrian looked confused, but a grin smoothed over his face. â€Å"Yeah,† he said at last. â€Å"It was great. Lee showed me college life.† Lee laughed. â€Å"I wouldn't go that far. I don't know where you were half the night.† Adrian got this look on his face that was somehow charming but made me want to slap him at the same time. â€Å"We parted ways. I was getting to know some of the other Moroi in the area.† Even Eddie couldn't stay silent at that. â€Å"Oh, is that what you call it?† Jill abruptly stood up. â€Å"I'm going to get my blood now. Is that okay?† There was a moment of awkward silence, largely because I don't think anyone really knew who she was asking permission from. â€Å"Of course, my dear,† said Clarence, stepping into his role as host. â€Å"I believe Dorothy's in the kitchen.† Jill gave a curt nod and hurried out of the room. The rest of us exchanged puzzled glances. â€Å"Is something wrong?† asked Lee, looking worried. â€Å"Should I†¦ should I go talk to her?† â€Å"She's still just stressed,† I said, not daring to mention the screaming or crying episodes. â€Å"I thought of something that might be fun for her†¦ for all of us to do,† he said tentatively. He glanced around and then settled his gaze on me. I guess I was the designated mother here. â€Å"If you think it's okay. I mean†¦ it's kind of silly, but I thought we could go mini-golfing in the evening. They've got all these fountains and pools on the course. She's a water user, right? She must be missing it out here.† â€Å"She does,† said Eddie, frowning. â€Å"She mentioned it yesterday.† I shivered. Keith had been texting on his phone and froze. No matter our differences, we still shared a core of similar training, and both of us were uneasy with the idea of Moroi magic. â€Å"She'd probably like that a lot,† said Adrian. He sounded reluctant to admit it. I think he was still uneasy with the idea of Lee being interested in Jill, no matter how friendly the two guys were. Lee's idea was both innocent and conscientious. Hard to find fault with. Lee tilted his head thoughtfully. â€Å"You have a later curfew on the weekends, right? Do you want to go tonight?† It was Friday, granting us an extra hour extension at our dorm. â€Å"I'm game,† said Adrian. â€Å"Literally and figuratively.† â€Å"If Jill's there, I'm there,† said Eddie. They looked at me. I was trapped. I wanted to go back and catch up on homework. Saying that sounded pathetic, though, and I supposed I had to represent as Jill's only female chaperone. Besides, I reminded myself, this assignment wasn't about me and my academics, no matter how much I pretended it was. It was about Jill. â€Å"I can go,† I said slowly. Thinking that this sounded very much like fraternizing with vampires, I glanced uneasily at Keith. He'd gone back to texting now that magic wasn't being discussed. â€Å"Keith?† I asked by way of permission. He looked up. â€Å"Huh? Oh, I can't go. I have to be somewhere.† I tried not to grimace. He'd misread me and thought I was inviting him. On the bright side, he also wasn't objecting to the rest of us going. â€Å"Ah, how nice,† said Clarence. â€Å"An outing for you young people. Perhaps you'll share a glass of wine with me first?† Dorothy was just entering with a bottle of red wine, Jill trailing behind her. Clarence smiled at Adrian. â€Å"I know you'd like a glass.† Adrian's expression said he most definitely would. Instead, Adrian took a deep breath and shook his head. â€Å"I'd better not.† â€Å"You should,† said Jill gently. Even after a short drink of blood, she looked full of life and energy. â€Å"Can't,† he said. â€Å"It's the weekend,† she told him. â€Å"It's not that big of a deal. Especially if you're careful.† The two locked gazes and then at last, he said, â€Å"All right. Pour me a glass.† â€Å"Pour me one too, please,† said Keith. â€Å"Really?† I asked him. â€Å"I didn't know you drank.† â€Å"I'm twenty-one,† he countered. Adrian accepted his from Dorothy. â€Å"Somehow, I'm thinking that's not Sage's concern. I thought Alchemists avoided alcohol the same way they do primary colors.† I glanced down. I was wearing gray. Keith was wearing brown. â€Å"One glass won't hurt,† said Keith. I didn't argue with him. It wasn't my place to babysit Keith. And the Alchemists didn't have rules against drinking per se. We had strong religious beliefs about what it meant to live a good and pure lifestyle, and drinking was generally looked down upon. Was it forbidden? No. It was a custom, one I considered important. If he didn't, I guessed that was his choice. Keith was just bringing the glass to his lips when Adrian said, â€Å"Mmm. O positive, my favorite.† Keith sprayed out the wine he'd just drunk and promptly started coughing. I was relieved that none got on me. Jill burst into giggles, and Clarence stared at his glass wonderingly. â€Å"Is it? I thought it was a cabernet sauvignon.† â€Å"So it is,† said Adrian, straight-faced. â€Å"My mistake.† Keith gave Adrian a tight smile, like he too thought it was a funny joke, but I wasn't fooled. Keith was mad at having been mocked, and no matter how friendly he pretended to be with everyone, his views against vampires and dhampirs were as harsh as they'd ever been. Of course, Adrian probably wasn't helping matters any. I thought it was pretty funny, honestly, and worked to hide my smile so that Keith wouldn't get mad at me again. It was hard to do because shortly thereafter, Adrian flashed me a secret, knowing smile that seemed to say, That's payback for earlier. Eddie glanced at Jill. â€Å"I'm glad you got your blood today. I know you've been wanting to learn some defense moves, but I wanted to wait until you were back up to strength.† Jill lit up. â€Å"Can we do it tomorrow?† â€Å"Of course,† he said, looking nearly as delighted by this as she did. Keith frowned. â€Å"Why should she learn to fight when she's got you around?† Eddie shrugged. â€Å"Because she wants to, and she should have every edge she can get.† He didn't specifically mention the attempts on her life – not in front of Lee and Clarence – but the rest of us understood. â€Å"I thought Moroi weren't good at fighting, though,† said Keith. â€Å"Mostly because they haven't trained for it. They aren't as strong as us, sure, but their reflexes are better than yours,† explained Eddie. â€Å"It's just a matter of learning the skills and having a good teacher.† â€Å"Like you?† I teased. â€Å"I'm not bad,† he said modestly. â€Å"I can train anyone who wants to learn.† He elbowed Adrian, who was reaching for the wine and a refill. â€Å"Even this guy.† â€Å"No, thank you,† said Adrian. â€Å"These hands don't sully themselves with fighting.† â€Å"Or with manual labor,† I remarked, recalling past comments of his. â€Å"Exactly,† he said. â€Å"But maybe you should have Castile show you how to throw a punch, Sage. It might come in handy. Seems like a skill a plucky young woman like yourself should possess.† â€Å"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence, but I'm not really sure when I'd need it,† I said. â€Å"Of course she needs to learn!† Clarence's exclamation caught all of us by surprise. I'd actually thought he was dozing off since he'd had his eyes closed moments ago. But now, he was leaning forward with a zealous expression. I cringed under the intensity of his stare. â€Å"You must learn to protect yourself!† He pointed at me, then moved on to Jill. â€Å"And you. Promise me you'll learn to defend yourself. Promise me.† Jill's light green eyes went wide with shock. She tried to give him a reassuring smile, though it was tinged with uneasiness. â€Å"Of course, Mr. Donahue. I'm trying to. And until then, I've got Eddie to protect me from Strigoi.† â€Å"Not Strigoi!† His voice dropped to a whisper. â€Å"The vampire hunters.† None of us said anything. Lee looked mortified. Clarence squeezed his wineglass so tightly that I worried it would break. â€Å"No one talked about this back then – about defending ourselves. Maybe if Tamara had learned something, she wouldn't have been killed. It's not too late for you – for either of you.† â€Å"Dad, we've been over this,† said Lee. Clarence ignored him. The old man's gaze flicked between me and Jill, and I wondered if he even knew I was human. Or maybe it didn't matter. Maybe he just had a slightly deranged protective instinct toward all girls the same age as Tamara. I kind of expected Keith to tactlessly point out that there were no such things as vampire hunters, but he was uncharacteristically quiet. Eddie was the one who finally spoke, his words soothing and kind. He so often gave off the impression of a do-or-die warrior that it was surprising to realize he was actually very compassionate. â€Å"Don't worry,† said Eddie. â€Å"I'll help them. I'll keep them safe and make sure nothing bad happens to them, okay?† Clarence still looked agitated but focused on Eddie hopefully. â€Å"You promise? You won't let them kill Tamara again?† â€Å"I promise,† said Eddie, in no way indicating how weird the request was. Clarence studied Eddie a few more seconds and then nodded. â€Å"You're a good boy.† He reached for the wine bottle and topped off his glass. â€Å"More?† he asked Adrian, as though nothing had happened. â€Å"Yes, please,† said Adrian, holding out his glass. We continued the conversation as though nothing had happened, but the shadow of Clarence's words continued to hang over me.

