Essay On The Death Penalty - 1641 Words

The death penalty plays a controversial role in modern society. Many arguments against the death penalty are raised to question whether it is biased against race or violates the constitution. Reuben Greenberg, the first black police chief involved in innovative criminology and author of the article â€Å"Race, the Criminal Justice System, and Community-Oriented Policing,† openly shares his opinion on how race does not affect the death penalty. Reuben Greenberg also proves false accusations of the death penalty wrong. Jack Greenberg, American attorney and author of Against the American System of Capital Punishment,† disagrees with Reuben Greenbergs statement, and claims that race does hold a high position within the death penalty. Aside from†¦show more content†¦Along with this, Reuben Greenberg believes that you have to look past a persons skin color and judge them on their crime, not their looks. Haag agrees with Reuben Greenbergs statement on how people should nt judge someone just because of their race. The subject of race can become very biased, and many people feel as if the justice system can be racist towards minorities. In my opinion, race should not play a role in death penalty. Although there are still many racist people in the world, crimes should be prosecuted based on the crime committed, regardless of the person’s race. Many white people are on death row currently for the same crimes a minority might commit. In the world today, many controversial events have happened dealing with race along with the justice system. For example, there have been multiple incidents where a white officer has been charged with shooting a black person. It is thought that if a white judge is sentencing a minority, the odds of the minority getting put on death row would be in favor. A judge must have an opinion when it comes to sentencing a criminal, but it does not always have to be the â€Å"race card†. The severity of the crime should be the real reason as to why a person would b e put on death row, not their skin color. If a minority commits a crime worthy of the death sentence, the judge has the right to sentence that upon him, regardless of looking at his skin.Show MoreRelatedThe Death Penalty Essay610 Words   |  3 PagesThe Death Penalty The Death penalty has been a controversial subject since the beginning of time. People are concerned about the morality of the death penalty thus making it a debatable subject. Because of this, James Freeman, columnist for USA Today, decided to write an editorial on the subject of â€Å"Does America need the death penalty?† While being a writer for USA Today, one would think that he would effectively use the appeals of rhetoric (ethos, pathos, and logos), but in fact he doesRead MoreEssay on Death Penalty1584 Words   |  7 Pagescontroversial topics in America today is the death penalty. Four thousands of years the death penalty has been used all over the world. In the earlier centuries the townsmen would hang people if they were accused as being a witch, but they were not witches at all. They merely knew a little more information than the next person. They were wrongly accused, and that is why I see the death penalty as immoral, unethical and just wrong! People were put to death for no reason; they were accused because thereRead More death penalty Essay1215 Words   |  5 Pages Death penalty Is it violation of human rights? Mohammad Towhidul Islam Though the modern world is very sympathetic to the concept of human rights issues, death penalty as a form of capital punishment has still been in practice in the world. During 2001, at least 3048 people were executed in 31 countries as well as at least 5265 people were sentenced to death in 68 countries. It is very interesting to see that some advanced countries, which are pioneer to the protection and promotionRead MoreEssay on Death Penalty1367 Words   |  6 PagesDeath Penalty The death penalty is a controversial topic in the United States today and has been for a number of years. The death penalty was overturned and then reinstated in the United States during the 1970s due to questions concerning its fairness. The death penalty began to be reinstated slowly, but the rate of executions has increased during the 1990s. There are a number of arguments for and against the death penalty. Many death penalty supporters feel that the death penalty reduces crimeRead More Death Penalty Essay1809 Words   |  8 Pages The death penalty has both supporters and non-supporters. The following essay will not solve the issue; I will only try to persuade the reader to understand my point of view. The death penalty is justified in certain cases such as Mcveigh Vs State of Indiana; however it is unjustified in other cases, including Bloodsworth Vs State of Maryland. The death penalty is a must, especially in today’s society. With the increase in vicious crimes today, the government must act just as harsh with our justiceRead MoreDeath Penalty Essay1956 Words   |  8 Pagesmaking the death penalty illegal in the United States of America. The United States Constitution does not allow for unkind penalties as a sentence for crime. The death penalty poses many risks to the innocent. World opinion supports the cessation of the death penalty. Poor and minorities suffer disproportionately from the death penalty. Capital punishment is not a deterrent to crime. Putting people to death by capital puni shment is not cost effective. Putting people to death by capitalRead MoreDeath Penalty Essay607 Words   |  3 PagesCapital punishment as known as the death penalty is the execution of a person by judicial process as a punishment for an offense. Crimes that are known as capital crimes or capital offences result in the death punishment. China crimes that were human trafficking and serious cases of corruptions are punishments of the death penalty. Militaries around the world court-martials had imposed death sentences for offenses such as cowardice, desertion, insubordination, and mutiny. The methods of executionRead MoreEssay on Death Penalty546 Words   |  3 Pages The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, and violates the right to life. Its hard for me as a Swede to understand that a country such as USA still have that kind of punishment. For many people and nations the USA serves as a model, so it is to me very difficult to imagine how you can persuade nations like Burma and China to respect basic human rights when you dont do it yourself. Body A. Concerning the Death Penalty Capital punishment -- the death penaltyRead More Death Penalty Essay664 Words   |  3 Pages The use of the death penalty in the United States has been a great debate for many years. One of the major aspects of this debate is whether or not we should continue to use this form of punishment for criminals. In my opinion, the death penalty should be abolished because it costs taxpayers much more than sending an inmate to prison and there is no factual evidence that it has any greater deterrent effect than life imprisonment. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;One major reason that I believe thatRead MoreEssay Death Penalty685 Words   |  3 PagesThe Death Penalty   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Death Penalty can be considered one of the most debated issues in the United States. The death penalty is a judicially ordered execution of a prisoner for a serious crime, often called a capital crime (Capital). There are many people that oppose the death penalty and then there are many people who are for the death penalty. People who oppose the death penalty feel that it is not humane or it might be too expensive. The people who are for the death penalty feel that

The American Education Systems Multicultural Perplexity...

The American Education Systems Multicultural Perplexity The American Education Systems Multicultural Perplexity The responsibility of the American education system is the instill into children the knowledge and necessary skills to be a productive portion of the society. Numerous studies have shown that high school drop outs are much more likely to have a criminal record than those who have received their diploma. I think that the success of a society as a whole is dependent on the core education of the individuals who make up that society. If you cant provide for your family you will do whatever it takes to get the things you need. This is why it is imperative to create a base of individuals who are capable of sustaining a†¦show more content†¦183) school has always been fundamentally about making the individual fit the group. But shouldnt the fundamentals be about the advancement of the society through the individual prosperity? I interviewed my fiancà ©, David Carter, because he went through two different school systems in his education. From kindergarten through mid-seventh grade he went to a school which had an African American population near 40 percent, Beaver Falls, and from mid-seventh through graduation he went to a school which was around 3 percent minorities, Quaker Valley. Both of these schools are in the Pittsburgh area and are within 45 minutes drive of one another. The Beaver Falls School District was in a very poor neighborhood, and at this time David was being raised in low income housing (a.k.a. ‘the projects). He says that the teachers at Beaver Falls seemed to be frustrated with the students quite often and this affected their performance as teachers. Beaver Falls is not considered a good school system if you are shopping for a house. Quaker Valley, on the other hand, is in a middle class to upper middle class area and is considered a very good school district. It actually was a Bl ue Ribbon School for the 1992-93 school year David graduated in. This means that it was considered to be one of the top 500 schools in America. David lived in a middle class neighborhood at this time, and he said that the teachers of Quaker Valley were highly motivated and exceptional leaders inShow MoreRelatedCase Study : Organization And Behavior3589 Words   |  15 Pageson team functioning within such an organization as Sainsbury’s in Great Britain 12 Conclusion 13 Introduction: The assignment attempts to understand the business world which is very necessary to know Organizational management system and its function, as well as their structure. In this respect, in the assignment I have chosen the organisation, Tesco. It is the first largest retailer in UK. In task 1 and 2 I tried to give the idea of organizational structure and organization performanceRead MoreSda Manual Essay101191 Words   |  405 PagesConference of Seventh-day Adventists Copyright  © 2005 by the Secretariat, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Unless otherwise indicated, all Bible texts are from the King James Version. Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, copyright  © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Texts credited to NEB are from The New English Bible.  © The Delegates of the Oxford University Press and the Syndics

Descriptive T-bone Steak and Pan Free Essays

Juan Olivarez English 1301PW1 Descriptive Essay Stepping through the door, that familiar smell creeps through my mind and I can’t refrain from grinning from ear to ear. As I take my next step, my heart pounds and my head goes numb with a sense of bliss and satisfaction I will soon be experiencing. Placing the bags down slowly, I can’t help but feel them slipping from my grasp as my palms sweat from the anxiety from the moment that is no more than just an hr away. We will write a custom essay sample on Descriptive: T-bone Steak and Pan or any similar topic only for you Order Now The trill and excitement I get from seeing my girlfriend cook is something that is erotic, even though the act itself is so innocent. Taking the items out of the bag, slowly I make sure one last time that the list she gave me is complete and all items are checked off. With the excitement of a young child asking for a delicious piece of candy, I call out her name. Walking in the room with a smile that lights up the room, like a flare lighting up a dark place and making an eerie setting feel like home, she looks at me and sighs to me letting me know the theatrics are about to start. She starts off by slowly, yet sensually slipping the apron over her head and tightly fastening the belt around her curvy and luscious hips. Pulling a hair clip off from her sleeve, she throws her head forward and grasps her hair with a stiff yet subtitle movement and then proceeds to lift her head as she clinches the clip in her soft and beautiful brown hair. One by one she places the items on the counter with a look of urgency to fill my pallet with the delicious food she prepares with her own two hands. She finally takes out a thick and hardy T-bone steak, as pink as a rose on a beautiful spring day, an onion as yellow as bright as the sun. Finally the long and healthy asparagus comes out waiting to feel the heat of the pan and sting of the oil it will saute in. Bending down she pulls out a pan and firmly grasps the handle like a soldier going into battle with her weapon of choice. Click, Click, Click goes the stove as she lights the flames that will create the tempting meal she will prepare. Placing the pan on the stove, she pulls the oil from the shelf and starts to slowly drizzle the oil on the pan like an artist preparing her canvas for a wonderful masterpiece. Looking back at me she asks me in a gentle voice asking how I’d like it cook. Medium Well I replied. Letting the pan and oil heat up, she snatches an onion from the counter and tosses it up and catches it behind her back as if trying to mimic a jester at a circus. Her playfulness is exuberating and like an Asian master chef she stabs the onion in its core and continues to slice it with the ease of cutting through a soft piece of butter. Testing the oil she tosses a piece of onion in the pan with the care of a person tossing a young child a ball. Crackle, crackle, crackle the onion goes as it sizzles in the oil. Tossing the rest of the onions in pan, the smell becomes intoxicating and the taste of the onions caramelizing like sugar can already be sensed on the tip of my tongue. A minute later she gathers the asparagus, counting slowly making sure as not to get to many or too little to throw into the pan. With a spatula firmly grasped in one hand and 12 pieces of asparagus in the other, she shovels the onions to one side and lays the asparagus one by one letting them slit off her pinky in order to keep from blistering her soft hand with oil. Within minutes the mixture of both smells starts playing tricks on my mind by making me feel like I’m in a five star restaurant. Flinging a plate from one hand to another, she grabs the pan and slowly leans it onto the plate while the onions and asparagus slide down like jello slithering off your spoon. Yummy is in my tummy with what’s coming up next. At last, it’s time for the main course to take the stage. Using the same pan and oil that is saturated with essence of onions, she turns up the flames that will gently blister the first side of my steak. As the oil starts to crackle, she holds the steak with both hands and throws it in with no regard to her own well being. Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle is all I need to hear before my senses start to overwhelm my body and cause me to feel a sense of fainting. The smell is memorizing, sweetness from the onions and the fat from the steak give it an aroma that can’t be described. Bliss is just a short time away. Five minutes pass and she uses the spatula to lift the steak from its boiling brew of oil, onion and grease. Holding the steak up in the air as the grease slowly drips down, she waits to let the pan heat up once again in order to see the other side of the steak. Splat is the next sound I hear as she drops the steak on the uncooked side. Once again, the sizzling sound is so tempting that licking my lips is the only way for me to handle my temptations. I walk up to the stove with the curiosity of a young child, I look in to the pan and see a gorgeous steak popping and bathing in its own grease. As I peer in the pan, I see a brown pinkish colored steak with hints of black in the pan is a moment I would never get tired of. I close my eyes and let the smell engorge my nose and allow it to hinder any other sense in my body. Click is the next sound I hear followed by the sound of her voice saying â€Å"it’s done†. Sitting on the table I see a plate with a huge tempting steak that is engulfed with brown caramelized onion and a side of lanky strips of asparagus. My weapons of choice are my trusty silver knife and fork, which sit harmlessly to my left. A glass of wine as red as blood sits to my right, as my napkin lays on my lap with no sense of purpose in my mind. A single candle stares me in the eye, blinding me from the beauty that sits across me in her long black dress. Hair hanging down like vines from a tree she glances at me and asks me to close my eyes and give thanks for the things we have. Closing my eyes I slowly nod my head and begin to silently give grace for the things in my life. The moment is calm, silent and eerie as I conclude my thoughts and cautiously raise my head. My eyes hesitate to open as if them not wanting to realize the moment I’m in. Opening my eyes there is rush to my head as I sit there in silence and a cold feeling on my face. The lights are on and the room is empty. Nothing sits on the table as I imagined, no one sitting across from me nor was there an aroma in the air from the delicious meal I had already tasted in my mind. A grin sits on my face from ear to ear as I realize my mind wondered from the paper I was supposed to be writing. No girl, no food, no problem. This moment hasn’t’ happened yet but I sit here confident that one day it will, when she steps into that door! How to cite Descriptive: T-bone Steak and Pan, Essays

