Early Memory

Both are about immigration and their life. Even though it was hard but with good memories. Like all Immigrant, they came to this country for better 2. Alice Walker â€Å"Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the self† 55-61 3. Annie Dullard An American Childhood† 110-116 Respond: Analyze Dullard's character study of her mother – Indirectly, of herself 4. Exercise earlier memory – Chinese New Year Memories of Chinese New Year Growing up hap meant celebrating the Lunar New Year with my Chinese side of the family each winter.My mom would pull out the silk Chicagoans and mandarin- larded coats she kept in a cedar chest that smelled of mothballs. Opening it up was like peering into a long lost past. Once dressed in our festive outfits, we'd pile into the family's red Arrestor Van, drive downtown on the winding 110 Pasadena Freeway, taking the off ramp that exits directly onto Hill Street, and park in the cool concrete structure beneath our destination: Empress Pavili on, the largest, most cacophonous dim sum hall you're ever likely to see. There we'd meet up with the Gee clan?Grandpa wearing his favorite trucker hat,Grandma in her finest red sweatshirt, and the rest of my many aunts and uncles? and together we'd wait patiently for the hostess to call our paper number over the loud speaker, first in Chinese, then in English. Grandma Gee would greet my brother and I with lucky red envelopes or handbag stuffed with $20 bills (these and the special Chinese New Year candles we got were some of the many reasons I looked forward to the holiday). Then wed fill up on dim sum favorites: ha gag (shrimp dumplings small, egg custard tarts, bamboo-wrapped bundles of glutinous rice and lapsing, and perhaps mom Chinese broccoli for good measure.The trick to getting what you want at dim sum (as In life) Is all about body language, regardless of whether you know the names of the dishes. Want those freshly steamed chaw slug ABA (BBC pork buns) In your belly? Don't be shy. Throw that dim sum punch card in the air and flag down that cart as if the cart with dishes that no one wants?Just shake your head and give her the â€Å"no thank you† wave. As a little girl I accepted these festivities as par for the course, not quite realizing that most American families did not celebrate Chinese New Year.As an adult, and as someone who has many Chinese and Chinese American friends, the tradition has become a conscious and well-cemented part of my life. And I never miss an occasion for gathering friends and family around a table filled with good food and good times. After all, dim sum translates literally to mean â€Å"a little bit of heart. † Memories of Chinese New Year in old times In my memory, the Chinese New Year was always the time when we ate good food, wore new clothes and visited relatives. Those things never seem to change, but hinging back through my memories of growing up in China I see that actually a lot has changed.I grew up in Beijing in a not very tradition-oriented family during the Cultural Revolution. At that time, although we did celebrate the Chinese New Year, some traditions were not followed as much as they used to be ? and as they are now. I remember the Chinese New Year was the only time when we could eat dumplings, lots of meat, and other good food. My parents' work units (Dan wet, that's how Chinese call their companies or institutions they work at) give them free or low ricer food. We could store them for a whole month.Before the New Year, we shopped to buy new clothes for everyone. I was so happy that I could wear new clothes again! We also cleaned up our small apartment and did all the laundry prior to the arrival of the New Year. We didn't decorate our home that much except for putting up revolution couplets such as â€Å"Follow Chairman Mao, Always Go Forward†. On New Year's Eve, we all sat together and made dumplings. I learned to make dumplings before I went to primary school. While making dumplings, we chatted about everything. My uncles and aunts who were single also spent time with us.It was so much fun. Besides the dumplings, we only had one or two other side dishes. We didn't have a TV, so we entertained ourselves. After eating dumplings, we went out to set off firecrackers. Especially at midnight, all firecrackers went off at the same time. It was loud! Children enjoyed them so much! During the New Year, I wore new clothes to visit relatives and ate good food at their houses. They came to visit us and ate good food at our home too. What was the good food? Pork, chicken, fish, which we didn't eat so often during the year.We ate, chat, played, and had lots of fun! There were envelopes for children at that time and one dollar is big money for us. Since the asses, the Chinese living standard has improved a lot. Nowadays, we do not have to wait for the Chinese New Year to eat dumplings and meat. We eat good food and wear new clothes all year around. We also follow more traditions, such as decorating our doors or windows with paper-cuts and couplets with the very popular theme of greeting cards to relatives, friends, and even colleagues!During the Chinese New Year, we eat even better good food ? lots of seafood, vegetables, and we also drink imported liquors. For the New Year's Eve dumpling dinner, we have ten or more dishes on the table. While making dumplings and having dinner, we chat less than in the old times because we all watch the Chinese New Year show on TV? it is one of the biggest shows in the year, Just like the Super Bowl in the U. S. Children cannot enjoy the fun of firecrackers anymore because fireworks and firecrackers are banned in the urban areas of major cities.But they have television! We still visit our relatives, but only the closest ones. Nowadays, with the development of telecommunication, those door-to-door visits are replaced by phone calls or pager greetings. Children do get red envelopes now, which somet imes consists of 100 to 500 Yuan ($12 – $60). It was lots of money for our time. My parents didn't make that much money in a month! Like everything else, the New Year celebration has changed lots since I was little. But no matter what has changed, Chinese New Year is the happiest time for children, then and now!

Social Differentiation

Gender of human remains can show social differentiation in a variety of different ways. One such factor is damage on the bones may indicate the job of the deceased, for example, signs of osteoarthritis in the Canadian Inuits jaws and right hands indicate that they were sewing skins. In comparison, disease to the right shoulder and elbow in some cases show that the deceased used harpoons which have been interpreted as men who hunted.Social differences have been seen between male and female skeletons at Tell Abu Hureyra; grooves in the sides of women's teeth are thought to have been caused by drawing fibres through them before using the fibres in baskets and male skeletons had lesions and strain injuries to their arms which might be associated with spears. However, these lesions may have been created by post depositional factors. Another evaluative point is that these remains do not prove that all males hunted and all females sewed – it only proves that women had bad teeth.The l ayout of graves also show social differentiation as evidence at Skara Brae shows us; bodies of two females, interred in stone-built graves, were discovered beneath the right hand bed and wall. It was apparent that the females had been buried there before the house was constructed and their presence could have signified some sort of foundation ritual. However, this may also signify that this area was their domain in life. Social differentiation can also be identified through the age of the deceased.At West Kennet, DNA analysis on the bones has shown that 46 individuals were disarticulated into various transepts in the tomb. The bones were sorted into not only by gender, but also age; infant, young adult and elderly, suggesting that each age group had a specific role within the society. To a certain extent grave goods can tell us a lot about social differentiation based on gender. Rich male graves are often interpreted in terms of what he earned whereas when a woman is found which ric h grave goods they are often attributed to her father or husband.Women having their own status is not considered a lot within archaeology. In inhumations, if women over a certain age have certain grave goods, and the younger ones do not it can be argued that those goods represent the dowry exchanged in marriage. A reoccurring theme from the Bronze Age onwards is that women were regularly buried with pins, necklaces and bracelets however, the interpretation that this was a dowry is not always correct as DNA analysis [ARCH 2] at West Hazelton showed some females were buried with weapons and some males were buried with jewellery and so the grave goods may indicate achieved status.Until recently, the sexing of burials relied on grave goods. Jewellery without weapons was expected in female graves and so was used to define these graves. However, the problem with this method is that they might not be compatible with modern society’s biased view on male and female belongings such as the Birdlip Burial. Along with the deceased, this contained a mirror and jewellery and it was thought to be a rich princess’s grave or that of Boudicca herself, however, recent examination and CAT scans of the skull shows that it has masculine traits which contrasts with the original interpretation.The assemblage is also notable in that the artefacts had all been broken and a vessel had been placed over the face of the dead and so it is thought that it may have been a male shaman and not a princess. Grave goods can show achieved or ascribed status which is also shown with the age of the body. Vedbaek Bodbakken shows a child buried on a swans wing and other natural objects such as amber along with its mother. The age of the infant and the mother who was only believed to be about 18 has helped to interpret the grave as one of a wife or daughter of a chief.The grave is thought to be such high status because of the effort and time placed into the burial and ascribed status becaus e the child had not had time to earn it themselves. One problem with using the age is there is a lack of younger burials, high infant mortality rates and so are disregarded. For example the presence of 97 baby inhumations at a brothel at a Roman Villa in Thames Valley shows that the Romans did not consider children to be human until they reached a certain age.The layout of a settlement can help to show social differentiation through gender and age because of the views of modern archaeologists. For example at Skara Brae each of the eight dwellings found have the same basic layout – a large room, with a fireplace in the middle, a bed on either side and a dresser facing the entrance. However, the right hand bed is always larger that than the left hand bed which has led some archaeologists, including one of the site's main excavators, Gordon Childe, to speculate that the layout of the village is gendered – right being male and left being female.Beads and paintpots were als o found on some of the smaller beds – lending to the gendered theory. Also, House 7 in Skara Brae appears very much like the other houses in the community, however, several distinctive features have led archaeologists and historians to interpret that it played a unique part in village life. The house is isolated from the main part of the village and access is gained down a side-passage, it is also the only house in the village in which the door was barred from the outside, not the inside.The bodies of two females, interred in stone-built graves, were discovered beneath the right hand bed and wall. It was apparent that the females had been buried there before the house was constructed and their presence could have signified some sort of foundation ritual. Most theories on the subject involve confinement or separation from the rest of the community – they range from childbirth and menstruation to initiation through ritual and imprisonment.

