Personal Statement On Workplace Negotiations - 1556 Words

Workplace Negotiations I. 1. The most important issue in taking any form of employment is whether it will involve something that I am interested or was trained to do. Second, a salary that is reasonably related to the position and/or the work performed is important. Third, having the independence to work without constant supervision (as long as my responsibilities are satisfied) would be important. Fourth, the ability to have a flexible work schedule. Fifth, training and development opportunities that allow me to get better at what I’m doing would be important. 2. My BATNA would be the non-guaranteed offer I received prior to the holidays from another position. Although the salary (U.S. $3,000 per month) is the same as I am currently†¦show more content†¦In that case, my source of power would be years I’ve worked at my present employer, including the experience I’ve gained, the work-product I’ve produced, my relationship with clients and customers, and the fact that I understand the goals of the company and have proven that I can assist the company in achieving those goals. Perhaps, however, the ultimate source of my power is that my interests are not completely focused on salary and that if I can achieve all of my other interests except for a salary than I will personally be successful. 4. Although I cannot know for certain but I can assume that in this negotiation my opponent’s five most important issues would be: (1) keep my salary the same or as close to the current amount that it is now, (2) increase the amount of work that I do without any or a significant increase in the salary that I am paid, (3) any increase in salary is mirrored with an equal increase in duties and responsibilities, (4) keeping the work circumstances as they presently are arranged; or more specifically keeping the status quo, and (5) decreasing my salary but keeping my work level the same or increasing it. 5. My opponent’s BATNA is keeping me in my present position. The position includes the following benefits: U.S. $3,000 per month; seven days paid vacation; supervised work for 40 hours per week (five days a week). Accordingly, my opponents target price is U.S.

Survey for Family Day Motivation Free Essays

Motivators for Fall Family Day Attendance The purpose of this questionnaire is to identify the primary student motivators used when deciding to attend or not attend Fall Family Day. This information will be used to make improvements and further increase interest in the event. Please take the time to answer the following questions as they best apply to you. We will write a custom essay sample on Survey for Family Day Motivation or any similar topic only for you Order Now Thank you, and we appreciate your time and responses. 1. Are you familiar with Family Day? -No (Please go to question 13) -Yes (Please continue) 2. How do you learn about Family Day? Please check all that apply. -University webpage -Student newsletter -Campus banners -Event flyers Word of mouth from other students -Other (please specify) 3. Have you ever attended Family Day? -No (Please go to question 8) -Yes, I only attended this year (Please go to question 5) -Yes, I only attended in previous years. (Please go to question 6) -Yes, I attended both this year and in previous years. (Please continue) 4. Please indicate your level of satisfaction with the Fall Family Day you attended in previous year: -Very satisfied -Moderately satisfied -Neutral -Moderately dissatisfied -Strongly dissatisfied 5. Please indicate your level of satisfaction with the Fall Family Day this year, then go to question 9 -Very satisfied Moderately satisfied -Neutral -Moderately dissatisfied -Strongly dissatisfied 6. Please indicate your level of satisfaction with the Fall Family Day you attended in previous year: -Very satisfied -Moderately satisfied -Neutral -Moderately dissatisfied -Strongly dissatisfied 7. Why did you choose not to attend this year? Please check all that apply, then go to question 9. -Not interested -Time conflict -No new events -Can’t afford it -Poor reviews from others -No available hotels -Travel distance -Overcrowded -Family not able to attend -Family not interested this year -Other (please specify) 8. Why did you not attend Fall Family Day? Please check all that apply. -Not interested -Time conflict -Can’t afford it -Unaware of event -Poor reviews from others -No available hotels -Travel distance -Overcrowded -Other (please specify) 9. In regards to Fall Family Day, how important would it be to have a home Virginia Tech football game that day? -Very important -Important -Neutral -Unimportant -Very unimportant 10. If Virginia Tech is playing in an away game, how important is it to have it televised on campus? -Very important -Important -Neutral -Unimportant -Very unimportant 11. How would you like to be informed of Fall Family Day? Please check all that apply. -University webpage Parent newsletter -Student newsletter -Facebook -E-mail -Other (please specify) -I’m not interested, so please do not contact me 12. What activities would you like to have at Fall Family Day? Please describe below. 13. What is your academic classification? -Freshman -Sophomore -Junior -Senior -Graduate Student -Other (please specif y) 14. In what college are you enrolled? -Agriculture and Life Sciences -Architecture and Urban Sciences -Pamplin College of Business -Engineering -Liberal Arts and Human Sciences -Natural Resources and Environment -Science -Vet Medicine -Undecided 15. Gender -Male -Female Thank you for your time and answers! How to cite Survey for Family Day Motivation, Essays

Dyslexia Essay Writing Example For Students

Dyslexia Essay Writing DYSLEXIA AND THE PHONOLOGICAL MODELOver one hundred years ago, in November 1896, a doctor in Sussex, England, published the first description of the learning disorder that would come to be known as developmental dyslexia. Percy F. , aged 14,. .. has always been a bright and intelligent boy, wrote W. Pringle Morgan in the British Medical Journal, quick at games, and in no way inferior to others of his age. His great difficulty has beenand is nowhis inability to learn to read. (Sec 3) In that brief introduction, Morgan captured the illness that has intrigued and frustrated scientists for a century. In 2000 as in 1896, reading ability is taken as a substitute for intelligence; most people assume that if someone is smart, motivated and schooled, he or she will learn to read. But the experience of millions of dyslexics, like Percy F. , has shown that assumption to be false. In dyslexia, the relation between intelligence and reading ability breaks down. Early explanations of dyslexia in the 1920s, held that defects in the visual system were to blame for the reversals of letters and words thought to typify dyslexic reading. Eye training was often prescribed to overcome these alleged visual defects. Later research has shown, however, that children with dyslexia are not unusually prone to reversing letters or words and that the deficit responsible for the disorder is related to the language system. In particular, dyslexia reflects a deficiency in the processing of the distinctive linguistic units, called phonemes that make up all spoken and written words. Current linguistic models of reading and dyslexia now provide an explanation of why some very intelligent people have trouble learning to read and performing other language-related tasks. Over the past twenty years, a consistent model of dyslexia has emerged that is based on phonological processing. The phonological model is consistent both with the clinical symptoms of dyslexia and with what neuroscientists know about brain organization and function. To understand how the phonological model works, one first has to consider the way in which language is processed in the brain. Researchers theorize the language system as a hierarchical series of modules or components, each devoted to a particular aspect of language. At the upper levels of the hierarchy are components involved with semantics (vocabulary or word meaning), syntax (grammatical structure) and discourse (connected sentences). At the lowest level of the hierarchy is the phonological module, which is dedicated to processing the distinctive sound elements that constitute language. The phoneme, defined as the smallest meaningful segment of language, is the fundamental element of the linguistic system. Different combinations of just 44 phonemes produce every word in the English language. The word cat, for example, consists of three phonemes: kuh, aah, and tuh. (Linguists indicate these sounds as |k|, |ae| and |t|.) Before words can be identified, understood, stored in memory or retrieved from it, they must first be broken down, or parsed, into their phonetic units by the phonological module of the brain. In spoken language, this process occurs automatically, at a preconscious level. As Steven Pinker of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has argued, language is instinctiveall that is necessary is for humans to be exposed to it(Sec 6). A genetically determined phonological module automatically assembles the phonemes into words for the speaker and translates the spoken word back into its underlying phonological components for the listener. In producing a word, the human speech mechanismthe larynx, palate, tongue and lips automatically compresses and merges the phonemes. As a result, information from several phonemes is combined into a single unit of sound. Because there is no obvious clue to the underlying nature of speech, spoken language appears to be seamless. .u4bfd8fee33cb084863e373b6af8b368e , .u4bfd8fee33cb084863e373b6af8b368e .postImageUrl , .u4bfd8fee33cb084863e373b6af8b368e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4bfd8fee33cb084863e373b6af8b368e , .u4bfd8fee33cb084863e373b6af8b368e:hover , .u4bfd8fee33cb084863e373b6af8b368e:visited , .u4bfd8fee33cb084863e373b6af8b368e:active { border:0!important; } .u4bfd8fee33cb084863e373b6af8b368e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4bfd8fee33cb084863e373b6af8b368e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4bfd8fee33cb084863e373b6af8b368e:active , .u4bfd8fee33cb084863e373b6af8b368e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4bfd8fee33cb084863e373b6af8b368e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4bfd8fee33cb084863e373b6af8b368e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4bfd8fee33cb084863e373b6af8b368e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4bfd8fee33cb084863e373b6af8b368e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4bfd8fee33cb084863e373b6af8b368e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4bfd8fee33cb084863e373b6af8b368e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4bfd8fee33cb084863e373b6af8b368e .u4bfd8fee33cb084863e373b6af8b368e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4bfd8fee33cb084863e373b6af8b368e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Alexander the Great4 Essay Therefore, an oscilloscope would register the word cat as a single burst of sound; only the human language system is capable of distinguishing the three phonemes embedded in the word. Reading reflects spoken language, as Alvin M. Liberman of Haskins Laboratories in New Haven, Conn., points out, but it is a much harder skill to master(Sec 3). Although both speaking and reading rely on phonological processing, there is a significant difference: speaking is natural, and reading is not. Reading is an invention and must be learned at a