Combining Constructed Response Items †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Combining Constructed Response Items. Answer: Introduction The conduction of any trade is obviously not a matter of joke. For the conduction of the trade or the trade, the authority of the organization would have to be very much concerned and would need to follow some basic and important guidelines for the improvement of the organization. All the organizational factors must be developed for better performance and the development of the factors also, the authority of the organization would have to be cautious about some of the certain and specific factors. The following report will explain all the factors which will help the organization or the authority of the organization to get better with their trade strategies. The father report will state all the issues that the organization or the authority of the organization would have to face and will provide the possible ways to get rid of the issues from the organization. After removing the issues from the organization or the workplace, it is the time for the managing department of the organizatio n to implement some required and needed strategies in the workplace. All the strategies which may help the organization or the trade of the organization to get better and to get more profit are also mentioned in the following report. The outsourcing of the company is one of the most important parts that the management of the organization must be aware of. In this process a third party provider is also related on which the management of the organization would have to depend for the improvement of the company. Most of the circumstances errands are outsourced to sellers who spend significant time in their field. The outsourced merchants additionally have particular gear and specialized skill, a large portion of the circumstances superior to the ones at the outsourcing association. Successfully the errands can be finished quicker and with better quality yield Concentrating on center process as opposed to the supporting ones: Outsourcing the supporting procedures gives the association more opportunity to reinforce their center business prepare a standout amongst the most vital elements deciding the result of a battle is hazard investigation. Outsourcing certain parts of your business procedure pushes the association to move certain obligations to the outsourced merchant. Since the outsourced seller is an authority, they arrange your hazard alleviating components better Reduced Operational and Recruitment costs Outsourcing escapes the need to contract people in-house; consequently enrollment and operational expenses can be limited as it were. This is one of the prime favorable circumstances of seaward outsourcing Risk of exposing confidential data When an organization outsources HR, Payroll and Recruitment services, it involves a risk if exposing confidential company information to a third-party In case you do not choose a right partner for outsourcing, some of the common problem areas include stretched delivery time frames, sub-standard quality output and inappropriate categorization of responsibilities. At times it is easier to regulate these factors inside an organization rather than with an outsourced partner Although outsourcing most of the times is cost-effective at times the hidden costs involved in signing a contract while signing a contract across international boundaries may pose a serious threat An outsourced vendor may be catering to the expertise-needs of multiple organizations at a time. In such situations vendors may lack complete focus on your organizations tasks Challenges of Accounting in Global Organizations Whenever it comes to the global organizations, the authority of the organization must be aware of the scale of the trade of the organization. A organization which I globalized must have a large scale of trade. Thus the calculation of the investments, buying rates, selling rates and the annual revues is a huge number(Beasley, 2013). If the workers of the organization as well as the authority of the organization are not dedicated and efficient towards their work, they would not be able to get success in their trade. This is one of the main issues related to the accounting of the organization. If the authority of the organization and the workers of the organization pay serious attention to the accounting process of the organization, they would surely be able to get rid of the accounting problems of the organization and the trade of the organization would be benefited. Managing the global teams are a very tough job for the authority of the organization. For the monitoring of the tea, the authority of the organization would have to develop their skills and must be more dedicated towards their job(Beasley, 2013). On the other hand, while managing the global team, as the authority of the organization would have to deal with the workers of the organization, the authority of the organization must be aware of the basic needs and requirement s of the organization or the organization. If the workers of the organization are not satisfied with the authority of the organization, they would be disappointed, and as a result, the workers must become disobedient towards the authority of the organization. Thus the authority while, managing the global teams would have to be concerned with th3 mentioned issues and must prevent the issues by looking at the basic needs and the requirements of the workers. This will also help the authority of the organization to be mor e involved with the workers of the organization(Emerging Technologies and Ethical Issues in Engineering, 2004). Advantages and Disadvantages of Cloud Computing for Tradees The use of the cloud computing is remarkable nowadays. In this process, the authority of the organization rather than using a local server or a computer uses the internet procedure for the date collection and the data processes. There are many advantages and disadvantages of using the cloud computing process(Emerging Technologies and Ethical Issues in Engineering, 2004). The prime advantage of using the process is that it reduces the work load from the authority of the organization. Rather than working on the data to be processed, the authority or the workers of the organization can rely on the cloud computing for the completion of the job. Thus using the cloud computing for the data collection of the organization can turn out to be beneficial for the improvement of the organization. On the other hand, as the procedure is an automated process and there would be no interference with the authority of the organization, some mistakes can occur in the system. Most of the time for the mist ake in the data of the organization, the authority of the organization has to face some troubles. But if the authority of the organization can make good use of the cloud computing process, the trade f the organization would be benefited(Emerging Technologies and Ethical Issues in Engineering, 2004). Mobile computing is one of the processes which the authority of the companies of today is using frequently for the improvement of the organization. When it comes to the globalized organization, the authority of the organization would have to stay in contact with each and every branch of the organization. On the same time, it is never possible for the organization or the authority of the organization to travel the whole world to contact the other branches of the organization(Holliday and Cole, 2013). In these cases, the authority of the organization would have to depend on the mobile computing process. In this process, the authority of the organization would be able to transfer their data and other relevant information to other companies or other individuals which is very much helpful for the organization or the trade of the organization. Thus it is quite clear that the mentioned process provides a lot of opportunities to the organization or the authority of the organization. Advantages and Disadvantages of Outsourcing Trade Functions The outsourcing trade function deals with both the internal and the external organizational factors. In this process, the authority of the organization would have to depend on a third party provider for the conduction of the trade of the organization(Holliday and Cole, 2013). The main advantage is that a third party provider is there to reduce the work load of the organization and the work can be done with proper care and skill which is obviously good for the organization or the trade of the organization. On the other hand, the main disadvantage of the process is also that the organization or the authority of the organization would have to depend on a third party for the conduction of their trade. While a third party provider comes into the role of the organization, there are many issues that the organization or the authority of the organization would have to face. But if the authority of the organization can maintain all the mentioned guidelines they would be able to use the outsour cing process in a positive way and can gain more profit out of their trade(Juon, Greiling and Buerkle, 2015). Social networks are one of the main mediums which can be used by the authority of the organization for the purpose of their promotion of the products or their services which they are providing to the customers of the organization(Juon, Greiling and Buerkle, 2015). Social networks sites are very much accessible to the general public. Thus the authority of the organization can easily promote their product or their services in the social networking sites. In all, the main fact is that the social networking sites are helping the organization or the authority of the organization to get more involved with the customers of the organization. The customers can even check the profile of the organization before purchasing their products or their service. These are the main advantage that the authority of the organization must be aware of using the social networking sites. If the authority of the organization can make good use of the social networking sites, they would be able to improve their t rade properly(Kim, 2009). Opportunities and Problems of Social Electronic Commerce Social commerce can be regarded as one of the many parts of the e-commerce which is an important and most essential trade instrument for the organization which the authority of the organization must use for the improvement of the organization or the trade of the organization(Kim, 2009). E-Commerce and e-marketing procedure helps the authority of the organization in many ways. It helps the organization or the authority of the organization to distribute the workload among the electronic procedures or on the internet. The authority of the organization uses the Internet or the information technology for the marketing of the organization. This helps the organization in many ways. If the authority of the organization can make good use of the social electronic commerce process in the organization, they would surely be able to get success for their trade(Marek, 2011). Thus the mentioned process is one of the most important processes that the organization or the authority of the authority mus t be concerned of for the improvement of the trade of the organization. Processing the big data is not easy for the organization. While it comes to the big data, the authority of the organization must be aware of some basic and prime factors which are the security of the data, the processing procedure of the data. For the processing of the data, the authority of the organization would have to depend on some automated facilities such as the cloud computing process. This will help the authority of the organization to get rid of the extra work load(Marek, 2011). When the work load reduces from the authority or the workers of the organization, they can do their job more efficiently. Thus for the improvement of the organization or the trade of the organization, it is the time for the authority of the organization to be more aware of the big data of the organization. Originating from a ubicomp point of view, our view was that the understood semantic linkages between media articles would likewise end up plainly express associations, through computerized and physical hyperlinking. Any single media question would turn into an associated aspect of a bigger interlinked media structure that traversed the physical and advanced universes(Rowley, 2016). Advance, the creation and experience of these Ubiquitous media structures would occur with regards to a pervasive processing innovation stage consolidating settled, versatile, inserted and distributed computing with an extensive variety of physical detecting and impelling advances. So this is the sense in which I utilize the term universal media; it is hypermedia that is made for and experienced on an ubicomp stage in the mixed physical/computerized world(Vujovic, 2015). Trade Innovation through Open Data Trade development is an association's procedure for presenting new thoughts, work processes, strategies, administrations or items(Sheehan, 2010). Like IT advancement, which calls for utilizing innovation in better approaches to make a more proficient association, trade development ought to empower the accomplishment of objectives over the whole association, with sights set on achieving centre trade points and activities. Advancement frequently starts with thought era; wherein thoughts are limited amid meetings to generate new ideas after which pioneers consider the trade suitability, plausibility and attractive quality of every thought. Thus the innovation of the trade is one of the most important things that the authority of the organization should be aware of and must implement the needed strategies for the improvement of the organization(Stern and O'Grady, 2011). Cyber security is another point that the authority of the organization should always be concerned of. As most of the companies are using the internet to conduct their trade, the authority of the organization would have to be concerned about the security of the organization(Sweeney, 2011). If the authority of the organization fails to secure their information and data, they would not be able to get success with their trade. Conclusion To conclude the report, it must be admitted that the authority of the organization would have to implement better strategies for the improvement of the organization or the trade of the organization. If the authority of the organization can make good use of the innovated trade strategies, they would be able to get success for their organization in a short span of time. References Beasley, M. (2013).Practical web analytics for user experience. 1st ed. Waltham, MA: Morgan Kaufmann. Emerging Technologies and Ethical Issues in Engineering. (2004). 1st ed. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press. Holliday, E. and Cole, C. (2013).An Examination of Rater Agreement: The Behavioral Functioning of Children Engaged in a Wraparound Model of Care. 1st ed. Juon, C., Greiling, D. and Buerkle, C. (2015).Internet marketing Management start-to-finish. 1st ed. Indianapolis, Ind.: Que. Kim, Y. (2009).Combining constructed response items and multiple choice items using a hierarchical rater model. 1st ed. Marek, K. (2011).Using Web Analytics in the Library. 1st ed. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions. Rowley, J. (2016).Information marketing. 1st ed. London: Routledge. Sheehan, B. (2010).Online marketing. 1st ed. Lausanne: AVA Academia. Stern, H. and O'Grady, T. (2011).Laws, nominations and legal issues. 1st ed. New York: Nova Science Publishers. Sweeney, S. (2011).101 ways to promote your web site. 1st ed. Gulf Breeze, FL: Maximum Press. Vujovic, V. (2015).Specific Approaches to Measuring the Quality of Tourism Services. 1st ed. Saarbru?cken: LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing.