Subliminal Messaging

My first reaction to this assignment was if I actually believed in subliminal messages myself. I decided I didn’t but after I did further research, I was shocked. I watched you-tube videos and looked at pictures online of advertising. The biggest shock I found was in the Disney movies. After replaying certain scenes in movies I witnessed subliminal messaging first hand. Most of the messages were sexual references and I was actually quite disturbed by it. For example, in a scene of â€Å"The Little Mermaid†, as Arial was walking up to the podium with her husband to be the priest got an erection. You can clearly see it happening. I never noticed it before until I started doing research on subliminal messaging. I did further research on other Disney animated movies and I found that there were a lot more ‘sexual’ subliminal messages in the movies and advertising that you don’t notice unless you are actually paying attention. Which brings me to my next point, Dr. Brahrami states â€Å"If the brain is busy it can filter our subliminal things. The brains response to subliminal messages is not automatic and depends on how much attention the person is paying†. And that’s when I decided I completely agree. I think since I was actually paying attention and watching out for subliminal messages, I could see them. Most of the time when I’m watching movies I don’t see the sexual, demon or drug related messages companies are putting in their movies and advertising. Which leads me to my question, why would a company based on children put sexual things in a movie made for kids?! Well, then I started to think it was a coincidence to I did more research and found out there was a huge debate during this time when the Arial scene with the priest came out. What I found was that it was the priest’s knee. So for my conclusion of this paper, I think you interpret what you want to see. If your brain is actually searching for these messages, your brain will see what it wants to see.

La Dmocratie et la Dictature essays

La Dmocratie et la Dictature essays Il faut tablir une distinction prcise entre la dmocratie et son adversaire, la dictature. Lhistoire elle-mà ªme a des exemples de chacune des deux qui dmontrent quil y a des points forts et des faiblesses pour les deux systmes. La dfinition de la dmocratie donn par Lincoln est . Cest un systme politique oà ¹ le pouvoir suprà ªme appartient aux citoyens. Avec une dmocratie, le peuple dtient et exerce la souverainet. Chaque individu est digne de respect et il y a lgalit des à ªtres humains. Le gouvernement fait les changements qui se feront de faà §on paisible et selon la majorit. De lautre ct, le peuple choisit le chef alors ils doivent accepter la responsabilit de leur choix. Le taux de participation nest pas toujours suffisant. Quand llection est passe, cest aussi difficile pour les gens dinfluencer les dcisions politiques. Une dictature, par contre, est un rgime politique domin par une personne, un parti, ou un groupe non lu, qui gouverne la population avec un pouvo ir absolu. Avec le pouvoir absolu, celui qui gouverne peut contrler la population. Il y a lordre et la stabilit dans la nation, puis lunit et la scurit nationale. Il y a une galit nationale pour tous. Dautre part, il y a toujours lusage de la force. Le regime peut se soustraire la critique et la placer ailleurs sur les groupes incapables de se defendre. De plus, la suppression des droits de la personne est incroyable. Dans les deux cas, autant la dmocratie que la dictature, il suffit de regarder les deux gaux avec une position nuance. Je...

Hank Williams Jr. essays

Hank Williams Jr. essays Throughout all of time, music has been a very important part of many cultures. These cultures and the peoples background, of these cultures, have greatly influenced their works. But, one the most diverse cultures in todays world, as far as music goes, would have to be the United States of America. It is influenced by so many races, from so many places. The music in the U.S. also changes from generation to generation. Someone oftentimes influences many music artists in their own generation, and in some cases by their own family members. One such incident happened back in the seventies and produced one of the greatest country singers of our time. This mans name is Hank Williams Jr. and was very greatly influenced by his father, who was also a very famous country singer during his time. Hank Williams Jr. is a very skilled man in his area of music and to this day still influences country music. Hank Williams Jr. was born in Shreveport, Louisiana on May 26, 1949. His real name is Randall Hank Williams Jr., but to many people he was known as Bocephus. Bocephus, was a nickname given to Hank Jr. by his dad when he was still an infant. He has lived in a couple of places in the south throughout his life. He grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and he then moved to Banks, Alabama. He now has homes in Montana and Tennessee. Hank Jr. is the son of country legend, Hank Williams. His dad was one of the first and most enduring of country musics superstars(Kilgore 1). His works were very influential upon Hank Jr. He died when Jr. was only three. His mother was Audrey Sheppard Williams, who was also a country singer. She was responsible for getting Hank Sr. to Nashville and for getting Hank Jr. to perform on stage at an early age. His mother and father were very important factors in determining the outcome of Hank Williams Jr. Hank Williams Jr. is an accomplished musician. He can ...

Teacher Responsibilities Make It a Weighty Job

Teacher Responsibilities Make It a Weighty Job What do students, parents, administrators and the community really expect of teachers? Obviously, teachers must educate students in certain academic subjects, but society also wants teachers to encourage adherence to a generally accepted code of conduct. The measurable responsibilities speak to the significance of the job, but certain personal qualities might better indicate a teachers potential for long-term success. Teachers Need an Aptitude for Teaching Teachers must be able to explain their subject matter to students, but this goes beyond simply reciting the knowledge they gained through their own education. Teachers must possess an aptitude to teach the material through different methods based on the needs of the students. Teachers must also meet the needs of students of varying abilities within the same classroom, provide all students with an equal opportunity to learn. Teachers must be able to inspire students from diverse backgrounds and experiences to achieve. Teachers Need Strong Organizational Skills Teachers must be organized. Without a good system of organization and daily procedures in place, the job of teaching becomes more difficult. A disorganized teacher could find him or herself in professional jeopardy. If a teacher does not keep accurate attendance, grade and behavioral records, it could result in administrative and legal problems. Teachers Need Common Sense and Discretion Teachers must possess common sense. The ability to make decisions grounded in common sense leads to a more successful teaching experience. Teachers who make judgment errors often create difficulties for themselves and sometimes even the profession. Teachers must maintain the confidentiality of student information, particularly for students with learning disabilities. Teachers can create professional problems for themselves by being indiscreet, but they can also lose the respect of their students, affecting their potential for learning. Teachers Need To Be Good Role Models Teachers must present themselves as a  good role model  both in and out of the classroom. A teachers private life can impact his or her professional success. A teacher who participates in questionable activities  during personal time can experience a loss of moral authority in the classroom. While its true that varying sets of personal morals exist among segments of society, a generally accepted standard for basic rights and wrongs dictates acceptable personal behavior for teachers. Every career has its own level of responsibility, and its perfectly reasonable to expect teachers to meet their professional obligations and responsibilities. Doctors, lawyers and other professionals operate with similar responsibilities and expectations for patient and client privacy. But society often holds teachers to an even higher standard because of their position of influence with children. Its clear that children  learn best with positive role models who demonstrate the types of behavior that lead to personal success. Though written in 1910, the words of Chauncey P. Colegrove in his book The Teacher and the School still ring true today: No one can justly expect that all teachers, or any teacher, shall be endlessly patient, free from mistakes, always perfectly just, a miracle of good temper, unfailingly tactful, and unerring in knowledge. But people have a right to expect that all teachers shall have fairly accurate scholarship, some professional training, average mental ability, moral character, some aptness to teach, and that they shall covet earnestly the best gifts.

I Hate Homework. I Assign It Anyway Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

I Hate Homework. I Assign It Anyway - Essay Example She says that despite hating homework, she still assigns it to her students just to conform to the formality of teachers assigning homework. She is not afraid to say that she does not give homework’s willingly. The only reason as to why she gives homework is because if she didn’t, she would be considered as an underperformer and a teacher who doesn’t care about improving students. At the beginning of her career, she gave lots of homework and did not care if the students complained about workload or not. She expected them to do the homework and follow the rules of the teacher without any complaints (Lahey retrieved from ). The writer seeks to justify her position by explaining that at one point she also gave homework just like any other teacher. By doing this, she tries to say that she has tried both sides of the issue before coming up with her stand. She manages her risk by providing a detailed explanation of why she considers her argument right. After being into the teaching career for thirteen years, she has raised a son, and she now experiences homework as a teacher and as a parent. She feels bad seeing her little, so Ben stressed up with homework (Lahey retrieved from ). She now considers the impact homework has to the students before assigning is to them. She says that the homework takes the place of her son’s childhood. When assigning homework, she never forgets the sacrifice that the child is going to give in order to order to complete the homework. She strongly defends her position in the issue and hopes to convince other teachers on the issue. However, her topic comes in a period when academic excellence has high value and parents are more interested in seeing their children