Innovative Widgets Customer Service Plan Essay

Vision †¢This is a statement of how you envision customer services being delivered in the future In five years’ time, Innovative Widgets will be the leader in customer service satisfaction, providing timely, responsive service with integrity, simplicity and a passion for excellence, while meeting or exceeding the customer’s expectations. Mission statement †¢This defines what a company will do to achieve its vision. It may include the company’s functions, goals and philosophies The mission of Innovative Widgets is to always convey a passion for the customer and to consistently deliver the best service experience. Innovative Widgets defines customer service as any activity provided by an Innovative Widget employee that enhances the ability of a customer to realize the full potential value of an Innovative Widget product or service before and after the sale is made, thereby leading to Customer Satisfaction and repurchase. Product standards †¢Provide a clear description of the product standards or specifications (page 27). †¢Use the information provided in the case study. †¢If the information for one aspect of the product is not available in the case study, use your own judgement to outline a reasonable standard. Product (widget) aspectProduct standard or specification DimensionsMean widget size = 10mm Tolerances+/- 3% variance (0.03) = all widgets including tolerances = 9.7mm – 10.3mm PricingCompetitive pricing which is determined by the size and materials MaterialMetal and plastic Delivery3 day guarantee delivery via courier or pick up 24 hours after order taken Customer information and market research policy and procedure †¢Outline policies and procedures for gathering customer information and conducting market research to identify customer needs using the RATER model Policy Customer information and market research policy and procedure Purpose To remain competitive as Australia’s leading manufacturer and distributor of widgets by identifying our customers’ needs Relevant legislation †¢Privacy Act 1998 (Commonwealth) †¢Australia’s Spam Act 2003 †¢Competition and Consumers Act 2010 Procedures Using the RATER model Innovative Widgets will identify customer needs †¢Customer service employees are to contact clients by email or telephone to understand their experiences and expectations †¢Customer service employees will use active listening skills to ensure all information is correct and up to date. †¢Customer service employees will obtain information of all customers using the RATER survey which will focus on the following criteria; Reliability: Deliver what we promise in service and product Assurance: Ensuring our customer have trust in our knowledge and confidence in our ability to deliver Tangibles: Always representing Innovative Widgets at a high standard Empathy: Being attentive to our customers using active listening and courteous language Response: Always going above and beyond in all customer interactions as well as internal customers. †¢Customer service Managers will analyse the survey results to determine customer needs Updated (date)CEO Innovative Widgets 2014 Customer complaints policy and procedure †¢Outline policies and procedures for responding to customer complaints Policy Complaints policy and procedure Purpose The purpose of this policy is to ensure the management of complaints is carried out consistently, fairly and transparently and in accordance with organisational requirements. Relevant legislation †¢Privacy Act 1998 (Commonwealth) †¢Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic) †¢Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Commonwealth) †¢Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic) Procedures †¢Greet the customer courteously and give them your name †¢Listen fully to what the customer is saying. Try to gather all the facts about the complaint and jot them down. Ask questions and summaries what they are saying †¢Never argue with the customer †¢Apologise for any product fault or poor service. Be sympathetic. Ask if the customer will allow us to send the faulty item to our quality department for testing. †¢When you have all the details about the complaint, ask the customer how they would like it to be resolved Updated (date)10/2011 CFO Managing records and data policy and procedure †¢Outline policies and procedures for managing records and data Policy Managing records and data policy and procedure Purpose The purpose of this document is to establish a framework for the implementation and maintenance of an appropriate records management system. Innovative Widget is committed to maintaining a records management system that meets its business needs as well as its legal and accountability requirements. Relevant legislation †¢Privacy Act 1988 †¢Anti-discrimination legislation †¢Do Not Call Register Act 2006 †¢Industry codes of practice Procedures †¢Innovative Widgets records and data are accurate, up-to-date and clear to ensure that they can be used for the benefit of the customer and service provision †¢They must be understood by anyone who needs access to them †¢They are to be treated as confidential and kept secure as per Privacy Act 1998 †¢Customer are allowed to see the information which Innovative Widgets hold about them †¢Any incorrect information must be changed or destroyed Updated (date)CEO Innovative Widgets 2014 Reflection Reflect on how the design of your plan will work to achieve quality customer service and legal compliance. You may wish to include †¢how procedures will work to ensure quality time and cost specifications agreed with customers †¢key provisions of legislation and mandatory standards and an explanation as to why they are relevant to aspects of your plan, particularly policies and procedures †¢best practice models and voluntary standards and codes of practice which inform your plan †¢customer service charters and the importance for public relations and product/service promotion; discussion whether a customer service charter should be developed for Innovative Widgets to explain the organisation’s customer service policy to customers. The main issue with the performance of Innovative Widgets is the implications of the continued bad customer service. In line with the Innovative Widget’s mission statement; to always convey a passion for the customer and to consistently deliver the best service experience. †¢Using the RATER model as the key training tool and used as the underlying aspect of all procedures, will ensure superior customer service; oAlways delivering what we promise in service and product (reliability) oEnsuring our customers have trust in our knowledge and confidence in our ability to deliver to the highest standard (assurance) oAlways representing Innovative Widgets in a positive way (tangibles) oBeing attentive to our customers, using active listening and courteous language (empathy) oAlways going above and beyond in all customer interactions as well as internal customers (responsiveness) †¢All legal aspects are covered to ensure legislation compliance which include; oPrivacy Act 1998 (Commonwealth), Australia’s Spam Act 2003, Competition and Consumers Act 2010, Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic), Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic), Anti-discrimination legislation, Do Not Call Register Act 2006, Industry codes of practice

Iphone 6concept) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Iphone 6concept) - Essay Example The iPhone 5 and 4s were among other devices examined by two competent firms, HealthyStuff and iFixit, and the levels of toxic chemicals was investigated. These two models were found to have the least levels of toxic chemicals, making them the safest phones in the market. The iPhone 6 holds a lot of promise environment-wise. This phone is expected to have environment friendly features, with less of toxic substances than ever recorded on an Apple mobile phone. There is talk that the iPhone 6 will be partially solar powered (Yarow, 2014). This would bring about a new generation of environment friendly smart phones with technology never applied in mobile phones before. The development of such technology would eradicate the constant concern over the dangers posed by toxic chemicals like bromine and lead. These are chemicals used in the manufacturing of mobile phones. Apple is known to release its new models at prices similar to the old ones’ prices (Napier & Kumar, 2013). Assuming they use the same policy, it is expected that the 32GB model of the iPhone 6 will cost more than $550. This price could change if the company continues to sell the iPhone 5s, since the iPhone 6 will definitely have superior technology. This is bound to have an effect on the price of the product. There is continuously mounting evidence that the next generation of Apple is bound to include some few enormous ‘firsts’. The iPhone 6 is supposedly bound to be the first revolutionary iPhone that will include a large display which is of actual benefit to the user. There is a high likelihood that the iPhone 6 will emerge as the exceptional mass market mobile phone that will feature a crystal display cover made of sapphire. The advantage ascribed to the sapphire display is the fact that sapphire glass may prove to be more resistant to scratches in contrast to gorilla glass. The phone is bound to be more aesthetically appealing and attract buyers based o its display’s durability. The release

Compare and Contrast Two Gothic Cathedrals Assignment

Compare and Contrast Two Gothic Cathedrals - Assignment Example Monumental sculpture was the earliest art situated on the walls of Abbeys and Cathedrals. It was a style used in expressing power as its characteristics were used to express emotions (Newman, 2001). Gothic architecture has been used in many different places like the guild halls, palaces castles and town halls among others. In this research we are going to rely on the gothic in the middle-age period which is between 1350 to 1520 CE. We will mainly observe compare and contrast the Chartres gothic cathedral and Amiens cathedral- Western Faà §ade (Rudolph, 2006). They are both used as places of worship by believers (Rudolph, 2006). This means that they act as churches and the advisors among a given group during that period. This promoted religion to move widely as compared to past Era. 3. Amiens Cathedral-Western Faà §ades made from France and during that time limestone was very available thereby being used in its construction. England at that time had coarse limestone and also red sandstone which was used in its construction (Harvey, 2006). 7. They both have message as they mainly target the society. This gives an idea or religious beliefs and also information to the society and population at large. The gothic was also used in representing the universe in the microcosm and also used as a way of preaching to the public. 8. Religion is the main subject of the cathedrals. This is because they are used as a sacred place for worship. They were used for biblical teaching taking an example of the Virgin Mary’s gothic to express the kind of love to their believer. 13. Symbolism is used by the drawings on the wall representing people from the bible like the prophets of the bible. There is the example of the trinity portal which is in three parts representing God the father, the son and the Holy Spirit (Harvey, 2006). 15. The function of the gothic artwork is to attract people to the churches in order to spread

Leadership and control plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership and control plan - Assignment Example The president of the firm is currently not delegating any responsibilities to its vice-presidents. A lot of changes have to occur at this company to turn things around. A new leadership plan has to be implemented to improve the employee morale at the firm. One of the first steps to show the employees that the firm cares about their professional development is to immediately implement a training and development plan. Each month all the employees of the firm should have the opportunity to receive at least an hour of training. The firm should have both required and voluntary training and development sessions. The managerial staff of the firm should receive advance training on leadership topics. Another way to improve leadership within the company is by adopting the use of delegating and empowerment. These two topics should be emphasized in the training and development efforts of the firm. Delegation can be defined as the process of giving power or work to someone else so that they are responsible for part of what they normally do (Theyagu). Leadership can also be enhanced at the company by the utilization of teamwork. Working in team units allows work ers to improve their communication skills and to work in a cohesive manner with their colleagues to achieve common goals. The control measures of the company are completely inadequate. The firm has a major weakness in its accounting department. The firm’s accounting department is understaffed and not performing adequately. The first step is for the firm to hire a consultant in accounting to perform an external auditing to ensure that the company is complying with the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The external audit performed by this firm must be evaluated by the newly hired position of comptroller at the firm. Along with a comptroller the firm must hire two additional staff accountants with at least three years of experience in accounting. The newly form accounting