National Park Service Essays - Protected Areas,

National Park Service Topic: The National Park Service will continue to play an important role in twenty-first century society. Abstract: Those with a sense of destiny cried not exploitation, but preservation of America's land. This belief created the first National Park and later the National Park Service to protect it and the lands that were to be added. The National Park Service will continue to protect the land and provide for the common good so visitors can enjoy the freedom of nature and see the unspoiled earth, as man first knew it. One country, one land bursting with life beholds the unspoiled beauty in America's National Parks. Those citizens with a sense of destiny cried not exploitation, but preservation of the land. In 1872, Congress set aside two million acres of land to established the first national park, Yellowstone (Questar). Congress had vision to preserve the natural wonder of the land for the enjoyment of all Americans. It was called ?the best idea America ever had.? Believing in this vision, Woodrow Wilson signed legislation to form the National Park Service in 1916 to protect the lands set aside by Congress. As the National Park System began to grow from 7.5 million acres of land to 80.1 million acres, measures had to be taken in order to establish rules and limitations within the parks. The National Park System contains some of the most important and largest natural preservations in the country: millions of acres of old untouched forests, wildlife reservations, lakes, and other natural beauties a re preserved and protected as national treasures (Lovett 10). Allowing people access to the parks could harm the land in which Congress strives to protect. The question is how can the spirit of the land be preserved without taming it and is it possible to for the parks to be enjoyed and protected at the same time? The National Park Service serves the common good of the parks by ensuring that the community members have access to the park resources, and by ensuring that park resources are protected for the benefit of the future generations (12). This is not an easy task to achieve. It is the responsibility of the National Park Service to make certain that the parks can be enjoyed and preserved; but on the other hand it is the responsibility of visitors to respect the land as if it was their own. The responsibility of the park service requires such duties as maintaining safe and pleasant visitor accommodations and providing visitors with information (maps and guides) to educate them about the park so they can fully experience the beauty and importance of a natural environment. The park service cares whether if the visitors have a nice vacation while in the parks (Sellars 14). That is why they make efforts to educate people about the parks, encourage visitation, serve the interests of both the vis itors of today and of the future, and to make in the informed decisions about the land. By continuing to protect the parks against the wear and tear of use so that the original values of each park remain intact for each visitor the National Park service will continue to play an important role in the twenty-first century. The national park system serves the individual needs of our country and our land. These needs provide tourism and vacationing, the opportunity to interact with nature, enjoyment of cultural and historical monuments, and physical exercise (Lovett16). The contributions of the park system are valued as common goods to the country. As long as the park service continues to provide their efforts to keep the parks looking beautiful and consistent with nature, America will always have a place of refuge in common. In cooperation with the legislation passed by government, the National Park Service will continue to play an important role in American society by protecting our mountains from being striped, trees cut, and water tainted (Cong 27). Without the aid of Congress and the Park Service, America's beautiful land could be thrashed and misused, in which case people of the future would not be able to enjoy the majestic grandeurs of America. The influence of the National Park Service in America has spread to other countries. Without a doubt,

Ida B. Wells and her crusade against lynching. Includes information about the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments and the Enforcement Acts.

Ida B. Wells and her crusade against lynching. Includes information about the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments and the Enforcement Acts. Ida B. Wells and the Crusade against LynchingDuring the beginning of the 1880's, a series of laws known as the Jim Crow laws were passed. These laws legalized segregation between blacks and whites. When the blacks tried to stand up to the oppression they were threatened and in some cases killed. During this time, there were many lynchings and unfortunately, it was very common then. Frederick Douglass once said in a speech, "If there is no struggle there is no progress.... This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one.... But it must be a struggle."The 13th Amendment freed the black slaves, the 14th granted them citizenship and the 15th allowed them to vote, but even though they were free, they were still treated differently. Whenever they tried to rise up against the white, they were challenged with violence. The Ku Klux Klan was formed with no intentions of becoming a terrorist organization, but it grew into one quickly.Open-air Initiation of K.K.K. under the Light o f t...Many people joined, from many the Southern states, the members were white and some even held honorable positions in the community. They dressed in white robes, masks, and wore cone shaped hats. They beat and murdered thousands, not caring if the people they hurt were men, women, children, or old, as long as they were black they were in danger of being victimized by the Ku Klux Klan. However, some states fought against the Ku Klux Klan. In Texas, Governor Edmund Davis organized a crack state police unit, and arrested 6,000 members. The Enforcement Acts of 1870 and 1871 issued by the federal government also lead to the fall of the Ku Klux Klan.The Enforcement Acts were also known as the force bills. They were a series of laws that...

Supply Chain Management and the Seafood Industry Research Paper

Supply Chain Management and the Seafood Industry - Research Paper Example This globalization has the effect of causing the corporate world to lend greater importance to supply chain management. A fish and seafood supply chain can be described as a set of fishers, agents, processors, distributors, and wholesalers/retailers/food services who together. Action taken on any level will have an effect on the others. Literature Review The retail seafood sector has experienced steady sales gains over the last five years. Rising seafood prices and greater merchandising challenges face the seafood sector as the recession eases and the population becomes more open to dining out. Manufacturers are designing items with unique, new, and innovative flavor profiles, aimed at the consumers seeking both convenience and cost. Literature is also suggesting that retailers focus strongly on in-store marketing and strategies to generate and retain loyal customers. Seasonal items should be appropriately merchandized and cross merchandizing should not be neglected. 2010 fish and se afood sales revenue reached 15.8 billion with a forecasted growth rate of 4.7% over the next five years and sales likely to reach 20 billion dollars (Mitchell, p 8). The Role of Supply Chains in the Global Seafood Crisis Consumption Issues Health/Sanity Risks Brand Image Risks Scarcity/Irregular Quality Business Loss Price Increase Increased Fish Consumption Changes of Diet Preferences; Fish Preferences Health Issues Global North Urbanization: Higher per Capital Consumption Higher Levels in Global North Rising Income Levels in Global South Meat Crisis-Shift of Consumption (Vallejo, p16). Recommendations Analysis shows that a major failure of supply chain management is the lack of traceability. To maintain sustainability supply chains need to function well and information has to flow from end to end. On a more refined level this would translate into consumers being able to make decisions that consider the sustainability of stock and also social and environmental conditions. Implement ation of traceability systems will also help to meet the ever increasing and tightening requirements regarding health and safety for food. This could possibly lead to smaller producers being excluded from International markets. The sophistication of consumers in quickly emerging economies is growing along with regional ones as well. Sustainable fisheries must depend on reducing fishing efforts and developing and implementing traceability mechanisms. In 2006 mega-giant Wal-Mart announced its’ goal to carry 100% MSC certified seafood in their stores by the end of last year. This presented a significant target to competing seafood chains and chain management if they wanted to maintain pace with competitors. Wal-Mart is the only one of 129 North American businesses that sells MSC certified products. This has created a demand in the market for suppliers to meet in supplying retail and restaurant markets with certified seafood which is a huge recommendation in today’s global environment. Conclusion The food service sector is very aware of the sustainability issues in the fish and seafood sector. Many have developed policies towards using sustainable sourcing and are focus on chain management theories in order to implement these policies in the best manner. Many are not predisposed to openly sharing information about their policies or the

Part One Evaluative Bibliography Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Part One Evaluative Bibliography - Assignment Example Ruth Gruber has written an insightful discussion about Virginia Woolf, both from the perspective of her writing and of her as a woman in the early twentieth century. Gruber interviews Woolf and provides commentary on the ways in which Woolf presents herself, in contrast to the way in which she has created her work, her demure, self-deprecating discussion of her own intellect revealed in such a manner as to deny the proclamations of her writing, not because she does not realize her own intellect, but because she seems to polite to actually discuss it. Gruber discusses Woolf as a woman of elegance, her voice within her novels having the same casual elevation that her demeanor seems to have. Woolf states to Gruber â€Å"And you want to interview me for your book. I don’t know how I can help you. I don’t understand politics. I never worked a day in my life† (2). This statement is the crux of the investigation done about the novel Orlando: A Biography, that this ingen ious writer who exhibits such a depth of understanding in regard to the political nature of gender roles and the way in which the social politics of culture affect the lives of those who are subject to those politics, that it is with a great passion that further information was explored. Gruber agrees and states that â€Å"I wondered how she considered that it was not work to write groundbreaking novels, brilliant essays, and book reviews, and why she would demean her knowledge of politics. Her books were full of politics; her friends in the Bloomsbury crowd were energetic political thinkers† (2). The exploration of gender is a core theme within the novel as Woolf writes an almost autobiographical account through the symbolic magical occurances that surround the life of a man who becomes a woman and refuses to age or grow old and die. Gruber states that â€Å"the early period of his masculinity would be analogous to that stage in Virginia Woolf and in almost every girl, when she longs to be a boy†(148). What Woolf is searching for, and seems to find, is a way to write about the experience of coming into one’s feminine self, of finding the woman within and understanding the responsibility that is involved in being a woman within her time period. Gruber goes on to say that â€Å"it is the female Orlando who can feel with intensity the impulse for physical and spiritual completion†(148). Woolf discovers herself and finds a way to best express that discovery through Orlando. It is within the framework of having met and come to interview Woolf that Gruber is able to find a more in depth understanding of the work that she wrote. Her discussions with Woolf lead her to find the Woolf within the character of Orlando, to unveil some of the mystery of the woman while revealing the androgynous hero/heroine of the novel. As Woolf is the true subject of the work, it is clear that the way in which she is revealed is draped in symbolism, the nature of her life thick with the influences of the culture in which she has lived, thus providing a framework in which to discuss the political aspects that bleed from the pores of the work. Cucullu, Lois. Expert Modernists, Matricide, and Modern Culture: Woolf, Forster, Joyce. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004. Print. Cucullu discusses the modern culture and the impact that writers have had upon the culture and the way in which they have been impacted by the effects of the changes and growth of modern culture. The nature of the work Orlando is discussed for the way in which androgyny comes to define a certain definition of love and desire. As Orlando has transformed from a man to a woman, his lust is no longer defined purely by the designation of gender. Thus, Cucullu states that â€Å"desire, and not gender or sex, is naturalized in the figure of Orlando†