The Great Depression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Great Depression - Essay Example The stock market crash in 1929 commemorated the start of the depression with the value of most shares dropping significantly awakening ruins in the finances with the value of currency decreasing in collaboration with the demand for goods (Ledbetter and Daniel 3). This created a situation of limited employment and resources in the nation. This was a period full of desperation to survive among families and individuals alike. Many lived in poor conditions stricken by famine. The effect of the depression was great among the bottom group of the employment ladder as they depended on the industrial community for a living. In the years before the depression, a big part of the agricultural portion of the economy was deep in trouble. The course of the depression further accompanied with the Great Plains Dust Bowl of the 1930s worsened the problems and almost eliminated the sector. At the same time, the crisis response of the government at the time had limitations arising from the pressures for income at all levels of the administration. The decline in tax revenue collection furthered the problem (Ledbetter and Daniel 58). The stock market collapse forced the world trade to collapse causing the international community to adopt protective measures through imposing stiff tariffs on imported goods. This made the situation even worse as the goods were virtually impossible to purchase. The impact of this on society was devastating. By the year 1932, the industrial output of the United States was a shadow of itself having reduced by half. About 15-million people, constituting a quarter of the nation’s labor force, were not in active employment (Ledbetter and Daniel 17). The unemployed who could not afford to feed themselves, support families, and pay rent moved in with their families in apartments and houses that were crowded. Those in employment experienced deductions of up to 50 percent of their hourly wages (Ledbetter and Daniel 42). Banks failed and agricultural prices fell to the lowest point after the civil war. The unemployed had dependants and needed to pay rents and mortgages. In the end many could not cope and became homeless before moving into pitiful shantytowns called Hoovervilles developed all over the country with some sleeping under old newspapers dubbed Hoover blankets. The devastation was even greater among minority communities as it accompanied discrimination. Generally, the situation in the country at the time was depressing. Starvation traversed the nation accompanied by illness. The unemployed found it hard to feed themselves while most of them living in crowded conditions that were unhygienic (Ledbetter and Daniel 48). This deprived their immunity and made them more s usceptible to infections and diseases. The situation was much worse for those living in Hoovervilles that were void of bathrooms and running water. In the years of the Great Depression, there was a large number of malnourished children due to the poor diet and lack of medical care. The Great Depression brought with it a sporadic diversity in the general sorts of behaviors of the public. The unemployed were starving and needed help which was not forthcoming from the government as it was also in a crisis at the time. At the time, the social security system was not existent. This prompted the residents of some towns to start and run their own charitable organizations to provide relief to the less fortunate. The display of generosity was through the soup kitchens

Engineering or business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Engineering or business - Essay Example on of training on hazard prevention and safe operating procedures particularly on fire prevention and management procedures and occupational noise prevention and reduction program were tackled in details. The reason behind the need to strengthen the performance of its workplace inspection team was also covered in this report. To effectively manage the incidence of fire, it is important to maintain a safe working environment by making fire exits available and easily accessible. Other than the installation of fire prevention equipments, the use of early warning signs and devices like self-luminous or electroluminescent ‘exit’ signs in emergency exits and the provision of necessary trainings and easy access to medical facilities and first-aid kit are highly encouraged. To ensure that each employee do not suffer from a permanent hearing loss, HR managers of engineering companies should strictly implement the use of hearing protector and limit employees work to 8 hours per day. Measuring and recording noise level pollution should also be conducted on a regular basis. With the purpose of gathering useful information on how an engineering company can effectively implement and practice work environment safety, the target audiences for this study include the engineering students and workers who are currently employed in an engineering company. Since a portion of the engineering students may consider working for an engineering companies like Hofmann and Wintech, this report will be useful in terms of increasing the students’ and workers’ knowledge on how they can protect themselves from work-related injuries and accidents. Established back in 1955 by Gordon Hofmann, Hofmann Engineering grew as one of the largest U.S.-based companies that specialize in the manufacturing of night vision support gadgets, aircraft lighting, and photonic test equipments (Hofmann Engineering 2010a). The company expanded its business not only within the aerospace industry but also

Josiah Wedgwood's Pottery Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Josiah Wedgwood's Pottery - Case Study Example This essay declares that  Wedgwood understood that in order for his wares to become more desirable they would need to be more than perfectly produced. They needed a boost in status. Wedgwood felt they needed to transcend the universal opinion that all earthenware was inferior to porcelain. This was key if his creamware was to gain popularity, and most importantly, fetch the high porcelain prices he hoped for.   To achieve this, Wedgwood took a unique approach: he actively sought out royal patronage.   Before Wedgwood, Staffordshire potters had used their social status and money to promote their wares, but Wedgwood used his skill and the high quality of his wares to promote its social status, and his. Wedgwood’s set of â€Å"tea things† for Queen Charlotte was a success and just the boost in status his wares needed.   For England, unlike on the Continent, this was the first royal commission of local ceramics, and it was a major endorsement.  This paper stresses that  Wedgwood had the foresight to predict that the commission would bring him the powerful selling tool of prestige.   Although Wedgwood was confident that he should take the commission, he was concerned about whether he could successfully execute it. Of particular concern for Wedgwood was the gilding. Wedgwood consulted other potters, and eventually perfected a gilding method using powdered gold. Wedgwood’s end product was a success and the Queen was so pleased that she agreed to rename Wedgwood’s creamware â€Å"Queensware.†... ctives, Wedgwood formed a group of committee trustees to assist with investing not only with road improvements but also with canal constructions as well, because the latter was more efficient form of transport. Eventually, Wedgwood triumphed and the canal was built in the path of his new estate. The Trent and Mersey Canal was to become the main artery of the Grand Trunk Canal, which would have an extension leading to London. Wedgwood's transportation improvement goals became a reality. Wedgwood understood that in order for his wares to become more desirable they would need to be more than perfectly produced. They needed a boost in status. Wedgwood felt they needed to transcend the universal opinion that all earthenware was inferior to porcelain. This was key if his creamware was to gain popularity, and most importantly, fetch the high porcelain prices he hoped for. To achieve this, Wedgwood took a unique approach: he actively sought out royal patronage. Before Wedgwood, Staffordshire potters had used their social status and money to promote their wares, but Wedgwood used his skill and the high quality of his wares to promote its social status, and his. Wedgwood's set of "tea things" for Queen Charlotte was a success and just the boost in status his wares needed. For England, unlike on the Continent, this was the first royal commission of local ceramics, and it was a major endorsement. Wedgwood was offered the commission either, as he expressed in a letter to his br other "... because nobody else would undertake it..." or perhaps because the first potter had failed (Reilly, I, 200). Whichever was the case, Wedgwood had the foresight to predict that the commission would bring him the powerful selling tool of prestige. Although Wedgwood was confident that he should

The Role of Public Opinion in the Downfall of Policies The 1990 Poll Essay

The Role of Public Opinion in the Downfall of Policies The 1990 Poll Tax and the First Employment Contract 2006 - Essay Example The following discussion will explore the theory behind the rights assertion of citizens in reaction to unfair laws and policy reforms of the government, which is becoming very important to the validation of public policy. It is then going to consider the problems that the Conservative Government experienced with the Poll Tax in the 1990s and the French Government in respect to the First Employment Contract 2006. In this section it will illustrate how public opinion doomed these policies to the scrapheap. Carney has proposed that pressure groups have embarked on using the legal system for alternative methods than just setting precedent or using judicial review for ulterior motives than questioning the rule of law. This has occurred because the present legal system does not provide sufficient protection for the environment and he considers three theories of how pressure groups use the legal system which are; as a surrogate political process (Sax); adjunct to the political process; and rights assertion (Dworkin and Rawls). The following section will consider; each of these theories; the application that Carney proposes; and whether the theories of empowerment and grassroots movements provides any insight into providing environmental rights as sufficient access to justice against unfair public policy. The Surrogate Political Process theory argues that courts are completely independent from the political and as Sax argues that it is the only method of social reform that is not possible in the political arena of lobbying and the competing of interests.1 This is the radical form of the argument; however there is a more traditional line of argument as illustrated by Carney: The ability to operate as a surrogate political process the courts must have values which promote a different agenda to that which is being promoted by the traditional political process, and have the ability to ensure that these values are ultimately accepted in the traditional political process.2 The problem with this argument for the political/legal process is that it is not viable in the English Legal System, because of parliamentary sovereignty and the unwritten constitution because the English courts do not have the power to quash laws that are inconsistent with the constitution. In France, however, this is a possibility therefore extreme public reaction as to the First Employment Contract 2006 can result in the laws being quashed by the Courts. Therefore the government before losing in the courts in jurisdictions, such as France, will retract their public policy because of the ultimate failure of the policy due to the unfairness to the public. Adjunct to Political Process: This thesis recognizes the limitations of the court's ability to effect significant social change by itself - rather litigation is seen as another campaign tool - or in the words of David Robinson3 an arrow in the quiver. As a campaign tool litigation can serve a number of purposes. It may if successful legitimize the goal [of the Pressure Group] It may