Summary On The Articles About Second Hand Smoking Essays - Smoking

Summary On The Articles About Second Hand Smoking Secondhand Smoke, Is It a Hazard? In the 1950's and 60's scientists gave the people a lot of evidence on the deadly effects of smoking where the tobacco companies on the other hand tried to put the doubt in people's minds through the campaigns to show that it is not all true. By the time people actually decided to take care of their health and finally saw how life-threatening smoking could be by real life examples, the tobacco companies already got rich from its sales. Nowadays, nobody doubts that ?firsthand? smoke is deadly to your health and it causes lung cancer and heart disease in adults and asthma and bronchitis in children. Now the industry is onto the secondhand smoke. Scientists and researchers are representing a lot of evidence and research that has been done throughout the years showing that the secondhand smoke can also cause a lung cancer in nonsmokers. The study has been done of people who have been long exposed to secondhand smoke and it shows that 26 out of 33 published studies indicate a link between secondhand smoke and lung cancer. The study estimates that the people that were breathing secondhand smoke were 8 to 150 percent more likely to get lung cancer. The tobacco companies are trying to argue the facts and are still in serious debate about the health hazards of breathing a secondhand smoke. A lot of anti-smoking organizations are trying to turn smoking in public into a private activity that does not have to involve nonsmoker s breathing secondhand smoke. What is even more important is that many of these organizations convinced a lot of smokers to cut back or quit completely. The problem of secondhand smoke is increasing because it is so common in our society. It makes secondhand smoke the third-ranking cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers. Mothers who live with a smoking spouse have to realize the ill effects of secondhand smoke on children even before they are born. The smoking components reach the developing fetus through the mother. Infants that are born in a smoking environment weigh less and have a weaker chance of becoming a fully developed child. Secondhand smoke leads to blood clots and damages arterial linings which are the two most leading factors in the development of heart disease. The tobacco companies got scared of the effect that the secondhand smoke research can do to the cigarette makers. The tobacco companies started their own secret studies on how to fight the growing success of antismoking activists. They are trying to show the people that there is no definite evidence to prove that the secondhand smoke can cause lung cancer or any other diseases that the scientists accuse it of. The tobacco industry is trying to influence the science by commissioning a research from sympathetic scientists and sponsoring scientific meetings where they try to carefully bring out their point of view and publish the results in the medical literature. Only 4 percent of the articles that were published from the meetings that were sponsored by the tobacco industry said that the secondhand smoke was unhealthy. The debate on secondhand smoke has reached the boiling point. When different scientists are using different study designs and different researches and still come up with the same result, it is time to start paying more serious attention to secondhand smoke. When the human evidence is combined with the laboratory experiments showing that the secondhand smoke can cause cancer it is impossible to ignore it any longer. The nonsmokers should have the right to breathe smoke-free air. It is important to have restrictions on where people are allowed to smoke and in particular to keep the work place as a smoke-free environment. The declining rates of smoking show that people can actually quit. Everybody should make an effort to quit for the sake of the people they love.

The Unintended Cosequences of Information Age Technologies

The Unintended Cosequences of Information Age Technologies IntroductionThe Unintended Cosequences of Information Age TechnologiesMilitary organizations are, by their very nature, resistant to change. This is, in no small part, due to the fact that the cost of error is exceedingly high. Change, particularly change that may affect the relationships among organizations and between commanders and their subordinates, presents significant risks and generates considerable concern.The explosion of information technologies has set in motion a virtual tidal wave of change that is in the process of profoundly affecting organizations and individuals in multiple dimensions. The military is no exception. At the very beginning of the information age, technological advances made it possible to provide more complete, more accurate, and more timely information to decision makers. As the costs of processing and communications power tumbled, it became cost-effective for organizations to adopt and utilize information technologies in more and more situations.Mili tary organizations have traditionally provided information to forces in three ways: commands, intelligence, and doctrine.U.S. Marine Corps General Peter Pace, Chairman of ...Commands serve to define the specific task at hand. Intelligence provides information about the environment in which the task is to be carried out. Doctrineprovides the "rules of the game" or standard operating procedures. Doctrine, unlike commands and intelligence, is not provided in real time, but serves to shape the culture and mind sets of the individuals involved. Thus, information has, until recently, been inseparable from commanders, command structures, and command systems. Each of these three ways of communicating information about what is expected of subordinate organizations and individuals has evolved over time to be mutually supportive of an overall command concept or approach matched to the nature of the conflict and the capabilities of the forces. The success of military operations depends to a lar ge extent upon the ability to coordinate activities to achieve synchronized operations. Ensuring that individuals behave...