Write Mythological Poetry Explication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Write Mythological Poetry Explication - Essay Example From the stony salr in the beginning, the story moves to Frigg’s (33), then later to the three salr which is filled with anguish and pain Nà ¡strÆ’ndo (37,38) and ultimately to the bright salr in the new world. It is, therefore, evident that salr is not only a kenning for the earth, but should also be understood as a reference to â€Å"places† or â€Å"rooms† that outlines a way from the stony and hard beginning. The hard beginning was characterized by sorrowfulness and sadness, for instance, sorrowful Fensalr that is was moistened with Frigg’s tear, and then later the reader comes across salr of anguish or pain and in the end, the poem ends with a glimpse of the bright salr at Gimlà ©. This text line creates a movement through different â€Å"rooms† that can be taken to be figurative expressions of mental â€Å"rooms† or rather emotional conditions. As seen in the text, the sun in the vision of ragnarÆ’k goes dark and later disappears in the ocean before the new world or earth emerges. Towards the last part of the poem, a picture of this world where salr at Gimlà © is solo fegra is portrayed as more beautiful than the sun. This aspect can be taken to stand for a vision of ideality of eternity or even â€Å"heaven.† The reader can thus interpret the sun stretching its right arm around the â€Å"edge of heaven† as an allusion this final vision of â€Å"eternity† and â€Å"ideality.† The beginning of the poem both suggests as well as conceals what will follow. Accordingly, a complete understanding of the beginning is never available in the text until the reader has reached the end of the poem.

The Data Center Energy Efficiency Information Technology Essay

The Data Center Energy Efficiency Information Technology Essay Research green computing and projects that have been done or are being done by large organizations such as IBM, Dell, HP, and Google. See www.greenercomputing.com and similar sites provided on the companion web site or that you find yourself. Include your definition of green computing to including all of the topics listed in the background scenario. Describe each of these areas of green computing, including a detailed example of how at least one organization has implemented each one, and investigate the return on investment. Summarize your results in a two- to three-page paper, citing at least three references. What companies are currently implementing projects that involve green computing? Find a few website and discuss what they are implementing and if they include: Green computing, also referred to as Green IT, is the scientific study of efficient and effective designing, manufacturing, using, disposing, and recycling of computers and computer related products like servers, network systems, communication systems, monitors, USBs, printers, etc. (Kocherps, 2010). http://www.brighthub.com/environment/green-computing/articles/62742.aspx. Kocherps describes the four paths to green computing that would help preserve natural resources and reduce the impact on the environment: Reducing energy consumption of computers and other related products as well a using them in an efficient manner. Refurbishing and reusing old computers as well as properly disposing and recycling unwanted computers and other equipment. Designing energy efficient and environmentally sound computers and accessories. Manufacturing computers and components with minimal effect on the evnrionrment (2010). There are several applications of Green computing available, which are explained below: Data Center Energy Efficiency Data center and overall energy efficiency refers to the energy consumption. According to a survey conducted in 2009, 44% of survey respondents have seen an increase in their power bills for their data centers, which is up from 36% the previous year who did not pay much attention (Stansberry, 2009). Fontecchio (2010) wrote that the Federal Government and other major industry groups are on developing widely accepted stands for measuring a data centers energy efficiency. Fontecchio also mentions that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are working with six data center industry groups to standardize data center efficiency metrics (2010). Electronic Waste and Recycling The disposal of electronic waste and recycling refers to proper disposal of used computer equipment and other electronics devices. Many government sponsored programs and manufacturers have extensive online information that details how their recycling is handled (Holcombe, 2007). Hewlett- Packard (HP) is one of many companies that takes environmental issues seriously and provides solutions where businesses and consumers can donate, trade-in, recycle, or return for cash their used computer equipment (HP, 2010). Telecommuting Telecommuting is a popular benefit wherein employees perform work for a company but not physically be in the business location. This is one way that businesses are becoming more greener and lowering their office space expense (Sanchez, 2008). Office space expense can include heating, air conditioning, electricity http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2009/06/26/ciscos-telecommuting-program-boosts-productivity-cuts-costs-and-emissions Virtual Server Resources Virtualization of server resources http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2008/07/08/virtualization-servers-new-green-platform-it Thin Client Solutions Thin client solutions http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2009/08/24/new-fujitsu-thin-client-uses-just-29-watts-full-utilization Open Source Software Use of opens source software, and http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2005/10/02/closing-knowledge-gap-open-source Software Development Development of new software to address green computing for internal use and potential sale to other organizations. http://www.dellenterprise.com/goto/client/business-pc-solutions.aspx?tab=lifecycleST=green%20computing%20phrasedgc=STcid=53849lid=1383155acd=78394,8,0,95093168,762624170,1271850709,,21878626,4381927447 Weighted Decision Matrix Prepare a weighted decision matrix using the template from the companion web site (wtd_decision_matrix.xls) for Ben to use to evaluate people applying to be the project manager for this important project. Develop at least five criteria, assign weights to each criterion, assign scores, and then calculate the weighted scores for four fictitious people. Print the spreadsheet and bar chart with the results. Write a one-page paper describing this weighted decision matrix and summarize the results. This Weighted Decision Matrix (Exhibit A) was designed to assist in selecting the appropriate candidate for the Project (or Project) Manager position. Different projects require different skills. As such, Ive created a matrix that lists seven of the most important skills required for successful completion of this project: Analytical Skills Microsoft Access Visual Basic Programming Written and Oral Communication Microsoft Office Excel Attendance Productivity Each criteria is given a weight percentage based on importance, the highest being 25% and the lowest being 10%. The combination of these weights equal 100%. After reviewing all of the resumes and past employee evaluations, the next four columns contained applicants best qualified for the Project Manager position. Ann and Danielle are existing employees within the company, and Stanley and Lisa are outside applicants applying for the position. On a scale from 1 to 100 (100 being the highest and best qualified), each application was given a rating based on their past or current experiences and skills. As you can see from the results, Ann is clearly the better of all candidates scoring 90 points in five of the 7 criteria, and 70 in the remaining two criteria, bring her average criteria score to 85. It is my recommendation that you consider Ann for the position of Project Manager. Business Case and Financial Prepare the financial section of a business case for the Green Computing Research Project. Assume this project will take six months to complete (done in Year 0) and cost $500,000, and costs to implement some of the technologies would be $2,000,000 for year one and $600,000 for years two and three. Estimated benefits are $500,000 the first year after implementing and $2.5 million the following two years. Use the business case spreadsheet template from the companion web site (business_case_financials.xls) to help calculate the NPV, ROI, and year in which payback occurs. Assume a 7 percent discount rate, but make sure it is an input that is easy to change. Project Charter Prepare a project charter for the Green Computing Research Project. Assume the project will take six months to complete and the budget is $500,000. Use the project charter template (charter.doc) and examples of project charters in Chapters 3 and 4 as guidelines. Assume that part of the approach is to select a project team as quickly as possible. Change Request Since people will request changes to the project, you want to make sure you have a good integrated change control process in place. You will also want to address change requests as quickly as possible. Review the template for a change request form provided on the companion Website (change_request.doc.) Write a two-page paper describing how you plan to manage changes on this project in a timely manner. Address who will be involved in making change control decisions, what paperwork or electronic systems will be used to collect and respond to changes, and other related issues. Appendix __ is an example of the Change Request Form which will be submitted by each individual associated with the project who wishes to make changes thereof. The process for submission, evaluating, and executing such request will be explained below. The Change Request (CR) form is a web form that needs to be submitted in order to make any change to the project that is not listed in the Project Charter, the Project Business Case, or the Work Breakdown Structure. The requestor must fill out section 1 in its entirety. Below is a description of the fields that must be completed: Requestor Name This field will be automatically filled in using the username of the individual logged into the Active Directory. Project Name and Number This field is required to identify the correct project and to electronically notify the correct Project Manager. Type of CR Indicate whether this change is an enhancement or defect. Brief Description of Change Briefly describe the nature of the change, such as the correct data is not being abstracted. Date Submitted date of submission. Date Required date that the change should be completed by. Priority Level -Select either Low, Medium, High, or Mandatory level. All request levels will be reviewed within 5 business days, however, all request marked Mandatory or high will be analyze before all others regardless of date of submission. Reason for Change: Attachments or References: Approval Signature and Date digital signature of the requestor will be captured with the current date. After all required sections are complete, a submit button will electronically be submitted to the program manager assigned to the project name and number entered on the form. An acknowledgement will be sent to the requestor when the form is submitted successfully. The Program Manager assigned to the project will be notified via email that a change request was submitted and will receive a link to the form. The Program Manager will then complete Section 2 Initial Analysis. The Project Manager will determine the impact of the change regarding hours, duration, schedule, and cost. The Project Managers recommendation will be entered and the request will be forwarded to the Change Control Board for their final decision. Electronic notification will be submitted to the Requestor indicating that the request has been submitted to the Board for final review. The Board will notify all parties regarding their final decision within 48 hours. The Boards final decision will now become a part of the projects history. 2. PROJECT SCOPE MANAGEMENT Define Project Scope Management here. 2.1 Requirements Matrix Document requirements for your project so far, including a requirements traceability matrix. Use the template provided (reqs_matrix.xls). Also include a list of questions you would like to ask the sponsor about the scope. Develop a scope statement for the project using the templates provided (scope_statement.doc). Be a specific as possible in describing product characteristics and deliverables. Make assumptions as needed, assuming you got answers to the questions you had in Task 1. Develop a work breakdown structure (WBS) for the project. Break down the work to level 3 or level 4, as appropriate. Use the template on the companion Web site (wbs.doc) and sam0ples in the text as guides. Print the WBS in list form as a Word file. Be sure to base your WBS on the project scope statement, stake holder requirements, and other relevant information. Remember to include the work involved in selecting the rest of your project team and outside resources as well as coordinating with the Environmental Technologies Program. Use the project management process groups as level 2 WBS items or include project management as a level 2 WBS item to make sure you include work related to managing the project. Use the WBS you developed in Task 3 above to create a Gantt chart for the project in Microsoft Project 2007. Use the outline numbering feature to display the outline numbers (click Tools on the menu bar, click Options, and then click Show outline number). Do not enter any durations or dependencies. Print the resulting Gantt chart on one page, being sure to display the entire Task Name column. 3. PROJECT TIME MANAGEMENT Define Project Time Management here. 3.1 Schedule Review the WBS and Gantt chart you created for Tasks 3 and 4 in Part 2. Propose three t five additional activities you think should be added to help you estimate resources and durations. Write a one-page paper describing these new activities. Identify at least four milestones for this project. Write a one-page paper describing each milestone using the SMART criteria. Using the Gantt chart created for Task 4 in Part 2, and the new activities and milestones you proposed in Tasks 1 and 2 above, estimate the task durations and enter dependencies as appropriate. Remember that your schedule goal for the project is six months. Print the Gantt chart and network diagram. Write a one-page paper summarizing how you would assign people to each activity. Include a table or matrix listing how many hours ea h person would work on each task. These resource assignments should make sense given the duration estimates made in Task 3 above. Assume that your project team starts falling behind schedule. In several cases, it is difficult to find detailed information on some of the green computing technologies, especially financial data. You know that it is important to meet or beat the six-month schedule goal, but quality is most important. Describe contingency strategies for making up lost time and avoiding schedule slips in the future. 4. PROJECT COST MANAGEMENT Define Project Cost Management here. . 5. PROJECT QUALITY MANAGEMENT Define project Quality Management here.