Responsible Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Responsible Tourism - Essay Example As a result, the situations is several destinations including Africa is characterized by deteriorating infra-structure, political and economic instability, increasing external control and weak backward and forward linkage with other economic sectors. Besides, tourism benefits do not filter down to poor communities (Booyens, 2010). With changes in consumer lifestyle and higher disposable incomes, more people desire to travel and experience pleasure. The World Travel Organization (WTO) predicts that by 2020 international arrivals would exceed 15 million (UNEP, 2005). Growth in tourism would take place across the world but it would be concentrated in the developing countries. In South Africa alone international arrivals are set to grow at an average of 5.5 per year. This can have profound impact on the local economies and the destination because human systems and the environment are strongly coupled and jointly determined systems. For sustainable development the social and the ecological systems cannot be analysed separately (Modvar & Gallopin, 2005). In fact, the perspectives and concerns of the major stakeholders need to be incorporated for an effective decision making. This is because there is a relationship between tourist behavior and their attitude towards the environment (Andereck, 2009). The purpose of this report is to evaluate the concepts of sustainable and responsible tourism, and the similarities and difference between these two concepts. Based on an understanding of responsible tourism, this report presents a responsible tourism strategy for Masai Mara game Reserve. The problems at Mara are identified and then objectives have been set followed by the strategy to achieve the SMART objectives. The concept of sustainability first came into discussions in1987 with the release of the Brundtland Commission’s â€Å"Our Common Future† sponsored by the UN

Pre-Hospital Fluid Replacement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Pre-Hospital Fluid Replacement - Essay Example Although road accidents form a major part of the accident pie chart, there are still other zones apart from roads where people are accident prone. Workers in factories, fire fighters, miners and virtually all blue collared working force in UK are under constant threat of accidents. Most of the deaths that result due to accidents have been identified to be due to excessive blood loss, a term, in medical terminology known as hemorrhage. Mainly two types of injuries are identified. In 'Penetrating Injuries', the skin is breached by sharp objects such as a knife and leads to potential internal bleeding. In 'Blunt Injuries', the skin is not deeply penetrated and generally remains unbroken. However the magnitude of the injury damages the internal organs. The bleeding that is caused by these injuries must be controlled. If the bleeding exceeds the normal bounds, it leads to the reduction in blood volume, technically known as 'hypovolaemia'. This may even lead to 'shock' which is a state of circulatory failure. In such a state the perfusion of necessary fluids and blood to vital internal organs is hampered. This consequently leads to multiple organ failure. Generally the first crew to reach the scene of accident is the ambulance crew. Apart from the driver and attendant in most ambulances also have a paramedic. According to the JRCALC guidelines for pre hospital fluid replacement, only a paramedic can administer fluids on the site to the injured. In an email communication with the authors of 'Clinical Effectiveness and Cost Effectiveness of pre hospital intravenous fluids in trauma patients', trauma.org told that, "All patients would be considered for fluids. (Perhaps not all should receive but currently in the UK almost all will) [The] approximate percentage of trauma patients who receive fluids [is] currently 100%" (Dretzke et al, 2003). Administration of intravenous fluids on - site is a traditional approach to handle injuries. This method was supported by early animal studies. The theory behind fluid replacement methodology is that, fluid replacement therapy attempts to reverse the effects of excessive blood loss by increasing circulatory blood volume and blood pressure back to the normal levels and maintains the perfusion of vital organs thereby reducing the risk of death from multiple organ failure (NICE, 01/04). Methodology and Technology The physiological state of the victim of injury is analyzed by the paramedic to identify which pre - hospital fluids are needed. Certain factors are analyzed such as degree of blood loss and whether the hemorrhage is controlled or uncontrolled. The Technology Appraisal of NHS identifies the other indicators of hemorrhage in adults as tachycardia, peripheral vasoconstriction and reduced blood pressure (NHS, 01/04). The shock levels are categorized according to the severity. Intravenous fluids are considered on similar lines as medicines, and are broadly classified as crystalloids, colloids, or combination fluids. Combination fluids consist of hypertonic saline with starch or dextran. According to the JRCALC regulations only paramedics may administer crystalloid and colloid solutions. Crystalloids pass through cell membranes into different body fluid compartments, thereby making up for the fluids lost due to

The learning organization can never be achieved in reality Essay

The learning organization can never be achieved in reality - Essay Example Management theorists including Smith recognize that although there has been considerable debate about learning organizations ever since the emergence of the concept in the early 1990s,it has not been easy to cite examples of such organizations in real life. Smith (2001a) therefore is of the opinion that the concept of the learning organization may be too idealistic to be translated into reality; similarly, theorists such as Jashapara (1993) have metaphorically equated the struggle to become a learning organization with 'a quest for the Holy Grail'. This paper first reviews, summarizes and explains available literature on the subject of learning organizations and further attempts to determine whether such an organization is in reality achievable or not.The concept of the learning organization was pioneered and popularized during the 1990s by Peter Senge through his book The Fifth Discipline which was first published in the year 1990 (Smith, 2001b). The premise behind the theory of lea rning organizations is that in the rapidly changing world; where today's new discovery may be obsolete tomorrow, only those succeed who are 'adaptive' and 'flexible' (Smith, 2001) and Senge (1990a, p. 4) believes that this could only happen when organizations 'discover how to tap people's commitment and capacity to learn at all levels'. Senge (1990a, p. 3) views learning organizations as those where people continually strive to broaden the horizons of their capacity for the achievement of desired results, where innovative and out of the box thinking is encouraged and cultivated, where team work and collectivism is valued and 'where people are continually learning to see the whole together'. Senge believes that true learning enables both organizations and individuals to re-invent themselves and thus argues that survival alone is not the objective for learning organizations. He goes on to distinguish between 'adaptive' or single-loop learning and 'generative' or double-loop learning, and explains that where 'adaptive learning' is that which is necessary for mere survival, learning organizations are those which combine adaptive learning with 'generative learning', i.e. learning which enriches the ability to create (1990a, p. 14). Evolution of the Concept of the Learning Organization Rowden (2001), in an effort to trace the learning organization to its founding disciplines recognizes that the concept of the learning organization is not new and can trace its roots in organizational learning (Argyris & Schon, 1978) as well as being derived from action learning (Revans, 1983). Further, the learning organization concept is found to be rooted in organizational development specifically in 'action research methodology' and organic organizational theory. The concept is based most specifically on systems theory (Senge, 1990a) whereas its application to business has been more of an evolutionary outcome of strategic management (Fiol & Lyles 1985; Hosley et al. 1994), which in turn has over the years realized that the fundamental source of strategic change is in fact organizational learning (DeGeus 1988; Jashapara 1993). Rowden (2001) further notes the opinions of thinkers Senge (1990b) and Stata (1989) that the practical application of the notion of the learning organizatio n began with the increased emphasis on continual quality improvement in the recent past. Characteristics of Learning Organizations Senge (1990a) identifies the five building blocks of the learning organization and calls them its 'component technologies', which are systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, building shared vision and team learning. Similar thinking is echoed by Watkins & Marsick (1993) and Rowden (2001), who agree that learning organizations share certain key characteristics. They provide learning opportunities to

U.S. National Debt and a Fiscal Plan to Fix Deficit 6.2 Trillion Literature review

U.S. National Debt and a Fiscal Plan to Fix Deficit 6.2 Trillion - Literature review Example The debt implies that a large percentage of the total GDP of the United States falls under public debt, which hinders economic growth. It also leads to other economic hazards like unemployment and dependence on the employed people in the society. The government will also lose potential investors because they will lack confidence in the sustainability of economic growth. Various presidents have tried to adjust the debt by applying various fiscal and monetary policies (see table 1). Factors that contributed to the problem Accumulation of the debt has a historical as well as economic significance. Historically, wars between the U.S. and other nations are the main cause of the rise in debt. For instance, the second world war of 1945 is believed to have the greatest contribution to an increase in the national debt. According to Treasury, the debt rose by close to 115% during this war. However, the debt reduced for the following thirty years until the past ten years when the trend reversed (Treasury Direct, 2012). The economic perspective highlights fiscal government policies as the main push factor of the increase in debt. There have been concerns about the weakness of various fiscal policies of the Federal Government in addressing long-term economic issues. Fiscal policies are the ones that look at the way the government spends its money as well as sources of government revenue. It is clear that, in recent years, the U.S. budget has always been a deficit budget. A deficit budget implies that the government spending outweighs the tax revenue. Many residents of the United States share the view that reduction in taxes is the main factor leading to the accumulation of the debt. This became evident especially after the current President initiated efforts to help the government in collecting more tax revenue than in the previous years. Fiscal Plan to decrease the national debt The main aim of the U.S. government should be to increase the tax revenue that it generates fro m the economy. The best approach to achieve this through the application of a progressive tax system. This system allows the government to tax more on high-income earners than it taxes the low-income earners. This will help in increasing the tax revenue and it will ease the burden of low-income earners. The amount that low-income earners have for consumption and savings will increase if the government reduces the taxes of low-income earners (United States Government Accountability Office, 2012). This will increase the national output through the GDP equation.  Ã‚  