The High School Math Courses You Should Take

The High School Math Courses You Should Take SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Choosing which math classes to study can be one of the most challenging parts of planning your high school schedule. High schools offer numerous math classes, often at varying degrees of difficulty, and it can be difficult to know which math classes will be the best for you and your future. Read this guide to learn about standard high school math curriculum, AP and IB math courses, which math classes colleges expect you to have taken, and ways to exceed those expectations. Standard High School Math Curriculum Most high schools require students to take three years of math in order to graduate and recommend taking four years. These requirements often also include completing an algebra class and a geometry class. Forty-five stateshave agreed to follow Common Core standards for math, which aim to create a more standardized math curriculum across the country. The Common Core standards state that six content categories should be covered in high school math classes: Algebra Functions Modeling Geometry Statistics Probability However, these standards are very broad and don't specify which math concepts should be taught at which grade, so there is still a lot of differentiation amongschools and amongstates. For high school math,there is not a specific course you should be taking as a freshman, sophomore etc. Instead, there is a series of courses, and each student begins with the math class best suited for him/her, based on testing and prior math knowledge. The typical order of math classes in high school is: Algebra 1 Geometry Algebra 2/Trigonometry Pre-Calculus Calculus However, this order is definitely not set in stone.Some schools teach algebra 1 and 2 back-to-back then move on to geometry, some schools include trigonometry with geometry or pre-calculus instead of algebra 2, and some students take pre-algebra or a similar course if they need to strengthen their math skills before taking algebra 1. However, most high schools follow a course order similar to the one above for their math classes. The math class you take freshman year will be chosen based on your previous math classes and any placement tests you may have taken before starting high school. So, if you already took algebra 1 in 8th grade, you may be able to start with geometry as a freshman and continue down the list from there. Also, not every high school student takes pre-calculus or calculus. What Will You Learn in Your High School Math Classes? While curriculum can vary depending on your teacher, the textbook you use, and the level of your math class, most math classes cover the same main topics. The topics listed below serve as a guideline for the key subjects taught in each math class. Algebra 1:Real numbers; solving, writing, and graphing linear equations; quadratic equations and functions; polynomials Geometry:Plane and solid geometry including constructions, formulas for measurement, and formal proofs Algebra 2:Continuation of the concepts taught in algebra 1, including a more in-depth study of graphing and solving equations, inequalities, and functions Trigonometry:Applies algebra and geometry skills to circular and periodic functions. NOTE: Trigonometry is usually not its own class, but isoften taught during algebra 2, geometry, or pre-calculus Pre-Calculus:Series and sequences, probability, statistics, limits, and derivatives Calculus:Continuation of the concepts taught in pre-calculus, with an emphasis on integration and differentiation You'll be seeing a lot of these images if you study calculus Which Math Classes Will Colleges Expect You to Have Taken? Like high schools, most colleges require applicants to have completed three years of math and recommend four years. Selective colleges often require four years of math, and some schools may also require the completion of particular math classes like algebra 2, geometry, or pre-calculus. For students planning on majoring in humanities, the social sciences, or a similar field, the math classes you took in high school will not be as important to colleges because they'll be looking more at the classes that relate to your intended major. This means you don't have to take the most challenging math classes your high school offers, although colleges want fundamentally talented and well-rounded people, so you should still aim to do well in the math classes you do take in order to maintain a solid GPA. If you plan on majoring in a STEM field (science, technology, engineering, or math), expectations will be higher because math skills will be more critical to your college courses and future career. Most collegeswill require you to have taken four years of math in high school, sometimes including pre-calculus and calculus.You'll be competing for college offers with many other smart STEM people, so you'll want to help yourself stand out by taking rigorous math classes that are offered at a high level. Regardless of what you plan to study in college, it is highly recommended that all high school students complete four years of math because many colleges expect it, even if they don't require it, and it will help you stay prepared for any math classes you may have to take in college. Read on to learn ways to go above and beyond these expectations from colleges. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Everyone should take four years of math in high school How Can You Exceed Expectations? Becausehigh schools offer many math classes at varying levels of depth, speed, and difficulty, the math classes you take and the grades you receive in them will be looked at closely by colleges to help determine your academic ability and how good a fit you would be at the school. If you are not majoring in a STEM field, you do not need to worry as much about exceeding expectations in your math classes; you can focus the majority of your time and energy on classes more closely related to the subject you plan to major in. It's usually enough to take four years of math and get good grades in those classes. If you have the time and ability to take honors or AP math classes, that's great, but it shouldn't come at the expense of your grades for classes more closely related to your major. For students planning to major in a STEM field, you will also want to take four years of math, but you will want to push yourself by taking advanced math classes, studying those classes at honors or AP level if offered by your school, and getting high grades in your math classes. Below are several examples of advanced math classes that will help show a college that you have strong math skills. AP Math Classes There are three AP math classes available: two calculus classes and a statistics class. AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC Many students who plan on majoring in a STEM field or who are confident with their math skills take an AP Calculus course. The material that these two classes cover is very similar, but Calculus BC is seen as more difficult because it moves at a faster pace and covers some additional topics such aspolynomial approximations and series, series of constants, and Taylor series. However, both are challenging AP classes, and taking either class is one of the best ways to prove your strong math skills. A solid knowledge of calculus is also required for many STEM careers. AP Statistics This AP course coversexploring data, sampling and experimentation, anticipating patterns, and statistical inference. Statisticsis one of the most widely used math subjects, and many career fields require a background in it. AP Statistics is often seen as not quite as rigorous as an AP Calculus course, but it is still a strong course to have on your transcript. This course is a good option for students who want to take an AP math class but either don't feel ready for calculus or would rather take it in college, or for those who feel statistics will be more useful than calculus for their future career. You can check degree requirements at different colleges for majors you are considering to see which math courses different majors require and to determine whether AP Statistics or AP Calculus would be more useful for you. While it can vary between students, in general, students not planning to major in a STEM field can take either AP Statistics or an AP Calculus course if they choose to take an AP math class. Students who are planning to study a STEM subject should take an AP Calculus course because they will almost certainly need to know calculus for their future classes. They may also consider taking both AP Calculus and AP Statistics if they have room in their schedule. Feeling Lucky? AP Statistics may be the course for you. IB Math Classes In order to obtain the International Baccalaureatediploma, studentsmust take at least one course from each of the six IB subject categories. Math is one of those categories and has four IB options. IB courses are offered at standard level (SL) and high level (HL). The four math classes, from least challenging to most challenging are: Mathematical studies SL Mathematics SL Mathematics HL Further mathematics HL These fourcourses basically cover the same topics, but at different speeds and with different degrees of difficulty. Accordingto the IB website, in these courses students will develop their mathematical knowledge, along with logic and critical thinking skills. The main topics they cover includealgebra, functions and equations, trigonometry, vectors, statistics and probability, and calculus. Similar to AP classes, students majoring in STEM fields should pursue a high level IB math class. More Options for Math Classes If you want to take a specific math class or simply love math and want to take more math classes, there are several options for you. These include both advanced and non-advanced math classes, so they are a possibility for high school students planning to major in any field. Electives Statistics is one of the most common math electives, and it is useful for many career fields. You can take statistics at the AP level (see the above section) or regular level. Other math electives includecomputer math, math literacy, and math applications. These electives often focus on computer skills or practical applications of math. Community College Classes Ifyour school doesn’t offer a specific AP math class or elective, you may be able to take a similar course at a local community college. This is an especially good option for higher-level math classes thatmost high schools don't offer, such as multivariable calculus, abstract algebra, and proof-based math. Because most high school students don't take these classes, completing one can really strengthen your transcript and show colleges you are prepared for future STEM classes. If you're interested in this option, talkto your guidance counselor about how to enroll in one of these courses. It’s becoming more and more common for high school studentsto take community college classes, so the process may not be as difficult as you might think. Do you love math like Isaac Newton did? Consider taking math classes at a community college. Summary Even though most high schools and colleges only require taking three years of math, it is best to complete four years, regardless of what you plan to study in the future, because many colleges expect it, and it will help prepare you for future college classes. The math class you take your freshman year of high school depends on your previous math experience and grades from middle school. You will most likely be required to take a year of geometry and at least one year of algebra while in high school. For students planning on majoring in the humanities or social sciences, meeting the above requirements and getting strong grades in your math classes is sufficient because you should spend the majority of your time on classes more closely related to your future major. If you are planning to major in a STEM field, you need to devote more time and energy to your math classes, so you should take more challenging classes, such as pre-calculus and calculus, and take those classes at an advanced level, if possible. What's Next? Wondering whether you should take AB or BC Calculus? Our guide lays out the differences between the two classesand explains who should take each course. Interested in math competitions like the International Math Olympiad? See our guide for passing the qualifying tests. Not sure which science classes you should take either?Check out our complete guide to the science classes you should take in high school. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Virtual collaboration technology and how is it used Research Paper