African Mythological Commonalities :: African Creation Myths Essays

African Mythological Commonalities Creation myths vary among African ethnic groups highlighting similarities and differences in belief systems and societal constructs. There are many factors that contribute to creation myths for each individual group. Survival issues dominate many my ths, suggesting the origins of land, the ability to cultivate land, and the benefit of existing off of what one has cultivated. Questions of where land came from, the purpose of man, and the relationship between the creator and the created are evaluated. The important issues of each African ethnic group became the focal point of their creation and origin myths. A predominant theme among African creation myth is the people's relation to the land, as a means of survival and origin. The shilluk myth, "An African Story of the Creation of Man" and the Yoruba people's myth, "The Creation of the Universe and Ife" state that man was first made from clay. Both creation myths indicate an awareness and a need for explanation of the physical differences among human beings. The Shilluk myth claims that there are different colored people because of the varying colors o f clay that Joak, the creator according to this myth, encountered as he wandered the world. The Yoruba people's myth explains the differences in the shapes of humans as a result of the god Obatala being drunk when he shaped man out of clay. In both myth s, the action of the creating god caused the variation in man's physical characteristics. The Shilluk myth attempts to explain why man's body is designed as it is. Each part of the body is designed, according to this myth, to fulfill a purpose related to survival.

Social Policy stigma

Social Policy Theories and Concepts Essay What do you understand by ‘Stigma' and do you agree that social policies can stigmatize people? If so, what is the solution? In this essay I will discuss what my understanding of the word ‘Stigma' is, whether I agree or not if social policies stigmatize certain groups of people and if so, what are the solutions to these stigmas attached to these groups. â€Å"Stigma is a mark of disgrace that sets a person apart. When a person is labelled by their illness they are seen as part of a stereotyped group. Negative attitudes create prejudice which leads to negative actions and discrimination† (www. entalhealth. wa. gov. au). In modern society, stigmas are nearly almost of a negative kind. They have a negative effect on those being stigmatized and can cause experiences and feelings such as; shame, blame, hopelessness, and distress. â€Å"In every branch of the social services, some provisions are stigmatizing and others are not; but the reasons for the pattern of stigmatization are not immediately clear† (Spicker, Stigma and Social Welfare p. 36). Because stigma is socially onstructed, it varies from setting to setting, there are many different types of groups in society which all react differently to the stigmas which are appointed.All of these different reactions must be considered when planning social policies. In every different society not everyone is going to be content with policies that are made, some may stigmatize groups of people and the groups who have been victims of certain stigmas will also have feelings of discontent, hopelessness and distress. Erving Goffman, one of the most important sociologists of the twentieth century, efined stigma as â€Å"the process by which the reaction of others spoils normal identity'. (Nettleton, 2006: 95).Goffman believes that there are three types of social stigmas, including: 1 . Stigma of character traits 2. Physical Stigma 3. Stigma of group identity Goffman considers the stigma of character traits to be â€Å"blemishes of individual character perceived as weak will, domineering, or unnatural passions, treacherous and rigid beliefs, and dishonesty, these being inferred from a known record of, for example, mental disorder, imprisonment, addiction, alcoholism, homosexuality, nemployment, suicidal attempts, and radical political behavior. The physical stigmas he refers to are different bodily formalities. When Goffman refers to the ‘stigma of group identity he is referring to being of a particular race, nationality, religion etc. whether or not a person understands or agrees with stigmas, they are passed on from one generation to the next, thus there will always be certain stigmas associated with certain groups of people. Stigma nowadays, would be considered a central issue in relation to social welfare and social policy. When discussing stigma, it s important to mention the Poor Law. The stigma of the Poor Law is renowned. In the past and in many cases still today, people often Judged others who claimed money trom the state in the torm ot benetl ts and there was a policy that mar ed k these people off from others in society. This left us with the debate whether or not welfare should be provided, to whom it should be provided and what kind of welfare? This concept of the â€Å"undeserving† and â€Å"lazy' public who refused to work was thought to be ethically corruptible by people relying on the state and not seeking to improve their ndependent source of income or by any policy of substantial kindness. The last remnants of the Poor Law were scrapped in 1948. The stigma of pauperism, which had seemed to be the result of a conscious policy, has proved resilient to eradication. † (Spicker, Paul, Stigma and Social Welfare, 1984, p 9) over the past few years, people have begun to move away from the idea of the Poor Law and have begun to accept how social policies deal with groups of people who do not receive adequate independent income, although there will always be slight stigmas attached o these groups. It is hard to understand why this is so, when cautionary policies have been deserted, right to benefits established, and the administration of benefits has significantly changed.As Goffman has explained, stigmas can be carried in two different ways; stigmas can be discredited or discreditable. Discredited stigmas are those that a person cannot stop everyone else from knowing, for example stigmas that may be associated with a certain race or the use of a wheelchair whereas, discreditable is when a person believes that the general public do not know about heir stigma, due to the fact that it cannot be seen and is not distinctively obvious, for example, their sexual orientation or their religion. Kennedy, P (2013) Key Themes in Social Policy). I believe that social policies do and do not stigmatize certain groups of people. I think that the majority of the time the social policies that some may say attach stigmas to groups are Just highlighting the stigmas that already exist. I think that the Irish government have created a durable system so as to prevent negative stigmatization. Unemployment benefit in Ireland is very generous, for this reason eople often attach negative stigmas to those who receive it.Many believe that those who receive unemployment benefit have little motivation to find employment because they are so well funded, this also leads to many of them being stuck in the poverty trap. The government started an initiative to encourage unemployed people to seek work. This initiative is a government-funded agency known as ‘F†¦S'. The government creating this agency and many unemployed people using it to gain training for future employment should reduce the negative stigmas that are attached o those receiving unemployment benefit.Thus I consider that this initiative is a good solution to the stigmatization of unemployed people in I reland. People may often feel stigmatized if the way in which they act is different to what are known as ‘norms'. This is definitely not fair or Just but it will always exist within society. For example, although our society is changing and gay people are becoming more and more accepted in society, there are most definitely those who see them as different and do not accept them. Whether this is right or not does not take away from the fact that it appens.As a result, gay people will feel stigmatized because of their sexual orientation. This can be because of social policy because it is not the way in which we are told to behave and is not seen as a ‘norm'. As regards to these sort of stigmas, they will always exist within society for the first number of years until it becomes a more regular and frequently occurring thing. Thus I believe that there are not any solutions to these torms ot stigmatizations . For the reasons that I nave discussed, I would agree that some soci al policies have caused stigmatism.

8 Signs Someone Is Lying To You

8 Signs Someone Is Lying To You It is possible to tell when someone is lying to you. Though, hopefully, it could just be nervousness, there are a few red flags that you could keep an eye out for. Any significant combination of the  following tells just might show you the truth about the person in front of you. 1. Voice ChangeIf their voice or general demeanor changes dramatically, this is definitely a sign of discomfort- and quite possibly a lie.2. Psychological DistanceAre they going out of their way to avoid saying â€Å"I† or â€Å"me†? It could be that, consciously or not, they’re trying to put distance between themselves and the lie they’re telling.3. Too Many Right AnswersThis may sound counterintuitive, but if someone has an answer for absolutely everything, you might be a bit suspicious. Most people need to pause to think about their answer to unexpected questions- at least every once in a while. If someone is parroting answers that seem rehearsed and polished and super quick o ff the cuff? That could be an indication of a lie.4. â€Å"I Swear†If the person is proclaiming his or her honestly continuously (â€Å"to tell the truth†¦,† â€Å"to be perfectly honest†¦,† etc.) then they doth protest too much. Actually honest people simply tell the truth without having to broadcast that they’re doing so.5. Fidgeting/FussingIf the person changes their head position rapidly, or can’t stay still, or starts breathing differently, these are all great physical tells that you might be getting fibbed at- especially if they cover their mouth or shuffle their feet or instinctively cover sensitive body parts. Watch the body language for all these clues.6. Difficulty SpeakingIf you watch police confession videos, it sometimes seems like the perp has a hard time getting his or her words out. This is due to an autonomic nervous system reaction that dries the mouth in times of stress. Lip biting and lip pursing aren’t good sig ns either.7. No BlinkingNormal people blink every few seconds. People who are lying might be going overboard to prove they’re maintaining solid eye contact with you by staring a little too strong or too much.8. PerspirationLiterally, you are making this person sweat. If they’re stewing this badly, then chances are they aren’t telling you the truth.

Essay on Bully Bullying and Website

Essay on Bully Bullying and Website Essay on Bully: Bullying and Website When I Googled the word bully I immediately found this website called The BULLY Project. This website was influenced by the award-winning film BULLY. It's a social action campaign, created to stimulate a national movement to essentially stop bullying. The whole goal is to change a culture of bullying to a culture of empathy and action. The creators of this social campaign know that there is power in numbers. They would like to reach at least 10 million kids. The website offers resources to educators to help prepare them to lead a discussion that ultimately focuses on empathy and taking action. They have created a kit for educators that includes material that is fashioned to initiate dialogue that is meaningful and honest. On the website you will also find out about the opportunities to receive badges, you can receive your first badge by simply signing up and taking a pledge. To help grow the movement they encourage participants to like their Facebook page and repost tweets. There is also a section where an individual can submit their own personal story and even a video. Overall I found this website to be extremely useful and filled with many resources for educators, parents, and students. They even have resources for special needs children dealing with bullying. Another great website that I came across was StopBullying.gov. This website I found had more resources that help cyber-bullying victims. There is a section that helps parents and kids prevent cyber-bullying. This part of the website is geared towards helping parents know what to look for when cyber-bullying occurs. Parents can make a lot of progress by simply installing parental control software and monitoring the sites that are visited. The website also stresses that there should be a discussion about online issues regularly. They what parents to encourage their children to report anything that is remotely associated with cyber-bullying and individuals being bullied. Another part of this website I especially liked was how much information they had on reporting cyber-bullying. This section is incredibly helpful and gives easy to follow directions. They include steps that should be taken

Fiscal And Monetary Policy And Their Importance For The Country Essay

Fiscal And Monetary Policy And Their Importance For The Country - Essay Example Monetary policy is the stabilization of macroeconomic fundamentals, such as those relating to stable prices, stable growth rates for the economy, and the levels of employment and unemployment, with the ideal being full employment. In the United States, moreover, the existing mandate to the Federal Reserve Board emanating from Congress is for the former to promulgate fiscal policy decisions that will push employment numbers to the maximum as well as achieve stability in prices of goods and services (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2014; Investopedia LLC, 2014l SparkNotes LLC, 2014). Separate from this general two-component mandate, however, the US Central Bank has autonomy with regard to the operational aspects of achieving those mandates, and that means that the US Federal Reserve Board has the independence to chart monetary policy without intervention from the US Congress. In contrast, when one talks about fiscal policy, one talks about things that relate to the wa y government raises revenues through taxation, in order to finance its activities in terms of government expenditures (Hipple, 2014); Investopedia LLC, 2014 (b); Powers, 2014). In contrast, too, the Federal Reserve Board plays no role in the way fiscal policies are crafted and enabled. Those latter aspects of fiscal policy are entirely within the power of Congress and the White House and exclude the central bank (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2014; Krugman, 2012). In other countries as well, these distinctions between fiscal and monetary policies hold (Leigh and Stehn, 2009; Traclet, 2004). As the name implies monetary policy refers to the policy, as the controlled bank, pertaining to the amount of money in circulation in the economy. The mechanisms of control of the money supply or the effecting of monetary policy include tweaking interest rates for loans, as well as tweaking monetary reserve requirements for banks.