Hostile Takeover Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hostile Takeover - Research Paper Example er owns a substantial block of target’s stock commonly referred as the foothold block that can demonstrably afford to finance a hostile offer for control. Hostile dodder may require making merger to gain total control of the target’s assets this is accomplished once the bidder has purchased a majority voting stock (Anderson, 2006). Hostile tenders are known to have been around for decades; however they remain rare. The adoption of the second generation of state-level antitakeover laws that was applied between 1987 and 1990 provides an exogenous increase in the cost of hostile takeover, which go hand in hand with a natural control sample of sample of states that did not pass such laws. Additionally, the effectiveness of these laws is criticized by the question of how frequent the takeovers may be. Hostile takeover has been criticized using stakeholder’s model which is able to predict hostile takeovers as occasions for the redistribution rather than the generation of wealth. Managers find out that the gains that are made by shareholders accrue from greater efficiency in the management of assets rather than income transfers (Anderson, 2006). Hostile takeovers can be regarded as a mechanism both for raising shareholder value and for enhancing the efficiency of the corporate system as a whole. However this hostile bids has two major effects, the first effect is that the threat of an unwelcome bid served to improve the performance of incumbent managers made to align their interest more completely with the shareholders. Secondly, with hostile bids, even in unsuccessful situation they tend to induce corporate restructurings which in turn freed up productive resources to be reallocated and be more efficient hence useful elsewhere in the economy. Corporate managers have secrecy over capital structures choices this is evident as the firms’ founding shareholders cannot write a comprehensive contract specifying all future financing decisions. However, capital

Some Good Marketing Funda Essay Example for Free

Some Good Marketing Funda Essay Some good marketing Funda! you can find much more at the link provided in the end.. Do read.. Marketing GD me mast points hai bolneko! When we think of marketing, we often think of Marketings efforts to acquire customers. The world, however, is moving toward relationship-based business, including subscription services and subscription commerce—but also most other business. Consider consumer packaged goods companies that used to have no direct relationship with customers, who bought in box stores. Many CPG companies are now using online and social mediums to build direct relationships with their customers. In this world, customer retention is just as important as customer acquisition. So how do the 7 Ps of marketing apply to customer retention marketing? 1. People are the most important. Retaining customers is about building relationships, and relationships are about people. Treat your customer as a person, and not a customer; start by hiring people who show they care about others. Compare how you behave driving in rush-hour traffic with how you drive down your own street past your neighbors. When you know you will see people again, or if you want to see them again, you treat them better. The whole company needs to care about customers and customer retention, and one executive must be responsible to ensure thats so—hence the rise of the chief customer officer. 2. Product is a very close second in importance to People. If your product is off, you will have a difficult time with the rest of the Ps. However, if the product is on target, you will accomplish the rest of the Ps much more easily. When designing your product or service for maximum customer retention, provide quick time to value, continued value over time, and high quality (those are what Apple does so well). Sometimes there is another P: Packaging. I include packaging as part of the product (or service), and the key to it is polish. 3. Place obviously matters when you are figuring out where to put your physical store, but what about when youre online? Does it matter there? Yes. If I am looking to communicate with my customer and offer them an upsell, I could send them an email or message them right while they are shopping, browsing, or working on my site. The first communication is out of context and has a low chance of response. The second is in context and has a higher likelihood of response. â€Å"Place† is context, and context matters. 4. Price. In any good relationship, people take care of each other. That is now the expectation in the customer-business relationship as well. Our customers assume that we will look after them. That is what they pay us to do. In an e-commerce business, that sort of relationship means providing deals for our recurring customers. In a subscription business, that means rolling new features (some, not all) into the service, over time, without charging more. 5. Promotion. How should you promote your product or service to customers to retain them, upsell to them and keep them for the long haul? Quite differently from how you promote to a prospective customer. Why? Because the person is your customer. You know, or should know, him or her. You know what the customer bought from you or how he or she uses your service. You can use that information to message customers in a more targeted, appropriate, helpful, and effective way. Dont spam them with the same generic info you send to everyone else. Send them targeted emails and in-context messages. 6. Processes. To succeed in all of the previous Ps, and for this success to be more than a one-time fluke, you need good processes, such as monitoring social media and engaging customers there, surveying customers for satisfaction, and implementing marketing automation. My company uses its own customer engagement solution to understand how each customer is engaging with the business. We look for positive or negative patterns and respond accordingly, sometimes by person or email but often right in our application with a targeted message based on behavior. 7. Positioning. If you want to retain your customers, you have to know who you are and communicate that clearly and repeatedly to them so they know who you are as well. Foremost, however, is this: Your actions must communicate your positioning. Those actions are showcased in the people you hire, the product you ship or service you deliver, the price you charge and the discounts you provide, the place and promotions you choose, and the processes you put in place. Combined, your words and actions say This is who we are and what you can expect of us. By acting on the 7 Ps of Customer Retention Marketing, you can keep your customers; make their interactions with your business successful; and in so doing make your business more successful.