Virtual collaboration technology and how is it used - Research Paper Example The term â€Å"Phone app† is indeed, a cool way of referring to the cell phone applications. (Christensen, 2010). Today mobile phones are being produced with more and more functions and their usability far exceeds the verbal communication that was their original purpose. It has been attempted to make the mobile phones as close in use to computers as possible. Mobile phones provide the users with the facility of checking and forwarding mail, capturing videos and photos, chatting online and video communication. Besides, mobile phones are employed for various other purposes including tracking and keeping track of the base station and the destination. These phones update the users on accurate displacement from the base station with the help of coordinates. Phone apps are of huge significance to organizations because they help to maintain effective coordination and develop strong communication links among the colleagues involved in a particular task. Strong communication is the most fundamental requirement of a successful business and phone apps serve the purpose. It is quite useful because it provides numerous facilities all in one unit that include but are not limited to recorder, loudspeaker, video camera, internet, and Bluetooth. Mobile phones are handy and portable. All it requires to use the mobile apps is knowledge of appropriate handling. There is hardly any person in the modern age who is not educated on the use of mobile apps. There wide usability make them extremely suitable for use in organizational work. Video conferencing is a technology that facilitates group discussion without having to oblige the discussion participants to make physical appearance at one location. As the name implies, video conferencing technology is meant for conducting conferences where individual members participate virtually. One screen displays several locations clearly demarcated. The quality of picture supersedes that of a mobile phone. Also, all

Human Nervemuscle Interaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Nervemuscle Interaction - Essay Example When the threshold potential or firing level was reached, an action potential was created causing Na++ influx. This in turn made the inside of the cell more positive causing it to be depolarized. This action potential was propagated along the entire length of the nerve by salutatory conduction. As the nerve nears its termination, it loses its myelin sheath and divides into terminal buttons. The action potential caused the voltage-gated Ca++ channels to open resulting in Ca++ influx. The Ca++ then triggered the synaptic vesicles containing the neurotransmitter (in this case, acetylcholine (AcH)) to fuse with the plasma membrane causing it to release its contents to the neuromuscular (NMJ) junction. The AcH then fused with the nicotinic receptors on the motor end plate of the muscle consequential in the opening of Na++ channels. This created an end plate potential until it reached its threshold potential and brought about the potential to be conducted away in both directions along the muscle fiber. The potential traversed down the T- tubules and reached the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The end plate potential caused a conformational change in the dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR) which initiated the ryanodine receptor (RYR) to release the Ca++ (Berne, et.al, 2006). The Ca++ then binds with the Troponin C, causing exposure of the active site in the actin. The myosin head then attached to the active site, and with ATP, performed a "power stroke" causing shortening and contraction of the muscle. This is the contraction seen when the thumb moves towards the palm (abduction). However, the contraction seen as a response to the electric stimulation is not tetanic, meaning it is not sustained; therefore a relaxation period occurs as well. In order for the muscle contraction to stop, the Ca++ attached to the Troponin C must be sequestered back to the sarcoplasmic reticulum. This is done by the Ca++ -Mg++ ATPase. Only when there is cessation of the interaction between actin and m yosin can muscle relaxation occur. Consequently, in order for repolarization of the motor end plate, the AcH that has attached to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on the motor end plate is broken down by acetylcholinesterase, which hydrolysis Ach to acetate and choline. Re-uptake of these products then occurs by the pre-synaptic neuron for synthesis of new AcH. 2.) The normal nerve conduction velocity for myelinated nerves is 50-60 m/s, depending on the diameter of the nerve and as to its myelination. The greater the diameter size, the faster the conduction velocity. Similarly, myelinated neurons are also faster conductors than unmyelinated neurons. Our results yielded a NCV of 44 m/s which is not within the range but is near the accepted values. Latency or time that the impulse took to travel within the axon is expected to be longer from the elbow compared to the wrist due to the increased distance from the thumb. However, if we are to consider the fiber type of the ulnar nerve, which is an -motor neuron, the NCV that we got was significantly less than the known conduction velocity of 70-120 m/s. Several factors can affect the NCV such as age and temperature. The conduction velocity decreases significantly with decrease temperature and the distal latencies become correspondingly prolonged. (DeLisa, 2005). The standard temperature used in l aboratories is 32oC. It was also found out that the conduction ve

Learning Disabilities in Society Today Essay Example for Free

Learning Disabilities in Society Today Essay The modern society has advanced very much compared to the earlier society, for example of the mid twentieth century. This advancement can be attributed to various technological innovations and inventions that have taken place in the society. The various spheres of change have impacted both positively and negatively on the welfare of the people. This is together with the welfare of those with disabilities. Disability has been and remains to be a major aspect of social inquiries and studies that has been conducted in the society. This is given that the disabled persons are part and parcel of the society. In this regard, the issue of disability as an area of study encompasses various aspects. This is for instance the kind of relationships between disability and work, disability and oppression, disability and education and disability and discrimination among others. In addition, studies on disability have centered on the measures that have been taken or ought to be taken to address the issue. The measures taken range from medical interventions and efforts to change the attitude of the members of the society towards the disabled people. Disability and the Society Today: Overview There are several definitions that have been proposed for the term disability. The definitions depend on the orientation and experiences of the scholar. For example, in law, the term disability can be used to connote a physical or mental impairment of an individual (Shah Priestly, 2009). For the impairment to qualify as a disability, the law requires that it must have a substantial and long term negative effect on the individual’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities (Valentino Skeletonk, 2009). However, not all such conditions qualify as disabilities. For example, individuals with ailments such as cancer, HIV/AIDS and those who are blind or partially sighted are not considered as been disabled. According to the legal definition given above, impairments considered to make an individual disabled include sensory impairments, such as sight and hearing, or mental impairments such as learning disabilities, dyslexia and mental illness (Bradley, Danielson Hallahan, 2002). Some severe disfigurements, for example those affecting limbs and other physical organs, are regarded as a disability. Some conditions that can worsen over time such as multiple scleroses are also regarded as a disability as soon as they are diagnosed, even before they start to affect the individuals day to day activities (Lerner, 2000). There are criteria that have been put in place to determine whether a disability is long term or not. For example, for a disability to de regarded as long term, it must have lasted for at least one year (Bradley et al, 2002). Disabilities that have lasted for less than one year can also be classified as long term. This is when there are sufficient grounds to expect the disability to last for at least one year after its onset (Barnes, Fletcher Fuchs, 2007). For example, a loss of both limbs can be considered as a long term disability even if the loss is barely one month old. Also, for a disability to be regarded as long term, it must be expected to last for the rest of the individuals life (Barnes et al, 2007). As earlier alluded to in this paper, there are several types of disabilities affecting people in the society. These range from physical disability, mental disability among others. Another type of disability that affects people in the society, albeit not so visible, is learning disability. This paper is going to look at learning disabilities within the context of the modern society. A general overview of disability has already been provided to create a context within which learning disability will be located.