Random drug testing at school Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Random drug testing at school - Research Paper Example 827). Based on a study that Ringwalt and colleagues had done in 2005 but reported only in 2008, a substantial proportion of schools in the United States are implementing random drug testing. As early as 2005, author Neil McKeganey has observed that random drug-testing has been not only practiced but also widely-developed not only within the United States but also within the United Kingdom (12). ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT OF DRUG-TESTING. Based on the work of James-Burdumy and colleagues, random drug-testing at schools is being promoted because it can reduce student substance abuse in three ways (xviii). First, it is a deterrent because if students are sufficiently aware of ongoing random tests, the random tests will lead them to eventually stop using drugs or abusing substances. Second, by detecting substance abuse, mandatory and random drug testing can identify users for appropriate treatment or counseling. Finally or third, the random drug testing can have spillover effects on non-users. Reducing drug use or substance abuse is important because negative consequences can result from drug use such as low academic performance, bad habits and risky sexual behaviors (James-Burdumy and Colleagues xvii). COUNTERARGUMENTS. We use the key arguments revealed by researchers Kern and her colleagues, working for the American Civil Liberties Union and the Drug Policy Alliance, on why some educators are saying no on the issue of random drug testing at schools in the United States. In summary, some educators are reported to be saying no to random drug testing because it is ineffective, costly, other methods are more reliable, and because drug testing can lead to other types of problems. The authors raised 8 points on why some educators are saying no to drug testing (Kern et al. 2). First, they say that drug testing is ineffective anyway. Second, drug testing is costly and there more effective

Jean Tirole Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Jean Tirole - Essay Example Most of the economists frequently regard fiercely competitive markets as the public interest. When the producers in the said markets fight to earn a profit or gains, they are guided, as if by an invisible hand, in delivering high quality at the lowest cost possible. But most the industries are not competitive, and due to the lack of competition, there is the need for intervention the public’s interest. Competition policies and theories of regulation are aimed at providing useful scientific guidance in such interventions. Stigler George was awarded a Prize in Economic Sciences in 1982 â€Å"for his seminal studies in functioning of markets, industrial structures, and the causes and effects of public regulations†; however the study did not cater for the rapidly developing, revolutionary, industrial organization (IO) field. Jean Tirole is the best among the contributors to the analytical revolution; he has enhanced the understanding of the IO in general, and particularly the optimal policy interventions. The theoretical advancements, by Tirole, are in line with great public-policy interest, for example, in the 1980s and 1990s most of the countries pursued pro-competitive liberalization and regulatory reforms. The European Union (EU) came up with a single market; new issues sprung and could not be fruitfully analyzed with the existing theories, Stigler George, and others; the EU analysis required synchronization of the oligopoly theory contract theory, the principal-agent, with combination of industrial economics combined with public economics. Jean Tirole’s expertise covered all the above fields, hence was ideally positioned at making a lasting contribution (Tirole & Lerner, 2013). Tirole created a synchronized framework used in regulation and IO theory, based on a thorough analysis of information and strategic behavior economics. He consistently extracted his results from the fundamental