Leadership Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Leadership - Coursework Example As opposed to these, there are modern theories and these are; style, trait and situational leadership theories. Style theory focuses on the adoption of one style of management. This is based upon the manager’s position as far as initiating consideration and structures are concerned. There were three styles of leadership brought forward under this, laissez-fair, democratic and autocratic leadership styles. Trait theory, on the other hand, is said to have been highly popular in the 1900s. Up to the 1950s, this theory formed the major factor when it came to the persons who would become leaders as regards the organization of criminal justice. The theory forms its basis on a major assumption that all good leaders have particular traits that poor leaders lack. The third and the last theory is that of situational leadership. This theory recognizes that a work place is a form of complex setting, which is faced with various rapid changes. Thus, it would be inadequate and ineffective if one style of management is applied in these differing situations. Therefore, the most apt way to lead is reliant on the current situation. (McKinney, 2008) There are three different modern strategies. These are; style, trait and situational leadership theories. Style theory focuses on the adoption of one style of management. This is based upon the manager’s position as far as initiating consideration and structures are concerned. There were three styles of leadership brought forward under this, laissez-fair, democratic and autocratic leadership styles. Trait theory, on the other hand, is said to have been highly popular in the 1900s. Up to the 1950s, this theory formed the major factor when it came to the persons who would become leaders as regards the organization of criminal justice. The theory forms its basis on a major assumption that all good leaders have particular traits that poor leaders lack. The third and the last theory is that of situational

The Role of Public Opinion in the Downfall of Policies The 1990 Poll Essay

The Role of Public Opinion in the Downfall of Policies The 1990 Poll Tax and the First Employment Contract 2006 - Essay Example The following discussion will explore the theory behind the rights assertion of citizens in reaction to unfair laws and policy reforms of the government, which is becoming very important to the validation of public policy. It is then going to consider the problems that the Conservative Government experienced with the Poll Tax in the 1990s and the French Government in respect to the First Employment Contract 2006. In this section it will illustrate how public opinion doomed these policies to the scrapheap. Carney has proposed that pressure groups have embarked on using the legal system for alternative methods than just setting precedent or using judicial review for ulterior motives than questioning the rule of law. This has occurred because the present legal system does not provide sufficient protection for the environment and he considers three theories of how pressure groups use the legal system which are; as a surrogate political process (Sax); adjunct to the political process; and rights assertion (Dworkin and Rawls). The following section will consider; each of these theories; the application that Carney proposes; and whether the theories of empowerment and grassroots movements provides any insight into providing environmental rights as sufficient access to justice against unfair public policy. The Surrogate Political Process theory argues that courts are completely independent from the political and as Sax argues that it is the only method of social reform that is not possible in the political arena of lobbying and the competing of interests.1 This is the radical form of the argument; however there is a more traditional line of argument as illustrated by Carney: The ability to operate as a surrogate political process the courts must have values which promote a different agenda to that which is being promoted by the traditional political process, and have the ability to ensure that these values are ultimately accepted in the traditional political process.2 The problem with this argument for the political/legal process is that it is not viable in the English Legal System, because of parliamentary sovereignty and the unwritten constitution because the English courts do not have the power to quash laws that are inconsistent with the constitution. In France, however, this is a possibility therefore extreme public reaction as to the First Employment Contract 2006 can result in the laws being quashed by the Courts. Therefore the government before losing in the courts in jurisdictions, such as France, will retract their public policy because of the ultimate failure of the policy due to the unfairness to the public. Adjunct to Political Process: This thesis recognizes the limitations of the court's ability to effect significant social change by itself - rather litigation is seen as another campaign tool - or in the words of David Robinson3 an arrow in the quiver. As a campaign tool litigation can serve a number of purposes. It may if successful legitimize the goal [of the Pressure Group] It may

Direction of the Company Avid Technologies Inc Essay

Direction of the Company Avid Technologies Inc - Essay Example From the aforementioned arguments, it is clear that the scope of the organization’s business for development is bright as the efficiency of the organization to develop digital media for not only commercial purposes but also for marketing communication opens the doors for corporate business development for the organization. This is in line with the arguments of Gerry Johnson and Kevan Scholes 92003)who say that the level of innovation retaining the core business strategy will leverage competitive advantage and new market development for an organization. The company’s involvement in the marketing communication and its position in the games industries are the key areas for development to accomplish for future development. The key objectives set above can be measured against the company’s accomplishment in the form of market share for the organization in the aforementioned market segments. The company generates revenue mainly through the production and distribution o f digital media to clients in the film industry, games industry and other media related commercial business markets. The fact that the company pioneers in the postproduction media management and manipulation of the video in using a computer are the key to the company’s revenue generation. The range of products sold by the company mainly depending upon the requirements of the customers and their specific needs with respect to the projects they handle like the movies and visual effects for a given movie project makes it clear that he company’s core strategy of producing, managing and distributing digital media is the generator of revenue for the  organization.  

What do visual hallucinations tell us about the nature of consciousness Essay Example for Free

What do visual hallucinations tell us about the nature of consciousness Essay The term ‘hallucination’ is difficult to define. There is a fine line between a ‘hallucination’ and an ‘illusion’. A hallucination differs from an illusion in that illusions are a product of misinterpretations of external stimuli whereas hallucinations need no such requirement making them an entirely internal process. A true hallucination can also be distinguished from a pseudo-hallucination in which the individual can recognise that what they’re seeing or hearing is not real. Hallucinations are also different from voluntary mental imagery, in that the thought has not uncontrollably forced itself onto our minds. Slade and Bentall (1988, cited in Blackmore, 2010) provided a working definition of a hallucination: â€Å"Any percept-like experience which (a) occurs in the absence of an appropriate stimulus, (b) has the full force or impact of the corresponding actual (real) perception, and (c) is not amenable to direct and voluntary control by the experiencer.† Hallucinations are frequently associated with schizophrenia. In result, those who hallucinate hesitate to come forward due to fear of being labeled crazy. The Society for Psychical Research’s ‘Census of Hallucinations’ is one of the first attempts to study hallucinations in the general population. 1684 people from 17,000 said they had previously suffered from a hallucination. It was found that visual hallucinations were more common than auditory hallucinations, and hallucinations where generally more common in females, with the most common type being a vision of a person (Blackmore, 2010). One general model of hallucinations is the ‘neurophysiological dissociation’ theory proposed by Marrazzi (1962, as cited in Slade 1976). He found that LSD produced inhibition of the association areas without affecting the primary visual cortex. He proposed that hallucinogenic drugs have their effect by producing a functional dissociation between the receiving cortex and the association areas. This loss of control of the latter over the former is responsible for the hallucinatory experience. A similar theory to Marrazzi is the ‘perceptual release’ theory, which was first proposed by Hughlings Jackson who believed that hallucinations were a result of loss of control of one area of the brain over the rest. More generally, he argues  that memories and internally generated images are naturally inhibited by information from the senses, and so such information is released when the sensory input is disrupted. Such a process tends to happen to people who indulge in sensory deprivation tanks, or to blind or deaf people. West (1962, as cited in Slade 1976) further developed the perceptual release theory to account for a whole range of percept like experiences, including hallucinations. The central beliefs of West’s theory is first, percept-like experiences are based on neural traces, templates, or engrams which are the permanent record of memories in the brain, secondly these templates/engrams are woven into the basic material of fantasies, dreams and hallucinations, and lastly, this reorganised experience is prevented from emerging into consciousness by the presence of external sensory input. The release of the reorganised experience can occur when there is sufficient arousal to permit awareness, combined with impairment of a sensory input. The perceptual release theory differs from Marrazzi’s theory in two main ways. Firstly, perceptual release theory, in placing arousal level as a central concept, assumes that subcortical structures play an important role, whereas Marrazzi’s t heory limits the area of dysfunction to structures within the cortex itself. Secondly, the perceptual release theory emphasises the disequilibrium between external sensory input and internal input from within, whereas Marrazzi does not (Slade, 1976). The perceptual release theory places strong emphasis on external sensory input, which has been supported through research demonstrating that interruption of the senses induces hallucinatory experiences. The best way to induce hallucinations, or where they occur the most, is through sensory deprivation. Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) is a common condition among people who have lost their sight in which they suffer visual hallucinations. Many studies have looked at the syndrome in order to provide a better understanding of visual hallucinations. One study exhibited a 64-year-old blind woman suffering from complex visual hallucinations (McNamara, Heros, Boller, 1982). It was found that neurosurgical removal of a large suprasellar meningioma helped remove her hallucinatory experiences. Such a case study provides evidence that hallucinations are related to both a  sensory deprivation and an impairment in CNS functioning. Another study claimed that, through looking at patients suffering f rom CBS, the hallucinations were due to an interruption in the visual association areas of the cerebral cortex. The researchers suggested that hallucinatory experiences could terminate on improving visual function or addressing social isolation (Menon, Rahman, Menon, Dutton, 2003). Deprivation of hearing can also induce hallucinations. Sometimes the deaf hear hallucinated sounds – they may even hear whole orchestras playing. Various case studies have demonstrated such a claim. Miller and Crosby (1979) found an 89-year-old woman experiencing the onset of musical hallucinations with longstanding progressive hearing loss. These hallucinations were well-formed perceptions of religious hymns and were nearly constant. Another study of a 52-year-old man proposed that the cause of musical hallucinations where due to progressive hearing loss and a result of sensory deprivation (Raghuram, Keshacan, Channabsavanna, 1980). Berrios (1990), through looking at a sample of 46 subjects experiencing musical hallucination, concluded that musical hallucinations were more common in females, and age and deafness seemed to play an important role in their development. Studies looking at CBS or hearing loss are consistent with the claim that hallucinations can occur as a result of an interruption in sensory input. However, studies have also addressed possible consistencies between hallucinations. There is no limit to the variety of hallucinations, although some common features have been identified suggesting a consistency that reflects underlying sensory processes. Such common features include spirals, concentric patterns, wavy lines, and bright colours. These similarities were investigated through studying the effects of mescaline, a hallucinogenic drug (Kluver 1926, as cited in Blackmore, 2010). It was found that brightly coloured images occurred, with a tendency to take on four forms. The first was gratings and lattices, the second was tunnels, funnels and cones, the third was spirals, and the fourth was cobwebs. These forms seem to be evident in hallucinations caused by drugs, fever, and more. The reason for such consistency lies within the map ping between patterns of the retina and  the columnar organisation of the primary visual cortex. Concentric circles from the retina are mapped into parallel lines in the visual cortex, with spirals, tunnels, lattices and cobwebs mapping onto lines in different directions. Inhibition is the cause of lines of activation in the visual cortex, and hallucinogenic drugs, lack of oxygen, certain diseases all affect inhibitory cells causing an excess of activity that can spread. In result, such consistent hallucinations occur similar to that of the four forms (Blackmore, 2010). However, there are also complex visual hallucinations in which the individual suffering from CBS/schizophrenia could see more concrete images such as monsters. In conclusion, research into hallucinations has provided a better understanding of the nature of conscious perception. Hallucinations have provided an interesting test case for theories on the mechanisms of conscious perception. In result the conscious experience without a stimulus provides a very useful case for consciousness research. Studying hallucinations is therefore extremely beneficial, as it has helped provide a window into imagery, imagination, and mental representation. References Berrios, G.E. (1990) Musical hallucinations, A historical and clinical study. BJP, 156, 188-194 Blackmore, S. (2010). Consciousness. An Introduction (2nd edition). Hodder Arnold. Hammeke, T.A. McQuillen, M.P. Cohen, B.A. (1983) Musical Hallucinations associated with acquired deafness. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 46, 570-572 McNamara, M.E. Heros, R.C. Boller, F. (1982) Visual hallucinations in blindness: The Charles bonnet syndrome. International Journal of Neuroscience, 17, 13-15 Menon, G.J. Rahman, I. Menon, S.J. Dutton, G.N. (2003) Complex Visual Hallucinations in the Visually Impaired: The Charles Bonnet Syndrome. Survey of Ophthalmology, 48, 58-72 Miller, T.C. Crosby, T.W. (1979) Musical hallucinations in a deaf elderly patient. Annals of Neurology, 5, 301-302 Raghuram, R. Keshavan, M.D. Channabasavanna, S.M. (1980). Musical Hallucinations in a deaf middle-aged patient. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 41, 357. Santhouse, A.M. Howard, R.J. Ffytche, D.H. (2000). Visual hallucinatory syndromes and the visual brain. Brain, 123, 2055-2064 Slade, P. (1976) Hallucinations. Psychological Medicine, 6, 7-13