Comparing Themes in Charlotte and Ruth Hall Essay -- compare and contra

Sentimental or Social Themes in Charlotte and Ruth Hall The subject matter of early American women writers has been criticized in the past, but the messages these authors sent women and society cannot be denied. Susanna Rowson and Fanny Fern came from two different time periods in American history, but their impact on society is similar. In both cases, the women experienced great success as writers during their time. Their popularity shows how their messages were transferred to many people of their time. By exploring the themes of these novels, a better understanding of females in society can be gained. The themes of womanhood and the issues associated with being female in early America will be detailed through specific problems. The concerns that are revealed in Charlotte: A Tale of Truth and Ruth Hall will deal with some universal issues like control, reason, emotion, reality, and the individual’s role in those areas. Womanhood is defined in different ways in Charlotte and Ruth Hall. Charlotte Temple and Ruth Hall were both vulnerable women in their respective ages. What is interesting is how each woman deals with her circumstances. Charlotte depends on the help of those around her; Ruth realizes those closest to her will not help. Ruth must fin for herself in order to survive; Charlotte does not survive! Does she not know how? With Charlotte, this question is relevant. She was young and accustomed to the care of others. Being alone in a new world was overwhelming to Charlotte morally. Yet, she ultimately chooses passion over principle, which is her ultimate flaw as a woman. This leads to a series of events ending in her death. Womanhood, especially in Susanna Rowson’s historical era, was something virtuous. However, Cha... ...eties were quick to dismiss feminine strength, but the power of their written words cannot be denied. Works Cited Davidson, Cathy N. "Sentimental Novel." The Oxford Companion to Women’s Writing in the United States. Eds. Cathy N. Davidson and Linda Wagner-Martin. NY: Oxford UP, 1985. "Fanny Fern." . 11 November 2000. Fergenson, Loraine. "Susanna Haswell Rowson (1762-1824)." . 10 November 2000. Fern, Fanny. Ruth Hall. Ed. Joyce W. Warren. London: Rutgers UP, 1994. O’Higgins, Harvey. The American Mind in Action. NY: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1924. Rowson, Susanna. Charlotte: A Tale of Truth. 1791. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. NY: W.W. Norton & Co., 1999. 372-407. Warren, Joyce W. "Fanny Fern." The Oxford Companion to Women’s Writing in the United States. Eds. Cathy N. Davidson and Linda Wagner-Martin. NY: Oxford UP, 1985.

AO2/A03 How Steve Brankin manages people, finances and resources with in Asidua Essay