Teaching, planning and learning Essay Example for Free

Teaching, planning and learning Essay The school first opened its doors in 1958 with only 10 teachers who looked after a total of 222 pupils at that time. The new school was created from  several all-age schools from around the area of the small agricultural village. In 1976, the school was extended and now has over 800 mixed gender pupils age 11-16, mostly from working class backgrounds. Please refer to Appendix 1 on page 14, for a table that shows the attainment of pupils between 2011 and 2012. The Head Teacher states that the school will continually seek opportunities to develop personal, social, moral codes and independent thinking and learning skills that the pupils can apply to any given situation. The Ofsted Inspection Report (October 2012), regards this as a good school and that the recently appointed Head Teacher has given a vision for the future and has implemented considerable change in a short time. This has resulted in rapid, all round improvement within the school. The teaching group in which I will be discussing and evaluating in this paper is Year 8 Set 3 at KS3 level, in this class there are 30 pupils and two teaching assistants as well as the teacher. There is a strong gender balance and behaviour is okay overall. Pupils were previously ranging from level 5A to 5C and they were all expected to hit their target grades which tend to increase by 3 sublevels leaving them at a level 6A to 6C respectively by the end of the academic year. In this class, there is one SEN pupil with hearing difficulties and two vulnerable pupils who require extra support from the special support staff. Rationale Over a sequence of four lessons teaching fractions, percentages and decimals, a wide range of methods were used in relation to the particular group of pupils and the learning objectives. The structure of the lessons was taught generally in three parts, which consisted of a through the door starter, a main teaching and learning section and a plenary. At the beginning of each lesson, I settle the pupils down by telling them a mathematical joke related to the topic I am about to teach or by doing a  maths magic trick, which might include mental maths or using a calculator. Please refer to Appendix 2, for an example of a joke/magic trick and why this can be useful. I would then explain how to complete the starter if they had not already started to do so or if it was not self-explanatory. After the starter, I implement a literacy element into the lesson by selecting a few pupils to read the learning objectives out loud then they also have to write it into their books underlined with the date and level. I also display to them how I expect them to progress throughout the lesson using good, better and excellent as targets but I do not get them to copy this into their books as that has proven be time consuming. Bellamy (1999) supports the idea of learning objectives to be appropriately differentiated. Teacher praise is one tool that can be a powerful motivator for pupils. Surprisingly, research suggests that praise is underused in both general and special-education classrooms (Brophy, 1981; Hawkins Heflin, 2011; Kern, 2007), therefore I try to use praise as often as I can to reinforce good behaviour and build strong relationships with the pupils. I use an interesting method for questioning pupils whereby I have a jar of different coloured lollypop sticks with the pupils’ names on, so when I wish to ask a question it appears to be fair, random and it keeps the pupils engaged because I sometimes place the lollypop sticks back in the jar so the same person may get asked a question more than once. Sometimes, I might ask an open-ended question and aim it at the whole of the class, then ask the pupils to think about it independently or discuss it with the person sitting next to them, these questions usually involve problem solving. As well as questioning, there are several other methods, which can be incorporated into the planning of progress throughout a lesson for example, the use of mini white boards and traffic light cards, also getting the pupils to write a response in their books about how they feel about a certain topic. During this sequence of four lessons, there would usually be around 10-15  minutes of me teaching and the pupils listening, whereby the pupils may take notes and copy examples then the pupils would work quietly and independently to illustrate understanding. For those pupils who require a little more explaining, this would be a chance for them to receive some individual teaching from a member of staff in the class. I communicate to the teaching assistants when I would like them to walk around the class or hand out worksheets. Tracking pupils’ progress over time to inform the planning of teaching and planning teaching that is matched to pupils needs is key. Please refer to Appendix 3, for further guidance from LGfL – Learning Grid for Lancashire (2014) for Assessing Pupils Progress (APP) in Mathematics. Whilst the pupils are working independently, I would walk around the class systematically checking for progress making sure the pupils are setting their work out correctly and achieving the correct answers and also checking what speed they are working at, as some pupils work a lot quicker than others in this class. Therefore, I always have an extension worksheet or an additional task available of a slightly more challenging level. Rooney (2008) supports the need to provide extension work for the more able that will engage and challenge them, whereas Kompany (2005) believes pupils should be accelerated to the appropriate level earlier. I have used self-assessment and peer-assessment in these lessons whereby the pupils mark their own work or they swap books with the person sat next to them. I believe paired work for tasks and games is beneficial as the pupils can learn from each other. According to Ofsted, good assessment practice in mathematics includes: day-to-day assessment, marking and feedback, and the use of assessment to set targets. BECTA (2004) suggests that, using interactive whiteboards to enrich the teaching of mathematics and assist in managing the learning environment can be achieved by; the display and review of learning objectives and key vocabulary, save screens and move between them, remind pupils of materials covered in previous lessons, set up group work and discussion tasks, use the ‘hide and reveal’ features of the IWB software to work through the steps of a solution, provide a ‘count down’ for timed activities. I make use of ICT regularly in my lessons, whether it is a basic PowerPoint; one slide with the learning objectives on to save time; and interactive games on the white board. I always try to include a real life example into every topic I teach and this particular topic definitely has a functionality element to it as fractions, percentages and decimals are used in every day life even at the age of 12, the topic also links to other subjects such as science, food technology and business studies. As a plenary, I have used several methods, which I have found to be successful with this class for example exit cards or a GCSE exam question from previous papers. I believe that they get a real sense of achievement when they manage to complete a GCSE exam question because they are only in Year 8 and they are able to answer an exam question that they might get asked to complete in Year 11. I follow the schools marking policy using; WWW – what went well, EBI – even better if and MRI – my response is. This gives the pupils an opportunity to respond to feedback. Please refer to Appendix 4, to view an example of my marking and feedback. Pupils’ are expected to respond in the MRI section demonstrating communication between the teacher and the pupil. Evaluation Lessons in this school have sixty-minute duration; therefore I believe the three-part lesson structure to be substantial. Because of the age of the pupils, I found the mathematical jokes and maths magic tricks highly effective in the sense that it settled the pupils down at the beginning of the lesson, it helped to build a good relationship with the pupils also creating a little bit of fun and something to look forward to within the lesson, which in turn lead to better behavior and attitudes towards mathematics as a subject. It is also useful for practicing mental maths for improving skills like using a calculator. This approach may not be as  successful with a Year 11 class. In my experience, I have found it to be more effective to have the starter readily available for the pupils, either on their desks or on the board so that they are engaged as soon as they walk through the door and they are not waiting for pupils that are late. Please refer to Appendix 5, for an example of a st arter that is related to the topic in question and I usually display on the smart-board. Of course, starters do not have to be related to the topic all the time but in this case I used my starters to recap what we had covered in the previous lesson. Getting the pupils to read, listen and write the learning objectives is important for improving literacy which is important across the whole curriculum (old and new) and I do this at the beginning of every lesson for consistency, the pupils know what to expect and they enjoy being aware of what level or sublevel they are working at. I have developed my praising strategy by rationalising how and when I use praise because using praise excessively can lead to negative reactions from pupils not receiving praise even when they had ‘done their best’. Effective teacher praise consists of two elements: a description of noteworthy student academic performance or general behaviour and a signal of teacher approval (Brophy, 1981; Burnett, 2001). I have found the different coloured lollipop sticks method of questioning to be very successful as the pupils think it is a fair system but it isn’t entirely random, as I have actually coded the different sublevels of the pupils to th e different colours. For example, if I wanted to ask a hard question I would select a red stick which indicates the pupil is strong and confident but if I wanted to give a weaker pupil a confidence boost then I would select a green stick and ask a relatively easy question. This demonstrates an element of differentiation. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) believes effective questions are an integral part of a successful mathematics classroom. Some research suggests that as much as 50 percent of classroom time is spent asking questions and eliciting responses. Instruction that includes questions during lessons is more effective in producing achievement gains than instruction carried out without putting questions to students. Please refer to Appendix 6 on page 18, for some reasons as to why we ask questions particularly in mathematics. I have made use of mini white boards, traffic lights cards and pupil feedback within these lessons. I prefer the use of mini white boards  compared with the traffic light cards because the cards can be very vague and some pupils tend to follow the trend rather than being entirely truthful, whereas the mini white boards are excellent for AFL because the answers are independent and more detailed so its easier to identify errors and areas for improvement. The Guardian (2014) describes how teaching assistants are a vital source of support for teachers and knowing how to manage them can be tricky. I have found that giving the teaching assistants ownership within the classroom has made it easier to get them onboard with my ideas. It is important to communicate with them; show class interaction; share decision-making; building on the TAs strengths and share feedback with each other. I have found support staff to be very useful in lessons, as they can provide individual teaching for pupils’ that may be struggling, they support SEN and vulnerable pupils, they are also more than willing to assist in handing out worksheets or collecting homework. The Department for Education states that, all children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) should be able to reach their full potential in school. They should also be supported to make a successful transition into adulthood, whether into employment, further or higher education or training. Please refer to Appendix 7, for further information of how I have deployed support staff within lessons. According to Ofsted, good assessment practice in mathematics includes: day-to-day assessment, marking and feedback, and the use of assessment to set targets. Please refer to Appendix 8, for a summary of how Ofsted outline formative and summative assessment. I have adopted a number of effective methods outlined by Black and William (1998), that have developed approaches to self and peer-assessment with the aim of enabling pupils to: share the learning intentions so that they understand where they are heading; develop confidence and skills in judging their own performance and reflect on their work and that of others to learn how to improve it. I particularly like some of the additional uses of ICT that BECTA (2004) highlighted above and although I haven’t adopted some of the methods yet, I believe they would be very useful and I will be using them in future. But first, I will have to learn how to use these additional features of an interactive whiteboard and I will develop this during my next placement. Providing real life examples and relating functional skills to mathematics is important for supporting  the transfer of meaningful information at key transitional points and facilitating the setting of meaningful curricular targets that can be shared with pupils. The DfE state that functional skills aim to help people read, write, speak English and use mathematics at the level they need to function and progress both at school and elsewhere. Mathematics in everyday life refers to the way humans use math to complete certain tasks throughout the day, an example I used for this topic was: a person may use math when the y are out shopping and trying to calculate the total cost of the items they are buying after a 15% decrease in the January sale. I have found the use of exit cards or a GCSE exam question, as a plenary to be highly successful with this group due to their age. It appears to me that they actually enjoy writing on the little, colourful exit cards then handing them to me at the door as they leave. They are given a choice as to what they can write on the card, for example, they might write what they have learnt in the lesson or how they feel about the topic or they might write a question down for something they wish for me to address. This process allows me to assess for learning and plan how to progress in future lessons. As well as following the schools’ marking policy, I also provide additional oral feedback rather than relying almost exclusively on marking or written feedback in pupils’ books, and I help pupils develop skills in marking and reviewing their own work and that of their peers in order to involve pupils more in marking and feedback so that they can progress further. Overall, I have found most of my teaching methods to be effective and successful. The pupils’ have met their targets and achieved the learning objectives. I have adapted all the methods mentioned above and tried different approaches to establish this. In the future, I aim to satisfy the targets that I have set myself throughout the analysis to improve my teaching methods further. Review of Assessment Theory Ofsted (2013) outline, how effective assessment practice in mathematics is associated with systematic arrangements for actively promoting, monitoring  and recording pupils’ progress; also that it is used as a teaching tool for judging attainment. Teachers should review pupils’ progress closely as part of daily classroom practice, involving pupils in the assessment of their own strengths and weaknesses and provide feedback. According to Black and William (1998), effective formative assessment is a key factor in motivating learning and raising pupil standards of achievement. Formative assessment, is most effective when it: is embedded in the teaching and learning process; sharing learning objectives with pupils; it helps pupils to know and recognise the standards to aim for; it provides feedback for pupils to identify what they should do to improve; it involves teachers and pupils reviewing their performance and progress and it can involve pupils in self-assessment. For example, pupils’ marking and reviewing their own work. The provision of effective marking and feedback on work can raise pupil achievement; this use of assessment information is beginning to promote effective practice in mathematics. It is suggested that some teachers feel that they are spending a large amount of time marking but it seemed to have little impact on pupils’ subsequent work and that they would prefer to provide more oral feedback rather than relying on written feedback in pupils’ books. Teachers can overcome this challenge by helping pupils’ to develop skills in marking and reviewing their own work and that of their peers in order to involve pupils more in marking and feedback. (Ofsted reports, 2013) For pupils to learn effectively, they need to identify any gaps between their actual and optimal performance. Many approaches to self and peer-assessment have the aim of enabling pupils to: share the learning intentions so that they understand where they are heading; to develop confidence and skills in judging their own performance; and reflect on their work and that of others to learn how they can improve. (Hawkins Heflin, 2011) Kern, L. Clemens, N. H. (2007), highlight that due to recent changes to strategies, many good mathematics teachers make effective use of assessment data to set targets for individual pupils. This process is particularly effective when two targets are set with the higher one being more ambitious  than the prediction based on the data. The aim is for pupils to have an idea as to where they are in the process and where they are heading and what is possible if they are ambitious. In mathematics, Bellamy (1999) states that the most effective targets set for pupils are often curriculum-specific. These are: associated with a significant but manageable learning objective (e.g. simplify fractions by cancelling all common factors); discussed with pupils and expressed in a form that they can understand; relatively short-term and subject to regular revision and retained where they are accessible to pupils. To summarise, formative assessment is that undertaking the assessment constitutes a learning experience in its own right, for example; writing an essay or undertaking a class presentation, can be valuable formative activities as a means of enhancing knowledge as well as for developing research into mathematics, communication, intellectual and organisational skills. Formative assessment is not often included in the formal grading of work, and indeed many believe that it should not be. In contrast, summative assessment is not traditionally regarded as having any intrinsic learning value. It is usually undertaken at the end of a period of learning in order to generate a grade that reflects the student’s performance. The traditional unseen end of module examination is often presented as a typical form of summative assessment. But Black and William (1998) recommend: Frequent short tests are better than infrequent long ones. We have highlighted two important points from this differe ntiation. Firstly, there is no reason why only summative assessment should be included in any formal grading of pupil progress and performance, it is perfectly appropriate to have elements of formative assessment as part of the final grade as well. The second point is that the distinction between formative and summative assessment may be a false one. Whilst some elements of assessment may generate a greater formative learning experience than others, it can be argued that all forms of assessment have some formative