The Operation Management Of Fedex Information Technology Essay

The Operation Management Of Fedex Information Technology Essay FedEx is the worlds largest express transportation company founded in 1971. Revenues in fiscal year 2008 were $38 billion and a net income of $1.13 billion. There are more than 280,000 employees worldwide, serving 210 countries and 366 airports worldwide, with 657 aircraft. The ground vehicle fleet numbers 43,500 worldwide. There are 44,000 drop boxes, 2400 FedEx shipping sites and 7600 authorized shipping centers. The average package volume amounts to approximately 3.1 million packages daily, weighing in at 25.6 million pounds annually. Average daily freight volume is about 7 million pounds per day. This level of business generates more than 500,000 daily calls and 63 million daily electronic transmissions. The domestic market is currently viewed as mature a The FedEx Family: FedEx Corporation, a $20-billion global enterprise FedEx Express, the worlds largest express transportation company, this is the overnight courier services, mainly using aircrafts for transportation. FedEx Ground, North Americas second-largest provider of ground small-package delivery within 24 hours. Mainly trucks are used for packages movement. FedEx Freight, a leading provider of regional less than truckload freight services, trucks are the main transportation system FedEx Custom Critical, the worlds largest surface expedited carrier for urgent, valuable or hazardous items, using charted aircraft and trucks. FedEx Trade Networks, a high-tech customs broker and trade facilitator FedEx Office, known as Kinkos, offer a full services of copying, editing, and printing. FedEx Supply Chain Services, a filial of FedEx that provides logistics services, as transportation management, critical inventory logisticsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it offers a portfolio of services that helps turn supply chain management into a competitive strategy. Supply chain services at FedEx have mainly focused on customer needs in term of cost reduction, time-definite, and global solutions to improve customers competitive position. In addition to this supply chain services aggressively pursue business opportunities to meet and exceed FedEx earnings and growth objectives. To fulfill those objectives FedEx uses a company culture defined by: The effectiveness of their communications. The empowerment of their people for peak performance. Employee pride in performance. A safe and rewarding work environment. Their mutually rewarding partnerships with customers and suppliers. Understanding and valuing diversity. Focus on our customers and a passion for service excellence. Conducting business to the highest ethical and professional standards. Supply chain FedEx Supply Chain Services designs, develops, and applies transportation management and e-Logistics solutions to improve inventory visibility, velocity, and speed to market. Their transportation management service improves transportation processes and can increase efficiencies. Their e-Logistics group helps customers compete in todays highly competitive e-Business channels. The FedEx network uses a HUB and SPOKE system allowing flexibility in primary warehousing, distribution, secondary warehousingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ to ensure minimum inventory holding cost providing the customers with a cutting edge over its competitors. HUB city city city city Delivery Delivery Delivery Pickup Pickup Pickup The HUB and SPOKE system To ensure connection between the hub and the city charted aircraft and trucks are used, aircraft assure the hub connection. Transportation and logistics management Transportation is the linkage process in logistics and often consumes much of the resources provided to the logistics function especially with a package delivery process companies like FedEx. It once dominated the distribution activity but for most companies it is now integrated into an overall activity. There are three factors that need to be considered. Operational factors include customer, environmental, product and company characteristics. The choice of transport mode is influenced by load size, density, value, competitive necessity and cost structures. Channel strategy considerations include the identification of available channels and the interfaces within each channel. FedEx combines people and technology to optimize cost and service. Their transportation management service combines sophisticated information technology with human resources to improve the inbound and outbound transportation processes of their customers. Their service simplifies carrier selection, improves logistics management, and offers cost savings opportunities. They streamline transportation management by providing a single point of contact for all of customers shipment and delivery needs. A team of dedicated coordinators is assigned to each account. Clients order service via electronic data interchange, the Internet, phone, or fax. They identify the carrier that will provide the lowest cost and best service for a customers shipment via software bases developed by FedEx. Then, a coordinator alerts the selected carrier and dispatches a vehicle. The result is a simplified, cost-effective process for managing transportation and inventory carrying costs. Transportation accounts for the largest resource commitment in the logistics activity, therefore its relative cost/benefit profile must be established within the context of the level of customer satisfaction that is being set as an objective. There are a number of interface areas and therefore decisions shared by transportation. These should be explored by first identifying the areas of flexibility and inflexibility of the decisions and most importantly that of the customer service objectives. The decisions influenced by transportation considerations include: Customer communications Market coverage Sourcing decisions Processing/manufacturing Customer service decisions. FedEx combines people and technology to optimize cost and service. Their transportation management service combines sophisticated information technology with human resources to improve the inbound and outbound transportation processes of their customers. Their service simplifies carrier selection, improves logistics management, and offers cost savings opportunities. They streamline transportation management by providing a single point of contact for all of a customers shipment and delivery needs. A team of dedicated coordinators is assigned to each account. Clients order service via electronic data interchange, the Internet, phone, or fax. They identify the carrier that will provide the lowest cost and best service for a customers shipment. Then, a coordinator alerts the selected carrier and dispatches a vehicle. The result is a simplified, cost-effective process for managing transportation and inventory carrying costs. Heres what your company can expect from their transportation management service: Transportation Savings: As a result of their carrier network and superior technology, they offer transportation savings opportunities to their customers. Discipline Control: They identify delivery dates; then, they determine the right mode of transportation for each shipment. In addition, they audit carrier compliance to their customers specifications. Convenience: They audit your freight bills and allocate charges to the appropriate accounting code within your organization. In addition, they offer the opportunity to reduce administration costs through electronic, paperless invoices. Information: They capture complete data about your companys shipments and provide useful management reports to further improve your transportation process. Customer service in the supply chain Efficient Consumer Response refers to the situation that makes the consumer the hero by providing better service to customers at lower cost, fewer stock outs and new products they want. Consumers will get a better deal overall. All this is done through control of information and product form the point of manufacturing to the point of sale, with the intent of eliminating waste and reducing cost cross an entire distribution pipeline. With ECR the entire pipeline is driven by scanned data at the point of sale. Replenishment orders are communicated via EDI to direct store delivery to retail distribution centers to wholesaler / distributor and to the manufacturers. This ensures that the right amount of product is delivered in a timely fashion, eliminating unnecessary inventory in the pipeline, eliminating stock outs and also eliminating the need for each pipeline participant to conduct its own forecast. In essence, ECR makes it possible for participants in a distribution pipeline to substitute information for inventory. The benefits to