School Based Management And School Changes Education Essay

School Based Management And School Changes Education Essay Abstract For more than three decades, School-Based Management (SBM) has become a global movement towards the quality of education. The ultimate goal of implementing SBM was to enhance quality of education in general and more particularly for better school improvement and increased student achievement. This article addresses the views of school stakeholders in exploring the association between SBM policy and school changes. The paper is on the basis of mixed-methods research design, combining quantitative and qualitative dimensions of research. The quantitative research design was applied through an empirical survey between February and June 2012, involving 318 respondents from 18 urban and sub-urban schools of Ngada, Flores, Indonesia. In addition to the survey, personal in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted, followed by documentary analyses. Keywords School-based management, school changes, Indonesia, Flores Introduction For more than three decades, School-Based Management (SBM) has become a global movement towards the quality of education. The ultimate goal of implementing SBM was to enhance quality of education in general and more particularly for better school improvements and student achievements. Research in the last twenty years affirm how SBM policy and programs have been evident to be effective for the improvement of schools and student learning outcomes (Bandur Gamage, 2009; Bergman, 1992; Brown Cooper, 2000; Caldwell, 2005; Dempster, 2000; Gamage, 2006, 1998; Kuehn, 1996; Odden Wohlstetter, 1995; ONeil, 1995; Sharpe, 1996). Several studies have also consistently revealed a positive association between higher parental and/or community involvement and improved student achievement resulting from implementing effective SBM (Blank, 2004; Gamage, 1994; Sheldon Voorhis, 2004; Williams, Harold, Robertson, Southworth, 1997). For instance, on the basis of research conducted in the Victorian state schools system, involving 75 interviews, Gamage (1998: 313) found that healthier teaching and learning environments as well as improvement of student achievement could be achieved by the fact that the parents and teachers who are the closest to the students have formed a partnership and both parties are represented in the governing body with accountability. Similarly, Sheldon and Voorhis (2004: 127) affirm that many researchers have supported the idea of how community and parental involvement can improve schools and the quality of education that the children achieved as well as the academic achievement of students. Several researchers also found how school-based management is associated with partnership in school decision-makings (Bandur, 2012; Blank, 2004; Gamage, 1998). For instance, Blank (2004: 62) asserts that schools can promote improvements in student learning by building relationships between schools and diverse community entities. He then clarifies that building partnerships that link school, family, and community is intimately connected to student achievement because linking schools and community resources leads to providing services and support that address various needs of the students. Partnership can also provide learning opportunities that enhance young peoples social, emotional, and physical development as well as academic skills. School changes in this article are related to: (1) how SBM policy has changed the absolute authority figure of school principals for school decision-makings; (2) how SBM policy encourage higher participation of parents and other school communities in schools; (3) how SBM policy change the fashion of financial management in schools; (4) how SBM policy create partnership in decision-making processes; and (5) how SBM has led to better teaching and learning environments. In the study, the general research questions were formulated as what are the results of implementing SBM policies and programs in schools as perceived by the school stakeholders? What is School-Based Management? School-Based Management (SBM) is a generic term in a response to change the centralistic and bureaucratic fashions of public school system toward more decentralized and democratic model. The term was born in mid-1960s in Australia after a public debate at the Australian National University, Canberra to choose a model of public school system that serve better students. Under the SBM scheme, power and authority in decision-making are shifted from governments to individual schools for better school improvement and increased student achievement. Later, the reform has appeared worldwide under various terms site-based management, site-based decision making, school-based decision making, school-based governance, shared decision making, and even school-based initiatives. However, even though these terms represent the widespread education reform agenda, they vary slightly in meaning, particularly to the extent whether authority and responsibility are devolved to school councils or whether th e councils are mandatory or not by laws and regulations. In this sense, similar to the SBM reforms in Chicago, USA and Victoria, Australia, Indonesian SBM model is mandatory, which means that all Indonesian public schools are compulsorily implementing SBM policy and programs on the basis of Law 20/2003 on National Education System and Government Regulation No.66/2010. Based on research conducted in Victoria, the ACT and NSW, and other countries, Gamage (1996: 65) defines SBM as a pragmatic approach to a formal alteration of the bureaucratic model of school administration with a more democratic structure. It identifies the individual school as the primary unit of improvement relying on the redistribution of decision-making authority through which improvements in a school are stimulated and sustained. In this context, the focus on facilitating improvements in the individual school as the key to successful educational reform strategies has a good deal of public appeal and other research support (Gamage Zajda, 2005; Gamage, 2003; Whitty, Power Halpin, 1998; Cheng, 1996; Odden Wohlstetter, 1995). Marburger (1991: 25-26) considers SBM as an approach in which decisions that are traditionally made by a superintendent are now being made by the school council comprising of the principal, teachers, parents, citizens, and the students. Likewise, Anderson (2006: 223) defines SBM as the shifting of decision-making authority from the district office to individual schools. Many scholars also affirm that the movement towards SBM is often assumed as the approach to serve students better by improving the school practices in meeting the diverse expectations of the stakeholders in a changing environment towards increasing student performance and achievements (Cheng Mok, 2007; Anderson, 2006; Caldwell, 2005; Gamage Zajda, 2005; Gamage Sooksomchitra, 2004; Muijs and Harris, et. al, 2004; Sheldon Voorhis, 2004; Blank, 2004; Gamage, 1998, 1994). Gamage (1996: 21-22) has proposed a revised theory of SBM based on twenty years of experience in the Australian SBM systems. In the revised theory, he has devised seven assumptions, on which to base a more realistic application of SBM. The first assumption is that a school council shall consist of all relevant stakeholders such as the principal or the head teacher and the representatives of staff (both teaching and non-teaching), parents, local community, and in the case of secondary schools, students. The representatives of the staff, parents, and students are expected to be elected by the relevant constituencies, whereas the community representatives are to be nominated by the other elected members and the school leader. The second assumption is that the devolution or transfer of both authority and responsibility needs to be affected by a legislative enactment. This approach will transform the former advisory body to a democratic governing body. The third assumption is the heavy reliance on the voluntary participation of the parents, community, and student representatives in the process of policy formulation in governing the school. It is believed that the school stakeholders are motivated and dedicated to developing quality schools because of the genuine transfer of authority and responsibility. The fourth assumption is that the lay councilors, with appropriate induction and training, will acquire sufficient knowledge to function as equal partners. The knowledge and experience of the lay-members who come from fields other than education are relevant and useful to the educational enterprise in order that the needs of contemporary schools are met. The fifth assumption is that because of de-zoning, the schools need to function in an interesting and effective mode that can improve the image of the school in a similar way to the business reputation of a private/public enterprise. Such an image will help attract high levels of school enrolments. The sixth assumption is that SBM would be cost effective because the ownership of the policies and higher levels of commitment leads to minimization of costs and better utilization of limited resources. More resources would also be available as a result of minimizing the size of the educational bureaucracy, as well as drawing on previously untapped resources from the school community. The last assumption is that stricter control needs to be enforced by the centre to ensure accountability for the finances placed at the disposal of the school in conformity with the Ministerial/Departmental Guidelines relating to the operation of school councils. The principal is made accountable to the governing body and through it to the states education authorities, as well as to the school community. Submissions of regular progress reports to the governing body and annual reports to other relevant authorities and the school community are required. Decentralization and SBM in Indonesia Prior to the implementation of School-Based Management (SBM) in Indonesia, its system of education was highly centralized. Bjork (2003: 193) affirms that by the end of the twentieth century, Indonesia was among the most highly centralized nations in the world. However, the real transformation with the concept of decentralization commenced in May 1998, when there was a radical political movement towards decentralization (Aspinall Fealy, 2003; Bangay, 2005; Bjork, 2006; Guess, 2005; Raihani, 2007). In terms of successful movements towards decentralization, Guess (2005: 220) claims that the Indonesian big bang devolution program has been described as one of the fastest and most comprehensive decentralization initiatives ever attempted by any country in the region. The decentralized system led to the implementation of educational decentralization through School-Based Management (SBM) which has been considered as a milestone in developing a better quality of national education (Departemen Pendidikan Nasional, 2004, 2002). For these reasons, on the basis of Law No.25/2000 on National Development Planning (2000-2004), the Indonesian Ministry of National Education, appointed a Komisi Nasional Pendidikan (KNP) or Commission of National Education in February 2001. The KNP worked until December 2001 with responsibilities, among others, to: (1) formulate policy recommendations to have a better quality education; (2) provide inputs to government about educational decentralization. It was expected that the work of this Commission would become a basis from which to comprehensively reform Indonesian education. One of the recommendations of the KNP was to develop educational councils at district level and school councils at school level. Thus, developing educational and school councils was one of the educational decentralization policies, aimed at devolving power and authority from central government to schools, resulting in improvement of democratic principles, community participation, equity, as well as accommodation of diverse local interests and needs (Departemen Pendidikan Nasional, 2001: 26). It was believed that local communities are the ones who will understand their own problems and needs better and decided to provide them greater roles and responsibilities in terms of operational decision making on national education policies. For this purpose, the central government embarked on the formation of education councils and school councils in each district of Western Sumatera, Bali, and Eastern Java. On the basis of these trials, the councils were considered strategic in coping with improving the Indonesian national education. Then, Government issued a set of guidelines in relation to the implementation of SBM in 2002 and later revised in 2004 in order to provide mandatory corporate governing body type school councils described as follows: This concrete one-sidedness requires to be channeled politically to become collective action placed by Educational Council located in the district/city and School Council at the level of educational unit (Departemen Pendidikan Nasional, 2002: 1). Further, the Education Act 20/2003 on National Education System strengthened the formation of school councils. In accordance with the involvement of local communities in achieving better quality education, Article 56 of the Act provides that the community members are required to participate in improving the quality of education. In this case, the educational council and school council represent the community, as stated: Community shall take part in the quality improvement of educational services, which include planning, monitoring, and evaluation of educational programs through the Educational Council and School Council (Education Act 20/2003, Article, 56). The Act defines a school council as an independent body established to provide advice, directions and support for personnel, facilities and equipment, and monitoring of a school (Article 56). On the basis of the Act, Government regulated power and authority vested in the school councils, as well as characteristics and formation, membership and structure of a school council. It is clear that authority is devolved to school councils and the councils are empowered to create better quality education in their schools. How SBM Change Schools Currently, SBM has been evident to be effective for the improvement of schools and student learning outcomes (Bandur Gamage, 2009; Bergman, 1992; Brown Cooper, 2000; Caldwell, 2005; Dempster, 2000; Gamage, 2006, 1998; Kuehn, 1996; Odden Wohlstetter, 1995; ONeil, 1995; Sharpe, 1996). More particularly, Odden and Wohlstetter (1995: 32) identified the conditions that promote improved school performance through SBM. They discovered that school stakeholders in the schools in which SBM has been effectively implemented to improve school performance have the authority over budget, personnel, and curriculum. These successful schools implementing SBM have used their new power and authority to introduce changes that directly affect teaching and learning practices. They also found other conditions, including (1) professional development and training opportunities to strengthen teaching, management, and problem-solving skills of teachers and other stakeholders; (2) adequate information to make informed decisions about student performance, parent and community satisfaction, and