AO2/A03 How Steve Brankin manages people, finances and resources with in Asidua In Asidua the management of people, finances and resources under Steve are central to business success. He undertakes this huge managerial task in a number of ways. Interviewing Steve gave me a great insight into these methods. Managing People Recruitment, Retention and Training of Employees. Employees in Asidua have to go through a short listing process and a job interview. Jobs are advertised on their website, Asidua.com kike the example in appendix 1 showing the job vacancy for an â€Å"Experience NET Designer†. Steve will also make sure that this job is advertised properly so people capable of doing the job can apply. Another method of recruitment overseen by Steve is the advertisements of job vacancies at career fairs for example the UUJ Engineering and IT Careers Fair which is held at Jordanstown University. (See appendix 2) at this event Asidua meet prospective graduates and placements to discuss future opportunities with Asidua. This is an excellent way of recruitment as Steve can see the level of employees that have just come out of higher education. This fair at Jordanstown is the perfect place for this as it would appeal to a number of high performing graduates. Advertising in relevant places for example, Universities and schools. On the Asidua website they offer graduates at Queen’s a scholarship worth up to  £25,000, which includes at least eight weeks paid summer work between each academic year, a guaranteed paid industrial placement in year three and after completion of industrial placement, the opportunity for paid part-time work during the academic year. (See appendix 3) This creates a positive corporate image for Asidua as it show they invest in education and Asidua believe it is important. It also means Steve can employ people straight out of university as they will understand Asidua’s aims and the graduates will be trained through the scholarship. Allocation roles and responsibilities to all levels of employees After advertising these posts, Steve starts the application process. For every job within Asidua completes a Job Description, Person Specification and a Job Outline, all these are part of the application process. Applicants use these to see whether they are suitable for the job, and whether certain qualities are met by the applicants. (See appendix 4 application form) Looking at the application it shows that employees within Asidua have high level of expertise and experience due to the large amount of space left on the form for information. The application form specifically asks about the applications’ personal interests professional organisations they have been involved in and it also asks them to mention skills they have gained. For all these sections there is a large box to fill out, this shows us that Steve is looking for people that have high expertise and also that they have an interest or a passion for something. This large amount of information is an efficient way of short-listing people suitable for the job in question. The applicant Curriculum Vitae is also further help in the application process. The Job Description shows the Job Outline and Personal Specification for an Experienced NET Developer in Asidua. You can download these from the Asidua website and they provide lots of information for the applicant. Looking at the Job Description it clearly shows that a lot is expected of the person applying. Asidua offer lots of employment benefits, for example a 5% bonus per annum, pension scheme, annual leave, salary sacrifice scheme (childcare vouchers), flexible working, sick absence, death in service and health insurance. These working conditions are very high are going to make staff very motivated and this is why Steve has these in place, and this is why in March 2011 Asidua became the first employer to be shortlisted twice for the prestigious University of Ulster Placement Employers of the Year Award. (See appendix 6) Being awarded this shows Steve strong managerial skills. Form looking at the Job Description it is clear that Steve isn’t just interested in their qualifications he pays great attention to their personal attributes, requiring employees to be open-minded, flexible, have good communication skills and being able to work as part of a team. This shows that Steve wants his employee’s qualities to create a very effective and profitable work force. Motivating and developing staff Once all this criteria has been met, it is very important that Steve keeps the motivating of staff at high levels. This is mainly done by investing in employee’s development at Asidua, making sure that they are all keeping strong communication to maintain morale. Methods of training that Mr Brankin will use will encourage employees to update their regular skills in a regular basis which will lead them to enhancing their overall performance. There are several motivational theories that we can look at. One of them is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Elton Mayo’s Theory. (See appendix 7 and 8) Mr Brankin doesn’t plan to motivate his staff under these theories, Human Resources will manage these. However many of the policies in these two theories may been shown, as long as they are relevant to Asidua when situations arise. By looking at these theories we can see how Steve as put them into practice in Asidua in many different ways. Strong communication within Asidua are how informal events such as their breakfast club, sports events and Christmas dinners. Employees will feel a sense of community when they are a part of these things. This shows that Mr Brankin and the Human Resources Department are using the correct methods similar to Elton Mayo’s theory, which clearly focuses on working conditions that are not affecting employee’s motivation. It is the employee’s interaction that gives them a sense of recognition. Setting clear objectives and receiving feedback A manager such as Steve Brankin uses close supervision, carefully dictating how his employees complete their jobs. The understanding that employees dislike work and responsibility and the only reason they are there is for the financial reward. Giving employees praise is a positive and effective  way to get employees working. Asidua do this by appraisal/performance management schemes. This enables objectives and training needs to be agreed at the start of the performance review cycle and reviewed as appropriate in the year. Steve has said in our questionnaire that feedback is an ongoing basis, and it is formally documented at the mid way point and at the end of the cycle. Another way Asidua set objectives is by setting task specifically suited to the employees skills, knowledge and experience, by doing this employees within Asidua will be given task that they are interested in and it means they will be completed to the best of the persons abilities. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs has been ignored in Asidua as Steve Brankin uses it to look at the management in Asidua. He uses this theory as it has the idea that needs are essential for employee’s motivation. Physical of basis needs are met within Asidua with, salary, shelter and warmth. The second main need is security, which employees within Asidua will also feel as they will be working in great conditions and the employees have job stability. Mr Brankin shows employees that the business is under his management and proves that Asidua are investing in their employee’s long-term employment. Staff development Staff development is very important in Asidua; this is because of employee’s long-term employment, which creates a sense of community within the business. Employee’s relationship is excellent in Asidua as they are all well known and this can lead to high levels of motivation. The cost of recruitment is lowered because of this as there are a lot of stages that need to be taken into consideration for example short-listing. So the better developed Asidua’s staff are the less employment is needed to replace past employees. Resolving conflict and maintaining morale Sense of belonging is important in Asidua. Steve puts a large emphasis on  the management style, the â€Å"open door† policy. This means that employees can openly and freely talk about their problems or concerns they may have or that may arise between employees, but all these issues can be resolved through training that managers receive to deal with these problems. Asidua have a Grievance and Harassment policy, this is where employees can report issues more formally. Opportunities with Asidua for employees to make decisions meet Maslow’s Hierarchy about self-esteem. Steve’s democratic management style means that this is being strongly met. Also employee’s decisions are listened to and not just thrown away. An example of this are the weekly meetings held in Asidua with Asidua with Mr Brankin and his employees. They also have the opportunity to feedback online, with different online forums. Employee’s opinions are valued, and they are a major part of the decision making process. Looking at how employees within Asidua are given freedom to carry out their own ideas, this shows that there is an extensive amount of training provided for the employees wanting to carry out their own projects or to press into the area that interest them the most. This management allows employees to keep their morale high as they have the freedom at work to do the things that interest them. Managing finance Steve’s management of finance is very important, just like any other management in Asidua it is clearly a very important factor of the whole business. Money that the business has and earns has to be distributed correctly thought out all the departments within Asidua. Without the correct finance management Asidua go into bankruptcy which is something Steve doesn’t want to happen to his company. When Steve is managing finance, decision making is crucial, the financial systems used within Asidua helping him make these important decisions. Forecasting Forecasting gives Asidua a way to manage its finances in a way that they can see future revenues and expenditures. It looks at three main sections: Receipts which Asidua expect to receive from sales. The payments of Asidua such as monthly costs including the rent and rates of their main business sites The net in/out amount of cash being overall difference between receipts and payments given an indication of how much money id left over by the end of the month. All this is vital to Steve so he can make sure any expected cash surpluses are used effectively and can also predict any future problems. Mr Brankin can then work to fix the problem so that they don’t get forced into liquidation. This method of forecasting means that business are able to evaluate any liabilities which need to be met and use the budgets from the facilitate the budget seen from this to facilitate Asidua in setting targets and then been able to measure performance against this by looking at variances which may arise in forecasting Steve can make important strategic decisions if from looking at Asidua’s cash flow forecast it can be seen that their assets will not be able to meet liabilities this will cause Steve to make immediate action showing this method is extremely useful for him in the financial decision making process. Cash flow management Cash flow statements will similarly be used this Mr Brankin to assist in this decision making process. This cash flow statement is the actual record of receipts and payments in the business as opposed to those which are forecasted the shows the actual journeys the cash has gone through in Asidua overtime and will be used by Steve to evaluate and compare these actual receipts and payments from the business with those forecasted in the cash flow forecast. It similarly uses a form of budget in Asidua as this record of cash flow in Asidua will allow Mr Brankin to plan any future cash flow requirements and  allow him to make sure cash surpluses are used affectively. Like forecasting if cash flow is not managed effectively the business could go into administration. Steve will also use profit and loss accounts to manage finance. Profit and loss accounts are basically a summary of the business is transaction over a given period of time normally 12 months deduction the total expenditure from the total income. It is different from cash flow statement and forecasting in the way that is produced primarily for business purposes to show Asidua’s stakeholders and potential partners in Asidua. This information is obtained by HM Revenue and Customs to solve out taxation. This account also give Steve a way to look at the business’ performance monitoring whether Asidua’s actual performance is in correspondence with budgets. Financial decision making this is similar to profit and loss accounts as it shows the businesses liabilities and assets in balance sheets. These are different as they show the value of Asidua on a particular day, the idea of this is to make sure that every day thing is balanced with Asidua. This means it must be updated constantly. However it is a brilliant method of finance management adopted by Steve Brankin. Making day-to-day financial decisions is very important. Profits and break even analysis. Giving advice on capital investment There are many different financial methods which Steve has not adopted. One of these is break even analysis. Break even is when Asidua’s total revenue is equal to their total cost, by known the point these two meet is very important for Steve as he can aim to meet this break even point. This is the number of items which have to be sold to make a profit. It can also be used to avoid making a loss. This is because any amount of product sold under this point would mean that there is a loss made and cost would not be covered. There is a margin of safety within break even analysis; this is very useful as it shows the difference between the number of goods Asidua would have sold between the break even point and the selected level of activity. This  is very practical for Asidua as it monitors how they are making a profit. When managing finance the decision of capital investment is also very important. Mr Brankin must invest time into looking at this as capital is very important factor of production. When Steve decides whether or not to invest capital into Asidua a number of factors must be thought of. For example when Steve puts forward the business plans to continue investment in Northern Ireland’s young talent, which they got three new scholars to join Asidua through their scholarship program. Those participating in the program had to go through serious high levels of application. This has its benefits as coming from this investment into the support of new IT and engineering student; this will lead Asidua to high profit and success great than the initial cost of the program. Liaising with outside agencies e.g. Inland Revenue Steve makes sure that Asidua liaises with several companies within Asidua; this is mainly done for financial reasons. Asidua have links with Inland Revenue, they bring together the direct taxes and other duties of the business. It is important that areas for example finance is handled by specialists. The investment with Inland Revenue is very effective as they provide Steve with professional financial support. Managing other resources. Stave is in charge of the information systems within in Asidua. These are crucial for a business such as Asidua to run smoothly. Information systems It is evident that Asidua and Steve use information systems and are heavily involved in them. As a company that specialise in computers they used computer aided design to manage most of their information and capture diagrams. Desktop publishing is also used in Asidua to manage information. This is used in lots of businesses and is the software to create publication documents on a computer. This allows large amounts of books to be published  and this method enhances Steve’s managerial skills for information. Linux operating systems is also used within Asidua. This operating system can be installed on a wide variety of computer devices including mobile phones. This shows that this operating system is very effective and Steve can use it in many ways. Maintenance and renewal assets Asidua’s website is one of their assets as it allows their stakeholders and those within Asidua to find out about the business, the employees, projects under consideration and events. This is an excellent way to promote the business as this is based on the high quality of the website and it is important for the business’s image. Apart from Asidua’s employees having the benefit of being able to be updated via Asidua’s public web page, the business also have an intranet system in place. This system is Asidua’s private network created for employees which enables them to find items in their website easier. This has its benefits as it motivates employees and improves morale; this asset provided by Asidua must be renewed and updated regularly under Steve’s management for success.