them are increased product velocity and the competitive benefits of significantly lower costs. Example FedEx has a 24 hour call center; the customers can call and make an order for pickup and delivery. FedEx assures a maximum 1 hour response time for pick up. The customer is expected to package the goods to be sent. Also after the pick-up has taken place, a one-hour time for doing the necessary paperwork is required. Following this a maximum of 6 hours processing time is needed at the airport for bagging, tagging, foreign exchange remittance, security check, clearance, etc. Keeping in mind the time for departure of flight, FedEx works backward to ensure that the product is picked and delivered on time For achieving this FedEx has a call cutoff time after which they stop taking calls for that particular day They have an office cut off time after which paper work by the office is not done. And they have at ramp cutoff time after which a package is not taken to the airport (this is the time required to balance the aircraft and to secure the goods to it.) However the adjustments to these rules can be made depending on the proximity of the customers to the office or his volunteering to drop off the package at the airport, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ DHL Express DHL is a Deutsche Post World Net company of Germany that provides international Mail, Express, Logistics and Finance. The company was founded in 1969 by Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom, and Robert Lynn. The trio initially provided a courier service between the Continental United States and Hawaii then expanded the business from there. In 1998, Deutsche Post World Net began to acquire shares in DHL, finally reached majority ownership in 2001, and completed the purchase in 2002. DHL owns its own cargo airlines, European Air Transport, originally based in Brussels, and DHL Air, based at the East Midlands Airport in the United Kingdom. DHL is the global market leader in international express, overland transport and air freight. It is also the worlds number 1 in ocean freight and contract logistics. DHL offers a full range of customized solutions from express document shipping to supply chain management. As on 2009, DHL employees have 500 000 employees across the various locations, has 6500 offices, more than 450 Hubs, and Warehouses Terminals, 240 Gateways, and 420 Aircraft, 76200 vehicles, serves more than 220 countries, and make more than 1.5 shipments per Year! Supply Chain DHL is completely service oriented therefore it does not have its own material movement, that means it only involves physical distribution and procurement. Procurement also includes the material needed for packaging such as paper, molded trays and boxes, wooden crates, standard containers wraps, plastic inlays etc. The materials or the goods collected from the senders (including papers, documents, physical goods like clothing, household good, chemicals, exotic animals à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) are weighed, checked for condition, and depending upon its various characteristics it is packed. The goods are then dispatched to their destinations. There is no value addition to the material itself but it is done to the service which is provided (ex. if there has to be a certain package delivered from A to B the normal services would take about 2 days whereas as a super-fast delivery would be done in about 9 hours) Information flow identifies specific locations within a logistical system that have requirements. Information also integrates the three operating areas. The primary objective of developing and specifying requirements is to plan and execute integrated logistical operations. These flows are divided into two major types: Coordination flow Operation flow Coordination flow Objectives: Coordination is the backbone of the overall information system, It implies estimating the time requires for collecting the goods from the door step of the sender and then estimating the time for the goods to reach the final customer. Forecasting: utilizes historical data, current activity levels, and planning assumptions to predict future activity levels, as for DHL the whole business depends on the vital point of timely delivery, Based on the distance to the final receiver, the accessibility, the documentations and procedures that need to be handled. They have fine-tuned process of delivery. They can accurately gauge how much time it will take for the goods to reach its end destination. Operation flow The second aspect of information requirements is concerned with directing operations to receive, process, and ship inventory as required supporting customer and purchasing orders. Operational requirements deal with: Order management Order processing Distribution operations Inventory management Transportation and shipping Procurement DHL owns its success for the efficiency with which the operations are carried out. Here not only the company but the sender and sometimes the receiver can track the goods through their information center. They are given a certain password which they can use to trace via online or their customer service helpline. Transportation DHL uses all the modes of transportations that is airways roadways waterways rail freight DHL has its own fleet of airplanes and motor vans. Depending upon the final destination where the goods have to finally reach and the type of package the customer has paid for, DHL uses the individual modes of transport or a combination of either of these or all. Once again the geographical location and how fast the goods have to be delivered are the factors for the final selection of modes of transportation. DHL provides an appropriate logistical solution which helps in reducing the overall cost for the customers. Warehousing Two type of warehousing: Bonded Warehousing, provides secure environments, in which customers products can be held, without paying the local taxes. Shared-user Warehousing is a shared-user facility that is designed to meet the needs of organizations of any size, mainly used, for leading manufacturers and retailers of medical supplies, consumer products, industrial equipment, chemicals and technology. Through sharing of DHLs resources, such as space, labor, equipment and transportation, customers benefit from synergies that considerably reduce supply chain costs. Consequently, the customer can increase efficiencies throughout their distribution network and maintain a higher level of service to their customers. Comparison Strategic objectives HUB and SPOKE Nature and location of customers, which are matched to the required products and services to be performed Operational flows process-oriented, integrated approach to procuring, producing and delivering products and services to customers logical progression of developments in logistics management directing operations to receive, process, and ship inventory as required supporting customer and purchasing orders the efficiency with which the operations are carried out Supply chain optimization suppliers at one end and customers at the other electronic data, electronic funds transfer effective supply chain solution operational improvement and inventory analysis Customer service Efficient Consumer Response reducing cost Power Packaging Add flexibility Accelerate time to mark Transportation Mainly Aircraft and Roadways Adaptive to market and product Airways, roadways, waterways, rail freight Depends on the packages to transport Conclusion From the previous analysis both operations management seems to be efficient dependent on the companys philosophy and both are the leading companies in the package transportation and distribution. Bibliographies http://www.dhl.com/ http://www.fedex.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FedEx http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DHL_Express

Book Report for On My Honor Essay example -- Book Reports Marion Dane

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marion Bauer certainly followed in the tradition of great novels. On My Honor is set in the hot summer of a small city. It explores the stress we put on ourselves to express blame and feel guilt when blamed. The biggest heartache is when you blame yourself for things that could not be prevented, or were not your fault. That is what Joel did. The setting was the Vermillion. Tony called it Old Man River, which is a nickname for the Mississippi. Bauer described the river as â€Å" the reddish brown water slithering far beneath the bridge.† Bauer also described it as full of sinkholes, current, and whirlpools. It was polluted with chemicals and sewage that were invisible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main characters were Joel and Tony. They were born three weeks apart and had been neighbors and friends all th...