school resources; and (3) systematic and creative in communicating with parents and the community. Several studies have also consistently revealed a positive association between higher parental and/or community involvement and improved student achievements resulting from implementing effective SBM (Blank, 2004; Gamage, 1994; Sheldon Voorhis, 2004; Williams, Harold, Robertson, Southworth, 1997). For instance, on the basis of research conducted in the Victorian state schools system, involving 75 interviews, Gamage (1998: 313) reports that healthier teaching and learning environments as well as improvements of student achievements could be achieved by the fact that the parents and teachers who are the closest to the students have formed a partnership and both parties are represented in the governing body with accountability. Similarly, Sheldon and Voorhis (2004: 127) affirm that many researchers have supported the idea of how community and parental involvement can improve schools and the quality of education that the children achieved as well as the academic achievements of student s. Several researchers also found how school-based management is associated with partnership (Bandur, 2012; Blank, 2004; Gamage, 1998). For instance, Blank (2004: 62) asserts that schools can promote improvements in student learning by building relationships between schools and diverse community entities. He then clarifies that building partnerships that link school, family, and community is intimately connected to student achievements because linking schools and community resources leads to providing services and support that address various needs of the students. Partnership can also provide learning opportunities that enhance young peoples social, emotional, and physical development as well as academic skills. Research Design and Methods The research design employed in this study was the mixed-methods design. The design has advantages to attain valid and reliable research outcomes as well as to provide specific techniques and strategies by which the researchers are guided in data collection procedures and data analyses (Creswell, 2005; Creswell Clark, 2007). More particularly, this study employed the concurrent triangulation strategy, which primarily aims at using separate quantitative and qualitative research as a means to offset the weaknesses inherent within one method with the strengths of the other method. In this context, the quantitative and qualitative data collection is concurrent, happening in one phase of the research study. The strategy integrates the results of the two methods during the interpretation phase. In the data collection phase of this study, the empirical survey was conducted concurrently with in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and documentary analyses. As the primary goal of condu cting interviews was to seek clarifications and deeper understanding on the issues emerged in the empirical surveys, the results of quantitative data analysis and qualitative data analysis were combined. Research method is more specific than research design. Research methods are techniques of data collection and analysis, such as a quantitative standardized instrument or a qualitative theme analysis of text data (Creswell, 2005; Creswell Clark, 2007). In this study, the term mixed-methods research means to the research design which has philosophical assumptions to guide the direction of the data collection and analyses. As methods of inquiry, it focuses on collecting, analyzing, and mixing both quantitative and qualitative data in a single study. For the purpose of quantitative data collection, questionnaire was employed for obtaining close items and scale items related to the objectives of the study. The close items allow the respondents to choose from two or more fixed alternatives, for example, the dichotomous items which provide two alternatives only: yes or no, while the scale is a set of items to which the respondents respond by indicating degrees of agreement or disagreement (Burns, 1994, p. 349). The questionnaire of the study consisted of two major parts. The first main part is about the demographic information of respondents for the purposes of providing descriptive statistics, including: school location, gender of respondents, ages of respondents and their position in schools. The second part is about respondents perspective on the results of implementing School-Based Management (SBM) policy and programs; general functions of communication in schools; the importance of communication for school improvements and student achievements; communication networks in schools; and styles and strategies of communication of school leaders within the SBM framework. For the purposes of qualitative data collection, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) were used to obtain open-ended information. These techniques of data collection were useful for providing better insight of the research problems. For this reason, the researcher the researcher set up two major steps. The first step dealt wit selected the key informants. Accordingly, fourteen key informants (principals and school council presidents) in seven schools were interviewed personally face to face. In addition, FGDs with seven groups of teachers in the schools were conducted. All interviews were recorded in the digital-tape recording and note-books for checking validity and reliability. Validity and Reliability of the Item Scales Several statisticians (Brace, Kemp, Snelgar, 2006; Manning Munro, 2006) affirm that the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is a type of Factor Analysis which is used to explore the possibility of a factor structure underlying the variables. In particular, Manning and Munro (2006) explain the usefulness of PCA to measure the validity of variables. In the context of quantitative research, validity is simply defined as the degree to which it measures what it claims to measure (Manning Munro, 2006; Wiersma Jurs, 2005; Pallant, 2005; Best Kahn, 1998). The results of Principal Component Analysis demonstrate that the factor loadings of all scale items were ranged from .72 to .97 and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) of Sampling Adequacy was statistically significant (Bartletts Test of Sphericity, p = .000) and ranged from .64 to .87. These results clearly indicate a good factorability (Brace, Kemp, Snelgar, 2006, p. 318). Reliability in quantitative research refers to the consistency of the methods, conditions, and results (Manning Munro, 2006; Wiersma Kurs, 2005; Pallant, 2005; Best Kahn, 1998). There are three common ways of testing reliability in quantitative research, namely, test-retest reliability, split-half reliability, and coefficient (Munning Munro, 2006; Pallant, 2005). The test-retest approach is applied when a researcher tests the same set of people on two different occasions and the scores from the first test is correlated with the scores from the second test. In the split-half reliability, a researcher administers questionnaires only once and split the items used to create composite variable into two equivalent halves, followed by creating two composite variables from these two sets and correlate them. For the purpose of this study, the coefficient alpha (also known as Cronbachs alpha) was applied. The values of coefficient alpha above .70 are considered to represent acceptable reliability, above .80 good reliability, and above .90 to represent excellent reliability. The values of coefficient alpha of this instrument ranged from .82 to .95, indicating good and excellent reliability (Manning Munro, 2006, p.25). Results and Discussions Demographic Information In the study, several variables in relation to demographic information were analyzed for providing the general background of respondents. These include location, genders, qualification of formal education, positions in schools, and ages of respondents. The majority of respondents (57%) were located in district town schools of Ngada, while 43% of them were from village schools located in Golewa Sub-district area. Then, the majority of respondents (53%) were male, while 47% of them were female. Meanwhile, most of respondents (39%) graduated from bachelor degrees, while 36% of them graduated from diploma educational institutions. Meanwhile, 25% of respondents had the high school teacher training education or senior high school. The biggest percentage (38%) of respondents in the empirical survey was parents, followed by teachers and school council members (26% and 24% respectively). Other respondents were administrative staff (9%) and principals in seven schools (2%). Most of the respondents (40%, N=318) were between 41 and 50 years old. Twenty-six of them were between 31 and 40 years old, while small percentages of respondents were between 51-60 and 20-30 years old (20% and 14% respectively). Opinion on the Current Practice of SBM Policy In Indonesia, the policy in decentralized education system through School-Based Management (SBM) was actually the initiatives made by the Central government in Jakarta. Fortunately, the initiative was strongly supported by international donor agencies. In Flores, Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) provided assistance for school stakeholders in the areas of SBM policies and programs, including the devolution of authority and responsibility from governments to school councils in terms of building new schools, building renovation, library, school text books, school curriculum, school development planning, monitoring anf evaluation, school operational grants, as well as how joyful teaching and learning is linked to active participation of the whole school community members. An analysis was made in this study to find out the overall impression of school stakeholders on the current implementation of SBM policies and programs. As shown in Table 1, all respondents in th e empirical survey perceived the implementation of School-Based Management (SBM) either adequate (5%), good (46%) or excellent (48%). This implies that SBM policies and programs in these schools were applicable. Table 1 Opinion on the current practice of SBM Valid Item Frequency Valid Percent Unsatisfactory Adequate Good Excellent 0 17 147 154 0 5.3 46.2 48.4 Total 318 100.0 An effort was also made to find out whether there was statistically significant difference in terms of the school stakeholders opinion in terms of the implementation of SBM. As presented in Table 2, there was no statistically significant difference (Chi-sq =59, N = 318, p = .74) with the 96% of respondents who are working in schools (teachers, administrative staff and school principals) who either stated good or excellent on the implementation of SBM, compared with 94% of respondents (school council members and parents) who stated the same. Table 2 Opinion on the implementation of SBM by position of respondents in school NewPosition * Opinion on the Implementation of SBM Crosstabulation Opinion on the Implementation of SBM Total Adequate Good Excellent New Position 1* Count 5 56 60 121 % within NewPosition 4.1% 46.3% 49.6% 100.0% 2** Count 12 91 94 197 % within NewPosition 6.1% 46.2% 47.7% 100.0% Total Count 17 147 154 318 % within NewPosition 5.3% 46.2% 48.4% 100.0% * = Teacher, administrative staff, principal ** = School council members and parents Chi-Square Tests Value df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided) Pearson Chi-Square .593a 2 .744 Likelihood Ratio .612 2 .736 Linear-by-Linear Association .311 1 .577 N of Valid Cases 318 0 cells (.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 6.47. How SBM Change the Authority on School Decision-Makings Since the implementation of SBM, authority in decision-making is vested from governments to school level decision-makers. For this purpose, each Indonesian school has established school councils for decision-making processes. In this research, it was necessary to find out how the school stakeholders considered the authority in decision-making after the implementation of SBM. Table 3 SBM and decision-making authority in school Valid Item Frequency Valid Percent Disagree Agree Strongly Agree 18 166 134 5.7 52.2 42.1 Total 318 100.0 Table 3 shows that the vast majority (94%) of respondents in the empirical survey either agreed (52%) or strongly agreed with the statement: School-Based Management has resulted in the provision of wider authority in school for decision-making. This result implies that as perceived by the respondents, authority for decision-making has been vested in school level since the implementation of SBM. In the history of Indonesian education system prior to the implementation of SBM, school principals were the authority figures in school decision-makings. They worked very closely to the district government officials in relation to the arrangements of new school buildings, school renovation, and even school textbooks for children. In such a practice, parents and other school community members never involved in decision-making processes. These practices were in line with Education Law No.2/1989 on National Education System and Government Regulation No.28/1990. It was regulated that central government has the authority in regard with curriculum, textbooks, school facilities, deployment, and development of staff, while authority in relation to new school buildings and renovations are in the hands of district governments (Article 9, Government Regulation 28/1990). In contrast, under SBM scheme, authority in these areas is not solely vested in school principal, but to the school councils. This requires principals to distribute the authority to school council members. The central government decided on the structure and composition of the councils to represent school communities. However, each school itself was given the authority to decide the size of the council based on their school size. Thus, each school has to elect a school council with a minimum of nine members depending on the size of the school. The membership of a school council should comprise of principal and the representatives of teachers, students, parents, school foundations, local governments, and community. The community representatives should consist of: (1) public figures, (2) educational experts; (3) industries or businesses; (4) professional organization of teachers; representatives of alumni; and (5) representatives of students. Apart from electing and/or nominating a maxi mum of three representatives only from teachers, school foundations, and Advisory Body for the Village Governance (Badan Pertimbangan Desa/BPD), there is no limitation of the total number elected from the representatives of the community members. Opinion on How SBM Creates Higher Participation of School Stakeholders An effort was then made to seek the nature of participation of school stakeholders in school decision-makings as perceived by the school stakeholders. Table 4 SBM and higher participation in school Valid Item Frequency Valid Percent Agree Strongly Agree 196 122 61.6 38.4 Total 318 100.0 Table 4 shows that all respondents (100%) stated either agree (62%) or strongly agree (38%) with the statement: SBM implementation has resulted in increased participation if all stakeholders in school. The result indicates how SBM policy in schools has crea