Should English Be Our Official Language?

In the United States, there are 303 languages other than English that are spoken at home, these categories include; Native American languages, African languages, Chinese, other Asian languages, Pacific Island languages, and Indic languages. According to the US Census, in 2007 the number of people five and older who spoke a language other than English at home doubled in the last three decades. English was inherited from British colonization and is spoken by the majority of the population. It serves as the language in which government businesses is carried out. According to the US Census Bureau, 80% of Americans spoke only English at home in 2007. Spanish is the second most common language spoken in the United States. Spanish is the primary language spoken at home by almost 37 million people five or older. Spanish is taught in various regions as a second language. Numerous neighborhoods have only Spanish language signs and Spanish speaking people. Chinese is the third most common language spoken in the United States. Over two million Americans speak some variety of Chinese. Tagalog is the fourth most spoken language in the United States. Over 1. 5 million Americans speak it. French is the fifth most common language spoken here. About 1. 4 million Americans over the age of five were reported speaking the language at home in 2007. Arguments Supporting Making English Our Official Language There are numerous arguments supporting the adoption of English as the official language of the United States. One argument is to recognize that the United States has been an English-speaking country since it was created. Our constitution and fundamental documents are all in English. Some states have adopted legislation granting official status to English. As of April 2011, 28 states had established English as the official language. This leads to another supporting argument, to unite the states that have already made English their official language. Eighty-five percent of the UN’s nations have official languages, so we should conform to the rest of the world. An overwhelming majority of US citizens already speaks English. For a major part of them English is a mother tongue. So, if there is to be one official language, English is clearly the most natural and logical choice. In addition, 28 U. S. states have already enacted laws making English their official language. According to those who are in favor of making English our official language, it would unite Americans. In the United States national disasters and terrorist attacks happen, and they seem to be happening more often. If an immigrant does not know English and an accident happens, they might not be able to communicate with police or firefighters. According to those who favor making English our official language, it would help with the citizens safety. Arguments Against Making English Our Official Language Along with the supporting arguments, there are also opposing arguments for making English the official language. Making English the official language overlooks the importance of an individual’s native language and culture. There are countries that have many official languages and they are doing well. For examples, Switzerland has four official languages and all four languages have equal status. The children are skilled in the language that is spoken in their area. United States is known as being a diverse country that house immigrants from around the world. According to those who are against making English our official language, it may show a sign of disrespect to those people who are immigrants. According to those against making English our official language, it would violate some civil rights. For example, the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment states that laws cannot discriminate against certain groups based on specific characteristics, such as race, gender, or national origin. Immigrants’ right to vote would also be violated. Studies have shown that many citizens who speak limited English use the bilingual ballots and would not vote if there were not mandated translations. Author’s View After researching this topic, it’s hard for me to pick a side, but I would have to say I’m against making English the official language. I see the United States as different than any other country. We are very diverse and unique, and making English the official language would take away from that uniqueness. No one is exactly the same, everyone is unique in their own way and I think the same deals with countries. People come to the United States because we are so diverse and we accept everyone. I think by making English the official language we would become like every other country that have an official language. The children who live here have amazing opportunities to learn different languages in school because we are so diverse. It’s important for children and teens to learn the different cultures that the United States has. I believe that not making English the official language is the best choice for the United States. References http://www.advancingequality.org/files/fact_sheet_english_only_legislation.pdf http://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/language/ http://dbp.idebate.org/en/index.php/Debate:_English_as_US_official_language http://www.proenglish.org/data/backgrounders.html?id=167:ten-reasons-to-make-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states&catid=48