Maria Montessori

On August 31st 1870, Maria Montessori was born in Chiaravalle in the province of Alcona, Italy to father Alessandro Montessori and mother Renilde Stoppani Montessori. Her father, being a soldier, had old-fashioned ideas, conservative manners and apparent military habits. Her mother, Renilde Stoppani, was a bright well-educated woman. Being a well-read person, she also encouraged Maria to do the same. For Renilde it was important for girls to have a good education. With Renilde’s influence, Maria started to enjoy her studies and showed interest in mathematics.Renilde was always a friend and confidante who understood her daughter’s passion for education. She always supported her decisions and ambition. Between them was a special relationship, until her death in 1912. By the time Maria was twelve, her family moved to Rome for better education than what was offered in Ancona. Soon, she would be graduating from primary school and she was thinking more and more about her futu re. For most girls in Italy in the 1800’s primary school was as far as their education went, but Maria wanted to continue her studies.She entered a technical school for boys with the intention of becoming an engineer. This was unusual at the time as most girls who pursued secondary education studied the classics rather than going to technical school. Maria’s plans were always rejected by her father, being a conservative man who followed the norms of the society at that time. After a while, Maria had some change of heart regarding her studies and finally decided to become a doctor instead. She believed that her calling was medicine.Alessandro was appalled and confused by his daughter’s decision. He wanted Maria to be a teacher just like the other young women. At that time, a woman doctor was shocking and unheard of in society. Strong-willed as she was, she opposed the decision of her parents and joined the University of Rome. Once again, Renilde sided with Maria. Although Alessandro did not forbid Maria to study medicine, he never approved of it. Maria defied her father and the conservative Italian society and studied science. She knew she would be facing the biggest challenge of her life.Being the only woman in school, earning the respect of the other students was difficult but she was not about to let these men get in her way. One winter, she braved the snowstorm to attend a lecture only to find out that she was the only student there. The professor, impressed by her determination, gave the lecture anyway. Once, another student behind her kept on kicking the back of her chair, Maria gave him an angry look and said, â€Å"I must be immortal or a look like that would have killed me. † Maria was motivated most of the time but there were times when she felt discouraged by the taunting and teasing, among other things.She faced many obstacles that sometimes she wondered if it was worth it. Maria’s ordeal of dissecting human bodies made it worse for her when she had to do it alone at night. It was improper back then for a woman to study a body and it’s organs in the company of men. In 1896, after six years at the university, Maria was nearing the end of her studies. Like all medical students, Maria delivered her lecture and at the end was applauded by the entire senior class. This was the day Maria would not forget as she saw her father who stood in the audience, clapping with them.At the age of 25, Maria earned her medical degree and the title of ‘dottoressa ‘ at the University of Rome. She was the first female doctor in Italy. Dr. Maria Montessori's first appointment was as an assistant doctor in the psychiatric clinic of the University of Rome, where she worked with mentally challenged children. Dr. Montessori, with her kind heart and pity for these children, became very much involved with them. During one visit to the asylums, Maria saw that children would crawl around the floor looking for crumbs of food that had fallen there.She observed the bare walls and carefully watched the children. She came up with the thought that the children are not really looking food because they were still hungry but because they wanted something to touch or look at. Her observation and regular contact with the unfortunate children convinced her that the problem of handling these so-called defectives was as much one of instructional method as of medical treatment. She was convinced that the children in the asylum could be helped. They were educable despite of their condition.Dr. Montessori ended up educating herself to the works of two Frenchmen, Jean Itard and Edouard Seguin who believed that even the mentally challenged people could be educated. In 1898, she was appointed director of the State Orthophrenic School in Rome. Throughout this year, she continued to give lectures and wrote articles on idiocy. She continued her research and studies to help deficient children and her work paid off. The children made tremendous progress, and even passed state examinations to the surprise of all. While hese children enjoyed great success, Maria was concerned at the lack of progress of many normal children. She thought that if children with these problems had attained such a level, she felt that many normal children should be reaching higher levels. This drove her to a deeper research into the matter and she went back the University of Rome pursuing her study on psychology and philosophy. In 1904, she was appointed as professor of anthropology at the university. She was eager to try out her teaching methods on children of normal intelligence, and in 1906 she got the chance. The Italian government put Dr.Montessori in charge of a slum school in the San Lorenzo quarter of Rome which had children aged three to six from poverty-stricken families. The children were scribbling on walls in corridors and causing mischief while their parents were at work and their older siblings were at school. They needed someone to keep the children occupied and out of mischief. Maria readily gave up her job at the university and established a school on the 6th of January, 1907 and named it ‘Casa dei Bambini' meaning Children's house. She put many different activities and other materials into the children’s environment.To be able to do her other duties, Dr. Montessori hired someone to take charge of the classroom. She had carpenters build child sized school chairs and desks to make them comfortable for learning. In the room, everything was adapted to the children’s size and perspectives. She had low sinks put in so they could wash themselves. She replaced the locked cupboards with open shelves low enough for the children to reach. Dr. Montessori observed that if children have an orderly place to work and learn they take great pride in it and care well for the learning tools.They are able to sit quietly and learn for long periods of time- far longer th an in normal everyday settings. Children in a Casa dei Bambini made extraordinary progress and soon five year olds were writing and reading. Dr. Montessori’s new approach drew the whole world’s attention to Casa Dei Bambini and visitors arrived to see for themselves how she was achieving such results. The result of her work was being heard of and written in papers, first in Italy then in other countries. One of them was in the McClures Magazine in the Unites States.The millionaire, McClure even offered to put up an institution solely for Dr. Montessori’s use, but was only declined by the latter. She did not want to compromise what she had started in Italy and be tied down to other international undertakings. A conflict between Dr. Montessori and Eduardo Talamo (the director/engineer of the housing project) resulted to the former leaving the tenement which Talamo managed. Dr. Montessori got her own apartment and built two rooms for the children. She established M ontessori classrooms in her own residence. By 1909, there were five Casa dei Bambini operating.In the same year, Dr. Montessori gave her first training courses. Her notes from this period developed into The Montessori Method. In 1912, after the death Renilde, Dr. Montessori was reunited with her fifteen year-old son, Mario, who was born out of wedlock and had to be sent away at a young age. Being an unmarried mother at that time was an scandalous thing and would have ruined Dr. Montessori’s public image and career forever. From that day on, Mario went with her on most of her travels. There was a period where Dr. Montessori was occupied with travelling, public speaking and giving lectures.At this point in time, she was rubbing elbows with quite influential people in the society. In the United States she delivered twelve speeches, one of which was at Carnegie Hall. In 1915, the year of the San Francisco World Exhibition was an opportunity for Dr. Montessori to present her metho d and be well-known. A Montessori class was conducted in a room called ‘glass room’ which was specially constructed for people who wanted to view how Dr. Montessori worked with the children. Her training course for teachers in California was well attended. She was not alone.A small group of women of uncommon devotion lived with Dr. Montessori. Among them, Anna Maccheroni and Adelia Pyle were instrumental in spreading and implementing Dr. Montessori’s ideas. On the same year, the first Montessori school in Spain was established. Following the success of her first international training course, she travelled the world lecturing and training more teachers. Mario was always there to accompany her even after he married and had children. In 1929, the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) was founded to oversee the training of teachers. Dr.Montessori and Mario embarked for India in 1939 to give a training course. They were not to return for seven years. India beca me their home until after the war ended in 1946. With the outbreak of war, as Italian citizens, Mario was detained as a prisoner and Maria was held on house arrest. Dr. Montessori’s stay in India gave birth to the idea of ‘cosmic education’ – an approach to children in the second plane of development. On her 70th birthday she requested to the Indian government that her son Mario be released and to rejoin her. This wish was granted and they were given permission to travel around India.Together they trained more teachers in India before they returned to Holland and to the grandchildren (Mario, Jr. , Renilde and Marlena) who had spent the years in the care of Ada Pierson. Ada was a special person in Mario’s life whom he had met in London in 1936. Even in her later years, Dr. Montessori continued travelling around the world writing and teaching her method with the same enthusiasm and energy, with Mario as her constant companion. What followed was a succ ession of international accomplishments: 1946 – gave courses in London and Scotland -â€Å"Education for a New World† was published 947 – Operation Montessori was established in Italy – 40th Anniversary of Casa dei Bambini was celebrated – Montessori Center was established in London – She returns to India 1948 – Publication of â€Å"Discovery of the Child†, â€Å"To Educate Human Potential† and â€Å"What You Should Know About Your Child† 1949- Dr. Montessori receives Cross of Legion of Honor in France -International Congress was held in San Remo -â€Å"Absorbent Mind† was published 1950- Dr. Montessori was nominated for Nobel Peace Prize -â€Å"Formation of Man† was published 1951- International Montessori Congress held in LondonShe died in Noordwijk-on-Sea in Holland on May 6th 1952 at the age of eighty-one. Even after her death, Mario continued what Dr. Montessori had begun. He continued conductin g the training courses. And today, schools everywhere have been influenced in some way by Dr. Maria Montessori's work. Her legacy lives on. Bibliography: †¢AMI Training Handouts †¢AMI Training Lecture 2010, MTTC of NC †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Education: Return of Montessori,† Time Magazine, 3 February 1930, 2 October 2010 http://www. time. com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,738569-2,00. html. †¢Standing, E. M.. Maria Montessori, Her Life and Work. New York: Penguin Group, 1998. Maria Montessori I choose Maria Montessori’s theories on education because I believe that her ideas make the most sense when it involves children learning in the classroom and at home. Her theories of observation and hands on learning were given much recognition in the twentieth century. She was recognized as one of the pioneers of early childhood education. (Kramer, Rita Marie. 1988. Maria Montessori: A Biography. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley). Most schools today are still using several of Montessori’s theories and ideas on their younger students; especially kindergarteners.I want to be able to use many of Maria Montessori’s ideas in my kindergarten class because I believe they work. I believe it is a key element to observe small children during their play time, learning time, and when they are being interactive. Observing children gives a teacher a chance to see the child’s strong learning abilities and their weak ones. This also goes for the hands-on theory, most childre n learn much quicker when they are allowed to touch and play with objects and interact with toys and tools used in class rooms for learning.I also will be the type of teacher that does not discriminate between race, origin, religion, or disabilities, just like Maria Montessori. She did a lot of special work with the disabled children in her teachings and I plan to do the same. As did Montessori I will also make sure that the parents of my students are as involved with their child’s education as they possibly can be. Reference: 1). Kramer,Rita Marie. 