Discrimination is unfair treatment

Discrimination is unfair treatment Introduction Discrimination is nothing, but an unfair treatment against a person or group of people based on prejudice (Oxford Concise Dictionary). This would imply discriminating people on the basis of their gender, race, religion, caste, class, age, disability, migration, genetic disposition, physical appearance, etc etc. Discrimination at workplaces among gender is a matter of serious concern for organizations all over India. Talking about gender biases, women in India still remain the largest group that faces discrimination in workplaces. Even in todays world, women comprise of only 2 per cent of the total managerial strength in the Indian corporate sector. While more and more women are joining the corporate, with better salaries and even at senior levels, their pay equity compared with their male counterparts is still a disappointment. Discrimination at workplaces can come from any of the sides, whether be from the employers or the employee itself. When we talk about the employee itself, we take into consideration the way new employees are treated or welcomed by the existing ones. The effect of this may last for a long time, if not amongst them, but in the organization, as this could be seen in the form of negative feedback one may get in return of his work. Discrimination leads to psychological and emotional disturbances leading to demoralization which further affects the performance and the standard of work output. It is so truly said that discrimination results in the wastage of human resources and their talent. This is mostly seen with women. Man and woman play an important and equal role in the society. In India from centuries it has been noticed that women are and considered an oppressed class and are neglected. During the national struggle for independence, Gandhi gave a call of emancipation of women. He wrote -: I am uncompromising in the matter of womens rights. The difference in sex and physical form denotes no difference in status. Woman is the complement of man, and not inferior. The constitution of India declares that all are equal in front of the law. Gender inequality can also be termed as gender bias, which refers to the differences made among individuals based on their gender, that is, male and female or girl and boy. Initially this problem was seen in rural India as people considered a girl child a burden on them, but now this is also seen in urban India in areas such as offices, organizations, institutions, society etc etc. The gender inequality in the workplace is one of the high rated issues that have been publicly ringing through society for years. It refers to the hidden disparities among individual based on gender performance which is seen towards women. In order to identify this situation we must try to get to the root of the problem and must understand sociological factors that cause women to have much more difficult times getting the same wages, profits and job opportunities as their male complements. The society in which we live right now have been shaped patriarchal for centuries. Before the industrial revolution most people worked in and near their homes, whether they were involved in farming or making clothes or pottery. In certain situations one would notice men going to far off places like towns or cities for work and a better wage, but women on the other hand have always continued to be there at home and carry on the work of her and her husbands share ( when he is not around ). But this situation changed when modern industry appeared in the late 19th century, which saw a drastic separation between home and workplace. In terms of employment as well as promotion in work and occupation, women often face greater handicap than men. Women are, and have been, entering the workplace in rapid numbers. Evidence shows that middle and upper class women are prospering even though discrimination is prevailing in the society. When talking about the women in the workplace, often the term glass-ceiling is used referring to the imaginary career barrier that seemingly impedes a womans ability to rise to the top ranks. Even though there has been a diminishing gender gap in labour forces as women are entering work, literature shows that gender discrimination still persists in Indian workplaces. As anthropologist Gayle Rubin (1975:178) said, a taboo against the sameness of men and women (divides) the sexes into two mutually exclusive categories (and) thereby creates gender. It has been seen that men usually enjoy certain benefits without having worked for them, which a women doesnt just because they are males. The word gender in itself signifies the advantage males have over females (Acker 1990:146; 1999; Britton 2000; Risman 1998). It is the societies who create and maintain the gender differences and these can be seen in a number of ways. Division of work according to sexes is a fundamental concept of work which is brought about by organizational practices ( Acker 1999; Ely and Meyerson 2000; Ridgeway and Smith Lovin 1999) HISTORY Initially it was seen in India that women were not treated equally and fairly in comparison to their male counterparts. They were deprived of a lot of facilities and were not given the privilege of education, work, owe property or even vote. It was believed that women were meant to stay at home, raise the children, serve the family and carry out all the domestic household work. But during the 1800s efforts were made for the first time to bring about equality amongst gender. In the early part of this century coeducation started at least at the university level and laws were made to bring about equality. From then things have improved but still discrimination and unequal treatment against women persists THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK The fundamental explanatory theories for gender inequality are as follows: Human capital theory Socialization Overt discrimination The dual labour market HUMAN CAPITAL THEORY Human capital theories attribute gender inequality and occupational segregation to lower education and skill levels found among women ( Estevez-Abe 2005: 184). In other words, it means that, people with more skills, knowledge, experience etc etc are more likely to get better jobs. It has been noticed that women normally end up in part time jobs or less desirable jobs as compared to men, meaning jobs that demand less skills. According to this theory, women invest less in education and formal training in comparison to men because of traditional family role (Ibid, 351) which are to raise the children, serve the family and carry out the household work (Becker 1982 cited in Estevez-Abe 2005:184). Also, this theory suggests, that women avoid fields where there are rapid changes such as technological, innovative changes. Literature shows that those occupations requiring less investment of time, money and training are now the ones with lower returns and female based (Marini 1989: 352; Rosenf eld 1984:57). Human capital theory also says that the extent to which an individual will differ in the variables such as prior experience, hours of working, education, knowledge, marital status, etc etc, their worth in the labour market will be affected in return. No matter even if a woman has same qualifications, experience and are at the same position to that of a man in opposite still she earns less in comparison to him (Padavic and Reskin 2002). SOCIALIZATION Socialization also helps in explaining gender inequality. Theories based on socialization say that it is through childhood and the way they socially interact that the individuals place is determined in the society or workplace (Tomaskovic Devey 1993: 8). According to this theory, it is the society who sets out the appropriate roles and occupations for an individual (Rosenfeld 1984:57). In other words, men and women accept the roles based on gender laid out by the society for them. They also value them as thats what they learn through socialization over a period of time. These roles are mostly the rules, norms and regulations of a society (Konrad, Corrigal, Lieb Ritchie 2000: 109). This also affects the way one conducts himself or herself and his or her ambitions leading to division of labour where women specialize in household and family activities and men in occupation and market. They way one socializes as a child plays a very important role in shaping his future and career life. Socialization has a very important and predominant role in an individuals life. It is the socially constructed norms and values of the society that brings about gender inequality in workplaces as well. No matter how modern one may be, he still has to stay in a society and follow its rules and regulations. If he tries to change or go against them consequences that follow are not desirable and of choice OVERT DISCRIMINATION Progression has been of no good to women when it comes to the way they are treated at workplaces. Overt and covert discrimination continues to affect them in workplaces. Much of the treatment is covert but then one cannot deny the fact that overt also continues. Here (overt discriminating treatment) one sees how the men especially the White men are dominant in the society making the rules and regulations. They have an upper hand and advantage in the labour market. Women pose a treat to these White men (Reskin 1988). Evidence show that how historically White men used labour unions to exclude women from well paying jobs THE DUAL LABOUR MARKET According to the dual labour market theory, men and women earn different incomes because they work in different segments of the labour market. Women are mostly found working in the areas which comprise of low incomes and benefits. Therefore, equal pay for equal work is just a principle which only applies to a very handful of people as women are never engaged in equal work. According to the dual labour market theory the market is divided into two markets namely the primary market and the secondary market. In the primary labour market, jobs are relatively stable, wages are also good and opportunities for advancement exist. Basically primary jobs are found in large organizations as they comprise of more stable jobs, better working environment and benefits. Example of this would mean working in a MNC under the management head. On the other hand, secondary markets are the ones having few turnovers, small profits, not many stable jobs and also poor working environment. Example of this would be working a serving person in a fast food restaurant. These are short time or part time jobs. Under this theory one sees that most of the women would be employed in the secondary labour market and not the primary labour market. The primary labour market itself is divided into two tiers the first tier and the second tier. The first tier consists of high status professional and organizational jobs with more autonomy whereas on the other hand second tier consists of the working class with less autonomy such as semi skilled blue collar jobs. Women are found in large percentages under the informal sector of the labour market where there is a wide wage gap and low or no benefits. People or companies would hire such people in an under the table manner which would have no records of them and also not pay them their profit share. Under this theory it is also said that men and women are employed in different occupations and if they were in the same occupation then they would be doing different jobs. This is called occupation segregation LITERATURE According to Joanne Naiman, men are considered breadwinners and womens place is at home (Joanne Naiman 1997: 250-51). This viewpoint is not surprising as history shows how it is the men who have been the policy makers and shape the society as they perceive and want it. They have always been dominating the society. For example in Joanne Naimans book, there is an excerpt from Gustave Le Bonne, a Parisian in 1879, in which he openly compared most of the female brains with that of gorillas and stated the inferiority (of women) is so obvious that no one can contest it for the moment; only its degree is worth discussing. (Quoted in Joanne Naiman 1997: 250). Another instance can be traced from Carol Travis book titled The Mismeasurement Of Woman where she states that left hemisphere of the brain deals with intelligence and reasoning and right on the other hand with passion, sex and other such similar concepts. It was said that men were considered to have an advanced or better left brain in comparison to women. But later some where in the 1960s and 70s scientists found out that it was the right hemisphere of the brain that was source of intelligence, imagination, reasoning, creativity etc etc and men had more of this brain now (Carol Tavris 1992:48). Both the above citations clearly show that how society would see women to be inferior to men and not smart enough to carry out jobs which would deal with thinking and reasoning and these were the main causes as why women were not treated equally at workplaces. It was because of these mindsets that women were not given the freedom to work and if they were to work, they had to always prove themselves worthy in comparison to men at every step and were not treated equally. This could be in the form of them not getting the equal pay as her male colleague or not promoted or anything for that matter. Ergo, puts the viewpoint across and says that all those jobs which need supervision are female jobs such as a nurse, secretary, receptionists etc etc. To show this point he uses the case story (Mustapha Koc 1999) where Mary, the wife, was given the responsibility and job of a secretary and accountant of the family business and her husband was the boss. Even though they husband and wife, still they did not share the responsibilities that they could have of the family business in the office. This was because the society had outlined the role and position for Mary. Because of the norms and rules of the society Mary had to quit her job from the bank as she had children now and had to become a housewife. This is another example as to how women are not treated equally in workplace and society. Theodore Caplow (The Sociology of Work, 1954) identifies the reasons as to what make it difficult for women to compete with men in the general labour markets. The reasons mentioned are Womens primary role and social status as housewife and mother, the secondary economic role of women as family breadwinners / providers, the large number of women in society for whom paid employment was as option, rather than a necessity and the historical (cultural) domination of the workplace by men. Walby in the similar lines of that of Caplow but in greater emphasis argues that male domination in workplace has created a cultural setting in which women play a largely peripheral role. It is clearly seen in our everyday lives how women are asked to take care of the households, family and children. How she has to quit from her job when her children are born and how it is all her duty to bring up the children along with taking care of the others at home. How as a child they asked to play with dolls and some sort of indoor games called house house or teacher teacher. While playing these games how they would treat their dolls as if they were her children and take care of them. At school asked to take extra curricular activities involving subjects like home science, stitching, nursing. It is very clearly visible how women are not treated equality to men and this brings about gender inequality. As Haralambos (Themes and Perspectives) notes a point: Women face a number of disadvantages in paid work. Firstly, they tend to be lower paid than men. Secondly, they are more-likely to be in part-time work. Thirdly, they tend to concentrated in the lower reaches of the occupations in which they work. Fourthly, women tend to do particular types of jobs, usually those with low status. Media also has a major role in this. It also lets subjects or categorises womens role to household. Most of the household advertisements are also accounted towards women and any with power, authority, position, strength toward men. This also shapes the role of men and women. Societies have shaped the role of a women to such a limitation that even if she gets a job by going against the norms of the society, she would not be able to go far in her career. The reason for this would be that the society will not be able to see a women doing better and at a better position that men. About 75 percent of the jobs in the well paying professions are held by men and even if women are able to get equal jobs as men they still get paid considerably less (David Bender and Bruno Leone 1989: 75). For that matter one sees that certain jobs of women are such manipulated and are of a certain standard of measurement when they do not get maternal leaves from companies they are employed in (David Bender and Bruno Leone 1989: 74). Once they have left their job it becomes very hard for them to get back to the professional ladder. But when we talk about inequality amongst gender in workplace, this could also be for the fact that there are certain job positions that could only be filled by certain genders, such as army officers. Even though there has been a number of movements that are trying to get rid of this inequality and some have also been successful but this has also shown a downfall in the society by the number of rape, sexual harassment, verbal violence, etc cases at workplaces which puts a doubt in the minds of women and are made to think twice if they should even take up that job and position. Religion and culture also say that the roles of men are different from that of women. Mankind has taught that men are superior to women ( Babara Kantowitz 1986). This notion is taught to all from a very early age normally which have lead people to think and believe that males are better than women, therefore, should get better job opportunities and no compromise should be made in this aspect. This gender inequality ahs always been there and still continues to exists. THE CONCEPT OF A DUAL ROEL OR DOUBLE SHIFT Barron and Norris argue that men can work in both the sectors, be it primary or secondary, but they are most likely to be found in the primary sector in contrast to women, who are found mostly in the secondary sector. This is because women are more likely to take up jobs where you are paid less and that are flexible in nature. This observation relates to the idea that women tend to have a dual role. Dual role can be expressed in the way that bringing up the child is primary and supplementing family income is secondary. It based on the primary role for women as to where and when can they work. This further affects the market situation for men. It is for this reason and fact that women work in secondary sectors. It is because of the reason mentioned above that women are not generally able to commit themselves in a long term careers. The general structure of womens lives is less well adapted to the demands of professional employment. In history it has been seen as an evidence that how for a variety of reasons women had been less organized than men in the workplace (especially in relation to Trade Union organization and membership) and how, therefore, more-easily dismissed or made redundant than men.