element. For example, students undertaking a degree course where assessment consists of written assignments and end of module examinations will over the period of the course improve their examination technique, this is a formative learning experience. Perhaps  instead of becoming overly concerned with whether an assessment is formative or summative in nature it may be better to see various types of assessment as a continuum of the formative learning experience. In conclusion, research indicates that improving learning through assessment depends on five simple factors: the provision of effective feedback to students; the active involvement of students in their own learning; adjusting teaching to take into account res ults of assessment; a recognition of the profound influence assessment has on the motivation and self esteem of students; and lastly the need for students to be able to self assess themselves and understand how to improve. But at the same time, there are several other inhibiting factors, these include: the tendency for teachers to assess quantity of work and presentation rather than quality of learning; giving greater attention to marking and grading (much of it tending to lower the self esteem of students rather than provide advice for improvement); some teachers feedback to students often serves social and managerial purposes rather than to help them learn more effectively; and teachers not knowing enough about their students’ learning needs. The characteristics of assessment that promote learning, are highlighted by Ofsted as follows: it is imbedded in a view of teaching and learning of which it is an essential part; it involves sharing learning goals with students; it helps students know and recognise the standards they are aiming for; it involves students in self-assessment; it provides feedback which helps students recognise their next steps and how to take them; it is underpinned by confidence that every student can improve; and it involves both the teachers and students reviewing and reflecting on assessment data. If a teacher can adopt all or most of these characteristics into their assessment techniques then they are sure to be outstanding. The ways in which a teacher can achieve this in the classroom, when assessment is being used to help learning is through observation – this includes listening to how students describe their work and their reasoning. Questioning – using open-ended questions, phrased to invite students to  explore their ideas and their reasoning. Setting tasks in a way that requires students to use certain skills and apply ideas. Asking students to communicate their learning through drawings, actions, role-play, brainstorming key concepts, as well as writing. Discussing words and how they are used. Please refer to Appendix 3, for guidance from LGfL – Learning Grid for Lancashire (2014) for Assessing Pupils Progress (APP) in Mathematics. Analysis of Summative Assessment Task According to Glickman et al (2009), summative assessment refers to the assessment of the learning and summarises the development of learners at a particular time. After a period of work, e.g. a unit for two weeks, the learner sits for a test and then the teacher marks the test and assigns a score. The test aims to summarise learning up to that point. The test may also be used for diagnostic assessment to identify any weaknesses and then build on that using formative assessment. Black and William (1998) agree that, frequent short tests are better than infrequent long ones. This is the approach I have adopted for this summative assessment task. The summative assessment task that I have designed is aimed to check for knowledge, understanding and learning of the topic mentioned in the rationale. The medium term plan I set myself for this topic was to teach fractions, percentages and decimals, over a sequence of four lessons. Year 8 – Set 3 have mathematics on their timetable twice per week, therefore I was able to cover the content in two weeks. I informed them at the end of the fourth lesson that was on a Thursday, that they would be getting tested on Tuesday so they were aware that they were having a test to cover the content from the last four lessons. Hence, giving them a chance to revise over the weekend rather than overwhelming them on Tuesday. The areas covered in the four lessons and also included in the test are: simple percentages that can be calculated mentally, using a calculator to  work out percentages (including percentage increase and decrease), and to be able to convert between fractions and decimals. Please refer to Appendix 9, for a copy of the Summative Assessment and Answers. The instructions given on the day of the task were: use a calculator where appropriate for example, to calculate fractions/percentages of quantities/measurements, calculate percentages and find the outcome of a given percentage increase or decrease and please work silently and independently. There are 30 pupils in this class including one SEN pupil with hearing difficulties and two pupils’ that have recently been moved up from Set 4. Pupils were previously ranging from level 5A to 5C and they were all expected to hit their target grades which tend to increase by 3 sublevels leaving them at a level 6A to 6C respectively by the end of the academic year. At the end of the task, I was able to mark the test and give them a grade at the end. Please refer to Appendix 10, for a copy of my anonymous class list with the grades awarded included. In these anonymous pupil records, we can see that the SEN pupil is highlighted in yellow because they were absent on the day of the test and the target level is below average; the gifted and talented pupils’ are highlighted in green and by analysing the target grades we can establish that they may not necessarily be gifted and talented in mathematics, but rather in other subjects like Art, Dance and Physical Education. Althoug h, a few of them have met their targets grades which are above average. The majority of the class met their target grades and a lot of them improved upon their target grade as I expected. All the questions in the test relate to real life and the only question that they all made errors on was finding 17.5% and then adding it back on because it was VAT, even though I’d given them a little clue by typing cost in capital letters. As well as marking and awarding a grade, I also make use of target stickers at the end of any assessment so that pupils’ know and recognise the standards they are aiming for and it provides feedback which helps students recognise their next steps and how to take them. Please refer to Appendix 11, for an example of a target sticker that I might use at KS3 level. I tend to provide oral feedback as well rather than relying exclusively on marking  and written feedback. I found it difficult to decide on the assessment criteria for the marking and feedback on this given piece of work (for example, whether or not presentation is to be judged). So I decided to use the target grades as a guide to developing a mark scheme, which related to the test and the results as a percentage e.g. if they achieved 70% in the test then they would be awarded a grade 6A. It was difficult to determine these boundaries because the test was quite short and partly biased because it was only testing one topic in mathematics and they had all weekend to revise. There was potential for them to score over 90% and this wouldn’t be the case in an end of term test where many topics are combined into a longer test. This is one point that could be amended to improve the quality of this assessment in the future. Ofsted outline the characteristics of assessment that promote learning, to be imbedded in a view of teaching and learning of which it is an essential part and involves sharing learning objectives and goals with pupils. I have found the task to be successful in helping me determine the level of the pupils’ attainment and progress in mathematics. I believe that frequent short tests will over a period of time improve their examination technique, which is a formative learning experience. Black and William (1998) agree that, constantly assessing demonstrates confidence that every pupil can improve; and it involves both the teachers and pupils’ reviewing and reflecting on the assessment data. Assessing Pupils Progress at Key Stage 3 is vital to tracking pupils progress over time to inform the planning of teaching matched to pupils needs and gathering diagnostic information about the strengths and areas of development of individual pupils’ and groups of pupils. Appendices APPENDIX 1 The school are determined to close the achievement gap by ensuring that any pupils at risk of underachieving are identified early and support and intervention is provided for these pupils. In particular those pupils that are on FSM or classified as LAC. The following table shows the attainment of all pupils in Year 11 including those who were ‘looked after’ or on free school meals. The brackets show the number or percentage of students on free school meals and or who are looked after. (FSM and or LAC)/ All Pupils 2011 2012 No. of pupils in Year 11 (GCSE) (7)/126 (4)/140 % gaining 5+ A*-C in both English and Maths (57)/67 (25)/68.5 % gaining 5+ A*-C English (57)/69 (50)/75 % gaining 5+ A*-C Maths (100)/83 (50)/76 APPENDIX 2 Mathematical jokes relating to the topic: Who invented fractions? Henry the 1/8th! I believe five out of four people have trouble with fractions. There are three kinds of mathematicians those who can count and those who cant. Math Magic / Number fun / Maths Tricks: Trick 1: 2s trick Step1: Think of a number. Step2: Multiply it by 3. Step3: Add 6 with the getting result. Step4: divide it by 3. Step5: Subtract it from the first number used. Answer: 2 Trick 2: Any Number Step1: Think of any number. Step2: Double the number. Step3: Add 9 with result. Step4: sub 3 with the result. Step5: Divide the result by 2. Step6: Subtract the number with the number with first number started with. Answer: 3 Trick 3: Any three digit Number Step1: Add 7 to it. Step2: Multiply the number with 2. Step3: Subtract 4 with the result. Step4: Divide the result by 2. Step5: Subtract it from the number started with. Answer: 5 I found the mathematical jokes and maths magic tricks highly effective in the sense that it settled the pupils down at the beginning of the lesson, it helped to build a good relationship with the pupils, it created a little bit of fun and something to look forward to within the lesson, which in turn lead to better behaviour and attitudes towards maths as a subject. It is also useful for practising mental maths or for improving skills like using a calculator. APPENDIX 3 Assessing Pupils Progress (APP) in Mathematics Assessing Pupils Progress is a structured approach to pupil assessment in Key Stage 3 to support teachers with: making judgements about their pupils attainment, keyed into national standards developing and refining their understanding of progression in science gathering diagnostic information about the strengths and areas of development of individual pupils and groups of pupils tracking pupils progress over time to inform the planning of teaching planning teaching that is matched to pupils needs supporting the transfer of meaningful information at key transitional points facilitating the setting of meaningful curricular targets that can be shared with pupils and parents APPENDIX 4 Marking example WWW:You understand and can write a percentage/fraction/decimal in either form in order to compare values. You can also calculate a percentage of a quantity and use this to increase or decrease a value. EBI:When calculating a percentage increase/decrease of a quantity you use the multiplier method. Your work is excellent/good/satisfactory. MRI: (response to feedback from the pupil) APPENDIX 5 Starter related to percentages Find 10% of the following: a)  £300b) $200 c) 50gd) 30p e) 45pf)  £64 g) $32h) 12g APPENDIX 6 Why Ask Questions? The following is a partial list of the questions that teacher Peggy Lynn asked during her two lessons on direct and inverse variation. As you read each question below, think about Peggys purpose in asking it. Ask yourself, Why did she ask that question? How did you come up with your estimation? When you say pattern, what kind of pattern are you referring to? And what does that + 1 on the end mean? Any questions so far? Why did you do 100 ï ¿ ½ 100? You seem pretty certain of that. Why do you think its not [a direct proportion]? So how many gallons would there be in 920,000 barrels? Could a direct variation have a negative slope? If you have zero drops, how much area should you have? What just happened there, when you doubled your volume? What about if you made the area of the base get smaller and smaller, your diameter got smaller and smaller. Whats going to happen to the height of your water? Questions in the math classroom serve a variety of purposes, from increasing student comprehension and clarifying student thinking, to aiding in social development. The following list gives many of the reasons teachers ask questions. To involve students in the lesson by letting them share ideas that provide clarification and a deeper analysis of problems Example: You seem pretty certain of that. Why do you think its not [a direct proportion]? To provide assessment of what students know to help guide  instruction Example: Why did you do 100   100? To enhance retention of important information and to provide increased understanding of the major mathematical skills and concepts. †¨Example: If you have zero drops, how much area should you have? To aid in classroom management by redirecting discussions, making sure that students comprehend directions, and checking for understanding. (Many questions in this category are not prepared in advance teachers ask them as the need arises .) †¨Example: Any questions so far? APPENDIX 7 Deploying support staff Communication Be clear and specific: dont assume that your TA knows what you want them to do. Think about how you would feel walking into a lesson and trying to decipher what to support the pupils with while listening to the teaching segment. Its hard to manage all of this at once, especially because you were on break duty and missed the first seven minutes. Not all teachers have dedicated time to share and discuss lessons with their TA. But its essential to discuss your lessons plans, expectations, focus children and so on; this will help you build a relationship with your TA and enable them to anticipate what you and the pupils will need throughout the year. Class interaction Empowering your TA to be active in lessons not only enables them to raise their profile in the classroom, but also allows you to develop an engaging environment. Involve them in lessons and build a rapport where you can bounce off each other during sessions. The teachers and teaching assistants roles are different but both are important and your TA might have more experience in the school or with children. Be sure to acknowledge this, always speak in a professional way and when there is conflict, clear the air  and address the issue. Decision-making Allowing your TA to make independent decisions that are in line with your classroom rules and behavioural strategies is very empowering. Facilitating this will help keep the class running smoothly and promotes a team approach to teaching. As well as the benefit of building a good working environment, in the event that you are out of class for NQT time, off sick or on a course, you know that your classroom systems are being sustained, giving your pupils consistency, which is particularly vital in a primary classroom. Build on your TAs strengths Ask your TA about their hobbies, experiences and what they would like to do in the classroom. This will give you a great insight into their strengths, skills and interests. Over time you will find that building on your TAs skills and strengths will enable you to get the best out of them, to the benefit of you and your pupils. Also be aware that an increasing number of TAs are graduates and have very valuable transferable skills. Feedback Everyone benefits from feedback and your TA is no different. Give them details about what works well, remain positive and give clear requests. Make sure the feedback is constructive and help your TA to see the bigger picture of what you are trying to achieve in your setting. If you would like to find out more, Maximising the impact of teaching assistants by Anthony Russell, Rob Webster and Peter Blatchford is well worth a read. Fundamentally, be conscious of planning for your support staff, it will empower them and allow you to have a greater impact on your pupils. APPENDIX 8 According to Ofsted, good assessment practice in mathematics includes: day-to-day assessment, marking and feedback, and the use of assessment to set targets. Formative assessment, or ‘assessment for learning’ is most effective when it: is embedded in the teaching and learning process   shares learning goals with pupils helps pupils to know and to recognise the standards to aim for provides feedback for pupils to identify what they should do to improve has a commitment that every pupil can improve  involves teachers and pupils reviewing pupils’ performance and progress involves pupils in self-assessment. Five key changes to marking and feedback:  decrease the use of extrinsic rewards (house credits) as a number of pupils reported negative reactions to not receiving rewards even when they had ‘done their best’ provide more oral feedback rather than relying almost exclusively on marking and/or written feedback in pupils’ books help pupils develop skills in marking and reviewing their own work and that of their peers in order to involve pupils more in marking and feedback decide on the assessment criteria for the marking and feedback on a given piece of work (for example, whether or not presentation is to be judged) be clear about whether to get pupils to correct their own work based on what purpose it will serve for a given piece of work. The most effective targets set by or for pupils are often curriculum-specific. These are: associated with a significant but manageable learning objective (e.g. simplify fractions by cancelling all common factors) discussed with p upils and expressed in a form that they can understand relatively short-term and subject to regular revision Bibliography Akin-Little, K. A., Eckert, T. L., Lovett, B. J., Little, S. G. (2004). Extrinsic reinforcement in the classroom: Bribery or best practice. School Psychology Review, 33, 344-362. Sources: Black, P., Wiliam, D. Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom assessment, www.kcl.zc.uk/depsta/education/publications/blackbox.html Black, P., William, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education, 5 (1), 7–74. Brophy, J. (1981). Teacher praise: A functional analysis. Review of Educational Research, 51, 5-32. Burnett, P. C. (2001). Elementary students preferences for teacher praise. Journal of Classroom Interaction, 36(1), 16-23. Daly, E. J., Martens, B. K., Barnett, D., Witt, J. C., Olson, S. C. (2007). Varying intervention delivery in response to intervention: Confronting and resolving challenges with measurement, instruction, and intensity. School Psychology Review, 36, 562-581. Glickman, C.D., Gordon, S.P., Ross-Gordon, J.M. (2009).Supervisi on and instructional leadership: a developmental approach Allyn and Bacon, Boston, MA. Haring, N.G., Lovitt, T.C., Eaton, M.D., Hansen, C.L. (1978). The fourth R: Research in the classroom. Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Co. Hawkins, S. M., Heflin, L. J. (2011). Increasing secondary teachers’ behavior-specific praise using a video self-modeling and visual performance feedback intervention. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions,13(2) 97–108. Kern, L. Clemens, N. H. (2007). Antecedent strategies to promote appropriate classroom behavior. Psychology in the Schools, 44, 65-75. http://www.learner.org/workshops/algebra/workshop7/teaching.html#4