1988 Maria Montessori:A Biography. Reading,MA:Addison-Wesley. Maria Montessori The Montessori method of teaching aims for the fullest possible development of the whole child, ultimately preparing him for life's many rich experiences. Complemented by her training in medicine, psychology and anthropology, Dr. Maria Montessori (1870 – 1952) developed her philosophy of education based upon actual observations of children. Children pass through sensitive periods of development early in life. Dr. Montessori described the child's mind between the time of birth and six years of age as the â€Å"absorbent mind†. It is during this stage that a child has a tremendous ability to learn and assimilate from the world around him, without conscious effort. During this time, children are particularly receptive to certain external stimuli. A Montessori teacher recognizes and takes advantage of these highly perceptive stages through the introduction of materials and activities which are specially designed to stimulate the intellect. Encouraged to focus her attention on one particular quality, the child works at her own optimum level – in an environment where beauty and orderliness are emphasized and appreciated. A spontaneous love of â€Å"work† is revealed as the child is given the freedom (within boundaries) to make her own choices. Montessori teachers are trained facilitators in the classroom, always ready to assist and direct. Their purpose is to stimulate the child's enthusiasm for learning and to guide it, without interfering with the child's natural desire to teach himself and become independent. Each child works through his individual cycle of activities, and learns to truly understand according to his own unique needs and capabilities. Everything in a Montessori classroom has a specific use or purpose. There is nothing in the prepared environment that the child cannot see or touch. All of the furniture and equipment is scaled down to the child's size and is within easy reach. A quality Montessori classroom has a busy, productive atmosphere where joy and respect abound. Within such an enriched environment, freedom, responsibility, and social and intellectual development spontaneously flourish! Interested in becoming a Montessori teacher? Find out how you can earn your Montessori diploma now without missing a minute of work. Request an Information Package Today! Maria Montessori Born Maria Montessori Chiaraville, Italy on May thirty-first eighteen seventy. She came into a very well educated Catholic family. Her mother was also very educated along with her father who was once a in the military but found his calling as a financial advisor in the tobacco company. Maria's father was to be seen as a very traditional but firm peremptory man, while her mother had her own down to earth ideas when she was part of liberating Italy. It as Maria's mother that supported her in all here endeavors. Her family moved to Rome so Maria could better her education and her father could follow his company. She attended a mostly all boy technical school. Where she got her degree to be in engineering, spite what her father wanted. But after attending high school she studied to become a engineer but veered from that into the medical field. But due to her father disliking her university studies could be seen as a bit strained. But Maria was strong and overcome difficulties to even study about the human body. At times she had to have special sessions to perform autopsies because it was frowned down on that women were not to study or perform autopsies in front of men. But Maria held onto her dream and became the first female physician in 1896 (Hainstock,1997). Maria first came in contact with children when she had to attend a school for special needs children. As she studied these children she convinced herself into realizing that the kids issues were not medical but educational: by that she could see that if the children were made more stimulated the children were more acceptable to the learning process. Maria wanted more education so went back to school to study anthropology, psychology. So in 1904 Maria gained the position of Lecturer in Pedagogical Anthropology. While studying Maria fell in love with a colleague that she worked with, she had one child a son. She sent her son to live with a foster family, so she would not be shunned at because she was a unwed and single parent at that time. Even after her death her son new his mother well and knew that he was in safe family ways and that she did what she had to do at that time, and provide her son with a great life. Dr. Maria Montessori became a pivotal standard when it came to early childhood education. Her theory that all children are highly motivated to learn. They are like sponges the more information they receive the more they will take what is said and learn from it easily and naturally. Maria felt that formation of life begins at birth and until young adulthood. She felt that as a human infant we are born incomplete person and it is up to the child to complete the transformation (Lillard & Jessen 2003). Montessori studied at the children asylums she learned that a child's development was developed through the senses or â€Å"sensorial exploration† and hand to brain coordination (Lillard,1996 Lillard & Jessen, 2003). She felt that children needed to learn from their senses of touch, feel, smell, and seeing and hearing. Montessori used stages to help children guide themselves through adulthood: the first stage was the Period of Transformation. This usually started from age zero to age six years. In the stage children we somewhat self centered to eve a bit egotistical at time s that lead these children to know the ways of nature which gave them children the drive and the core of self development. This is also where the sponge or absorption of language, walking and talking came it into self development (Lillard &, 2003). These sessions were referred to as the Sensitive Period. At this time it shows that children work on only one area of education while ignoring the other areas. At the age of zero to three a child has a secondary division of the Unconscious Absorbent Mind, at this stage the child is absorbing all he or she can with the environment around him/her, using what they learn to gain a grasp on the their future. (Standing,1957). The second sub division is when the Conscious Absorbent Mind this is between the ages of three to six year olds. This stage is used from taking what the child leaned from the Unconscious Absorbent Mind and using it to understand and placing what he/she learned into categories that well be used later in the learning process. The Sensitive Period and Absorbent mind work together to mold a child's personality. This shows the â€Å"sensorial explorers† so it comes the focus to become oneself. Montessori called these the beginnings years for a child first recollection into a child development. Maria believed that a child's environment was built around a child's needs and wants in order for the child to be able to pass through each stage comfortably. Montessori used Auto Education along with didactic material, individual or on one on one teaching to give the child individualism in teaching in a prepared environment. Within the Montessori Auto-Education she built this theory on that a child learn though what they experience throughout the environment . This can be seen though the sensory, education and muscular coordination using Montessori didactic materials. These supped the use of one's language development(Orem, 1971). This also gave the child the development of right and wrong. This was taught by showing the child two different materials that is not in any way represented of each other, giving the child a connection to the right and wrong. Montessori control of error gave children a constant time of playing while the child had to keep his or her pace not being designated into a certain time to quit the activity so the child could learn at his or her on speed. This showed teachers that a child could learn and do things on their own pace without being told what to do, they took it upon themselves to teach themselves. The next concept was Individual Education, giving the child his or her own space and interests, giving the children the drive to always want more. But learn with space and freedom, individualism while still giving the respect and consideration to the other kids. So not engaging or interfering in other children's work. Giving a child the space and opportunity to learn about the environment around then with hands on techniques or through movement. This gives the child the use of hand eye coordination along with motor skills development. Montessori believes that children learn from experiences through learning when it is their choice other than being forced into learning (Orem, 1971). One more of Montessori's concepts was the one on Independence and Prepared Environment. This was where individuals worked in a block of time without being interrupted . It gave the child the since of peace and accomplishment. But always knowing that others were around to help out. The individual time that child worked alone was his or hers, so that whatever that child or individual was doing was still being observed to a degree but also left alone to tend to the matter at hand. Montessori also felt that breaking children up into groups or sections gave a more one on one chance the teacher and other kids. Plus it gave them the chance to come into contact or meshing with the older students and together they could learn from each other. This gave the prestige of mentoring the younger kids with a older child. The older child got to learn patients, cooperation and mentoring which was great for both kids. Maria Montessori theory brought her great strides to the education of many children from yesteryear to today, but it was also criticized by other too. Some researchers look at the way Montessori teaches and says that there is way too much leniency, in the supervision of the children in the classroom, which in return can turn the children into egomaniacs. Her teaching credentials with researchers saying that her books were expensive and not within reach for the everyday family to teach their child (Faryadi, 2007). Some see her methods and theory are geared only towards lower class families, or for families that had a lower economic status. They also felt that the kids are being put into a hostile and not caring environment where they is not structure of adult supervision. Montessori most well known critic was William Head Kilpatrick. A teacher in his own time, his approach to teaching became the Project Method of Education. This method closely resembled Montessori's ways too. This was where the children learned without the use of a teacher yes, no teacher. He looked at teaching education is like to creating a group of children to take control of work with each other without the confrontations, which could have the children become more independently driven as a single learners. Kilpatrick went back to school and once he did that he had a different approach to education and more progressive outlook. When Montessori's popularity hit the United States, Kilpatrick hired lectures to critique that teaching of Montessori. HE saw her way of teaching was becoming way to lax in the way of play too (Shortridge, 2007). He shunned her for the lack her for the lack of discipline, her theories were way to narrow and the way she ran her school was ways to lenient to his liking. With all this Montessori credibility was diminished. Montessori was becoming more criticized by American schools and some even stopped teaching the Montessori way. But to this day there are still schools that practice or teach the Montessori method and with the theory Maria Montessori lives by to this day. * I am proud to say that I was welcomed into one of the Montessori schools here in my town. I got to observe the methods and teaching for a day. I was so humbled and honored to be in the presents of such wonderful little kids. got to play and talk to them about their school, one little girl Jenny said † I love my school and I learn allot each day†. Jenny was so courteous and so sweet. She showed me around the classroom and the different stations too. It was so rewarding to see this little girl guide me through her classroom not her teacher. Even though her teacher was there it was just a great day spent observing a Maria Montessori class in my town. I relate to Montessori theory, because I feel that children deserve to learn in a classroom that envelops the well being and knowledge that the kids provide along with what I can teach them as the year goes on. My overall teaching would abide by the standards that my state has and make my classroom not only my classroom but the kids that I teach also. Everyone would be welcomed and I would always want to learn from my kids and become not only their teacher but a friend to them. My life and career will revolve around not only my kids but also the kids that I hold dear to me as my class. Each day that passes will bring new horizons for all of us. I will look back on what Maria Montessori has tough me through all the ligature that I have read over the last free weeks. There were many great theorists in the field of Early Childhood Education but I think I have found a new profound outlook on the whole process of teaching and learning. Thanks to a woman like Maria Montessori that started out as a physician and then turned her ideas and teaching into a theory that to this day some schools hold dear. In my future class I would make everyday a learning experience with a standard to the highest, along with the drive and determination to always want to come back and learn more as the days and months pass on.