Affirmative Action Essay -- essays research papers

Pros on Affirmative Action Affirmative action refers to a variety of programs and policies that are race, gender, national origin, and ethnicity conscious. Such programs are targeting women and minorities that had suffered discrimination in the past. History tells us that women and minorities suffered severe discriminations until the middle of 20th century. Women and minorities were treated as inferiors and subordinate status. According to Gilroy, "women were not allowed to enter entire areas of employment such as mining, fire fighting, law, and medicine." They were not even allowed to vote until the early 1920s. The racial segregation in one form or another forced American Indians, African Americans and Latinos into low-wage, dead-end jobs. No one can deny this historical truth, not even opponents of affirmative action reluctantly admit this (Gilroy 79). Critics of affirmative action have argued that because of affirmative action, white males are discriminated against as a group. They call this a "reverse discrimination." This argument sounds somewhat believable but it is simply wrong if we look at the facts. Women and minorities today are still significantly underrated in spite of the enforcement of affirmative action programs. 'According to a 1995 government report, white males hold 95 percent of senior management positions although they make up only 29 percent of the workforce. White males are still, by a great margin, over represented in most high st...

Iran Provides No Freedom of Speech on the Internet -- Argumentative Ess

Introduction: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. The first amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America can often be taken for granted. In many third-world countries, the idea of freedom of speech is in the back of people’s minds, but almost never brought to the forefront of issues facing the country and government. In recent years, this has become especially evident in the Middle East. In the United States, we are shown a display of the harsh authoritative rule of governments over their people in the Middle East, reminding us of how lucky we are to have freedom of speech and media to express our views, no matter how unpopular they are. When the Constitution was first drafted, the conception of anything remotely close to the Internet was in no one’s mind. Freedom of speech, as it were, pertained to the media (i.e., newspapers, magazines, etc). Only recently with the widespread expansion of the Internet, has the value of freedom of speech really been seen. People from any walk of life can post their opinions in this medium, where it can be seen by anyone else in the world. In the United States, there is not much of an ideological shift here because basically anything that could be said before the Internet can be said with the Internet. Of course there are some exceptions when it comes to war-time, but for the most part we see freedom of speech being taken to its full advantage. In the Middle East, and specifically in Iran, there has never been anything like th... ... it the most. However, with new Iranian web sites popping up almost everyday in Iran as well as in the United States, it is impossible to stop. References: Babak Rahimi, Cyberdissent: The Internet in Revolutionary Iran, 2003, Middle Eastern Review of International Affairs, Volume 7, No. 3, September 2003, http://meria.idc.ac.il/journal/2003/issue3/jv7n3a7.html. Haleh Nazeri, Imagined Cyber Communities, Iranians and the Internet, 1996, New York University, December 1996, http://w3fp.arizona.edu/mesassoc/Bulletin/nazeri.htm. Lydia Heller, Iran: Anonymity of the Internet Fosters Freedom of Expression, 2003, Deutsche Welle, July 15 2003, http://www.qantara.de/webcom/show_article.php?wc_c=478&wc_id=14. Reporters Without Borders, Conservatives muzzle the Internet during elections, February 24 2004, http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=9373.

Investigating Special Education Internet Resources Essay

Family Village For Families of Children with Special Needs – http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/websites.html This website offers a wide variety of resources for the community to use when trying to navigate around the internet. It has sources such as Parent to Parent Matching, Mental health Websites, Diagnosis, and Internet resources. The Tulsa Area Alliance on Disabilities – http://208.112.118.116/disabili.html The website explains the benefits of early inclusion with students with and without disabilities. The website also breaks down the stages in which the person should be reaching milestones such as work and self-sufficiency. Tulsa Kids For Parents. For Families. For Life – http://www.tulsakids.com/October2011/Tulsa-Special-Needs-Resource-Guide/ The Tulsa Kids for Parents webstie offers five pages facilities where children with disabilities can utilize for exercise, activities, cheerleading, horseback riding and many other events that students with disabilities can participate in. This site also provides churches, foundations, learning facilities and legal services. This can be very helpful when parents are searching for activities their child may be interested or therapeutic exercise. United Way – Tulsa Area United Way – http://www.tauw.org/Member_Agencies.asp The Untied Way provides a tremendous amount of support in the Tulsa area for people with disabilities. The United Way partners with agencies to provide support for services the New Leaf that provides residential living skills classes and vocational training. Parents National Center for Learning Disabilities – http://www.ncld.org The NCLD website provides over 101 videos on different disabilities in order for parents to get an understanding of what type of disability their child may have. Not only does it provide facts about the disabilities it also provides true life stories from parents who have a child with a disability. Oklahoma Department of Human Services – http://www.okdhs.org/programsand services/dd/prvdrs/docs/providerlistab.htmlThe Department of Human Services is one of the most crucial services a parent can utilize. Having a child born with a disability is very expensive and the services the parents are offered are sometimes are life savers. Families can rely on free home visits for therapy, vouchers for formula, free shots and wellness baby checkups. Wrightslaw – http://www.wrightslaw.com/ Wrightslaw is a website that provides newsletters for parents to subscribe to concerning where to turn for Special Advocacy, Legal issues, revised regulations in education. This is a must to parents with a child that has a disability due to the fact that the website gets you headed in the right directs if a problem arises. The information is up to day on the No Child Left Behind Act. Students Funbrain – www.funbrain.com – This website provides interactive games such as connect the dots to create a picture of an animal or character. Funbrain is for all school age students and are arranged in different grade levels. KidsKnowIt Network – http://www.kidsknowit.com – The Kids Know It Network can be used as a homework helper by watching math videos on the problems a student may be struggling with. There are also bidoes on astronomy, biology, geology, history, math, memory and so much more. Teachers can utilize this website as an additional tool in the classroom. The great part about this website is it is free. Learn4Good – http://www.learn4good.com/kids/indes.htm – Learn4Good offers all ages Pre-k through 12 interactive games, lessons, math, reading, and can provide a report on student progress. At first I did not think students should be on this website but then took a closer look at what it had to offer the lower grades as well as the upper grades. Many times the older grades do not have enough educational websites to keep their interests or only geared to lower level learners. Starfall – http://www.starfall.com – Starfall offers children a large variety of learning tools to begin students learning adventures for all ages. The different categories range from learning their alphabet, colors, days, sounds to the students reading. My students with disabilities use this website when they come into the computer lab. Teachers Department of Education http://www.ed.gov The Department of Education is one of the most valuable websites that keeps teachers and administrators informed of the changing laws in education. It provides resources for grants, professional development and funding. Do2Learn http://www.do2learn.com Do2Learn is a must for teachers who teach children with autism. It allows you to print pictures of the child’s daily routine with flash cards. Self help toilet procedures, clothing, social behaviors and emotions. It offers over 2,500 pictures cards that can be printed. Most features on this site are free but there are some that you will need a subscription for. This website is a must for parents and teachers who work with Autistic students. Khan Academy http://www.khanacademy.org Khan Academy is one of the most valuable websites for teachers to utilize as a resources tool. It offers 750 math videos that allows students to view a 3-5 minute video on the math problem that they are currently working. If students struggle with a certain step of a math problem they can view the video as many times as they may need. This is great as a homework helper. Learning Disabilities Association of America http://www.ldanatl.org/aboutld/teachers/index.asp The LDA can provide a path to understanding of many of the disabilities that teachers come in contact with every day. As an educator it is important to utilize resources that can provide definitions of their student’s disabilities. It provides signs, symptoms and strategies. National Association of Special Education Teachers http://www.naset.org The NASET offers a wide range of resources for teachers such as Professional Development Courses, IEP Development Tools, E-Journals, IEP Golas, Objectives and Activities App. The most up to day features are also avail and can be utilized form your ipad or iphone app. One very important feature about this website is that it provides handouts, printable forms and reports. No Child Left Behind http://www.2.edu.gov/nclb.landing.jhtml The No Child Left Behind website offers resources for teachers and strategies that can be utilized in the classroom. Free special educational resources, bullying resources, are just some of the resources. The website also provides changes in the state standards, which is something that all teachers need to be aware of at all times.