The eNotes Blog Why College Students Today Can’tWrite

Why College Students Today Can’tWrite Todays post is brought to you by   Braintrack.com, an online resource for university, college, and career searches.  You can check out their blog here! College professors have been bemoaning the lack of solid writing skills in their students for decades (see  this article  from 1974 for proof), but statistics gathered over the past few years suggest that student writing skills are in an even more dismal state than they were in 1974. Today, 28% of college graduates produce writing that rates  as deficient, even with tuition reaching record rates and many colleges being more selective than ever. These poor writing skills have had serious ramifications not only in higher education but in the business world, as our information-driven society makes it ever more critical for students to develop the ability to communicate through the written word. While it’s easy to point out the problem, it’s much harder to figure out a solution. A promising first step can be to pinpoint just what is causing students to arrive and leave college without the skills they’ll need to get by in the real world. That’s easier said than done. The decline of writing abilities in students is a multifaceted issue, impacted by teachers, students, and administrators alike and encompassing all elements of writing education from support to motivation. While not comprehensive, this list addresses some of the biggest reasons so many students struggle with writing in colleges today, from freshman year to graduation. Colleges don’t demand high-quality writing. One of the biggest reasons college students can’t write may simply be due to the fact that most college courses and degree programs don’t demand it of them. In the book  Academically Adrift  most freshmen reported â€Å"little academic demand in terms of writing† and half of college seniors reported never having written a paper longer than 20 pages during their last year of college. Students who aren’t being required to submit papers that are academically challenging have little opportunity to learn and grow as writers, which can hold them back academically. In fact, the same study showed that students who took classes with high expectations (those with 40 pages of reading a week and 20 pages of writing a semester) gained more from their courses than their peers in less demanding courses. High schools aren’t preparing students with writing skills. Many students enter college with sub-par writing skills because of inadequate writing instruction in their high school courses. A report by the National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2007 found that just 24% of high school seniors could score proficient or better on a writing exam. Things haven’t changed much for the better since then, and many fear that high schools are failing students when it comes to teaching writing. Why is this happening? At some schools, teachers simply don’t have enough time to leave adequate feedback on lengthy student papers when they have 120 or more students in their courses. Another problem that many experts have pointed to is that high schools simply don’t focus on writing instruction. Schools are often so caught up in boosting scores in skills that are tested in state exams like math, science, and reading, that writing simply falls by the wayside.  There are schools  trying to make improvements, with some making writing a central part of their curricula, but there’s still a long way to go before America’s high school students will graduate with improved writing abilities across the board. College professors don’t want to spend time playing catch-up. Whether it’s fair to students or not, many college professors don’t want to dedicate class time to teaching students remedial writing skills they should really already know by the time they reach college. Giving increased attention to writing means that not only do professors have less class time to focus on the true subject of the course, they also have to dedicate hours of time outside of class to rigorously correcting student papers in order to make progress in improving student writing. This kind of grading is time-consuming and frustrating, and with many writing-intensive courses no longer being simply English classes, it’s often a distraction from learning other material. Students don’t get enough feedback. It isn’t just professors and employers who’ve taken note of the dwindling writing skills of college students. Students themselves are also well aware that they need a little more help in their writing. In a national study of 30,000 undergraduates, fewer than 50% felt that their writing had improved over the four years they were in school. A similar study reported that just 27.6% of students saw improvement in their writing by graduation. The reason students cited for the lack of progress? Inadequate feedback and support. Eighty percent of students in the study said they felt they would have become better writers if they had received more feedback and direct interaction from professors. Graduation doesn’t depend on demonstrating writing skills. At the majority of American colleges, writing requirements are fulfilled by passing a couple of courses deemed as â€Å"writing intensive.† Yet that doesn’t always ensure that students will graduate knowing how to write or be any good at it. Some schools, like  Old Dominion University, used to require that students pass a writing test before graduation, but tests like these are being phased out or dropped. Why? Too many students failed them. While they may have represented an outdated model for assessing student abilities, the fact that a significant portion of students couldn’t pass them is troubling to say the least. At most colleges, a C or better in a handful of writing courses is a ticket to graduation, but with grade inflation rampant it’s unclear what degree of writing ability that truly represents. With little motivation to push themselves to learn to improve writing, many students graduate without ever mastering grammar, syntax, or analytical wr iting. Grading isn’t harsh enough. Grade inflation is a very real phenomenon (today,  43% of all grades are A’s, an increase of 28% since 1960) and one that is slowly starting to take a serious toll on what students actually get out of their educational experiences. Students don’t just hope to earn a good grade, many actually expect it, whether their work warrants it or not. Sadly, a growing number of professors are happy to oblige, as student feedback on faculty ratings can be key to helping them keep jobs, get tenure, and get ahead. This has had a serious impact on the level of writing that many college students produce, as those who don’t feel compelled to do more than the minimum to pass courses are getting by with less than ever before. Harsh, strict grading and evaluation of papers used to be common practice. The lack of this same kind of rigor may just be a contributing factor to why students can’t write as well today. Web and text habits seep into academic writing. From the Ivy League to community colleges, read a classroom’s worth of essays and you’re bound to come across a student using â€Å"text speak† or overly casual vernacular in their academic writing. While these kinds of abbreviations and words might work in everyday conversation, they’re generally unacceptable in college level writing. The problem is that many students don’t understand that what works in speech or in a casual discussion doesn’t quite cut it in a college essay. Even worse, many are allowed to get by with these language blunders in their courses, both in high school and beyond. It doesn’t bode well for academic standards or for students who want to earn respect in the workplace. Required writing courses often aren’t writing-focused. Many colleges have done away with the basic freshman comp courses in lieu of courses in the social sciences that are writing-intensive. While writing intensive courses in the social sciences aren’t a bad idea in and of themselves (and many social science professors are great writers), they aren’t really a substitute for writing-focused courses that are designed to give incoming students rigorous foundation in writing. R.V. Young, a professor at North Carolina State, recalls that in 1970, students at the school were required to take a composition course spanning two semesters. During the course, students had to write 25 papers all of which were graded harshly by professors. These kinds of courses have largely disappeared in colleges nationwide and have been replaced with other hybrid courses, with few containing the same rigorous, focused attention on writing. Students aren’t taught the fundamentals. Before students can become great writers, they have to learn (at least) two basic things: the rules of good writing and how to think critically and creatively. Yet many education experts have pointed out that schools fail to adequately teach students either of those things in secondary school and beyond. Students are more often taught what to think, not how to think, and as a result often don’t understand how to expand on ideas, apply rules in a broader sense, or even begin to understand what constitutes great writing. Of course, there’s a line to walk between the structure and creativity that sometimes just doesn’t get through to students. One example? Students learn to format writing in forms that are rarely seen in the real world (how often do you see the five-paragraph essay?), causing them to have to unlearn what they’ve learned just to progress to the level of their college peers. Why does it matter if today’s college grads aren’t great writers? It should matter to college students themselves, as those who enter the working world without writing skills, even those who aren’t working in a writing-centric profession, may find it harder to get a job or to perform the duties their employers require. More seriously, however, poor writing can have a negative effect on the economy. The National Committee on Writing estimates that poor writing costs businesses as much as $3.1 billion annually. If students are pouring tens of thousands into a college education, shouldn’t more than half graduate believing they’ve improved their writing skills? Shouldn’t employers be able to trust that students have basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics if they hold a college degree? While ideally, the answer to both of those questions should be yes, the reality is that neither is a guarantee in today’s world. Featured Image via Unsplash

Building Therapeutics Relationships in Forensic Psychology

Building Therapeutics Relationships in Forensic Psychology What interpersonal qualities should a forensic psychologist have that help build therapeutic relationships? Forensic psychology is a branch of criminological psychology; it refers to the knowledge of the understanding, prediction and nature of crime or criminal behaviour (Bull, Davies Colman, 1995). In recent years, some state institutions have tried to prohibit females from working within all male prisons in America, as they argue that it is too dangerous for females (Arrigo & Shipley, 2005), meaning that although there have been major developments for equality of sexes, there is still some prejudice of females being the weaker gender, both physically and psychologically, within this line of work. This shows us that forensic psychology is a fairly recent phenomenon, with establishments, such as the British Psychological Association (BPS) recently creating a division devoted to criminal psychology (Buskist, Carlson & Martin, 2000). This may mean, that although we have some understa nding of the professionalism needed within legal and psychological situations, we may not be fully aware of specific requirements needed of individuals due to the fact that forensic psychology is still in its adolescent stages of development. Some questions posed to forensic psychologists help us gain an insight into what qualities are needed to give an accurate report and to fully express themselves within legal situations. These include, and are not limited to: if they are fit to stand trial, if the testimony is genuine, if the individual has any learning difficulties and if they are malingering (Colman, 1995). This would mean that not only are forensic psychologists required to have a respectful understanding of all parties involved, it is also key that they show qualities of insight, to understand the strengths and limitations of the individual and the tests conducted. Other qualities include an empathetic personality to any personality or learning disorders, tolerance of indivi duals with uncooperative personalities and an unprejudiced outwardly view of an individual, regardless of their past.

Coco Fusco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Coco Fusco - Essay Example An established research literature finds that there are substantial labor market payoffs for foreign workers who speak English; yet, there is no research on the payoff for workers with abilities in English and another language. Even if English remains the dominant language of the U.S. populace, there are good a priori reasons to expect multiple language skills to provide an earnings advantage for workers and a competitive advantage for employers who hire those workers. In an increasingly global economy, multinational corporations and import/export businesses need those rare workers--about 7% of the U.S. work force, by Coco's estimate--who can speak both English and another language. Decades of growing immigration have created diverse communities of non-native-English-speakers across the country, from Spanish speakers throughout the Southwest to Vietnamese in enclaves of major West and East coast cities. Workers often need to speak languages other than English in supervisory and middl eman/professional service-provider occupations. Moreover, research finds that bilinguals tend to perform better in school, suggesting that bilingualism improves academic ability and, probably, productivity. At least one analyst, however, has cast doubt on the supposition that bilingualism confers an earnings advantage.